Her Instagram post is indeed interesting. So is the 'hard pass' comment now referring to Benanti saying 'hard pass' to being asked to audition...? Confusing... Does this mean that Benanti was pretty much guaranteed the role over Ambrose to begin with?
The second act MFL confrontation scenes are very similar to the Louise/Rose confrontation scenes in the second act of Gypsy, and so I'm sure Benanti will be firing on all cylinders for those lengthy book scenes. I'm also looking forward to hearing the score sung by a Broadway musical theater veteran.
Does this mean that Carousel is now the frontrunner to win Revival and Leading Actor? I feel it over performed today.
Official 2018 TONY Nominations Thread May 1
2018, 12:33:03 PM
I can see Fleming winning featured actress this year just even for her thrilling performance of You'll Never Walk Alone, and following the Tony wins of other previous R&H matriarchs Patricia Neway as the Mother Abbess (1960) and Ruthie Ann Miles as Lady Thiang (2015). The category is one of the least predictable... I could see Fleming taking this one.
Is it safe to assume this production won't receive a 2018 cast recording? Shame, especially since this production features first rate singers across the board
The way Michael Hayden puts Sally Murphy onto the carousel horse in that production during the overture Is everything, much like the King/Anna tension before Shall We Dance? Sizzling!
Also, didn't realize Phoebe's psychiatrist boyfriend Roger (Friends) played Jigger in that production (Fisher Stevens?)
Can someone talk about what the set design concept is for this production? Do they use drops/cloths a la Bartlett Sher revivals, is it minimalist? Are there a lot of set pieces? Is it elaborate? Thanks! :)
SweetLips said: "What's with all these 'elderly' dames playing and being suggested to play Dolly.
Dolly has no children to remind us she is a certain age, just a widow.
Lowering the age considerably for Dolly AND Horace would bring in a new dynamic and open up the roles to a whole new[existing] range of comedic and singing talents.
It's like the last harrah[?] of roles; play Dolly and die happy---[or exhausted]."
I agree re Ivey, I thought she did a perfectly fine job with the vocals in the 2001 revival, much better than Staunton. Don't know why she (Ivey) gets such a bad rap as Sally - she did everything in the original keys, and she has quite a lovely voice. Surprisingly lovely for such a 'straight' actress - I've seen bootlegs of the show and I really love her performance in the role.
Caldwell looked and sounded nothing like Callas but she was so charismatic and captured the essence of Callas so much so that she won the Tony that year. The only person I think to truly 'sound' like the woman was Tyne Daly. LuPone got terrible reviews across the board I believe. It's a fine play, but I don't see how it could ever work on screen - it's such a theatrical event. I think a pure Callas biopic would fare better.
She talked about how rehearsals were going in a short interview she did with Kelly and the man whose name I forget... you can find it online on YouTube.
Is that so? First time I've ever heard Patti's acting referred to as 'naturalistic.' Listening and watching clips of her - especially her final few weeks - and everything I've read about her performance led me to believe that she played the role ferociously with a similar larger than life energy.
I think one of the saddest things about the first Bway production of Evita is that LuPone was not being supported with her vocal issues. On one level, I'm siding with her because the creative staff should've been more helpful on that front; however why the hell didn't Patti go and get herself a voice teacher and vocal coach/accompanist at the start of rehearsals to help her fully realize the vocal heft of the role and get a solid technique that would have saved her a sh!tload of a
