The Next Martha? — Page 2

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#26

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 5:46pm

Carol Channing.

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#27

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 5:50pm

Michael, of the difficult divas, Tovah is pretty low on the list.

And isn't Glenn Close older than her, Margo?

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

#28

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 5:51pm

I'd rather see Ashley, who may be too old but can act the socks off of the role, instead of the TV star they'll probably get in an attempt to sell tickets, who will suck.

#29

I don't think Tovah is crazy like Patti LuPone or Betty Buckley (both of the "insane" persuasion) but I remember a bunch of insiders saying there was no way she'd win a Tony Award, because she's pissed off too many people in the New York Theatre scene.

#30

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:06pm

Betty and Patti both have Tonys...they haven't exactly made a lot of friends...I really hope that that is not true. But I know as well as anyone the political event that is the Tonys. They sure don't mean much anymore.

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

#31

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:08pm

Betty and Patti both won their Tonys before they went crazy. As did Amanda Plummer, Tammy Grimes, and Barbara Harris.

Maybe there is something in the gold they use that made these women lose their minds.

#32

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:09pm

I don't really see Kathy Bates in this role. Granted she could do the shrill thing with both hands behind her back, but Martha needs at least a hint of the sexual allure she once possessed and Bates has none.

#33

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:09pm

Im pretty sure Amanda Plummer was always crazy. Brilliant but crazy. Like mother like daughter I guess.

#34

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:11pm

The best ones are always crazy. And yes, I think Amanda Plummer came out of the womb with a firm eye on the Loony Bin. But she is truly one of the greatest stage actresses of the last 25 years.

#35

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:11pm

I can't speak for Patti, but I know for a fact that Betty was so difficult on 1776 that a prominent member of that company would not allow her to audition for a show he was working on as recently as 13-14 years ago. He would not even take her calls. So she was crazy when she got to NYC.

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

#36

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:13pm

Did you see Amanda Plummer on Broadway: The Golden Age, CRAZY!

#37

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:14pm

Betty Lyn probably hit her head with a baton during one of her pagents back in Texas. Who else is crazy? I've heard Diahann Carroll is a bit loop-the-loop.

#38

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:15pm

No I didn't see her on BROADWAY THE GOLDEN AGE -- But I will never forget the moment when she read Des McAnuf's name as BEST DIRECTOR for TOMMY!

#39

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:18pm

Oh where to start...

Betty, Patty, Tammy, Amanda P, Kathleen Turner (not that these people aren't talented)...Cybill Shephard (not really theatre, but she has to go on everyone's crazy list-cause she truly is. AND she cannot sing, as much as she wants you to believe it).

Oh-June Havoc is crazier than them all-but hey, if my Mom was Madame Rose, I'd be pretty crazy too.

#40

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:20pm

What happened? I vaguely remember when she presented that award...

Do you remember when Kathleen Turner gave Ralph Fiennes the award. She was drunkety drunk, and she could not pronounce his name. Brilliant.

Updated On: 4/7/05 at 06:20 PM

#41

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:23pm

According to IMDB, here are some ages:

Turner -- 50
Feldshuh -- 52
Baranski -- 52
Lupone -- 55
Bates -- 56
Ruehl -- 57
Field -- 58
Kurtz -- 60
Stockard -- 61
Ashley -- 65

And incidentally, Hagen was just 43 when she created the role, Stritch was 37 when she did the matinees and Taylor was 34 when she did the movie.

"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie [http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/] "The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney

Updated On: 4/7/05 at 06:23 PM

#42

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:25pm

I half read your post Margo at first, and thought for a second you were rating them on their level of craziness!

#43

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:27pm

It would almost be accurate. After all, no fully sane actress could play Martha.

"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie [http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/] "The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney

Updated On: 4/7/05 at 06:27 PM

#44

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:28pm

True...

I still say Ashley looks as good and around the same age of most of the ladies on this list, especially for being a chain smoker.

#45

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:30pm

Frankly, I'd love to see any and all of those ladies take a crack at the role -- some might be better than others, but none would be boring.

What about Dianne Wiest?

"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie [http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/] "The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney

#46

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:33pm

I for some reason can't picture Wiest in the role or Bates , I don't really know why. But then again-before Turner did it, I thought there was no way she could pull it off. I have always said Stockard would be fierce in that part.

#47

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:38pm

Wiest in her Helen Sinclair-Bullets over Broadway diva mode would be frightening as Martha. But more than that, there's a certain vulnerability she often conveys that she could use to really flesh out her portrayal. Just an idea .....

"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie [http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/] "The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney

#48

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:39pm

That makes sense...I see the appeal of Wiest but she never really excited me as much as she seems to excite others...

#49

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 6:47pm

What about the great Patricia Clarkson? Just a thought.

#50

re: The Next Martha?

Posted: 4/7/05 at 7:24pm

Id love to see Stockard take on Martha. And for that matter, when Irwin leaves, Id LOVE to see Jonathan Pryce in the role--as was originally announced over a year ago.

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