Just heard that The Visit will be going to Beijing & Singapore & maybe London. Chita said this at a press briefing re her upcoming PBS special. In addition, she has a word for those who lip sync as they cannot sing and dance at the same time. Her advice was simply learn to do it.
No idea if she is doing it overseas. I think it would be to strenuous but I definitely see her doing it in London if it makes it. I think if it is doing the other 2 cities, going to London is a no brainer.
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
i hope in 20 years we get a big production of this show with Patti Lupone. I think we can make the numbers really big with dancers in the chorus a la chicago and cabaret
so every time we do a revival, it has to be in the spirit of the original? who cares! thats the beauty of theatre!! It can change!! why should we put restrictions on shows
"i hope in 20 years we get a big production of this show with Patti Lupone. I think we can make the numbers really big with dancers in the chorus a la chicago and cabaret"
If you want that, check out the German-language musical "Der Besuch der alten Dame." It's the same story (both shows having been based off the same play). I haven't watched a whole lot of it, but from the commercials and clips I've seen on Youtube it looks like it's the big, splashy musical that you're hoping for from this story. (If "The Visit of the Old Lady" were to come back to Broadway in musical form, I would love to see them give this one a shot.)
"Was uns befreit, das muss stärker sein als wir es sind." -Tanz der Vampire
I just read you Patti Lupone suggestion again and I just realized how dumb it actually was. Have you actually seen the show????? It's almost Brechtian in its sparseness, and if people were to dance like A Chorus Line in The Visit, they would be laughed off stage. Also, Patti is way too much of a physical presence on stage to do the role. Plus, she looks all wrong for the part.
Oh, and I've listened to the cast album for the German musical, and it sounds so processed. Like Dr. Zhivago but worse.
I could see LuPone belting the **** out of "I Walk Away".
"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
Well, let's all pray that Phillypinto is never given the opportunity to direct the worst production the world will ever see of The Visit. Clearly you have no concept of Epic Theatre or what Dürrenmatt was attempting with the play. Use your brain, Philly. I know you have one somewhere.
and ljay, Donna would be fabulous in 20 years. Or, hear me out, Isabelle Huppert.
fantod, YOU clearly have no imagination. A big Broadway musical does not have to be happy sailors tap dancing. Cabaret is a big Broadway musical with dancing and that's in the same style as the visit. What is your issue with that. In case you haven't noticed, shows are scaled down all the time and blown up and reimagined and everything.
Isabelle Huppert is inspired casting, but I like the idea of it. Similar to Chita, she has a look to her...I can't explain just what is, but it's almost a look of mystery in her eyes. On top of that, she's consistently good. I would have loved to have seen her in back in '05 in Hedda Gabbler.
This is one of my dream revivals, although by now she's getting a little old for it. Patti was one of the (many) actresses considered for Liza's role in the original Broadway production, but couldn't do it due to (I believe) her role in the London revival of The Cradle Will Rock.
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
The Visit was perfect the way it was. I don't want to see any dancers added for no reason.
Patti would be fantastic in the Rink (Encores! Please), but I'm not so sure about Claire. She would have to wait a few years, but I could see her and Patinkin as Claire and Anton. I wonder how Bernadette would play her. She'd probably play her a tad bit sexier than Chita which could work, but I'd like to see it. As much as I absolutely adore Donna, I don't think she has the restrained larger than life stage presence that Claire needs.