Will T-Mobile Sponsor Opening Night?
LemonWade told you weeks ago that Aaron Lazar will be starring in the upcoming Broadway revival of Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music,” and, later, that Angela Lansbury is rumored to be joining that cast. Today, it’s the New York Post’s Michael Riedel’s turn for the scoop: Catherine Zeta-Jones may be playing Desiree in the production. (No official confirmation yet.) This would be her Broadway debut. I’m sure she would be fine as Desiree. Will she sell tickets? That’s another question. She doesn’t have the drawing power of other recent stars who’ve done Broadway (Julia Roberts, for example). I suspect that Lansbury — who wanted a “name” in the Desiree part — would sell more tickets initially than Zeta-Jones. (Though it’s impossible to quantify these things.) After that, it will be up to good reviews to take the production beyond the Manhattan and Sondheim-loving audience.
Zeta-Jones will indeed make a fine Desiree, and while she’s not as big a “name” as Julia Roberts, she did win an Oscar for a musical performance, and people certainly know who she is!
I happened to see Aaron Lazar in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, and he was absolutely wonderful (not as wonderful on the telecast, but some stage shows just don’t translate to television).
Anyway, this revival sure is another “reason to live.”