Bernadette Peters as Lovett - Will it EVER Happen?- Page 8
Bernadette Peters as Lovett - Will it EVER Happen?
#175Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 7/11/13 at 3:58am
qolbinau
I would think Bernadette is surely being considered. I read an interview - will try and find it again - where she was asked what role she wanted to play next and she coyly avoided the question - I assumed she had something in mind but wasn't saying - maybe just wishful thinking on my part.
If it happened would you come over to see her?
I am in the UK but would make the trip to see her in this.
#176Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 7/11/13 at 8:16am
The thought of Bryn Terfel as Sweeney does not interest me in the least. Years ago I saw him do it in the Chicago Operas production. His voice was fine, but in the speaking sections he used that hammy "operatic" speaking voice that made every word sound fake. Plus his character was two dimensional. I left the theatre longing to hear the OBC cast again.
While I used to be a fan, having really loved some of his work as Falstaff and Figaro, recently his acting has become hammy to the extreme. I found his Wotan during the recent Ring cycle completely unwatchable. I hear he is also a horror to work with onstage. He completely and purposefully upstages anyone who is onstage with him. Apparently Bryn Terfels biggest fan is Mr. Terfel.
#177Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 7/11/13 at 10:35am
"Apparently Bryn Terfels biggest fan is Mr. Terfel."
If that were true, he wouldn't get much work.
NYC4Life
Broadway Star Joined: 1/23/06
#178Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 7/11/13 at 10:41am
"This score isn't as difficult as it's made out to be IMO."
It depends on who is singing it. If it isn't difficult to you, that is very impressive.
"I hear he is also a horror to work with onstage. He completely and purposefully upstages anyone who is onstage with him."
You heard incorrect information. That's just not true.
AngusN
Broadway Star Joined: 3/23/05
#179Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 7/11/13 at 6:04pm
Reginald - why would that be the case? Mme LuPone still works, despite being her own biggest fan.
I'd really love to see Toni Colette perform the role. I'm still gutted she wasn't cast in the film, she would be perfect.
Wilmingtom
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/11
#181Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 7/11/13 at 6:35pm
VeraCharles3, the decision to to see my favourite Broadway performer/star in my favourite Broadway musical is a no brainer...I wouldn't miss it for the world.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Updated On: 7/12/13 at 06:35 PM
Wilmingtom
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/11
#182Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 7/11/13 at 6:39pmTerfel is about 20 years younger than Peters. Not a good match in any way, vocally or otherwise.
#183Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 7/11/13 at 6:55pm
Terfel looks older than Bernadette does:
And we're to believe that Lovett actually fell for this guy? lol.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Wilmingtom
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/11
#184Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 7/11/13 at 7:10pm
Here's what he looked like when they met those many years ago. Yeah, I think she might have gone for him or was she such a raving beauty herself that she could have had any man?
#185Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 7/19/13 at 7:23pm
Well it's certainly believable that Turpin wouldn't recognise him after all those years.
Tickets go on sale next month. Do they ever sell tickets for a show they haven't announced the principle cast for?
I'm reluctant to buy tickets for the show is Bernadette isn't announced considering I won't travel at that time to NYC unless she is (but I will just in case).
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
#186Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 8/17/13 at 5:24pmOk, the tickets go on sale tomorrow and there is still nothing. FFsake.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
#187Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 8/18/13 at 7:54pm
Tickets go on sale next month. Do they ever sell tickets for a show they haven't announced the principle cast for?
Though not an immediate sell-out, perhaps, I anticipate strong early sales. Terfel is a major opera star, and this may be his only New York appearance this season (don't believe he's doing anything at the Met or Carnegie this season). Added to that: Gilbert is conducting and he rarely (never?) conducts musical theater pieces performed by the NY Phil. Terfel is at the top of his game right now...his Sweeney will be epic and I'm positive Gilbert will lead an intense rendition of this score.
#188Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 8/18/13 at 8:37pm
Single tickets are on sale right now. I've already bought tickets for two shows. And yes, it does appear to be selling strongly so far. It seems ridiculous for me to spend $800 on tickets without them announcing Bernadette, lol.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Updated On: 8/18/13 at 08:37 PM
#189Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 8/18/13 at 8:43pm^ Whoa, what are you going to do if it's not Bernadette?
#190Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 8/18/13 at 8:50pm
Well, Sweeney Todd is my favourite show so I will probably go anyway - the first If/Then preview is also on the day before the first Sweeney Todd performance so it is a good time to travel.
Otherwise, I imagine I'll be able to sell the tickets based on the current level of ticket sales and how long we have left. I was able to sell my tickets to the NYPhil Company when I couldn't travel those dates at face value.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
#191Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 10/9/13 at 8:22pmWell, it looks like it is getting more difficult for Bernadette to play this role. It may not happen.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
#192Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 10/9/13 at 9:34pmThere's still time. There's always regional theatre. :-/
#193Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 10/10/13 at 12:21am
I'm so glad I got tickets for this before they announced Emma Thompson. She and Bryn are going to be THRILLING.
Here's Bryn Terfel doing the "Epiphany" and then "A Little Priest" with Maria Friedman as Mrs. Lovett.
http://youtu.be/ba6U4mZpG6Y
elmore3003
Leading Actor Joined: 3/31/04
#194Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 10/10/13 at 9:37amWhy would anyone want to see Ms Peters crash and burn as Mrs Lovett? She isn't that talented. I'm sick of seeing every stage performance of hers and wondering if the voice will hold out for Act Two. She would lose her voice early in SWEENEY TODD.
#195Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 8/2/14 at 4:42am
It's been so long now that a Sweeney Todd revival could actually happen in the next 1-2 years. I still think Bernadette would be a good choice. I think the FOLLIES DC grosses, many of the Broadway gross weeks for FOLLIES, and the fact that she is still performing concerts all over the USA and internationally indicate she is still a name. But unlike FOLLIES, Sweeney Todd is a relatively hot property anyway and can only become more well-known after the release of the Into the Woods film.
Regarding her voice, I just reject that she can't sing the role. It seems like much lesser singers than Bernadette are constantly performing the role on the stage now (e.g., Emma Thompson and Imelda Staunton) but somehow no one seems to care. And she has not missed a single performance of her last several hundred stage performances (i.e., Follies NYC, Follies DC, and A Little Night Music), so she seems to have quite a lot of stamina. Having seen her in concert a couple of months ago, she doesn't sound substantially different from 3 years ago. Bernadette, although aged, is still quite a powerful singer. She is not in the same category of people who can truly not sing very powerfully anymore because of the ageing process (e.g., Lansbury, Rivera, Stritch).
And she has so much she can bring to this role. Very few people can act a song like she can, specifically in terms of her vulnerability. And there is so much vulnerability in Sweeney Todd...."My Friends", "Poor Thing", "Not While I'm Around" - god, the final scene! She also can be incredibly funny (see: NIGHT MUSIC), which will make songs like "A Little Priest" and "No Place Like London" a blast.
Bernadette, please stop trying to sell your house for the 100000th time and play this role 
!
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Updated On: 8/2/14 at 04:42 AM
#196Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 8/2/14 at 10:26pm
She is not in the same category of people who can truly not sing very powerfully anymore because of the ageing process (e.g., Lansbury, Rivera, Stritch).
qolbinau, uh, you may want to sit down. Auntie Elaine's gone to lovely summer stock theatre upstate.
Also, as much as I love Bernadette, I don't think she's quite right for the role. As for the vocals, saw her in concert late last year and her voice was shaky and ragged on most of her big numbers. Then, saw video of her in the Sondheim/Marsalis A Bed & a Chair a few months later and she sounded spectacular. I don't think it's so much the quality of her singing that scares people these days, it's the lack of consistency from performance-to-performance.
Showface
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/14
#197Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 8/2/14 at 10:44pm
How about this?
Someone should put together a Sondheim, one night only, staged, concert. Bernadette can perform a staged version of "Worst Pies in London" as one of her songs. This way, we could see her perform the characters anthem, without the debate on wether or not she could perform this role 8 times a week.
And, we could also see other performers perform songs we might not get a chance to see perform *cough* Patti *cough* Last Midnight.
Updated On: 8/2/14 at 10:44 PM
#198Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 8/2/14 at 11:18pm
I adore La Peters. Saw her at the Sondheim tribute back in 1992 and I saw her 5 times in Follies.
However, I think her Mrs. Lovett window may have closed. At this point she's 66 (Lansbury did it at 55) and I think it's way too demanding a role for any actress, let alone a 66 year old.
And, really, in the way Patti isn't right for Sunday in the Park with George, I just don't think she's the type. Sorry qolbinau.
I do hope for her a Broadway finale like the one Merman got with Dolly. Hell, just do Dolly with her and Patti alternating!!
#199Bernadette Peters agenda
Posted: 8/2/14 at 11:32pm
I have been longing for Bernadette to play this part since that strange revival with Patti (I absolutely LOVED all of the actors and the concept, but I couldn't wrap my head around the awful orchestrations - Sweeney needs a gigantic, operatic sound!) and I would love to see a revival - but that seems unlikely with the last revival 9 years ago and the recent concert not even a year ago.
I happen to love to see actors play against type - which is why I have been talking about getting Patti in a production of Follies as Sally. You wouldn't think it would work, but I think if Patti has strong material (such as Follies) she can surprise us! Just listen to her Losing My Mind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52_zpJLPZ4o
I would kill to see that production.
And someone please get Herman to sign off on a new production of Dolly so we can see Patti in the role.
"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium." - Patti LuPone, a Memoir
