Jenna Elfman in Nine!!! - Broadway.com

[FosterChild]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 1:30am

I always loved her on Dharma, but is she really gonna be able to sing??? NONE of those roles are easy to sing.....

http://www.broadway.com/template_1.asp?CI=30191&CT=38

[Bwaybabie]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 2:01am

You're right--none of the main roles are easy to sing, but of Carla, Luisa and Claudia, Carla is probably the least difficult. Much as I love Jane Krakowski, she doesn't have the most impressive singing voice on Broadway right now.

I think Jenna could be quite good (and I usually hate stunt casting). She's funny and has some sex appeal, so she has 2 out of 3, right?

[MsNina]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 4:25am

i don't like it. out of all the people that have popped into my head that could play carla, she wasn't one of them. i never really liked the use of stunt casting (and to be honest i never really liked the girl) and in this particular case i'm not gonna run out into the streets and yell "jenna elfman's in nine...whooppeee!" (i would, however, run out into the streets and yell "john stamos is in nine!") i'm sure she'll be fine, i'm just not impressed by this casting move.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 4:29am

Jenna Elfman?? Stuntcasting??? PLEASE! Stunt casting is when a cleb is used to bring in audiences. Jenna isn't exactly a box office draw -- I mean, her level of fame makes Krakow look like Kidman. No offesse to Jenna or Krakow. Besides, we have never heard her sing. She could be good. who knows. Updated On: 8/13/03 at 04:29 AM

[catcher]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 7:33am

I have to say I think you are completely wrong about their levels of fame. Elfman is much more of a household name than Krakowski. If I were to phone non-NY friends, they would know her name. The same does not hold true of Krakowski. While Ally was a sensation, her character fell into the background for much of the last half of that show's run. PLUS it was always her character that was known, not her. Elfman herself became a star for however brief a period.

I still don't think she is going to sell tickets. BUT she does not make "Krakow look like Kidamn" [sic] by any means.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 7:48am

LOL. sorry. I fixed the spelling.

And in those comparisons, I was comparing TV AND thetare credits together. Jane is lot more 'known' if you include theatre and you talk about that recognition of both in NYC.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 8:34am

That's the whole point. Krakowski is a sometime broadway star and a "c" list celebrity otherwise. Don't tell me you didn't see the GQ magazine issue with the cartoon of her crawling out from *under* the red carpet. Elfman, on the other hand was one of 2 *stars* of a big t.v. show, still in syndication. I can't think of any personalities, broadway or otherwise, that could make "Krakowski look like Kidman". It's not a very demanding singing role either. IMO, Elfman will surprise the nay-sayers. Updated On: 8/13/03 at 08:34 AM

Posted: 8/13/03 at 8:50am

If she actually pulls this off.. ..It’s a brilliant career move..

I mean ..I always think of her as ..well.. Goofy…and well. Sexless…

(She’s a Scientologist.. ’nuff said)

but if she can sing this, look sexy and look great in a sheet.. it will be good for the show and…

..Some new doors will open for her..

Thus everyone wins..

cross fingers………

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 8:51am

"A Call from The Vatican" can't be sung by any ordinary actress. So, the singing isn't THAT simple. I don't like this idea either, though. If they want someone famous on the show, cast someone famous as Guido-which they're already looking into. Even if Carla is an unknown, we still have the star of the show to carry the show's popularity along. I don't like this idea.

Posted: 8/13/03 at 9:02am

I have an idea!

This is sorta radical...!

First, Let us see if she actually signs a contract...

and THEN let's see how she does before we piss all over her ..

She must have something...her name has been thrown around in the Broadway musical casting community for the past year..

and if we want to get technical..they modulated and changed the key of that song to accommodate Jane ..So it's not like its sacred text that can't be changed to suit someone..

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 9:05am

THANK YOU! Give the woman a chance.




Yes, I know I crucified melanie. but I said to give that WOMAN a chance. I never said anything that can warped into saying we should have given Melanie a chance.

[Duane Reade]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 10:29am

I think she sounds like a great choice. I'm all for watching random TV stars go into these roles. It'll be interesting to keep going back.

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 10:46am

I have to say that I have a bit of a problem with the way the role of Carla is being characterized. It most certainly is NOT an easy role to sing. Her first song has a two octave range and her other song is quite rangy as well. How anyone can say that Carla is easier to sing than Luisa is extraordinary. I mean...for the love of God, I can sing Luisa's stuff in the original key.

I would have liked to have seen Jenna's Charity. What you need most for that role is to be a dancing comedienne. The role of Carla is much different and much more complex than a lot of people here are realizing.

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 11:04am

I agree with robbiej, as usual....Carla's songs ARE NOT that easy to sing...especially "Vatican". It goes up to a high C at the end, and the song is mostly for a high soprano belt. The only reason it MIGHT not sound that difficult, is because if you listen to Jane's rendition, you are not getting what is exactly written in the score. Jane sings it about a half step down. "Simple" isn't a stroll through the park, either.

Actually, out of all the main female characters, I would say that Claudia has the easiest to sing, although "Unusual Way" has some high notes, any good soprano could easily sing it. It is not that rangy.

And I am willing to give Jenna Elfman a chance, I think she could be great. As someone else mentioned, if she pulls this off it will be good for her, it would show people that she is a very versitile actress. And although I enjoyed Jane's performance, I definitely I think the big deal about her Tony win was kinda overrated - she was basically playing a variation on her Ally Mc Beal character in a way. Not a real acting revolution.

Cheers,
The Balladeer

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 11:09am

Love ya, Balladeer...but did you mean 'acting revelation'? Agree with you there.

Someone on another board posted about the fact that in Charity, Jenna was replaced by Marissa was replaces by Jane who is being replaced by Jenna in Nine.

Fascinating.

Posted: 8/13/03 at 11:20am

She's a classically-trained Ballerina.

Graduated from Los Angeles High School for the Arts, class of 1989. She was senior class representative (dance dept), on Student Arts Council.

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 11:41am

Robbie - yes....what the hell was I thinking? Thank God you corrected me in a polite way. I mistakenly typed the wrong word. Some people on this board would take that opportunity to be catty and point that out to make it seem as if I were ignorant.

Cheers,
The Balladeer

Posted: 8/13/03 at 11:49am

The Balladeer ...I've had my spelling, grammar and everything but my toilet habits criticized…it’s no biggie…

It’s always the same handful of people …

I shudder to think how they are, never mind what they look like, in real life…(LOL)

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 6:33pm

Well, the version of "Vatican" that Jane sings now only goes up to an A, I believe, so if Jenna can hit that believably, I say bring her on and let's see what she can do. I mean, everyone shook their heads in disbelief when they heard Antonio was playing Guido, including myself, and look at how many peoples' opinions of him have been changed (including mine )

[sabrelady]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 8:08pm

the thing that impressed me the most was that she hit the note in a belt rigging AND upside down! THAT is contol!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/13/03 at 8:35pm

I'm terribly disappointed. I was truly looking forward to seeing Barbara Cook coming down from the teasers in that bed sheet. Oh well, I'll get over it.