Casting that will never happen, but that you’d love

[darquegk]

Post them here: they’d never play the role or even likely be offered the role, but you know they’d be great. I’ll start with a few.

Cecil Baldwin as the Narrator in Rocky Horror

Weird Al Yankovic as King George in Hamilton

Colin Meloy as Pierre in Great Comet

Oscar Isaac as El Gallo in The Fantasticks

[faceleg]

Margaret Cho as Christmas Eve

[WaffleOnWheels]

Barbara in this Dolly revival.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

^ Definitely the only casting that would ever sell at the same level as Bette, not that they need to.

My turn! Someone pointed out recently in a Facebook group that George Furth's dialogue for Company is basically elevated sitcom, and also cited the fact that past cast members Veanne Cox and Beth Howland were both sitcom actresses at points in their career (and that's leaving aside NPH and Jon Cryer, both recent sitcom stars, in the 2011 concert) as support for their theory that Company works best when performed by sitcom actors.

This led to a vision of an all-sitcom cast of Company. Imagine, say, Megan Mullally in full Karen mode doing "Ladies Who Lunch," or Lisa Kudrow giving "Getting Married Today" a spin. Maybe we sprinkle it with some Saturday Night Live veterans to up the musical quotient, reunite Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, and Maya Rudolph for "You Could Drive A Person Crazy" perhaps.

I'm just sayin', it could work.

[steven22]

Julia Murney, Audra McDonald, Stephanie J. Block as Diana in NEXT TO NORMAL

[Fan123]

It might not work even if it were likely to happen, but I'd like to see a rockstar play Donny in Bandstand. Judging from the cast album, the character has a bit of a proto-rockstar attitude, and I'd like to hear the high notes in 'Donny Novitski' done with a rock edge. (Hey, if Robbie Williams can put out a swing album...)

Mark Hamill as King George.

[Plannietink08]

When Sara Bareilles was giving hints as to who would succeed Betsy in WAITRESS people mentioned Anna Kendrick. The more I think about it the more I love the idea of Anna playing Jenna. We could be forgiven for getting that Anna Kendrick actually is a superb actor, despite doing a series of the same awkward roles for the past 5 years, so a part like Jenna would really let her stretch her acting skills.

I doubt she'd ever do the stage show so maybe the movie?

[quizking101]

Plannietink08 said: "When Sara Bareilles was giving hints as to who would succeed Betsy in WAITRESS people mentioned Anna Kendrick. The more I think about it the more I love the idea of Anna playing Jenna. We could be forgiven for getting that Anna Kendrick actually is a superb actor, despite doing a series of the same awkward roles for the past 5 years, so a part like Jenna would really let her stretch her acting skills.

I doubt she'd ever do the stage show so maybe the movie?"

While not a musical, WAITRESS was already a movie back in 2007

[qolbinau]

Mandy Patinkin in Great Comet.

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Lady Gaga as Evita

[AEA AGMA SM]

quizking101 said: "While not a musical, WAITRESS was already a movie back in 2007"

And so was The Producers, and My Fair Lady, and Little Shop of Horrors, and Hairspray, and the list could go on for quite a while.

[Call_me_jorge]

Someone mentioned Louis CK as the principal in Spelling bee a week or so ago and I really like that idea, but now that you know what came out....

[poisonivy2]

I would love to see Billy Porter play Dolly. We already know he looks great in a red dress ... 

Would love to see Tina Fey in Mean Girls.

Robbie Fairchild as Elder Price.

Sara Bareilles as Carrie Pipperidge.

[qolbinau]

I’d love to see Patti LuPone star alongside Mandy Patinkin in “The Visit”. As much as I loved Chita (at least based on the Lincoln Archive filming and the cast recording - I didn’t see her live) I think the audience would have a much more enjoyable time at the show with LuPone. “I Walk Away” and “Winter” with LuPone’s belt would become absolute show stoppers. She’d nail the tense dialogue and has the right kind of dark edge/sarcastic humour to suit the tone of the show. On the Lincoln archive Roger Rees’ understudy is on as Anton and I think a better voice (e.g., Mandy) improves the show. Mandy’s brooding would suit the character well.

The Visit was such a financial failure - and in hindsight I think the creative team and/or producers were a little too close to Chita and Rees to do what the show needed - bigger stars and bigger voices. If they had cast LuPone and Mandy or Lansbury (when younger) it might have had a chance to succeed. This is the only thing I can think of that might have helped the show. I don’t know what else they could have done (it opened at the right time in the right theatre with amazing creative pedigree. Intriguing marketing. It was wonderfully directed with great constumes, set and lighting. It has a wonderful score that perhaps didn’t reach its potential with the original cast).

[bwayphreak234]

-Sweeney Todd with Hugh Jackman and Catherine Zeta Jones

-Faith Prince in the current Hello, Dolly! revival

-Laura Benanti in My Fair Lady

-Sherie Renne Scott as the Witch in Into the Woods

-Sierra Boggess as Anya in Anastasia 

-Karen Olivo in Evita

[Dollypop]

Georgia Engel as Dolly

[NoName3]

qolbinau, are you not aware that Lansbury was indeed originally cast in The Visit?  She was heavily involved in pre-production when her husband, Peter Shaw, was diagnosed with the illness that eventually killed him.  She wrote a heartbreaking letter to the producers and creatives explaining why she had to withdraw to take care of him.

 

Without her, the financing fell through and it was awhile  before things fell into place again with Chita.

 

I'm open to correction but I believe at one point Sondheim had considered writing a musical version of The Visit for Lansbury but dropped the idea before any writing was done.  (And I'm not thinking of the initial work he did on a musical version of Sunset Boulevard for her.)

 

ETA I don't know why this is showing up centered and bolded; I tried editing to fix but nothing seems to work.

[ermengarde]

I loved Mary Beth in Anastasia... but how I wish Angela Lansbury had been able to reprise her role on stage...

Patti LuPone would murder the heck out of "That Dirty Old Man" but she'd never do it on Broadway. CBS get into the live musicals game and produce Forum starring Corden as Pseudolus and Colbert as Hysterium! (I know at one point Corden was supposed to do it on Broadway).

[NoName3]

Angela Lansbury as The Fairy Godmother in R&H's Cinderella.  Sadly that time has passed.  But wouldn't she have been perfect?

[ermengarde]

NoName3, your icon made me remember: Maggie Smith as Armfeldt!

[NoName3]

That's a wonderful idea, ermengarde.

(BTW, I once played Ambrose, many happily remembered years ago.)

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

I've toyed in the past with the idea of an all- (or mostly-) black Sweeney Todd, with Jenifer Lewis as Mrs. Lovett and Norm Lewis as Sweeney.

[qolbinau]

NoName3 said: "

qolbinau, are you not aware that Lansbury was indeed originally cast in The Visit? She was heavily involved in pre-production when her husband, Peter Shaw, was diagnosed with the illness that eventually killed him. She wrote a heartbreaking letter to the producers and creatives explaining why she had to withdraw to take care of him.

 

Without her, the financing fell through and it was awhile before things fell into place again with Chita.

 

I'm open to correction but I believe at one point Sondheim had considered writing a musical version of The Visit for Lansbury but dropped the idea before any writing was done. (And I'm not thinking of the initial work he did on a musical version of Sunset Boulevard for her.)

 


ETA I don't know why this is showing up centered and bolded; I tried editing to fix but nothing seems towork."

 

 

I am aware that Lansbury was attached (I just wished she stayed on). Financially I think it was unwise for the creative team to move onto Chita and become so attached to her performance. Maybe Lansbury was never interested in coming back but had they mounted the show with her around 2004/2005 I can't help but wonder if the show would have actually been a hit and appeal to the audience a little more.

The way the creative team spoke about Chita (they seemed to hint it was the best performance of her career - a culmination of all of her experience and talents into one show - saying they believe New York deserved to see it - I even read a quote from one of them, perhaps Terrance M, saying the role is Chita's 'Gypsy'. Maybe good marketing or (what I suspect) is a deep, deep love and friendship with Chita and respect for her performance such that she was never, ever going to be replaced once becoming involved in the show.

[OhHiii]

Megan Mullally as Dolly

Lady Gaga as Fanny Brice

Bernadette as Mrs. Lovett

Oprah/Audra in Night, Mother (such a shame this didn’t come to fruition)

Beyoncé as Aida

[Dollypop]

Eric McCormack and Debra Messing in I DO! I DO!