I agree with justincharacter Ariane Rinehart would make a great Cinderella, and she has enough "name" factor, albiet for them to plaster "From NBC's The Sound of Music!" under her name. It could keep the show aloft for a little bit.
"Grease," the fourth revival of the season, is the worst show in the history of theater and represents an unparalleled assault on Western civilization and its values. - Michael Reidel
at least they're trying to keep the show going through the spring.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
Fran Drescher has made an entire career on her warmth and likability, so it should be an interesting change of pace to see her play a character who's so cold and antagonistic. I have a feeling she'll be a lot of fun.
In addition to the Off-Broadway work she's done in recent years, she was also Morgan Le Fay in the New York Philarhmonic concert of CAMELOT that aired on PBS back in 2008.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Drescher tried "cold and antagonistic" in Labute's SOME GIRL(S) and it really wasn't a success for her, so let's hope she does better here. Though the character of Madame has more opportunity to play humor, which could work in her favor.
Like others have said, I found Harris unmemorable in the role, and I'm usually a big fan.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
I'm really excited for this and I really hope to see Fran in the role. And this just popped into my head, what about Ariana Grande as Cinderella? She might be a bit young but I think she could pull it off. Also with her name the show would undoubtedly make it through spring. And maybe Zachary Levi as the prince as someone has already suggested? He did say he wants to continue being on Broadway. If they could get Fran, Ariana, and Zachary this would run awhile more but pulling off that combination of all 3 would not be the easiest thing in the world to do.
I was referring to my own particular opinion of Drescher's performance in that show, but looking back on some of the reviews I can find, they seem mixed-to-negative. To give one example, Brantley wrote: "You'll be happy to know that Ms. Drescher studiously avoids the strident nasality of her "Nanny" days, though her benumbed performance suggests that she has yet to find an effective substitute for creating character."
I like Drescher, but I thought she failed to convey the gravitas of an older, sexually confident woman who should be a strong foil for the younger, more defiant male character. Not that the role she played in the LaBute play and Madame in Cinderella are exactly alike, but somethingwicked's word choice made me think of how being cold and antagonistic would have helped that performance, but Drescher couldn't really get to those places.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
Gleek, with due respect, I would venture to say that a VERY small percentage of people who would consider buying tickets to see Cinderella would have a clue who Ariana Grande is.
CZJ at opening night party for A Little Night Music, Dec 13, 2009.
She had been on three Nick shows. The 8 - 15 year old population would know exactly who she is. Not to mention the parents who have to watch those Nick shows.
I saw Fran Drescher in an Off Bwy play with Eric Mc Cormack a few years ago. She showed no emotion on stage--possibly because she was afraid her tons of makeup would crack.
I wanted to go tonight but wasn't able to wait in the rush line this morning. However I have been keeping an eye on Twitter and this is what I've found so far:
Kristin D. ?@itskristind 3m Intermission at @CinderellaBway. @frandrescher is absolutely DELICIOUS.
Rosie ?@RosemarieGrassi 2m At Cinderella on Broadway watching Carly Rae Jepsen's first night doing a FABULOUS job as Ella.
Giuseppe Bausilio!!! ?@WestSideCori 3m Loving the show so far! @carlyraejepsen is such a beautiful Cinderella!