Threaded Order Chronological Order
| Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium | |
| Posted by: shocktheatre 05:50 pm EST 11/30/20 | |
|
|
|
| The most famous understudy of all time? | |
| Link | Shirley MacLaine |
| reply to this message | |
| re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium | |
| Posted by: champagnesalesman 10:07 pm EST 11/30/20 | |
| In reply to: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium - shocktheatre 05:50 pm EST 11/30/20 | |
|
|
|
| A shame she never returned to Broadway in a book musical or play. There was talk of her doing THE VISIT after Lansbury dropped out..wonder what else was offered/considered over the years? I didn't see her at the Palace or The Gershwin but I did see her at Radio City, in Atlantic City and at Westbury as late as the early 90's after which she stopped doing shows.Since they were so dance heavy it's understandable. Cher and so many say farewell and don't leave. Shirley(and also Ann-Margret) just stopped without saying farewell. | |
| reply to this message |
| re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium | |
| Last Edit: whereismikeyfl 10:37 am EST 12/03/20 | |
| Posted by: whereismikeyfl 10:35 am EST 12/03/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium - champagnesalesman 10:07 pm EST 11/30/20 | |
|
|
|
| She was offered to replace Maggie Smith in Lettice and Lovage of all things. She liked the play, but she realized that as a replacement the best notices she could hope for would say she was almost as good as Maggie Smith. So she decided that being a replacement could not enhance her standing. This with the cancelled Vanessa Redgrave tour makes you wonder if L&L was cursed. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 12:03 pm EST 12/03/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium - whereismikeyfl 10:35 am EST 12/03/20 | |
|
|
|
| That's so interesting...but I suppose MacLaine still had a pretty active film career at the time and being a replacement in a Broadway play, even a good one with good notices, wouldn't have done much for her other than the personal satisfaction she might have received from doing it. For a lot of actresses, I imagine being thought of as "almost as good as Maggie Smith" would be high praise indeed. At the time, MacLaine was a bigger name than Smith, right? She'd probably have attracted a whole new audience to the play and, if her performance was acclaimed, might have even been able to get a film of it made starring her. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium | |
| Posted by: whereismikeyfl 10:35 am EST 12/05/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium - JereNYC 12:03 pm EST 12/03/20 | |
|
|
|
| But I think because she was a bigger name than Smith, the calculation was that being "almost as good as Maggie Smith" would not move her career forward as it would for a lot of actresses who are not as well-known. I cannot think of anyone other than Reba McIntyre who enhanced their standing by taking a gig as a replacement. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 12:14 pm EST 12/06/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium - whereismikeyfl 10:35 am EST 12/05/20 | |
|
|
|
| I didn't see him, but I think David Bowie was supposed to have done quite well and enhanced the box-office when he went in as a replacement as "The Elephant Man". Plus Liza Minnelli caused lots of excitement when she took over during Gwen Verdon's illness during the original "Chicago". | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| SHIRLEY | |
| Last Edit: shocktheatre 05:12 pm EST 12/03/20 | |
| Posted by: shocktheatre 04:57 pm EST 12/03/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium - JereNYC 12:03 pm EST 12/03/20 | |
|
|
|
| Interesting observations. MacLaine has sustained quite an incredibly long presence in movies. I can't find a parallel. Even if it is a supporting role, there she is. Virtually every year. I did not find her electrifying on stage when I saw her at the (then) Gershwin. This was right after she won the Oscar for Terms of Endearment. She was good, charismatic, and a bit precious for my taste. She showed a clip from "Terms" and I found that VERY off-putting. "Give my daughter a SHOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" No, Shirley, no. Give ME a shot after jolting me out of Fosse and into James Brooks. But she is the definition of trouper. Chorus girl to Broadway to Hollywood. That ain't the norm. And she made a horror movie in 1972 (a rather daring one I might add), which I think all big show biz divas should do. It's just a fun tradition. Even Bette Midler did "Isn't She Great." With Nathan Lane as her husband! Saw it on Super Bowl Sunday in Chelsea. Seats were available. It WAS snowing. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium | |
| Posted by: Pokernight 05:02 am EST 12/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Shirley MacLaine at the Palladium - champagnesalesman 10:07 pm EST 11/30/20 | |
|
|
|
| She has been making appearances (a la Carol Burnett) with videos and Q & A. She was in Palm Desert a year or three ago and Carol was in Chicago recently. No dancing, though. Shirley's "Gypsy in My Soul" tour which I saw in San Francisco many years ago was a joyous delight. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.026941 seconds.