Playwright Matthew Lombardo talks Dunaway and "Tea at Five"- Page 3

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 8:05pm

The artwork looks like someone put a wig on Voldemort.

[David10086]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 8:29pm

HogansHero said: "This illuminates that weuse terms like "legendary," "unique," "iconic," "classic" (to pick a few with great currency here) too casually,imprecisely, and in a fashion that ultimately depreciates their meaning. "Legend" connotes extreme fame, and like all of these words, I think using the label out of some historical context is wrong.

There is no such thing as "Legend status" as if there were a rulebook as for the Tonys or Oscars.

And let's not even discuss "epic," a word in vogue as a joke on itself.

ETA: This is not intended to comment substantively on Dunaway."

I agree 100% of what you have said here. 

Can we also eliminate the word 'amazing' from future conversations? Not every actor / actress is 'amazing', not every play or musical is 'amazing' , not every song is 'amazing', not every dance is 'amazing'.  I feel people are just too easily amazed by everything these days. 

Ditto for 'awesome'. 

 

Just my pet peeves....

[logan2]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 1:09am

Candace Malkin - did Dunaway do the distinctive Hepburn voice? Did she do the physical tremors? Thanks

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 8:48am

David10086 said: "Can we also eliminate the word 'amazing' from future conversations? Not every actor / actress is 'amazing', not every play or musical is 'amazing' , not every song is 'amazing', not every dance is 'amazing'. I feel people are just too easily amazed by everything these days.

Ditto for 'awesome'."

Well... I actually don't have a problem with those words because they are expressions of personal reaction (("I was amazed" and "I was struck with awe". We might be depreciating the meaning, which is a very common way that language evolves, and it can certainly be your pet peeve as they are certainly overused, but unlike the other words I mention, we are not suggesting broader universal judgments by employing them. 

[Candice Malkin]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 8:53am

Logan - she did NOT do the Hepburn voice or tremors at all.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 9:42am

And this is now Hepburn at one time period only? I’m still confused about this new incarnation of the play.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 9:49am

Jordan Catalano said: "And this is now Hepburn at one time period only? I’m still confused about this new incarnation of the play. "

For all the obvious reasons, the now one act play focuses on the older Hepburn.  The original version had the younger Hepburn in Act 1 then the older Hepburn in Act 2.  Playwright found audiences responded better to the Act 2 older Hepburn (the ones most were/are familiar with) so he meshed elements and anecdotes from both acts into one act.  

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 10:58am

Candice Malkin said: "Logan - she did NOT do the Hepburn voice or tremors at all."

That's disappointing to hear since in the press Lombardo talks about her coming into the first meeting with the first few pages memorized, dressed as Hepburn and doing the Hepburn voice. 

 

[David10086]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 11:08am

Sounds like this project may still need a lot of fine-tuning if it goes to B'way.

[Candice Malkin]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 11:38am

Well she was dressed like Hepburn. And her hair style was Hepburn. But not her voice or mannerisms.

[PTChazman]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 1:22pm

LMAO
Jordan I hope ur a comedic actor. Made my day.

[EthelMae]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 1:39pm

How can you do an older Hepburn without the voice and tremors? It's like doing an older Bette Davis and forgetting to grab your cigarettes before going on stage.

 

I'm rethinking what I wrote. I mean Metcalf and Lithgow didn't try to look or sound like the Clintons. So maybe...

Updated On: 6/24/19 at 01:39 PM

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 1:40pm

All my aunt said after attending was "Meh" and she ignored my text when I followed up asking if she thinks it can make it to Broadway still. Maybe that was her answer? 

[evic]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 2:37pm

They should have cast Martin Short!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 4:17pm

The entire play should just be this:

 

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 5:05pm

She was truly the Jennifer Lopez of her time.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 5:26pm

I would have loved to know what was going through Dick Cavett's mind while she continued to bitch.

[logan2]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 7:40pm

Does anyone know when the critics arrive to review this?

I'm starting to have a familiar feeling of dread (I may have to take to my bed).

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 9:35pm

That clip is amazing.

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 10:30pm

Going back the Oscar ceremony from two years ago, there was sooo much buzz and hoopla about Dunaway and Beatty being reunited to present Best Picture, only to be overshadowed by mistakenly having the wrong envelope and reciting the wrong winner.  I am not sure if she feels that she has to prove something by returning to the stage, but I remember how awkward she seemed on New Year's Eve with Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper, especially with him fawning over her like a schoolgirl...

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/26/19 at 5:24pm

I saw the show today. As far as Faye goes, she knew her lines. She stumbled quite a bit and it took her some time to get to some of them but she finally got there.
Overall it was a bizarre show. I kept finding myself thinking “I didnt know Faye Dunaway knew Spencer Tracy” or any of the people she talked about and kept having to remind myself that she’s supposed to be Hepburn. But she didn’t embody Hepburn at all or try to sound like her, so I was just always aware that was watching Faye Dunaway. Someone mentioned Laurie Metcalf not sounding or looking like Clinton but my response to that is Dunaway is done up to look (as much as she can) like Hepburn so not sounding or moving like her is all the more noticeable.

The mezz was maybe 20% filled with only seats up front and they were moving everyone. And this was one of the more sold performances listed on their site. I’m glad I saw it but I would be shocked if this actually made it to Broadway.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/27/19 at 8:33am

For a solid decade and a half Dunaway defined the new Hollywood by combined dint of very fine acting, not at all rare in her generation, and movie star glamor, very rare in her generation.

This creme de la creme then curdled; into a third rate burlesque not even of herself, but of a fallen diva out of a Gore Vidal novel as rewritten by Harold Robbins. 

It's still sad.

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 6/27/19 at 9:18am

Jordan Catalano said: "I saw the show today. As far as Faye goes, she knew her lines. She stumbled quite a bit and it took her some time to get to some of them but she finally got there.
Overall it was a bizarre show. I kept finding myself thinking “I didnt know Faye Dunaway knew Spencer Tracy” or any of the people she talked about and kept having to remind myself that she’s supposed to be Hepburn. But she didn’t embody Hepburn at all or try to sound like her, so I was just always aware that was watching Faye Dunaway. Someone mentioned Laurie Metcalf not sounding or looking like Clinton but my response to that is Dunaway is done up to look (as much as she can) like Hepburn so not sounding or moving like her is all the more noticeable.

The mezz was maybe 20% filled with only seats up front and they were moving everyone. And this was one of the more sold performances listed on their site. I’m glad I saw it but I would be shocked if this actually made it to Broadway.
"

While I didn't like Hillary and Clinton really, Metcalf worked so well because she embodied the character. It wasnt an impression of Hillary it was an embodiment. Thats the best thing an actor can do, fully embrace and embody your character. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 6/27/19 at 9:40am

I haven't read the new revision of the script but I feel like the production with Kate Mulgrew (which I saw) was one of those evenings that was mostly about how much the actor was able to pull off a spot on impersonation.  So I'm surprised to learn Dunaway isn't doing any attempt to characterize Hepburn.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/27/19 at 9:59am

"This creme de la creme then curdled; into a third rate burlesque not even of herself, but of a fallen diva out of a Gore Vidal novel as rewritten by Harold Robbin"

^^^^This. 

And again, this is why the whole affair confounds me. There was a first rate production with a performance from Mulgrew that people appreciated and remember. People cite it in comments sections when articles about the new production are posted. In interviews, Lombardo says when he thought of a revival the first person he thought of was Dunaway. Really? Is he basing that on work she did 40 years ago? Has he seen her do anything in the past 20 years of note she could tackle the role. 

I'm all for not impersonating someone, but if you are going the literal route with the wig and the look then I feel something needs to be attempted, especially since in interviews Lombardo notes she nailed the voice and the manner. 

This all seems so strange to me.