Vanessa Williams in Kiss of the Spider Woman

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 4:23am

I haven't listened to this CD in a long time, despite it's my favorite musical. I must say this score is a master piece and Vanessa's voice is so soothing.

I was listening to "Gimme Love" and it's just such a joy. Speaking of joy, she will be on The Joy Behar Show tomorrow night.

Now, onto "Russian Movie", wonderful!

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 10:25am

Absolutely loved Williams in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, and she was a knockout in INTO THE WOODS. So glad to see that she'll be back on Broadway this spring, even if it isn't in a book show. But I guess being cast along with Barbara Cook definitely indicates she's established herself as a terrific stage performer!

[logan0215]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 11:15am

Just curious:

When the show opened on Broadway, did they just use the Original London Cast Recording and then re-recorded when Williams took over the part? It also seems that Williams' recording is much more thorough from what I can gather on Amazon.com

I was just looking at IBDB. How cool that Carol Lawrence (Maria to Chita's Anita) took over the role at one point.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 11:17am

The Vanessa Willams version cast recording is better than the Chita Rivera version, IMHO!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 12:19pm

"The Vanessa Willams version cast recording is better than the Chita Rivera version, IMHO!"

I agree. Logan, no it's not a rehash, or a re-recorded CD. I think it was done all over again with the new leads and ensemble. It sounds completely different, even the orchestrations.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 12:26pm

The role was written with a dancer in mind. While Vanessa sounds good on the cd, in the theater her dancing was not great.

I'm searching for the commercial on YouTube. Her dancing looks like she's being poked in the back with a stick.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 12:47pm

Vanessa's Kiss of the Spider Woman cast recording was produced my her record label at the time (Mercury Records, I believe?).

I own both recordings and Vanessa's is hands down my favorite.
Updated On: 10/2/09 at 12:47 PM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 1:07pm

"The role was written with a dancer in mind. While Vanessa sounds good on the cd, in the theater her dancing was not great"

Well, this is not a discussion to see who was the best Spider Woman. But since you bring it up, Vanessa attended Syracuse University as a Theatre Arts major from 1981 to 1983. Which includes dancing. She is a dancer, otherwise watch the movie "Dance With Me" and you can tell that she is a professional dancer.

Anyways, I must say that Chita was a great dancer in her youth, maybe on her West Side Story days, but at the time of "Kiss", she seemed a little too old and shaky. You can see that at the Tony Awards's version of "Where You Are". Anyways, just my opinion.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 1:49pm

I think that Vanessa Williams gave the role a sort of sexiness, different from Chita Rivera or Carol Lawrence. IMHO, Chita IS the Spider Woman. Her dancing at the Tony Awards prove that even 30/40 years after WSS, she can still move. Yes, in "Dancer's Life" she was a little shaky, but even person can't move as fast as they did 50 years ago.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 2:12pm

"I think that Vanessa Williams gave the role a sort of sexiness, different from Chita Rivera or Carol Lawrence. IMHO, Chita IS the Spider Woman. Her dancing at the Tony Awards prove that even 30/40 years after WSS, she can still move. Yes, in "Dancer's Life" she was a little shaky, but even person can't move as fast as they did 50 years ago"

I agree about the sexiness comment. Chita can STILL dance very well, but I felt that she was already shaky at the Tonys when she did that number from KISS. Yet, I really enjoyed her show Dancer's Life. Because I felt she wasn't trying to be a younger dancer than she is. She was just being herself, and I think she was about 73yo when she did that show and her energy and willingness are/were admirable. I was one of the few who really enjoyed The Dancer's Life. I feel like the role of the Spider Woman shouldn't be played by anyone over 45yo.

[Weez]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 4:04pm

I feel like the Spider Woman shouldn't even be in the frickin' show, but then a play/novel purist such as myself really shouldn't be hanging out in a thread that was blatantly going to be about the (travesty of a) musical, so I'll just be going now...

[GatorNY]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 4:11pm

I saw both and I loved both interpretations. I was not a fan of Ms Williams prior to seeing her as Aurora....but in that one night at the Shubert I became a HUGE fan. I have both recordings as well, and I prefer Vanessa's...especially since Stokes plays Valentin. Gimme Love is one of my favorite numbers ever...it had everything....great choreography, hunky chorus, and flawless leading lady.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 4:14pm

"I feel like the Spider Woman shouldn't even be in the frickin' show, but then a play/novel purist such as myself really shouldn't be hanging out in a thread that was blatantly going to be about the (travesty of a) musical, so I'll just be going now..."

I read the book, and I think that character is essential in the book, also you can't judge art if you are a "purist" because art eventually gets updated and renewed.

[Weez]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 4:21pm

What are you saying? That because art gets updated and renewed, I'm not allowed to look at it and say "well, it's okay, but I liked it better before. And seeing as the 'better before' option still exists, I'm going to spend my time with that option rather than this 'updated and renewed' version that I really don't like"? How funny. XD

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 4:25pm

I feel like the Spider Woman shouldn't even be in the frickin' show, but then a play/novel purist such as myself really shouldn't be hanging out in a thread that was blatantly going to be about the (travesty of a) musical, so I'll just be going now...

But you are right about this. The reviews certainly emphasized the cliches of the musical (Frank Rick was especially witty about this).

The screen icons worshiped by Molina are nothing but symbols (the panther woman, the spider woman)and they are strangely materialized in the musical as an excuse for the big numbers.

I think the musical has interesting moments, but I agree with those who criticize turning a small intimate play into a cliched show.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 4:25pm

Well, let me rephrase it, I am trying to tell you to open your mind a bit, because you will be able to enjoy more stuff. That's it. Sometimes I am a little jaded myself and compare everything to the originals too, but then I let myself get surprised and sometimes with the "re-vamping" some shows work even better than before.

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 4:30pm

What are you saying? That because art gets updated and renewed, I'm not allowed to look at it and say "well, it's okay, but I liked it better before. And seeing as the 'better before' option still exists, I'm going to spend my time with that option rather than this 'updated and renewed' version that I really don't like"? How funny. XD

After all, I truly hope that no one says that the watered down musical comes even close to the novel or the play adaptation.

[Weez]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 4:31pm

Oh, that's even funnier! Although I can see how you've come to the conclusion that I'm one of these people who sniffs and says "WELL IT WASN'T A PATCH ON THE ORIGINAL" no matter how amazing the new version is, please take my word for it when I say that I'm really not. With the exception of Love Never Dies, I'm the most vocal "DON'T KNOCK IT UNTIL YOU'VE TRIED IT" person here, and I'm still going to actually give Love Never Dies a fighting chance before I start proclaiming its rubbishness in earnest. If it turns out good, I'll be happy to admit I'm wrong. And I'm ALL for reimaginings. Some of my favourite things have been new versions of things (hell, all of them have, if we want to get technical). And hell, I still freely admit to loving John Doyle! :P Do what you will, and I will come to it freely and judge it with as open a mind as I possibly can.

But to get back on subject, I just can't bring myself to bear having the exquisite two-handed intimacy of Kiss of the Spider Woman ruined by characters being shoved onstage who were only ever mentioned in the book and great whopping chorus numbers. I mean, the music's catchy, I have it on my iPod, and I freely admit that anything and everything can be turned into a musical with the right creative team. However, Kiss is one of those properties that really didn't work for me when musicalised.

Like I said, I really shouldn't be in this thread. I've just had a wee bit too much caffeine today. O_O

Updated On: 10/2/09 at 04:31 PM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 8:40pm

Well, you are right. The Spider Woman becomes a more important character than she is in the book, but I think the real invention was Aurora. Remember that Vanessa(or whoever plays the role) is not only the Spider Woman, but Aurora, and then Aurora plays all these different roles in her movies.

I love the novel, the musical, the movie and everything really. I must say, that the movie is my least favorite among the 3 by far.

But I understand where you are coming from although I don't necessarily agree with you.

[Soliantu]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 8:53pm

I much prefer the cast recording with Williams, Stokes Mitchell, and McGillin also.. I just think they all added much more to the characters.. Love their voices too. It was Brian's first cast recording I believe :)

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 9:37pm

I wish something would have occured with Bebe...I'm dying to hear her sing the title song.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 10/3/09 at 12:15am

GatorNY, it was the Broadhurst Theatre btw...(sorry, I had to)

And, I really love Donna Murphy's version of the title song from the Kennedy Centre honours for Chita Rivera. She is need to play the role.

[Soliantu]

Posted: 10/3/09 at 12:37pm

hmmm I don't believe I heard Donna Murphy sing that.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 10/3/09 at 7:48pm

Here is the link to Donna's version of "Spider Woman"...She starts at 2.45

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aBm9XoDBgQ

This makes me think that Donna Murphy would be interesting is she did Velma in Chicago

Updated On: 10/3/09 at 07:48 PM

[Pgenre]

Posted: 10/3/09 at 7:54pm

Thanks so much for Donna's performance! Scintillating!

Bebe was actually quite wonderful in the role, and I always found it odd that she didn't do it on Bway because she was totally unique and wonderful in ways that Vanessa - and even Chita - were not. I might even venture to say she was the best of both with a chilly allure neither could quite achieve.

Am I the only one that really loves Matt Bogart's "Kiss Of the Spider Woman"? I think he NAILS it and we must remember the role was originally played by a male AND a female at Purchase (my alma mater - BLECH!)... so, at least the title song, was written with a male voice, or at least male drag, in mind.

P

P.S. Matt Bogart's SIMPLE SONG cd is really magnificent and contains a number of obscure/previously unrecorded songs. Some favorites: "Simple Song" from Bernstein's MASS, "If You Still Love Me" from MARTIN GUERRE, "I Don't Hear The Ocean" from MARIE CHRISTINE, "Proud Lady" from BAKER'S WIFE and "Everybody Says Don't" from ACW. One of my favorite Bway solo cds from the last decade, though MORE SIMPLE SONGS EP is not nearly as good (just 5 tracks and all of them a little snooze-inducing). Some people really dislike his vibrato, I've been told, but I find his voice and interpretations of most songs delightful. Updated On: 10/3/09 at 07:54 PM