#reno sweeney

[weirdosyringe]

what if her name was reno freakney and nothing changed

(more little stuff under the cut, me practicing my personal interpretation-design and stuff like that ^_^)

[omjitskailay]

I just watched Anything Goes for the first time (a recently posted bootleg with the great sutton foster) and I was not prepared for the marvelously unhinged masterpiece that it was

I think Cole Porter really just wanted to write a musical consisting entirely of dance breaks for a brilliant and hilarious character but then he realized he needed a plot so he made a quick love triangle around her except she was the only interesting character in this triangle

Then he was like what we really need on this boat are a couple of gangsters so in comes moonface marvin and his slutty little sidekick who doesn't listen to a word he says, and he has the aforementioned gangster sing a song about a bluebird while making some extremely talented lights person make a spotlight sit in his hand

And then he writes a song with the two interesting characters (no they're not the main characters no not at all how can they be they're not in love) sing a song about being friends but they end up arguing and breaking the fourth wall to the extent of interacting with the pit conductor (are there any other musicals that do this? Falsettos does by having the 'band' wave at the audience but that's all I can think of)

And then he was like shoot I gotta wrap this up let's just have everyone get married so we end with a triumphant triple wedding and reno sweeney and Lord Evie sing "iT's DeLiCiOuS like the charming little weirdos they are

[ginnyweatherby]

she really said:

[hitchell-mope]

Anything Goes fancast.

Liz Gillies. Reno Sweeney.

Eddie Redmayne. Evelyn Oakleigh

Joshua Bassett. Billy Crocker

Sofia Wylie. Hope Harcourt

Audra McDonald. Evangeline Harcourt.

Christian Borle. Elisha J Whitney

Jake Gyllenhaal. Moonface Martin

Sabrina Carpenter. Erma.

[tobbogan-13]

does sutton foster ever like, breathe

[onesingulartheaterkid]

another batch of quotes

Reno’s Angel: Stripper poses!

~~~

Musical Director: That is such a Chad line. 

~~~

Musical Director: You’re gonna stay clothed. 

Erma: Yay!

~~~

Moonface Martin: (playing piano)

Director: Maestro. El fin.

~~~

(Billy, Moonface, and Director trying to figure out how to pronounce cabbage in French)

Whitney: I thought it was cabbage. 

[thesobsister]

After watching Jonathan Groff's Miscast tribute to Sutton Foster's performance of "Anything Goes," I had to go back and watch the original. Here it is, at the 65th Tony Awards, and it's worth the five minutes. If you've felt the need for more time steps in your day, dig in.

[sixbucks]

[marybeatriceofmodena]

What did Andrew Lloyd Webber do to make Patti Lupone upset? Sorry, saw your tags and i was curious

Oh.

Oh honey.

You sweet child.

Anyway, get ready for one of the most infamous showdowns in all musical theatre history, with the guy who writes the straightest musicals on Broadway (derogatory) and the one and only, the matriarch, the queen, two three-time Tony award winner Patti LuPone.

So, Andrew Lloyd Webber was basically kind of a boy genius in his prime - he met his future collaborator Tim Rice when they were 17 and 20 respectively, he wrote his first big hit, Jesus Christ Superstar, at 22, with Tim Rice writing the lyrics. And it was kind of a big deal at the time because the topic was controversial (you know, the Passion with rock music), but also because Broadway wasn't that far off from its golden age and let's just say the music and style were very different from, say, My Fair Lady. Or The Sound of Music. Or Funny Girl. It was basically the Rent/Hamilton of its time. (Yeah, Stephen Sondheim was around at that time, he worked on West Side Story which was revolutionary in of itself, but he's kind of an oddball in this case. You'll understand why later.)

Their real follow up (I'm not counting Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for a variety of reasons) was a little musical called Evita, which you might know mainly because of a song called Don't Cry For Me Argentina. Or at least, your mom has probably heard it once at the very least. It's that song that's oversung from a musical while being out of context along with I Dreamed a Dream for Les Misérables. Or Memory from Cats.

Evita tells the story of Eva Peron, the wife of an Argentinian dictator, who basically screws her way to the top and ends up becoming the mistress of Juan Peron and the most beloved woman in her country through guile and deceit. Yes, I know the historical accuracy is very much debated but I know jackshit about Argentina's history except the bare basics so don't come at me. It was first produced in the West End in London, with Elaine Paige in the role, but because of Equity issues, she couldn't reprise her role for the Broadway production. So a Julliard graduate who was mostly starring in David Mamet plays got the part instead, and that was Patti LuPone.

Patti... did not have a good time during Evita, because the part is basically the kind of score where you can tell the composer is used to writing male parts, but most female singers have a two-octave range (yes, you got Julie Andrews who used to have a three-octave range, and many others, but they're exceptions), so she struggled a lot. That being said, if you listen to live recordings of her, you wouldn't be able to tell, and it got a lot easier later on. But she had this to say:

"Evita was the worst experience of my life. I was screaming my way through a part that could only have been written by a man who hates women. And I had no support from the producers, who wanted a star performance onstage but treated me as an unknown backstage. It was like Beirut, and I fought like a banshee."

This is from Patti's autobiography, which she wrote in 2007 - 8 years after shit with ALW went down. With all that said, she won a Tony Award for Evita, and she pretty much became a musical theatre household name from then on. She played Fantine in Les Misérables, Nancy in Oliver!, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes. Meanwhile, ALW's next big hits were Cats (I'm not even kidding, Cats was a hit), and, you guessed it, The Phantom of the Opera, which he wrote in part to showcase his then wife Sarah Brightman's triple threat talents.

So, you need to understand before I continue that ALW, from my perspective, has always had a bit of an inferiority complex. He's basically associated to writing these commercially successful musicals that show a big spectacle but aren't ultimately substantial. I'm not sure I entirely agree with that, but I do think that if he didn't have Hal Prince, Maria Bjornson, Charles Hart and Gillian Lynne backing him up for Phantom, it would have probably been a Rocky Horror Picture Show knockoff people would have forgotten about pretty quickly. This is what I mean:

Yep, that was Phantom before any of the people I mentioned above (and Michael Crawford) were really involved.

Remember how I said Stephen Sondheim was an oddball? The thing with him is that his musicals weren't always commercially successful, but in general, in part thanks to being Leonard Bernstein's protégé, he was generally pretty well-respected and it was considered that his work was bringing musicals to a whole other level. Without Sondheim, you wouldn't have Jonathan Larson, and you wouldn't have Lin-Manuel Miranda. I am convinced ALW is resentful of that, and when you stop and think about it for more than 10 seconds, it's so obvious he REALLY wants to be Sondheim or at least command the same level of respect, but that's a story for another day.

So, after Phantom, ALW had other musicals that followed that either got a meh reception or outright flopped. Then there was Sunset Boulevard, which is based on the movie of the same name with Gloria Swanson. Despite all of her griefs for Evita, Patti LuPone agreed to partake in the musical as Norma Desmond, for its production in London, with the promise that she would transfer to Broadway once that production would open. And overall, after a string of flops, Sunset was actually doing pretty well.

HOWEVER. One day, while reading the gossip column of a newspaper, Patti found out that contrary to what she was promised, Glenn Close, who was meanwhile starring as Norma in the Los Angeles production, was to play Norma on Broadway. That was a complete surprise for her since no one on the production team had bothered to tell her it was happening - and keep in mind that for the news to come up the way it did in a gossip column, it probably would have necessitated a delay of a few weeks between the producers and the newspaper, which would have given them plenty of time to break the news to Patti. And Patti kind of needed the leg up because she was pretty bitter that a) Madonna was cast in the Evita adaptation instead of her; b) they actually lowered the key to fit Madonna's voice range, and she still had to expand her own to be able to sing the (lowered) score. And trust me, Patti is mad about it to this day.

So of course, she trashed her dressing room, the cast and crew weren't even mad about it because they were as shocked and angered as she was by the news. Patti sued Andrew Lloyd Webber for breach of contract, namely for 1 MILLION DOLLARS (yup, those are the real numbers), won, used the money she got from the lawsuit to get a swimming pool, which she called (and I SHIT YOU NOT) the Andrew Lloyd Webber Memorial Pool. Since then, Webber is dead to her, to the point rumor has it she had part of a building blocked during an event so she could get out of it without coming across Webber, because she hates him so flipping much she doesn't even want to be in the same building as the guy.

(There's also drama that happened with Faye Dunaway who was supposed to replace Glenn Close after she went from Los Angeles to Broadway, except they abruptly closed the show down after Close left, but that's a story for another day)

So with all the bad press, and with ALW forced to pay 1 million dollars for Patti's lawsuit, that led Sunset's productions to close earlier than expected. ALW has stayed around since, with... mitigated output, so to say. The lowest point for a lot of people is Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom, which some people love, and that's fine, but it didn't do well with either critics nor fans of the original show, which ALW is EXTREMELY BUTTHURT ABOUT. And like, there are so many stories I could tell about LND alone, but I will share my own crack theory about it, since it does relate to the ask.

Anyway, buckle up.

So. There have been jokes going around for years that the Phantom in LND is basically ALW's self-insert, where he displays to the world that he's totally not over Sarah Brightman leaving him (in part because making Phantom kinda ruined their marriage lmao), despite, you know, having married since. (Aaaaaakward.) So LND basically becomes this really uncomfortable therapy session where a man writes a self-insert musical about how his ex-wife made a big mistake of leaving a sensitive artistic soul such as himself. The characters from Phantom who appear in LND are all more or less unrecognizable as a result, and one who gets it worse (in my humble opinion) is Meg Giry, who was basically Christine's sweet and loyal ballerina friend who basically went into the Phantom's lair on her own to save her friend despite the danger. In LND, she's basically a bitter hag (because ALW hates women, guess Patti was right about that), who really likes the swim and even has a stripping vaudeville number about it, written in universe by the Phantom, no less.

For comparison, here's Don Juan Triumphant (the Phantom's opera in the original):

And here's Bathing Beauty (the vaudeville number):

Yeah, so... do you see why people hate LND already?

And that's not the only thing with Meg! She's also pining for the Phantom to pay attention to her and threatens to drown the Phantom and Christine's secret love child when he makes it clear that he's gonna love Christine for EVA AND EVA.

So, with everything we learned today about ALW, would someone like him view someone like Patti LuPone as some sort of crazy, bitter diva who's obsessed with him for whatever reason? Absolutely. Would he be petty enough to insert Patti LuPone into his self-insert musical, which gave us the version of Meg Giry we got in LND? Of course. Why does Meg love to swim so much and why does she drag Gustave out ostensibly for a swim? Is it a dig at Patti's Andrew Lloyd Webber Memorial Pool? Maybe.

I kind of hope we find out one day if that theory is true. And maybe start a kickstarter so Patti can add this painting from the 2004 movie in her collection.

Fun fact: during the process of casting for the 2004 movie adaptation of POTO, ALW allegedly suggested Patti LuPone to play Carlotta... only for Joel Schumacher to have to awkwardly remind him that they were not on speaking terms. The idea was therefore promptly dropped.

[throwing-in-the-towel]

because this one i have fun pondering: what do you think each principal actor could do as their next role after outsiders? any revivals/characters you'd love to see them play?

oh gosh. gonna have to think on this one. i'm gonna make some bullet points so bear with me LOL:

brody - honestly..marty mcfly in "back to the future" which is funny considering casey likes was the og ponyboy😅

sky - seth in "kimberly akimbo" or literally throw him back in deh so i can see him!!!!!

emma - reno sweeney from "anything goes" was the first thing that came to mind???? so im gonna go with my gut there

josh - aaron burr in "hamilton" i need to hear him sing 'wait for it'

brent - dmitry in "anastasia" ... WALK WITH ME.....

jason - christian in "moulin rouge" or jamie in "the last five years" …again...WALK WITH ME...lets also throw in conrad birdie in "bye bye birdie" just for fun! and kenickie in "grease" ok ill stop now

daryl - honestly, i would choose to keep him as two-bit b/c he's so perfect and i can't imagine him doing anything else. maybe a shark in wss? but he's so perfect here. i could also throw in laurens/philip in "hamilton"

dan - jack kelly in "newsies" and i feel so strongly about this

kwp - ANYONE in "jersey boys" don't ask questions.

[broadwaydivastournament]

Movie Musical Divas Tournament: Round 4

Ethel Merman (1908-1984): Call Me Madam (1953 - Sally Adams) | There's No Business Like Show Business (1954 - Molly Donahue) | Anything Goes (1936 - Reno Sweeney)

"She's MOTHER! The most iconic MILF in Hollywood" - anonymous

Miss Piggy (Never ask a lady her age): The Muppet Movie (1979) | The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) | Emily Crachitt in The Muppet Christmas Carol | (1992) Benjamina in Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

"Maintaining the status of diva/star/fashion icon for even a few years is difficult, but Miss Piggy has been doing this with ease for decades now. Unironically, the fact that we’re all so attached to her like we would be with any other celebrity is a testament to the level of talent that goes into every single one of her performances." - anonymous

This is Round 4 of the Movie Musical Divas tournament. Additional polls in this round may be found by searching #mmround4, or by clicking the link below. Add your propaganda and support by reblogging this post.

ADDITIONAL PROPAGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT: ALL POLLS HERE

Ethel Merman:

"Originated so many classic Broadway roles and songs. I Get a Kick Out of You, Rose’s Turn, There’s No Business Like Show Business, we could go on but we’d be here all night." - anonymous

Photos and video submitted by: anonymous

Miss Piggy:

Photos submitted by: @funnygirlthatbelle | Photos and video submitted by: anonymous

[europeanmusicals]

Based on Daphne Du Maurier’s 1938 novel, by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, two of the most successful German-language musical theatre creators, ‘Rebecca’ has already captivated more than two million people worldwide in hugely successful productions in 12 countries and 10 languages. ‘Rebecca’ had its world premiere at VBW’s Raimund Theater in Vienna, Austria, in September 2006, where it went on to play to sold-out houses in three seasons, and where it is currently enjoying a hugely successful revival. Richard Carson (Maxim de Winter) has appeared in several major West End musicals including‘Les Miserable’s, ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’, ‘Mamma Mia!’ and ‘Miss Saigon’. Lauren Jones (Second Mrs de Winter) recently appeared in the West End production of ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ as Trish and alternate Bonnie. Kara Lane (Mrs Danvers) was Alice in ‘The Addams Family - the Musical Comedy’, Winifred Banks in ‘Mary Poppins’, Reno Sweeney in ’Anything Goes’ at Kilworth House, ‘Mary Magdalene’ in Jesus Christ Superstar’ and Magenta in ‘The Rocky Horror Show’. The rest of the cast are: Alex James-Ward, Piers Bate, Sarah Harlington, David Breeds, Amanda Minihan, Neil Moors, Nicholas Lumley, Nigel-Joseph Francis, Elliot Swann, Scott McClure, Emily Apps, Melanie Bright, Gail MacKinnon, Tarisha Rommick, James Mateo-Salt, Rosie Glossop. Rebecca will play a strictly limited engagement from 4 September – 18 November 2023. 

[Source: Charring Cross Theatre Newsletter]

[ginnyweatherby]

I found a copy of the 80's Anything Goes album and it was... it was a good purchase, I have to admit

[hitchell-mope]

MCU/Anything Goes au

Natasha. Reno Sweeney.

Bruce. Evelyn Oakleigh.

Steve. Billy Crocker.

Wanda. Hope Harcourt.

Tony. Moonface Martin.

Darcy. Erma.

Hank. Elisha J. Whitney.

Janet. Evangeline Harcourt.

[vintagestagehotties]

Hot Vintage Stage Actress Round 1

Ethel Merman: Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes (1934 Broadway); Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun (1946 Broadway); Mrs Sally Adams in Call Me Madam (1951 Broadway); Liz Livingstone in Happy Hunting (1957 Broadway); Rose Hovick in Gypsy (1960 Broadway)

Juanita Hall: Bloody Mary in South Pacific (1949 Broadway); Madame Tango in House of Flowers (1954 Broadway); Madam Liang in Flower Drum Song (1958 Broadway)

Propaganda under the cut

Ethel Merman:

She is THE star!

She doesn’t even need propaganda so here’s a story copied from wikipedia about an absolutely iconic comeback she had to her fourth husband, the big dick energy is off the charts: An oft recounted story from their short marriage demonstrated the volatility of their relationship. When Borgnine asked Merman how her audition had gone, she replied: "Well, they were mad about my 35-year-old body, my 35-year-old voice, and my 35-year-old face." "Is that so?" Borgnine responded. "And what did they think of your 65-year-old cunt?" Without missing a beat, Merman retorted: "You weren’t mentioned once."

I know this song is having a moment on TikTok with a different singer, but considering she's been bumped from the film bracket and really is better known for her theatre work, it IS her turn!

From a movie role but shows the kind of presence she could have in stage settings!

Juanita Hall:

[sapphire-to-the-rain]

did you think i was joking about plasma as reno sweeney. i wasnt