Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
#1Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 12:30am
Am I imagining this?
I remember hearing Encores! originally wanted Faith Prince as Roxie for their CHICAGO concert. But apparently it didn't work out, and Ann Reinking stepped in as a favor?
Is this true?
#2re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 12:32amI would have liked that, before her voice hit a BIG wall.
#2re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 12:38amI can see how she would have had the fitting personality for the part back in the 90s. I bet she would have been a winning Roxie. I know she did JEROME ROBBIN'S BROADWAY so she had the dance experience, but would she have been able to perform the original choreography?
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#3re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:19am
Yes, Faith was one of the many women considered for the 4 performances of Encores! Concert Series concert staging of CHICAGO back in 1996. Ann Reinking, who had been hired to choreograph the concert staging, eventually (after much haggling) agreed to play Roxie again (which she had played in the original Broadway run back in 1977).
Also, FYI - though Faith was indeed part of the original Broadway cast of JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY, she was NOT part of the dance ensemble. She only performed in 2 specialty numbers: a cute soft-shoe with Jason Alexander in the "I Still Get Jealous" number from HIGH BUTTON SHOES and Tessie Tura in the "You Gotta Have a Gimmick" number from GYPSY. She did not appear nor danced in any of the dance numbers.
#4re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:27am
Thank you, Brody! I was hoping you'd answer. 
#5re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:27am
I knew Faith Prince was featured in those two numbers, I wasn't sure if she in addition did other numbers, thanks for clarifying, Brody.
Who were the other women considered? I wish Prince had done it, I think it would have been a very interesting performance, though the big contrast between Prince's style with Bebe's could either have been genius or it could have presented a big problem. It's almost sad that we'll just never know.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#6re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:35am
Though Prince only appeared in those two numbers in JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY, she also understudied Nancy Hess's feature as Delores Delores in the "New York, New York" number from ON THE TOWN.
In regards to CHICAGO, I always wonder (in the prime of their SIDE SHOW days) what Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner would have been like as Roxie and Velma. Can you imagine?
Talk about dynamite!
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 7/13/09 at 01:35 AM
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
#8re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:40am
I actually think Skinner would have been a more appropriate Velma. She reads as much more the typical "diva" type.
Ripley's innate vulnerability and wide eyed charm make her a better fit for Roxie.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 7/13/09 at 01:40 AM
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
#9re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:40am
I don't believe Ripley or Skinner had/have the dance skills for Velma. Velma is a VERY demanding dance role.
Updated On: 7/13/09 at 01:40 AM
#10re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:42am
Neither Ripley nor Skinner, to my knowledge, have the skills necessary to dance the role of Velma Kelly.
Now, however, Skinner would probably make a great Mama Morton.
If we're going to put someone from next to normal in Chicago, it should be Louis Hobson as Billy (credit to ljay for thinking of this the other day, but I like this idea a lot).
#11re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:43am
If Jasmine Guy could pull off Velma Kelly, I'm confident Emily Skinner (who was quite the mover back then) could have done it.
Though Mama Morton is sort of an obvious choice for her, I think Skinner would be a hoot as Roz in 9 TO 5. I'm surprised they didn't pursue her initially.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 7/13/09 at 01:43 AM
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
#12re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:46amNot sure that Skinner could have handled Velma's choreography even in the 90s. But what a team they would have made in some sort of concert staging with limited choreography. Ripley's "Funny Honey" would have been showstopping and I can just imagine Skinner's acerbic Velma.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#13re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:47amIn Jasmine Guy's defense, she DOES have an extensive dance background -- she danced and trained with Alvin Ailey's troupe for a bit and trained with various dance companies, including Debbie Allen's. She did CHICAGO after a long break from dancing, which is why people weren't sure if she was up to it so many years later.
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#14re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:49am
The ONLY role Skinner was born to play (and is/will be a missed opportunity) is Ursula in Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID.
She would have wiped Broadway with all the actresses who attempted the role, including Sherie Rene Scott.
#15re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:50am
I didn't mean to insult Guy's performance, Brody. I loved her in the role (she's probably my favorite of the few actresses I've seen play Velma over the life of the revival.)
I just meant to state that she too had a limited dance background, though it was more classical than Skinner's.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
#16re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:50am
The only "mover" as Velma that I can think of is Luba Mason. She couldn't do the cart-wheel. But her Velma was FANTASTIC. She and Brooke Shields were quite the duo. Luba also looked stunning in the role. her ALL THAT JAZZ can be seen on that site.
Updated On: 7/13/09 at 01:50 AM
#17re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:53am
I disagree that Ursula is the only role Skinner was born to play.
Because of her eery similarity to Mae West (physically, vocally, and in persona,) I think she is as "meant to be" as you'd find for the Claudia Shear roles in DIRY BLONDE, which she's played recently and will again quite soon.
I'm surprised she hasn't done more Sondheim material in her career. She is/was an absolute perfect fit for several roles he's written, including The Baker's Wife in INTO THE WOODS (it was down to her and Kerry O'Malley for the recent revival) and Petra in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. She's getting toward an age now where she'd be a killer Joanne in COMPANY. Her Gussie in the Kennedy Center production of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG was absolutely divine.
Regardless, I think we can all agree Skinner is long overdue for a return to the Broadway stage. Here's hoping the right vehicle materializes for her sometime soon.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 7/13/09 at 01:53 AM
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
#18re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 1:58amAh, the '90s.
-Benjamin
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
#19re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 2:01amSkinner is so underused, probably because of the rumors about her personality which I don't know if they are true or not. She's still insanely talented and does have a larger than life personality that makes her ideal for a number of roles. I wonder what her Fosca could be like.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#20re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 2:06am
She is/was an absolute perfect fit for several roles he's written, including The Baker's Wife in INTO THE WOODS (it was down to her and Kaitlin Hopkins for the recent revival)
If it was down to she and Kaitlin Hopkins, how come neither of them got it? The role was played by Kerry O'Malley, ergo, it could not have been "down to" those two women you mentioned, somethingwicked.
#21re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 2:06amEmily would be an awful Baker's Wife. She could not use her big voice for the role. No room for her to use her famous riffs either. She did find a way to successfully riff Gussie's "Good Thing Going", and it sounded incredible. I assume Sondheim approved and enjoyed the riffs.
#22re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 2:09am
I confused Hopkins and O'Malley at this late hour, adamgreer. My mistake (though Hopkins auditioned as well.)
ljay, Skinner's voice is just as effective when she's not riffing and belting. Have you heard her version of "No One Is Alone"? She tends to perform it in concert, and when she does, it's simply stunning.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 7/13/09 at 02:09 AM
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
#23re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 2:09am
LOL
LOL
LOL
Fath Prince is so gud.
Everywhere like such as.
#24re: Faith Prince as Roxie Hart??
Posted: 7/13/09 at 9:05am
I would actually love to see this...and if she could look decent in the costume, I would like to see it now!
I think it would add so much to have a Roxie that really reads older.
Faith still has more of a voice than a lot of people that play the role.
For me, when I think of Gwen Verdon in the role I think of someone in their 60's! Perhaps it was the wig that she wore in the show.
