'Sopranos' Premieres Second Season Opener; 'Death of a Salesman' Goes From Broadway to Boob Tube
BILL TUSH, HOST: Coming up on SHOWBIZ THIS WEEKEND, we'll break bread with the most popular Mob family on TV, "The Sopranos." Brian Dennehy is reborn in "Death of a Salesman." And '70s teen heartthrob David Cassidy reveals all about "The Partridge Family.: Hello, I'm Bill Tush and we are at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City for the world premiere of "The Sopranos" premiere episode for their second season on HBO -- much anticipated, I might add. They're on the covers of about three or four different magazines this week, and everybody's looking forward to it. And we're going to talk to some of the stars, who, I understand we're told, they can't give away any secrets as to what will be coming up January 16th when the show premieres of or what happens in the second season. And why does everybody love a family about the Mob? Let's find out about that. Before we do that, let's go to the movies, where -- well, we're at movies. We'll go to a different movie -- where Gilbert and Sullivan, the musical comedy guys, well, their life story has been brought to the big screen. And things weren't always as funny and delightful as they were on the stage for these guys. The movie's called "Topsy Turvy."</s>SHERRI SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Award-winning director Mike Leigh leaves the contemporary world behind for the topsy turvy world of Gilbert and Sullivan.</s>MIKE LEIGH, WRITER/DIRECTOR: I felt it was about time I kind of turned the camera around and looked at ourselves, we who take very seriously, almost painfully seriously, the job of making other people laugh.</s>SYLVESTER: Leigh's new critically acclaimed film, "Topsy Turvy" takes a behind-the-curtain look at the trials and tribulations of creating the comic opera "The Makado." As with all of his films, Leigh goes into the project armed only with an idea. The script comes from months of rehearsal and exhaustive research.</s>LEIGH: We researched everything. You name it, we researched it. We researched social, political, etiquette, gastronomical, medical, educational. You name it.</s>SYLVESTER: Even the Victorian costumes had to be perfect for each rehearsal.</s>LEIGH: All the women had to wear those corsets. And you don't slip into a corset in five minutes, and nor do you do it by yourself. I mean, the reason why everybody has servants is it takes forever to put these damn things on. So I spent a lot of time doing this. You know, sort of like you'd be doing a thing with seven women, and you'd need to have people to help put on with their costumes. It would take forever. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TOPSY TURVY") UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: W.S. Gilbert abundantly proves he is still the legitimate monarch of the realm of topsy turvy. Thank you very much.</s>SYLVESTER: It took seven months to cast. All the actors had to sing their own parts, so everyone had to brush up on Gilbert and Sullivan.</s>LEIGH: It's like a rugby</s>SYLVESTER: Around Hollywood, the buzz is about Oscar. His film "Secrets and Lies" was nominated in 1996, and already the New York Critics Circle has named "Topsy Turvy" the year's best film. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TOPSY TURVY") UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Laughter, tears, curtain.</s>SYLVESTER: Sherri Sylvester, CNN, Los Angeles.</s>TUSH: Edie Falco, Emmy winner for Carmela Soprano, I've read in one of these magazines that you're on the cover of, the "resilient" wife the Tony. Yes, is that good word, resilient?</s>EDIE FALCO, ACTRESS: I guess so. I always -- I learned so much more about what I'm doing through the articles that are written about it than I ever knew myself. But, sure, resilient is as good as any, I think. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE SOPRANOS") FALCO: I'm telling you. You mope your way through this, I'll cut your throat.</s>JAMES GANDOLFINI, ACTOR: What are you talking about mope? I've been in a great mood lately.</s>FALCO: Right.</s>TUSH: Well, I think what's odd, maybe, is the fact that it's a show about a Mob family and they do some pretty mean stuff, but everybody, like, loves them.</s>FALCO: Yes, yes. I think, except for that stuff, I think people can relate to a lot of these characters. They go, I'm sort of like that. And I -- you know, my kids go through stuff like that. And I had to deal with that. And then he goes and kills somebody. So I think that's part of the reason people like it is there confused, like, how am I supposed to feel about this guy? You know.</s>TUSH: well, it's a great show.</s>FALCO: Thank you.</s>TUSH: Congratulations again on the Emmy.</s>FALCO: Thank you very much.</s>TUSH: Edie, thanks for your time.</s>FALCO: Thank you.</s>TUSH: Go enjoy it.</s>FALCO: I'll try.</s>TUSH: OK, well I know we are in a few minutes. Well, we're going to go from HBO to Showtime. In case you weren't lucky enough to get here to New York to see Brian Dennehy in "Death of a Salesman," well, he's coming to you on Showtime. And here's to tell us what's that's all about is Cynthia Tornquist.</s>CYNTHIA TORNQUIST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Brian Dennehy has entered the stage door of the Eugene O'Neill theater 298 times. But on this day, as the star of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" prepares in his dressing room, it is for the last time. Not only is it Dennehy's final performance of the role, this one is for the cameras.</s>BRIAN DENNEHY, ACTOR: What people will see will be what was seen on Broadway, the actual dramatic production, with an audience, with that live sense of being there, and that's unusual these days for television.</s>TORNQUIST: Showtime used nine cameras to follow the action. It is the story of Willy Loman, a travelling salesman, and his struggle to achieve "The American Dream." (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DEATH OF A SALESMAN") DENNEHY: I averaged $170 a week in commissions in 1928?</s>UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You never averaged $170 a week.</s>DENNEHY: I averaged $170 a week in the year 1928!</s>TORNQUIST: The play has been produced for television twice before -- in 1966, starring Lee J. Cobb, and again in 1985, with Dustin Hoffman. But those productions were filmed in a studio, not on the stage, as is the case here. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DEATH OF A SALESMAN") RON ELDARD, ACTOR: You take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?</s>TORNQUIST: Ron Eldard plays Willy's oldest son, Biff.</s>ELDARD: You just listen off stage and go, wow, I can't believe I get to say this. The rest of the cast includes Howard Witt, Ted Koch and Elizabeth Franz. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DEATH OF A SALESMAN") ELIZABETH FRANZ, ACTRESS: And a terrible thing is happening to him, so attention must be paid.</s>TORNQUIST: The taping wrapped up an extraordinary year for "Death of a Salesman." When it opened last February, it marked the 50th anniversary of the play. In June, it won four Tony Awards, including best revival and best actor for Dennehy. Showtime will broadcast "Death of a Salesman" on June 9. Millions can see what only 325,000 saw on Broadway. Cynthia Tornquist, CNN Entertainment News, New York.</s>TUSH: Up next, Joe Louis Walker has the blues, and he's more than happy to share them. Also, the real story behind "The Partridge Family."