Why didn't they hire Bernadette in the first place?- Page 2

[AC126748]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 2:27pm

Because Catherine Zeta-Jones is the greatest stage actress since Helen Effin' Morgan. Don't you read these boards???

[bryan2]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 3:53pm

Love Bernie great broadway star...but she is not in the same league as CZJ as far as getting seats sold...curiosity alone , but CJZ has the goods. BP is a bit old ,60, on paper she does not seem like a good choice but look at her she looks 40...as far as star Angela is the queen of the American theater all her tony awards gives her that status

[LuminousBeing]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 6:25pm

And she had a supporting role in "Annie" (as Tim Curry's sister, no less!) with Carol Burnett.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 6:35pm

Come on, CZJ won a Tony award and was greatly praised - why SHOULD theyhave hired Bernadette in the first place?

[moljul]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 6:35pm

LOL Carol Burnett and Tim Curry played brother and sister in Annie. If Tim and Bernadette's characters were siblings, well, that would just be icky.

[lull89]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 6:36pm

Yes, but I doubt that many people came out of Annie saying "Wow! That one lady who sang harmonies and a few solo lines in 'Easy Street' was amazing! I will see her in any project!"

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 6:39pm

Jones is probably more marketable to tourists than Peters might be a reason.

[Holbee]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 7:33pm

Because, besides her unfortunately pefrormed "Send in the Clowns", CZJ was phenomenal in the role.
Updated On: 7/14/10 at 07:33 PM

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 7:46pm

This thread looks to be a lock that CZJ should of got the nod.

Does anyone know if ALNM has recouped yet?

[alterego]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 8:41pm

The casting of both Peters and Stritch is a joke, neither has the class required (particularly Stritch) to make their characters believable.

[AC126748]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 8:43pm

Having actually seen them in their roles, I can say you're dead freaking wrong.

[Q]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 8:57pm

"The casting of both Peters and Stritch is a joke, neither has the class required"

WTF?!?!?

I would accept this and pass over it from a troll, but you aren't new to this board! Really?!?

[onedaymore]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 9:32pm

In regards to byebyebaby's comment about the average person not know who Bernadette Peters is, I disagree. I knew who she was before I became a theatre goer. My parents know who she is and they don't pay attention to B'way.

If people don't know the name directly or her work directly, they know the beautiful woman with the curly red locks :)

[theeatah]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 9:44pm

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 9:58pm

I've known who Bernadette was all my life. Part of that was probably the Muppet Show though

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 10:16pm

Miss Piggy would make a great Desiree.

[garyl]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 10:45pm

INTO THE WOODS

[philly03]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 11:50pm

"In regards to byebyebaby's comment about the average person not know who Bernadette Peters is, I disagree. I knew who she was before I became a theatre goer. My parents know who she is and they don't pay attention to B'way.

If people don't know the name directly or her work directly, they know the beautiful woman with the curly red locks :)"

I agree... I think the majority of people know WHO Bernadette is, they just have no idea why she is famous. Doesn't she have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well? A lot of people usually remember her for her speaking voice as well... very distinct.

But Zeta-Jones was a bigger name, and as others said, they wanted to cast younger!

[philcrosby]

Posted: 7/15/10 at 2:46pm

Kids, if they had wanted to do it Nunn's preferred way, Hannah Waddingham would have repeated role. (Why do you think they did all that work to get her here earlier in Spamalot?)

But this is Broadway, babies. While art matters, it is a for-profit business. No one does it to lose money. The reason this show got on is because of Zeta-Jones as Desiree. Lansbury was probably a key to get CZJ to sign, but still it was CZJ's name that sold the tickets.

Look at La Cage for another example. Rave reviews in London for the show and especially for Douglas Hodge. What was got it on in NYC? Kelsey Grammer signing on to play Georges. THAT is the big name ... at least to producers and, my guess is, for and most audience members too.

Peters are Stritch are, in this case, a good replacement cast. They'll sell some tickets to the curious, and hopefully Stritch will learn her lines. But had they gotten them, a team like Gwyneth Paltrow and Blythe Danner would have gotten a lot more ink. (And would have been amazing, IMHO).