Riedel: Chita Rivera edges out Oprah Winfrey in "The Visit"

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/20/15 at 11:19pm

http://nypost.com/2015/01/20/chita-rivera-edges-out-oprah-winfrey-in-broadways-the-visit/

This is kind of bizarre. Doesn't seem like something Oprah would do. Thankfully we are getting the musical version with Chita first.

BTW, there are spoilers in the article.



Updated On: 1/20/15 at 11:19 PM

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/20/15 at 11:45pm

thank goodness that didn't happen.

[Fantod]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 12:02am

I always thought Meryl Streep and Daniel Day-Lewis could pair up well in this show, and finally get to work together, plus Streep could finally win a Tony.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 12:09am

what happened to Oprah in 'night mother next season?

[gypsy101]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 12:32am

I feel like this whole "Oprah will be coming to Broadway!" thing will never really happen.

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

Posted: 1/21/15 at 7:14am

^ Oh, it's going to happen at some point, but first, she's got to build up inertia by picking the right project. She's never into what would be right for her at the right time.

Example: several years ago, a terrific straight piece was offered to her (an updated adaptation of Ibsen's Ghosts set in contemporary 21st century America; I believe it had its first reading almost a decade ago), but at the time, she was only accepting parts in musicals. And I love Oprah, but she can sing like I can do abstract art (in short, not at all).

Now, she's picking all these "cast-against-type" things at a time when people only want to see Oprah as... well... Oprah. More power to her if she can do it, though. More power to anyone who can get ahead against the odds in this business.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 9:34am

shaking my head....sigh....why

Thankfully it is NOT happening.
Thankfully Chita will finally bring this to Broadway.

I would have felt so bad for Chita after all the years of nurturing this along to lose the role on Broadway to Oprah.

Dear Oprah...(if you are reading this) you have enough money to go buy your own show, produce it, direct it etc...

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 10:01am

It's not the same version. Chita is doing a musical, Oprah is doing a version of the play translated by Tony Kushner.

However, The Visit is not such a great play for Oprah. There are many other vehicles which she could actually excel at.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 10:02am

Let's not forget, O can ACT. She almost always has played somewhat against type. Even in the Color Purple she had great moments where she stripped away her natural "sassy/bold/funny" self. I like that she would take Broadway seriously and not just rest on laurels and be "Oprah."

I think she could have done well in The Visit, but I'm of course 200x happier we are getting the Chita version.

I'm sure her wanting to do The Visit was just on a short-list of possible ideas. By all accounts I've heard 'night Mother is happening next year.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 10:24am

"By all accounts I've heard 'night Mother is happening next year."

Another wrong vehicle for her. If she doesn't get the right director, this play will bore the h*ll out of everyone. It's such a talky, no action play and can very easily drag on and on.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 10:31am

Thank you for the correction Gotham...glad to hear that.

Oprah is so loved and has such a fan base - if she read the phone book for 2 hours on stage it would sell out.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 10:34am

"Oprah is so loved and has such a fan base - if she read the phone book for 2 hours on stage it would sell out."

And the audience would get up after 20 minutes and say "Oprah is boring. Let's go get a drink." It's not the right vehicle for her.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 3:10pm

Tony Kushner did mention recently how he was working on a translation and how there may be a big star attached. I thought it would be Meryl Streep, but really the idea of Oprah in a Kushner translation of THE VISIT sounds great. I also can't imagine that waiting for the musical of THE VISIT to close would be much of an issue. It's the kind of star/project pairing that is bound to be a hot ticket regardless of when it's mounted.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 4:32pm

I think Oprah is a wonderful talent that has gone unused for far too long in noteworthy film (until The Butler) and I sincerely hope that something will come to fruition (the idea of Oprah + Audra in 'night Mother is one that could be fabulous) but it still seems unlikely to me. Although I should know you should never say never.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 6:58pm

Gothampc, I think those who turn into her OWN shows (Master Class, Super Soul Sunday) would disagree on her being boring. I actually do agree with you, but like it was been said before, she has a large fan base that loses their **** for her, could watch her do anything, buy whatever dumb product she's hawking, etc.

Speaking of very successful black women, can we get Whoopi in something soon? I adore her. Maybe Side Show wouldn't have flopped had it been the big O and Whoopi attached...

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

Posted: 1/21/15 at 7:12pm

Funny you mention Whoopi... she's currently under consideration for readings of a few projects in the works. The offer has not been officially made yet, but she is on the desired list.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 1/21/15 at 7:19pm

Oh, that makes me really happy! I remember hearing a couple times that she wanted to do a stage tribute or presentation to Moms Mabley after the film came out, but haven't heard word since then. Love me some Whoop.

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

Posted: 1/21/15 at 7:36pm

^ Well, she discovered none of the target audience these days knew who Moms Mabley was, hence the recent documentary. She may still try to piggy-back a live stage presentation off of that documentary, but that's not clear. Suffice to say, the projects I know to be on the table have comedic elements, but tend more toward drama.