Who else recalls that chatter, pre-internet? When Welch took over Woman of the Year, it was covered as a reminted career. She made it work in new ways. I saw her early -- very early, when she went on during Bacall's two-week vacation. It was stunt casting, but she pulled it off. Whatever one thinks of the show, it's a sizeable role, with many play-like book scenes by Peter Stone, one big dance number, and a fair number of songs. Though for my money the most sparkling musical comedy Tess was the short-lived Reynolds, Welch's presence had its own electricity, if not that of a triple threat. There was speculation that an overdue revival of Lady in the Dark would be a good fit. It sounds bizarre now, and to me, in my youth, it sounded bizarre then. Her return in Victor/Victoria did not result in the same kind of "reminted career" talk, and the run was uneventful. As a woman pretending to be a man, she was/is an unlikely candidate. Perhaps that was the casting joke, but suffice it to say, not a good one.
Could she have played Joanne in Company? Maybe. I saw Jane Russell, arguably a Welch of her time. |
