Not to start any rumors or cause any flame wars but, I was lurking All That Chat and someone stated that the "buzz" is she is out of "Wedding Singer". Can anyone confirm this and if so, is Tina Maddigan going to take over?
I've long thought she was wrong for the role and I don't know the answer to your question Amneris, but it sure wouldn't be the first time in recent years this has happened.
i dont know, benanti in the drew barrymore role? enh. it seems more like a tina madigan thing, laura is, in my mind, classy and talented (except for her hilarious stint on FX's "Starved") not so much bubblegummy and pop.
Don't f*ck with me fellas. This ain't my first time at the rodeo.
Well one thing a lot of people haven't spoken about is the fact that the writers have very much re-imagined that role. Apparently Adam Sandler was extremely happy with how the character is conceived now for the stage adaptation, so that's certainly something to consider. I'm completely biased but I think Laura is far more versatile a performer than many give her credit for. If you saw her in Into The Woods, you could see she's more than just a cold stiff woman (like she seemed in 9).
"There is nothing scary about life, if you are not attached to the results." - Conversations With God
There have been so many threads about this subject. Sorry, I'm just so tired of this.
No disrespect, but this is a musical adaptation of the movie, not the movie set to music. Why do people expect stage versions to be carbon copies of movies? Hairspray wasn't. The Producers certainly wasn't. Both are huge successes.
If there's nothing new about the story or characters, why not just rent the movie?
I for one am thrilled that the creators have seen fit to hire a leading actress who is the polar opposite of Drew Barrymore, energy-wise.
Come on, people. Have some imagination. And if you're that concerned about her suitability for the role, see THIS version, for yourself, rather than just trying to fit her into Drew Barrymore's role in the film.
Sorry to sound bitchy, but really. Laura's incredibly talented and she's earned at least our respect for her ability to know what she's doing on a stage.
popcultureboy, the rumor has been circling since the first Seattle preview. It's not new. Whether or not it's true (which Ms. Benanti may or may not know herself), who knows.
I think there's something to be said for recreating characters that appear in films, if the main relationship is dependant on those certain characteristics. Unless Robbie is completely reimagined as well, I can't see how changing Julia's character to suit the needs of a particular actress will be successful.
As long as the new scene and song aren't called "One Way Ticket Back to New York City..."
Seriously, I think Benanti is extremely talented. She doesn't seem ideal to the role of Julia in THE WEDDING SINGER, but I hope it works out for her. I know she's young and there have been mistakes/mishaps/accidents in the past, but she really needs to stick with this one and ride it through. Her reputation and career as a Broadway musical theatre leading lady really depends on it.
I don't read every thread on the show or Benanti though so this was the first I'd heard of it. Hence my comment. And it's not a slight on Laura at all.
Nothing precious, plain to see, don't make a fuss over me. Not loud, not soft, but somewhere inbetween. Say sorry, just let it be the word you mean.
I seem to have a different image of Laura than most people who have replied to this thread. I thought she was wrong for the role in Nine. I saw her in The Sound of Music revival and then in Swing, and loved her in both productions. She was my favorite Maria because she brought such warmth and spirit to the role. Finally, a Maria with some sex appeal. And she was certainly sassy and vibrant in Swing. The role of Claudia in Nine calls for someone who can naturally convey that sense of elusiveness and unattainability. In my opinion, it didn't seem to come naturally for Laura. I found her performance a bit stiff even though she still sounded beautiful. This role in The Wedding Singer could be great for her, but I would in no way expect it to be a reprise of Drew Barrymore's performance.
ATC is a terrible source for gossip. I'd much rather get my gossip here. Plus, we have Jamie McGonnigal and they don't.
"I'm learning to dig deep down inside and find the truth within myself and put that out. I think what we identify with in popular music more than anything else is when someone just shares a truth that we can relate to. That's what I'm searching for in my music." - Ron Bohmer
"I broke the boundaries. It wasn't cool to be in plays- especially if you were in sports & I was in both." - Ashton Kutcher
Laura was my favorite part of The Sound of Music. I'm not sure, but I think it was fairly early in her stage career. She seemed very excited to greet her fans at the stage door after the show, and made a cute remark about being lucky enough to get to kiss Richard Chamberlain 8 times a week. She was very sweet.
I think some people have a tendency to confuse an actor with the character she plays, forget that this person is an actor and therefore conceivably able to play a variety of types, and/or just like to cause trouble and typify others into certain kinds of parts instead of letting them grow into versatile and powerful actors.
Case in point, people who saw Laura in TSoM have a hard time seeing her as Claudia in Nine and vice versa.
For me, it wasn't that I saw her first in Sound of Music and then could not allow for the possibility that she could play a different kind of role. In fact, I agree with you that people should avoid type-casting actors and should objectively consider their performance in each new role. However, not every actor is suited to every type of role. I saw Laura in Nine soon after it started previews. Maybe she grew into the role over time, but at the performance that I saw, she did not inhabit her character as fully as Antonio, Jane or Mary, and her performance seemed stilted to me.
i dont see the point in reimagining julia's character i loved her in the movie..yes i know the stage shouldn't be a carbon copy of the movie but why change something that don't need fixed.
Dude, you put a story in a different medium, make the character have to sing songs to express herself (automatically making the character "work" differently from a character in a movie), and get a different actress to portray the character, you automatically have made significant changes. If you can't bear the thought of the role being played in any way besides the way Drew Barrymore played it (are we that attached to this movie? I mean it's a nice movie, but come on) then stay home and watch the movie.