Um....John Travolta as Edna, Anyone?- Page 7

[False Titters]

Posted: 2/26/05 at 1:38pm

Hi WishIHadATony

I respect your opinion and if you don't enjoy Harvey as a performer that's completely fine and valid - we all have different taste and theres no artist that EVERYBODY loves - but I can't think of any performance in recent memory other than Nathan Lanes in The Producers that comes as close as Harveys in Hairspray does. I'm sure there will be some Travolta fans who think Travolta is the right choice but I think we'll find that most people with an opinion on this will feel incredibly strongly that Harvey is the only person who can do this justice. If I'm wrong then I will let it go but it looks like most agree strongly that this is Harveys role alone.

Harvey IS a movie star. Torch Song Trilogy is a movie. Harvey is the star. End of. A quick check on imdb.com confirms that he has appeared in over 16 films alongside some of the biggest stars in the world including Danny Devito, Anne Bancroft, Matthew Broderick, Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, Drew Barrymore, Edward Norton, Dianne Wiest and Jeff Goldblum to name a few. He has made countless TV appearances, voiced a role in a major Disney animated feature, worked with Woody Allen, Andy Warhol and appeared in two highest grossing films of their respective years (Mrs Doubtfire and Independence Day). Have I left anything out? Probably. If he was just a Broadway star then how would I know who he was? I grew up in south London, I'd never seen or heard of him on stage until I went to Broadway for the first time ever in December 2003 to see my favourite movie star in the musical of one of my favourite films. I'd been a fan of his for over a decade. From his film work.

The market obviously doesn't agree with your thoughts on him in Fiddler otherwise the producers wouldn't be extending his engagement in that show until August.

You make a good point about Travolta and Grease but Grease was thirty years ago. Its success was not about John Travolta although the casting of all the leads absolutely played an important part - and Travolta is great in that - but Grease is Grease! Travolta was cast in that for his hips and sex appeal, two things which will be completely redundant in Hairspray. I like John Travolta alot and I love him in Grease but I can't think immediately of any recent films that have done well artisticly or commercially with him in them. I think he's a bad commercial choice - the idea of a - no offence - aging, ragingly straight sex symbol playing one of the most glamorous and ballsy strong women characters seems very wrong to me. The comment about the oh, so wrong casting of Patrick Swayze in To Wong Foo mentioned earlier seems spot on to me. Rightly or wrongly, a mainstream audience wants to see Travolta shooting people - not stepping out in feathers with his daughter.

Its simply groundless and not realistic to attack Harveys calibre as a performer. No offence intended but you may WISH you had a Tony but Mr F actually has - two, in fact - for acting, not to mention the one for the La Cage book, which is not relevant here.
He is, quite literally, a Tony award winning actor and I dont think, as acting goes, it gets too much better than that.

This is the last I will say on Harveys talents and peoples views on it - I don't want to inspire this to being a forum for people bitching him or John Travolta or anyone for that matter. If you do or don't agree that it can only be Harvey then great but lets not any of us get into being negative and horrible. Like I say, I do respect your opinion if you simply don't enjoy him but factually I don't think what you wrote was fair or true. Peace and love though, to you, all the same and I hope we can meet up for coffee when I come over in the next couple of months. Thanks. :)

I need a guide/s by the way. Who will volunteer!

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/26/05 at 1:51pm

Sorry False Titters, but Harvey Fierstein is not a movie star.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/26/05 at 2:59pm

wishihadatony, I completely agree with you.

Namo: Seriously, what is your problem? I will never understand what makes you think that you're so god damned perfect. You never did explain your nasty comments - something tells me it's because there is no explanation. You're seriously like the BWW Grinch - you're not perfect and stop always trying to make people feel stupid. It seriously is tired.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 2/26/05 at 3:05pm

I'm stil confused what this riff is about. What's going on? Oooh, look! Shiny.

[False Titters]

Posted: 2/26/05 at 3:36pm

I know! I dont have a clue what its about either. Make up please. Everyone shake hands and hug and do a little dance and Ill put on a benefit fund raiser for John Travolta. Actually, I think he should play Tracey.

[oldfashionedboy]

Posted: 2/26/05 at 4:28pm

Why must Edna always be played by a man in drag?
I would love to see Bette Midler play Edna.
Any thoughts?