[ACTOR] Should So Play [ROLE!] — Page 3

Since Terrence Mann was mentioned a few times, I thought I'd mention the one role that I really could see him doing: King Arthur in "Spamalot". I think he'd be hilarious in that...maybe it's the fact that he resembles Tim Curry... I dunno...

BTW, he did play Sweeney in Sweeney Todd once. In North Carolina I think.

I'd never thought of John Goodman, but he would indeed be a great choice for Edna. His Linda Tripp on SNL is still one of the funniest moments in recent memory.

Shut your ****ing mouth, stupidbeans. Nobody wants you here.

In LITTLE WOMEN, Foster displayed an innocent sweet sounding voice with very little belt that I think would also work well for Lili in CARNIVAL!. Such a vocal interpretation of the songs would also be more appealing for today's audiences than a traditional lyric soprano. I am more concerned with Cheyenne Jackson, who I think would be perfect for Paul as an actor (he even resembles Mel Ferrer, who played Paul in the 1953 film LILI) but in the two productions in which I have heard him sing, his voice, although very pleasant, did not impress me as having any legit qualities and, typical of most of today's male singers on Broadway, would not be very effective unless heavily miked.

I do agree with you about CARNIVAL!'s book. On the one hand you have this fantastic song score but it is attached to a pretty dark and dreary scenario for a musical. It is hard to believe that the charming 1953 film LILI and CARNIVAL! are based on the same material. I think Helen Deutsch's screenplay for the film should have been used more extensively for the stage musical. In the late 1970's I helped adapt CARNIVAL! for presentation at a small regional theater and besides making the show more intimate out of necessity for the small theatre we moved "Lili and the Puppets" to Act II near the end as it was in the film which allowed us to also use the more romantic ending of the film and the result I think made for a far more satisfying evening of entertainment. We also interpolated the song "Hi Lili - Hi Lo" from the film into Act I, which I think should be included in all future productions of CARNIVAL! You might call what we did as using too much creative license and having performed in the show yourself you may have other ideas and suggestions on how to improve CARNIVAL! for revival but in this case I think both of would agree that CARNIVAL!'s book should be revised and/or rewritten for any future revival on Broadway. Just to hear that lovely score would make such an undertaking worthwhile, in my opinion. By the way, which part did you play in the production you did?

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Updated On: 9/7/08 at 07:08 PM

I was one of the Roustabouts when I did the show in college (one of my rare appearances onstage and my last in a mainstage, non-student directed prodcution).

I'm honestly not sure how the book can be fixed. I think that the problem is that for Lilli to have this belief in the puppets and disconnect them completely from Paul you would have to cast her very young, in which case the relationship between her and Paul would come off as completely creepy in a very bad way. Our Lilli was obviously not that young looking, nor was any other of the few Lilli's I have seen in production photos.

I think my friend Julia's Italian grandmother put it best after she came to see our production. (Imagine this in a heavy Italian accent) "I no like that show. That girl, I think she is retarded."

BTW - based on the reviews and a few people I know who saw it, Anne Hathaway sang the role beautifully at Encores a few years back. While I would not want to see her in a revival of the show on Broadway, I think she is long overdue to be making her Broadway debut in some other legit soprano role.

Well, you're an idiot, and a sock puppet, and you're annoying, so yeah, a lot of people hate you.

James Barbour as Krolock in Dance of the Vampires or Dracula or Maxim in the upcoming Broadway production of Rebecca.

Carolee Carmello as Mother in Ragtime

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Updated On: 9/8/08 at 03:32 PM

Not to get stuck on a big show, but Natalie Weiss should play Elphaba. Type her name into *that site* and watch some of her performances, she is a-mah-zing (especially her stuff for Scott Alan)!

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Gavin Creel as Claude in HAIR.

Updated On: 10/20/08 at 11:13 PM

I agree with Schmerg when she said Mann for the Judge, if he has the requisite low range. He looks the part, he just might sound too .. tenory.

Philip Quast as Sweeney
Audra McDonald as basically anyone in ITW (I can see her being an amazing Witch, Baker's Wife, or Cinderella)
Brian Stokes Mitchell as Macheath in Threepenny, Cinderella's Prince in ITW, Agwe in Once On This Island
Aaron Lazar as Tony in WSS (Heck yes.)
Michael Arden as Dickon in the Secret Garden (in a real live production) and Rebecca Caine as Lily

Marin Mazzie as somebody in anything.

And to whomever said John Goodman as Edna ... LOLYES.

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Updated On: 10/21/08 at 11:00 AM

Heidi Blickenstaff as Daisy Hilton in SIDE SHOW and Mabel Norman in MACK & MABEL.

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Heidi in anything sounds good to me but yes Side Show would be fierce.

Hugh Panaro as The Baron and Leigh ann Larkin as Flemmchen in Grand Hotel, I know i write it on every revival thread but it so needs to happen.

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