Raúl Esparza may play the lead in the upcoming movie-based musical Leap of Faith, according to Variety.
Army Archerd — who spoke with the musical's director Taylor Hackford — reports that the Company Tony nominee may star in the Broadway-bound work. Production spokespersons had no casting information at this time.
*****
Leap of Faith is aiming for a spring 2009 bow on Broadway. Hackford ("Ray") will direct the new musical featuring music by Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast), lyrics by Glenn Slater (Newyorkers) and a book by Janus Cercone, who wrote the original screenplay.
i think i would like that. but then again raul can sing to me anything... company, tick tick boom, the phone book.. what do i care!
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
ugh, can't we just let Brian D'arcy James do it. I mean, the man is incredibly talented, and has worked so much but not had his break yet. I think he would be a much better lead than Raul. Brian has done the workshops, give the man a chance.
Raúl's workshopped it, too. As has Hugh Jackman -- needless to say I'd assume anyone else is a second choice to him. Not that D'Arcy James isn't talented -- and I'm sure he'd be fine -- but the "he did the workshops" reasoning doesn't quite hold water.
As luvtheEmcee said, Esparza's involvement isn't as much a surprise (he did the most recent workshop of the show alongside Kelli O'Hara) as it is that they're willing to "settle" for a non-mainstream name.
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.