Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

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Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 12:56am

What the longest that a performer has stayed with a role???? Either original or replacement??? I know that the Andre and Firmin in POTO have been in the production since the begining, but they played other parts and then got those parts(though, they still might have had them for a while).

Also, with the length of ones role....how does that usually work??? Do you stay as long as you want(I can't imagine Wicked asking Idina to leave), do you have a contract for a limited amount of time, does it just depend????

When I saw that Kelly Osborn was going to be in Hairspray, I thought to myself, Why would Carly Jibson leave???? I would imagine that offers are not just pouring in for her, and she's got a dream job.....why leave it???

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:02am

-Marlene Danielle was in CATS from the very beginning.
-Susan Powers was in CATS as well for around 15 years
-Leilah Martin originated the role of Mdme. Giry in TPOTO and remained in that role for over 10 years.
-I also believe that Barbra Streisand and Ethel Merman had incredibly long runs in FUNNY GIRL and GYPSY.

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:08am

I know there were three chorus members of Miss Saigon that stayed through the entire thing, at least I think so.

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:11am

In recent memory... Adam Pascal did AIDA on Broadway for three and a half years. He left for just under a year, and returned for a little over two months to close the show. Count in there the Chicago tryout, and he was with the show for a total of almost five years.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:14am

Gary Beach was with "The Producers" for nearly four years...don't know if that counts as extremely long though.

Cathy Rigby has been with "Peter Pan" for quite come time.

"I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about." - Oscar Wilde

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:15am

Well theres Anthony Rapp who stayed with RENT in New York for a long time, then reprised it for a while in London then came back and toured with the Angel cast and is now in the movie. I know he did other stuff in between but he still comes back to the role. Same with Adam Pascal. And I think that an actor or actress takes on a year long contract or something and when it ends they have the option to renew it for another year or drop it there. Like Idina probably renewed hers a few times and then left because of RENT filming in SF.

I wanted to get something that an "ex"-junkie like him would really appreciate and cherish....it's a brick of heroin shaped like a heart. -Scrubs

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:16am

I wanted to get something that an "ex"-junkie like him would really appreciate and cherish....it's a brick of heroin shaped like a heart. -Scrubs

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:18am

Adam didn't do RENT for all that long, in comparison, really. Anthony did NYTW, which Adam didn't do. He did off-Broadway, then the transition to Broadway... I'm pretty sure he was one of the first to go, at somewhere around a year, maybe a little bit more. Then he did half a year in London. Not all that much, comparatively.

And, I really know too much.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:23am

There's a woman who is the lead in A Perfect Crime Off Broadway and has been with it for its entire run (since 1987), missing only 4 performances...what the heck was her name...

Oh here we go, this is from 2001 but she was still in it when i saw it last year:
A Perfect Crime's star and general manager Catherine Russell, who has spent half of her life since 21 in the show. Crime's mainstay from the April 18, 1987 opening onward, Russell has missed only four performances in 15 years, both times to serve in her siblings' weddings (playbill.com)

And hang on, when did you win the discus?

#10

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:24am

Thats true Emcee. I think out of all the OBC, Anthony is the one who has stayed with/kept coming back to RENT for the longest. And no one can ever know too much about Adam. :-P

I wanted to get something that an "ex"-junkie like him would really appreciate and cherish....it's a brick of heroin shaped like a heart. -Scrubs

#11

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:25am

yay!! That's encouraging. And yeah.... for a long time he really wanted to distance himself from it. It's interesting to hear him talk about that, since he's finally come off of that mindframe now.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

#12

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:28am

Really? Well thank goodness he is coming back to play Roger for the movie at least. That is interesting that he wanted to distance himself from it, on one hand since it was his big break I could see that if he wanted to make a name for himself and be known as something other then "Roger." In any case I'm glad he has decided to return for the movie, it wouldnt be the same without him.

I wanted to get something that an "ex"-junkie like him would really appreciate and cherish....it's a brick of heroin shaped like a heart. -Scrubs

#13

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:32am

Yeah, he used to talk a lot about not wanting to pigeonhole himself and be that "Broadway rock guy." I guess AIDA didn't do much to that effect, but Cabaret certainly did. He used to not like that people only associated him with RENT, so like, at solo gigs, people would beg to hear Glory, and it really used to piss him off. There's an interview where he makes the SNARKIEST face, and he does this imitation whine and goes "Sing Glory, sing GLORYYYYYY!" and rolls his eyes and all. His opinion was if you wanted Glory, take your ass to the Nederlander to hear it. It's kind of funny to watch it now, since he's clearly had a change of heart.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

Updated On: 2/9/05 at 01:32 AM

#14

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:40am

Thank you everyone.....I had no idea that Adam stayed with Aida for 3 years....or more.....as for the rent movie, Is the Tom Collins the original???? I'm glad there are so many original cast members because it will really give us a taste as to what the original show was like, it will give us some nostaglia, and the acting will no doubt be good since they've worked on these roles for almost a decade.

#15

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:46am

Jesse L. Martin's playing Collins, and yes, he's the original.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

Updated On: 2/9/05 at 01:46 AM

#16

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:55am

to answer the rest of the questions...
leads sign contracts for a definite amount of time. when that time is up if they wish to stay, they can renegotiate, provided that the production wants to keep them. idina probably wanted to move on, especially with the rent film underway. carly may not want to leave but if hairspray resorted to stunt casting, she wouldnt have much say in the matter (although marc shaiman has said that particular rumor isnt true).

ensemble have a different type of contract.

#17

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 2:02am

What's stunt casting???? I'll bet it has something to do with Osbourn getting that role...........

#18

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 2:08am

sorry. stunt casting is a term people use when a show hires a 'celeb' for a role because of their name recognition. For example, David Hasselhoff in Jekyll & Hyde or Joey Fatone in Rent.

Like I said, Marc Shaiman already stated that there are NO plans for Osbourne to play Tracy.

What I was trying to say is that if youre a lead in a show and the show has decided on someone else they like to replace you, when your contract is up, they can say that they dont want you back and you cant really do anything about it.

#19

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 2:19am

all i have to say is:

hello carol, well hello carol ....

#20

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 3:02am

Since you mentioned Aida, Schele was with the show from opening to closing.

Andrew, tonight isn't about you! It isn't even about me!!! - [FD]

#21

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 4:01am

Peter Lockyer played Marius (in Les Miz) on Broadway from 1997 to 2002. In 1996 he had understudied the role, as well.

Sylvia Roldan Dohi was in the ensemble of Miss Saigon on Broadway for the entire run, I believe.

Lisa Vroman has played Christine in Phantom off and on (more like on) since about 1991. She was Christine for the entire 5-year sit down run in San Francisco.

#22

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 4:54am

Uh, Hello - Yul Brynner in "The King And I". Probably the most obvious one of all. He played than the king in more than 3000 performances.

"Years from now, when you talk about this - And you will - Be kind. "

#23

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 4:56am

Carol Channing originated the title role in Hello, Dolly! and won a Tony Award for her efforts. She went on to play Mrs. Levi for over 5,000 performances and holds a special place in the theater community for never missing a scheduled performance on Broadway.

"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"

#24

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 5:06am

" Uh, Hello - Yul Brynner in "The King And I". Probably the most obvious one of all."

Sorry, I guess not everyone can be as special or important as you.

#25

re: Actors who stayed with a role for a long time.........

Posted: 2/9/05 at 7:12am

I was getting worried that it took so many posts to get to Ms. Channing.

"All I ask of you is one thing: please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen." Conan O'Brien

Updated On: 2/9/05 at 07:12 AM

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