Sandra Bernhard almost played HEDWIG...

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/25/14 at 11:54am

On being a possible replacement for John Cameron Mitchell in 1998...

"...Years later, she had another brush with filling the heels of another musical diva. "They wanted me to do Hedwig after John Cameron Mitchell left, but I thought, 'What's the point of me doing this, you know?'..."
Playbill Article

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 12/25/14 at 1:14pm

So we got Ally Sheedy's "performance" because Sandra didn't see the point of playing this role? God DAMMIT.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/26/14 at 11:48am

Sandra's words have to be taken with a huge grain of salt. She's said several times that there were roles "they" wanted her to play, including Cynthia Nixon's role on Sex & the City. She hasn't quite got the concept that just because she auditions for something doesn't mean they want her for the role.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 12/26/14 at 11:54am

^ Noted.

That said... I would argue, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this, that Hedwig is right up her alley, if you had to choose a female for the role.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/26/14 at 12:01pm

I don't know. I mean, I like her and all, but actually nothing about Hedwig strikes me as being perfect for Bernhard.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/26/14 at 12:29pm

Except that Sandra is not known for her ability to sing 8 shows per week. And yes, the original off-Broadway production was in a small theater, but she still needed to sing every performance.

I also think something is lost when a woman performs this. It's a man's role.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/26/14 at 12:32pm

As I recall from the time, Mitchell and Trask were very specific about structuring the Hedwig show after Bernhard's act, stories and songs alternating to a cathartic ending. She was remarkably prolific back then, working on so many version of "Without You, I'm Nothing" and then into "Giving til it Hurts," "Hero Worship," "Excuses for Bad Behavior" and on and on and on. Mitchell and Trask are right in the demographic for whom seeing Bernhard would have been a mind-blowing liberating experience.

I'm not surprised they might have considered her for the role, since she was inspirational to them. Mitchell also asked Martha Plimpton if she might be interested.