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Interview with Critic James Inverne on Madonna's New Play

Aired May 24, 2002 - 13:41   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WHITFIELD: It was a big night for British theater as the material girl made her London theatrical debut. Madonna stars in "Up for Grabs," which opened last night to mixed reviews. "Time" Magazine's James Inverne was there and he joins us now with more. So, how did she do?

JAMES INVERNE, TIME MAGAZINE: Well, unfortunately, the material girl ain't got the goods, that's the best can I say of her. There was a lot of anticipation about her London stage debut. Acting is the one area which Madonna has never quite conquered in a career which has been marked by significant success. But the queen of pop unfortunately didn't do it.

She is in a pretty awful play by the Australian playwright David Williamson about an art dealer who has to sell a Jackson Pollack painting, otherwise she will be in huge debt herself. Unfortunately the people she goes to, the investors, have rather more on their mind than just the painting. So she gets seduced by all of these people and she comes out with the incredible insight that that was the most humiliating thing I have ever done, or I rather enjoyed it, and that's about the depth of the play.

WHITFIELD: So are you blaming the play or the performance?

INVERNE: Both. Both. The play is weak, which is a shame, and it always seems crazy to me, these huge stars can do whatever they want choose to appear in such duds. We saw the same with Donald Sutherland a couple years ago, but Madonna herself also -- it is just unfortunately amateur hour. She comes out, she strikes poses. She sort of slides (ph) through the air with her hands. I mean, it is almost vogue-ing, The dance which of course she made famous a few years ago.

WHITFIELD: Well, sure, once Madonna, always got to be Madonna, though. Don't people expect that of her to some degree?

INVERNE: Well, if people expect Madonna to be Madonna, they are going to have a fantastic time, because she certainly isn't playing anyone else to any great effect. And of course there were the weeping fans last night and they were overheard at the interval saying, "She is wonderful, and she is so small, I never realized!" So if you want to see Madonna, and of course, much has been made of the fact that she plays the sex object and she kisses a girl on stage, and if you are interested in those things, then it's wonderful. But if you are interested in theater, unfortunately she doesn't quite measure up.

WHITFIELD: Well, we know Madonna likes to take risks. Do you suppose that she was just considering this as taking a big risk, or, you know, should we be looking at this as her serious attempt to be considered or, you know, break through as being an actress? We have seen her in a couple movies now, even though they weren't that successful. But, you know, that she is on the stage there -- is she, you know, really trying to take a serious step or move in her career?

INVERNE: I think so. I think so. I mean, she did acting lessons years and years ago, and one biographer I read said the acting teacher said, "Oh, you are far too vulgar ever to make it as an actor, go and be a singer," which is what she did. But we have seen in her films that she has only really done well in those movies where she has played a supporting role, and furthermore supporting roles which are traded on her popular image as a head-strong girl.

Films where she tried to play the leading part, most notably "Shanghai Surprise" with Sean Penn, lost huge amounts of money, and even "Evita," which she won a Golden Globe for, didn't do that well at the box office. Having said that, it depends what you mean by risk, because this certainly isn't a risk commercially. I mean, it has sold out. It is Madonna, after all. It sold out within a few days, the entire ten-week run. So (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I think what she craved was the critics' appreciation and she hasn't got it. At least she hasn't got it for this one.

WHITFIELD: Yikes!

INVERNE: And to make matters worse...

WHITFIELD: Go ahead. I'm sorry.

INVERNE: To make matters worse, Gwyneth Paltrow, her old friend -- and in fact Gwyneth Paltrow apparently went around her house to learn her lines, just opened at the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) theater, the American play by Kenneth Longigan (ph) -- excuse me, by David Albren (ph), proof -- and got sensational reviews, so that must make her feel rather more bitter.

WHITFIELD: Yes, except that Gwyneth, you know, has the advantage, I imagine Madonna would be thinking -- I mean, she is an actress first. We have heard her sing. She didn't do so bad, but, you know, Madonna is trying it the other way around.

WHITFIELD: Well, exactly. Exactly. Well, Gwyneth Paltrow isn't going to appear in the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) any time soon singing her favorite Madonna songs, so I don't know why Madonna is putting her reputation on the line and trying this the other way around. But everyone will have a further chance to see whether Madonna can rally act later in the year, because she is starring in her husband Guy Ritchie's new film.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, thanks, Jim. Jim Inverne, we know Madonna isn't doing this for the money, but, you know, maybe to earn a little bit of r-e-s-p-e-c-t, but, oh well, maybe next time. All right. Thanks a lot.

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