I had the good fortune to see Andrea Martin on Broadway and again when she did Berthe in LA (I think she only did the LA stop of the national tour?) She was, of course, wonderful. But, I also got to see Tovah on Broadway and there was something extra special about her performance. I had never seen her nor Andrea Martin on stage before, so I don't think it was some inherent bias toward one performer or the other. It's been so long that I'm having trouble recollecting what, specifically, about Tovah's performance felt even more special than Andrea's, but I distinctly remember having that reaction.
I loved that entire production, by the way. And I went in deeply skeptical of the whole circus motif. I figured it would be too much -- an extra layer of unnecessary garnish that would get in the way of the Fosse style. I was so pleased to be so wrong. Easily one of my favorite Broadway revivals... ever? I suppose like a lot of shows that originated with Fosse, they're so much about good old fashioned showmanship. Something one didn't see much of at this year's Tonys. |
