Starting in the 50th anniversary concert at the London Palladium
Swing Joined: 1/2/22
Finally some good news... will buy my ticket tomorrow. Alex Newell is a gem.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/17
Leading player.
Exciting (mystic, and exotic) casting!
I can already hear a brilliant vocal run at the end of "On the Right Track" and a VERY menacing reading of "TAKE YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF THE KEYBOARD" in the final scene.
Would love to go over to see them but my luck I would get there and they would be out of the show. Happened to me three times during their run in Shucked. I finally gave up.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
Ironically, what i remember most about Vereen's performance was his dancing and slinking around the stage. He sang very well, but it was the other stuff that really made his performance. I don't actually see Alex Newell as the right casting for the role. That said, if it is a straight concert (as opposed to an Encores-type performance), Newell will clearly be fine. Interesting, though, that Fosse's major contribution was what made the show the hit it became, although the score is fine, if not great.
I agree that the dancing is absolutely essential to the role. I saw a (professional) regional production of Pippin many years ago that cast a man of a similar build to Newell, and he was clearly more of a "mover" than a dancer, and they made it more of a "stand and sing" kind of role. It just did not work having a chubby dude just sort waving his arms around and doing the occasional twirl when the role was written to be played by a slinky, sexy Fosse dancer.
Also, it's a dance show. If it's a park-and-bark concert of it...what would be the point?
It's TWO performances. I would expect it to be standing at music stands and singing.
They will sing the heck out of the score....and with only 2 performances, there is a good chance they'll be at both!
how odd that nobody else is mentioned in their press release, just a 50 member choir and orchestra.
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