Stephanie Powers as Norma ..anyone see it yet- Page 3

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 12:07am

[edyw32]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 3:45am

i once worked with Stephanie Powers this was my experience.

I have had first hand experience working with the FORMER TV siren.

I was a set dresser on a tv movie made in Sydney many years ago. It was a telemovie trying to cash in on the hit tv show which made her very famous. “Hart To Hart Down Under”. She starred alongside the actor Robert Wagner, known as RJ, and he was a gentleman. She was no gentlewoman. We received in a memo ”Miss Powers does not want to appear in scenes with flowers, she does not want the audience to be distracted by her inner beauty”. It was a tall order as there was a funeral scene in the movie, and a hotel lobby scene in which the chosen location demanded a central floral arrangement! Well we were told that in the hotel lobby the flowers could only be white. And in the funeral scene, well they were funeral flowers, so they couldn’t possibly distract.

To put the project in perspective. In the final scene, after they had solved the crime. Miss Powers and Mr Wagner were shown attending an opera at the iconic Sydney Opera House, and in their hands, as they watched, was a Koala bear. Such a classy production.

So, Miss Powers, I hope you triumph in the role of the deluded Norma Desmond, art imitating life?

As a footnote, I mentioned that Robert Wagner was a true gentleman, and he was.

I recall that we went on a location survey at a jetty on the Nth Shore of Sydney. Years later I was working on a miniseries about the life of Natalie Wood, Mr Wagner’s former wife. Again I was at the same jetty looking at it for a location. Such a funny small world we live in.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 9:58am

As a footnote, I mentioned that Robert Wagner was a true gentleman, and he was

Except for that one night in Catalina....
Updated On: 8/2/10 at 09:58 AM

[gymman]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 10:45am

Not wanting flowers makes her a horrible person?

Mr. Wagner has much to hide, I think...

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 10:51am

The story about the flowers doesn't even make sense, unless that was the point, although word on the street was that she wasn't the easiest person to deal with when she did Applause.
Updated On: 8/2/10 at 10:51 AM

[gymman]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 11:26am

Thanks...I know that Applause did not go well.

[Larcen26]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 11:37am

I saw the show this weekend and really enjoyed it.

It had some flaws, but overall it was a nice production.

Stefanie gave a very nice performance; her voice was good, though it switched from chest to head all over the place, particularly in “With One Look.” And you could tell that she backed off some of the money notes. (It was a Saturday Matinee, so there are any number of reasons for that.) But she acted the part very well, keeping Norma on the more human side of the simply insane caricature that she often can become.
The Joe was decent, though you could tell he was reaching a bit for his highest notes. His mid-range singing was perfect, and he acted the part well.
The Betty was truly the star of the show, she was excellent every time she came on stage and made the show better whenever she appeared.
Max acted it fairly well, but varied between cartoonish and too stiff.
The chorus was excellent throughout, with solid harmonies and nice cameo performances. (and some drop dead gorgeous members whose hotness verged on distracting)

Tech had some issues, some obvious missed cues, and the opening number was garbled and hard to follow while they balanced between all of the mikes.
The set used sliding Art-deco panels to create most of the scenes outside the mansion, and were nicely effective. However the Mansion itself could have been done better. There was an odd outcropping on the railing of the staircase that looked very tacked on. (and when Joe threw his coat on the rail, you could tell it was indeed tacked on to keep the coat from sliding off.) The color scheme was red and orange, but with art-deco design features that made it slightly disjointed, but not distractingly so.
The projections were effective, if a bit long at times.

Overall, I wouldn’t necessarily say that the show is worth the trip by itself, but Maine is beautiful and Ogunquit and the surrounding areas ARE worth a trip. And the Ogunquit Playhouse is a nice place to see a show with a great history and a casual feel. So if you are planning on going to the beach anyway, why not make it Maine and grab tickets to the show while you are up there?

(apologies for using only character names, but I don't have the playbill in front of me)

[gymman]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 4:00pm

Thanks for your thoughts. thought Todd Gearhart(Joe) was very sexy, more so than the chorus boys...maybe I just like "older" men...

[Larcen26]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 4:45pm

Oh yeah...don't get me wrong...Todd was dead sexy as Joe...much prettier than any of the chorus Boys.


Of course, I was talking about the chorus Girls...

Though really neither point is all that important to the show unless you are planning on going up there just to try and hit on the cast while they are sunning themselves on Ogunquit Beach...which is not the worst way to spend a vacation.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 5:38pm

I wish I could see this so badly!!! The guy playing Joe is HOTTT!

[gymman]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 7:03pm

He really is...too bad he's straight...sigh

And most of the cast does hit the (gay) beach, which is lovely.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 7:07pm

There's a gay beach in Ogunquit?!? Look at me all out of the loop.

[gymman]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 8:28pm

OMG Cats...it's huge
go to the main beach, turn left, walk half a mile
you can't miss the boys

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 8:31pm

is it a nudie beach?

[gymman]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 9:42pm

oh, you dreamer, you

[bryan2]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 9:13am

it is right after the walkway...all of a sudden it turns into
all men ..it actually is kind of funny

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 2:53pm

”Miss Powers does not want to appear in scenes with flowers, she does not want the audience to be distracted by her inner beauty”

Shouldn't that be "distracted FROM her inner beauty" rather than "distracted BY her inner beauty"?

Your mistake or hers?

[newintown]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 2:59pm

Anyone who thinks that those photos represent "graceful aging" needs to have their eyes either examined or replaced.

[gymman]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 3:45pm

I think she looks great compared to most others her age..

[newintown]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 4:04pm

She looks like a tightly-pulled, deeply-dyed, heavily-painted version of my grandma.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 4:51pm

Well, put down the mirror, dear. Maybe that's you you're looking at.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:02pm

I would love to see what newintown looks like. He must be some hot sh!t for coming on here and as we say in the 'hood: "poppin' mad sh!t and criticizing someone for their looks. BRING IT ON! SHOW ME A PICTURE OF YOURSELF. LET'S SEE IF YOU MEASURE UP TO THE STANDARDS YOU IMPOSE ON OTHERS.

Stefanie Powers is a beautiful person both inside and out. You on the other hand are just MUFUGLY....ALL AROUND. INSIDE OUT AND UPSIDE DOWN.

Updated On: 8/3/10 at 05:02 PM

[newintown]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:12pm

Such sweet talk.

If those strange photos on page 2 of the thread resemble "graceful aging" to you, then that's darling. I see photos of someone using surgery and cosmetics to create an eerie simulation of quasi-youth.

As Joe Gillis says to Norma Desmond, "There's nothing wrong with being fifty, unless you're still trying to be twenty-five."

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:18pm

Such sweet talk

Pot, meet kettle.

[newintown]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:21pm

Pussycat, I didn't cast any aspersions on you.

Or did I?

Are you, in fact, Stefanie? You take criticism of her very personally...