Patti LuPone The Rink- Page 2
Patti LuPone The Rink
Patti LuPone The Rink#25
Posted: 6/24/18 at 5:17am
Circle in the Square would be a perfect venue for this show! I was able to have a return "Visit" to the show yesterday, and I do concede that LuPone is a little too old for the role. Several character traits, lines of dialogue and the entire song "Mrs A" probably won't quite make sense with LuPone at her age (not to mention how to deal with the occasional moments of dancing) , and it's especially difficult because the time period is weaving back to when she was with her ex-husband. I wouldn't say it's IMPOSSIBLE if a good director is up to the challenge of trying to make it work, but they would be slightly fighting against the material.
What about Donna Murphy? The extra 10 years up her sleeve might make all the difference. And she is the kind of actress that I think has the presence + skills to take the challenge of the role.
It really is quite difficult to think of someone for this role. Maybe someone can take a risk and bring O'Connor over. In any case, I hope this production can at least spark some interest in the show. I can't help but feel the show will be much better received if mounted today than in the past. In typical Kander & Ebb style, on the surface the show looks 'happy' and 'fun' (and it can be) - but this is surfacing a much darker, unpleasant reality of deeply flawed people. There is some very tense/sharp dialogue, and themes of looking back to the past that reminds me a bit of Follies. It's an odd show in terms of marketing - even this production suffers from it. On the surface it looks like a campy, frivolous musical about roller skating. But on the whole, it's really not. It's a dark musical about deeply flawed characters trying to cope with their fractured relationships and unpleasant past. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgyJdwJePAE
Patti LuPone The Rink#26
Posted: 6/24/18 at 10:42am
I seem to recall talk of John Doyle working on a version of this with Patti after the 2005 SWEENEY revival. I remember some at the time said Leslie Kritzer should play the daughter.
I wish it would've happened. I think LuPone would've been great in this part, but agree she's probably a bit too old now.
Patti LuPone The Rink#27
Posted: 6/25/18 at 2:39pm
I saw the original. And to me Liza, coked up as she was, gave the performance. We forget what an actress with a capital A she was at one time--one of Meryl Streep's acting idols!
I saw Caroline O'Connor's Anna a couple weeks back. I'm a huge fan of her's, seen her in six different cities (including "Assassins" in Milwaukee!) and she never fails to astound (her's would have been a definitive Rose in "Gypsy" in Leicester if the production surrounding her would have been better).
She is a Broadway stalwart now. It would be nice to see her finally getting a a lead role on Broadway. There would have to be a "star" Angel however, until tales of Caroline's performance would start to get around. Sutton Foster maybe?
Patti LuPone The Rink#28
Posted: 6/25/18 at 5:14pm
Caroline is an amazingly versatile talent and having a very busy year.
She will soon be playing one of many Fanny Brices' in a 3 night concert version at the Sydney Opera House and then Judy Garland in The Boy from Oz for The Production Company in Melbourne in August.
Leading Actor Joined: 8/19/05
Patti LuPone The Rink#29
Posted: 6/27/18 at 10:46am
How about Julia Murney/Margo Seibert as a combo? Or maybe even Caroline Bowman... Her and Murney looked as though they could really be mother/daughter in a Carrie clip on the utube
Patti LuPone The Rink#30
Posted: 6/27/18 at 11:22am
I've always been partial to an Emily Skinner/Annaleigh Ashford revival, myself.
Patti LuPone The Rink#31
Posted: 6/27/18 at 3:04pm
Testa was fantastic when she went on for Liza and she'd be great as the mother today. Anyone at Arena Stage listening?
Patti LuPone The Rink#32
Posted: 6/28/18 at 1:44pm
Thank you having grown up with all Italians I thought Olympia Dukakas seemed about as Italian as me (irish)
CHita looked the part but she is a dancer and cant hide the walk of one...
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