The Next Martha?- Page 3

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 8:19pm

Now you guys have got me hooked on the idea of Amanda Plummer as Martha.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 8:25pm

Plummer would have been an amazing Honey a few years ago.

The idea of her as Martha just flat out scares me.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 8:27pm

"The idea of her as Martha just flat out scares me."

I think she would be great. The most terrifying Martha in ages. Men would turn to their wives at intermission and say, "Thank God I married you!"

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 8:31pm

OK, why do I keep thinking of Marcia Gay Harden as Martha? She might not be ideal, but there's a raw intensity to her (and a vulnerability) that just might work.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 8:33pm

Marcia Gay Harden is one of the best actresses working, and she is the perfect age for the role (she's 45, I believe). After seeing her ferocious performance as Lee Krasner, I wholeheartedly believe that she could take on Martha and knock it out of the ballpark.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 8:42pm

I've LOVED her since "Angels in America" and would love to see her come back to Broadway in such a juicy, formidable role.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 8:45pm

She's definitely at the top of my list. As I said in my initial post, my #1 choice would be Patti LuPone, but I doubt that she would ever be offered the role, or accept it if it were offered. She is an amazing dramatic actress (her performance in Mamet's "The Old Neighborhood" left me speechless), but rarely does straight plays. Too bad.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 8:52pm

LuPone is ideal. She did a marvelous job as Callas in "Master Class" and has all of the right qualities, I think, for Martha. She's unfortunately alienated all sort of people (not sure whether Albee's one of them) which is why she's rarely seen on the Broadway stage anymore.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 8:53pm

And don't forget, with Patti Lupone playing Martha, they are guaranteed to cut twenty minutes off the play's running time!

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 8:55pm

I remember hearing that LuPone was one of many actresses considered for the role at one point or another; a list that included many who have already been mentioned (Ruehl, Lahti, Jessica Lange, Christine Baranski, Sally Field, etc.) She would be simply perfect. She can be wonderfully vicious onstage, as proven in "The Old Neighborhood". I remember that she had some attendance problems during "Noises Off", which might have alienated some producers, plus her reputation of being demanding and hard to work with. In a perfect world, though...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 8:59pm

How about a musical version with LuPone as Martha and Bernadette Peters as Honey, Patinkin as George and Brian Stokes Mitchell as Nick?

Okay, I'm joking, of course, but still .......

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 9:03pm

I can actually hear LuPone in my head blurting some of the things Martha says to random people.

Person: Hi, Patti. How's it going?
Patti: You make me puke.

Just kidding, of course. Patti is my Goddess.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 4/8/05 at 12:36am

Turner is NOT crazy. Far from it. When she's drinking, she's difficult and not fun to be around, but when she's sober, she's a dream. Sweet, generous, kind, witty...a truly wonderful person.

[Madame X]

Posted: 4/8/05 at 12:44am

I think I would trample over people to see Stockard as the next Martha. The Marcia Gay Harden idea is intriguing. Speaking of psycho, has Cybill Shepherd ever been on stage?

I wish I had more to contribute here, but my mind is drawing a blank.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 4/8/05 at 9:52am

My votes are for Marcia Gay Harden and Patricia Clarkson.

[Lamc16]

Posted: 4/8/05 at 10:08am

While some of the aforementioned women are intriguing choices, I have to say that I agree with broadway86. Mercedes Ruehl and Stockard Channing not only look the part of Martha, but I think that they both have a great ease and intensity on stage. And I'm sure that Mercedes (who we know worked w/ Albee on "The Goat" and also played Martha at the Guthrie not too long ago) was hurt when Albee awarded the part to Turner last June. I have a feeling that she was really dying to be the first Martha back on Broadway. However, there is a small section in Show People magazine that has Albee commenting on previous Martha's and he said that when he saw Ruehl's performance of Martha she seemed a bit timid. He went on to say that he thinks she would be a great Martha in "a few years." I wonder if Albee will have as much a say in who (if anyone) takes over the part as he did in who initiated the part.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/9/05 at 6:07pm

OK, how about this pairing -- for those of you who have seen the movie "The Ref" (which is almost a more comedic version of "Virginia Woolf") what about Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey? I think they'd be absolutely incredible as George and Martha and they are both the right ages.

Updated On: 4/9/05 at 06:07 PM

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/9/05 at 6:08pm

Margo, you're a genius! I love it!

BTW, what did you think of "The Pillowman"? I'm dying to know.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/9/05 at 6:12pm

I'm writing a short review now -- it should be up shortly.

[LuvUrBatBoy]

Posted: 4/9/05 at 7:52pm

I think Carol Burnett would be amazing in the role.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/9/05 at 7:55pm

Way too old.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/9/05 at 7:59pm

Yeah, Martha's supposed to be late 40s, maybe 50. Burnett's 70-something. Remember it's George and Martha's "child's" 21st birthday as the play opens.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/9/05 at 7:59pm

Nicole Kidman

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/9/05 at 8:06pm

Way too young. I don't think she has even hit 40 yet.

[broadway86]

Posted: 4/9/05 at 8:10pm

Kidman is way too young to play Martha. Even if she was the right age, she wouldn't be right for it.

I would, however, kill someone to see her play Alma in "Summer and Smoke".