Chitty - this is nuts!!!!!

[nancipants]

Posted: 6/13/04 at 5:20pm

Sent to me from a friend in London. From The Mail:

"Teenage singing star Charlotte Church is set to make her musical debut on Broadway as Truly Scrumptious in a new stage production of Chitty.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that she is in final talks with producers and will head for America next April if she lands the £5700 a week lead role

Charlotte who gained access to her £16million fortune when she turned 18 in Feb. is said to be a fan of the film and is relishing the chance to move to the US for a six month contract

The Welsh singers managment co. is understood to be urging her to take the role to relaunch her career in the States

Charlotte has been told by producers that she is ideal for the part. They are also trying to secure Michael Ball for a leading role."



One, maybe two, jobs taken away from Americans. Again.

[JakeB]

Posted: 6/13/04 at 5:35pm

I was just about to come and post about this. I think it's great casting, but then again I'm going through a phase of loving stunt/star casting.

[sharon1]

Posted: 6/13/04 at 6:14pm

I have to agree. I was and am into the idea of Erin Dilly. But if they want someone younger why don't they go with the original London Truly. Emma Williams. She just got universal raves for her part as Betty in the recent concert of Sunset Boulevard. She has a fantastic voice.

[LC]

Posted: 6/13/04 at 7:24pm

Apparently, Raul Esparza has been in London for a couple of days this past week. He went to see Chitty. Hmmmm...

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/13/04 at 7:42pm

It's better casting than, say, Geri Halliwell or Kylie Minogue.

[kec]

Posted: 6/13/04 at 10:44pm

Sorry, I just cannot see Charlotte Church as Truly. As someone else pointed out, if they want someone from the U.K, why not Emma Williams? She originated the role in London, and was excellent.

I hope this is NOT true...

Jake, how reliable is the Mail on this kind of gossip?

[weloveuconrad]

Posted: 6/13/04 at 10:52pm

uhhh, dont pounce on me or anything. i have all of her cds but i think char is pretty bad. her vocal coach "lulu" (thats her name)let her get away with alot of bad habbits. also, ive never heard char belt. i dont know about her on broadway.

[catcher]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 1:22am

I am so confused! How could Erin Dilly be close to signing (as variety wrote) and yet they are talking to Charlotte Church?

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 3:11am

Maybe they will re-cast the show when it comes to Broadway.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 5:05am

For the record, I like Charlotte Church. I'm sure she's not the ideal person to perform the role, but I think she'd be a lot better than most of the other stunt casting performers going on in America. And if anything it'll just get more people to the theatre where they'll find...what? Well I believe someone said Michael Ball! How great would it be to get some Ball on Broadway?

[leeinlondon]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 5:36am

"One, maybe two, jobs taken away from Americans. Again."

This is just a trade off.. we have LOTS of American actors in the West End... I think it is great that we have the opportunity to swap actors between the countries...

[JakeB]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 5:56am

Lee's right, the recent production of Fuddy Meers had an almost entirely American cast, even in the small roles.

And Kec, the Daily Mail is usually reliable on their stuff as Baz Bamigboye tips them off, if not writes them himself.

[DofB5]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 6:42am

Well. there aready is a Ball OVER Broadway. Why not ON it as well?

D Updated On: 6/14/04 at 06:42 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 7:56am

"we have LOTS of American actors in the West End"

Who? The last two times I was in the UK, of the 25+ shows I saw, there were only about 5 Americans in the shows. I tried to find out about working in the West End and it is EXTREMELY difficult. Where are all these Americans coming from? What shows are they in?

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 8:31am

Charlotte Church has one of the worst singing voices I have ever heard - a vibrato that you could drive a truck through. This casting idea is Truly Terrible...I hope it doesn't happen.

[scooter38432]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 12:15pm

Charlotte Church has one of the worst singing voices you've ever heard? Come, now.

I can understand not liking her voice too much, but one of the worst you've ever heard?! There are SURELY worse singers heard on stage...

Here are some strong contenders in the "worst" I've ever heard (in a Broadway musical) category...

Frances Ruffelle
Michael Crawford
Jane Krakowski
Liliane Montevecchi
Sheryl Lee Ralph (in MILLIE only. In DREAMGIRLS, she's fab.)
Fisher Stevens

As far as casting Ms. Church as Truly Scrumptious, I think the only drawback is that she's too young for the role, don't you think? I guess it all depends on the casting of the male lead.

I don't really have a problem with bringing performers from overseas to appear on Broadway -- just as we send Americans to the West End. I do feel, however, that it should only be necessary if the role is perfectly designed for that particular actor (i.e. Lea Salonga in MISS SAIGON). The role of Truly is a pretty bland ingenue. Couldn't a number of American actresses play that role? Why bother bringing her over? I don't think that her name is going to make ticket sales jump. The title of the show is enough for great advance sales.

[JakeB]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 1:10pm

The role was played by an 18 year old in the original cast.

Mister Matt, offhand I can't bring their names to mind, but people like Matthew Lillard, Matthew Perry, Hank Azaria, Aaron Eckhart, Julia Stiles, Alicia Witt spring to mind as immediate examples, most of them in the past 2 months alone!

[SamIAm]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 1:55pm

NO...this is s dumb move. First of all, she is likely to be stiff and inflexible given her operatic background, secondly she has little to no acting experience and thirdly after her comments following 9/11 and her cancelled appearances because of what she deemed to be an insignificant event...I don't care if I ever see the little twit again. I like Marc Kudisch but will now be hard pressed to go see this show with her in a starring role. She is not a heavy weight as an actress and I don't see her being able to carry this part. Vocally, yes...in terms of stage work...no

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 6/14/04 at 2:00pm

For the record, AEA and British Eauity have an agreement that for the number of Brits brought to Broadway the same number of Americans must be used in the West End. It is tit-for-tat.