Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
#0Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/4/06 at 4:02pmIs Megan Lawrence not a dancer?
#1re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/4/06 at 4:05pm
She says she's not in interviews.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#2re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/4/06 at 4:07pmI was actually watching the Broadway Beat video and she just said that. Guess I answered my own question. I guess it was a good decision to not have her dance, so she didn't risk being compared to the irreplaceable Haney.
#3re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/4/06 at 4:24pmWell, except that one night...
#4re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/4/06 at 4:28pma larger question....why did the RUIN Hernando's Hideaway......ugh, sounds horrid!
#5re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/4/06 at 4:35pmIs the entire HERNANDO'S HIDEAWAY that fast, or does it start slowly, with a tango beat?
Buscee
Featured Actor Joined: 7/9/05
#6re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/4/06 at 4:38pm
I have to agree with the fact that Gladys doesnt do Steam Heat. I recently directed a production,and was nearly tarred and feathered for suggesting it went to Poopsie. Unfortunately I had to have Gladys do it cause I had troubles casting the other roles for a while. The reason is this. It makes no sense to have Gladys who is the Adminstrative secretary to Mr.Hasler support the union. Her position would have been non-union, and she would have been fired for supporting the union. Also she has had the key to the ledger around her neck for the whole show, and inside the ledger lies the secret to the plot. Don't you think she would have shared the info with others a long time ago?.
When Gladys does the number it makes the number seem just tacked on, moreso than it already does.
#7re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/4/06 at 4:50pmGood points, Buscee. It did always seem out of character for Gladys, but I never stopped to think why.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Smaxie
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/26/05
#8re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/4/06 at 6:27pm"Hernando's Hideaway" is actually the highlight of the entire revival, and the staging of it is temendous fun. The section that is featured in the footage is near the very end of the sequence. The rest of it pretty much sounds like it always sounded...the slow Gladys tango section at the beginning... "Hey, buddy, this ain't Poopsie" etc., although they did cut "Oooh! It's dark in here... Fresh!"
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#9re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/4/06 at 10:27pmI think it was brilliant to find a way to let Harry play some piano and "be Harry". It harkens back to the old days when shows were cutomized to let the star show off their special abilites.
timote316
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/04
#10re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/4/06 at 10:32pmWhile that does sound like a good idea, Jon, that sort of limits the candidates for replacing the star, once their contract expires. Granted, thats not an issue in this production, as its a limited run, but for open-ended runs, that could cause problems nowadays.
CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#11re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/5/06 at 12:00am
Gladys drinks and parties too much to be Union or Not.
Hey it was Carol Haney, a Great Song and arrangement and Fosse went for it and created a legendary number.
it's a non book number (kinda, the heat and steam can be metaphores (sic) for work conditions,
and we all know what it did for Shirley.
So this is one place for a director to make a new decision
and make it work for the show.
I hear it does.
TennesseeTwang
Broadway Star Joined: 6/26/05
#12re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/5/06 at 4:31amShirley MacLaine wrote in one of her biographies that the role of Gladys was originally to be played by actress Charlotte Raye of Facts of Life fame. Unfortunatley for Raye, the producers didn't feel that it was working out. She wasn't getting laughs they thought she should be getting and was struggling with the role, so she was let go and her part was turned over to Carol Haney who had been hired only as a principle dancer. Raye continued with the Fosse dance numbers but played the secretary as well.
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#13re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/5/06 at 5:17amTimote - the point I was making is that IF the show was extended without Harry, they could get rid of the piano-playing section,since it is so obviously custom designed for him.
#14re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/5/06 at 10:22am
Yeah, shows do thata all th time. Joel Grey got a dance section in Wicked that was cut for the other actors replacing him.
However, I doubt this'll get extended. It probably won't do as well without Harry Connick Jr.
BwayBaby18
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/19/05
#15re: Why Does't Gladys Dance Steam Heat in the Revival?
Posted: 3/5/06 at 11:06amSee Jon i hate the fact that they Conick-ized the show
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