Announced Replacements That Never Happened

[MissAnneThrop]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 8:58am

I was thinking of people who were announced to take over but never did for one reason or another.  I'm not talking "just rumored" but actually lined up.

I can think of.

1. Faye Dunaway (Sunset)   2. Judy Kuhn (The Woman In White)   3. Mya (Chicago)   4. Robert Stack (La Cage Aux Folles)

any more?

[newintown]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 8:59am

Jenna Elfman in the Nine revival.

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 9:03am

I think this thread pops up AT LEAST twice a year.

Gladys Knight and Natalie Cole in "After Midnight". 

The show had a gap between Patti Labelle's end and Gladys Knight's start that encompassed the 4th of July weekend. Rather than throw on an understudy or go dark for the week, they just opted to close it then. Still don't understand why.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 9:03am

James Valenti was supposed to start as Rodolfo in (Baz Luhrmann's) La Boheme, but it closed before that could happen.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 9:04am

Rhiannon Giddens in Shuffle Along...

[MissAnneThrop]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 9:20am

sorry to have offended the thread gods by posting something discussed before.

[MissAnneThrop]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 9:21am

sorry to have offended the thread gods by posting something discussed before.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 9:27am

Judy Kuhn in The Woman in White

[kofler22]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 9:46am

Aretha Franklin in After midnight! 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 9:46am

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "Rhiannon Giddens in Shuffle Along...

 

"

Still can't believe she never got to go on, or even rehearse for that matter. I hope she plays the role at some point.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 9:58am

Call_me_jorge said: "Jeffrey Karasarides said: "Rhiannon Giddens in Shuffle Along...

 

"

Still can't believe she never got to go on, or even rehearse for that matter. I hope she plays the role at some point.

 

"

Giddens was well into rehearsals when the plug was pulled.

[broadway86]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 1:23pm

newintown said: "Jenna Elfman in the Nine revival."

That's right! I wonder what happened there...

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 1:28pm

Diana Rigg and Anjelica Huston in LOVE LETTERS.

[Tag]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 2:48pm

Jeffrey Tambor - La Cage

Rosie O'Donnell - Taboo

Cher - Sunset Boulevard (Toronto company - was not announced, but she was supposed to do it)

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 2:50pm

Don't forget Savion Glover was also supposed to go into Shuffle Along as some unspecified, possibly specially added, dancing role. 

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 2:51pm

"Jeffrey Tambor - La Cage"

Jeffrey Tambor was in the La Cage revival for nine performances.  I saw one of them.  He was awful.

[jpbran]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 2:54pm

"sorry to have offended the thread gods by posting something discussed before."

This was made even funnier by posting twice...  

Updated On: 3/22/17 at 02:54 PM

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 2:56pm

I can't find any evidence that Rosie O'Donnell was announced to be joining Taboo. 

[Valentina3]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 3:01pm

WithoutATrace said: "Diana Rigg and Anjelica Huston in LOVE LETTERS."

I wasn't around when this (would have) happened, but just the thought of it not being done makes me upset.

 

[Tag]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 3:06pm

I can't find any evidence that Rosie O'Donnell was announced to be joining Taboo. 

Hmm maybe it was just speculation at the time, but when Liz McCartney went on mat leave it was expected Rosie would take over (to help with ticket sales as well).

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 3:09pm

Wait a sec, I don't think Diana and Anjelica were going to play OPPOSITE each other in the show?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 3:19pm

Haha.  They were NOT going to play opposite each other.  They were going to be replacements for later in the run...but it closed prematurely.  I forgot who their male counterparts were supposed to be.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 3:30pm

Diana Rigg was supposed to play opposite Stacy Keach, and Anjelica Huston was supposed to play opposite Martin Sheen.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 3:52pm

Glenn Close and Kevin Spacey were announced to replace Lindsay Duncan and Alan Rickman in "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" but the producers decided they weren't big enough names to sell tickets and opted to close the show when the cast from the RSC departed. 

One week after what would have been Glenn's first performance in "Les Liasions Dangereues," the movie "Fatal Attraction" opened. If the producers had stuck to their original plan, they would have had the breakout star of the biggest hit film in years as the star of their play.

Definitely one of the great desk smacking moments in Broadway producing history.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 4:10pm

"Diana Rigg was supposed to play opposite Stacy Keach, and Anjelica Huston was supposed to play opposite Martin Sheen."

Thank you!  Wish we had gotten to see both pairs.