Sutton Foster Question

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 10:24am

I think that I read or heard somewhere that Sutton Foster said that she only wants to originate roles, and she obviously done that.
Also, that she doesn't want to originate a role in a revival, unless it is the Beggar Woman in "Sweeney Todd". That suprised me, is it true?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 10:30am

She has said that she only wants to create roles at this point in her career, but I've never heard that part about The Beggar Woman.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 10:32am

Yeah......that's the part that I was mainly asking about :)

[Thomas14850ny2]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 10:33am

How does one originate a role in a revival?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 10:34am

He probably means originate a role in a production of a revival.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 10:38am

That's what I meant! If you still don't get it, it's what Kelli O'Hara and the rest of the cast are doing in "South Pacific".

[thetheatrekook]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 11:06am

I've definitely heard that before, but I don't know if it was on the board, or in an article, or what...

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 3:22pm

Perhaps actually articulating the concept that you only want to create original roles is a mistake, but the concept is rock-solid. If you think back to the big stars of Broadway of the past, very few did revivals of any sort in their early careers. Martin, Merman et al originated the roles, not recreated them. So for Sutton Foster to say original roles only is rather clever - mainly because, of course, she has the talent to back up what in most other people would be a hubristic statement.

[Thomas14850ny2]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 3:38pm

Mary Martin never appeared in a revival. Merman did, but it was of her own show, Annie Get Your Gun. Both Martin and Merman recreated roles that others had originated, Martin in the tour of Annie Get Your Gun and the London production of Hello, Dolly! and Merman was the last Dolly in the original production of Hello, Dolly!, though the role was originally written with her in mind. I guess Gwen Verdon was one of the very few major stars who never appeared in a revival and never recreated a role that someone else originated. Notice that I said major star...

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 4:29pm

The thing different from now and then, is that basically there was nothing to revive. Now there are shows to revive, great shows!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 4:49pm

Hey Sutton Foster should take that job hostessing at the Olive Garden if it's offered. I mean, let's be honest, the girl wasn't hit very hard with the talent stick.

[Jon]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 5:04pm

You're kidding, right?

Sutton Foster is one of the most talented people working today.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 5:12pm

WHAT? May be I'm thinking of a different Sutton Foster- this one has a brother, sounds like a cat trapped in an aluminum garbage can when she sings, can't dance and always acts like she just got a huge shot of Novocaine in the jaw? She was in that stupid "Thoroughly Modern Millie" show?

The whole time I watched it I kept thinking "Are they EVER going to explain why she looks that way???"
Updated On: 5/14/08 at 05:12 PM

[iluvcioffiiluvtea23]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 5:12pm

I agree, Jon!

[worrell4077]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 6:07pm

You know Joe, you've got your own opinion of her and that's fine, but I have to disagree with you because I think she's one of the better actresses working on Broadway and I don't think she sounds like a cat trapped in an aluminum garbage can and I think she's a great dancer. There are some others out there that fit that bill, but not Sutton.

MTVMANN, what you're thinking of in terms of her talking about playing The Beggar Woman was her Ask A Star on Broadway.com. She was asked about a dream part or what part she would want to play in another show or something like that and she said that had an interest in Sweeney but not as Lovett, more as the Beggar Woman.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 6:14pm

I like Sutton, but something about that statement rubs me the wrong way. She's talented and has a nice stage presence, and she has been VERY lucky in regards to what roles have come down the pike. But I just don't...like that she actually said that.

[SirNotAppearing]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 6:34pm

Sutton is incredibly hot. And talented.
But yes, she is extremely lucky: I mean, she was plucked from the chorus to be "Millie", and since then she's only gotten a succession of leading roles in big (not necessarily amazing) musicals. I think doing "Shrek" will help her become a household name, and I could definitely see her in sitcoms somewhere down the road.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 6:47pm

Merman went into HELLO DOLLY as a replacement and Mary Martin did a production of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN in CA. I believe.

Sutton can do most anything so if down the line a good revival comes along that she is right for, I'm sure she would do it.

If it's good enough for Bernadette, why not?

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 6:51pm

I'll weigh in on this...

What do you think Sutton Foster would rather do; originate a roll in a stinker original production or do, lets say, Louise in a revival of Gypsy, Velma Kelly in the original revival cast of Chicago, Dot in Sunday in the Park with George (just to name a few)?

I think an earlier post said it best, look at all the great material we have to revive. It is possible that doing a revival these days is more prestigious than it was in the past. Especially if you are "originating" the role in the initial cast of the revival.

I am a little surprised by her attitude (if she really did say this). And I should say, I have seen all her Broadway shows (except Little Women) and think she is very talented. As for sitcoms down the road, I think she would be hurt by her uncanny resemblance to Mary Tyler Moore and the comparisons to such an iconic TV star.
Updated On: 5/14/08 at 06:51 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 7:59pm

Mary Tyler Moore? I don't see that at all.

[insertclevernamehere]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 9:15pm

What she was asked was: If you could wave a magic wand and revive any Broadway show and would star in it, which show would it be and which role?

What she said was: If I could change the way I sing and magic wand myself--I don't know. The only show that I would ever want to be in and to revive is Sweeney Todd, although I don't fit in any of the roles--except maybe I could be the beggar woman, which would be really fun because then it's a small part, I get to die and be gross and dirty. But that's my ultimate favorite musical of all time, so I think that if that were revived, I'd want to be in it, even if I could be in the chorus

I don't think she meant that she was too important to ever do a revival, she was just saying that she really loved Sweeney

[tazber]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 10:56am

I don't see Sutton as having much of a range actually. She plays "sweet natured" very well, but she was awful in YF. Her comedy chops seemed to abandon her there.

I don't know what she's gonna do when she gets to old to play cute and nice.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 11:01am

"I don't know what she's gonna do when she gets to old to play cute and nice."

You mean like NEXT WEEK?

[jennyish]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 12:53pm

Just wondering, JoeKv, if posting unnecessarily spiteful things about a performer on a message board makes you happy? It's fine if you don't like her as an actress, but does your penchant for going above and beyond the realm of acceptability really bring that much extra joy into your life?

Maybe we should all try it.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 3:02pm

No, actually, it's provoking pea-brains that makes me happy. Thanks for the boost!