Al Pacino Headed Back To Broadway In GLENGARRY Revival

[Jordan Catalano]

A Little Too Soon For Another Revival I Think, But It IS Pacino...

[The Distinctive Baritone]

As Shelley? Why??? If he wants to do it, why not just have a run at the Geffen Playhouse or something?

[Kad]

Because people will buy the hell out of these tickets.

[nasty_khakis]

It's a little too soon, meethinks, but it'll be a hit.

I don't remember the specifics of the play or characters, but would there be any opportunity to gender blind cast a role? It would be at least new and interesting to see a Jan Maxwell, Felicty Huffman, Annette Benning, Judith Light, Sigourney Weaver, Nina Arianda, etc play a tough female executive. If it wouldn't work at all, I understand and like I said don't remember character specifics.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

I've seen a gender blind production. It didn't work for the most part except as an interesting, if failed, experiment. Then again, if they are going to do this they need to get an unconventional Roma to go up against Pacino.

[dreaming]

Roma could definitely be cast as a woman and it would be fun to see a woman go up against Pacino. It would update the play to a degree as well-and offer very interesting casting choices.

[nasty_khakis]

I think it would be very interesting for him to up against Glenn Close in "Patty Hewes" mode. That's just an example, there are a ton of casting posibilities.

It would make it struggle more interesting for the audience instead of "Pacino wipes the floor with poor unfamous broadway actor." No matter how good actorslike Boyd Gains, Raul, Nobert, Frank Wood, etc are Pacino is going to have the upper hand with the audience. This could skew the dynamic enough to put them on even footing.

Granted I assume it'll be cast similarly to the last revival, maybe with Hoffman or Denzel. I'm just wondering, no actual basis for my idea.

[madbrian]

Maybe Bobby Cannavale as Roma?

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Except the play is by David Mamet, not Caryl Churchill. I've never heard a woman talk about her balls before--not in real life. Unless they want to fo a stylized production, realism is required here. I'm talking someone WASPY, heavyset--I dunno, SOMETHING to reinterpret Roma since he'll be standing next to the guy who gave the definitive portrayal onscreen.

[Jon]

Joe Mantegna must hate hearing Pacino's portrayal described as "definitive".

[RainbowJude]

I saw a gender blind production about 4 years ago, with women as James (Jane) Lingk, John (Joan) Williamson and Baylen, and it worked like gangbusters for the most part. I think it can work if the casting is right, but it's tricky.

[dreaming]

baritone-they could definitely alter the text to accommodate a woman-I think it brings the story more up to date.

[Playbilly]

A color/gender blind would be great to give this production distinction.

[Jordan Catalano]

It would be better if it was Pacino and the rest of the cast was Drag Queens.

[Playbilly]

A nude version: Naked Boys Scheming.

[nasty_khakis]

Jordan, i know that's a joke, but depending on the queens I'd pay full price for that.

[Kad]

I'm sorry, I really don't think you can justify doing this gender-blind. Not only is the text itself fairly misogynistic, but the characters are all broadly masculine.

[TalkinLoud]

I agree with Kad, masculinity is a pretty big theme in this play. There would definitely be something lost if this were cast gender-blind.

[darquegk]

Has Mamet ever revised the script? I've only ever read the original stage play and seen the movie, but I'm curious if the A-B-C, Always Be Closing character that Alec Baldwin played, arguably the most famous moment in the movie, has ever been reintroduced into the stage play.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Casting women in any of these roles is the stupidest thing I've heard since at least noon today.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

The two gender-blind productions I know of (I saw only one) did not changed the names or gender pronouns. That's actually not allowed without Mamet's permission.

[Kad]

As far as I know, Baldwin's character has never been introduced into the stage version.

[Jordan Catalano]

Seriously, it's a play for men, let men do it. Not everything needs to be changed in order to let every other gender and every other race and every other disability be included. I'm so sick of that.

[Playbilly]

I heard that he's allowed the Blake character to be added into productions. Anyone if it's true.

Jordan...don't turn into John Simon.

[Jon]

It's Mamet. Mamet writes plays about the male ego.

[Gothampc]

Mamet does not write women's parts very well.

I also think the play needs a bit of updating to bring it into the modern technology age.

That being said, drop the "Richard" and just call the character Roma and cast Jodie Foster.