Riedel: The Public already wants to bring WOODS to Broadway...- Page 4

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 2/23/12 at 9:53pm

I know someone mentioned Sierra Boggess as Cinderella, and that is PERFECT! She's free now that Rebecca is cancelled/postponed. Also, I know some people are sick of him, but based on his H2$ reviews, Nick Jonas as Jack?

Thoughts on Anne Hathaway as Baker's Wife or Witch? Amy Adams? I wish Emma Stone could sing Cinderella, I think she'd be adorable.

[NoHSMisNotAMusical]

Posted: 2/23/12 at 10:20pm

Is NPH too old to be Cinderella's Prince? I realize it probably wouldn't work out schedule-wise, but I can imagine him singing Agony, and killing it.

Are they going to cast someone younger-looking for Red? The one in London looked like she was in her mid-twenties.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 6:37am

Murphy or Menzel. Those two I would love to play the part.
And yes...Idina Menzel. I know I might be crucified for it but I think she can do extremely well with it. I've seen her live and even recently she seems to be able to comfortably belt up to a D or so. Heck she hit an F when I saw her in concert this past year. What is the highest note the witch hits? An E? So I don't know. Maybe if they lowerd the keys? Just a rambling I guess by me haha

[random person 112]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 6:52am

^Whoever said sherie as the bakers wife she's a wonderful actress but no, she can't hit those high notes, it's almost pure chest belt with her.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 10:07am

I have no idea what you're talking about, random person. The Baker's Wife requires an incredibly limited vocal range, and Scott (who has an incredbily versatile vocal range) could sing it in her sleep. Most "non-singers" could, considering the role was originated by Joanna Gleason.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 10:41am

Yeah, the Baker's Wife is not vocally demanding or complex.
But it's a difficult role to hit right regardless.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 11:01am

I would argue that the complexity is deceptive. It's Sondheim and many of the intervals are difficult to feel / hear and navigates quickly back and forth over the different registers of the female voice. While the entire range may not be as wide as other parts, it's complex what the actress needs to do with her voice. A highly skilled singer will be able to handle this more easily.

Hope I'm making sense.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 12:05pm

You make perfect sense, Hanna, but I think you man to say that the simplicity is deceptive (and not the other way around.)

In saying most "non-singers" could sing the role, I was speaking specifically to the requirements the role mandates in terms of vocal range. As you say, a sense of musicality is a whole other thing, and that's certainly equally crucial.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 12:11pm

What is the range for some of the female characters? As in specific notes?

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 12:15pm

Not what I was saying at all . . it's deceptively difficult. Most non-singers could NOT sing this role because of the intervals written in the music and how it jumps from chest, to head, back to chest range A LOT. As a result, many non-trained singers will try to just belt, belt, belt. It won't sound good, it won't be musical, etc. It's not as simple as the range is from a middle C to a C 1 octave higher (and this role has a much wider range than that). It's what the actor has to do with their voice.

EDIT: Just checked and Baker's Wife's range is from a low G to a high F. Not a walk in the park for most non-trained singers.

Updated On: 2/24/12 at 12:15 PM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 12:51pm

I get what you're saying now, Hanna. I guess it's the lack of sustained singing that probably leads one to believe the role is easier to sing than it really is, but I maintain that women with a capable voice and a specific sense of musicality (which is exactly how I'd classify Gleason) can pull it off.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 12:57pm

Somethingwicked . . . glad I was able to explain myself a bit better. I would classify Gleason as a VERY good musician who has a good grasp on how to utilize her instrument. She doesn't necessarily have the most beautiful instrument out there OR the greatest range, but she's a skilled musician, from what I can hear. It's probably deceptive because she handled it so efficiently. If you hear someone who isn't as skilled, you might say they are pitchy.

[random person 112]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 4:11pm

^Yes and no offense but Scott is without a doubt a witch. She's no bakers wife, i love her but no no.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/24/12 at 9:21pm

If the production were to transfer to Broadway and becomes a success I hope there will be a tour. There are people I know who have never seen this show and I would love to take them to it.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/25/12 at 1:43am

...don't count the chickens before they're hatched. The show hasn't even opened.

The Public is definitely banking on it being a success and believes it will be.

[AC126748]

Posted: 2/25/12 at 8:19am

Yes and no offense but Scott is without a doubt a witch. She's no bakers wife, i love her but no no.

Scott could play either role in her sleep and be perfect. The Witch is an obvious choice for her, but some of her "straight woman" work in Women on the Verge... and The Last 5 Years show how wide her range is. She could do The Baker's Wife, easily.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/25/12 at 9:51am

The most unique, effective work I've ever seen from Scott was in the "coming to New York" section of EVERYDAY RAPTURE. She had this wide eyed, quirky, soulful vulnerability that was incredibly engaging, but also entirely heartfelt. It was something I hadn't really gotten to see from her since THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

While she's obviously terrific in most of the "flashy" roles she tends to play, it made me really want to see her get the chance to do something on the other side of the spectrum. The Baker's Wife would be that type of role for her, and I think she'd do wonders with it.

Updated On: 2/25/12 at 09:51 AM

[random person 112]

Posted: 2/25/12 at 10:04am

I guess i just prefer a different kind of actress for that part. While she does need another end to the spectrum i just think she would be much much better suited for the witch. While she's amazing she'd have trouble with the end of justify the beans, and possibly part of moment's in the wood. I was also thinking women with a stronger soprano for the bakers wife, Laura Benanti, Debra Messing, and even though she's a little too old Donna Murphy.

Updated On: 2/25/12 at 10:04 AM

[AC126748]

Posted: 2/25/12 at 10:10am

Donna Murphy possesses many gifts, but a "strong soprano" isn't one of them. She's an alto/belter through and through.

[random person 112]

Posted: 2/25/12 at 11:07am

Yes but murphy has just enough head voice to to play the bakers wife. Scott doesn't. She has no head voice.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/25/12 at 11:19am

random, what are you talking about? With all due respect, you clearly have no concept of how the human voice works. You don't just "have" a belt and not "have" an upper register. Someone who belts as insanely high as Scott does is able to do so precisely because she's a soprano. You may not have heard her sing in a more legit voice, but she's certainly able to. Go listen to "Remember" on the EVERYDAY RAPTURE cast recording.

[random person 112]

Posted: 2/25/12 at 11:28am

^ If a person only ever uses and sings in their chest voice and never uses their head voice, yes they do in fact get an extremely underdeveloped head voice. What does she pretty much sing in head, she might sprinkle in moments where she does go up into it for a few notes but she's never used it enough for me to be convinced she can handle the end note. I think she's a perfect witch, without a doubt, if you want to give to a woman with a similair voice give it to Murphy not Scott.

[timote316]

Posted: 2/25/12 at 11:28am

Reading the bulk of this thread... LOVE the idea of Kaitlin Hopkins for The Baker's Wife in the last revival. Too bad that didn't happen.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/25/12 at 12:53pm

Saying someone has an "underdeveloped head voice" is valid (if, in this case, inaccurate,) but that's not what you said. You said she has "no head voice," which is completely ridiculous. Where are you getting the evidence to make this assertion anyway? You may have only heard Scott belt, since that's what she's almost always called on to do, but that doesn't mean you have a realistic perception of the limits of her vocal ability.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/25/12 at 12:58pm

random person has been saying absurd things for a while now. He likes to rewrite history and spew inaccurate statements.