Michael Musto on Patti LuPone and Faith Prince- Page 2

[logan2]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 12:53pm

Ooh, emphraimlevi, I've never heard about Ellen Greene and the madness. Do tell! I love theater gossip.

And as for Shirley Henderson, I don't picture Helen with a baby voice. Maybe she could do the Jennifer Tilly role.

Updated On: 9/9/13 at 12:53 PM

[emphraimlevi]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 12:57pm

The latter pages...YIKES

http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/iowa/ajax.html?t=10495753#page:showThread,10495753

PS- I have done a concert with her. None of the ones mentioned in that thread but I shan't disagree with anything said. I'll leave it at that!


Updated On: 9/9/13 at 12:57 PM

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:00pm

Here's the casting breakdown RaisedOnMusicals posted in the "Casting of Helen Sinclair" thread:

Helen Sinclair:

Female, ages 45-50, All Ethnicities

Role Description

Helen Sinclair: (Lead) a world-renowned theater actress, though possibly past her prime and maybe a bit of a drinker. She hasn’t had a hit in a very long time. Showy, grand and flamboyant, she has been recruited by David Shayne for the lead role in his play. At first she resists, but soon sees this ambitious young playwright as the potential savior of her career. Strong low, solid mix, and healthy Soprano (low E – high F).


Casting of Helen Sinclair

[broadwaybabytn]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:00pm

givesmevoice, how much does Cohenour work these days?

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:02pm

Wasn't Shirley Henderson "Moaning Myrtle" in the Harry Potter movies? LOL She reads so young, but I agree she's very talented. Okay, test her, too!

I would love to see Patti Cohenour audition for it! I also think Ellen Greene might be great, but she was usually more charactery. Closer to a Fanny Brice than a Helen Hayes. Still, she has the right innocence and detachment that could be layered with the theatrics of Helen Sinclair. And she has a huge range vocally.

Did Christine Ebersole read for it? I would think she'd be great, too. Going back to her "Guenevere days" in Camelot. Maybe she passed on it.

And if Bernadette Peters or Joanna Gleason were 15 years younger, I'd want to see them. And if Sutton Foster were 15 years older, I'd want to see her.

But if they're still looking for a movie star to step in, I would try for Nicole Kidman (good luck with that) or Catherine Zeta-Jones or even Renee Zellweger. If she could lower her voice enough, she could be fantastic.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:04pm

givesmevoice, how much does Cohenour work these days?

Cohenour works a lot, in Seattle, which is where she lives. Tons of regional thetare, playing everything from Edie Beale in Grey Gardens to Meg Boyd in Damn Yankees.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:06pm

First of all, Dianne's natural voice is not so far from "baby," she didn't find the character until she took her voice down an octave. I'm not sure if Shirley could do the same but I'm also not sure she would have to. To the contrary, I think her not doing so would be a plus.

Shirley has a theatrical grandeur in her natural upper register. In addition, they want a real soprano, so they may very well not be going for the voice we know as the Helen Sinclair Dianne immortalized, but for something very different - and going for something very different could be a huge plus and wise choice so as not to compete with the memories of a legendary movie performance and steer clear of an even quasi-impersonation or approximation - rather create something very new but equally beguiling, eccentric and grandly megalomaniacal.

Best12, indeed Shirley was Moaning Myrtle and can read very young, her voice is unique, high and she's exceptionally short - but I'm still sold; glad to hear you think she should be tested.





Updated On: 9/9/13 at 01:06 PM

[logan2]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:06pm

Thank you, emphraimlevi, can't wait to read it!

Can Tilda Swinton sing? I think she would make a divine Helen Sinclair.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:08pm

I'm not sure if Shirley could do the same but I'm also not sure she would have to. To the contrary, I think her not doing so would be a plus.

That's how Weist approached it first, and it was a big flop. She was almost replaced in the film. They probably shouldn't make that same mistake twice. To me, the voice is the "shell." A high pitched girly voice is still too cute and too vulnerable. A Tallulah voice is someone who isn't interested in anything other than herself, her next role, and her next drink.

Updated On: 9/9/13 at 01:08 PM

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:09pm

I don't know about anyone else, but my problem is that there have been at least a dozen names I've read as suggestions that I absolutely loved and now I don't really know who I want to be cast.

[madbrian]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:09pm

If they wanted to go for a star, I'd pick Michelle Pfeiffer.

[logan2]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:13pm

Was Donna Murphy not interested or did they pass on her?

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:17pm

I'm also thinking that since this is a musical and Helen a soprano, she might be a lot less Tallulah Bankhead and a lot more Gertrude Lawrence.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:20pm

I can see why they want someone vocally with a huge range, because Helen needs to be able to turn the "baritone" off occasionally. Particularly in one of my favorite scenes, which I'm sure they won't cut. It's the park bench scene with John Cusack where Weist drops "Tallulah" and speaks in her natural, innocent, almost "little girl" voice. It's the scene that ends with her turning it right back on for "Don't speak!"

So musically, they're probably looking for someone who can do both. But the problem is starting from people who are more Tallulah by nature than Billie Burke. They should work the opposite direction. But that means they won't know if she can do "Tallulah" until they audition her. Oh, yeah, and she has to be really funny as well. Yeah, that.

Michelle Pfeifer would be great if a) she would do Broadway and b) she had the vocal range for it.

I almost think they ought to reconsider the "vocal range." Is it a must that she sing soprano AND alto? Can't they tailor that for the right actress? I would worry about the range after I found the right actress first.

[logan2]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:22pm

I think Helen should be a mezzo or contralto, not a soprano.

[logan2]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:22pm

This is subtle, Gothampc?









I'm Helen Sinclair! Updated On: 9/9/13 at 01:22 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:26pm

Oh, dear, emphraimlevi. Sorry to hear that about Ellen Greene. It's kinda sad to have a reputation of being crazy in L.A., where everyone is crazy.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:35pm

After seeing that clip of Weist, I really hope they test Patti Cohenour. Just looking at this clip (see link) of her singing Moonfall from Edwin Drood in 1985, you can see she has all the theatricality for the role. And now that she's older, if she can put on the boldness of the shell, she'd nail it.


Patti Cohenour sings Moonfall

[emphraimlevi]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:38pm

Best12Bars that is right indeed!

It was very, very sad. I was destroyed at the time - You should never meet your idols.

Sadly, she he was the personification of evil.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:40pm

Now here's Patti Cohenour recently (and very effectively) in ...


Grey Gardens

Updated On: 9/9/13 at 01:40 PM

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:45pm

Could Carolee Carmello pull this off or am I way off track?

[logan2]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:45pm

Just watched Ellen Greene as guest on Show People on youtube. I see what you mean ephramlevi - something off about her.

[emphraimlevi]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 1:51pm

You'd know the something if you met her, trust me. hahaha

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 2:21pm

Then how about Ellen Greene in the Jennifer Tilly role? Oh wait, I bet someone will say she's too old.

Seems many are unaware but most of the principal cast has been announced months ago, excluding the role of Helen Sinclair (hence this post).

Here is the confirmed cast of BULLETS OVER BROADWAY: The Musical

Zack Braff as David Shayne (the John Cusack role)
Vincent Pastore as Nick Valenti (the Joe Viterelli role)
Brooks Ashmanskas as Warner Purcell (the Jim Broadbent role)
Betsy Wolfe as Ellen (the Mary-Louise Parker role)
Lenny Wolpe as Julian Marx (the Jack Warden role)
Helene Yorke as Olive Neal (the Jennifer Tillyl role)

There is to be a 29-person cast.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 2:36pm

They also haven't announced who's playing Cheech, and I haven't read any speculation over who might be playing him. That might be the best male role in the movie, so I'm excited to hear who they cast.