Ashanti to Star in NY City Center Encores! THE WIZ

[Rob]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 11:27am

Click Here to Read Ashanti to Star in NY City Center Encores! THE WIZ

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 11:32am

Yikes.

She hasn't had a hit song in almost 5 years.

And she has trouble singing live.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 11:33am

nnnnnnnnoooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

WHO SAW ASHANTI IN "THE MUPPET'S WIZARD OF OZ" and thought, "Wow, that strong bland-blandy-bland quality is JUST WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR!!!" (never mind that the movie itself was a complete sin!)

WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 11:37am

I'm beyond disappointed. Ashanti, really?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 11:38am

I'm sure it will get some people in the seats, but it seems kind of a slap in the face to the musical theater lovers of New York City. I mean, I've never heard this score live. I want to hear it sung well. Not sung by a pop star who can't hold a note.

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 11:40am

Good choice, very good choice.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 11:42am

She seems age appropriate, but her voice is so weak and thin!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 11:44am

There was absolutely no reason to cast her. It is a slap in the face to the actresses in NYC who would have been appropriate for the role.

[bwayguy22089]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 11:48am

She seems like a very sweet girl, but I have to agree. I don't really think she has the range to play Dorothy. She definitely has a powerful voice, but it is very wobbly at times, especially live. Oh well...

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 11:49am

Well, it is called the Summer of STARS. Of course they were going to try and cast a name.

That being said, this doesn't really excite me.

[JazzSquare55]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 11:50am

Oh dear god..

[atlsuperstar]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 12:02pm

I am sooooo disappointed in this news! If you were going to pick a star, they couldnt find one who actually has a voice? They really just messed up a good show for the summer! UGH!.....I dont care what anybody ever says If Ashanti needs help singing on a recording what makes them think she can pull off "Home" 8 nights a week! Lets hope the understudy is someone we love!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 12:07pm

This will pull in a much larger audience than if, say, Anika Noni Rose had been Dorothy.

This will probably bring an audience to the show that hasn't been out on Broadway in droves since the last revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 12:17pm

You mean the last revival of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF that starred Anika Noni Rose?
Yes, I know she wasn't the main reason most people saw the show (the only reason I so desperately wanted to see it/saw it), but she is a Broadway star in her own right who actually is continuously making a name for herself in the TV/film world. She really should have been cast and for a while I thought they would indeed get her to be part of this production. What a disappointing piece of casting, I'll skip this one.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 12:22pm

I have no strong opinion on this either way (I know absolutely nothing about The Wiz), but I'm going to have to go with adamgreer on this one. It's called Summer of Stars. She will bring in an audience.

That said, I also think that the "OMG this is horrible!!" and the like are a little premature as no one's seen her as Dorothy yet.

Updated On: 4/29/09 at 12:22 PM

[Brick]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 12:36pm

Wow, they dropped the ball on this one.

[LadyDramaturg2]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 12:41pm

I'm with Dottie: There was absolutely no reason to cast her. It is a slap in the face to the actresses in NYC who would have been appropriate for the role.

And with the sound design in that room, she's a goner.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 1:04pm

"Making her stage debut", I don't like the sound of that.
Maybe they can get that Ahole Terrance Howard to play the WIZ.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 1:04pm

Patti LuPone was the first "star" in this series, and while a bigger star than Anika, she is most certainly a Broadway actress first and foremost. In fact many people outside the Broadway community may not know who she is.

Ashanti may be a star ripe for the next season of the Surreal Life, but they could have done SO much better.

I just hope they put a strong cast around her.

[legally_popular]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 1:12pm

Ew, really?

I don't really like The Wiz, but I was planning on going anyway because 2 of my friends love it and want to go. But this has diminished any potential excitement I could've had.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 1:31pm

I don't think they really need her to sell tickets. People have been waiting for The Wiz to come back to NY for a while.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 1:32pm

Eh...

I'm totally with legally_popular. I wasn't very excited about THE WIZ to begin with and this is just kinda...not good news. I wish her the best though and I hope the rest of the cast is great.

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 1:47pm

I'm not saying this is brilliant casting, I'm not saying this is terrible casting, but lets hold on a second till we hear her sing some of the score at least before we start really judging. Here's her in that "Yellow Brick Road Not Taken" Wicked concert. I'm not saying she's beyond brilliant, especially being surrounded by four actresses who know the score like the back of their hand, but i would not describe her voice as "weak and thin"...



Ashanti- Defying Gravity- Yellow Brick Road Not Taken

[Lefou]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 1:49pm

very anticlimactic IMO. I wouldnt even classify Ashanti as a star anymore...

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/29/09 at 1:53pm

I love that SJB totally overpowers not only Ashanti but EVERYONE ELSE when she opens her mouth during that song.

I remember seeing it live and thinking Ashanti was pretty good...but watching it back, she's got some pitch problems. Maybe she just needed more rehearsal which I'm sure she'll get with a full-blown production like THE WIZ.