Why didn't Betty Buckley do Into the Woods on Bway?- Page 3

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/11/12 at 5:37pm

Amy Adams reminds me of "Sybil"'s mother in that horrifying TV movie with Sally Field.

[splendero032]

Posted: 3/6/19 at 2:16pm

The story I heard from an original cast member's very own mouth was that she was going to come in to be a replacement. The story goes that one day during a rehearsal break she asked Joanna Gleason if she'd ever done musical theater because her performance would indicate she hadn't. She also told the show's costume designer Ann Hould-Ward that she didn't see the Witch as ugly in the first act. She was going to play her as beautiful and then she'd just become more beautiful which pissed off Ann Hould-Ward and went against the whole point of the show. I'm sure there were other incidences, but she was eventually dismissed without making it a  first performance. I assume this was all pre-Tonys. If so, that means they then brought in Felicia Rashad to take her place. BTW, there is a pirate recording of her performance in Song and Dance. It's pretty SPECTACULAR. She is VERY different than Bernadette Peters but that's probably what they wanted, and I'm sure at the time she took over the role they were already planning when the show was going to close. As far as I know there is no video. I would love to have seen that performance. Apparently, she went through a bad patch in the mid to late eighties and had a reputation then, as now but maybe less so, of being very difficult to work with. I think that is for a lot of reasons BUT I think it's worth dealing with because she's amazing on stage. As far as I'm concerned, there is no one out there who can do what she does. She's also an amazing teacher of song interpretation. 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 3/6/19 at 3:18pm

“I think it's worth dealing with because she's amazing on stage.”

I hate this excuse, personally. There are a lot of extremely talented people who aren’t pains in the ass to work with, so why put up with diva behavior/behavior that is unacceptable in every day life & other work places?

Back to the topic at hand - I’m glad we didn’t get Betty Buckley as The Witch as I don’t think she would have done the role justice and we got some others pretty great Witches anyways.

[binau]

Posted: 8/16/20 at 9:15am

In the recent Carrie reunion Buckley said that her performance in the into the woods workshop informed her performance for Carrie, and that she is kicking herself that she didn’t go forward with it*. While I am forever grateful that Bernadette* did it in the end, I definitely think Buckley would have had an amazing, amazing “Last Midnight” and “Stay with me” back then.

* interesting how Buckley makes it seem like she decided not to rather than was fired. I assume based on accounts here it was probably mutual though - Buckley wanted it to go in a certain direction and the creative team disagreed. So they parted ways. Cf. Bernadette who according to Arthur Laurents’ book does not act like a diva and will do what she is told to (to her own detriment in Gypsy according to Laurents).

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/16/20 at 9:36am

Also, based on Linzi's comments regarding rehearsals of CARRIE, Buckley had full reign with her involvement with rehearsals for CARRIE.  Buckley even stated that she "requested" separate rehearsal space for her and Linzi, etc.  These little notes imply Buckley had her own creative process which obviously the creatives of INTO THE WOODS didn't agree with so everything Buckley had been creating for her Witch she simply transferred over into her Margaret White in CARRIE.  

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/16/20 at 4:59pm

I loved Betty's Rose.  

then again i loved Imelda's Rose.  Blasphemy on this site.

[bryan2]

Posted: 8/16/20 at 5:09pm

wow ..i love all these people who have no idea saying the reason why....She has said her agent could  not work out the contract for the run of the show...that simple...would she have been good ..of course...she is a pretty woman who certainly could pull off the transformation...I know many people who find Bernadette funny looking and she was damn gorgeous as the witch i think!!..Betty is intense but she was brilliant as Norma..i never laughed as hard when she said NOW GO....also in Triumph of Love she was very funny..LOVE BETTY 

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/16/20 at 5:22pm

The "recent cast reunion" was on Stars in the House last night. It is up on You Tube to watch. She discusses it.

[A Director]

Posted: 8/16/20 at 5:37pm

qolbinau said:  Cf. Bernadette who according to Arthur Laurents’ book does not act like a diva and will do what she is told to (to her own detriment in Gypsy according to Laurents)."

Take what Laurents says in his terrible book with a salt lick.

 

[kofler22]

Posted: 8/17/20 at 11:25pm

best12bars said: "Buckley was a mess in the mid-'80s at the height of her career in theatre and in her professional problems. She survived both, but opportunities were lost and squandered. Ultimately, she got her act together and her enormous talent endured. In the end, that's what counts."

What do you mean by “a mess”?? Everybody even Patti Lupone and that s a lot haha, praises Buckley...

[joevitus]

Posted: 8/18/20 at 9:19pm

Google "Broadway World Betty Buckley" and you'll have your answer. I

[cliffordbradshaw2]

Posted: 10/6/20 at 1:36pm

A bit of evidence that Betty Buckley did in fact do one of the workshops of "Into the Woods." 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVWf9iGdvqU