Sunday, October 6, 2024

Exclusive: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller Likely Team Up for Broadway “Philadelphia Story”

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EXCLUSIVE The word is that the fall season, or perhaps next spring 2017, could bring a dynamic duo to Broadway.

And the word has reached us of a reading staged by the Roundabout Theater’s Scott Ellis of “The Philadelphia Story” with none other than Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller.

The pair played husband and wife in Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” and then romantically interested chefs in “Burnt” both times on film.

But this would bring them each back to Broadway. Cooper recently had a hit run in “The Elephant Man.” Miller was in “After Miss Julie” in 2009, the wowed audiences last year as Sally Bowles for a six week run in “Cabaret.”

Miller would play madcap heiress Tracy Lord, of course, originally played by Katharine Hepburn. Cooper would be Dexter Haven, played by Cary Grant in the movie and by Joseph Cotten on stage with Hepburn.

“The Philadelphia Story” by Philip Barry was later turned into a musical, “Holiday,” revived many times. But the straight play only had its original run in 1939 with Hepburn and then a revival in 1980 with Blythe Danner and Frank Converse. (I saw the latter, not the former! And it was excellent.)

George Cukor directed the classic 1940 film, still one of the best movies ever made. The great story behind the film was that Hepburn bought the rights, put it on Broadway, and then got the movie produced. It revived her flagging career. She never looked back.

Cooper– who was born and grew up in Philly– and Miller (who is half American) would be perfect in a revival. Let’s hope it happens.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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