I'm threadjacking my own thread but this is just too good. Speaking of Lea, she just decided to tweet the definition of "diva." I guess just for all of us to know.
@msleamichele: Diva (n):is a celebrated female singer. Term used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of theatre, cinema & popular music.
"I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Lea Michelle, she seems like an obvious choice to me."
Except that the role of Eliza is a legit soprano while Lea is a belter. No way Lea could properly produce the final note of "I Could Have Danced All Night".
The actress playing Eliza has to be an excellent actress. She has to go from the rough cockney flower girl to the refined lady. It's not an easy acting job. Nothing that Lea has done shows this depth of acting ability.
I'm so afraid they would seriously consider Anne Hathaway. Yikes!! And of course Julie Andrews would be brought out to make a big publicity push and say things like "Oh, I knew deep in my heart when we were filming that Anne would one day play Eliza. I pass the torch to her."
The only thing I ask is that when they cast Eliza, please don't cast a shrieky soprano.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
I saw The Crucible production in Sheffield that's probably going into the West End and Dominic West was a fantastic Higgins. So maybe someone left field like Damien Lewis.
SAMIAM Laura wrote on twitter that she was excited about the news!
FINDINGNAMO, SNAFU, THEATERDIVE, JORDANCATALONO, LIZASHEADBAND, PALJOEY: You all claim to "IGNORE ME" I wish you would and stop constantly commenting on my posts. Thanks ......................................................................................................................................
The MOST POPULAR and DANGEROUS Poster on BWW! Banned by the PTA, PTC and the MEANGIRLS of BWW.....................................................................................................................
...Ukraine Girls really knock me out, they leave the west behind..........................
WOW, some of these suggestions... Obviously Laura Benanti has family members on here.. LOL Benanti?? Karen Olivo??? CHENOWETH??? Lea "I dropped my last name" Michelle?
I hope I'm wrong, but with Clive Davis being involved it WILL be some crazy Idol cast off OR something idiotic combo like Beyonce and Denzel Washington. If it was going to be a pop-ish singer, Adel would be ok, although she's a big girl so they would have her lose weight or the would have to get someone like John Goodman to be Pickering..
Anne Hathaway is a soprano. She showed that off live at the Oscars when Hugh Jackman hosted and when she played Princess Penelope on The Simpsons. I don't think she's right choice for Eliza Doolittle when there are so many trained sopranos who have worked onstage (and I love the idea of a younger opera singer taking on the role), but I'm not sure she's incapable of playing the role.
I'm not sure in what context Greatwhiteway is laughing about Benanti, but she would certainly give us a wonderfully sung and acted performance. My only issue, and it would be the same I had with her Louise, is that it is not easy to mask her natural beauty and regalness, so the physical transformation from unwashed guttersnipe to "Hungarian princess" (as Zoltan Karpathy eventually proclaims her to be). And, like I said, it was my one issue with her Louise, as even in that terrible wig and the dowdy costumes I had a hard time believing that anybody around her could consider her the "plain" sister, so to speak.
She also played Lili when Encores did "Carnival". I just don't think she's right for the role.
I don't think she can produce the "warmth" that's needed for "Wouldn't It Be Loverly". But maybe I'm so used to Julie Andrews' honey-voiced version that I'm prejudiced.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
Ever since falling in love with her in Where's Charley? I've been waiting for Lauren Worsham to lead a show on Broadway. I think she'd be a divine Eliza.
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
Anne Hathaway could easily handle it. I'm not saying she'd give the definitive vocal performance or be the best possible choice (I'd go with Benanti, personally), but Hathaway is a big enough name to put butts in the seats, especially with a B+/A list Higgens.
Benanti also tweeted that if someone like Ke$ha gets the role, she will fling herself into an active volcano.
Suestorm, yes, I think I've heard Laura say in an interview that she would love to play Eliza. I have no doubt that she could pull it off with panache and grace.
Laura is one of the only ones I can think of who could pull off the broad comedy and be legitimately funny as Eliza and not just do the standard schtick. She is on a quasi hit tv show that's got at least another season or two in it, so unless she wants to and can jump ship, she's out of the running.
Laura Benanti tweeted "You Guys if Ke$ha or some other a-hole ends up starring in the revial of My Fair Lady I am going to throw myself in an active volcano."
I think they might be getting Jennifer Hudson to play Eliza because if she wins an Emmy for her role on 'Smash', she'll want to become an EGOT winner. The role of Eliza could get her a Tony Award.
anne hathaway also worked shopped woman on white. she could sing amd act eliza well enough. whether she could sustain 8 shows a week woild be the question
Jennifer Hudson will NOT be winning an Emmy Award for SMASH. No way in hell. I love, love, love, love her and would kill to see her on Broadway (she's beyond incredible in concert) but she will not be winning an Emmy.
I would pay good money to see Ke$ha play Eliza on Broadway. Pity there isn't a Best Makeup Tony. That would be a guaranteed winner right there: making Ke$ha look human again.
Anne Hathaway would seemingly be the most likely name (as in movie star) being approached, though I too wonder if she could really handle the vocal demands of the role for a Broadway schedule (Eliza is one of the hidden tigers of the musical theatre cannon -- though the songs themselves aren't especially rangy, something about the role has reeked vocal havoc with every actress who ever played in New York).
How about her LES MIZ co-star Samantha Barks?
I also think Benanti would be fabulous but she's arguably on the cusp of being almost too old for the role at this point. If we are going to cast a Broadway name over 30 for Eliza, shouldn't we also be considering Audra?