ALWbber/TheWomanInWhite/AnneHathaway

[jo]

The Woman in White --

I saw it in London and on Broadway -- a musicalized version of a Victorian novel.

Loved it!

But I didn't know that Anne Hathaway may have been tapped as initial casting as the younger sister Laura...and ALWebber shared a clip with her -- singing the lovely "I Believe My Heart"

www.broadwayworld.com/article/VIDEO-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-Talks-THE-WOMAN-IN-WHITE-and-Shares-Clip-of-Anne-Hathaway-in-the-Show-20200705

I saw it with Jill Paice who was very good in the role - vulnerable and not as assertive as how Anne seems to portray her.


Jo

[mamaleh]

I saw Jill Paice, too, who was fine during the show’s short Broadway run. Although Anne Hathaway started her career on stage, I think she simply preferred to do films and pretty much gave up the grueling eight performances a week required of stage actors. You have to be a real theater animal (like HJ) to embrace that discipline.

Ellen

[jo]

It looks like Anne was the one who workshopped it a Sydmonton -- the small theatre (converted from a chapel?) where ALW has his estate...and where he premieres the score of his new musicals.

But it wasn't Maria Friedman who sang the role of the older and more challenging role at Sydmonton. But she was in both the London and Broadway original production. The Broadway production was shortlived because Maria was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo treatment. Michael Ball, who replaced Michael Crawford in London, became very sick and lost his singing voice. It seemed that it came from the same illness that happened to Crawford. The fat suit they had to wear caused some form of respiratory infection ( it was made of rubber - I actually saw it - I was invited to meet Michael Ball in his dressing room and he showed me the fat suit).

It was also the first production that made extensive use of computerized projections. One of the most realistic was the oncoming train - so realistic that we almost all ducked! LOL!

Lovely score! Victorian novel!

I wonder if it would have been a good production for filming... it would have made an appealing dramatic musical!

Jo

[mamaleh]

I’ve seen the old 1940s non-musical version of TWIW as well. It’s well done. I’d welcome a film version of the ALW piece.

Ellen

[jo]

I read parts of the original book... but did not fully read everything.

But it is appealing as a dark drama, musically expressed. But will people want to accept again a musical that is on the dark side? And sung-thru? Of course, people's tastes seem to have welcomed the genre back, including those with dark themes. Or serious characterizations, not the Mamma Mia! type of lighthearted fun alone or plain biopics.

If ALW would want to have another of his musicals adapted - I would really prefer to see Sunset Boulevard, altho it pains me that Hugh may have already aged out of the role

Jo