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WOW...have you seen her in the show!!!!

Posted by:	actor103 12:06 am EDT 08/09/14
In reply to:	re: Brantley reviews "The Visit." - AnObserver 07:51 pm EDT 08/08/14

I have never had any strong opinion of her either way. Only seen her in a couple really lousy musicals. Never seen her in any of her hits. I mean yeah, she was amazing in Bring Back birdie. But could I really tell what this woman was truly about dazzling us amongst the wreckage. Or the other show... the magician thing. Started to say Magic Show. But it was Merlin. So really had not experienced her until THE VISIT. I could not believe that the woman has not had a stage career in straight plays. She is an incredibly smart and instinctive actor. There is something so subtle and detailed in this performance. I am sorry, I think it is one of the great musical theatre performances of all time. Yeah, historic even. She could have been so over the top here. She is so real and authentic that you totally care for her and your heart breaks for her because you totally see the younger child that was so abused. Hate to say that you are simply wrong. This is of coure subjective stuff. But....you are clearly seeing this from an entirely different viewpoint than I. Wow....have you seen the show?

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re: WOW...have you seen her in the show!!!!

Posted by:	BruceinIthaca 12:40 am EDT 08/11/14
In reply to:	WOW...have you seen her in the show!!!! - actor103 12:06 am EDT 08/09/14

I've only seen her in a handful of shows. I'd say she always delivers and that when she is onstage she is fully present and simply has a magical pull--even when not ideally cast, as in "Drood" (and I still would rather have seen her than any number of actresses better suited for the role--it was mainly the accent). But the first time I saw her onstage was a Sunday matinee of "Jerry's Girls" (the last performance before she had her accident back in the mid-80s): even though the revue wasn't the most innovative production in the world, and even when flanked by Dorothy Loudon's raucus comedy and heart-breaking torch-singing and Leslie Uggams' songbird voice, Rivera grabbed the stage and enchanted us all when she stepped on all in purple, IIRC, with "Wherever He Ain't." She didn't hog the stage--she never seemed to be trying to steal focus--she just was totally there and totally fabulous. I saw her "Spider Woman," "Nine," "The Dancer's Life," and "Drood," and would, contrary to Lloyd Richards, sign-up gladly to see her in "The Hairy Ape"! Someone called her a chorus girl who made good. She did better than "make good." And I've never heard a person say a bad word about her in real life. Keep going, Chita! I may drive to Williamstown this week.

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