I went to the show last night.
All I can say is I now know what happened to baby jane, she is performing Madame Morrible in the body of Rue McClanahan. The casting is atrocious. I'd rather see Bea Arthur do it. Words cannot even explain. She commans nothing and just sounds like a foghorn. "good fortune, good fortune, fortune hunters...." who????
Terrible, didn't sing a note and is not intimidating in the least, the audience actually laughed at her.
As for the rest of the new cast. Ben Vereen is great, my only gripe would be that he's not mean in the least, but I just think it's a poorly written part. But he's very entertaining and moves incredibly. He also makes you realize Shoshana seriously has no rhythmn.
Megan Hilty. She has a beautiful voice (it's nice to have the high notes back) and she is aided greatly by wardrobe. All her skirts are hiked up a bit and it works. She clutches her handbag throughout and brings out the vanity of Glinda well. Her "Thank Goodness" rivals Kristin's. And you actually see Glinda's arc nicely because of it. The Glinda that leaves us at the end of the first act, is gone come those opening notes. Her Popular as good, more JLT than Kristin but uniquely her own. I can't rave enough about her voice, never wavers, and for someone who is as young as Hilty is, she has stage prescence beyond her years. She and Shoshana have a nice chemistry.
The audience was a little dead and the mics during the first act were a bit off, you could barely hear them (someone different was mixing last night).
But I can't wait until January when Rue leaves, she almost ruined the show for me.
If you really want to help the American theater, don't be an actress, dahling. Be an audience.....
Don't be taken in by the guff that critics are killing the theater. Commonly they sin on the side of enthusiasm. Too often they give their blessing to trash...
Tallulah Bankhead