Riedel: Chenoweth Picks PROMISES, PROMISES Over MINSKY'S- Page 3

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 12:08pm

LOL, MB.

As for that recent clip of Jill, yeah, she sounds pretty much the same, and her voice would NEVER go over today with a Broadway audience. She'd be booed of the stage or raked over the coals in reviews. Or both. That's a "give me my money back" voice.

Not that I agree with this "American Idol" philosophy at all, but she's not really a good singer honestly, even if she's right for the part.

Her voice actually grew on me after repeated listenings of the OBCR, and after I saw photos of her in the original production. I saw the vulnerability in her eyes and expressions. And I understood the appeal.

But on a first impression? Ouch!

EDIT: And for what it's worth, Orbach is PAINFULLY flat, like a full step off, on some of the held notes on the recordings.

Different priorities back then. We want vocal gymnasts now. Not actors.

Updated On: 10/14/09 at 12:08 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 12:10pm

I've always wanted to see a production of this. Hoping it's great.

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 12:16pm

Here are some performance clips of Kerry O'Malley and Martin Short in the 1997 ENCORES! Concert staging of PROMISES PROMISES.
Kerry O'Malley and Martin Short in PROMISES, PROMISES

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 12:21pm

...which Christine Baranski walked away with.

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 12:22pm

Christine Baranski was GREAT as Marge MacDougall!

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 12:30pm

MB---I found the case. It was for the movie "Georgia Rule," in 2006, where Lohan started missing shooting days. The producers called bullsh*t and threatened to sue her. She had told them she was "dehydrated" yet was going out to the bars at night. She was back to work the next day, and they never filed the lawsuit. But the producers were very public with their "complaint" at the time.



Get back to work or face the consequences.

Updated On: 10/14/09 at 12:30 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 12:31pm

I love O'Hara's voice! It's unique, memorable and so full of emotion and character. I really like Chenoweth, but I just think she and Hayes are both really wrong for these particular characters, especially opposite each other. I love the idea of Lohan, but it does seem to be a rather hopeless endeavor. But if they go with Chenoweth, I think TR Knight opposite her would provide a bit more balance.

Can Kelly Clarkson act yet?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 12:56pm

She sings better than Gina Gershon and they haven't booed her off the stage yet :)

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 1:02pm

Maybe because in addition to her crappy vocals, Gina isn't charming or right for the character?

Haven't seen it. Won't see it. Don't know.

WOW, is Gina really that bad of a singer???



The audiences today also love stars. Although I use that word loosely with Gershon. They can be a little more forgiving, if it's someone they know from TV or movies.

Updated On: 10/14/09 at 01:02 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 1:14pm

Best12, I don't think audiences today are actually as picky as you think. Theatre queens might boo a singer like Jill O'Hara off the stage today but most people who go to the theatre have no idea what is quality or not. And half of them are tone deaf anyway.

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 2:26pm

And blaxx, Chenoweth's role isn't in Turkey Lurkey Time.

I know , love. What would crush me is if Ashford has a new choreography for it.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 2:41pm

I think that would crush pretty much everyone who has ever seen the original choreography. But if they do it, will they hire a team of chiropractors?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 2:44pm

Of course he is going to do new choreography for it. In all honesty, why wouldn't he?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 3:05pm

Gina Gershon is not that terrible, she just constantly gets overpowered by the orchestra and well, is not always able to sing along with the orchestra either...I actually think her singing or her character is the least of the problems with BYE BYE BIRDIE (and either she can't dance to save her life or Longbottom didn't feel like choreographing any of her scenes, the "choreography" for "Spanish Rose" is embarrassing).
Alas, I digress. I would love for Ashford to keep the original "Turkey Lurkey Time" choreography, but if Wayne Cilento messed with SWEET CHARITY and Kathleen Marshall messed with iconic numbers from FOLLIES and PAJAMA GAME, I don't doubt Ashford will be re-choreographing this number, which is a shame.

[morosco]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 3:09pm

oh screw chenoweth...just give me 2 hours worth of turkey lurkey time.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 3:14pm

Belive me if they were going to recreate any aspect of the original, John Breglio's hands would be all over this and it would be Donna McKechnie or Baayork Lee on the production team.

Let Ashford do his thing. The original is on youtube

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 3:15pm

But it's so good! And I can almost guarantee he can't do better than the original. He could always leave it as a tribute.

I'm completely desperate.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 3:28pm

Blaxx - the truth is it won't ever be as good as it was with McKechnie. There are two versions floating around - one from the Tonys and one from Ed Sullivan. The number on Ed Sullivan without McKechnie isn't nearly the same. She's the only one who could pull off that bizarre dance solo.

I'd rather the revival just need even go there.

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 3:33pm

Well, then he'd better do his own thing, and not a bizarre half-Bennett, half-not thing. That would be worse, I think.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 3:36pm

Well Bennett's choroegraphy was pretty rooted in the dance of the time, so I'm sure it will resemble it in some way.

PS - Both versions of the Broadway 'Turkey Lurkey' are on Youtube, along with a whole slew of recent (horrible) productions, proving exactly why Ashford shouldn't even try to recreate the original choreography.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 4:08pm

I don't know ... Jerry Mitchell did a "watered down" version of the Bennett choreography for the kids doing Turkey Lurkey in "Camp." I thought that worked really well. It was way more Bennett than Mitchell, but still not the same as the original.

I'm hoping for some similar nod. Probably won't happen though.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 4:11pm

I'd be thrilled to see Ashford re-choreograph the show to be honest. Of course nothing will ever top the original choreography but Ashford seems PERFECTLY suited for this show (unlike Chenoweth) and is one of the only choreographers working today who is really exciting to me.

It'd be wonderful to see what he does with the dancing in this show. I also think he's smart enough to either stick to the original choreography or completely reinvent it. I doubt he'd do a watered down version; I don't really see the need for that anyway. He should just go all-out either way, IMO.

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 4:13pm

It'd be interesting to see what Ashford does with it as PROMISES is a very stylized show...even the scene changes and minor characters were choreographed.

[dg22894]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 4:27pm

What happened to scarlett johansson?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 4:30pm

There's been so many rumors about Johansson coming to Broadway, is she even interested in doing stage work? I know she was rumored for SOUTH PACIFIC and now PROMISES, PROMISES, and I want to say she was rumored for another project at some point, perhaps SPEED-THE-PLOW?
Either way, I don't know that she would have been great for the part, but at least age-wise she would have fit the show a lot better than Chenoweth. I'm also afraid about the Chenoweth-Hayes pairing, I worry that Ashford might not be able to keep them from turning back to their personas.