REVIEW of Grey Gardens 5/25

Glad you liked it! It's a great show!

It is a wonderful piece. I wish they had kept "Better Fall out of Love" which tells more story than "Going Places" but "Marry Well" is a much better piece than "Being Bouvier"

And having listened to both albums, I have to say that Gettlefinger makes a more convincing little edie than this new person.

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"Going Places" is the more appropriate choice because it better advances the agenda of Joe Kennedy. He didn't care about what Edie wanted. He wanted the perfect wife for his political ambitions. Edith saw right through this and that is one (possible) motivation behind her telling the story that made Joe want to break off the engagement. The fact that he would end things so easily proved he didn't love her and that her reputation was way more important to him.

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Edith's "young" singing voice is nothing like she ended up having - hence the difference between Christine in Act 1 and Mary Louise in Act 2. People don't have the same voices their entire lives.

But Davie's performance hints at the type of person she becomes in Act 2. Gettlefinger seemed to totally disregard the fact that she was playing this person who became this interesting creature with an interesting accent in Act 2. Davie hints at the accent here and there, making the transition entirely believeable. She plants seeds that Gettlefinger never came close to doing.

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While Gettlefinger's voice may sound closer to Ebersole's in the second act, I don't think she was right for the part. She's a great actress, but I don't like her voice in the part.

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Smartful, Fen has seen Grey Gardens with Davie. He posted a review a few days ago.

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I am an avid fan of Sarah Gettelfinger's. She was just too strong a presence in the Off-Broadway production, imo. Erin Davie's performance makes her line toward the end of Act 1 utterly believeable: "If I stay here, I'll vanish." She seems desperate to leave so she can have her own life and personality. As n69n pointed out once, "Sarah looked like she could just pick Edith up over her head and throw her down on the floor." (And that from someone who prefers Sarah in the role!)

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I was referring to Sarah Gettelfinger

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I've only seen the show on Broadway, but judging from the Off-Broadway Recording - I enjoy Sarah's speaking voice better for Edie than Erins.


I think the new songs for act 1 are much better than the songs they replaced. I feel the creators made the right decisions. BODY BEAUTIFUL BEALE is cute, but isn't needed. TOMORROW'S WOMAN is also pleasant, but still doesn't do much for the plot. And THE GIRL WHO HAS EVERYTHING is such a better opener than TOYLAND.

Updated On: 5/26/07 at 02:28 PM

Having seen both the final product on Broadway and the Off-Broadway production, I can safely say that while Gettlefinger was more glamorous in terms of looks, she played the role far too pathetic. She actually had a stunning outfit that I was sad to see go in the Broadway production. Originally, Little Edie enters from the beach in a one piece bathing suit and a scarf like skirt tied around her waist and high heels. This, combined with Gettlefinger's long, gorgeous gams equaled breathtaking beauty. Her entrance was the one moment Gettlefinger's performance took my breath away.

After that, she was flat. She did not connect with Ebersole, had 0% chemistry with Cavenaugh (who looked like he was constantly on his toes to make himself seem just as tall as Gettlefinger), and seemed to whine the entire time through. This is no fault of Gettlefinger's, who has proved that she can steal a show with just one number (i.e. "Oklahoma" in DRS). She was just entirely wrong for the part. Despite her height, she seemed physically weak the entire show, as if she were about to collapse.

Seeing GG on Broadway in late previews, I must say that I didn't see the phenomenal performance that Davie's giving now (though, she had one brilliant moment, but I'll get to that later). I fully intend to see the show again in the next few weeks, though. Granted, she was good. Very good, and a major improvement over Gettlefinger, but she still seemed incredibly nervous most of the time, usually during her scenes rather than the songs and was obviously still doing some character development.

Her "Daddy's Girl", though, completely threw me off guard. I didn't know what the number was capable of until I saw Davie perform it. Originally, Gettlefinger was just crying the whole time through with occassional yelling for emphasis. Davie, though, created a mini-"Rose's Turn" and drew complete focus from every person in the audience. I can only imagine that now her portrayal of Little Edie is nothing short of spectacular.

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Updated On: 5/26/07 at 02:43 PM

BroadwaySinger2- I am glad that you liked the show ! I think its
the BEST MUSICAL right now on Broadway (just my opinion- Spring Awakening-- trailing behind it.) Christine Ebersole is just divine! I felt so fortunate that we saw her on GG last year. Can't wait to see it again-J*

^ See the show, and you'll see.