This wasn't a rumor since the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera had actually sold tickets. It was GYPSY starring Debbie Reynolds who was 48 years old at the time. Not originally a fan, I had seen her in Gower Champion's excellent production of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN a few years earlier and Reynolds was a sensational Annie. Her voice was powerful and she was a never ending bundle of energy. So I was curious to see how she would play Rose but unfortunately the LACLO went bankrupt and the season ended earlier than planned. Speaking of GYPSY, I've read at the time of the original production that they were considering Ann Sothern to take over for Merman when she took it on the road but decided instead to close the Broadway run. Besides rumors of Marilyn going into DAMN YANKEES, I'd also read once that Judy Garland was considering going into ANNIE GET YOUR GUN for a limited amount of time before doing the film.
Agree with those who would've loved to have seen Benanti cast as Eliza Doolittle. I thought after SHE LOVES ME, she was a shoo-in. I'm sure she would have sung it beautifully.
Ooooh, I never knew that! However this was supposed to be at Sag Harbor (where she did Grey Gardens) circa 2013. A friend of mines family is a donor and was told there were in talks to do a production with Betty as Sweeney.
Though it wasn’t a stage production, I’m pretty bummed the Kate Winslet and Robert Downey Jr. in the film adaptation of Next to Normal never happened. I’m sure it would have been brilliant.
Barbra or Julie Andrews in a proposed f/v of The Merry Widow.
Igmar Bergman asked Barbra to do it. She recently discussed this in depth for the podcast "Here's The Thing" with Alec Baldwin (if you're interested in more info).
Wasn’t RDJ considered for Higgins for the upcoming MFL revival? Or was he just a dreamcast?
My father (AIDS)
My sister (AIDS)
My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS, AIDS, AIDS)
The gays and the straights
And the white and the spades
n2nbaby said: "Though it wasn’t a stage production, I’m pretty bummed the Kate Winslet and Robert Downey Jr. in the film adaptation of Next to Normal never happened. I’m sure it would have been brilliant."
Was this ever real or just wishful fan thinking? (Including myself).
Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.
Cher, Diana Ross, Bernadette Peters. Michele Lee, Jennifer Holliday, Tyne Daly, Barbara Eden and all the other actresses Andrew Lloyd Webber supposedly 'offered' the role of Norma Desmond in 1996, to take over once Buckley left. Some names were inspired, some were more insipid. However, he knew he needed a 'name' to sell tickets (and Elaine Paige just wasn't that name).
I'm listening to Robert Downey Jr's album now. He has a good singing voice, but I don't think he'd be suited for Dan in Next to Normal. His voice is too rock-oriented. Musical Theatre singing voices do need nuance and it can help when they're informed by other genres, but his is too smokey and it lacks diction.