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| Author | Topic: Maybe It's Time For Me |
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Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 7/6/2006 at 8:03:42 AM ET
I recently bought SHERRY! and have read a couple of negative reviews of the show/cast/ect. I just wondered what you all thought of it and in particular what you thought of Bernadette's performance as Maggie.
I am such a pushover for this big traditional Broadway kind of musical with the size and sound of the scoring for the orchestra being one of the main attractions for me.
Bernadette has two very beautiful ballads and delivers them in her usual soul-wrenching way. Her ability to make one feel what she is feeling through the process of words and music is such an extraordinairy gift.
I think the loveliest song by far is Maybe It's Time For Me - it's kind of old-fashioned in a way but all the better for that. Her other big song Imagine That is ravishing too but I do wish they had thought to include an alternate take of this one as an "extra" on the disc. It would have been so wonderful if we were able to hear it as a stand-alone number - that way we could enjoy her beautiful singing without Nathan Lane ranting and raving all the way through (much as I love him). Her voice sounds rather more husky than normal on this recording which only adds to the overall lusciousness of her two ballads.
Those two songs are so lovely - I would so love her to record an album of material like this where she can emote and soar to her heart's content - and mine.
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
|  Jean
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Registered:
6/7/2003 | posted: 7/6/2006 at 8:08:17 AM ET
i link because i can
We've discussed this recording quite a bit, as we have discussed every single aspect of Bernadette's professional life--you might want to take a look at the links to start you off.
and for anyone reading this who doesn't have the CD, or would like the track listing, or, ...:
amazon.com
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 7/7/2006 at 6:07:49 AM ET
Thanks for the link. Your posts made for interesting reading. 'Looks like there was some divided opinion regarding the quality of the musical itself but everyone seems to have loved Bernadette's performance as Maggie - why am I not surprised? My only negative thought about the recording is this - if Tommy Tune was supposed to be playing a Noel Coward type he should certainly have re-thought that dodgy accent. It wasn't even remotely English far less reminiscent of Coward's famously "clipped" tones. Apart from that, I love this recording and think that everyone was pretty fantastic (Carol Burnett included).
As I'm a newbie here it's probably always going to be the case that I'm just re-visiting an old subject as far as you're all concerned. So next time I'll remember to run a search before I even think of starting a (not so)"new" subject.
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 7/7/2006 at 9:11:23 AM ET
I actually listened to it again last night, for the first time in a long time, thinking that might refresh my impressions and give me some new insights, but no luck. I really wanted to post something but just couldn't come up with much to say. The show doesn't inspire me, I guess. I agree about Bernadette's voice being husky. She sounds like she's singing on top of a cold. She handles it very well but sounds as though she might have been holding back a little because of that.
As far as bringing up topics that have been discussed--that's perfectly fine. I think Jean gives the links just to provide more information, not to suggest that the subject is closed.
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 7/7/2006 at 9:30:06 AM ET
No, I totally realise that and immediately wrote to thank Jean for the link as soon as she put it up.
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
| Jean
Registered User
Registered:
6/7/2003 | posted: 7/7/2006 at 12:18:43 PM ET
You're exactly right, Karen, I just love to give as much info as I can about something. Also, we may forget what we said previously about something, so it's nice to refresh the memory (I'm really talking about ME). Finally, some people who may have posted in the past may no longer be posting, yet their thoughts are valuable. And, time constraints, vacation schedules being what they are, not everyone can sit down and pop out their ideas. (And, yes, Scottie, thanks for your PM.)
**Believe me, if I want a conversation to end, there will be not the slightest doubt.**
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 7/8/2006 at 5:16:32 PM ET
quote:
**Believe me, if I want a conversation to end, there will be not the slightest doubt.**
Blimey!
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
| PATTY
Registered User
Registered:
3/1/2003
From:
tonawanda,n.y. | posted: 7/8/2006 at 11:01:15 PM ET
Scottie and all,
I really love those two ballads and thought her voice is great..I like a little husky! I wonder why she doesn't include these in her concerts? Also, I've wondered why she doesn't sing "Tell Me on a Sunday"; "Nothing Like You've Ever Known" and "Come Back With That Same Look in Your Eyes" fom SONG and DANCE? They would be a nice addition/change from some of the numbers in her latest concerts. Yes? Love these songs!
Patty
To the loveliest lady of song!
You will keep on giving me joy forever...
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 7/9/2006 at 11:37:20 AM ET
Patty, I couldn't agree more about those Andrew Lloyd-Webber songs and Bernadette's exquisite singing of them. Rarely before, in any of her preceding stage shows, have we been allowed to witness the full range and expansiveness of her amazing voice.
It seems our Andy does come in for quite a bit of "maestro-bashing" but there is no doubt that he has kept Musical Theatre alive & well & lucrative (for all concerned) pretty much all around the world. He certainly can write a beautiful melody and I think Song And Dance is a wonderful showcase for an actress - not only dramatically but musically too.
Don Black, the Song and Dance lyricist, has been somewhat less than complimentary about Bernadette's casting in the Broadway version of the West End show. I don't think he "got" her acting style and preparation for the role of Emma. Who cares what he thinks! No-one, but no-one, sings and emotes those beautiful ALW songs like Bernadette does.
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 7/9/2006 at 11:48:54 AM ET
What did Don Black have to say?
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 7/10/2006 at 8:18:59 AM ET
I haven't got the book to hand at the moment but when I do I will transcribe the relevant page for you.
But the gist of it was that Don Black was pretty peed off that the story was cranked up a gear or two for the Broadway transfer. He does nothing but moan and whinge about a couple of little changes in the story-line, like making the character find some sort of success as a hat designer etc. I think he was also miffed that Marti Webb (the original Emma) didn't get the Broadway part. Actually, I think he had an agenda and that agenda was Marti Webb, not to mention that he didn't like that they had brought in a big Broadway star for the show. He says he knew then that everything would change.
Regarding Bernadette, I thought he was downright churlish - though he does qualify his criticism by stating that she is one of the nicest women he has ever met.
Apparently BP came over here to London before the NY rehearsals to do some background research into Emma's neighbourhood etc. She also wanted to know things like what Emma's parents were like and what the character's father did for a living and so on. That annoyed Don Black as the father wasn't really mentioned in the show and it seemed bizarre to him that Bernadette would even give it a moments thought.
Nevertheless, he arranged for Maureen Lipman (a brilliant British actress and very funny raconteur) to drive Bernadette around Emma's area of London, Muswell Hill. Bernadette had it in her mind that Emma's dad was someone who may well have owned a corner Sweet Shop and while Maureen was driving her around would say things like "look at that sweet shop - do you think he could work in that one"?
Of course we know what BP was doing and why she was doing it. It's her "method" after all, but it didn't go down well with Mr Black who says that Marti Webb, on the other hand, just went on and "acted" the part without need of that background stuff and was totally brilliant really getting to the heart of "Emma" in her performance.
I think he even states that Bernadette is not generally regarded as one of the best interpreters of the role - but I'll have to double-check that before we all club together to put a contract out on him!
Don Black's attitude reminds me of the famous story about Sir Larry Olivier and Dustin Hoffman when they were filming "Marathon Man". According to show-biz lore, before Hoffman filmed the famous chase sequence, he ran around the block about a zillion times so that he was sweaty, exhausted and breathless for the scene. When he told Olivier why he did it the response from Larry was "why didn't you just try acting it , dear boy?".
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
| Jean
Registered User
Registered:
6/7/2003 | posted: 7/10/2006 at 8:42:09 AM ET
This Don Black stuff is really interesting--Scottie, I'd love to know more. What is the title of the book?
I love the idea of Bernadette doing "research" --she's obviously creating the backstory that we might never see, but maybe that is what it takes for her to create the character that she does. I wonder if that is how she approaches other projects?
a little Don Black
(Patty--I love the idea of her singing some of those songs from her past shows--of course, I'm still lobbying for "Lost in His Arms", and someday maybe I'll get up the nerve to just ask her to please sing it.)
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 7/10/2006 at 9:02:51 AM ET
The book is called "Wrestling with Elephants: The Biography of Don Black" .
It's an amusing read for anyone who is interested in musical theatre as Don Black has done so much. But that's pretty much all he says about Bernadette except for a brief mention of her in THE GOODBYE GIRL. Don Black was asked to re-write the lyrics for TGG when it came to the London stage. The surprising thing about the London production of TGG is that it's not only the lyrics that are different but a lot of the score as well!
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 7/10/2006 at 10:56:07 AM ET
Now that is really a fascinating story. Strange that Black would be so against Bernadette's approach. It's hardly unique to her. Most American actors are trained in some form of that psychological "interior" method of creating character. He obviously knows that. There must be something more to his attitude. Maybe he's resentful because the show got bad reviews in New York and probably would have been a big flop if not for Bernadette's much-talked-about, "eventlike" performance. The fact that Maltby was called in to rework the lyrics probably didn't help his attitude either.
| PTM
Registered User
Registered:
6/26/2003 | posted: 7/10/2006 at 11:00:13 AM ET
Also sending thanks for posting that Don Black info Scottie. I wonder if Black was also not too pleased that Richard Maltby added additional lyrics for the Broadway production.
I've heard that Marathon Man story too, but I think getting background information to help form your character and characterization is kinda different, maybe more like being told your character had been injured and wanting to know how -- shot, stabbed, poisoned. There was some article with Maltby around the time S&D was on Broadway where he talked about Peters having lots more information in her head than what was on the stage -- what the boyfriends looked like and/or where everything in each apartment was or something like that.
Here's something from TheaterMania:
One night, he peeked at cast member Bernadette Peters's notebook. "Bernadette had maybe 30 lines of dialogue in the whole show, so she had written things down to help her [with her character]," he wrote. "She'd made up an entire scene where George [M. Cohan] comes into her room late one night and sits on her bed. He talks about his ambition and his love for his family. It continued, expanding her every moment in the show to help her overcome the brevity of her scenes. She'd done this on her own, and her hard work paid off. She was terrific. I knew that with her talent, brains, ambition, and her mother's help, she would become a star."
http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/7532
PTM
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 7/10/2006 at 1:23:58 PM ET
quote:
Now that is really a fascinating story. Strange that Black would be so against Bernadette's approach. It's hardly unique to her. Most American actors are trained in some form of that psychological "interior" method of creating character. He obviously knows that.
The same "method" training in acting has been in practice in British acting schools for simply yonks. I doubt if that is what Don Black's problem was.
In fact, the best "method actor", IMHO (both on film and stage), is the classically trained Vanessa Redgrave. I have never experienced such electric performances on stage from any other actor other than Vanessa, both in modern plays and Shakespeare, and I say that after a lifetime of seeing so many other "greats" on the London stage. Vanessa's performances are truly something to behold. She is a total acting "God". Mind you, she can't sing for toffee! Check out "Camelot" but still even there her efforts are charming and honest and I'm so glad they didn't over-dub her voice.
She wouldn't even be able to sing one note of Song & Dance however.
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
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