Whoopi Goldberg as Pseudolous

[rorschach37]

Posted: 7/20/13 at 10:48am

Did anyone see her? How was she? I'm really curious as to how they handled some of the jokes in the show (particularly regarding The House of Marcus Lycus).
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/32679-Whoopi-Goldberg-Will-Play-Pseudolus-as-a-Woman

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/20/13 at 11:11am

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 7/20/13 at 11:29am

You can read some mini reviews from audience members here. It seems a lot loved her but a couple didn't like her.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/34040-Playbill-Critics-Circle-Review-Whoopi-in-Forum

Updated On: 7/20/13 at 11:29 AM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 7/20/13 at 11:43am

Some very nice reviews!

"From Milton Demel:
I saw the Sunday Matinee performance on Sunday March 9th. I had already seen this show twice with Nathan Lane and was curious as hell as to how this "Star" was going to pull this out. She was excellent! I laughed non- stop for two hours. Not only is her performance fresh and energetic but the rest of the cast has come to life. Whoopi is so laid back; that the antics of the other characters really complement her performance and vice versa! (3/12/97)"

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/20/13 at 2:08pm

I actually saw her in this. I don't remember a lot of details, but remember being thoroughly entertained.

The most clear memory, however, was meeting her afterwards. I had about 100 HS kids with me and we had arranged for a discussion group with cast/crew afterwards. With those, you neve know who will come speak to you, often a stage manager, a few supporting characters, etc. Imagine our suprise when Whoopi joined in the discussion and gave my students some really frank and valuable information about performing. She was something.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/20/13 at 2:57pm

Saw Forum with both Nathan Lane and Whoopi Goldberg. I preferred Whoopi in the role. She was extremely funny and Jerry Zaks made a cameo appearance at the performance I was at (I think it was Whoopi's last).

[Overkill]

Posted: 7/20/13 at 3:23pm

I used to have a pro-shot bootleg of her in the show that was shot for press reels. I wish I could find it! Nathan Lane said himself that if there had been a replacement Tony, or if she had opened the show, she definitely would have won for her performance.

She was wonderful, and very much Whoopi as Whoopi. The thing about Pseudolus is, the STAR of the show is pretty much just playing a version of themselves, but within a Greek musical comedy. Zero, Phil Silvers, Nathan Lane, Mickey Rooney, Rip Taylor (who even added his confetti schtick when he did the tour) all played themselves. She didn't change anything from her usual persona.

They handled the Marcus Lycus scene by having her enthralled with how good the girls were, saying things like "Oh, you girl! You just go, girl, gooo!!!" - And one particular funny joke, when the amazon-like black lady finishes her dance, and Hero declines, Whoopi says "Are you crazy?!?... Boy, this is my COUSIN!"

And little changes, like in "Free" - the lyric is

"But when you come to think of such things - a MAN should have the rights that all others..."

changed to

"But when you come to think of such things - why shouldn't I have rights like all others?"

Also, "I soon will have the right to buy a slave for me. Can you see HER? Well, I'll free HER!"

And the usual lyric, "I'll be Pseudolus the MAN, if I could only be..." was changed to "I'll be Pseudolus: WHATEVER, if I could only be..."

Just for those who might be curious. :)

I thought it was inspired casting, especially coming off the heels of Nathan. David Alan Grier replaced Whoopi, then the show closed. I've heard rumors that Carol Burnett was apparently interested in stepping in after David, but the show closed before she was available. THAT would have been amazing.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/20/13 at 5:12pm

"I used to have a pro-shot bootleg of her in the show that was shot for press reels."

That's not a bootleg. It's professionally shot unedited B-Roll.

[NoName3]

Posted: 7/20/13 at 10:47pm

Probably the most pedantic post I will ever make here, but in Latin the ending "us" connotes male while "a" connotes female. She should have played the part en travesti to be Pseudolus, otherwise the character should have been renamed Pseudola. Regardless, I've always regretted missing this revival with either Lane or Goldberg. I love the show and am sure they were each wonderful and at the end of a tradition that understands how this show should be played.

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 7/20/13 at 11:38pm

I saw this production MANY times. Multiple times with Lane (including once early on before they cut "Pretty Little Picture"), three times with Whoopi and once with Grier. With Lane it was ALWAYS comic gold, especially later in his run when he would ad-lib here and there and give either FORUM blankets or cups of coffee to people in the front row he noticed dozing off. The first time I saw it with Whoopi, it was at the last performance of her first week in the role. She was obviously tired and messed up during the opening number. She sang, "Nothing with Gods, something with fate... I missed the lyric, you'll have to wait!" She then turned to the musical director and said, "What the hell is it?" HYSTERICAL. The next time was a week later. Both of these times, while I didn't feel the show was bad, per se, it was not good. It was still running on Lane's energies and tempos which was jarringly out of place with the new, quite different lead. I went in nervous that the show wouldn't work with a female in the role, but was happily wrong. The jokes still worked and the (very) slight re-writes (notated above) didn't bother me at all.
When I saw Whoopi again towards the end of her run, the rest of the show and cast had adjusted to run on Whoopi's energies and pace and it was once again a cohesive, comedic explosion. Brilliant! Unfortunately they then brought in Grier who was terrible. He wasn't a big enough name to bring in the crowds (even in the busier summer months) and his brand of comedy was completely out of place and not near of the right style for the piece. It was jarring, forced, and just utterly not funny. And as mentioned above caused an early (mid-summer) closing before the producers were able to bring in Carol Burnett. I would give my left arm to see what she would have brought to the role!!!

Another "ad-lib" added for Whoopi - during "Comedy Tonight" they added a bit (for this production) where the Proteans performed a magic trick and made a gorgeous girl appear in a box. When Pseudolus then did it, the older gentleman who later in the show played Erronious appeared in drag. Lane would alternate between talking about the ugly lady in the box or go off about a man in drag in the box and how he's been there, done that. (Remember this was just after "The Birdcage." In fact they postponed this revival for a year so Lane could make "The Birdcage.") When Whoopi did it she a said something about not wanting some old man in a box, she already had one at home. (She was dating Frank Langella at the time.)

Ahhh, I have such fond memories of this revival. Would love to be able to see it again... Ah, well such is the fleetingness of live theater. *sigh*