Favorite ThingsTony Winner Barbara Cook Shares Her Favorite Theatregoing ExperiencesThis week we spotlight the choices of Tony winner and Kennedy Center Honoree Barbara Cook, the iconic soprano who starred in the Broadway productions of The Music Man and Candide.
By
Andrew Gans
October 10, 2012
Barbara Cook
Mike Martin
Joel Grey in Cabaret.
Joel Grey in Cabaret
"I sat down immediately after I saw the show to write a note to Joel saying, 'I think your performance in
Cabaret is
perfect!' All these years later I still feel exactly the same way. Such courageous work."
Eugenie Leontovich in Anastasia.
Eugenie Leontovich in Anastasia
"I will never forget that performance. The inner, emotional life of this character so beautifully blended with the outer physical elements. I have seldom seen anything so completely realized. Magnificently done."
"I was so moved by this performance I went a number of times. The play begins, he moves down to center stage, opens his arms and lets you into his soul. Extraordinary!"
"My son and I saw this play at the National Theatre in London. We were so stunned by this brilliant performance that when the curtain fell we couldn’t speak. It was at least 45 minutes before we said one word. Unforgettable."
Judi Dench in Absolute Hell.
Judi Dench in Absolute HellJohn Haynes
"Again in London at the National. I've never seen Judi Dench make one false move or utter one false word. She makes me cry. She makes me laugh. And she is so, so funny. The comedy bits she did in this play, a bit drunk, her ankles bending, falling out of her shoes, priceless!"
Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon.
Frank Langella in Frost/NixonUniversal Pictures
"Frank is one of our finest actors. He's given us so many great performances. He doesn't resemble Richard Nixon in the least, but he managed to evoke the essence of the late president to an extraordinary degree. And when he decides to – he can break your heart."
"When I first heard about this casting, I thought Tyne was an odd choice physically for the role. But when I saw her, I was blown away. She really caught Callas. And rarely have I seen anybody own the stage as Tyne did in this magnificent portrayal."
"Another great performance from our loveable Gwen. I wonder if anybody else ever had the same ability to make an audience fall in love with her. She was so sweet. So strong. Nobody like her. Nobody even close."
Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music.
Lena Horne in The Lady and Her MusicMartha Swope
"I saw this show eight times. When I was invited to the opening, I hesitated because I thought I knew her work so thoroughly I wasn’t particularly interested. Thank heaven my friend persisted. She had totally re-invented herself. She gave us every ounce of herself. So purely, so honestly. Irresistible."
Maureen Stapleton and Don Murray in The Rose TattooGeorge Karger
"... in everything. I suppose I have to choose one performance – so let it be
The Rose Tattoo. The role that made her a star. Finally, finally a magnificent
star. Let me digress for just a moment. I was in rehearsal for
Flahooley, my first appearance on Broadway. I had never studied acting, had
no experience acting and here I was with this big role. Our director used to take Jerome Courtland and me aside to work with us, to try to help us understand what he was trying to get us to do. And then one day he said, 'If you want to see a great example of what I'm talking about, go see Maureen Stapleton in
The Rose Tattoo.' One of the best suggestions anybody every gave me. Omigod! The power of Maureen. The onslaught of Maureen. Easily one of the greatest performances I've ever seen. And then so many other performances from her. Not all of them on stage. One of the most crushingly funny people I’ve ever known. Most of the quotes from her are not printable in this 'family' publication. Now that I come to think of it. Perhaps Maureen's greatest performance – even with all her problems – was her magnificent
life!"
By Leah Putnam | March 24, 2023
