[what_the_heck013]

A lot of people who I have talked to have said that Compnay would not work/would make a bad film, but I disagree. I actually think it would be wonderfully on screen. What do y'all think? What would you change and how would you present certain songs/scenes.

[RainbowJude]

I think that the film should be directed by Woody Allen with Hugh Jackman as Bobby.

Later days
David

Musical Pick of the Day: The Frogs by Stephen Sondheim.

[Descartes]

Sam Mendes directed a movie of the musical in 1996. It wasn't too good, as the IMDb entry for it says.

Des.

[what_the_heck013]

There has already been a movie? Wow. That's... odd.

Anyways, in a NEW version, I would have Christine Baranski as Joanne and Bette Midler as Jenny.

[RainbowJude]

[Descartes]

You're correct. I am tripped by my wording of phrases yet again. Many thanks.

Des.

[belleboi80]

[RainbowJude]

[Salome]

Jessica Lange as Joanne. Stockard Channing never appealed to me in musicals.

[RainbowJude]

I don't know whether Jessica Lange has ever appealed to me in anything. And it's not that I think she's bad or anything. Her work has never made any particular impression on me at all.

So I'll keep on imagining Stockard Channing. She'd be my ideal film Joanne at this point point in time. The more I think about it, the more I like it.

Later days
David

[Salome]

Lange is one of America's true great actresses. She is also the leading female interpreter of Tennessee Williams.

Lange has all the qualities for a great Joanne.


Never bene a fan of Stockard Channing. she was dreaful in th revival of Lion in Winter. she was boring in Grease., Annoying in Six Degrees of Seperation.
Correction; she was good on West Wing. but thats the only thing I really liked her in.

[RainbowJude]

[Salome]

[RainbowJude]

My earlier post clearly implied that, yes, I have seen some of her work. Yes, I have seen the two Williams TV productions. No, I have no seen Francis.

But ultimately, this is just one of those things where I have my own opinion on the matter - I didn't say she was bad, although I implied something like that in my admittedly snarky reply to your post, for which I'm sorry, and will explain further to you in a PM. I just said that her work hadn't made any particular impression on me. That's all.

Later days
David

[Matthew]

I still think that the Bette Midler as Jenny comment was funny.

[will2787]

Hugh Jackman as Bobby for sure...

Bernadette Peters as Joanne...?
Kristen Chenoweth as Jenny...
Or Bernadette Peters as Amy...?

Good topic...

[Salome]

dont let Cheno anywhere near Sondheim please.

Bernadette is too old for Amy and the wrong type for Joanne. I could see Bernadette as Sarah easily.

[will2787]

bernadette as sarah? boring.

why not cheno as jenny? can't you imagine "it's not in my constitution."? she could toughen up a bit.

jane krakowski in there somewhere?

[Salome]

Sarah is one of the best female roles in the show! the Karate scene is perfection!

[Matthew]

[will2787]

i wasn't insulting bernadette. the last time i saw company, sarah wasnt done very well. she kind of bored me. any more thoughts?

[DriveAPersonCrazy]

no role in this show can ever be fairly labeled 'boring'.

the actors? perhaps.


but not the role.

[Salome]

so true. and sarah is one of the top 3 female roles along with Joanne and Amy

[Che]

jane krakowski needs to be april, as she was in the '95 revival.

jackman would be *okay* as bobby, but i wonder if he could capture the real nature of him...the inward qualities, the personal intensity of his revelations and such.

bernadette is perhaps my favorite performer in the world, but i don't really see her in company. kristin is great too, but i also don't really see her in company.

carol burnett as joanne (although i liked the jessica lange idea, if she can sing it. i've never heard her).

and here's a quote from the reviewer of the sam mendes version from imdb: "Though 'Company' was something of a sensation in time, it is the least enduring of all Sondheim's musicals. The intrinsic weakness of George Furth's book is glaringly apparent. The characters are hopelessly stereotypical leaving little credibility to the supposed relationships between the couples and their single friend Bobby. Bobby in his single predicament is dealt with superficially. We learn very little about what has really brought him to this point in his life. The bulk of this work tells us that marriage is tough. That's about the sum of it."

ummm...what? this is perhaps the most brilliant book ever written to any musical EVER! it is sparse, but necessarily so to create the atmosphere and point desired. i would like to see that filmed version. the general audience gave it a 7.7/10 review. doesn't sound *too* bad to me...

love all
che

[Salome]

Carol is way too old for Joanne. Carol is in her 70s!!

Joanne shouldnt be older than early 50s.

[Monsieur D'Arque]

Rumour has it the movie is back in production, for a late 2008-early 2009 premiere...

[ErikProuvaire]

[postmodern-mango-salsa]

I vote for Raul Esparza for Bobby.

I mean, if he can do it onstage, I'm sure he can do it on film...
and I really think he did a great job

[Salome]

they wont cast an unknown as Bobby.

[postmodern-mango-salsa]

Raul an unknown?

oh wait, I keep forgetting not everyone's a theatre person ><

I could SEE Jared Leto as Bobby, whether he could act like him or not, though, that's something different.

[Monsieur D'Arque]

Can Lee Pace sing?

[Don't Tell Mama]

As far as movies go, Raul technically is an unknown, save for his appearances on Pushing Daisies and Find Me Guilty.


Lee Pace, though, I could see him as Bobby. He has the charisma for it.

[Monsieur D'Arque]

Now that we've agreed on Pace, it kind of amuses me that the whole cast of Pushing Daisies (basically all stars of the Broadway stage) could be in a big musical movie together. Heh.

[mastachen]

[pish123c]

[mastachen]

oh. That makes more sense.

[Monsieur D'Arque]

Hence my comment about Pushing Daisies. The mainstream public only knows him as Alfredo on PD.

[Brock07]

IMDB still has the movie listed for 2008.....I REALLY don't see it happening though....

[IndigoMedusa]

Company could make a brilliant film if done properly.


You know who I think would be the perfect director? Adam Shankman, the guy who did Hairspray. To quote Sondheim, "Company is about middle class people with middle class problems." Adam's got that under his thumb. I could totally see "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" panelled over a series of miniclips, like in "I Can Hear the Bells"

[Sweeney Hyde]

[Monsieur D'Arque]

David Lynch. He has a musical inclination... just look at the use of music and singing, switching from "real" music to music integrated into the scene and plot. "Twin Peaks" is a brilliant example of why Lynch should direct Company.

That and the fact that all the characters are slightly skewed in a Lynchian way.

[rytoast25]

ome one like meryl streep would make a good joanne i think.




extra little tidbit: have i got a girl for you taking place in a gym with like tredmills and stuff!

[Salome]

streep's a bit too old shes in her 50s.