#susan blane

[laurabenanti]

[whartonists]

New The Gilded Age 2.02 stills

[servants-hall]

The Gilded Age 2x03

[adamsvanrhijn]

"Please, Larry, you're making this more difficult than it needs to be."

2.04 ▹ His Grace The Duke THE GILDED AGE (2022–)

[woodsfae]

Susan Blane: now that my decrepit husband is dead, I'm having my Hot Girl Summer. This is a fling of convenience because you are very cute and also in my house all day. Larry Russell: 🥰 🎶There goes my baby!! There goes my destiny onliest one for me there goes my BABY!🎶 Susan Blane: Seriously, being married was a nightmare. I always wanted to be a merry widow and now that my husband finally died I'm just going to have fun. Larry Russell: 🥰 🎶There goes my baby! She could be the one, we could fall in love, we're gonna have some babies!🎶

[droughtofapathy]

The Gilded Age's Broadway Divas MASTERPOST

Welcome to my passion project. It has come to my attention that some viewers of HBO's The Gilded Age are unfamiliar with the extensive theatre credits, alcoates, and vocal talents many of the actors possess. As the resident Broadway Diva expert, it is my responsibility to fix that.

Pictured: 20 Tony Awards and 52 nominations. Audra McDonald...well, she kind of inflates the numbers a little. Edit: Justice for Tony winner Debra Monk. She's main cast.

Introducing my new series of blog posts where I will be highlighting two theatre veterans per day in the lead-up to our much-anticipated season two finale episode.

This series will heavily focus on a select few musical performances that are widely available for viewing, in addition to a brief career rundown. I will be limiting myself to no more than five videos per Diva, otherwise we'd be here for a lifetime. These performances will include popular songs and hidden gems alike, all curated to specifically show off the actress's considerable range in the theatre, especially juxtaposed against their roles in the show.

With respect to Michael Cerveris, Nathan Lane, and the other theatre gentlemen, I will be focusing this series on the women because I am a lesbian and this show is about the women, dammit. But fear not, they will most certainly be making appearances throughout because everyone has worked with everyone on stage.

The Divas:

Christine Baranski (Agnes van Rhijn) Donna Murphy (Caroline "Lina" Astor) Kelli O'Hara (Aurora Fane) Katie Finneran (Anne Morris) Debra Monk (Armstrong) Celia Keenan-Bolger (Mrs. Bruce) Laura Benanti (Susan Blane) Linda Emond (Clara Barton) Amber Gray (Bea) Denee Benton (Peggy Scott) Audra McDonald (Dorothy Scott) Jeanne Tripplehorn (Sylvia Chamberlain) Bonus: Duets, Trios, and Other Crossovers

[auroravanrhijn]

this is from a few weeks ago BUT the people on the reddit who were saying susan blane is crazy (or god forbid psycho) were giving major misogyny vibes

[chambergambit]

[abernathys-love]

matching shirts matching quads RAAAAAAHHHHH

[laurabenanti]

LAURA BENANTI as SUSAN BLANE 02.02 - some sort of trick

[whartonists]

I still can't believe they did Kingscote dirty like this

[servants-hall]

More The Gilded Age 2x02 Stills

[adamsvanrhijn]

@ladyofpembroke that's the thing is they literally just established that this behavior is transgressive with larry and susan blane, and this is right at the heels of agnes telling marian she needs to be mindful of her reputation now that she's broken two engagements... if they don't follow through on that that is a missed opportunity for dramatic conflict and yet another instance where they're breaking both their own and historical rules.

while at the same time, i would hope that a production team who are contributing substantially to writing decisions would make up for some of jf's weaknesses like recycling plotlines, and so ideally that follow through would be well considered and not rehash a plotline they just had, but that's up in the air, too, and would limit their realistic choices if they keep undermining their own stakes and trying to leave the door open.

it's the same with oscar — they have established social consequences for this behavior twice now with patrick morris and watson/collyer, so if they subvert that, they're both straying from history and not reaching their dramatic potential. while at the same time, a full slate of realistic social consequences for oscar would limit what they are able to do with him without requiring additional suspension of disbelief / telling not aligning with showing.

it's certainly a casualty of the season by season approach — so far, they're picking and choosing which elements of the narrative and setting to maintain and which to ditch for dramatic potential in order to target a 21st century market they have determined have different priorities than the principal showrunner. but for me personally that fucks with my full enjoyment of the show!

[vintagedolce]

larry and susan blane were very quick.

[droughtofapathy]

The Gilded Age's Broadway Divas: Susan Blane (Laura Benanti)

Newly widowed Susan Blane has one purpose on this show, and apparently it's to get railed by a younger man and then get chased off by his mother and have her heart broken. Again. And then we never see her again. The end. Justice for Susan.

Now, I will preface this by saying that Laura Benanti lands outside my scope of interest--she's a little young for my tastes. However, I've always been amused and delighted by her performances, and I appreciate how raunchy she is, even if the quirkyness can be a bit...much at times. Laura is a five-time Tony nominee who won in 2008 for her role as Louise in Gypsy alongside Patti LuPone.

Starting off young, Laura Benanti made her Broadway debut at eighteen as the understudy to the late great Rebecca Luker's Maria in The Sound of Music, and eventually replaced her. She's had roles as Cinderella in Into the Woods (2002), Candela in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and Eileen Sherwood in the Encores! Wonderful Town opposite Donna Murphy, our beloved Mrs. Astor.

#1: "Wouldn't it be Loverly?" My Fair Lady (2018)

Lincoln Center is soprano territory. As one of the classical soprano dying breeds, Laura took over the role of Eliza Doolittle from Lauren Ambrose in the recent Broadway Revival. Her Eliza was older than most (Laura was on the cusp of forty when the took the role), and a delight, I must say. This show is, of course, a classic, and as such is dated like a classic. The production did attempt to give Eliza more agency, and it seemed to go over fine.

As Susan Blane spends most of her time in the white clothing of Newport, I just kept thinking about the Ascot Gavotte the entire time. The ladies of Newport would fit right in at the racetrack.

Fellow soprano Kelli O'Hara has also played this role in a different Lincoln Center theater back in 2007.

#2: "Model Behavior," Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (2011)

A critical failure despite its stellar cast, this show closed in less than three months, but nevertheless earned Laura a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk. Watching this masterclass of a breakdown, you can see why. Set in 80s Spain, the show features Candela, played by Laura, who's freaking out because her romantic interest might be a terrorist. But other than that, he's perfect. She sure knows how to pick 'em...

Tension behind the scenes between leading lady Sherie Rene Scott and Diva Patti LuPone made things a little...well. Anyway.

#3: Laura Benanti & The Skivvies - Passion Massion (2014)

So, I'm gonna be honest, I was going to go with a different Skivvies video, but then I saw Sexy Fosca, and I am baffled, horrified, and delighted.

The Skivvies is a hilarious cabaret group that performs, as you can imagine, in their underwear, and they have guest singers come on, also dressed in lingerie and other underthings. Most of their guest singers are working theatre actors, but sometimes we get Laura Benanti. She was a Skivvies regular for a time, and has a collection of comedic clips you can all enjoy on your own time.

#4: "Vanilla Ice Cream," She Loves Me (2015)

Broadway sopranos pass around roles like hot potatoes. Kelli O'Hara played Amalia Balash in the 2001 concert, and while some members of the cast transferred to Broadway five years later, Kelli was already in The King and I, and since Broadway has like four sopranos of this age that they rotate around, enter Laura Benanti. Though the show and her role was largely overshadowed by a little show called Hamilton that season, the production has a PBS proshot I'd recommend watching.

She Loves Me is yet another adaptation of an early 30s Hungarian play that was also the inspiration for You've Got Mail, so if you've seen that, you know the plot of this. (Side note: Gilded Age's Katie Finneran had a small role as Maureen, the Nanny who runs off with the kids' mother(?) I've never seen it, and that plot wasn't in the musical.)

#5: "So Many People," Saturday Night (2010)

If you thought we were going to get through Laura Benanti without a Sondheim, guess again. While Audra McDonald and Donna Murphy were part of the Ladies in Red, Laura Benanti instead gave us the other oft-sung cabaret number of Saturday Night in the Joanna Gleason dress, only reversed in color. Look it up and you'll see what I mean.

Laura was the last person to perform before the Ladies in Red segment, and thus isn't often remembered. But I remember. (Incidentally, "I Remember" is the song she sang for the Sondheim 90th.)

LINK TO MASTERPOST

[tgabingo]

The Gilded Age S2 Bingo Card Recap for 2.04 - His Grace the Duke

Free Space

Zipper down the back of a dress: Bertha's very first ensemble, then Marian & Susan Blane, among others...

Squares to Check Off After 2.04

Ada rebels against Agnes in a significant way: Going to see Luke Forte multiple times, and then...

A marriage proposal is accepted: Luke Forte's to Ada

A walk in the park: Maud & Oscar

Blatant non-zipper anachronism: This square actually wasn't supposed to be for costumes but I'm making an exception for whatever Maud is wearing in this scene ⬇

Dialogue explicitly mentions Larry's oats: Twice in one scene!

George and Bertha kiss

Historical character shows up: Lillie Langtry, Booker T. Washington

Incredibly serious topic immediately followed by a frivolous conflict: The conversation between Booker T. Washington and T. Thomas Fortune at dinner

Someone is caught in a lie: Turner's career (although there may be a more overt option in a future episode on this same topic)

Two characters become engaged: Luke and Ada

Subjective Squares After 2.04

A Tony winning actress has nothing to do: Kelli O'Hara (Aurora Fane) may qualify this episode, but your mileage may vary

Secondhand embarrassment/extreme cringe: Frances talking about being a family with Marian and her father, Bertha changing the placecards, Turner's tantrum, something else that is up to you!

Tragic backstory reveal: Maud's

Blackout Preventing Squares

Larry/Susan sex scene, probably, UNLESS

Freebie Squares

You may choose to cross off Larry/Susan sex scene as a freebie because we did get very close!

Square Swap Option

If you started playing before 2.04, you may choose if you would like to swap an existing unchecked square on your card for "Peggy milks a cow" - you can use this to get a bingo, but you can't reuse the square you swap! (Well you can if you want but I'm making it against the spirit of the rules.)

Did I miss anything? Do you have a different scene in mind for a square above? Let me know in a reblog or reply!

Not playing TGA S2 Bingo yet? Send an ask to this blog or reply to this post to receive a card! More information here.