What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?

I also think she'd be great as Miranda Priestley!

From watching her recent interviews she stated that an ideal situation is to work on a TV show based in NYC or something that won't require too much time away from NYC since she has her daughter to take care of too.

Also, I wonder if we'll see more of the 2 actors sharing a role on Broadway (either 7 performances and 1 performance similar to Bette/Donna) or half/half (4 performances a week for each lead actor.) I recall watching a Kelli O'Hara interview where she'd welcome that arrangement as it's better for work-life balance.

poisonivy2 said: "I wish she'd play Heidi Hansen. Think she'd be great in that role."

Heidi is a young(ish) working mother. Donna Murphy is going to be 60 next year.

Wick3 said: "Also, I wonder if we'll see more of the 2 actors sharing a role on Broadway (either 7 performances and 1 performance similar to Bette/Donna) or half/half (4 performances a week for each lead actor.) I recall watching a Kelli O'Hara interview where she'd welcome that arrangement as it's better for work-life balance."


I think DOLLY was a unique situation that could only be repeated under similarly unique circumstances...

–– It's a beloved role open to different interpretations, and it's a beloved show that needs a "star" presence. They could have put Linda Mugleston on once a week like the Ham/DEH/MFL alternates, but it probably wouldn't have had the same impact. With DOLLY, there was still an appetite for groups/theatre fans/etc. to see the show without Bette –– something that wouldn't work with a show that became a hit just because of a star's presence.

–– Midler was willing to have an alternate play Tuesday nights...had she said no, they probably would have just stuck to 7 a week.

–– Murphy, a theatre "star" who, frankly, doesn't work very often (probably by her own choice) happened to be available for a few months, and her Passion producer Scott Rudin could talk her into it. And they were smart to have Murphy begin after the Tonys, after the show had been reviewed and established.


Would a "notable" once-a-week alternate work again? Only if the stars aligned... Hypothetically, if Brian Stokes Mitchell stepped in for Denzel Washington or if Mary Louise Wilson stepped in for Glenda Jackson, those shows would probably have a much harder time selling tickets.

I love the idea of Miranda Priestly. She and especially Bette are too old for Mame, who ages 20 years in the course of the show. If they ever make another movie of Mame, they would both be good Vera's.

JBC3 said: "The idea of a two people sharing a lead role for 4/3 or 4/4 performances is so interesting. Love the idea if it would allow top talent to be cast who otherwise would not consider a role. Have no idea how it would play a the box office though."

It's a cool idea, but getting star actors to commit to Broadway for several weeks is tough enough. I don't think 1/2 the salary of an 8-show week + opportunities for negative comparisons to their counterpart would be appealing. CHICAGO would have jumped on that if it was feasible.

Producers would probably have better luck getting an star for 8 weeks and another star for the next 8 weeks, instead of two actors sharing the role for 16 weeks.

(To say nothing of the marketing logistics of how to communicate when so-and-so is going to be on. Even with explicit notices on Telecharge about Donna Murphy, there were people who bought tix expecting to see Bette.)

Bette Midler has never been right for the role of Mame. She did a reading of the show back in the 90s as a potential follow up to her TV production of GYPSY and apparently even she realized the role, fun as it is, was a mismatch. Dolly was her role and it obviously worked out quite well.

This has been discussed so many times, but taking the source material at its word -- Mame is a glamorous, upper east side, society WASP. And a big part of the story revolves around the Upsons being completely discriminatory against anyone who is not a pure-blood. If we are talking truly physical ideal types - this is like Nicole Kidman or Gwyneth Paltrow. She technically is mid-30s at the beginning of the show to mid 50s by the end.

I have no doubt Murphy could pull of the role and be brilliant. She has the requisite glamour, skills and despite her age could easily make this time frame conceivable on stage. But no, she couldn't really sell tickets enough to headline the show in a major Broadway revival.

Frankly, I'm not really sure who could at the moment.

Mark my words and I may be wrong

but I firmly think there will never be a Broadway revival of Mame.

There's too much plantation sh!t. It would never fly, it would be incredibly awkward. The musical isn't like Hello, Dolly! where it's somewhat known and loved by people who aren't Broadway aficionados.

It'll never happen.

Fun to dream cast, but it'll never ever happen.

If only Jerry Herman would let Encores! do MAME (and MACK AND MABEL, and DEAR WORLD).