They need a really popular music next year. Something at the public knowledge level of WEST SIDE STORY, CATS, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, HAIRSPRAY. Hopefully, one of those though. (Actually, with the right cast, I think WEST SIDE STORY, OLIVER, or MY FAIR LADY could be great options. Or something more contemporary?)
I'd love to see Laura Benanti as Marian if Kelli is to busy.
"I saw Pavarotti play Rodolfo on stage and with his girth I thought he was about to eat the whole table at the Cafe Momus." - Dollypop
Seth does have a lovely voice, but Harold Hill doesn't have to be a great singer. Robert Preston, wondrous as he was in the role, was't really a "singer" at all. It'd be really easy to cast a really big star who's a good actor in this role. Then get a sensational Broadway leading lady as Marian, maybe some other mildly recognizable faces as the Shinns and such.
Seth MacFarlane wouldn't draw the ratings. Get Neil Patrick Harris and Emma Stone in this, you'd have a big hit on your hands. But I don't think there's any incentive for doing these after the drubbing they generate.
Also, The Music Man is going to be a risky choice in my opinion. It's not particularly relevant or well known to audience's today like say, The Sound of Music is. Peter Pan isn't full of standards but it had the child audience that TMM might not have.
Updated On: 12/6/14 at 12:04 PM
I think Emma Stone would be all wrong for Music Man. I think if NBC wants better ratings, they need to do something a bit more modern and relevant. How about Zanna Don't?
I really like the Jimmy Fallon suggestion, if he can sing. He has that combination of likability and being a scamp that is needed for Harold Hill. I could see him playing the role as an overgrown child who is having fun fooling townspeople across the Midwest until he meets Marian and realizes he has to grow up.
I would agree with those that would say that Seth MacFarlane can sing the role but would not be open enough. Harold Hill has to have some vulnerability, and I don't see that in MacFarlane. And you have to believe a conman, and MacFarlane is not charming in that way. I also think that, after MacFarlane's Western movie massively underperformed at the box office, he isn't really considered to be a box office draw as himself (as opposed to Ted or some other character). I could see them giving the role to him, but I think it would be a mistake.
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I agree that its the star not the property that will generate ratings. I personally LOATHE the Music Man, but with some "good" stunt casting I would watch.
I would be much happier if they did something that hasn't been done on television before, but is a musical theater favorite.
His shows are wildly successful and Ted made half a billion dollars. Yes, he would. He would be amazing, I hate Jimmy Fallon, and I dont think he can sing.
MacFarlane does not appear on screen on TED or on his animated shows. The one time he has gone in front of the camera, the movie was a gigantic box office failure, with many critics specifically taking an issue with MacFarlane's screen presence and inability to carry the film. I don't know what that means in terms of how good he'd actually be in the role, but it's the kind of thing that would make executives pause before hiring him for something like this. Not to mention the fact audiences for an R-rated hit like TED are not necessarily who NBC is going for. Neil Patrick Harris was in one of the biggest movie hits of the year, made HEDWIG the hottest ticket in town and has a contract with them. He seems the most ideal candidate (assuming Hugh Jackman is not interested). Fallon is also audience-friendly. I'm guessing from the way they cast PETER PAN and SOUND OF MUSIC that they'll want a recognizable name as Marian, though that's a tough role to sing.
"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"
"The New R-Rated Comedy Film from Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy)" and "The Classic Family Friendly Musical starring crooning Seth MacFarlane" are not meant to draw the same audiences. Just because he's a draw for a certain crowd in one medium doesn't mean he'd automatically be in another very differently aimed one.
Remember how nobody knew who he was at the Oscars?
First if anyone is cast, they need to clear three months of rehearsals into their schedule and MacFarlane is a very busy boy. Jimmy has never delivered a line without laughing or the very least smirking, he's a comic, not an actor.
This clip better shows MacFarlane;s love of musicals.
I've seen the clips of McFarlane singing, and I agree he has a good voice, but I also agree with those on this thread who think he doesn't project the likability and vulnerability that Harold Hill should have. Jimmy Fallon would be an interesting idea if he can sing (also Harold doesn't have to be a great singer).
I also think that as great as Kelli O'Hara is, she's too old at this point to be ideal as Marian. I've noticed in her recent TV appearances (the Carousel concert and Peter Pan Live) that she's developed a maternal quality that will work very well in The King and I, but isn't right for Marian. In the Carousel concert, although she sounded great, I thought she came across as too mature for the younger scenes as Julie, and was at her best in the role after the "time jump". I also think Laura Benanti, as great as she is, is also a little old for Marian. I think someone like Laura Osnes could be great.
I've never really cared for this show, but if they did it I'd much rather see Fallon or NPH play the role. MacFarlane has a great voice, but I just don't find him likeable, which is a problem for something like this. Plus, though he's popular with a large audience, I don't think that audience will necessarily watch The Music Man just because he's in it.
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A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.