Christine Ebersole in "On the 20th Century"

[Dr. Kitchell]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 4:34pm

With the revival of "20th Century " coming round the bend, I have been thinking a lot about the original. I saw the show when I was in HS. At that point Judy Kaye had taken over as Lily Garland. Christine Ebersole was her understudy. Just wondering if she ever got to go on for Miss Kaye and if anybody on this board had the good fortune to see her. I would think she would have been amazing in the role.

[djb]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 1:02pm

Updated On: 11/28/22 at 01:02 PM

[thommg]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 1:31pm

I saw ms. Ebersole when I attended the show. Judy Kaye was on vacation, I believe. She was fantastic. I could not have imagined Judy Kaye to be better in the role. Her performance made me a lifetime fan and I went to see Geniuses ( a straight play) Off-Broadway on another trip to NYC just because she was in it.

[Dr. Kitchell]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 3:06pm

Thanks for sharing your memories of the show, I am envious!

[candydog2]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 3:36pm

"somewhere I read (or saw) either Hal Prince or Ebersole discuss the fact that when she started in the role, she was absolutely tone deaf and it was the production that forced her to get serious training and become the Tony-winning star she is now."

That's interesting, but it must have been an exaggeration on the part of whoever said it, surely. I mean if she had been tone deaf and untrained she couldn't have been understudying the lead in a Broadway musical, could she?

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 10:03pm

^^^I 'm sure she was at least half-kidding. She following 20TH CENTURY with revivals of OKLAHOMA! and CAMELOT in short succession. Nobody goes from "tone-deaf" to a Julie Andrews role in 2 years.

Lily Garland is a demanding role vocally. I suspect Ebersole meant she learned how to use her voice constructively, not literally to match a pitch.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 11:47pm

Did anyone see Betty Comden as Primrose when she replaced Imogene Coca?? I imagine she must have been wonderful (and hysterical)

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/29/14 at 7:57am

Striking that Lily was first played in rapid succession by three of the most extraordinarily talented women in show business - perhaps the three most gifted soprano comediennes of the last half century. (Then again few parts more requires a first rate soprano comedienne)

I saw Kaye with Rock Hudson and Imogene Coca in Chicago. She was sublime.

p.s. I'm here talking about sheer force of unmitigated talent; I realize that it's been said by many that Kahn had other issues which diluted her performance.

Updated On: 7/29/14 at 07:57 AM