I have just found out, darlings, that the Massachusetts revival of "The Glass Menagerie," with Cherry Jones, as Amanda, will be coming to Broadway in the Fall!!!!!!!!! Can you believe that Cherry is thought of as old enough to play Amanda?????????? Either we are getting older, dears, or the age meridian of actresses for playing Amanda is getting lower. Maybe a little bit of both!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately, this package also includes Celia Keenan-Bolger in the pivotal role of daughter, Laura. I can't understand why she gets all this work, because, lambs, I am telling you, there is not much to her, either in talent, or height. She is a midget!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I recall her vividly in the ENCORES version of "Merrily We Roll Along." First, in the opening party scene, she was so small, she was hidden, so you could not even spot her character of Mary Flynn. And when you finally did, it was, like, "Huh???????" Plus she couldn't sing the score, for shit! Forget that Ann Morrison owns this role, dears; I have heard other actresses sing Mary, and they were fine. Celia wasn't! And to think she got a TONY nomination for 'Spelling Bee'!!!!!!!!!! Guess the Nominating Committee was scraping the bottom of the barrel that season!!!!!!!!!!!!
As far as I am concerned, loves, she can't even do Musical Theater, so how is she going to handle Tennessee Williams?????????? Laura might be plain, but there is an inner beauty that has to come through, which Jim, the Gentleman Caller, sees in her, and so does her mother, Amanda, only she won't let Laura know, because, in the world of the Wingfields, it is all about Amanda!!!!! In other words, Laura gets denial and no positive reinforcement from her mother. Not really!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Being one who has done everything with "The Glass Menagerie," (including directing it!!!!!!!) save perform it, I feel safe in saying that even I would make a better Laura!!!!!!!!!!! I can do that shyness and innocence act, you better believe THAT, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not even shoe lifts could enhance Celia in this role. What on earth are the producers here thinking????????? This is "The Glass Menagerie," not "The Miracle Worker!"
Then, there is Jennifer Dundas. Another midget actress, but with a difference. She actually has some talent (she was brilliant in the original "Arcadia!!!!!!!!") and, for the most part, gets cast in roles suited to her, so that her height doesn't get in the way. Or maybe it doesn't, because she actually has talent!!!!!!!!! Probably both!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even in the unsuccessful 1997 revival of "The Little Foxes" at the Beaumont, (with a pallid Stockard Channing as the blandest Regina Giddens yet seen!!!!!!!!) Dundas managed to bring some strength of her own, as Alexandra. Especially in the closing scene, where she doesn't say a word, but conveys it all with body movement. I still say that was the best moment in the show, and if the rest of the production had matched that, the whole thing would have been first rate!!!!!!!!! But it wasn't entirely Jennifer or Stockard's fault--Jack O'Brien directed it, and what the hell does he know about doing classic drama???????? But Jennifer triumphed, even if she looked prepubescent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought the species was getting taller as the generations go on, so why keep using midgets when you need actresses?????????????
Were any Munchkins used in the recent "Oz, The Great And Powerful?" Now, Jennifer, and especially, Celia, would have been perfect, there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"You're out of the woods," darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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