Recently Nicole
Kidman was announced to star in an upcoming production of Tennessee
Williams's Sweet Bird of Youth. This leads to several question: Is this being produced as a
Kidman vehicle? And if so, why aren't producers inserting the actress into something better suited or at least less generic?
Kidman isn't right for the grand film star of another era (despite being a film star of today's). This a role for a Gloria Swanson type--after all, the play is
Sunset Boulevard aftermath. Alexandra Del
Lago is a retired star past her bud of youth. From the stage, with her forehead full of (alleged)
botox,
Kidman may read too young. And
Kidman is demure, too whimsical for Del
Lago. As Del
Lago,
Kidman reminds one of a Nora-
type trying to play Hedda.
I would like to propose an alternative. I may be pushing the age boundary on Del
Lago in the opposite direction, but I saw older is better in grandiose divas. I would like to see Jan Maxwell in
Sweet Bird of Youth. And who could play her aging boy toy Chance Wayne? None other than 30-something stud Matt
Cavenaugh. Now there's a Broadway marquee I'd line up under!
Sweet Bird of Youth, starring Jan Maxwell and Matt Cavenaugh!
I'm not saying Maxwell and Cavenaugh are the best possible actors for this play, but it would be a lot more itneresting to watch than kittenish Kidman trying to play the lion. Although, if we're making changes, how about we do
Orpheus Descending instead?
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