Posted: 6/19/16 at 7:33pm
Can anyone share which broadway show replacement actor/actress was better than the original performer through the years? For me it was Ms. Julia McGirt who replaced Jennifer Holliday in the original cast of Dreamgirls all those years ago,
Posted: 6/19/16 at 7:34pm
It's subjective. You can only say who you liked better, not necessarily who was better.
Posted: 6/19/16 at 7:40pm
No good can come from this.
The replacements wouldn't have had the opportunity to get the job if the original didn't successfully launch the show and have it be financially stable enough at the hand over.
Posted: 6/19/16 at 10:25pm
Just my personal opinion is all, Like Shoshana Bean over Idina in Wicked, Again,,,my opinion,
Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:27pm
Fantasia over La Chanze in COLOR PURPLE.
Mazzie over O'Hara in KING AND I
Chakiris over Jones in COMPANY (tour)
Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:51pm
Heather Headley in the Color Purple comes to mind.
Posted: 6/20/16 at 10:32am
Reba over Bernadette in Annie Get Your Gun
Jonathan Pryce over John Lithgow in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Posted: 6/20/16 at 10:41am
I agree about Jonathan Pryce and Heather Headley. I would also add Betty Buckley in SUNSET BLVD.
Posted: 6/20/16 at 11:10am
Alison Luff as Miss. honey
Posted: 6/20/16 at 11:25am
I never saw her live, but from the recorded final performance Renee Elise Goldsberry was my favorite Mimi in Rent. I didn't see the original cast live either, but I don't love Daphne Rubin-Vega on the OBCR. Maybe she brought something special to stage I'm not aware of but judging just by the audio, I'd say Renee was better. (Incidentally I didn't even realize that was her at first. I hadn't seen the recorded version and I watched it for the first time last summer a few months after seeing Hamilton at the public. I was like "where do I know her from?" It wasn't until the end that I realized it!)
Posted: 6/20/16 at 12:01pm
Here's another one...Sergio Franchi over Raul Julia in the BOX of Nine.
Posted: 6/20/16 at 8:39pm
While she wasn't "better" than Carol Channing, Pearl Bailey made a really spectacular Dolly.
Posted: 6/21/16 at 8:08am
Going with favorite not better---
Corey Cott in Newsies
Chris Hoch in Matilda
Andrew Rannells in Hedwig
Anthony Warlow in Finding Neverland
Dollypop-agree 100% - Baily was fantastic and actually made it a different show, so comparing her to Channing is impossible.
Posted: 6/21/16 at 8:40am
I like John Lithgow, but I've seen him bettered by replacements twice: David Dukes in M. BUTTERFLY, and Jonathyn Price in DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS.
Posted: 6/21/16 at 10:04am
Bernadette Peters replacing Catherine Zeta-Jones in A Little Night Music.
Posted: 6/21/16 at 11:57am
I have to agree all performances are matters of peoples tastes and opinions. Its funny because recently I was talking to someone about Julia. Having seen both Jennifer Holiday and Julia McGirt . I found her performance to be bland, dull and beyond elementary school. I thought she was terrible, and the person that I took to see it felt that she was robbed at not seeing Jennifer Holiday. I was not surprised to see that she has never been on Broadway again. I never have a bad word to say about a performer, but I could not believe that was a Broadway performance. Again, you see how its a matter of taste?
Posted: 6/21/16 at 6:05pm
I thought Ms. Mcgirt was a great Effie over Jennifer Holliday. Towards the end of her run, Jennifer would constantly blow her voice out...I guess she felt she had to live up to winning the Tony. And other nights, she just looked (and acted) and sang as if she didn't want to be there. As we all know (now).. this was around the time when.she was feuding with Sheryl and Loretta so her understudy (Sheila Ellis) went on a lot. Vanessa Townsell actually was to first to replace Jennifer, but she was horrible. Maybe that's who you saw. She only lasted like three months and then Julia took over. So I guess we are ALL entitled to who we think is better.
Posted: 6/22/16 at 8:39pm
Let me preface this by saying that Alice Ripley's portrayal of Diana in N2N was brilliant. I was glad I saw it in previews. Once her voice was shot, it was touch and go. Also, her performance was very elevated, surreal and kabuki at times. Again, total brilliance. That being said, I felt that Marin Mazzie is a better actress and is better trained vocally than Ripley and she offered a more grounded and realistic version of Diana that I preferred.
I also feel Marin is a far better actress than Kelli O'Hara and was far superior in King and I.
Posted: 6/22/16 at 8:45pm
Bettyboy72, yes! Alice was brilliant in NEXT TO NORMAL. However, Marin was equally, maybe a bit more brilliant.
Posted: 6/22/16 at 9:31pm
Mimi Hines in "Funny Girl". She played the part longer than That Streisand Woman, too.
