It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015- Page 3
It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
#50It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/13/14 at 9:41pmI thought Ellis did a remarkable job with the Drood revival...
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
#51It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/13/14 at 10:09pmHe did a competent job. The strength of the material and performances bolstered it.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
#52It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/13/14 at 11:44pmI think Georgia Engel would be terrific as Primrose.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
#53It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/14/14 at 12:29am
Andrea Martin did indeed play Primrose in the reading Chenoweth did opposite Hugh Jackman several years ago.
Should she not continue on to the full production, Judy Kaye seems the next most logical choice, given her history with the show.
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.
Updated On: 5/18/14 at 12:29 AM
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
#54It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/14/14 at 2:10am
Something in a Tree 2 I agree totally. The role requires an imperious, distant quality whereas KC tends to strive for endearing familiarity with the audience.
I'd prefer to see Audra have a crack at it.
#55It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/14/14 at 8:56amI know it is highly unlikely but I would love to see Robin Wagner update/redo his spectacular sets!
"Your eyes..... they shine like the pants on my blue serge suit"
candydog2
Featured Actor Joined: 8/11/07
#56It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/14/14 at 9:38amHow long was Madeline Kahn with the original production? Didn't she leave due to vocal damage? I believe she continued to sing after though didn't she?
#57It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/14/14 at 10:06am
"I know it is highly unlikely but I would love to see Robin Wagner update/redo his spectacular sets!"
I second that emotion! Even during stretches when the show lagged in energy, those well-oiled sets kept the momentum hurtling forward. Perhaps the best sets Robin ever created.
#58It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/14/14 at 10:09am
Kahn left after about 2 and a half months because she and Hal Prince hated each other - he kept trying to teach her how to be funny (this story from a cast member).
Updated On: 5/14/14 at 10:09 AM
#59It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/14/14 at 10:18am
"The role requires an imperious, distant quality whereas KC tends to strive for endearing familiarity with the audience."
Lily's not really imperious. It's an attitude she puts on to rub her success in Oscar's face. She starts off as Mildred Plotka a shy accompanist. Her scenes with Bruce Granite are goofy, and the whole Babette sequence is almost slapstick.
The key is that Lily's hauteur is as much of an invention as Oscar's fake plays. I think that Chenoweth has all of the musical comedy chops to pull this off beautifully.
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
#60It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/14/14 at 10:28amI would rather see Rachel York as Lily.
#61It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/14/14 at 10:28am
I think that being rather wizened/emaciated and 46 (Kahn was 36 when she originated the role), the sexiness of Lily might prove problematic for Chenoweth; her tendency to rather hysterically push the cute comedy also could be a hindrance.
But we'll see, won't we? Unless it collapses before opening (like a few other announced Roundabout shows).
#62It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/14/14 at 10:52am
I don't get the wizened/emaciated thing. This is a recent picture. I think she looks great.
Updated On: 5/14/14 at 10:52 AM
#63It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/14/14 at 11:00am
This one is also recent.
Updated On: 5/14/14 at 11:00 AM
#64It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/17/14 at 1:11pm
Although I am looking forward to Kristin, I wondering how Marin would be based on this clip. She does a nice job with this song.
Marin's NEVER
#65It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/17/14 at 1:41pmIs it weird that I was listening to Grey Gardens yesterday and thought of Ebersole as Mrs. Primrose? Is that totally far-fetched? I only have the cast recording for OTTC and I've had a webpage bookmarked for a year of the book and lyrics. Can someone give me a better picture of how Coca played Mrs. Primrose character-wise? I don't know much about Ebersole either, I'm literally just trying to grasp at who would make an awesome Primrose. Sorry for my ignorance, I have never nor never have wanted to be in theatre, I'm just obsessed and in absolute love with watching it!
beaemma
Featured Actor Joined: 11/24/09
#66It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/17/14 at 3:01pmCoca was impish in the role--a sweet, harmless, slightly eccentric older lady until she's revealed to be totally loony tunes. Then she wasn't dangerously crazy, but funny crazy--over the edge in a hilarious way and still impish. At least that's how she struck me the three times I saw her play the role. She didn't have a big, gorgeous voice; but she absolutely could hit the notes and get full comedy value from "Repent." It would be fun to hear somebody do a big operatic finish for that song, but it's certainly not required.
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
#69It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/17/14 at 3:37pmThank you SO much beaemma!!
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
#70It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/17/14 at 3:40pm
An astonishing voice! Why couldn't I have gone to a high school that did shows like this?
Olivia Hernandez as Lily Garland
Updated On: 5/17/14 at 03:40 PM
#71It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/19/14 at 5:26pm
It must be 34 years since I was thrilled by the London production of On the Twentieth Century and I never thought I would hear Julia sing Never again.
Thank you for sharing Morosco. Do you have any more of her in c20th? Or Keith Michell?
brdway411
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/24/14
#72It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/19/14 at 6:32pm
Anyone want my ticket. KC annoys me. Cannot sit through this show with her in it. PM if you are interested. Great seat. IT is my subscription ticket so will have to go with my husband.
Updated On: 5/20/14 at 06:32 PM
#73It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/19/14 at 10:31pm
"Kahn left after about 2 and a half months because she and Hal Prince hated each other - he kept trying to teach her how to be funny (this story from a cast member)."
That may be "labor's" side of the debate, but I can promise you management had a very different view. A few years later, when my husband worked for Prince, they were still talking about how Kahn was brilliant one or two performances per week and simply blah the rest of the time. (The same was said of Marlon Brando in STREETCAR, BTW.)
I happened to see one of the performances Kahn simply walked through, so I know whereof they speak. Kahn sang on pitch, but that's about the best thing I can say about the performance I saw (and I thought she was the funniest woman on the planet). She so underplayed Garland that the whole conceit of Lily and Oscar as "operatic" characters was lost. Sadly, she got few laughs.
In private, the Prince office told a story of opening night, when all agree Kahn was brilliant. Associate Producer Ruth Mitchell went backstage to compliment the star, who snapped, "Well, I hope you don't expect me to do that 8 shows a week!"
Speculating now, I suspect what Prince was trying to do was teach Kahn some basic comic technique to tide her over when she wasn't "feeling" the part. What made Kahn brilliant and so refreshing was that her comedy was organic and a complete departure from the rhythms and schtick of vaudeville comics. And that's perfect for film because a movie director could keep rolling until Kahn found her moment of genius (and we'll agree there were so many!).
But for a producer-director trying to sell 10,000 seats per week, it's a problem when your leading lady only "shows up" now and then. Fortunately, I think we hear the "brilliant" Kahn on the recording and can imagine how great she could be.
(BTW, I saw Judy Kaye many, many times after Kahn left. Kaye was joyful, even triumphant, in the roll. She may not have had Kahn's unique comic genius, but she never disappointed. I've been a fan ever since.)
beaemma
Featured Actor Joined: 11/24/09
#74It's Official! Kristin Chenoweth to Return to Broadway with Peter Gallagher in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY in Spring 2015
Posted: 5/20/14 at 12:43amI had the exact same experiences with Kahn and Kaye as Gaveston. It is so disappointing to be excited to see someone you admire only to find the person is sleepwalking through the show. The same thing happened when I saw Streisand in FUNNY GIRL. Some very gifted people seem to lack the discipline or dedication to give their best at all performances, or maybe it's a matter of technique and stamina. Anyway, Judy Kaye absolutely nailed it the two times I saw her. I'm sure Madeline Kahn was sheer brilliance--if you caught her on the right night.
