Actors replaced during previews — Page 2

@Eric, I Saw LaChanze on Broadway and was very disappointed. I think she may very well have been ill that night, as her voice was very thin, raspy and underpowered and the performance overall was extremely subdued. It wasn't at all what friends who saw her both before and after -- who raved about her -- described. But we know that everyone sometimes just has an off night for whatever reason.

I also know someone who worked on all the Livent productions of Ragtime in a position that put him very close to Drabinski and the creative team. He told me that after they saw what Audra was doing, they made the decision to expand the part considerably. Your Daddy's Son was written expressly for her and Sarah Brown Eyes was written in order to give her some stage time in the second act. Of course this is second hand and I can't claim as fact it's all accurate.

I saw Audra twice, LaChanze, Darlesia Cearcy twice, and an understudy on Broadway and Lovena Fox twice in the last Equity tour. Except for LaChanze, I thought they were all wonderful but with different strengths and weaknesses, both vocally and dramatically. I'm sure LaChanze was just having a bad night. As I said, everyone else I know who saw her loved her, including my friend who was involved with the show.


ETA: I've revised this post several times, both for typos and a couple of brain f@rts involving the song title and the producer. Musicman, thanks for confirming my 16 year old memories.

Updated On: 12/12/12 at 06:24 PM

Lisa Brescia replaced Caren Lyn Manuel during previews of THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'.

According to the documentary called Creating Ragtime (it was on PBS as part of Great Perfromances years ago), Your Daddy's Son was written after Audra was hired. They wanted to give her something to sing earlier in the show. So Lynn had the idea for the song and wrote the lyrics, gave them to Stephen who then wrote the melody.

The story continues to say that Stephen taught the song to Audra, she sang while he improvised an orchestration, and that is how Your Daddy's Son came to be.

It's one of my favorite theatre stories I have ever heard.

Updated On: 12/12/12 at 07:41 PM

The Light in the Piazza recast Fabrizio throughout its pre-Broadway runs. Steven Pasquale played the role in Seattle, followed by Wayne Wilcox in Chicago and eventually Matthew Morrison on Broadway. Celia Keenan-Bolger played Clara out of town and was replaced by Kelli O'Hara, who had also been with the production since Seattle. The rest of the central cast stayed consistent.

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Mary Tyler Moore infamously walked out of Rose's Dilema after receivig a nasty letter from Neil Simon's wife.

Lee Remick left Agnes of God on the road.

In her Chatterbox, Kelli O'Hara talks about how Steven Pasquale jokes about how Matthew Morrison has a career because of him. He has to leave Piazza before it moved to Broadway to do Rescue Me, and he had to turn down South Pacific because of another project.

I'm sure LaChanze was just having a bad night.

By your own account of her condition, I would say yes. I saw her in the show four times in Los Angeles, and she was magnificent. She got slightly better in the role each time I saw her. The only performer in the show who "grew" that way.

I thought she was much better than Audra, ultimately. I never once bought that gorgeous Julliard voice in the part of Sarah.

Back on topic ...

I know there have been many replaced in rehearsals and out of town, but during previews is another thing! It's so close to the bone. I know of very few (but some) actors replaced during previews.

Question: Was D. Jamin Bartlett brought in out of town or during previews to replace Petra in A Little Night Music?

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"Question: Was D. Jamin Bartlett brought in out of town or during previews to replace Petra in A Little Night Music?"

I recall reading that Garn Stephens (the original Jan from Grease) was replaced in Boston, after only one or two performances of Night Music because she was having too much difficulty with "The Miller's Son."

Supposedly a Boston recording exists with Stephens, but I've never heard it.

Updated On: 12/14/12 at 09:41 AM

I've heard Garn Stephens on the Boston recording -- it's almost painful. She's hopelessly lost in "The Miller's Son". I remember reading (I think it was on this board) that Len Cariou was very fond of Garn as an actress but knew she was having problems with the song, and couldn't figure out why everybody was leaving her to her own devices with it.

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I love reading these reports even though I have never heard of most of these people, so of much more interest to me[gossip/gossip] is WHY they were replaced.

The actor cast as the doctor in Sondheim's PASSION was replaced by Tom Aldredge during previews. Apparently, the original actor had an odd speaking voice and was getting laughs during serious scenes (meaning every scene...)

Dottie did she leave the show in LA? Because by the time that cast went to Vancouver for a sit down of 6 months or so (at the gorgeous, nwly built Ford Theatre there--now the Center), she was in it for the full thing. Without looking at the program, I'm not sure who the other leads were though I'm nearly positive Kingsley Leggs was Coalhouse and I know John Rubinstein was Tateh (just because as a teen I was so excited to see "Pippin" in the show lol).

I see that, but partially disagree. I think it does make Coalhouse's actions more sympathetic because it reminds us *why* he's doing this.