I read this on Twitter and actually gasped. I'm SO excited to see him.
Can't wait to see his "Franklin Shepherd Inc." Charlie is my favorite character, I'm sure he'll knock it out!
Brilliant casting. The kind of exciting casting that this concert desperately needed.
I had a dream about a week ago that Lin was cast as Charlie. I can't believe it's really happening!
Brilliant casting indeed - now I'm more excited to be seeing this production!
Excellent.
I'll give him a chance but he seems completely wrong to me.
Lacking the finese or singing voice I want in a Charlie.
Wow --- this will be really interesting!! And it sounds like Sondheim himself wanted Miranda for the role.
Sorry. Too Hispanic.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/9/04
This seems like bizarre casting to me. Was really hoping for Raul. And I'm pretty disappointed in this one... I'll give him a shot, but if he starts rapping "Franklin Shepard, Inc" I am OUTTA there.
Featured Actor Joined: 12/6/05
this is disappointing
Definitely a very interesting choice for the role. Though I do wonder how he will sound on some of the number, like Good Thing Going, I have no doubt that his Franklin Shepard, Inc. will be brilliant. And I am so glad they did not get Esparza- not only would he look too old, given the rest of the cast, but I don't think he's that good as Charley. His Franklin Shepard, Inc. is annoyingly overacted.
The thought of him "singing" GOOD THING GOING, one of my fav Sondheim's is very disapointing.
Raul was never considered for this production. (Thank god).
This seems totally out of left field but I can definitely see him in the role. I'm excited!
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/21/06
Nothing less than perfect. Kudos to Lapine, Sondheim or, most likely, the casting director that thought of this.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
And Raul Esparza isn't too Hispanic?
Or am just feeding the troll.
You're feeding the troll.
And, no, Raul Esparza isn't too Hispanic.
I'm not sure which I find more irritating--that Sondheim asked him to do it "as a favor" or that Miranda felt the need to tell us that.
If anything I think Steve owes him a favor for working with Laurents then having most of his work retracted into the run.
You're not the only one, Baritone. I've always found his unflagging self-promotion to be obnoxious and cocky, so of course he felt the need to boast that "Steve" (his idol!) asked him to step in "as a favor."
Surely we should all sing the praises of humble Lin-Manuel, who's only lending a helping hand to theatre's greatest living composer and his #1 BFF, right?
Here's hoping he doesn't turn Franklin Shepard Inc into one of his raps.
It's incredible how butthurt some people on these boards can be. Lin is an incredible talent who's clearly earned the respect of Stephen Sondheim - I don't blame him in the least for being proud of that fact.
Butthurt? I'm bitter and cynical but not butthurt :) It's one thing to be proud, it's another to brag. And if you're going to brag, then brag. A little bragging once in a while is okay. But don't disguise it with false humility.
And really, Sondheim should never ask ANYONE to play one of the roles he's written "as a favor." He did US a LIFETIME of favors by writing some of the greatest musicals ever written. For him to have stooped to Miranda in this way was sad, for Miranda to have put this information in his official statement was gross.
You hit the nail on the head. Every interview I've ever read with him reeks of false humility. I remember him being similarly humble about his involvement with Laurents and Sondheim on the WSS revival.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/30/08
Isn't the technical term a "humble brag"?
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