Who else could have played Francesca?

[ljay889]

Sorry to start another BRIDGES thread. I was listening to a clip of Elena Shaddow, and she sounds like a little girl singing the role. While Kelli is technically a bit young for the role, she always acted and sounded like a mature woman.

If Francesa was cast more age appropriately, who could you see in this great role? I think the obvious choices are Marin Mazzie and Carolee Carmello.

I know the role was basically written for O'Hara, and her performance will really stick with me, but it would have been interesting to see other women in the role, if it had been a hit.

[brettarnett]

If the show was produced years would have Lupone been able to do it? I think she has a more similar look to Streep in the movie. Actually what about Donna Murphy? I feel like Murphy would be an obvious choice, no?

[ljay889]

I like Murphy a lot, but I'm not sure that she has the vocal range for it.

[brettarnett]

Very true, I guess I was mainly looking at type not necessarily vocal range. My bad.

[aasjb4ever]

“Who else could have played Francesca?”

YA MOTHER.

[qolbinau]

Marin Mazzie is the most obvious choice to me. She has Kelli's legit soprano voice but more maturity and a killer belt that if used sparingly would have brought a fresh take on the score without truly breaking the Kelli mould (I could imagine her belting in sections of To Build a Home, Falling Into You, One Second and a Million Miles, and Always Better). This would have been the perfect role for her to originate or replace.

And who better to cast along-side her than her husband Jason Danieley. I realise he probably doesn't have Steven's voice but I think he would get by and the novelty of them together would make it worth it (it definitely added something to their performances in NEXT TO NORMAL, for me).

Plox Marin and Jason, tour with the show or take it to London.

[ljay889]

While Jason would be missing the "hunk" quality that Pasquale brought, they really would be a great team for the tour. Marin would absolutely nail it.

[gleek4114]

I think Marin is the obvious choice but as soon as I read the thread title my mind went to Carolee.

[qolbinau]

[BroadwayFan12]

Francesca is actually supposed to be in her late 30s.

[evadiva]

Laura Benanti would be perfection. How hot would she have been with Stephen when their romance was ablaze?!?

[evadiva]

I think Benanti always read WAY older.

[RW3]

But wouldn't that be awkward?

[AC126748]

Ljay, just out of curiosity, could you explain a bit what you found childlike about Shaddow's sound? She has a much brighter timbre than O'Hara, which results in a more technically proficient sound. Yet I imagine many would find that she lacks the warmth and voluptuousness of O'Hara's voice. Yet I don't think I ever found she sounded like a child; her voice actually reminds me a lot of Benanti.

[ljay889]

Francesca is actually supposed to be in her late 30s.

Is that true? There was much talk about O'Hara and Pasquale being too young for these roles.

imagine many would find that she lacks the warmth and voluptuousness of O'Hara's voice.

That's exactly how I feel about her voice. To me, it sounds like a girl singing in a college recital.

[haterobics]

"Is that true? There was much talk about O'Hara and Pasquale being too young for these roles."

Similarly, back in the day, I think there was a discussion that Streep and Eastwood were too old for theirs. But anyone saying that is probably using the movie as their entry point to the material.

[AC126748]

If Francesca came to America at 21 and lived with Bud for 18 years at the beginning of the show...that would make her 39.

[ljay889]

Makes sense. Although in the musical, we see Francesca age throughout the years. Kelli nails it by changing her physicality and mannerisms.

[AC126748]

I think they're both appropriately cast age-wise. Foster too. Danny Jenkins played the part at Williamstown and he looked far too old.

Shaddow reads older, and when I saw her in the role she didn't seem too young.

[henrikegerman]

Haterobics has it half right. Not sure it matters all that much, but judging by the book, O'Hara's the right age and Pasquale is not.

In the novel, Francesca is, one would guess - war bride 20 years after immigration - late 30s to early 40s. But Robert is 52.

At 38, O'Hara is more age appropriate than Streep was when she played the role (47). (It is far more likely than Francesca was 18 than 27 when she met Bud.)

Even Streep was far more age-appropriate for Francesca than either Eastwood or Pasquale were/are for Robert.

[Kad]

I had thought, based on interviews, the creatives aged both characters down for the musical.

[RippedMan]

I'm excited to see where they take the musical. If it will tour or just go the regional circuit. I think it'd be smart to do a Caroline Or Change type tour and just take it to the bigger markets.

[qolbinau]

RE: ages. In the cast recording liner notes it says "The lovers are also made younger, so the consequences of their choices are vast.". So someone thinks that they 'should' be older. Whether that is the movie, or the book (or wrong), I don't know.

[ditsylife09]

I would love to hear Melissa Errico take a stab at the role!

[grandpianoalex]

Kim Crosby.

[ljay889]

Errico has the PERFECT look for the role, but if she had some problems playing Clara in Passion (regardless what the issue was,) I wonder if she could handle Franny 8x a week. Shes a nice fit for the tour though.