Anika Noni Rose is out of Cleopatra!

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 9:10pm

www.playbill.com

Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose will not be the Queen of Egypt this summer in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Caesar and Cleopatra in Canada.

Production scheduling conflicts related to the filming of "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" have prevented Rose, previously announced in the role, from coming to Stratford, Ontario, for the season. Rose is currently Maggie in Broadway's limited-run production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Stratford artistic director Des McAnuff announced April 24 that Nikki M. James will play the role of Cleopatra opposite Christopher Plummer, who is playing Caesar, in the Festival's production of George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra (Aug. 7-Nov. 9), directed by McAnuff.

James is also playing Juliet in McAnuff's production of Romeo and Juliet (May 7-Nov. .

[Blue J]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 9:23pm

congratulations to nikki!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 9:50pm

That makes me quite sad. I know Anika Noni Rose said this was a dream role for her.

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 9:58pm

Yes, sad to see Rose go, but James in!

[Tag]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 10:41pm

It really is one thing after another this year at Stratford.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 9:54am

Bad career move.

Cleopatra opposite Plummer at a top international company is a higher profile job and a bigger career builder than just about any movie or tv she could do. Especially immediately following Maggie. Sometimes you sacrifice the money for the quality.

Somebody isn't getting good advice.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 10:46am

I guess they aren't interested in historical accuracy then.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 10:55am

If they were, they wouldn't have an 80 year old Caesar.
Updated On: 4/25/08 at 10:55 AM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 11:09am

Christopher Plummer isn't the easiest person to work with. She may have dodged a bullet on this one.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 11:12am

Maybe this means she can do NSMT's The Wiz!

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 11:20am

"If they were, they wouldn't have an 80 year old Caesar."

Lol that's so true. It's almost gross to even think about it.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 11:32am

well, I'm out of dish-washing liquid, and noone is sad for me!

[crushgroove]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 11:34am

Are you kidding me? TV and movies are so much more high profile than doing theatre work at Stratford. Plus...if anyone has seen "The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency" knows that it was done nicely by the late director Anthony Minghella. The show will have a built in audience from the book series. The show reported may be bought by HBO. The pilot aired on the BBC to pretty good ratings as well.

Personally I think Mrs. Rose made a smart decision.

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 11:53am

Yay for Nikki!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 11:57am

"Maybe this means she can do NSMT's The Wiz!"

She really should be pushing top Broadway people to bring a Wiz revival to Broadway. She needs to get her name out there as leading lady not supporting actress. If she doesn't, she'll be going the Kristin Chenoweth route: lots of work but never the star.

[Brick]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 1:57pm

Hss anyone at the festival read the play?!

It's about two middle-aged lovers both past their prime.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 1:58pm

I agree gotham, Rose is the only actress that I think could handle the role of Dorothy on Broadway right now.

[robbiej]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 2:14pm

"Bad career move.

Cleopatra opposite Plummer at a top international company is a higher profile job and a bigger career builder than just about any movie or tv she could do. Especially immediately following Maggie. Sometimes you sacrifice the money for the quality.

Somebody isn't getting good advice."

Don't take this the wrong way...but that's just not true. At all.