Cavenaugh Offered the Role of Tony in WSS- Page 2

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 8/12/08 at 11:58pm

Exciting.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 12:00am

Is Aaron Tevit the one who TooDarnAnnoying said it was gonna be?

I think he's too old. I saw the North Carolina School of the Arts production in Chicago last summer and they were all so young. I'd never seen a West Side Story where the kids all really seemed like kids. It brought a poignancy to it that is absent from a lot of productions.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 12:03am

Yes, Tveit was the one that TooDarnHot swore was going to play Tony, opposite Lea Michele. That's why he has been mentioned in this thread.

He's also much younger than Cavenaugh, and actually would have been age appropriate. Updated On: 8/13/08 at 12:03 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 12:06am

I think these two make a great Tony and Maria:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1XTSWwvGeM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 12:08am

Okay. I got him confused with Aaron Lozar.

[Neverandy]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 12:10am

I think these two make a great Tony and Maria:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1XTSWwvGeM

Haven't seen that in quite some time!
Wow, is that crazy. She is such a mess!

[winter_sky]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 12:20am

Since they're clearly casting older, I wish Natalie Cortez could be Anita. Curtis would be a fantastic Riff too. Maybe he'll understudy?

[singingbackup]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 12:28am

Yeah, maybe it was Action

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 12:35am

I'd go see Curtis Holbrook at a freakin' taffy pull! But put him in this and I could care LESS who Tony is. (But for the record, as much as I love Cavanaugh, I do think he's too old.)

Can't wait to hear the complete casting on this!!!

Updated On: 8/13/08 at 12:35 AM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 12:43am

"millie_dillmount, Aaron Tveit auditioned for the show but did not receive a callback."

I know...not sure if you missed what happened a few weeks ago with the rumor of Aaron Tveit...

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:01am

I was so excited about a production of WEST SIDE STORY with age-appropriate casting, so much for Laurents truly making them seem like gang members.
As someone said when the rumor first started, Cavenaugh looks more like the kind of person that the Jets would beat up. Oh well.
If they are gonna go with the grandpa casting, then cast Karen Olivo as Maria and Andrea Burns as Anita, they would both be wonderful in those roles.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:03am

I think we should let Matt perform the role BEFORE we review it.

Just a thought.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:09am

JRB! You know better. You're asking BWW to do that? When have they ever?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:26am

No one is reviewing him, Jerbs. I think some of us are just surprised at the choice. It's silly to admonish people for scratching their heads at said choice. No one has said he would suck; they've just mentioned he seems a little long in the tooth.
Updated On: 8/13/08 at 01:26 AM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:30am

I'm a fan of Cavenaugh, he'll sing the role beautifully, hopefully have a couple of shirtless scenes, and probably do a good acting job. But if the way casting is going is any indication, this will be another traditional mounting of WEST SIDE STORY, nothing wrong with that but not what Laurents made such a big deal about in the press.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:32am

Yeah, that's sort of what I was thinking too, Ray. My first thought was how this supposed revelatory production is keeping the original choreography and casting a 30 year old Tony and how that didn't seem to bode well for how this is being hyped.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:35am

Yeah, but you make it seem like keeping the original choreography was only optional. It wasn't, we all know that.


And does anyone remember when Laura Benanti was too long in the tooth to play Louise? OH WAIT. She won the Tony.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:39am

NO! OOOOLD!

I was really looking forward to this being cast age-appropriate.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:41am

Don't you get defensive, too. People's preconceived notions get proven wrong all the time. I was just pointing out that nothing untoward was being said.

Benanti did surprise me in Gypsy, for the record. She brought a lot of warmth to the role that I didn't expect from her.

As for the choreography - yes, we all knew it wasn't optional. I don't find it problematic that that's what they're using. I just wonder how radical this production can be if they seem to be following the same road that all productions seem to follow.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:42am

Well only time will tell, won't it?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:47am

It coitanly will! This doesn't diminish my desire to see it. I don't think he's a bad performer at all.

Maybe now Diana Degarmo will be able to play Maria or Anita. Or Doc!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:50am

Foster: Whoops, my bad, sorry. And sorry to all of the people I said that to. I honestly wouldn't have expected it from her!

I'd like to hear her sing soprano, actually.

Updated On: 8/13/08 at 01:50 AM

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:58am

Tveit was in the FINAL round of callbacks. it was between him, Matt, and another man. douchebag.

Lea Michele will be playing Maria. I stand by that.

it's too darn hostile in this thread!!

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:59am

No, PRS, I was addressing the comments that knocked his acting abilities/typed him as unable to play rough*. And since this is the second thread to do so, I was being preemptive knowing that all the people that knocked him in the other thread will be compelled to repeat their thoughts here.

*ya know maybe he will ACT rough. maybe he is an ACTOR who won't be playing a Kennedy or the well off Ralph.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 2:09am

Matt was thoroughly convincing as teen-aged Jerry in Grey Gardens.

BTW, Larry Kert was 25 when he played Tony on Broadway.