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Post by anthony on Aug 11, 2023 15:31:55 GMT
Rachel is an excellent performer but at only 42 is surely far too young for the role. Seeing Nicole in her latest beach bikini selfie also doesn't make me think of a faded ageing star Good point. Equally, seeing Jon Robyns in person didn't strike me as deformed musician who lives under an opera house. Just wait until you find out Alexia Khadime isn't really green. |
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Post by A.Ham on Aug 11, 2023 16:02:51 GMT
Rachel is an excellent performer but at only 42 is surely far too young for the role. Seeing Nicole in her latest beach bikini selfie also doesn't make me think of a faded ageing star Good point. Equally, seeing Jon Robyns in person didn't strike me as deformed musician who lives under an opera house. Just wait until you find out Alexia Khadime isn't really green. On the same note, the last time I saw Nicole in the West End she was a mangy old cat ready for retirement… if they can do that with hair and make up, I imagine ageing her a few years to be Norma ought to be achievable. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 11, 2023 16:25:50 GMT
I find the score to to be rather good but its very disjointed with no real throughline of composition unlike Aspects or JCS. Although this has not hindered Carmen or Follies success ... I think its his last ‘formulaic’ show; the motif introduced in so many different guises, the comedy song, putting all the length in the first act, a couple of big hitters at the top of act 2, you somehow look up and realise you’re right near the end etc. I think it has the finest finale of all of his shows (except perhaps John 19:41). Everything since has had some of that, but not all. I love it. The score is just so lush and cinematic. At the ENO when the orchestra started up I had the biggest chills ever. It’s probably the cast recording I’ve listened to the most (Glenn version). My neighbour even complained once “it’s beautiful music, but it’s quite loud” 😬. Then you add in the camp fabulosity of the whole thing… absolute bleedin’ winner. |
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Post by Jon on Aug 11, 2023 16:26:56 GMT
It's amusing that people are saying Rachel and Nicole are too young for Norma considering the character is 50, it's not that much age wise.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Aug 11, 2023 16:31:51 GMT
And people have explained multiple times where they see it as an issue. Just looking at the number is a bit simplistic.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Aug 11, 2023 16:44:06 GMT
My main issue with NS isn't her age. It is her lack of acting experience.
Norma is not just matter of belting a couple of numbers and collecting a bouquet at the end.
It is an acting role.
She just doesn't have the experience for it.
Rachel Tucker does and is a far more credible casting choice.
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Post by c4ndyc4ne on Aug 11, 2023 22:22:35 GMT
My main issue with NS isn't her age. It is her lack of acting experience. Norma is not just matter of belting a couple of numbers and collecting a bouquet at the end. It is an acting role. She just doesn't have the experience for it. Rachel Tucker does and is a far more credible casting choice. Lloyd has got some pretty solid performances out of mediocre talent before. I expect he knows what he’s doing |
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Post by sph on Aug 11, 2023 23:21:02 GMT
I think in theatre we're quite used to seeing people play much younger than they really are, not older. 29 playing 21 seems fine, 45 playing 50 seems like a stretch when really it isn't.
Actors generally play younger. There are very few in the West End playing their actual age. Especially with shows like Grease, Book of Mormon and Heathers around just to name a few.
The only time we usually see actors playing older is when an understudy from the ensemble has to cover a "Dad" role for example.
I think a 45 year old could easily play 50. Although maybe Norma is more mid 40s in this take.
There is also the issue that actors nowadays work so hard to LOOK younger. No one smokes and everyone is botoxed and microneedled and lifted and tucked and coconut-watered. It's fairly brave for an actor to set down their own vanity and play the "aging" movie queen.
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Post by sweets7 on Aug 11, 2023 23:30:24 GMT
Age is not what it once was. You think Norma D and you don’t think of a modern day 50 year old. You think Bette Davis’s and Joan Crawford in Baby Jane. They probably weren’t even 50 when they were in that.
We are used to 25 year old playing teenagers on TV and conversely 35 year olds the parents of teenagers (which while of course a thing isn’t as common as TV would have you believe). Just take it I guess.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2023 23:36:45 GMT
I've seen a guy who was 35 playing Danny in Grease and for Sandy I always feel you maybe need a fresh face out of drama school almost.
NS at 45 is an entirely different look to say Glenn Close and Elaine Page at a similar age and I had a thing for both of them in the mid to later 1980's so I cannot say they were not attractive.
As regards ageing gracefully Andie MacDowell always stands out to me.
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Post by danb on Aug 12, 2023 13:53:42 GMT
I think in theatre we're quite used to seeing people play much younger than they really are, not older. 29 playing 21 seems fine, 45 playing 50 seems like a stretch when really it isn't. Actors generally play younger. There are very few in the West End playing their actual age. Especially with shows like Grease, Book of Mormon and Heathers around just to name a few. The only time we usually see actors playing older is when an understudy from the ensemble has to cover a "Dad" role for example. I think a 45 year old could easily play 50. Although maybe Norma is more mid 40s in this take. There is also the issue that actors nowadays work so hard to LOOK younger. No one smokes and everyone is botoxed and microneedled and lifted and tucked and coconut-watered. It's fairly brave for an actor to set down their own vanity and play the "aging" movie queen. …and even that is a misnomer, because SB isn’t about ageing so much as the world moving on without you. |
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Post by joeyk713 on Aug 13, 2023 3:34:32 GMT
Last night “dirty dancing” and the tv remake were on tv, I watched both. I had forgotten Nicole was in the tv remake - Nicole’s ‘acting’ was rather laughable.
I hope she’s great cause I love “sunset” but I also secretly hope after HogEye spots her she yells “HOGEYE! Well..don’t chya wish your girlfriend was hot like me? Don’t chya wish your girlfriend was a freak like me…I don’t know why I’m frightened” 😈
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 13, 2023 14:45:39 GMT
I would be truly amazed if she manages to pull off a proper acting performance to convince as ND. But crazier things have happened and I’m excited to see how this pans out.
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Post by Jon on Aug 13, 2023 14:57:13 GMT
Wasn't the thing about Norma was that it wasn't her age that killed her career, it was that she was unable to transition to the talkies.
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Post by toomasj on Aug 13, 2023 18:09:49 GMT
Wasn't the thing about Norma was that it wasn't her age that killed her career, it was that she was unable to transition to the talkies. True, but this makes no sense as in every version, she speaks/sings with a perfect early Hollywood Transatlantic accent. |
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Post by danb on Aug 13, 2023 19:02:55 GMT
You never know, that might be his angle. Norma as a Lina Lamont-esque squeaker.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2023 20:20:56 GMT
You never know, that might be his angle. Norma as a Lina Lamont-esque squeaker. I was just thinking about that so great point. Amy McDonald and Sandra Dickinson might be a bit old but gender neutral casting and use Joe Pasquale! |
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Post by joeyk713 on Aug 14, 2023 4:50:54 GMT
Wasn't the thing about Norma was that it wasn't her age that killed her career, it was that she was unable to transition to the talkies. True, but this makes no sense as in every version, she speaks/sings with a perfect early Hollywood Transatlantic accent. Mid Atlantic accent. I don’t think she didn’t transition to talkies is simply they stopped making her kinda movies anymore. |
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Post by toomasj on Aug 14, 2023 8:12:19 GMT
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Post by evilmat360 on Aug 14, 2023 9:21:10 GMT
Full casting announcement.
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Post by BVM on Aug 14, 2023 9:24:40 GMT
It’s serving ICON and I CAN-NOT-WAIT!
And what an epic cast.
Utterly convinced this is gonna be incredible.
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Post by distantcousin on Aug 14, 2023 9:29:07 GMT
Oh, so they're going for "age blind" casting on Max again? (as with the Ria Jones Tour and the ENO)
Well, it's a "choice", but it's never made much sense to me. Especially when the character inhabits quite a paternal role over Norma.
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Post by BVM on Aug 14, 2023 9:38:23 GMT
Also the first 10 second of that clip is a very interesting rearrangement of New Ways To Dream (actually had to listen three times to realise what it was).
This hasn't even opened yet and I am already desperate for a cast recording which knowing the West End and ALW revivals will 99% chance not be happening lol.
(I know, I know, I'm getting ahead of myself).
This is more or less a dream cast for me though.
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Post by BVM on Aug 14, 2023 9:39:51 GMT
Oh, so they're going for "age blind" casting on Max again? (as with the Ria Jones Tour) Well, it's a "choice", but it's never made much sense to me. Especially when the character inhabits quite a paternal role over Norma. I think Lloyd may be going for a sexy sensual Sunset. Entire cast could be models! |
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Post by SuttonPeron on Aug 14, 2023 9:40:37 GMT
It´s an excerpt from the ALW suites album. I do hope they don´t mess up the orchestrations for this. Certainly not for what they´re charging.
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