Riedel: Parker Sought for BOEING-BOEING, Baranski Joins Cast

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 7:08am

Sarah Jessica Parker is being sought for the upcoming revival of BOEING-BOEING, to open right before the Tony cut-off in April.

She would join a cast that includes Christine Baranski, Bradley Whitford, Mark Rylance, and Mary McCormick.


(There's also a tidy summary of Mel Brooks' rant at the Times Arts Weekend last Sunday).


http://www.nypost.com/seven/01182008/entertainment/theater/im_sjp__fly_me_739459.htm?page=1

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 7:17am

Finally, Mel went after a reporter for the New York Post whom he called a "flimsy excuse for a journalist." That reporter, he added, had seized on the $450 ticket and had run with it as though there should be socialism or something. "I don't know what's happened to The Post. It used to a be a very important paper."

I think I know the reporter Mel was talking about.

Isn't it funny? When that same reporter was heaping praise on "The Producers" - Mel used to run up to him and say he loved his column and loved seeing "that cute little face of his in the paper."

So what's changed? Could it be that "The Producers" was really good and "Young Frankenstein" is really bad?

Just a thought, Mel!

Brilliant!

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 9:47am

When did Baranski get attached to this? Not that I'm complaining, I'd love to see her in this, but I hadn't heard anything.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 9:51am

Riedel is the first I've heard of ANY specific casting for the Broadway production.

Baranski is a comedic genius.

[vinnylin]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 10:20am

Baranski is FABulous.

Here's the link to Playbill's report of the Post report.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/114380.html

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 10:24am

The London production that is coming to New York is simply brilliant. Its a classic piece of theatre from the 60s and 70s. A great success on both its its original run in the 60s and the recent revival extended 3 times before closing 3 weeks ago. I hope it works on Broadway this time around as it was a mega-flop originally, running just under a month! Baranski will be perfect for the part of Martha and i will now put this on my list for my next visit.

Updated On: 1/18/08 at 10:24 AM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 6:35pm

Is the role they are courting Parker for big enough for her to actually consider doing it?

I figured she'd want to come back to Broadway in a star vehicle, and this seems to be very much an ensemble piece.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 6:43pm

I assume they're courting Parker for the American Stewardess (played by Amy Nuttall when I saw it in London). She doesn't strike me as someone who can do accents - she certainly isn't threatening enough to play the German stewardess (which, if played with enough force, is the stand-out Featured Actress role), and she isn't sexy enough to play the Italian.

Christine Baranski is perfect for Bertha, the maid.

Hopefully the changes they make - resetting the play in America - won't kill it. The London production was my comedic highlight of 2007.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 6:45pm

Can I be in it? I want to make out with Bradley Whitford.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 6:45pm

I read Reidel's column in its entirety and have to agree with Mel Brooks that Reidel has a "cute little face".

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 6:46pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XSZCeX-wf0

A LEGAL video of one of the casts.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 7:10pm

Thats Pearl Reaman from 'Cheers' as the maid and Elenor Rodgers in light blue who did the revival of Evita in London last year in the vid. Brilliant production.

Updated On: 1/18/08 at 07:10 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 9:18pm

That was the cast I saw. Loved every minute of the nearly 3-hour production.

Can't help but wonder if they'll cut it down to a size appropriate for American attention spans.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 9:24pm

Elenor Rodgers in light blue who did the revival of Evita in London last year in the vid.

Elena

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 11:07pm

It's Elena Roger.

Yankee, according to Reidel's article, they want Parker for the role of Gabriella, the Italian stewardess:

"Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker has been offered the role of the sexy Italian airline stewardess in the revival of the 1965 Broadway farce "Boeing-Boeing," opening at the Longacre in April, right before the Tony Awards cutoff date."

I assume Mary McCormick is playing Gloria, the American.

Updated On: 1/18/08 at 11:07 PM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 11:39pm

Thats Pearl Reaman from 'Cheers' as the maid

RHEA PERLMAN

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/19/08 at 12:46am

Did Rhea use an Italian accent?
Parker looks more German to me.
The Brit girl is playing the American?

Sounds like fun to me.
I wanna see this.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 1/19/08 at 2:22am

I agree that she may not want to come back in an ensemble piece, but at the same time, it could work to her advantage. It sounds like it's going to be a great show, and so her supporting it could win her some swag in the theatre world - since she isn't really considered an "actress" anyways.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 1/19/08 at 2:23am

I love Parker, and would love to see her live on Broadway, but as somethingwicked said I figured she'd make her return to Broadway in a star-vehicle a la SWEET CHARITY (which I believe she was approached for), or that play she wanted to do with Broderick.

Baranski is FABulous.

Clearly, you didn't see her killing "I'm Still Here" in last year's Encores! FOLLIES. And it wasn't a night off, I saw the show twice and she butchered the song twice.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/19/08 at 3:56am

Well Ray, FOLLIES is a musical, and BOEING-BOEING is a play.

I, too, saw Baranski in FOLLIES last year, and she was miscast. That's just not her type of role.

I saw her tear up the stage as Gorgeous Teitelbaum in an all-star reading of THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG at Lincoln Center last year, sharing the spotlight with Stockard Channing, while Edie Falco fell into their shadows.

She also had audiences cracking up hysterically night after night in REGRETS ONLY last year.

I agree that singing isn't her high point.

But man, can she do comedy.

Updated On: 1/19/08 at 03:56 AM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 1/19/08 at 4:55am

WannaBe, it wasn't the singing, it was the fact that she seemed to be completely lost in terms of what the song was about. And while I enjoyed her book scenes, a lot of the people I talked to hated her book scenes as much as her lackluster "I'm Still Here" (which mainly stuck out like a sore thumb due to the fact that everybody else in the cast was 110% on spot).
I am not saying I think she is untalented by any means, she might be great in BOEING-BOEING, I just don't think she is all that "fabulous," that's all.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/19/08 at 6:04am

Well, if she's not anything else, she is a two time Tony Award winner, which must have been accomplished somehow.

Both of her Tony wins were for plays. One drama, the other a comedy/farce, which will be muscles she can certainly exercise with ease in BOEING-BOEING.

(In all fairness, the FOLLIES concert wasn't a long rehearsed, full on production. It was a weekend of performances. Plus, like I said, she was miscast.)

[westcoast_wannabe]

Posted: 1/19/08 at 7:22am

From the look of the video the play seems VERY British. I have to wonder how well it will transfer to America. It looks like somthing I would love. British humor happens to be my cup of tea but I'm dubious as to how it will be recieved by American audiences.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/19/08 at 7:26am

It's not British humor - it's 1 hour of exposition and 2 of door slamming - hence my apprehension about how it'll be received here.

Baranski is perfect for the maid...I don't see Parker as the Italian.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 1/19/08 at 12:10pm

WELL EXCUSE ME FOR POSTING SO FAST I DIDNT GET TIME TO CHECK THE SPELLING! GET OVER IT FOR GODS SAKE!