why reba macentire for south pacfic????

[musicaltheatreman]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 1:36pm

out of all the talent people on broadway why did they choose reba macentire??? i am sure she will be ok, but i would have perferred a broadway star like karen z. or rebecca luker who are more suited to play this part!!!! what do you guys think??? thanks :)

[nycdncr]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 1:38pm

i think she'll be amazing!!!!!!

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 1:39pm

Someone please tell me how either Rebecca Luker or Ziemba is more suited for the part???

Especially in a concert version?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 1:40pm

MacEntire has more charisma in her little toe than Ziemba and Luker have in the entire bodies, combined. I'm not alone in thinking that Reba's Annie was among the most impressive Broadway debuts and musical theatre performances, period, in the last decade. Broadway would be a better and more exciting place if Reba would return to it ASAP -- South Pacific is a nice start.

Updated On: 10/14/04 at 01:40 PM

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 1:40pm

Well, after she blew me away in the best F*cking performance of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN I've ever seen, I think that casting her here was a very good choice. And why not Reba? She's got an amazing voice and is a very good actress. I'm guessing they didn't just pick her name out of a hat so let's just wait until June and see how she does.

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 1:43pm

Her C*CKEYED OPTIMIST is going to be sublime.

As will the rest of her performance. I'm THRILLED.

And I didn't even see her in AGYG.

[capnkidd]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 1:50pm

She singlehandedly turned AGYG from a show w/little prospects after its star left into a hit.Bottomline...Reba=$...

[moljul]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 1:54pm

Reba bored me to death in AGYG. Sure she could sing it but I found little acting ability there. However I do think she is really cute in her WB show and try to watch it when I can.

[SonofCorine2]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 1:54pm

Cue Voiceanth's entrance music....

[timote316]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 2:36pm

I think she'll be great. I love Reba's voice, so her singing anything is great IMO

[RadioTV2]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 3:00pm

Reba will be amazing because she is REBA! She was mindblowing in AGYG.

[RadioTV2]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 3:00pm

Reba will be amazing because she is REBA! She was mindblowing in AGYG.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 3:17pm

I think she'll be incredible in the role. I wish I could see it, I thought she was fabulous in AGYG.

Maybe this will inspire a new production of South Pacific for Broadway.

[Jon]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 3:29pm

Ziemba already did SOUTH PACIFIC in concert at Lincoln Center in 2000, with George Hearn as Emile, Brent Barrett as Cable and Bill Murray (yes, that Bill Murray)as Billis.

[rlbgbc]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 3:30pm

I think she'll be great as "Nellie", too. By her own admission, she has to tone down the "country-isms" in her voice to do theatre. When she does that, she's gonna be great in the role. I also think she'd make a great "Molly" in THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN. Can you imagine her "Belly Up To The Bar, Boys", and "I Ain't Down Yet"? It's made for her.

Only thing that troubles me is this: I hate to pigeon-hole Reba into hoydenish roles. But let's face it -- she wouldn't make a credible "Eliza", "Guenevere", or "Fiona"....

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 3:44pm

There was talk of her doing Molly after she finished Annie, and I believe producers even approached her about it and offered it to her, but I think she turned it down, finding it too similar to what she was doing in Annie and she didn't want to repeat herself. At least that's my memory of what happened.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 3:48pm

I just hope they use the revised version of the show that was done for the Royal National Theatre and at local community theatre here in San Diego which had the revisions that the RNT Director Trevor Nunn, Matthew Bourne and their team had given the work - the 'in/out' number "My Girl Back Home" was most definitely in, and for the very first time a lost vocal version (duet for Emile and Lt. Cable) of the "Operation Alligator" music was also included, entitled "Now Is The Time".

The lyrics for Emile's part in "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught" had been completely revised, and the "Act II Opening" featured a wonderfully fresh 'doo-wop' arrangement of "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair".

Then there's the complete reworking of the opening of the first half: a totally different "Overture" that marches straight into the opening number "Bloody Mary" with tremendous effect. "There Is Nothin' Like A Dame" immediately follows, then "Bali Ha'i", and only then is it on to the original opening sequence which introduces the growing close relationship between Nellie and Emile, featuring "A Cockeyed Optimist" and "Some Enchanted Evening". It's much a stronger opening. Updated On: 10/14/04 at 03:48 PM

[tpdc]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 3:53pm

I love Reba and think she'll bring some excitement to a piece that, great songs aside, can seem dull and dated today. I thought AGYG was hit before Reba joined it.

Posted: 10/14/04 at 4:03pm

All I know is if I lived in NYC, I'd be there for the show.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 4:33pm

I really loved Reba in AGYG and so did my entire family (and that's including my grandfather who hates musicals but insisted that Reba was looking at him the entire show)

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 4:42pm

I've already stated my opinion on Reba playing Nellie Forbush on Matt G.'s thread re: this production.

But I will add that I think it is a LONG stretch from Annie Oakley to Nellie Forbush. Annie is a cartoon character. Nellie is a genuine person with very hard issues to confront.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 4:51pm

And the big question is...

Are they going to cut the "Happy Talk" song and say that it is not politically correct to sing?

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 4:52pm

Of course, but ANNIE GET YOUR GUN is a FICTIONALIZED version of her life.

The show followed a VERY basic premise which has been used OVER AND OVER again in musicals:

1) Annie Meets Frank

2) Annie Loses Frank

3) Annie Gets Frank Back


Annie does not have to confront issues regarding prejudice, and it is easy to have romance with Frank (he doesn't have an deceased native wife and native children.) There is some slight "competition" between the two, but that happens in just about ANY relationship.

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN was a big hit. SOUTH PACIFIC was a larger hit that won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

[rlbgbc]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 5:03pm

The argument that Annie Oakley was a real person doesn't hold much water in the musical theatre world. That's like saying THE SOUND OF MUSIC is an accurate representation of Maria von Trapp. In fact, probably the only resemblance to the real Maria is that she had to deal with a bunch of kids, she played the guitar, and she ended up banging her employer.

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/14/04 at 5:12pm

Ribgbc,

The real Maria von TRAPP was VERY confused by the film version of THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

When she saw it, she said "Why is everybody trying to go to Switzerland? WE escaped into Italy! :)