I agree the Bierko and Luker were a good match and have to say that Luker, in particular, was ideal in her role. I went to see that revival specifically because I knew that she would bring exactly what was needed for Marian and, boy, did she. In any other season, she'd probably have won a Tony. But that was such a strong season for Leading Actresses in Musicals that she would actually have not even been my first choice as a voter, even though she was so perfect in the role.
One thing though...later in the run, when Robert Sean Leonard took over as Harold Hill, the dynamic became much different. I don't know how old either of them were at the time, but Leonard came off as significantly younger than Luker on stage and it was interesting to see this younger man first trying to con and then falling under the spell of an older, more matronly woman. You don't see that a lot in musicals. Or anywhere on stage really. But they really made it work. |
