Broadway Cast on National Tours

[CuriousGeorge2]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 6:46am

Okay, I know this is a silly question.. But I'm curious here. How often have original Broadway cast members (or even actors that were picked up for the Broadway run) gone on the tours of their shows? Can you name specific cases?

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 7:32am

Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee (Mary Poppins)
Jared Gertner (Book Of Mormon)
And alot of Wicked cast members (principal and ensemble)

Updated On: 8/20/12 at 07:32 AM

[Quiche2]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 7:43am

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I watched a documentary a while back, and I think they mentioned that the entire OBC of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST went on tour.

[anmiller07]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 7:51am

"RENT: The Broadway Tour" was mostly alumni of the show, and many of them had played the roles on Broadway and on tour previously (Justin Johnston, Michael McElroy, Gwen Stewart, Adam, Anthony, etc.) I know that the Angel and Benny Tours had cast members that transferred from Broadway (and sometimes back), like Anthony Rapp and Daphne Rubin Vega, but other specific examples are escaping me.

Chazz Palminteri did the National Tour of "A Bronx Tale." Does that count? Updated On: 8/20/12 at 07:51 AM

[Jon]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 7:51am

The original tour of Sweeney Todd was mostly the original cast (as seen on the video) - Angela Lansbury (Lovett), Ken Jennings (Toby), and Edmund Lyndeck (Judge) recreating their roles. Cris Groendaal (Anthony) had been in the ensemble in the original cast.

[hairspraydude1962]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 8:02am

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Matthew Morrison (Hairspray)

[sparepart973]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 8:07am

Most recently Alice Ripley in Next to Normal.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 8:15am

Norbert Leo Butz for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Updated On: 8/20/12 at 08:15 AM

[NOB88]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 8:17am

Constantine Maroulis in Rock of Ages.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 8:17am

The original tour of Sweeney Todd has to be one of the best cast of a tour ever, right!?

Talking of Sweeney Todd, Judy Kaye did both the Broadway run (albeit not for long) and the tour of the John Doyle revival.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 12:01pm

Spamalot
Little Woman

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 12:15pm

Not a silly question at all. It is quite common for Broadway cast members to transfer to the National Tour. Many times, ensemble members from Broadway shows go on to play the lead on tour.

Some examples I can think of off the top of my head:

Michael Longoria (Jersey Boys) - Frankie Valli alternate on Broadway/Frankie Valli on tour
Steel Burkhardt (Hair) - Ensemble and Berger understudy on Broadway/Berger on tour
Paris Remillard (Hair) - Ensemble and Claude understudy on Broadway/Claude on tour

There are many more, but it would be easier if I had my Playbills to reference.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 12:21pm

Don't forget that Steel also played Berger in London!

[ActingDude172]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 5:24pm

Cameron Clifford (Michael, BILLY ELLIOT, Broadway then tour)
Michael Dameski (Billy, BILLY ELLIOT, Australia then Broadway then tour)
Kylend Hetherington (Billy, BILLY ELLIOT, Tall Boy on Broadway/Billy on tour))
Ben Cook (Billy, BILLY ELLIOT, Tall Boy & Michael US on Broadway, Michael and then Billy on tour)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Usnavi, IN THE HEIGHTS, Broadway then briefly on tour)
Nicole Parker (Elphaba, WICKED, Broadway then tour)
Alli Mauzey (Glinda, WICKED, Broadway then tour)

Just off the top of my head.

[tphiliboy152]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 5:25pm

Marcie Dodd was a lead on Broadway for about 2 months then headlined the 2NT of Wicked. (She was also in the ensemble on the first national tour and was Nessarose and the Elphaba standby in LA).

[BroadwayFan12]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 10:20pm

Nicole Parker, Alli Mauzey, and Marcie Dodd weren't in the original cast, which was what the OP was asking about.

[tphiliboy152]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 10:28pm

^The OP did say that, but then said (or even actors picked up for the Broadway production).

Another Wicked one would be Eden Espinosa (Original Elphaba stand-by). She was briefly on tour, but opened the LA company of Wicked and had about a 3 1/2 - 4 month run in the SF company.

The standbys from Memphis (Bryan Fenkhart and Felicia Boswell) are now also on the road together as Huey and Felicia respectively.

[Goggles]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 10:41pm

The OBC of Beauty and the Beast did the sit down engagement in LA

[CuriousGeorge2]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 10:41pm

Thank you so much for all of these awesome responses and examples! I'm asking because I'm kinda head over heels for someone in a show right now and I was wondering what the odds were of that person going on a tour. I didn't know how often it happened that someone who was already in the Broadway cast would leave that to tour instead.

[hairspraydude1962]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 10:45pm

Laura Bell Bundy also did a few brief stints on tour in Legally Blonde: The Musical.

[westcoast_wannabe]

Posted: 8/20/12 at 11:06pm

Channing toured with Dolly and Brynner toured with The King and I. Those are the first two I can think of off the top of my head, but it used to be a lot more common for the star(s) of the show on broadway to go on the road.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 12:45am

The entire original Broadway cast of Show Boat toured with the show after it completed its run at the Zeigfeld Theatre on Broadway in 1929. They had been with the show for the duration of its Broadway run, which commenced on 27 December, 1927.

The original cast stayed intact on the road until Norma Terris, the original Magnolia, was offered a movie contract and left the national tour early for Hollywood. Actress Irene Dunne replaced Norma Terris as Magnolia for the remainder of the tour, which disbanded in 1930. Ms. Dunne would go on to play the role on the big screen in James Whale's 1936 film adaptation of the stage musical.

The first Broadway revival in 1932, which was a recreation of the original production in its entirety but staged at the Casino Theatre, reunited the entire original cast. The only absent original cast member in the 1932 revival was Jules Bledsoe, who originated the role of Joe. Instead, they cast Paul Robeson. Interestingly, the role of Joe had actually been written specifically for Robeson to star in originally, but prior commitments had forced him to turn the role down back in 1927. He did, however, eventually get to perform the role prior to starring in the 1932 Broadway revival, a year later in 1928, with the original London cast, opening on 3 May at the Drury Lane Theatre. He, too, would star in the 1936 film version alongside Irene Dunne and original cast members Helen Morgan as Julie; Charles Winninger as Captain Andy; Sammy White as Frank Schultz; and Frances X. Mahoney as Rubberface Smith.

Les Miserables' 3rd U.S. national tour (aka: "Marius Company") featured original cast member Colm Wilkinson as Valjean in U.S.; Chinese; and Canadian engagements of the tour. Colm also reprised the role of convict #24601 in the show's U.K. national tour when it traveled to Ireland's Point Theatre.

Original Broadway cast member Jennifer Butt came back to the show, reprising her role of Mme. Thenardier in the 3rd U.S. national tour starting in 2004 and remaining with it until the tour disbanded after an engagement in St. Louis in 2006.

Unfortunately, as big a Les Mis nut that I am, I missed out on Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean in the tour. Like I've mentioned before, the late 90s were a roller coaster period for me and I sadly neglected a lot of musical theatre events of the time. I'd have flown to wherever he was performing the role had I not had other things to worry about at the time.

I did catch Jennifer Butt as Mme. T., who--along with the wonderful Gina Ferrall--continues to be of my favorites in the role.

Updated On: 8/21/12 at 12:45 AM

[JeanGudio]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 2:30am

Alice Ripley while mentioned did a terrific job. Can I ask any non Broadway cast who are now famous

[singalongsong2]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 3:19am

Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley reprised their roles in the Young Frankenstein tour as Frankenstein and The Monster.
Becky Gulsvig (Elle understudy) became the full time Elle in the Legally Blonde tour.
Van Hughes (Johnny standby) played Johnny in the American Idiot tour.
There were many people that either reprised their roles or took on new ones in the Hair tour.

[justoldbill]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 8:06pm

In 1972, almost all of the then-current New York cast of FOLLIES initiated what was to be a national tour. The tour opened at the St. Louis Muni for a week's engagement before moving on to the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. During the Los Angeles engagement, Janet Blair replaced Dorothy Collins and Edward Winter replaced John McMartin. Marti Rolph, who had assumed the role of Young Heidi during the New York run along with continuing in the role of Young Sally, continued both roles on the tour, and Kurt Peterson re-joined the company as Young Ben, which almost caused a happy riot closing night in New York. Unfortunately, the tour ended in Los Angeles.

Updated On: 8/21/12 at 08:06 PM