Threaded Order Chronological Order
| Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: roleplay 07:36 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Sorry if this has been discussed before. I re-watched the Shoshana Bean concert that was done at the Westport Playhouse, via a PBS station, with a friend last night. After her Streisand medley, he said " with her around, why wasn't SHE offered the FG role?". I've thought that before too. I'm not sure if she was available or even thought of by the casting people. She clearly could sing the crap out of the role and with all her stage experience she could probably act the crap out of it as well. During our discussion, he added that she was really able to sing all of the "Streisand" songs with her own 'take" on them. I felt the same way. I will always wonder why with all these wonderful singer-actresses around why they settled on Beanie. And I know there are those who feel Beanie has a "following" but is it that great that pre-teen girls would storm the August Wilson theatre indefinitely? Just asking :-) | |
| reply to this message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: Pokernight 09:50 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: Westport Playhouse - roleplay 07:36 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Just saying -- perhaps Shoshana's folks didn't have the big bucks. | |
| reply to this message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: tandelor 07:12 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: Westport Playhouse - roleplay 07:36 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Years back I was at the Broadway Does the 80's concert at Joe's Pub. Mo Rooca was the host and after Shoshana sang he told the audience that if there was ever going to be a Broadway revival of Funny Girl Shoshana should play Fanny. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 02:26 am EDT 08/23/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - tandelor 07:12 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Exactly. Shoshana, Leslie K, Jessie M, Lea, (even Lauren Ambrose!) so many great singer actresses who could’ve played the role. How did Beanie get the part? | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| really? | |
| Posted by: sirpupnyc 05:50 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: Westport Playhouse - roleplay 07:36 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Are you just skipping over the part where every thread, no matter the original subject, turns into a thread about Funny Girl? | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: FleetStreetBarber 12:55 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: Westport Playhouse - roleplay 07:36 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| I've often wondered why there has been zero discussion on this board of Christina Bianco who got great notices as Fanny in Paris just a few years ago. From what I've read, she was terrific. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 12:09 pm EDT 08/26/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - FleetStreetBarber 12:55 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| I wouldn't say ZERO discussion... but there wasn't much, I am guessing largely due to it being in Paris. I assume no one posting here saw the production, and if someone did and posted then few if any others could engage in the discussion besides asking questions because they didn't see it. And there was not video or album made from it. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: CT2NYC 10:07 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: Westport Playhouse - roleplay 07:36 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Well, there are a lot of stories out there about how Beanie happened, but, personally, I believe the one that says that the role was basically bought for her, with enough capitalization coming from family and family friends to make the production contingent on the show opening with her as Fanny. To me, it's the most plausible explanation. As far as Shoshana is concerned, I loved her Barbra medley in that concert, but, in my opinion, at 44, she's aged out of playing the role on stage, and, regardless, no one would finance it. The only reason Lea Michele is finally getting her shot is that they need to make money. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: roleplay 11:16 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - CT2NYC 10:07 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Thanks for your feedback. Now that I think about it, I agree with the age question. It's a shame though. She sang the hell out of that Streisand medley. I almost gave her a standing ovation but it would've been strange in my own living room :-) I also see your point about who would finance it. So much has and will be talked about in regard to this revival and only time will or won't tell I guess. It's just a shame that with all these amazing young belters out there, they went with Beanie. I wish they had really thought outside the box with FG. Like they did with Tyne Daly in Gypsy........where we all freeked out in the audience saying "who knew she was such a wonderful stage actor-singer?" after years on Cagney and Lacey! It's like when we heard they were considering Taylor Dane way back when. An interesting choice and kind of out of the box. I guess that feeds into the Lea Michelle vibe. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: scoot1er 10:40 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - CT2NYC 10:07 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| But from what I heard, Beanie was cast before her family put money in the show. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Last Edit: KingSpeed 01:49 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 01:48 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - scoot1er 10:40 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| I don’t understand why the order matters. If they cast her, then they invested. Not saying that’s what happened. Just saying the order proves nothing. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: CT2NYC 10:55 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - scoot1er 10:40 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Like I said, there are lots of stories, so everything is conjecture at this point. It's possible that Beanie was cast, and financing fell through because of it, leaving her family to pick up the slack. Maybe one day we'll find out what really happened. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 11:03 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - CT2NYC 10:55 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Yes it is all conjecture. (Of course, the literal timeline of when money was invested does not preclude there from being a deal of some kind in place before the investment was made either. Who knows!) | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Last Edit: MockingbirdGirl 11:11 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
| Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 10:58 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - CT2NYC 10:55 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Maybe "what really happened" is exactly what's been described: Beanie auditioned, and was cast by a creative team that was keen to counter-program the Streisand effect by going for someone whose forte was physical comedy rather than vocal strength. Occam's razor. This "she bought the part" conspiracy that's been constructed out of whole cloth without a shred of evidence is just... embarrassing. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 03:04 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - MockingbirdGirl 10:58 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| The fact that her family invested in the show does qualify as evidence. Maybe not enough but “not a shred” is false. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 03:21 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - KingSpeed 03:04 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Absent anything to suggest investment either before she was cast or the existence of a quid-pro-quo arrangement, it's not "evidence" of jack shit. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 05:36 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - MockingbirdGirl 03:21 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| And what "evidence" do you think there would even be of a quid-pro-quo arrangement? The entire point of that would be for there not to be evidence, certainly not the kind that people on an internet chat forum would know about or have access to. Please. Dismissing this as even a possibility is even more absurd than the you find the suggesting of it in the first place. Of course it's possible. Also notable is how uncommon it is for the star of the show to have her parents be financial investors in the show... this is not common at all. It may be unlikely, and without any firm evidence but it is not impossible, nor is the actual reality of her audition process mixed with the fact of her parents financial investment just dismissible as not even a shred of "evidence." | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 07:03 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - Chazwaza 05:36 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| I’m so bad at expressing my views. Thank you for doing it perfectly. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: Amiens 12:32 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - MockingbirdGirl 10:58 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| But Beanie's "forte was physical comedy" doesn't seem to have a shred of evidence either, does it? Clearly, I missed it. Where was the evidence that landed her the role? | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 12:13 pm EDT 08/26/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - Amiens 12:32 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| She did some cute "physical" staging I suppose in Dolly, but no more than anyone else might in a somewhat heightened reality old fashioned musical comedy. I would agree there's no evidence of her having a forte in physical comedy. She is known mostly for playing funny smart side kick friends in hyper realistic movies, or more recently drama. I think there may have been some comedy coming from physical stuff in her What We Do In the Shadows role (I forget), but that would have been more special effects and to do with the process of becoming or being a vampire... not irrelevant but not quite the kind of thing I assume "forte was physical comedy" refers to, or what you'd cast a Fanny from. But maybe! I mean, being able to use your body in the performance of a funny scene is still a very important and relevant quality for a stage actor especially one playing a physical comedian from the early 1900s style of performing comedy. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 12:07 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - MockingbirdGirl 10:58 am EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| I agree with your first paragraph. Sonia Friedman has too strong a track record to engage in any nonsensical conspiracy. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: lordofspeech 03:03 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - BroadwayTonyJ 12:07 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Beanie was probably very engaging in auditions. The scale of thr production is much smaller than normal. And, as staged, Fanny’s big breakout solo turns are sometimes forced into being shared. I’m the Greatest Star and Corner Man both have scene-stealing from Eddie Ryan, and she is made to share Who Are uou Now with Nickie, and she doesn’t get to sing the movie’s Funny Girl song. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 03:07 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - lordofspeech 03:03 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| But it wasn’t “auditions.” As far as we’ve been told, it was one Zoom audition. Which doesn’t sound fair when there are a bunch of qualified singing actresses who weren’t even given a chance to compete for it. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: roleplay 08:08 am EDT 08/23/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - KingSpeed 03:07 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| I totally agree. Do we really know the extent of the audition process in this case. Back in the day, people seen for leads......and even more so in major projects, would go through extensive callbacks and readings and had to be agreed upon by entire creative teams! I mean like 10 people! I realize with the pandemic and self taping, that process was abbreviated but if it was just one or 2 submitted self tapings, something just does feel right about this situation. I remember someone telling me way back when........"yeah, but the musical director didn't want me or the choreographer said No..." Where were the naysayers in this instance? | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 12:16 pm EDT 08/26/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - roleplay 08:08 am EDT 08/23/22 | |
|
|
|
| And back in the day people were also offered roles without auditioning, or had roles written for them, or had them soft offered with the formality of an audition for the producers... There are and were many ways auditions and casting processes go... none of them are present here. This circumstance of Beanie being hired doesn't fall into any normal category of how anyone is hired for a lead in a Broadway show. And I very much doubt a single zoom audition after having never starred in a musical in a major production prior, and with the tricky element of their parents being investors, will be a common audition process... regardless of whether she "earned" the role fair and square via talent and fit for the role or not. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: schlepper 03:54 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - KingSpeed 03:07 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Where the hell did you ever get the idea that show BU$INE$$ is supposed to be "fair"?? | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Westport Playhouse | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 07:05 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Westport Playhouse - schlepper 03:54 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| Exactly. This supports the family bought it argument. Which is the point. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.101080 seconds.