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| Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: bobby2 01:41 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| I found a youtube clip of her singing and she really was quite good. For some reason I always thought of her as a TV personality who did some theater but she has some really legit credits. Memories? | |
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| Thanks for all the answers... | |
| Posted by: bobby2 06:27 am EST 11/28/18 | |
| In reply to: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - bobby2 01:41 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| and all so positive. She really seems to have had a great career. I too just thought of her as a game show person. I would have loved to have seen her in They're Playing Our Song or Chapter Two. Interesting how positive the response to Chapter Two is. I wonder if that could be revived. The movie is just so so but people seem to have loved the play. |
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| re: Thanks for all the answers... | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 10:37 am EST 11/28/18 | |
| In reply to: Thanks for all the answers... - bobby2 06:27 am EST 11/28/18 | |
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| It's been a long time since I've seen CHAPTER TWO, but it's interesting that all the responses here about it seem to be praising the cast without saying much about the play itself. With the exception of the Eugene Jerome trilogy and LOST IN YONKERS, my experience with Neil Simon's work is that it hasn't aged all that well and most of his plays seem like relics of their times, which some might consider charming, I guess, but my reactions have been mostly negative. I'd actually be curious to see CHAPTER TWO again and see how it holds up. |
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| My Fair Lady | |
| Posted by: aleck 09:48 am EST 11/28/18 | |
| In reply to: Thanks for all the answers... - bobby2 06:27 am EST 11/28/18 | |
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| In a tent in the '60s. With Michael Allinson as Higgins. It wasn't the right part for her. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 09:42 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - bobby2 01:41 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| I loved her so much in A Parallelogram. Which I liked more than either The Pain and the Itch or Clybourne Park. But most of all I loved Gillette. What a performance. The only other thing in which I've seen her was 70, Girls, 70, and like others (including PlayWiz) it seemed so clear that she should have been playing the leading role. That was a big mistake on Encores! part, thinking they needed a bigger name. I'm so sorry that I didn't see her in Rich and Famous, a play for which I have great fondness but which didn't especially interest me at the time. I'm another of the people who used to think of her — like Peggy Cass, Phyllis Newman, Arlene Francis and some others — as less of an actress than a sort of New York celebrity who sometimes acted, just because I first really knew of her from her game-show appearances. I soon found out that she was also an actress but somehow I never saw her in anything, which I now regret because she clearly possesses a very special talent. |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: scfinSEA 05:58 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - bobby2 01:41 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| I saw her in the original cast of Chapter Two. She was excellent! So was the entire cast. Four star-turns! | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 04:02 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 04:01 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - bobby2 01:41 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| She was very smart player on a lot of tv games show including "What's My Line" and $10,000 {$20,00)?) Pyramid, among others. But they rarely introduced her by talking up her Broadway credits so I didn't know what she was famous for. But when I saw her in "Chapter Two", here was a really excellent actress! I saw her more recently some years ago in a supporting role in the Encores "70, Girls, 70"; she was so good, she should have been doing the lead instead of the miscast in a musical Olympia Dukakis. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: TMGnyc 03:15 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - bobby2 01:41 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| She did an amazing turn in Neil Simon's Chapter Two. The entire company was electric in that piece - Anita, Judd Hirsch, Ann Wedgeworth & Cliff Gorman. I don't believe I've had the opportunity to see her in anything else. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: allineedisthegirl 09:07 am EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - bobby2 01:41 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| I saw her in John Guare's RICH AND FAMOUS at the Public. Three-character play with William Atherton and Ron Liebman. She was magnificent in it. db |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: Deirdre 08:00 am EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - bobby2 01:41 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| I saw her do "Bus Stop" with John Travolta in summer stock many times over the summer of 1976. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: writerkev 06:27 am EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - bobby2 01:41 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| She was part of the perfect ensemble of “The Big Meal” at Playwrights Horizons a few years ago. The play broke my heart and is one of the highlights of my theatregoing experiences. Everyone in it played different characters throughout several generations, and it spoke to me so deeply, in the primal way of myth. Her final scene had much of the audience sobbing. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: Ann 08:17 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - writerkev 06:27 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| Now you're making me feel disappointed again to have missed this production. The play doesn't seem to have found a life in the regions. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: writerkev 08:48 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - Ann 08:17 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
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| The play was (to my mind) sadly under-appreciated by critics, so I don’t think audiences ever really found it, which is a terrible shame. I don’t even think it extended its engagement at the small upstairs theatre at Playwrights. Maybe someday it will be rediscovered. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: Erik_Haagensen 03:18 pm EST 11/28/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - writerkev 08:48 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
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| This critic loved THE BIG MEAL, and I've linked below to my review for Backstage. I also voted for it on the first ballot for the 2012 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play, but, alas, I was the sole vote, so the play didn't make it to the later ballot rounds. | |
| Link | Backstage Review of THE BIG MEAL |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: writerkev 04:11 pm EST 11/28/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - Erik_Haagensen 03:18 pm EST 11/28/18 | |
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| Thanks, Erik. I enjoyed reading the review. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 04:25 pm EST 11/28/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - writerkev 04:11 pm EST 11/28/18 | |
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| I also enjoyed reading the review, Erik. I really loved that play, and I hope to get to see it in future productions, although I can't imagine any production would ever be better than, or even as good as, the one at Playwrights Horizons. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Last Edit: davei2000 10:18 am EST 11/28/18 | |
| Posted by: davei2000 10:16 am EST 11/28/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - writerkev 08:48 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
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| I hope so. I'd love to see this again, with Anita Gillette if possible! Apparently it was done in Bristol, England in 2016...by a very young cast...The trailer has some charm... |
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| Link | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q91zFaVgiMA |
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| re: Similar experience here.... nm | |
| Posted by: SuzanneR 07:47 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - writerkev 06:27 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| nm | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: drummergirl 02:25 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - writerkev 06:27 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| Oh, that was a beautiful play, writerkev. Heartbreaking but beautiful. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 02:20 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - writerkev 06:27 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| Writerkev, I wholeheartedly agree with you about THE BIG MEAL -- a perfect cast in a wonderful production of a great new play. I have told Anita many times how much I loved it and how it made me cry. I recently got to meet Griffin Birney, who played one of the kids in the show, and I told him as well. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: Al10chim 03:32 am EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - bobby2 01:41 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| The first time I saw the original "Cabaret" I didn't like it at all. Then the original Sally left and was replaced by Anita. When I saw the show with Anita I realized it wasn't the show I didn't like it was the original Sally. With Anita I loved the show. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) /CABARET | |
| Posted by: bmc 03:00 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - Al10chim 03:32 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| August of '68, I saw her on Bway in Cabaret. She was wonderful! | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: dbg 02:09 am EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - bobby2 01:41 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| I remember seeing her in Mr. President, an Irving Berlin musical, in 1962. She played Nanette Fabray and Robert Ryan's daughter and stole the show with her song "The Secret Service" (makes me nervous) and had a dance number called "The Washington Twist." A couple of years ago, I was walking down 44th Street with a friend who knows her, and we ran into her in front of the St. James Theatre. When I was introduced to her, I said, "Anita Gillette, you and I have the same birthday, August 16." She laughed and was surprised I knew that, and she was very friendly. She's had quite a career for over 55 years. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: chrismpls 12:38 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - dbg 02:09 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| Looks like maybe you could see her sing that song again, if you're planning to be in London early next year: | |
| Link | Me and Mr B |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: Beevo_bway 06:13 am EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - dbg 02:09 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| I saw Anita and Tony Roberts do They're Playing Our Song. As a kid I knew her from What's My Line and was excited to see her in the show. From what I remember she was quite good as was Tony Roberts. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: FrauPeter 02:12 am EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - dbg 02:09 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| There are tons of anecdotes from and about her in a book I enjoyed immensely called “Show and Tell” about theatre stories. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: RLand 11:58 am EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - FrauPeter 02:12 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| Anita was Anna Alberghetti's standby in Carnival, when it opened in 1961. When Ms. Alberghetti took ill suddenly, Anita replaced her---somehow the word got out that she was terrific, and that was the beginning of her amazing career. I saw her do Lilli during that year---she gave a beautiful performance. Two other performance that I remember: an evening of short plays at the Vineyard around 1992---she created about five different women, all very believable and different. And in RIch and Famous, she and Ron Liebman both created about ten different personalities as they revolved around William Atherton's protagonist. She has great range-- a really terrific artist. |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: FleetStreetBarber 03:37 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - RLand 11:58 am EST 11/27/18 | |
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| "Anita replaced her---somehow the word got out that she was terrific.." That "somehow" was David Merrick who sang Gillette's praises and said, according to Howard Kissel in "The Abominable Showman," "If I'd known she [Gillette] was this good when we were casting, she would have had the part." |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: EveryLittleChore 07:30 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - FleetStreetBarber 03:37 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
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| When I was 12, I saw her as the ultimate ingenue in ALL AMERICAN. Loved her voice. Saw her again in JIMMY, which shackled her with very lame material which she still made sound better than it was. | |
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| re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) | |
| Posted by: audienceguy 12:27 am EST 11/28/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Did you ever see Anita Gillette on stage (other than the play last year) - EveryLittleChore 07:30 pm EST 11/27/18 | |
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| I too saw her in "All American," and I too was 12-years-old. She sang "Nightlife" which had the lyric: Give me a moon And a Cole Porter tune. Those beguines don't begin to beguine In the afternoon. It was a pretty lame show, with Ray Bolger hogging the stage and mugging like crazy. But Gillette and Eileen Herlie were terrific. |
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