Sally Field as Big/Little Edie- Page 2

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 4/15/07 at 4:51pm

"Will You?" is definitely operatic, as is "The Girl Who Has Everything". Both are very difficult pieces, which I don't think Sally Field could pull off (or Glenn Close).

[mattrob]

Posted: 4/16/07 at 7:16pm

I could be wrong but i think Kristen Chenowith has the voice and the comedic presence for the roll, though she may be a little young-ish

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 4/16/07 at 8:18pm

She's too young for those roles.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/16/07 at 8:24pm

Chenoweth might be a good Big/Little Edie...in the revival 15-20 years from now.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 4/17/07 at 5:08am

Sally Field is a terrific stage actress and there was no sign of the "trembling face and pressured speech" that Bettyboy72 complains of when she was in The Goat.

That having been said, I think she'd be totally wrong as Little Edie or Big Edie, not to mention that you need a really first-rate and experienced singer in the role. It's not a role into which you would put someone who doesn't have a good deal of experience singing onstage, even if the person had a good voice. You need someone who is confident enough as a singer so that she doesn't have to worry about it when she's out there and she can focus on acting the songs.

While the role doesn't go all that high, you do need someone who has an upper register that sounds reasonably "operatic" as musical-theatre audiences understand it. Toni Collette might be good acting the role, but I don't know that her voice would sound good in the parts of the score that demand that part of an actress's voice. I don't know that she wouldn't either. It's possible, but I don't think any of us have heard her use that part of her voice.

I'm sorry but Kristin Chenoweth would be all wrong. For one thing, you cannot have a midget in the role. The character is supposed to be tall, aristocratic, sleek, imposing. Whatever her assets as a performer, those purely physical ones are not among them.

Anyway, the show will probably close when Ebersole can't do it any longer. There just aren't many actresses who might be right for it physically and able to handle the vocal and acting demands and also bring in audiences to a degree that would justify running it longer.

Someone who just might be plausible in the role is K.T. Sullivan. Unfortunately, the show would last another two weeks with her. It's not as if it's doing all that well even with Ebersole. Updated On: 4/17/07 at 05:08 AM

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 4/17/07 at 9:11am

Maybe Kate Burton could do it. I know her and she can sing. Not sure how high she can go, but she's pretty talented.
Just a thought...