Biggest shoes to fill

[??]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 2:13pm

I know we've hard questions about the "hardest" role to play, but my question is... Who has the biggest shoes to fill? Meaning, not only is it a hard role, but certain expectations are to be met, or your presentation has the ability to change the way people see the character.

My two choices are

Jesus Christ
Hamlet.

[AlmostFamous]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 2:27pm

Count Fosco (Michael Ball) - The Woman In White
not the role itself but Michael Ball - think of how the understudies feel when people are asking for refunds Updated On: 2/10/06 at 02:27 PM

[teh_pretty]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 3:21pm

Mama Rose, always. One has to do a KICK ASS job to not be compared to the Merm.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 3:48pm

Patti has recently had work cut out for her to break expectations of Lovett and she certainly succeeded creating a role for herself

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 3:55pm

Count Fosco? Not even going to respond to that....

Joanne from Company, I still have yet to see someone to pull it off like Elaine Stritch did.
Mame and Mrs.Lovett are two characters that people have already the figure of Angela Lansbury playing them, so whoever plays these roles have big shoes to fill and like C in Company said, Patti LuPone sure filled those shoes.
Charity Hope Valentine, a role that people immediately relate to Gwen Verdon, one of the hardest roles to pull off and play it in Ms.Verdon's standard.
Sister Aloysus in Doubt, Doubt is not the same without Cherry Jones playing this role and I'm sure it's putting a lot of pressure on Eileen Atkins.
Finally, if Light in the Piazza extends or if it ever gets revived I feel really bad for whoever plays Margaret after Victoria Clark, she is Margaret so those are big shoes to fill.

[kec]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 3:58pm

How about the King in The King and I? Every actor who goes into that role has to compete with the memory of Yul Brynner...

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 4:12pm

Mama Rose--now you have Merm, Angie, Tyne AND Bernadette
Mrs. Lovett--Angie again
Henry Higgins-- Tony and Oscar winning role
Harold Hill--i don't think anyone will ever top Robert Preston, unless they're into necrophilia (god, that was a tacky joke)

I also think that any Audrey has to compete with Ellen Greene, Emcees with Grey and Cumming and fortunately there have been enough crappy Sally Bowles' to cleanse the palate.

[kec]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 4:21pm

You're right about Harold Hill. When I finally got to see the newer version of The Music Man, I was a bit disappointed in Matthew Broderick's performance. It wasn't that he was bad, I just kept seeing/hearing Robert Preston in the role.

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 4:22pm

Julie Andrews in MY FAIR LADY
Barbra Streisand in FUNNY GIRL
Angela Lansbury in MAME
Jessica Tandy in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Marlon Brando in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

also,
Patti LuPone as EVITA Updated On: 2/2/06 at 04:22 PM

[teh_pretty]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 4:25pm

Julie Andrews in Sound of Music, too. I have seen the show about a billion times, and I have yet not to think "I miss Julie...." by the intermission.

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 4:28pm

loves, you think Tandy more than Leigh? I can't imagine there's TOO many people who saw that performance; of course, the spirit of Laurette Taylor will haunt TGM forever, so I guess I could buy Tandy--also making Miss Daisy her ownj.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 4:56pm

Patti in Evita
If it extends/gets revived... Victoria Clark in Piazza

[starsinger]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 5:09pm

i hate to bring up a topic that may get me shot but i do believe that Idina's role of Elphaba was pretty hard to fill. I think that all the fans of wicked in the beginning really saw her as THE elphaba and it was apparent on January 9th of last year that they did NOT want to let her go and that Shoshana was not going to do Elphaba any justice. While I don't believe in this, because i DID see shoshana and thought she was great...its what is implied. i think that while elphaba is not the HARDEST role to play...i think shoshana had a hard time filling Idinas shoes.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 6:40pm

Harold Hill, no question. Can you get any better than Robert Preston?
You also need a real comedic team that respects and knows each other well to play Nathan Detriot and Adedlaide in "Guys and Dolls." I've found that most Skys and Sarahs bring the show down, unfortunately, making the Nathan and Adelaide the anchors of the show.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 6:46pm

One of the ones I would have to say is Evita. When the show first opened, there was a lot of controversy. She was considered a saint in Argentina, but a dictator everywhere else.

[catstagestud]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 6:54pm

My immediate reaction would be Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls. I hope that Jennifer Hudson succeeds in the film version because she is so wonderfully talented.

Also I'd put Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner as Violet and Daisy Hilton from SideShow. When a revival of this beautiful work comes around(hopefully in 10 years or so) the producers will have to find two women that work just as well if not better than the originals.

Totally agree with many of the previosly listed like Eva, Mama Rose, Lovett, Harold Hill etc.

Cheers,

C.

[Overthemoon6]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 6:57pm

Harold Hill, Mama Rose. And yes, I think that Idina in Elphaba was hard to fill too. Kristin as Galinda too. Though both JLT and Megan Hilty have done a fabulous job.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 7:04pm

Tracy Lord in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. Who could play that role better than KATHARINE HEPBURN or even come close? Hell, it was written for her!

[EfrimLevi]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 7:09pm

Well, Grace Kelly (a real rich girl from Philadelphia) did a bang-up job in "High Society".

[LaVieHilary]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 9:58pm

EfrimLevi i agree.

Like everyone else
yes Mama Rose...DUH!
Ohh and Elphaba is always a tricky one

[TabooPhan1]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 10:20pm

Definitely any Max Bialystock has his work cut out for him. My theory on this whole topic makes me feel so torn as to how far is creating your own character and how far is going beyond the character. What I mean by that is, some actors (great actors) just get it right the first time, and as an actor I often feel that the most important thing is that you do the character justice, whether your interpretation is similar or not. HOWEVER, you also don't want to be seen as an impersonator, and you should offer your own interpretation. All I'm saying is I think it's one of the hardest things to do to try and stay true to a character and not look just like a copy cat.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 10:44pm

Mama Rose- Gypsy

Mrs. Lovett- Sweeney

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:17am

lildogs,

I can see your point about Vivien Leigh in STREETCAR, since that's the performance most people know. When it comes to the stage, though, Jessica Tandy was brilliant.

Interestingly, I saw a regional theater production of STREETCAR a couple of years ago, and their Blanche was riveting. Too often Blanche becomes a caricature with too many histrionics, but this woman's performance was in perfect balance. Deborah Wiley was her name, I think. Her descent into madness was quietly heart wrenching.

lc

[Cabchic]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 8:33am

Nathan Lane in the Producers

Norbert Leo Butz in DRS

Alan Cumming in Cabaret

Even though she is some people's favorite target on here, Sara Ramirez in Spamalot

[??]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 10:16am

Starsinger,

I saw Wicked, I liked it, I listen to the music occasionally etc. I understand Elphaba is not an easy role vocally for most people and is definitly an appealing one for a large majority of the female persuasion.

However, I really don't think it has big shoes to fill. Sure Menzel did a fine job, but it is really a role that anyone with the chops can play. Now I will say the same thing about Valjean, The Phantom etc etc.

However, when you take on the role of some of them mentioned, not only is it exciting but daunting. For example: You are playing Jesus Christ. The show doesn't matter, not even the context, but you are Jesus Christ and this is the role of one of the most influential men in history. How do you do it? It's almost frightening.

For Hamlet. You now have to take on the greatest literary role in English history (and anyone who wants to debate that is free to put on the boxing gloves The role is so open to interpretation that I honestly believe it is impossible to play it right.

So while I absolutely respect your opinion and agree it's a great female role, I poilitely disagree in it being equal to Christ, Hamlet and Brando (three people I thought I would never compare!)