I have only heard her sing in The Light in the Piazza. I can't really imagine her singing the role of Diana in Next to Normal. Talk about two different vocal types. I'm certainly curious.
Berry is 40. I always assumed Diana was meant to be around 40-42, if not younger.
And she has a belt--listen to "Safe in the City" from TABOO.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
I personally liked Jessica Phillips' performance more than Alice's, so I'm upset she won't be filling in for her on her vacation. However, I do really enjoy Berry. If this is true and she's filling in for Alice, I will be trying very hard to see her.
This is true... My friend is neighbors with them. They've been pushing for this for a while, because she's wanted to work with her husband on the show!
adamgreer, if Ripley takes an extended vacation, they need to bring in a temporary replacement because equity rules state that if an understudy or swing plays a role for a certain amount of time (I think two weeks, but I'm not totally sure), they have to be offered a contract for the role.
I know that Jessica Phillips' vacation is coming up soon. Maybe that's when she's filling in? Either way, I think Sarah is great and I'd love to see her as Diana.
Uriarte Berry was phenomenal singing a very similar score in TABOO.
I would jump at the chance to see her take on a role as meaty as Diana.
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.