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| Betty Buckley -- exuding warmth and humor | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 06:06 pm EDT 05/30/18 | |
| In reply to: re: I can, and I hope to see her - BillyG 05:30 pm EDT 05/30/18 | |
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| "but she hardly exudes warmth or humor" I would say that she exuded warmth in roles like Martha Jefferson in 1776, Miss Collins in Carrie, Sondra in Frantic, and warmth and humor as Abby in Eight Is Enough. She's a versatile actress and has had a long and varied career. I suspect she will be up to the challenge as Dolly Levi. |
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| She's warm and human; she's not known as a skilled comedienne. My mind is still open. | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 11:41 am EDT 05/31/18 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 11:40 am EDT 05/31/18 | |
| In reply to: Betty Buckley -- exuding warmth and humor - BroadwayTonyJ 06:06 pm EDT 05/30/18 | |
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| I was stunned by the choice, for this reason. I've seen every one of her NYC performances, and admired most of them. I've also seen her Rose, which was so dark, she literally started in the mindset of Rose's Turn. She was so poorly handled by the production's heavy humorlessness, the show was wildly off, a rarity with "Gypsy," certainly. She sang "Sunset" so gloriously, I mostly forgave her take on Norma, which once again, played the end. She started out defeated and mad, and had nowhere to go. One of the strengths of Close and later Elaine Paige was a kind of gleam in the eye. It's built in, and Swanson made the black comedy just delicious, as scary as it was. Buckley couldn't remove a patina of victimization from Norma, demonstrated from the first moment with the dead simian. Without that in act one, she's just a sad lady, more Havesham than Desmond. But she's become if anything warmer. In the M. Night Shamalian film opposite James Macavoy, she was quite wonderful. As his almost codependent therapist, her humanity infused the film. I saw about 40 minutes of if again recently on cable, and pictured her Dolly. She will likely compensate for not being inherently comical by being a winning sort of grandmotherly businesswoman who cajoles rather than steamrolls. It's the Zaks staging, and I've no doubt that she'll land some of the Shirley Booth "Matchmaker" performance (she says she's already watched it, as Peters and Midler did). Many of us have talked about the comic demands of the part, that they are a cornerstone. But maybe the Zaks staging will serve and Buckley will just bring what she does along for the ride. Certainly her "Parade" should be as full-throttle emotional -- and stunningly sung (the voice is still great) -- as any Dolly, ever. Now, if they can keep her from playing it at the top. |
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| re: She's warm and human; she's not known as a skilled comedienne. My mind is still open. | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 04:25 pm EDT 05/31/18 | |
| In reply to: She's warm and human; she's not known as a skilled comedienne. My mind is still open. - Delvino 11:40 am EDT 05/31/18 | |
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| My assumption is that Buckley would play it more like Shirley Booth did. | |
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