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What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?

What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?

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BroadwayConcierge
#1What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/21/18 at 11:35am

Since I saw her in the role a year ago and had the joy of revisiting earlier this summer, I have not been able to stop thinking about how utterly radiant Ms. Murphy was as Dolly Levi. Earlier this morning, she posted maybe the sweetest Instagram post I've ever seen commemorating her final performance. 

Do we know if there's anything on tap for her post-Dolly? I know there was a rumor going around about her maybe being Miranda Priestly in the upcoming Devil Wears Prada musical adaptation. Either way, I already miss having her on Broadway!

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Call_me_jorge
#2What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/21/18 at 11:38am

She’d be a wonderful Miranda.

Wish it was her doing the Dolly tour, but I understand it would be difficult with her child.


In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound. Signed, Theater Workers for a Ceasefire https://theaterworkersforaceasefire.com/statement

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poisonivy2
#3What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/21/18 at 11:52am

I wish she'd play Heidi Hansen. Think she'd be great in that role.

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Wick3
#4What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/21/18 at 11:55am

I also think she'd be great as Miranda Priestley!

From watching her recent interviews she stated that an ideal situation is to work on a TV show based in NYC or something that won't require too much time away from NYC since she has her daughter to take care of too.

Also, I wonder if we'll see more of the 2 actors sharing a role on Broadway (either 7 performances and 1 performance similar to Bette/Donna) or half/half (4 performances a week for each lead actor.) I recall watching a Kelli O'Hara interview where she'd welcome that arrangement as it's better for work-life balance. 

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haterobics
#5What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/21/18 at 12:03pm

Wick3 said: "I recall watching a Kelli O'Hara interview where she'd welcome that arrangement as it's better for work-life balance."

So you just need to find a show right for Kelli and Donna... Easy!

JSquared2
#6What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/21/18 at 12:03pm

poisonivy2 said: "I wish she'd play Heidi Hansen. Think she'd be great in that role."

Heidi is a young(ish) working mother.  Donna Murphy is going to be 60 next year.

 

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RippedMan
#7What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/21/18 at 12:29pm

Donna's voice would sound awful on DEH. She's one of my favorite actresses, but she's not a pop/rock singer. 

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SomethingPeculiar
#8What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/21/18 at 12:49pm

Wick3 said: "Also, I wonder if we'll see more of the 2 actors sharing a role on Broadway (either 7 performances and 1 performance similar to Bette/Donna) or half/half (4 performances a week for each lead actor.) I recall watching a Kelli O'Hara interview where she'd welcome that arrangement as it's better for work-life balance."


I think DOLLY was a unique situation that could only be repeated under similarly unique circumstances...

–– It's a beloved role open to different interpretations, and it's a beloved show that needs a "star" presence. They could have put Linda Mugleston on once a week like the Ham/DEH/MFL alternates, but it probably wouldn't have had the same impact. With DOLLY, there was still an appetite for groups/theatre fans/etc. to see the show without Bette –– something that wouldn't work with a show that became a hit just because of a star's presence.

–– Midler was willing to have an alternate play Tuesday nights...had she said no, they probably would have just stuck to 7 a week.

–– Murphy, a theatre "star" who, frankly, doesn't work very often (probably by her own choice) happened to be available for a few months, and her Passion producer Scott Rudin could talk her into it. And they were smart to have Murphy begin after the Tonys, after the show had been reviewed and established.


Would a "notable" once-a-week alternate work again? Only if the stars aligned... Hypothetically, if Brian Stokes Mitchell stepped in for Denzel Washington or if Mary Louise Wilson stepped in for Glenda Jackson, those shows would probably have a much harder time selling tickets.

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laurensambrose
#9What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/21/18 at 1:11pm

Would love to see her in a Mame revival, even just for a limited run. 

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CATSNYrevival
#10What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/21/18 at 9:30pm

I’d love to see both Bette and Donna do Mame. I doubt it would happen but it’s hard to imagine anyone else right now.

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msmp
#11What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/21/18 at 9:46pm

She'd be an amazing Miranda. Still holding out hope for a Mame revival for her, though.

Jarethan
#12What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 12:36am

I love the idea of Miranda Priestly.  She and especially Bette are too old for Mame, who ages 20 years in the course of the show.  If they ever make another movie of Mame, they would both be good Vera's.

JBC3
#13What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 11:44am

The idea of a two people sharing a lead role for 4/3 or 4/4 performances is so interesting. Love the idea if it would allow top talent to be cast who otherwise would not consider a role. Have no idea how it would play a the box office though.

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SomethingPeculiar
#14What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 12:02pm

JBC3 said: "The idea of a two people sharing a lead role for 4/3 or 4/4 performances is so interesting. Love the idea if it would allow top talent to be cast who otherwise would not consider a role. Have no idea how it would play a the box office though."

It's a cool idea, but getting star actors to commit to Broadway for several weeks is tough enough. I don't think 1/2 the salary of an 8-show week + opportunities for negative comparisons to their counterpart would be appealing. CHICAGO would have jumped on that if it was feasible. 

Producers would probably have better luck getting an star for 8 weeks and another star for the next 8 weeks, instead of two actors sharing the role for 16 weeks.

(To say nothing of the marketing logistics of how to communicate when so-and-so is going to be on. Even with explicit notices on Telecharge about Donna Murphy, there were people who bought tix expecting to see Bette.)

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CATSNYrevival
#15What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 1:08pm

Jarethan said: "I love the idea of Miranda Priestly. She and especially Bette are too old for Mame, who ages 20 years in the course of the show. If they ever make another movie of Mame, they would both be good Vera's."

I think Donna is only about 2 or 3 years older than Lansbury was when she did the revival. I don't think age is really an issue. People won't care. But I don't think Donna could sell a revival of Mame on her own, unfortunately. It would need someone of Bette's stature.

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QueenAlice
#16What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 3:35pm

Murphy looks a decade younger than she is. This board loves to jump on the racist/ sexist band wagon but remains extremely ageist. Can we work on that please?

Murphy would be exquisite as Desiree, Mame, Mrs. Lovett, Margaret White, Medea, most of Chekov’s leading ladies and the list goes on endlessly.

I hope she comes back soon.


“I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then.”

Jarethan
#17What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 9:54pm

CATSNYrevival said: "Jarethan said: "I love the idea of Miranda Priestly. She and especially Bette are too old for Mame, who ages 20 years in the course of the show. If they ever make another movie of Mame, they would both be good Vera's."

I think Donna is only about 2 or 3 years older than Lansbury was when she did the revival. I don't think age is really an issue. People won't care. But I don't think Donna could sell a revival of Mame on her own, unfortunately. It would need someone of Bette's stature.
"

Angela Lansbury was 41 when she did Mame.  She always played older than she was in the movies, which is why you may have assumed she was much older.  Were Lansbury 55 when Mame opened 52 years ago, she would be 107 today.

Bette is WAY TOO OLD to play Mame; also, unlike Dolly, the role of Mame has historically had a good amount of dancing...nothing in Dolly suggested to me that Bette would be up to the dancing demands of Mame, which IMO is a harder role than Dolly.

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NOWaWarning
#18What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 10:05pm

Jarethan, CATSNYrevival was referring to the Broadway revival that ran briefly in ‘83 with a 58 year old Lansbury reprising her role.

Jarethan
#19What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 10:21pm

Good point...I saw that revival 4 times during its short engagement -- it may not be the best, but it is the musical that I have loved the most (along with the original Follies) during the past 50+ years -- so I should have remembered it; however, I do not think the comparison works.  

Lansbury was reprising the role that made her a major Broadway star, after being a well-known supporting performer in the movies for over 20 years.  She was technically too old, but she was Angela Lansbury reprising her star-making performance, and she could still do those kicks in the title number.   Of course, despite that, it still flopped.

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QueenAlice
#20What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 10:35pm

Bette Midler has never been right for the role of Mame. She did a reading of the show back in the 90s as a potential follow up to her TV production of GYPSY and apparently even she realized the role, fun as it is, was a mismatch. Dolly was her role and it obviously worked out quite well.

This has been discussed so many times, but taking the source material at its word -- Mame is a glamorous, upper east side, society WASP. And a big part of the story revolves around the Upsons being completely discriminatory against anyone who is not a pure-blood. If we are talking truly physical ideal types - this is like Nicole Kidman or Gwyneth Paltrow.  She technically is mid-30s at the beginning of the show to mid 50s by the end.

I have no doubt Murphy could pull of the role and be brilliant. She has the requisite glamour, skills and despite her age could easily make this time frame conceivable on stage.  But no, she couldn't really sell tickets enough to headline the show in a major Broadway revival.

Frankly, I'm not really sure who could at the moment.


“I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then.”

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David10086
#21What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 11:02pm

I fell in love with Murphy last September when everyone here  urged me to see "Dolly" with Murphy, and I'm forever grateful. (I loved Peters, too!) . 

If she's looking for a TV series - I can't believe "The Good Fight" hasn't signed her up yet! And before this great show, 'The Good Wife'. What are they thinking? 

Back to Broadway - either "Mame" or "A Little Night Music". She would be terrific in either.

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Sondheimite
#22What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 11:08pm

Mark my words and I may be wrong

but I firmly think there will never be a Broadway revival of Mame.

There's too much plantation sh!t.  It would never fly, it would be incredibly awkward.  The musical isn't like Hello, Dolly! where it's somewhat known and loved by people who aren't Broadway aficionados.  

It'll never happen.

Fun to dream cast, but it'll never ever happen.  


Broadway World's Fireman.

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PianoMann
#23What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 11:31pm

David10086 said: "I fell in love with Murphy last September when everyone here urged me to see "Dolly" with Murphy, and I'm forever grateful. (I loved Peters, too!) .

If she's looking for a TV series - I can't believe "The Good Fight" hasn't signed her up yet! And before this great show, 'The Good Wife'. What are they thinking?
"

When Donna mentioned in a recent interview that she was looking for a series that films in New York before the Dolly offer came along, the first show I had in mind was The Good Fight! Apparently, Donna did one episode of Good Wife as a judge in one of the early seasons (third, I believe), but they could easily bring that character back in a different, recurring capacity. Imagine Christine Baranski, Audra McDonald, and Donna Murphy on screen together every week!

Speaking of Baranski, someone on Twitter pitched a Mame revival with Murphy and Baranski (this time as Vera) and I couldn't think of a pairing that would make me happier!

 

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SomethingPeculiar
#24What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 11:36pm

If only Jerry Herman would let Encores! do MAME (and MACK AND MABEL, and DEAR WORLD).

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Elegance101
#25What Could Be Next for Donna Murphy?
Posted: 8/22/18 at 11:37pm

SomethingPeculiar said: "If only Jerry Herman would let Encores! do MAME (and MACK AND MABEL, and DEAR WORLD)."

Wasn't Mack and Mabel part of Hey, Look Me Over? Was that a different situation?