"Grey Gardens" Off-Broadway vs. Broadway

[Phantom487]

Posted: 5/8/12 at 10:54am

How much did "Grey Gardens" change when it transferred to Broadway? I know there were some songs in the Off-Broadway version that didn't make the cut, right? Anything else? Any book changes?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/8/12 at 11:02am

Sara Gettelfinger was replaced by Erin Davie in the role of young Little Edie for the Broadway incarnation/transfer.

[Phantom487]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 7:55am

I just downloaded the Original Off-Broadway cast recording on iTunes after having the Original Broadway Cast recording for a long time... did they use the same tracks from the Off-B'way recording on the Broadway one, when there were no cast changes? Some of the sound exactly the same - Five Fifteen, Hominy Grits, Revolutionary Costume, Jerry Likes My Corn, Around The World...

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 7:59am

As far as the CD, yes, they didn't re-record anything but the new or altered tracks.

As far as the play, there were songs that changed, dialogue changes here and there, and the ending was different. Even after seeing the show on Broadway, I prefer the structure and choices made for the ending of the Off-Broadway show.

I also prefer Gettelfinger's performance over Erin Davie's. Davie was better suited physically for the part, but Gettelfinger played it and sang it better, IMO.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 8:39am

Songs and dialogue were changed. I know "Body Beautiful Beale" didn't make the cut for the Broadway version. I can't remember what else changed.

Good thing we have Wikipedia now. These were the cut/replaced songs: "Toyland," "Body Beautiful Beale," "Being Bouvier," "Better Fall Out of Love," "Tomorrow's Woman," "Peas in a Pod (Reprise)"

[newintown]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 9:31am

I thought the Off-Broadway ending was terrific, but it seems the creative team found it too downbeat, and changed it to something more "dramatic" for the Broadway move.

At least as I recall it, the show Off-Broadway ended with Little Edie coming back in after "Another Winter in a Summer Town, rather dead and barely responding to Big Edie's almost desperate attempts to latch on to her again, ending on a quiet note where we saw the balance but sadness of both Edies.

I remember seeing 2 different endings on Broadway, and really disliking the one in previews, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. I recall that they eventually settled on a big crescendo in the music, the downstage wall/window flying in, and Little Edie running down to look imploringly at us through the window screen as the show ended. More overtly dramatic, but less effective to me.

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 9:34am

I agree.

The quiet and darker simplicity of the "Two Peas in a Pod" Reprise (Off-Broadway) worked much better as "the end" and felt truer to the characters and their situation.

Updated On: 5/22/12 at 09:34 AM

[wickedfan]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 12:30pm

That just goes to show different strokes for different folks. I loved Davie and the new ending compared to the Off-Broadway ending.

In addition to Gettlefinger, the actress who played Lee Bouvier was replaced, can't remember either girls' names, but they essentially went from someone who was Sarah Hyland's age to someone who was a lot younger.

The set was made a lot grander and allowed for much more fluid transitions. There were a couple of costume and wig changes, and as others have said some different dialogue and a few new lyrics to certain songs that stayed ("Five Fifteen" and "Choose to Be Happy" are the two largest that come to mind).

Davie was, for me, a lot more of a fragile Little Edie and you could see the shades of her future self starting to develop. She was sweet and "innocent" for most of Act 1, and then when her world was falling apart you saw her on the brink of collapse. Her "Daddy's Girl" was not belted like Gettlefinger's, but still beautifully sung without losing any of the emotional complexity of the piece. To me, it's closest number any young musical theatre actress can get to "Roses' Turn" without actually, you know, DOING "Rose's Turn."

The changed ending worked for me. Off-Broadway I didn't find the ending to be that dark. It was more bittersweet. By using "Two Peas in a Pod," you got to end the show with the love between the two Edie's, even though you knew that neither was truly happy and they had hit rock bottom. It was sad, but the love was there.

As I recall, on Broadway they cut almost all of the ending dialogue. So once Little Edie came back, she went to turn on the record player, let the music play for a good minute (Ebersole's face as the music came over her was unforgettable), and then asked her mother which soup she would rather have. There was no singing between them, no other dialogue. Musically, yes it was more grand (the giant crescendo at the end), but dramatically I found it sadder and, ultimately, more fulfilling.

But again, different strokes...

Updated On: 5/22/12 at 12:30 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 12:37pm

Off-Broadway I didn't find the ending to be that dark.

I should clarify ... it was dark-ER, but not terribly dark. It felt more like these two women were locked into each other's fate, like it or not. It was bittersweet, as you say.

The Broadway ending felt too melodramatic and more agreeable as to how things worked out for the two ladies. Something almost bordering warm-and-fuzzy and celebratory. It didn't work nearly as well, to me.

Updated On: 5/22/12 at 12:37 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 1:34pm

I also prefered the Off version.
And Gettlefinger was perfection in my book.
Bestie; I thought Sara looked much more like the vintage photos of LE.

Davie didn't have the slightly off look required.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 2:17pm

I also thought Gettlefinger was perfection. Physically, she was Edie. Edie was a glamour girl with those gorgeous gams-model quality with a lot of bravado for a young woman. Sensitive yes, but she was no shrinking violet when she was at the top of her game physically.

When I first saw Davie she looked tiny and non commanding-nothing at all like Little Edie. Davie was also in no way sexy. Young Little turned heads everywhere she went. Davie was a non-entity. She portrayed the fragile wounded parts but you never saw the bravado, the glamour and the dynamicism of Edie.

I think one of the reasons they nixed Body Beautiful Beale was it could never be sung by Davie with any credibility.

Also, I think Gettlefinger was axed because she didn't look like a young Ebersole, who the show was built around.

Therefore, they hired a young Irish looking girl who looked like Ebersole but embodied Edie in no way, shape or form.