I’m sure everyone is setting their TIVOs tonight for the new reality show, The Search for Elle Woods. According to the show’s marketing, “We’re looking for the next blonde to step into Elle’s pink pumps,” meaning to step into the starring role in Broadway’s “Legally Blonde: The Musical.” I’d like to pitch a similar show to the History Channel for the next star of “Thurgood.”
While cruising Playbill.com last night, I came across this interview with Richmond native Emily Skinner who premiered her own cabaret show last night (reprise will be this coming Sunday, in case you are in New York). Thinking of Emily gets me thinking of “Side Show” and my anticipation of the casting announcement for the twins in the Mill’s fall production. Who will it be?
6 comments:
The mother of Laura Bell Bundy, the current Elle Woods, is on my board at AGL. We sometimes jokingly refer to the Arts page in our local paper as the Laura Bell Bundy fanbook page because she is all over it. She is very talented and extremely generous with her time and her family is a great friend to my theatre.
On a side note, when whoever it was did the Grease reality series, I got into a debate with our local critic about how these shows, in my opinion, disrespect the talented and hard working actors who have sacrificed and struggled for their breaks, and an American Idol-type show, does a disservice to theatre, as opposed to singing, since theatre is generally a group activity. During the Grease run, there as a University of Kentucky grad who was amongst the finalist and our critic saw nothing wrong with this type of competition. Now, that they are trying to replace Laura, he wrote a blog today basically saying it was impossible and does a disservice to her performance as Elle...Very interesting...
Finally, sorry to everyone if I stirred up a little hornets nest on Friday, I probably should have chosen my words more carefully abou the letter to the editor thing. I just have great respect for Barksdale for producing LDL that I jumped in with both feet before thinking through things...my bad...
Peace
Rick
So (while I ponder if I dare still my toe into the comments on the previous blog post), I have huge avenue of opportunity to play "self promoter" for my show that's on SUNDAY!
mad about the boy(s), Sunday, June 8, 8PM, Tickets only $10. Beer, food, all that good stuff...a FANTASTIC pianist, Stephen Longenecker...and ya know...me...hahaha. It's gonna be....well...who knows! Check it out! If you use Facebook, you can see more info here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=13177249930
So wish I were gonna be in NYC for Emily Skinner's cabaret, but alas, I will be doing mine in Richmond that night! Hmmm...are the stars aligning for me to share the stage with Emily Skinner (if I did such things, I would be praying right now).
One of the judges for the Legally Blonde reality show is my favorite theatre columnist, Seth Rudetsky (HYSTERICAL guy...go to YouTube and watch his "Deconstructing Barbra Streisand...no, really...go right now...it's right here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=1T7h8wI1fnI ...then watch his other "Deconstructing ..." too. So good. I actually just sent him a postcard for my cabaret today. I wrote that he could check out Chita [in DC in Kander and Ebb's THE VISIT {world premiere}] and me in the same weekend!
Wow...ok...enough plugging.
That's all the fun stuff I have to share for now. And I'll hedge my bets for now on commenting on the other.
"Hedge my bets?" What does that mean? Is that really the phrase I wanted?
Oh, meant to mention that Seth Rudetsky's column, ONSTAGE & BACKSTAGE on Playbill.com this week starts talking about the reality show and also talks about Ms. Skinner's cabaret!
One of my favorite gems from this weeks column (about Elaine Paige playing Eva Peron in Evita) 'People thought she was being a snob by not going out partying, when in actuality she was just trying to preserve her voice so she could belt "A New Argentina" and not have her next gig be replacing Lauren Bacall in Woman of the Year.'
Blonde at the beginning of the article, Emily toward the end and lots of great stuff in between!
Here's the link!
http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/118302.html
P.S.
I second the comments about Ms. Skinner's prowess as a singer...and as an actress!
Do you think Bruce had any clue that Little Dog Laughed would cause such a stir within theatre circles?
I am split on the reality show issue. On the one hand, I completely agree with Rick that it is an insult to the hard working actors who scramble for roles every day. However at least the majority of the people who were on the Grease show, and are going to be on the Elle Woods one are trained actors, with experience and a resume. Not necessarily the kind of resume that would usually be considered for a lead but something at lease.
Of course the "star casting" that has come up before on this blog does tend to take away a lot of credibility of broadway casting anyway, so...
Is worse to cast P Diddy in Raisin in The Sun or a reality show to cast leads in a crappy revival of a crappy show (Grease)?
For the record, in reference to the last arguement Dave caused about killing off old theatre patrons, or whatever the point was. I hate Hair because it is dated an poorly structured, I am however a big fan of nudity on stage. You kind of have to be to work on a Rick St. Peter Joint. Seriously though, I agree completely with Scott, that gross injustices must be confronted, period. However I also agree that we as "liberals" (not you Rick, you guys own that SUV after all) do tend to have very little tolerance for conservative views, surely not all of them are evil (just most).
Have a good summer everyone.
Reality TV shows are just that...TV shows. They're not actual competitions. They don't pick the "contestants" the way an actual director would see auditioners. They look for people who not only could feasibly be in the play they're casting, but they look for people who will create drama and tension and interesting television.
I think casting a play that way is totally eff'd up.
In response to last sentence of this post (and then I SWEAR, I'll chill out with the commenting for a while), Brian Baez (Junior in Barksdale's Mame and lots of other stuff...oh...won the Jim Brickman competition...anyway...) Brian and I joked that he and I should play Violet and Daisy (respectively) and singing "Who Will Love Me As I Am" for the audition (which Matt Beyer, Kim Jones-Clark -currently showing off her fabulous legs in Reefer Madness-, Robyn O'Neill, and I got to sing at the Equality Virginia benefit in the fall). Great stuff! I'm so excited that the show is being produced!!!
OK...going on comment hiatus for a while.
Post a Comment