Melanie Griffith as Charity? CJR's 2nd worst nightmare?

[mamamia sammy]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 10:36am

Today's NY Times confirms that she is auditioning for the role.

There was also this quote from Ann Reinking regarding Melanie in "Chicago":

Ms. Reinking said she was impressed with how hard Ms. Griffith had worked to master the role. "She reminds me so much of the kind of women Bob Fosse admired and loved," said Ms. Reinking, who was among them. "Their beauty is different, and they have the quality of being vulnerable and also being strong, that sort of fragile crust."

Could Melanie Griffith become the modern day Gwen Verdon?

Updated On: 9/18/03 at 10:36 AM

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 10:41am

Really, because I think Bob Fosse would be turning over in his grave. If they call what she did "Working hard", I would hate to see her being a slacker!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 10:53am

The casting company should hopefully know not to cast her!

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 10:54am

Amen, Theaterbaby. The next Gwen Verdon. HAHA. I doubt it. I really, really hope they don't cast her as Charity. I would prefer Jane Krakowski. To tell you the truth, I prefer Marisa Tomei over the women as well!

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 10:56am

[thebigkrakowski]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 10:56am

"Crust" is right!

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 12:22pm

Marissa replaced by Melanie?

My my. What has the world some to?

[seabyrd]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 12:49pm

Has Annie lost it? I thought Bobby loved women who could DANCE.....first and foremost. Or did I just imagine that?

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 1:02pm

lol bigkrak, you took the word right out of my mouth.

I think Mels should just go do charity work.

[AReinkingfan]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:21pm

I'm a little stumped over Ann's remarks. I have not seen Melanie perform, so it is hard for me to judge what I haven't witnessed firsthand, but I just can't imagine Ms. Griffith being of the caliber of a Fosse dancer. I am just not seeing this.

I really hope my Annie isn't puffing on a pipe!! 0:

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:27pm

Maybe it is type casting?? I mean, what does Charity do after all?? And what cheap thing does Melanie manage to look like a lot of times??


::pictures Melanie sitting in a floding chair centerstage and the dancers do classic Fosse around her.. a stupid, drug induced lookin, spaced out bimbo, idiot grin on her face like she is in teh audience:: ... oh wait! She DID that!

[robbiej]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:29pm

Um...folks. Annie knew Bobby a hell of a lot better than any of us did.

And all you have to do is watch ALL THAT JAZZ to know what she's saying is true.

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:33pm

My God!!!!!!!! After seeing Melanie in Chicago, I would never buy a ticket for Sweet Charity if she was starring. Jane Krakowski and Marisa Tomeii are at least talented. Now she is a Broadway star......Unbelievable. I can't believe what Ann Reinking was thinking, or smoking, to make that remark. She acted like she could care less when I saw her as Roxie Hart. She put absolutely no effort into that role and it showed!!!!!!!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:35pm

No sh*t, huh, Robbie?? Ann knew a thing or two about that subject. And, frankly, when you look at Melanie through that lens, it's kinda true.

Now, in literature, we sometimes have what is called the Unreliable Narrator. In scientific research we have what is called the Self Report. To put it in plain English vis a vis this topic: That's what *Melanie* says Ann said to her.

Oh wait, I just read the article. Ann did say it. WOW!

Updated On: 9/18/03 at 02:35 PM

[Zola LaPlaya]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:38pm

After "The Look of Love," Miss Reinking should spend a bit more time in exile before she slithers back to our world.

Who is producing the new version of Charity? I did not see a mention of this in my edition of the Times.

Z

[AReinkingfan]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:39pm

Wait a minute, RobbieJ. You mean that by watching "All That Jazz" I should know what Ann means by Melanie being a Fosse dancer? Umm...I don't recall Melanie being IN "All That Jazz". (Just trying to understand your comment - that's all.) I realize that Ann knew Bobby very well, and that is why I am trying not to judge Melanie as I haven't actually SEEN her performance, but I trust that BroadwayLady can judge what she has actually seen. And she is not the first to discard Ms. Griffith's performance.

Maybe Ann sees something in Melanie that we just don't. We have our favorite Fosse people and it is very hard to even consider "letting someone new in" to that elite circle without Bobby himself doing the picking. Just because Ann worked with him, doesn't mean that he would agree with her choices if he were still alive.

Just my 2 cents.

[robbiej]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:45pm

No Melanie is not in ALL THAT JAZZ. But Fosse makes it obvious that his taste for women sometimes clouded his judgement when it came to talent. Never forget the scene with Victoria (is that her name?) in which he confronts her about her dancing and says 'I can't make you a great dancer. I can't even make you a good dancer. But I can make you a better dancer.' A stunning scene that let you into the soul of this man.

And never forget, he cast Ms. Jessica Lange. Now, Ms. Lange may be a very highly regarded actress today, but when she made ALL THAT JAZZ (her second film) she was just coming off KING KONG in which the critics CRUCIFIED her.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:47pm

Let's not forget the Hemingway girl!!! And I think Ann is talking about the kind of gal Melanie is, not the kind of dancing gal Melanie is.

[AReinkingfan]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:48pm

I agree, Robbie, yet Ms. Lange wasn't expected to sing OR dance in this film. This is where a lot of people question the casting of Ms. Griffith in "Chicago".

BroadwayLady, or anyone who has seen Melanie perform, how is her signing anyway? We keep hearing about how the dancing has been "toned down". What about the vocals?

[robbiej]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:54pm

And he led Valerie 'Can't Stop the Music' Perrine to an OSCAR NOMINATION!!!

[AReinkingfan]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 2:57pm

HA! Very true! And point taken.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 3:02pm

My mother, a septuagenarian, makes quarterly trips with other septuagenarians down to the TKTS booth and sees whatever they can all get tickets for. In spite of her having a gay son with his pulse on the very fingers of this business we call show, she isn't particularly plugged into the news of what's hot and what's not. I usually only hear about these trips of hers after she returns from them. Occasionally I have put out APBs along the lines of "Don't go to Urban Cowboy. DON'T see Dance of the Vampires!!" But usually she is on her own.

She never really knows anything about the shows going in. She and my aunt were quite put off by the raunchiness of "Cabaret." "It was too much," she said. "Really? It's just like my sex life," I replied in my mind.

Last week she mentioned she had been on one of her sojourns. "What did you see?" I asked. "Chicago," she replied. "A few of the gals had seen the movie and said they liked it better."

"What did you think of Melanie Griffith?" I asked.

"Oh," she said, "she didn't do very much."

"Apparently they cut down a LOT of the choreography for her character," I explained.

"The OTHER woman was very good. Very talented. She could dance!" Mom said. When I asked her what she thought of Melanie, obviously influenced by what I told her of the reduced choreography: "She was adequate for what they allowed her to do."

Now, there's a pull quote for L.A.!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 3:28pm

Now everyone, just imagine this:

Melanie singing "If They Could See Me Now"

Melanie performing "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This"

Melanie striking that famous "Charity" pose.

Melanie locked in Vittorio Vidale's closet while he sings "Too Many Tomorrows"

Melanie singing "I'm the Bravest Individual"

Melanie singing "I'm a Brass Band".......

I think Fosse would turn in his grave.

As far as Reinking is concerned...she did a crappy job staging NO STRINGS and THE LOOK OF LOVE. Is she at the end of her tether?

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 3:41pm

I think Melanie would slaughter Charity! Don't cast her!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 9/18/03 at 3:42pm

The only reasons Melanie wants to be on Bway is:

A) Her husband is on Bway.
B) She wants publicity.
C) She wants it on her resume.

Please feel free to add D, E, F, etc...