So wait, why wasn't Bernadette nominated for Into the Woods? - Page 2

[bobs3]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 11:19pm

Bernadette was filming a movie in Los Angeles and had a few days off so she drove to San Diego "to see what Steve and Jimmy were up to."

Some months later she asked Lapine to lunch at the Four Seasons. He told her they were getting ready to start rehearsals but he was having trouble casting the Witch. One actress wanted too much money (Betty Buckley?), another one had just accepted the lead role in musical revival (Patti LuPone?) and another was unavailable because of her schedule in a television series (Phylicia Rashad?). He told her that he, Sondheim, and the producers wanted a "name" to play the Witch. That's when Bernadette said "I might be interested in playing the Witch." After lunch Lapine immediately called the lead producer Rocco Landesman and asked "What do you think about Bernadette as the Witch?" Rocco replied "Do you think she would really do it? The advance sale alone will pay for that g-ddamn tower that you want to rise from underneath the stage."

Because of her concert schedule she would only sign a 16-week contract and she didn't want to "carry" the show which is why there were 5 actors billed above the title (although BP got top billing). She ended playing the role for 6 months until she left to film a couple of movies. Her standby Betsy Joslyn filled in for a few weeks until THE COSBY SHOW finished taping its season and Phylicia Rashad stepped into the role.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 2/22/14 at 2:01am

That being said, I think Peters' vocal performance on the ITW OBC album is one of the most sensitive of all time. She breaks my heart every time I hear it.

GavestonPS, I agree. She sounds exquisite on the OBCR--most especially on "Stay With Me". My God, the sound of her gorgeous soprano singing the final "Wiiiith meeeeee" as the achingly lovely string arrangement spirals upaward? That is Bernadette right in her sweet spot. I don't think anyone can quite hit the emotional core of that type of song the way she does. While she was having some trouble with her middle register and the the brassier beltier numbers when I saw her in concert a few months ago, that gorgeous upper register of hers remained a marvel and sent several gasps throughout the audience.


The performance I saw her in she was ok but not that all that good; certainly not great. It wasn't just that Gleason, giving a performance for the ages, outshone her. It was that everybody in the cast was more impressive than her.

Henrik- I assume that you've since seen the PBS video production at least once. How would you say Bernadette's videotaped performance compares with the live performance you saw during her original run?


bobs3- your recollection sounds generally correct, but where do all of those unattributed quotes come from?



Updated On: 2/22/14 at 02:01 AM

[bobs3]

Posted: 2/22/14 at 2:49am

Most of them come from an article in NY Magazine shortly before the show opened (I am making educated guesses about the actresses who were not cast).

[bwaydreamer]

Posted: 2/22/14 at 3:23am

Bernadette CERTAINLY should have been nominated and up for the win. I think that's a give almost 30 years later. Patti didn't play it because she would have been a terrible choice for the rule. Patti is incredible but would have been awful at the which and all the subtlety it takes. Bernadette is and will always be the definitive which!