Who will be the next Broadway Madame Rose? — Page 5

g.d.e.l.g.i. said: "

Or, to put it another way, everyone that is close to her in this show before they, too, reach a point of no return with her had to like her, or something about her, to be willing to put up with everything that is Rose.Gypsyis not Mommie Dearest Meets Stockholm Syndrome: A Study in Vaudeville.​​ If you're playing Rose a hair away from a "dance mom" from the word go, unsympathetically, the show's dramatic base will crumble, even if your voice rivals Merman's."

Really good observation. Although a lot of people dissed her, one of the reasons I liked BP better than PL was that BP did not start out in high gear, but evolved as she got more desperate. I think Angela Lansbury's performance is the single greatest performance I have seen in the theatre...interestingly enough. her approach was desperation rather than monster, and the warmth was always there, just overridden by the desperation. I know Tyne Daly's performance was super-acclaimed, but I thought the monster was there from the first scene. She acted the hell out of the role, but I thought she was too shrill from the beginning.

My vote is for HEATHER HEADLEY.

TaffyDavenport: I'm more curious to hear who'll be playing the role at Goodspeed starting in April.

Judy McLane as Rose. Talia Suskauer as Louise.

Link

Updated On: 3/10/23 at 10:08 PM

Lea Michele one day. She has incredible pipes and could act the hell out of it.

I'd like to see someone without a great deal of in-your-face star power take the role. As exhilarating as Lupone-esque Roses can be, you start to wonder why they never pursued stardom themselves.

I believe the point they're making, Ke3, is that with LuPone-style Roses, you don't believe that the stated reason in the script would have stopped them. If I'm correct about that thinking, then I kind of agree, to a point. I don't think the role doesn't need star power, but it hearkens back to what I said earlier in the thread -- if you're a steamroller in this part, it will leave the audience wondering why you didn't just steamroll over all the other obstacles.

I used to think the time had passed for Donna. However, I was so surprised and taken with how strong Donna Murphy's voice sounded in 'Dear World', and the clip of her 'Some People' she just posted on instagram, that I can't help but re-open the conversation that I think it should be Donna Murphy who performs the role next, before people like Audra or Sutton etc. Obviously, no one is going to mount a new revival around Donna on Broadway cold but I wonder if someone would ever consider mounting a cheap off-broadway production in a prestigious house for a couple of months and seeing what happens. I kind of feel Lonny Price should direct since he missed out on directing Patti in Gypsy on Broadway (and Sweeney!), which I believe was upsetting for him (and I think he is the one that directed Donna's 'Some People'. OR AT LEAST just doing a concert for a few nights.

Updated On: 3/24/23 at 12:24 PM

BARBRA - at 81 can still pull it off. Here she is boys.. Great Grandma ROSE

Updated On: 3/24/23 at 03:32 PM

well if Kristin mentioned it, it will definitely happen!

It will be the one and only Catherine Zeta Jones.

Robbie2 said: "It should be the One and Only Audra McDonald!"

This has always felt the most likely.

At the age of 36, Lea Michele is currently portraying, to enormous critical acclaim, a preternaturally ambitious women who ages from about 20 to 35 during the course of the show. In a few short years, she will portray a preternaturally ambitious woman who ages from about 30 to 45 during the course of the show. She will be greater in the role than women who have technically superior voices, such as Audra, for the same reason that Callas was “greater” than Tebaldi. You heard it here first.

Some of these names are way too precious for Rose. Audra? Kristen? Donna? I love those women to bits, but they are not gritty enough, I'm sorry. Maybe Lea in 30 years if she let's out the demon that she's had to lock away for time being...

CZJ is someone I could see in the role. She had the boozy voice and the acting chops. Could she keep the voice up for a shoe that demanding 8 times a week?

Sheryl would be a great choice. My concern would also be her ability to do such a demanding show 8 times a week. Maybe if she had an alternate like Bette? It's been 20 years since she's done a broadway show, and that did not require the physical fitness this role does. If she could do it though I'd certainly go multiple times.

I feel like the only women I can think of are a little to late to play Rose. When I think of that rough voice she should have I can't call up many now. Debra Monk would have been great .