Terri White in Chicago??

[Greatwhiteway3]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 5:49pm

Rumors that the phenomenal Terri White will continue her amazing comeback as Mama Morton! Smart move for them if true, especially when TONY noms are announced.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 5:52pm

Roz Ryan is contracted until 4/25. So it wouldn't happen until then.
I don't see the relation between Terri doing Chicago and the Tony nominations. Are you saying Terri will be nominated for Finian, and that will help Chicago's box office?
okkk.

Anyway. She seems like a great fit for Morton.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 5:54pm

White's chances of being nominated for a Tony are very slim, anyway.

Not that it would matter. 4 of the nominees in that category are nothing more than window dressing. Lansbury's 6th Tony is all but engraved.
Updated On: 2/8/10 at 05:54 PM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 6:16pm

White is certainly deserving of all the recent acclaim she's gotten. CHICAGO would be lucky to have her.

Personally, I'd love to see what she could do with the title role in CAROLINE, OR CHANGE.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 6:35pm

I usually don't say things like this, as I don't usually care about an actor's actual age and the role they are playing. But Terri White is too old to play Caroline. Caroline is supposed to be around 40, no? Terri White is 61, I think. And good as she is, that show is a tough sing.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 6:40pm

Smaxie's correct about that... though Terri would have made a superb Caroline.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 6:41pm

According to the text, Caroline is 39 (although that's only mentioned once in the lyrics of the opening number.)

That being said, most of the actresses who've played the role regionally in the last few years have been in their late fourties/ early fifties, which is about the range I think White comes across on stage. I don't see it being that much of an issue, though this is all hypothetical.

Heather Headley is another actress I'd like to see give the role a shot (in a few years when she looks a little older.) She has the seething intensity that's absolutely essential for Caroline.

Updated On: 2/8/10 at 06:41 PM

[Greatwhiteway3]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 7:17pm

This post wasn't meant to be a TONY discussion but to the guy who thinks she has a slim chance of even being nominated you obviously have no idea what you are talking about.

In terms of type casting, I don't think I matters in Chicago anymore. Roles originally white are now being played by black people and I don't think Ms White being 60 (but able to pass as 50 based on what I saw in Finians) will be an issue. She's playing a matronly lady It's not as if she is being cast as Roxie!! As a matter of fact wasn't the first Mama white???? Or at some point she was played by a large white woman. So all of negative people bitching about casting an older woman give it a rest and do some research

[alightinthedark23]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 8:18pm

^ They are saying she is too old for Caroline, not the Matron.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 8:27pm

She'd be perfect in Chicago. Go Terri!

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 9:52pm

" They are saying she is too old for Caroline, not the Matron".

Not to mention, GWW, you were the one to bring up the TONYS, and type-casting. Yes, the first Mama Morton (in the revival, at least) was white - Marcia Lewis, but she was far from a big woman. Not a skinny little thing by any means, but I'd be surprised if she was more than 5'2". Big voice, though. I think every Mama ever since has been black.

I agree Ms White would make a great Mama, but Chicago turned her down nine times already - of course, that was before Finian's and her touching comeback from homelessness story. I'm thinking she's got a good shot at it now after Roz leaves.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 10:01pm

I was at Rose's Turn once when White was working and watched her make a martini whilst singing "When You're Good to Mama".

She's apparently auditioned for Morton more than once and been declined. I'm sure the homeless angle has Barry and Fran salivating to put her in the show.

Updated On: 2/8/10 at 10:01 PM

[ACL2006]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 10:01pm

Good for her if it's true. As for the show now; sadly Deidre Goodwin's last show was on Sunday. Terra C. MacLeod is now Velma along with Michelle Williams(of Destiny's Child) as Roxie.

[D2]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 11:01pm

"I think every Mama ever since has been black."

That will be news to Debra Monk, at least.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 11:04pm

Anne L. Nathan also played Mama or a full time stint.

[D2]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 11:06pm

And Alix Korey.

And Michelle Pawk.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 11:07pm

"That will be news to Debra Monk, at least."

I said "I think".

Wow, am I sorry to hear I missed that one. She did that role on Broadway? How in the hell did I miss that? I'm sure she was fantastic! Were there any others (white Mamas, that is)?

[D2]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 11:12pm

She did it with Brooke Shields, and she was terrific. Of course.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/8/10 at 11:31pm

That explains it. Nothing against Brook Shields, but I had no interest in seeing her in the role. And now that you mention it, I do recall Michelle Pawk, but none of the rest.

[Upland]

Posted: 2/9/10 at 7:38pm

The woman who originated the role in the Broadway revival was white. I think her first name was Marcia. Can't remember her last name though.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/9/10 at 8:18pm

Lewis.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 2/9/10 at 8:26pm

Other Caucasian Broadway Mortons have included Debbie Gravitte, Mary Testa, and Aida Turturro. Lea DeLaria played it on tour and Lynda Carter and Kelli Osbourne in London (and original Mama there was white too).

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 2/9/10 at 11:14pm

Debra Monk played Mama?!?!?

Oh, that sounds heavenly!

[chenowitch]

Posted: 2/9/10 at 11:16pm

Not to mention Lynda Carter!

[Kev]

Posted: 2/9/10 at 11:44pm

Debra Monk played Mama?!?!?
Oh, that sounds heavenly!

One would think Monk as Mama would be heavenly casting. Unfortunately, she was solid but nothing exceptional (ditto Anne L. Nathan.) Monk brought nothing new to the table with "When You're Good to Mama" and her book scenes were a bore.

Korey was a little spitfire in the role and sang the hell out of her numbers. And Pawk, while not "butch" in the slightest, was stunningly good.