THEATRE GOSSIP #556: The Bring in 'da Funk, Bring in 'da Illinoise Edition

Previous thread.

Well, we'll be ready when the current one closes in about a week.

Thread closed—until 555 is finished.

Foolish Op

I forgot this extra #556 existed, so I created a new thread #557. Here's the link.

I like this thread. I like this thread title (thank you, OP!). I'm staying right here.

Water for Elephants, Lempicka, Suffs, Gatsby, Hughey Lewis and the Newsies

They will all be closed by Labor Day. I'm probably forgetting a few others.

Hell's Kitchen?

Hell's Kitchen will close after the Christmas holidays.

What? Where will all the gays cruise for dick?

What about the rats? Has anyone thought about the rats?!

[quote]Hell's Kitchen will close after the Christmas holidays.

But, I made reservations.

Where is everybody?

Here.

But everybody else is over here:

They skipped a thread—due to overzealous thread creators…🤷🏻‍♂️

I'm not sure that a thread was "skipped." I explained above that I had created a new thread #557 because I had forgotten that there had been two threads #556 created. I hope I can be forgiven for forgetting this thread, as it was created weeks ago and no one was using it, everyone was using the other #556.

Not forgiven. You’ve caused great consternation.

Read between the lines, R16. (I'm holding up my three middle fingers at the moment.)

Can you uncurl them despite the arthritis?

Are returning to this thread or will there be a new one

Is this the new thread?

I expect when The Motive and the Cue arrives on Broadway it will be with some fabulously beautiful American actress to play Elizabeth Taylor. Not Pippa Middleton. I do hope both Mark Ga(y)tiss and Johnny Flynn are permitted by Equity to make the transfer.

Who should play Liz??

How are the reviews for UNCLE VANYA, opening tonight?

Gabby Beans IS Elizabeth Taylor!

Thrilled to hear “The Motive and the Cue” is reportedly heading to Broadway, but with the glut of shows now, I can’t imagine it will come soon. I can’t imagine any actors but Gatiss and Flynn in the leads.

I didn’t think Middleton was terrible as Elizabeth Taylor. She wasn’t beautiful enough, but who would be? And frankly I can’t think of an American actress in her early 30s that would be better. Or even as good.

Anyone here seen the Brian Cox/Patricia Clarkson "Long Day's Journey into Night" in the West End?

"The Motive and The Cue" is the poster child for Goldman's definition of a "snob hit." I'm so tired of all this Brit tripe.

Funny, I was going to say the same thing about "Patriots," and "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club." Although in the later's case, it seems to be aligning with Goldman's writeup on "George M!"

Controversial opinion? I'd be okay with us filling up this thread over the next week, up until the Tony nominations announcement and then having that be what sparks the #559 thread.

NYT reviews "Uncle Vanya":

Deadline:

Jesse Green mistakenly includes George C. Scott as one of the famous actors who've played Vanya in Broadway revivals. While Scott was indeed in the famous Mike Nichols 1973 Circle-in-the-Square revival, he played Dr. Astrov. And I'm not sure Jesse got a couple of the other actors right either.....did Sir Ralph Richardson really play Vanya and not Astrov in another revival?

For shame, Jesse! For shame, NY Times!!

Green is mixed but The Post and Vulture are more negative on VANYA.

Did the last poster in the last thread really try to rhyme “Lempicka” and ”stinka”??

Let’s not do this thread and actually use # 559. It makes more sense.

r33 I don't see the problem

[quote]Jesse Green mistakenly includes George C. Scott as one of the famous actors who've played Vanya in Broadway revivals. While Scott was indeed in the famous Mike Nichols 1973 Circle-in-the-Square revival, he played Dr. Astrov. And I'm not sure Jesse got a couple of the other actors right either.....did Sir Ralph Richardson really play Vanya and not Astrov in another revival?

Someone has corrected Green in the comments section re George C, Scott. Ralph Richardson did play Vanya to Olivier's Astrov on Broadway in 1946. Margaret Leighton was Yelena. Great cast.

[quote]r24 I didn’t think Middleton was terrible as Elizabeth Taylor… frankly I can’t think of an American actress in her early 30s that would be better. Or even as good.

Was Liz in a portly period?

Because, Beanie… ?

[quote]Did the last poster in the last thread really try to rhyme “Lempicka” and ”stinka”??

Yes, I did! Ya wanna make something of it?

R26 — I love “snob hits” from London. There’s enough on Broadway now to please most theatergoers except for those middlebrow, well-written plays that used to be the staple of Broadway. You don’t like it, don’t go. I will be.

R37 — Liz may have had a few extra pounds in her “The V.I.P.s” period, but she still had a defined waist. She didn’t become Beanie-like until her marriage to Senator John Warner in the ‘70s.

I literally cannot think of a single American stage actress who could convincingly play Elizabeth Taylor in The Motive and the Cue on Broadway. She'd be about 30 at the time of the play's events and fresh off of filming Cleopatra.

Honestly, no one has that kind of voluptuous and unearthly beauty any more. Carla Gugino comes closest but she'd be too old now.

This is a far superior thread and I'm bumping it now.

Looks like Jessica Lange will be taking home a Tony this year.

Orlando? Danza? Yazbeck?

FOLLIES!

FOLLIES!

Robert Alda had such a beautiful voice. Unlike his squawking son.

Alan's voice was fine...

Alan Alda sounds just fine on the OBC of The Apple Tree—not as strong as his dad, but, in general, a better actor. His dad was known, before Guys and Dolls, primarily as a “tit singer”—the singer who “legitimized” the presence of topless women onstage in burlesque shows. (He also played Heorge Gershwin in the film “Rhapsody in Blue.”)

[quote](He also played Heorge Gershwin in the film “Rhapsody in Blue.”)

Herb Rudley of "The Mothers-in-Law" played his brother Hira Gershwin.

Stand up and take a bow, Hira!