Mine would have to be Bebe Neuwirth who took over from Chita in Kiss of The Spiderwoman once that original company left for Broadway. The role suited her skills perfectly and that hissed staccato delivery of the title song as brilliant as you’d imagine it should be. Unfortunately the run only lasted a few months with the replacement cast though and there is no photo/audio or video archive I’ve found since of them.
I even asked Hal Prince once. He changed the subject...
There is at least one high quality bootleg of every Hedwig, except for Taye Diggs. While I'm not dying to see *that* again, I find it funny (suspicious?) how it doesn't exist.
PhantomOfFleetStreet said: "You asked Hal Prince for a bootleg?
Mine would be the West End American Psycho. Would love to see footage of Matt Smith as Patrick but there's nothing."
HA! No. I think I asked if there was any archive footage or proshots. We were talking about 3 different things at once and he immediately switched to how great he thought the actress singing Christine’s parts in Prince of Broadway was and how much he think I’d like her. Moment passed..
I saw that production at the Almeida with Matt Smith. It certainly wasn’t my favourite show and he was an adequate singer at best so I’d much rather have seen the Broadway version with Benjamin Walker. I’m SURE there is archive footage and/or press clips for THAT though. Whether they made it to YouTube is another story.
Why do I get the impression Faye Dunaway in Sunset would have been not too dissimilar to Faye Dunaway in Mommy Dearest?!
In a similar vein I’ve seen the briefest video of Roger Moore in rehearsals for Aspects of Love in London before dropping out and from that it looked like he would have been a fantastic George. Which was also the opinion of one of his fellow cast members that spoke to me about it many years later.
PhantomOfFleetStreet said: "You asked Hal Prince for a bootleg?
Mine would be the West End American Psycho. Would love to see footage of Matt Smith as Patrick but there's nothing."
There are a few things on youTube from London. And you do have the cast album as a record at least. It was never West End though - just the short run in Islington.
Bette Midler in hello dolly. I wish I could see it again Barbra Streisand in funny girl The Cher show. I wish I could see it again as well The original version of spider man. I’d love to see how it changed
Faye never performed SUNSET BLVD on stage. She had just started rehearsals when ALW pulled the plug on the L.A. production of SUNSET BLVD."
Indeed. Hence the link with Roger Moore. Thanks for posting the Funny Girl footage. And the other replies - I was secretly hoping some people may get there wish.. So. Anyone got some London Kiss of the Spiderwoman leads out there... please?!
OMG I’d forgotten how much I absolutely, truly LOVE this show. And the train in Put On Your Sunday Clothes ALWAYS makes me smile ear to ear and shed tears of joy. Such a marvelous production. Can’t wait to see it again next weekend!