Why Wasn't Kaitlin Hopkins in the Into the Woods Revival?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 12:09pm

Wasn't she strongly rumored to play The Baker's Wife in the last revival of Into the Woods? I think she would have been perfection in the role. I thought the casting/treatment of The Baker's Wife in the revival was one of its big downfalls. I think Hopkins is one of the few people who could have found the humor and the drama in the role.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 12:15pm

I do agree that shewouldbe amazing in the role. The problem is that she also reminds me of a young Joanna, and I think the prodcuers were trying to distance themselves from casting the same types in the revival.

Akiva

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 12:17pm

Minor threadjack: next time this show is revived (or for a benefit or whatever), in a few years, can anyone else see Sutton as the Wife?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 12:21pm

Sutton needs about 10-15 more years on her before she tackles the role. But I can see it, eventually.

True, Hopkins is a bit like Gleason. I think that revival's main problem was trying to do too many things opposite from the original.

I've seen the show dozens of times, and every Baker's Wife tends to play the role straight for the drama, and try to avoid Gleason's interpretation. For me, The Baker's Wife is the anchor of the show.

[timote316]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 3:39pm

We probably won't see another Into the Woods revival for another 10-15 years, so Sutton could be in luck!
Updated On: 1/13/06 at 03:39 PM

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 3:43pm

Kaitlin strongly reminds me of a young Joanna Gleason, and I think she would be perfect in the role of The Baker's Wife. I'm sure she'd have been a damn sight better than the truly awful Kerry O'Malley.

Kaitlin was also the original Mrs. Harford in the current revival of A TOUCH OF THE POET. She dropped out to do TRAILER PARK.

[lildogs]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 3:47pm

I think Kaitlin should be working ALL the time--she's super fancy!

[zoran912]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 4:23pm

mef, what did you not like about Kerry O'Malley? She was one of my favorite things about the production, along with Laura Benanti.
Updated On: 1/13/06 at 04:23 PM

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 4:26pm

Ugh, I thought she was dull as dirt. She just kinda stood there. I will agree that Laura Benanti was fab, though.

[zoran912]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 4:34pm

I'm a huge fan of Kerry O'Malley's voice. She navigates that mix-ey register well.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 4:37pm

I find O'Malley to be one of the dullest performers around.

[Ebonic_Singer]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 4:39pm

I think her voice is absolutely fantastic. I would also, however, LOVE LOVE LOVE to see Hopkins in the role. She is a favorite of mine and I was planning on seeing Trailer Park the week after closed, just for her.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 5:01pm

Kerry O'Malley wasn't very good in the revival, but it wasn't her fault, really. She sang and acted well enough, but she was simply miscast. The Baker's Wife isn't supposed to be a pretty ingenue like as she is, and it just didn't work for me. I'd gladly see her in something else though.

[Doogie]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 6:55pm

Kaitlin Hopkins wasn't in the revival because she wasn't cast.

It has, however, been openly stated that it was between her and O'Malley.


I seem to recall Ken Mandelbaum mentioning in his column that Lauren Ward was also up for Cinderella.

[BroadwayDoc]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 7:13pm

Kaitlin is not always easy to work with, which has made her lose some roles.

Updated On: 1/13/06 at 07:13 PM

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 7:21pm

Eh, I've seen Kerry in a few things, and I've always found her to be completely UNspecial in ever way. She's nothing more than "accurate" in any role I've ever seen her in. She's technically doing all the right things, but it's completely uninteresting. I have no idea why she gets the amount of work she does.
Updated On: 1/13/06 at 07:21 PM

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 10:41pm

I would rather see Sutton Foster as the Witch than the Baker's Wife. It seems to me that the Baker's Wife would be the obvious role to cast her as, and she would be great, but it's the "safe choice." Plus, she could sing the everlovin' hell out of the Witch. Can you imagine her "Last Midnight"??

[BWAYboi_yes]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 2:06am

I'd like to see Maria Friedman play the Baker's Wife in a London revival. She'd do quite well.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 9:45am

Mother'sYoungerBrother, what exactly have you seen Kerry in that she was pretty "unspecial"? Kerry gets cast in fiery roles because that's what she has a natural affinity towards.

They were aiming to cast The Baker/His Wife as a younger couple. I don't think Stephen DeRosa and Kaitlin Hopkins would have exuded that youth. Plus, from Seth's Chatterbox, Stephen said he and Kerry had this chemistry during callbacks. It wasn't just Kaitlin Hopkins who was up for that role. There was also Carolee Carmello... Jessica Molasky... and a few other leading ladies.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 10:27am

I find it hard to believe that Kaitlin turned down an opportunity to be in the Broadway revival of a Eugene O'Neill play, the first show directed by Tony winner Doug Hughes since he won for DOUBT, to take a job in an Off-Broadway show. That doesn't seem plausible. I loved TRAILER PARK to death and I thought Kaitlin was lovely as always, but I also saw POET and that's some hardcore stuff to pass up on, not to mention the loss of the salary and acclaim she could have gotten from a Broadway vs. Off-Broadway show.

Updated On: 1/14/06 at 10:27 AM

[ruprecht]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 10:39am

Not only am I going to agree with you Foster but it seems to be this very strange and ugly trend amongst theater actors. Many of them, instead of simply owning up to the fact that they didn't get hired for a particular part, will say they turned it down. And while the kids on this board will never know whether that's fact or not, people in the industry, particularly the people casting or producing said projects know it's a lie, so it just makes the actor saying it seem completely ridiculous. And it discredits them.

I know nothing about this situation but it would seem stupefying that she, or any actress, would *turn down* something like that for Trailer Park and we all know how much I loved that show.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 11:17am

Both Carmello and Molaskey would have been amazing in the role.

[Cages or Wings]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 11:22am

As long as were talking about that revival's casting, I just bought Billy Porter's "On the Corner of Broadway+Soul" and the man should have played the witch. From what I've heard Sondheim wanted him, but the producers wanted a bigger name and a woman (hence vanessa Williams). When I first heard this I thought it was crazy to have a guy play the witch, but upon hearing his "last midnight", it has become apparent that Billy Prter needs a chance to play this role. As well as effie in Dreamgirls for that matter (just kidding, but his "And I'm talling you" is pretty amazing as well).
Updated On: 1/14/06 at 11:22 AM

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 11:29am

His "Last Midnight" is amazing, and miles better than Williams' dull version.

Plus, the lyric changes for that song really did a disservice to the material.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 1:24pm

I love Kerry O'Malley to death, but yeah. Carolee Carmello and Jessica Molaskey would have been the sex in the role.