45 replies to this topic

[Alexandra]

Okay.  It's irresistible.  Here's the deal.

You get to/have to produce "Gone With the Wind, the Ballet."  You have an unlimited budget.  It can be a one-act abstract ballet, or stretch over seven -- count 'em -- seven days and nights.  You get to pick the company.  You may invite guest stars.

CAST GONE WITH THE WIND, THE BALLET. Production details optional. (And remember, there are artistic directors and their staffs who read this board, so if any of what you write turns out to be see the stage, it will be your fault   )

[glebb]

On 2nd thought, Weese should portray Kathy in Wuthering Heights.

The search for Scarlett begins!

[Juliet]

Jeny Ringer
Lucia Lacarra
or...my favourite for this:

Viviana Durante.
(Let's hear it for Passionate Outbursts!)

I am stuck, stuck, stuck for Rhett....maybe Irek Mukhamedov?  It can't be someone callow...

No one BUT Peter Boal could do Ashley.

Melanie is sweet Julie Kent.

Prissy :  I'm stuck.  No one who's an African American woman dancing ballet  now can be that gutless and dopey....it would have to be the acting job of the century.

You know very well Mark Morris would just love to wear a turban and do The Big Deal role....

This is a start....unfortunately, I am not a big GWTW aficionada....

[The Bard's Ballerina]

I like Juliet's choices, but as a Southerner for half my life (and former Atlantan), I feel obliged to contribute for myself (even though my mandatory adolescent-Southern-girl GWTW phase ended a good 20 years ago).

SCARLETT:  I think Viviana Durante's a good choice, alternating with Sylvie Guillem.
RHETT:  Edward Villella, about 30 years ago, of course.
ASHLEY:  I'd go with Charles Askegaard.  Blonde, beautiful, and way too good for Scarlett.  
MELANIE:  Julie Kent, hands down.  The role she was born to play.
MAMMY AND PRISSY:  I think these would both have to be "en travestie" roles, so I'd go with Mark Morris for Mammy as well (great casting there, Juliet).  I can't come up with a good Prissy, though.  Actually, I bet Donald Williams (DTH) would have a blast with the part.

RUNNING TIME:  I thought the original four hours of the movie was a bit much, so I think we'll need to keep it to three max, or our weeknight audiences are gonna be deserting in droves at the intermission (because they have to get up early, not because they hate the ballet!).

MUSIC:  I have no idea.  Maybe Beethoven.  Yes, definitely Beethoven.  

[This message has been edited by The Bard's Ballerina (edited October 08, 2000).]

[Leigh Witchel]

Actually, if we could handle some Danes or French in there, how about Manuel Legris or Nicolas Le Riche for Rhett, Elisabeth Maurin or Gudrun Bojesen for Melanie.  Maybe Kenneth Greve for Ashley?

I'd give Silja Schandorff a crack at Scarlett and Jenny Ringer one at Melanie if they could exchange hair   . I think Weese, Boal and Askegard are good choices as mentioned before as well!

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Personal Page and Dance Writing
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[Marc Haegeman]

I don’t have any problem in finding my Scarlett: Diana Vishneva.
She once confessed to love GWTW and was charmed by the fact that people thought she had something of Scarlett in her. Here's your Scarlett !

[Alexandra]

Leigh, I have to ask what qualities you see in Schandorff that would suit her to Scarlett???  (In Danish employ, haircolor is not incidental   )

[Manhattnik]

Since this is clearly a timeless production, I'd vote for Tamara Toumanova as Scarlett.

[Victoria Leigh]

Actually, if we can cast from the past, I might think about Moira Shearer.  Bruce Marks comes to mind as a potential Rhett, and I totally agree about Julie Kent as Melanie.

[Giannina]

I thought of Alsymuratova as Scarlett.

Giannina

[Leigh Witchel]

Alexandra - re Schandorff, there's just something mischievous about her I sense hidden.  I think it wouldn't be hard for her to tap into that for a Scarlett.

[Alexandra]

But she's an adagio dancer, and Scarlett is pure allegro.  Scarlett had trouble merely sitting still, and Silja is the current embodiment of the Danish classical harmony and stillness.  (Scarlett is THE great demicaractere ballerina role, I think.)

[Estelle]

Quote

Originally posted by Leigh Witchel:
Actually, if we could handle some Danes or French in there, how about Manuel Legris or Nicolas Le Riche for Rhett, Elisabeth Maurin or Gudrun Bojesen for Melanie.  Maybe Kenneth Greve for Ashley?

Perhaps I've been too influenced by the movie (I've read the book too, but it was long ago), but I really have trouble imagining Legris as Rhett (I wonder what he would look like with a moustache and darker hair...) On the other hand, I agree about Le Riche (he already had a moustache in Petit's "Le Guepard", and it suited him quite well   )

What was Melanie supposed to look like? In my memory, she didn't look like Maurin, but except that I think that the personality of the character would suit her well.

About Ashley: I can't help remembering the guy who played that role in the movie (he didn't look bright at all in my opinion), and so trying to imagine Peter Boal in his role is a bit odd.

What about the smaller roles? Scarlett's parents, her sisters, her two previous husbands (not very flattering roles, I'm afraid), Aunt Pittypat...

[Alexandra]

If we open up casting to the dead, I'd go for Pavlova and Mordkin as Scarlett and Rhett.

Estelle, most people at the time thought Leslie Howard was Absolutely Wrong for Ashley -- including, reportedly, Howard, who said, "I am neither young enough, nor beautiful enough, for Ashley."  Ruined the movie for many, since the whole point of Ashley was that he was perfect:  handsome, intelligent, athletic -- best horseman and best shot in the county -- and he just wanted to loll around and read poetry with Melanie.  (In my family, Clark Gable was even a worst casting choice, as he "wasn't as gentleman."  My aunt was a passionate supporter of Robert Montgomery for the part, but I think this was a minority opinion.)

[dirac]

Estelle, I must say a few words in defense of Leslie Howard. I think he did his best under the circumstances -- he didn't like the role of Ashley, felt he was too old, and was basically forced into the movie at gunpoint.  (Little did he know that The Petrified Forest, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Pygmalion would fade in memory while GWTW went on and on and on.)

Probably some of these roles should be just straight mime roles -- Scarlett's mother Ellen, who has a small but crucial role, should not dance, for example.  She's too dignified to dance.

If Frederick Ashton were still with us he would be perfect casting for Aunt Pittypat.  (I can just see him calling for his smelling salts!)