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| What are folks' take on the original cast vs. replacements? | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 12:26 am EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: My take on INTO THE WOODS - Revned 12:27 am EST 11/18/22 | |
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| I really enjoyed reading your well written critique. I have to wonder if some of what's being described is attributable to some combination of... weaker replacements (in some parts) and later-in-the-run sloppiness. Anyone one here seen the original cast of this revival and then come back to see the replacements later in the run? I ask, because when I saw this production very early in its run I was not struck by a great deal of mugging (other than from an unfortunately over the top performance of Joshua Henry.) Even Gavin Creel (who, I agree, based upon recent TV performances has gone too broad) was fairly restrained. Most of the cast performed exquisitely the night I saw it -- most especially Sara Bareilles, Brian d'Arcy James and Phillipa Soo. My biggest disappointments were the strangely mechanical misfire of Patina Miller's Witch and $57 production design that forced all of the action downstage. |
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| Phylicia Rashad as The Witch. | |
| Posted by: portenopete 11:45 am EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: What are folks' take on the original cast vs. replacements? - DistantDrumming 12:26 am EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I am guessing that Phylicia Rashad was brought in as a way to keep interest high in what was the top-billed role (although it is very much an ensemble show). She was at the height of her Cosby Show fame and presumably she did her three-month stint when the TV show was on hiatus. I was not a Cosby fan so she wasn't an exciting replacement for me. I had bad luck with Bernadette as I saw Sunday in the Park just a week or so after she left. I finally got to see her in Gypsy, thank God, even though I remember Maureen Moore went on quite regularly in that. My main memory of Rashad was her imprecise diction. I'm never a lover of sloppy consonants in any song (nor am I a lover of extreme and unnatural crispness) but in Sondheim and specifically in a song like The Witch's Rap, it was kind of lethal. She had great warmth and her vocal tone was beautiful, but if I hadn't listened to the OCR a thousand times I doubt I'd have been able to get much of what she was saying. |
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