Thoughts On Patti LuPone Revival Of Little Night Music- Page 2

[roquat]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 9:28pm

Patti Lupone is way too strong for Desiree, and I couldn't see her pining away for years after a man. She's much more right for Charlot, but she would never take a supporting role.

How about Christine Ebersole, who is finally starting to come into her own as a Broadway musical diva? She would bring just the right mix of anger and heartbreak to "Send in the Clowns."

[djb]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 10:56pm

I know that at one point, John Doyle mentioned in an interview that he wanted to direct "A Little Night Music" as his next Sondheim/Actors-playing-instruments musical...

I mean, I loved his "Sweeney Todd" and "Company," and any way that the show is revived, I would not care.

Patti as Desiree? Eh, I love her, and would want to see her as the role, but I just do not know...

Cerveris as Fredrick: YES.

I know that Beth Leavel has played Charlotte in the past, she could return to the role!

[djb]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 10:57pm

I just love Christine Ebersole.

Put her in anything, and I would probably be happy.

[Amneris]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 10:59pm

i wish patti played the witch in into the woods.. or the bakers wife.

[D2]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 11:01pm

Please, please, please, oh Gods of Musical Theater, please do not let John Doyle anywhere near this perfect musical. Please.

Beth Leavel would be a wonderful Charlotte. The best Charlotte I've ever seen, though, was Michele Pawk in the recent production at New York City Opera. She was brilliant. That whole production was brilliant, frankly.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 12:40am

I'd probably cry if LuPone ever got near this musical, to echo the sentiments found elsewhere on the thread, she just lacks the subtlety and nuance that you would find in a warm Desiree. Yes she is a fantastic actress, but this is a role that you can't cast someone who'd just barrel through the score as I've seen her do too many times. I agree with what was said earlier about her originating a role or sticking to the Merm catalog.

I'd love for Ebersole to take a stab or Bernadette even. They have a very natural, warm feel to them, but also have that wit and life emanating from them onstage. This is perhaps the most overdue Sondheim revival and we need it to be done classy with no watered down or altered score. It should have that grandeur and classic feel to it Amen.

[OOTI2004]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 12:53am

I would hate to see this revived in the Doyle-actor/musician style. I just don't think it fits as well for the show. I loved the way it worked for Sweeney and was very pleasantly surprised by how well it worked for Company, (I had some doubts), but I just don't think the concept fits this.

I'm not sure why, but I would love to see Megan Mullaley play Desiree. I don't think she fits the role physically, considering she is somewhat attractive but not "gorgeous". I guess I would just love to see almost anyone besides Glen Close (I love her, just not in this).

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 1:12am

Victoria Clarke is my choice, she can do comedy and break your heart also.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 1:16am

Her "Send In The Clowns" was pretty average to me.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 1:31am

I actually believe it is fairly important that Desiree be played by a relative non-singer.

The score is constructed for a non singer and when you really analyze the show and the way all the characters are expressed musically, it makes perfect sense. I think when you start casting the Patti LuPone and Betty Buckleys (and the Victoria Clarks) of the world in the part, it really throws off the balance of the material. Great "singing" of SEND IN THE CLOWNS is really not an asset to the piece....

Annette Bening would probably be a pretty wonderful Desiree, though as nobodyhome says, even she is getting a little old for it now. Julianne Moore has all the right qualities for the role(and is the right age) but perhaps not the stage chops. Its just a very difficult role to cast perfectly.

How about Laura Linney?
Updated On: 1/6/07 at 01:31 AM

[jewishboy]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 3:46am

MB, yes I agree that Desiree should be played by a non-singer, but Laura Liney (eventhough I love her) just does not seem right. Who knows?

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 3:58am

I was in a production of this show and our Desiree was really strong singer and I always felt something lacked maybe it was more to much of something. I love Patti as well but I really started this thread because I was thinking how she did the Sweeney Tood concert and then the revival so I wondered if she would so I thought I would see other people's thoughts

[djb]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 11:14am

MARIA FRIEDMAN!!

She has played Petra (and she is phenomenal on the London cast recording.)
Sondheim loves her.

I think she would be stunning.

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 11:27am

I'm liking the idea of Brooke Shields. She might need a little more training in the area of expressing emotion through song, but otherwise I think she would be an interesting choice. Better than these 60 year olds.

[sicetergo]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 12:03pm

Maria Friedman: "She has played Petra (and she is phenomenal on the London cast recording.)"

Just as a very minor correction:

Maria Friedman played Petra in a BBC radio broadcast/concert with Betty Buckley as Desirée (rather over-sung and over-wrought), Keith Michell as Frederik and Margaret Courtenay as Mme Armfeldt.

The recording was not a cast recording, but a studio recording with the orchestrations from the Chichester/London 1989 revival. Siân Phillips sang Desirée, she would later play Mme Armfeldt in the RNT's version with Judi Dench as Desirée.

Much as I admire Maria Friedman, I think she'd be better used as the Countess. I'd love to see Emma Thompson or someone like Gillian Anderson (no idea if she could manage the notes)or maybe I just have a thing about redheads...

[lvpblues]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 12:04pm

I couldn't see Patti as Desiree myself. However, I have been pining away for Emma Thompson or Elaine Paige to play the part, but those seem increasingly unlikely. Perhaps Imelda Staunton?

~K

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 1:47pm

Im just longing for any Sondheim show to be revived with a full orchestral treatment, and non-doyle direction.

[Norma D]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 11:52am

I've heard more than one interview of Elaine Paige where she expressed interest in playing Desiree. I think she would be awesome however I'm sure my dream of seeing her on Broadway would never happen. If she got the part it would almost definitely be in the West End.
I agree with others that Patti doesn't have the right look or voice. She's not European enough to pull it off! Glenn Close--please don't make me cry!

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 12:18pm

IIRC, Faye Dunaway was first announced for Desiree in the BBC broadcast (this was shortly after the SB debacle), and then Diana Rigg. Finally, Buckley was sort of an emergency choice after they bowed out.

What would Dunaway have been like, I wonder. But it is too bad that it wasn't Rigg. I don't know that she's quite right for it, but she surely is more right than Buckley.

Actually, Rigg might be a great Madame Armfeldt in a few years (or possibly even now). I think that role suits her a bit more than Desiree might have. Of course, her Charlotte is one of the saving graces of the film.

[GClef2]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 2:20pm

I have always wanted to see Carolee as Desire

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 7:14pm

Speaking of Paige, the idea that Desiree is 60ish has become so prevalent that Paige said in an interview a couple of years ago that she hoped to play the role when she was old enough. I think she was about 57 at the time.

Of course, the last two big productions in London starred actresses who were around 60, so I see where she got the idea. But no, Elaine, you're more than old enough and have been for a while.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 10:03pm

Emma Thompson as Desiree? OMG, I've died and gone to heaven! But who would be a good Frederick for her?

And, as an aside, can we PLEASE stop assuming that every John Doyle production will be patterned as COMPANY and SWEENEY? Doyle is doing fully orchestrated productions even as we speak, namely, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny on the West Coast? He is a good, sound, thorough director, and I cannot imagine any way to use that approach in ALNM!

[D2]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 10:05pm

Don't kid yourself, Keen - he's already mentioned it as a possibility, reduced orchestrations and all.

Posted: 1/8/07 at 10:16pm

I'm actually not a huge fan of the Scott Ellis/NYCO production at least as filmed for tv in 1990. I dunno why--as there's not much explicitly wrong with it and of course it's great to have a full orchestra, etc but something about the empty stage of a set maybe? hrmm...

(Of course I'm a huge Boris Aronson slut and would give anything to see his plexiglass birch trees used to disolve scenes within scenes as they role across the stage in action--but I guess that'll never happen)

Then again I'm prob in the minority--while I really don't want a new John Doyle "instruments on stage" production of this I do think the show works pretty well in a paired down setting even if we lose some of the orchestra (remember the original cast album doesn't even reflect the original stage orchestrations with I believe a very large amount of added strings). I saw a tiny production by an opera school a few years ago that worked *very* well. (Then again I also am perversely fond of the movie so what do I know...)

E

[B3TA07]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 10:23pm

Michael Bennet - that's WHY it was just average to me. You could tell she was going at it from a singer's angle. But thanks for educating me anyway, just in case