Carolee Carmello Talks FIRST WIVES CLUB

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 9/15/08 at 6:50pm

From Broadway.com:

"...I don't mind being associated with Mamma Mia!, but it would be nice to originate something again before I die [laughs]. I'm doing a workshop this fall of the new musical based on The First Wives Club, and then they're doing it at the Old Globe [in San Diego next spring]. [First Wives Club director] Francesca Zambello did the Show Boat concert I was in at Carnegie Hall, which was really fun.

Which wife will you play?
Diane Keaton. It's a little out of character for me. I think they decided that they'd like to cast the Goldie Hawn role with someone African-Amerian. I'm most suited to that part, but they don't want to go that way. The Diane Keaton part will be fun.

Do you know who else is in it?
No, because we did a reading last year and they've changed a lot of the cast. They may or may not take this group [of actors] to California [for the Old Globe production]. We'll see!"

http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=570985

Updated On: 9/15/08 at 06:50 PM

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 9/15/08 at 6:59pm

nooooooo......

no offense to carolee, but i REALLY wanted joanna gleason for this role. i guess she either passed or was deemed "too old"...shucks.

[me2]

Posted: 9/15/08 at 7:01pm

Very exciting! I have not seen the movie, but it sounds like a great subject for a musical. It is interesting, though, that Carmello seems to get all these older parts. Isn't she, maybe, 10-15 years too young to play Donna in MAMMA MIA?
Broadway Mouth: High School Musicals, Part 1: The Most-Performed High School Musicals

[notyourmomma]

Posted: 9/15/08 at 8:16pm

I TOLD YOU PEOPLE
I TOLD ALL OF YOU
NO ONE BELIEVED ME


Get it Carolee <3
I wonder when LaChanze will be announced as one of the other wives.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 9/15/08 at 8:41pm

Joanna has plans to stay away from musical theatre (ever since she left DIRTY ROTTEN..) -- wants to focus more on film/tv and straight plays.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 9/15/08 at 11:35pm

Huh, I thought they'd be getting A-listers, but I guess they are letting the name speak for itself as in the case of 9 TO 5, where Janney is the only high profile name involved.
I do remember someone mentioning Carmello and LaChanze. Who was the third one? I hope they are still pursuing Megan Mullally--though she was best-suited to Annie.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 9/15/08 at 11:43pm

Ahh! I adore Carolee! And I adore LaChanze! I would die if the two of them were cast!

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 9/16/08 at 1:28am

I'd love some LaChanze goodness...

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 9/16/08 at 1:10pm

Could anyone else see Carolee better suited for Bette's role? I wonder if they are going the Bernadette route with it instead.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 9/16/08 at 1:30pm

I think Carmello is very right in saying that her role really is Elise, not Annie or Brenda. I still don't get the point of turning Elise into an African-American chanteuse, why not cast all the roles with black actresses? Or Annie as a black woman? Oh well. Good for Carmello, but I'm so not a LaChanze fan, ugh. And LaChanze as Elise???? Double ugh.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 9/16/08 at 1:33pm

I'm more of a LaChanze fan than a Carmello fan, so you get what you get. At least you can always go back to the movie and watch Keaton, Hawn and Bette blast their way through "You Don't Own Me"!!

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 9/16/08 at 1:36pm

This woman is a goddess...a gem of the earth. She is so good at what she does. I hope The First Wives Club is a success and that Carolee has an original hit musical on her hands.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 9/16/08 at 1:37pm

Jewishboy, you are so right.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 9/16/08 at 2:31pm

They've been pursuing Megan Mullally for Brenda for quite some time.

Updated On: 9/16/08 at 02:31 PM

[girlsings]

Posted: 9/16/08 at 5:56pm

Funny, I heard rumors that Leah Hocking was asked about the same role ...