I know there was just a revival of this, but after watching Johansson's mesmerizing (Tony-winning) turn in A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE I'd really love to see her tackle some Williams (it'll be great if she did a Miller, Williams and an O'Neill after that). Renner as Brick is inspired casting, he'd be a gazillion miles better than the wooden Terrence Howard. And I couldn't agree more with you re a CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF film, MichaelBennett. Though I'd go a little unconventional and have John Cameron Mitchell direct, his work on RABBIT HOLE was perfection.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
I loved the 2001 London revival with Ned Beatty, Brendan Fraser and Frances O'Connor. I haven't seen the play since then, but I'd gladly see it again with a top-notch cast and director. My vote for Big Mama would be Shirley Knight.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Renner is perfect for the closeted character of Brick.
"Carson has combined his passion for helping children with his love for one of Cincinnati's favorite past times - cornhole - to create a unique and exciting event perfect for a corporate outing, entertaining clients or family fun."
If you announce a production of "Cat", you'll have Maggies lined up around the block. This is always good and one can be choosy. Johansson will be quite good once she figures out how to pace herself during Act One which is, for all intents and purposes, a monologue for Maggie and is a killer.
However the play is about Brick, and the actor playing Brick has to be stronger than the actress doing Maggie because the play is skewed towards her. The Williams canon has several (not all) of these unbalanced plays (Glass Menagerie is about Tom, Sweet Bird is about Chance). I think Jeremy Renner may be strong enough to get the play back from her.
Good casting choice.
"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable."
--Carrie Fisher
I don't see it being a question of having an actor as Brick who is 'stronger' than the actress playing Maggie - I don't really see the benefit of that, though I agree that Brick is the emotional centerpiece of the play, an incredibly difficult role to pull off and too often is cast with actors who can't hold their own opposite the show stealing roles of Maggie and Big Daddy.
Jordan, I have no idea who the hell that is. Is she like from the Real housewives of the Mississippi Delta? If so, bring it on.
Well Chick-Fil-A must have been just thrilled with that video. She's a delicious southern fried all right and would probably tear Maggie apart.
Interestingly enough, I actually directed CAT a few years ago, and the contract came with some of the most bizarre disclaimers from the Williams estate, among them that there would be NO cross gendered casting of the role of Maggie and NO nudity. So that might alas leave Willem to play Shelby in the next TEEL MAGNOLIAS revival instead.
I would LOVE to see Jeremy Renner onstage. I think he is very talented and would be an excellent Brick.
Scarlett Johansson though? I have never been impressed with her as an actress, but I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt if she has a good director working with her. I understand that you need a star for plays, but I would love to one day see a Maggie the Cat that I can truly get excited about. Love the idea of Michelle Williams, I would pay to see her.
I completely agree that Ashley Judd was wretched. Just painful to watch. Jason Patric was cringe-inducing as well with his raspy screaming. Bless Ned Beatty for making that production worth my standing room ticket price.
"actually wouldn't mind seeing these two in a major film adaptation. True we have almost as many of those as we do Broadway revivals, but the original of course is only a suggestion of Williams' original play, and both the Natalie Wood and Jessica Lange television productions are flawed either by some off casting and or stage bound cinematography. "
I actually could get behind that, though I see it more as something HBO would do than any major studio. It's hard being a Williams' fan in some ways--just because so many of the films have brilliant, iconic performances--yet are gutted so badly due to censorship that watching them can be frustrating (out of his bigger box office hit film versions--ie not the lesser known ones--Brooks' adaptations of Cat and even more so Sweet Bird top that list for me.
Brooks' and his somewhat puritanical attitudes was probably the wrong man for the role regardless, but... And Sweet Bird has that in some ways even worse Nicholas Roeg/Liz Taylor camp TV mnovie version--and as you say Cat has two decent TV versions--the Tommy Lee/Lange version using WIlliams' revised 1970s script is the most faithful, but the direction, and I'd argue Tommy Lee himself, don't work for me).
Of course some did work--despite some annoying censorship (though the two minutes added back in the 90s help), Kazan's Streetcar is still a great adaptation, and I'm fond of Night of the Iguana, as well as Gore Vidal's version of Suddenly Last Summer, though some purists hate it. Fugitive Kind is an underated adaptation of Orpheus Descening, but the tv movie version with Lange adapted from the Peter Hall 80s revival is better, and should be released to DVD. Many of the others are only decent due to performances (Rose Tattoo, Summer and Smoke--which actually is pretty decent and Period of Adjustment, which also should go to DVD, largely gets Williams' comedy right), others only really work as camp (Boom!, Last of the Mobile Hot Shots)...
Anyway, rant, sorry--Williams and his adaptations is something I could go on, and on, and on about... It actually would have been cool if for his centenary last year HBO had done smaller movies of some of his lesser known plays that only now are getting the credit they deserve, like Small Craft Warnings and Vieux Carre.
"The gods who nurse this universe think little of mortals' cares. They sit in crowds on exclusive clouds and laugh at our love affairs. I might have had a real romance if they'd given me a chance. I loved him, but he didn't love me. I wanted him, but he didn't want me. Then the gods had a spree and indulged in another whim. Now he loves me, but I don't love him." - Cole Porter
I'm just spit balling here but how about Jennifer Lawrence, i mean we'd have to wait a few years till she's the right age but i think she would be a great maggie.
Any production of CAT needs to be built equally around the Maggie and Big Daddy; when one is more important than the other, the staging generally falters. So it's nice to contemplate a Brick-Maggie pairing, but the play is on the shoulders of Maggie and BD.
A Big Daddy I'd love to see? (Won't happen:) Jack Nicholson. If they filmed it, he could be absolutely wonderful, and remint the role.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
I would personally like to see a revival of Arsenic and Old Lace or A Doll's House. Those aren't overdone and I'd totally go see them. My college is doing Arsenic and Old Lace in the fall so it would be cool to know it was on Broadway too, kind of like how we're doing Anything Goes right now. Or a revival of You Never Can Tell
Thanks Midwest--I have the Lange Cat recorded off PBS but it's on VHS so haven't seen it in a while. That clip reminds me what I liked and didn't in the production.
