Patti and Bernadette NEED to perform together

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 3/14/16 at 9:55pm

i can't believe the Ethel Merman and Mary Martin of the modern age have never dueted. Surely this is something we need to see happen in our lifetimes. May I suggest one of the following:     ** A Musical version of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane"     ** "Senior Shiz"-- a BCEFA concert of Wicked with Patti as Elphaba and Bernadette as Glinda     ** A recreation of the infamous Fords Duet between Mary Martin and Ethel Merman.      

 

Other suggestions?        

Updated On: 3/14/16 at 09:55 PM

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 3/14/16 at 10:05pm

As much as this would be any queen's dream (mine especially) I doubt it would ever happen. Instead I would like them to play roles that they each have done famously. I NEED Patti to play the Witch in Into The Woods and Bernadette to do Mrs. Lovett.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 3/14/16 at 10:10pm

Patti would never.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 3/14/16 at 10:11pm

They can do a "switch roles" medley in the second act ending with a "Rose's Turn" showdown!   i don't see any real reason why these two performing together is that unlikely. I know people like to presume a rivalry between them (as they did Martin and Merman in their time) -- but there isnt anything to suggest there is real animosity between them. Yah Patti was bitter that Peters got to do some roles she wanted but who cares. Old news. Bernadette came out championing Patti last year during the cell phone controversy, so I doubt she resents Patti in any way.

 

Theyd sell well a lot of tickets and they should do it.       

Updated On: 3/14/16 at 10:11 PM

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 3/14/16 at 10:15pm

This is my nightmare. 

[binau]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 5:40am

Replace Ebersole in WAR PAINT and it's done, plus the show would have a practically garantueed road to Broadway. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 11:38am

How about an Encores revival of Over Here?  Get Donna Murphy for the Janie Sell role.  I think it would be incredible.  I still play this CD with some regularity.  Pastiche or not, the score is fun.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 11:41am

1) I'm still bummed they didn't sing There's Always a Woman together at the Sondheim Birthday Concert at Lincoln Center.

2) When I was reading War Paint, I thought that Bernadette actually would make a pretty good Elizabeth Arden.

However, I think doing a show with Patti would just highlight how much Bernadette's voice has declined.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 12:25pm

Lettice and Lotte A NEW MUSICAL
with Patti and Bernadette alternating roles
 

[Wildcard]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 12:45pm

Patti and Bernadette as Maxine Bialystock and Leona Bloom!

[lovebwy]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 1:09pm

Martin was very deferential to Mermen when the performed together in the '70s. Martin realized her voice had some issues at that point and was really happy to let Merman "steal the show". Watch the joint interviews from that time and you'll see what I mean.

 

I can't see Bernadette acting similarly.

Updated On: 3/15/16 at 01:09 PM

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 1:51pm

Well like Merman and Martin, you really can't compare LuPone and Peters as vocalists. They are just completely different instruments.  But their voices are only partly what make them great artists of the stage.  And I think vocally both are still strong enough to come off well with the proper material. I had forgotten about WAR PAINT.  That really would be a potentially interesting possibility for NYC.

[binau]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 9:06pm

Funny that they wouldn't even have to change "TWO-TIME TONY AWARD WINNERS" if they replaced Ebersole with Peters given they have the same number of Tonys. 

War Paint seems to be selling well in Chicago. Should they receive good reviews and cast Bernadette it shouldn't be impossible to find backers for a road to Broadway. A brand new (hopefully) high-quality musical with Broadway's two biggest female stars is an event!

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 10:51pm

Yeah, but wouldn't that be a pretty screwed up thing to do to Ebersole? Not that this doesn't happen all the time, but I can't imagine them ditching her. Especially considering she is an esteemed star in her own right and her involvement is certainly a draw, though probably not the draw Peters would be. Plus there's the obvious professional relationship with the creative team on her side. Not to mention that Ebersole and Peters aren't really interchangeable. We haven't heard the score to judge what the vocal requirements are, but the two women have very different, distinct voices and capabilities.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 10:57pm

NOWaWarning said: "Not to mention that Ebersole and Peters aren't really interchangeable. We haven't heard the score to judge what the vocal requirements are, but the two women have very different, distinct voices and capabilities."

 

I'm really curious about the score, because I also don't think Ebersole and Donna Murphy are interchangeable, so I wonder where Elizabeth Arden's role is written. But Ebersole and Peters might be even less interchangeable, and I certainly don't think Ebersole would be dumped if the show was coming to Broadway.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 10:59pm

Ebersole is not gonna get replaced by Bernadette. This is crazy talk. She's just as esteemed an actress, and in a lot of ways, a lot better. There's not a chance Peters could ever have turned in a performance with the of depth of character that Ebersole did in Grey Gardens (the best onstage performance I've been fortunate enough to see).

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 11:00pm

Well the role of Elizabeth Arden in War Paint was originally conceived for Donna Murphy who is also pretty different in type from Ebersole.  If so it will be interesting to see what it ends up like in actual performance.    Peters would definitely sell more tickets than Ebersole or Donna Murphy but yes this is all fantasy talk.

Updated On: 3/15/16 at 11:00 PM

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 12:54am

"Broadway's two biggest female stars"

I'm sure you mean other than Audra.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 1:13am

Audra is pretty much equal to Patti and Bernadette- she's getting a lot of focus now because of Lady Day and Shuffle Along, but I think they are all equally well-known to the public.

I love both of them (though I'd pick Patti if I had to) but I truly can't think of a show that I'd like to see them perform together. Honestly, they're pretty singular performers in terms of style, and I don't know the show and production that would equally highlight both of their strengths. 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 2:22am

I really do wonder why DMurph didn't continue on with the show. 

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 4:44am

Maybe it has something to do with her husband's health? Like Michelle dockery who withdrew from liaisons dangereuses to spend the last weeks with her boyfriend.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 4:54am

I'd say in mainstream culture that Audra (she does the late night circuit a lot, HBO special, Essence Mag cover) and Idina (some film called "Frozen" are the most culturally relevant Broadway performers, with Bernadette (with "Mozart in the Jungle", Patti (she's been on a lot of TV shows the last few years), and Sutton ("Younger" got renewed for season 3) following closely. Patti and Bernadette are both multigenerational and would sell like hot cakes in a show together. Patti and Christine Ebersole would still sell well together, but I could easily see LCT or Roundabout wanting to snatch up "War Paint" if it does well in Chicago. 

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 9:21am

Murphy is also in the PBS series MERCY STREET, which just got picked up for a second season. I'm not sure to what extent that would have gotten in the way of her doing the Chicago run (probably not much), but it may have affected her availability for a long-term commitment. I believe Josh Radnor had to drop out of SHE LOVES ME to do the show too. I didn't realize there were any health issues involving her husband and hope he is well or gets well. She is such a master of her craft, it's a real shame she didn't continue with this.

 

Any notion that Peters would be involved in WAR PAINT is ridiculous. They didn't pick Ebersole as a placeholder. Some people here are talking about it like it's a real possibility and it's so not.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 9:39am

Wait a minute, though...

Patti as Vera
Bernie as Auntie Mame
"Light the candles, get the ice out / Roll the rug up, it's today!"

Huh? Huh?? (And let me be clear that the only reason I'm not reversing the two, which might work equally well, is that I'm afraid Patti would decide to play Mame like Rose. I don't need to see the dark side of Mame Dennis.)

Updated On: 3/16/16 at 09:39 AM

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 9:42am

g.d.e.l.g.i. said: "Wait a minute, though...

Patti as Vera
Bernie as Auntie Mame
"Light the candles, get the ice out / Roll the rug up, it's today!"

Huh? Huh??"

Ain't NO way Patti would play second fiddle to Bernie. Patti would play a smaller part (Women on the Verge, for example), but she'd never be Vera to Bernie. They'd have to switch the roles nightly or something.