Strouse: "BIRDIE" Revival at Roundabout- Page 2
Strouse: "BIRDIE" Revival at Roundabout
robbiej
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#25re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 11:49am
I love Rosie P...but I don't think she could sing it. And I'm not sure she could dance it at this point (but could be very wrong on that point).
A Latina triple threat with a marquee name is tough to come up with!
"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."
#26re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 11:50am
Or Ashmanksas as Mr. MacAfee, since he's pretty much playing Paul Lynde in "The Ritz" right now. 
MuslimBwayFan
Understudy Joined: 11/8/07
#27re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 11:50amId also like to see a major overhaul of the look of the piece. I'm really tired of the hyper-colorful mid-century look that we've been seeing a lot of.
robbiej
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#28re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 11:53am
What are you looking for? A Craftsman-style revival?
I love the Sputnik/TV Dinner look of the piece!
"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#29re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 11:55am
I wish they would include the mother's song "A Mother Doesn't Matter Anymore" for this revival. It is such a great song for a character actress. Maybe Harriet Harris for the mother?
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
FranklinShepard-Inc.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/25/04
#30re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 11:58am
Unless they don't downscale it too much, it really deserves a Broadway revival. Hopefully including most of the new songs.
I would though like it more if they'd give a new Charles Strouse musical a chance, he has so much still waiting in his trunk, it's sad.
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#31re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 12:02pm
Oh, it most definitely needs that Sputnik/TV dinner look of the piece. Almost like a caricature of the early 60's middle America but with a dash of color ala their recent Broadway revival of THE PAJAMA GAME.
They could even bring it up a notch in production by having those suspended APPLAUSE neon signs during The Ed Sullivan Show sequence as well as real-time black & white TV video feed on monitors on each side of the proscenium for the 'you are there' feel to that sequence. The onstage cameras would actually be broadcasting 'live' on those monitors the sequence going on onstage. Heck...it looks great during those few moments they do this effect in JERSEY BOYS.
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#32re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 12:14pmI'd like to see Harry Groener and Megan Mullally for the parents. (But would she take a lesser role?)
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#33re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 12:15pmI remember that live camera effect in Tommy and though it was simple, it did add a rather exciting element to the scene.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
DrTheatre
Broadway Star Joined: 9/23/05
#34re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 12:44pm
Hey BrodyFosse, correct me if I am wrong, but I think Rose's name has now been officially changed to Rose Alvarez for good and is no longer Rose Grant as it was in the movie and the original production.
Vanessa Williams could do it again. But Stephanie Block would be great. Vanessa in a way as able to do it since she does have some latin in her.
I think it would be great to have a star name in the lead of Albert or Rose or even Mae Peterson. Most likely, ROUNDABOUT will do that since it most likely be a very short run.
I can not wait!
"In the U.S.A.
You can have your say,
You can set you goals
And seize the day,
You've been given the freedom
To work your way
To the head of the line-
To the head of the line!"
---Stephen Sondheim
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#35re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 12:47pm
But the role was originally played by a Puerto Rican. And then, later, the actual name of the role was changed (see Brody's post above) to the Anglican "Grant".
Actually, I think in the original production she was Rose Grant and later it was changed to Alvarez. That's the way I always understood it.
ETA: DrTheatre beat me to the above. I was thinking about Vanessa Williams, too. My guess is that they'll cast Rosie much younger in the revival, but I thought she was wonderful in the tv movie.
Updated On: 11/8/07 at 12:47 PM
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#37re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 1:29pm
Chita Rivera's Rose was 'Rose Grant' in the original 1960 Broadway production.
Janet Leigh's Rose was 'Rose DeLeon' in the 1963 film-version.
'Rose Alvarez' was for both Ann Reinking's Rose in the 1992 US Nat'l Tour Revival and Vanessa William's Rose in the 1995 ABC TV-Movie version.
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#38re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 1:29pmWell, UGLY BETTY isn't going anywhere anytime soon (unless the Writer's strike is STILL somehow going on), so I doubt Vanessa Williams would have the time.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
markymatt
Understudy Joined: 3/18/05
#39re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 1:37pmIf they put the requisite star in another role, I'd love to see Andrea Burns do Rose.
broadwaybelter
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/26/04
#40re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 1:40pmAndrea Burns would be superb.
#41re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 1:44pm
Yes! Finally! This is the show that got me into Musical Theatre.
PLEASE DO NOT CAST KAREN ZZZZZZZZZZZIEMBA AS ROSIE!
#42re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 1:45pmJ-Lo as Rose.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
#43re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 1:50pmI vote for Natascia Diaz as Rose and Brent Barrett for Albert.
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#44re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 1:51pm
Judging by her recent career misses (aside from her current tour with hubby Marc Anthony)...this could be a good career move for La Lopez, especially after the birth of the baby/babies.
Heck...it worked for Harry Connick Jr. She would definitely be a draw to the show AND she can dance and the role doesn't require genius pipes.
I say yes for Jennifer Lopez as Rose. AND she's a true latina. In every way. In. Every. Way.
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#45re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 1:59pm
Daphne Rubin-Vega: Ahem. Nobody has mentioned me yet.
Rosario Dawson: Girlfriend, please! Your voice sounds like an 80 year old chain smoker. Does anyone remember my musical turn in "Two Gentlemen From Verona"? I AM Rosie.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#46re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 2:30pmPlease can we sing the original version of "Spanish Rose?" I'd be a shame to see such a showstopper reduced to the rediculous PC version that Vanessa was forced to sing in the recent TV Movie.
"Y'all have a GRAND day now"
#47re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 2:33pm
I would love to see Rosario Dawson as Rose but she might be too "edgy" for the role and I believe Rose is a somewhat more conventional leading lady role.
I would hate for Stephanie Block to be cast in this show. Nothing against her but she's as white bread as it gets. Being Latino myself I really want a Latin actress taking over the role, no more light-skinned African-Americans or white-as-they-come dancers (aka Annie Reiking, whom I adore but Latin she ain't).
Rosie Perez could work and she could definitely sing the score.
"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"
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#48re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 3:02pm
Beyonce (pulling out her new Samsung B'Phone): Note to self, make sure security blocks ray-andallthatjazz86 from seeing my debut as Rosie in Birdie. They want a star, they'll get one.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
Updated On: 11/8/07 at 03:02 PM
robbiej
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#49re: Strouse: 'BIRDIE' Revival at Roundabout
Posted: 11/8/07 at 3:06pm
'Rosie Perez could work and she could definitely sing the score.'
In which alternate universe???
"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."
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