Upcoming "Follies" concert — Page 4

The reason Alexis got more credit than Dorothy is that the character of Phyllis goes through a HUGE change in the show. I mean she is so cold in the "book musical" and then just comes to live during the "pastiche musical". Sally pretty much stays the same througout the whole show. Nobody is really shocked when she sings "Losing My Mind" but when Phyllis sings "Lucy and Jessie" the audience is wowed!

I also think "Lucy and Jessie" is the superior Phyllis song. The fast paced lyrics are hysterical and fun to listen to. It's also a much more difficult song to sing.

Losing My Mind is the hardest solo song in the show along wit In Buddy's Eyes. Lucy and Jesse is just fast and you have to have good diction. Losing My Mind goes up and down the regester and is very hard to do emotionally.

Yeah but you have to dance in Lucy and Jessie as well.

Alexis was amazing!! She owned that role.

Has anyone ever heard her FULL version of "Lucy and Jessie"?

No, do you have it?

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FROM ATC:

Hold your hats, Marlo has gotten the dish:

Victoria Clark has been announced already for Sally Durant Plummer.

Phyllis Stone: Donna Murphy has signed the contract.

Ben Stone: Stephen Bogardus

Buddy Plummer: Michael McGrath

Stella Deems: JoAnn Worley

The one song wonders haven't been signed yet but some front runners are emerging:

Carlotta: hold onto your hats - Cybill Shepherd is being wooed for this. I don't know what I think about it but it is a song that is done by actresses who "sing" and she has the right jaded attitude. Is she too contemporary?

Hattie: Nanette Fabray is doing a singing audition in L.A. - if she still has the chops she will be a "Broadway Baby"

Heidi: the Metropolitan Opera's Lucine Amara and Roberta Peters are auditioning this week.

Solange Lafitte isn't cast yet though Liliane Montevecchi wanted it badly - the producers want people who haven't done the show before. Zizi Jeanmaire is probably available but will she come to New York from Paris for a gig like this?

You heard it here first,

Marlo Manners (Lady Barrington)

They specifically are avoiding actors who've played the parts before.

I hope they don't go with Cybill Shepherd. I've never been a fan of her voice -- too light and airy (and shaky in the upper register) to me. I can't imagine her doing much with "I'm Still Here," but perhaps she's improved over the years.

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I don't want Cybill Shepherd either.

Carlotta is the perfect opportunity to bring in an older Broadway personality. Someone with a huge personality and a strong voice.

I'm sure Chita Rivera could pull it off.

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Funny thing, I was thinking that Shepherd was a bit too young for the part, but at 56 she is actually older than Yvonne De Carlo was when she created the part (49). However, De Carlo had a "lived in" quality to her. She really seemed like an "old broad" who'd seen it all which is perfect for the part, whereas Shepherd still seems all "California sunshine" and doesn't strike me as having the sort of hard, tough edge I usually associate with Carlotta.

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I think Cybill Shepherd is pretty ideal casting actually, along with Adrienne Barbeau and Lesley Ann Warren. I know these aren't really the names people on message boards get excited about, and sure I'd love to hear Angela Lansbury or Lauren Bacall do these numbers as much as anybody else - BUT - if you go by the description of Carlotta in the script, the character is a contemporary of Phyllis and Sally - a B list actress who has descended into some sort of self-parody. That sounds a lot more like Cybill Shepherd than Chita Rivera.

I know. It's just a dream I have =)

Yvonne DeCarlo's voice always annoyed me actually. I don't really think in terms of casting Carlotta, though, about going for a power house singer. I don't know that you would really describe any of the women who played the role in major productions as "power house singers" except for maybe Delores Gray in London and Karen Morrow in stock.

"Yvonne DeCarlo's voice always annoyed me actually."

That one hurt. I love Yvonne. What did you think of Miller?