The New Marge MacDougal?

I saw this photo on the Promises, Promises facebook page and I just had to post it. This fan dressed up as Marge and next to Katie Finneran, she looks pretty darn close to perfect! The owl is my favorite!

Promises Promises Welcomes a New Marge MacDougal

Funny Lady Molly Shannon will follow Katie Finneran in the role of Marge MacDougal in the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises. Finneran announced recently that she will be leaving the show in October to have a baby. Shannon will step into Marge's owl feathers on October 12th and leave on December 26th with current stars Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes. This casting change will be a reunion of sorts for Shannon and Hayes as she guest starred on several episodes of the hit comedy Will & Grace.

Katie Finneran to Leave Promises, Promises

Congratulations to newlyweds Katie Finneran and Darren Goldstein who are expecting their first child! Katie recently won a Tony award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises. Her last show will be October 10th. Finneran's performance is certainly not to be missed! The actress who replaces her will surely have big shoes to fill. To read my review of the show, click on the link below.


http://backstagebarbie.blogspot.com/2010/06/promises-promises.html

My 2010 TONY Predictions: Performances

Best Leading Actor in a Play: Jude Law, Hamlet, Denzel Washington, Fences, Liev Schreiber, A View From The Bridge, Alfred Molina, Red, Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane

My Pick: Liev Schreiber-- I believe I am going out on a limb here as Washington and Molina seem to be the front-runners, but my gut is telling me that Schreiber is gaining on them and will pull ahead in the race by TONY time.

Best Leading Actress in a Play: Viola Davis, Fences, Jan Maxwell, The Royal Family, Valerie Harper, Looped, Laura Linney, Time Stands Still, Linda Lavin, Collected Stories

My Pick: Viola Davis-- since I am snubbing Denzel, it is only fair to reward the other have of Fences' dynamic leading couple. Davis' performance is utterly heart-wrenching and because hers is one of the few plays still running, her interpretation lives in recent memory.

Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises, Chad Kimball, Memphis, Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles, Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles, Sahr Ngaujah, Fela

My Pick: Douglas Hodge-- this is another one of those categories that seems almost set in stone. Hodge is simply a revelation on stage, but to the credit of the other nominees, no other actor this season has been given the material to thrive on that Hodge has received in the character of Albin.

Best Leading Actress in a Musical: Kate Baldwin, Finian's Rainbow, Montego Glover, Memphis, Christiane Noll, Ragtime, Sherie Renee Scott, Everyday Rapture, Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music

My Pick: Kristin Chenoweth--oh wait--she was the best singer of the season, not the best actress, so my close second will be Catherine Zeta-Jones-- though not a singer by trade, this impeccably trained actress is the star of the season and rightfully deserves recognition for her interpretation of Desiree.

Best Featured Actor in a Play: David Alan Grier, Race, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences, Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts, Stephen Kunken, Enron, Eddie Redmayne, Red

My Pick: Eddie Redmayne-- I'm really feeling the love for this play! Redmayne is particularly notable in this production because he had the task of playing a character that was the amalgamation of many different men. While Alfred Molina could develop his performance in the play based on Rothko, a person who actually exists, Redmayne created a truly original character based on a compilations of Rothko's various assistants.

Best Featured Actress in a Play: Maria Dizzia, In The Next Room/The Vibrator Play, Rosemary Harris, The Royal Family, Jessica Hecht, A View From The Bridge, Scarlett Johansson, A View From The Bridge, Jan Maxwell, Lend Me A Tenor

My Pick: Jan Maxwell-- the woman was nominated twice this season, she has to win one of them, and this is arguably her stronger performance which should be good enough to topple the other talented women in the category.

Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Kevin Chamberlin, The Adams Family, Robin De Jesus, La Cage aux Folles, Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian's Rainbow, Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet, Bobby Steggert, Ragtime

My Pick: Bobby Steggert-- I'm going to take a huge leap of faith and hope that the impeccable, tour de force performance by Steggert in the long-gone revival of Ragtime will be remembered by the voters. It seems that Levi Kreis is the name on everybody's lips these days but if the award is truly for 'best performance,' Steggert is my choice.

Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim, Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises, Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music, Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away, Lillias White, Fela

My Pick: Katie Finneran, Katie Finneran, Katie Finneran-- there are many words to describe Katie Finneran's performance in Promises, Promises. Among them, firecracker, dynamite, and dare I say it, the highlight of the entire Broadway season. Her ten minutes on stage give the audience the experience of being shot out of a cannon in a whirl of hilarity. I knew her performance was something special when it caught the attention of my dad-- because lets just say my love of the theatre does not come from that side of the family. If I were a betting woman, I would say that Finneran's win in this category is the surest of sure things in this entire awards presentation.

Promises, Promises

The 2010 revival of Promises, Promises promotes itself as a musical comedy, which is exactly what it is—a fun night at the theatre. Written by legendary playwright Neil Simon, it is no surprise that this reads more as a play with music than a musical. This certainly is not a negative thing, simply a credit to how strong the plot is. The Burt Bacharach & Hal David tunes, while they certainly do not show off vocal virtuosity, are American classics and widely recognized.

Sean Hayes makes his Broadway debut in the role of Chuck Baxter and it is about time. Hayes seems so comfortable on stage, making him perfect for this role where he breaks the fourth wall and frequently addresses the audience. He is so generous and personable that we feel that we know him by the end of the performance. His singing is less than spectacular, but we are willing to forgive that because he is so skilled as an actor. We sympathize with Chuck as he seeks to climb the corporate ladder and even get behind his less than moral strategy as he shares his bachelor pad with high-ranking executives for their extramarital affairs. We even pity Chuck when he cannot seem to get the attention of Fran, the office cafeteria hostess that he secretly loves. Always the good guy, Chuck eventually realizes that he would rather not have a job at all than work for a slimy, cheating boss and quits. The fact that he gets Fran in the end softens the blow.

Kristin Chenoweth plays the role of Fran Kubelik and the moment she steps on stage, she receives an incredible round of applause—her reputation precedes her. There is nobody that sings like Kristin Chenoweth and she knocks every number out of the park, even with the trachea infection she was experiencing during this specific show. She has fabulous acting chops too, but I just struggled to believe her in this role. My love for Kristin Chenoweth is very deep, she is my idol, we all know that. But there is just something to be said for the perfect marriage of a performer and a role and it simply did not happen in this case. She is so gifted and charismatic and it is truly a shame that she was not given a role worthy of her talent.

Katie Finneran in the role of Marge MacDougall is a firecracker, sending the show into the stratosphere for the two brief scenes that she is on stage. Finneran takes a huge risk in her portrayal of Marge as she tiptoes the fine line between unexpected hilarity and just plain over the top. She stays on the safe side because her character is so grounded and realistic. With her crazy antics, Marge seduces Chuck and is able to take his mind off of Fran. Finneran truly invests in this role and the audience believes everything that comes out of her mouth. From her dark red wig to her low, brassy voice, Marge looks nothing like Katie and this is truly a transformation.

I wanted terribly to fall in love with this production, I really did. After all it has all the right ingredients, praised source material, a sitcom actor, a phenomenal supporting cast, and not to mention my idol, but even with all of these assets, there is something missing. A running theme in all of my favorite musicals is a personal connection to a character or the story, but that simply did not happen for me in this show. I guess it was my assumption that with Chenoweth in the role, I would have an instant connection to Fran, when in actuality we have nothing in common. Even though nothing in the show pulled at my heartstrings, Promises, Promises is nevertheless enjoyable and entertaining and after all, is that not the reason we attend the theatre?m