Posted: 12/27/16 at 12:16pm
I just wondering if anybody has ever cast their favorite performer in a role in a daydream sort of way and it actually came to be somewhere down the road. I'm sure this instance has happened many times and I just wanted to see if anyone would like to share their favorites :)
Posted: 12/27/16 at 12:19pm
Yes. When the film adaptation of "Dreamgirls" was in pre-production and casting was underway I was rooting for Jennifer Hudson to be cast as "Effie". And she was!
Posted: 12/27/16 at 12:23pm
Hudson was great. But that film was an atrocious adaptation of the material. I'll never understand making a film version of a musical and cutting that much of the music out.
Posted: 12/27/16 at 12:29pm
Before Les Miserables was brought to the big screen, I always thought that Helena Bonham Carter would be perfect casting as Madame Thenardier.
Before Little Red Ridinghood was cast in the film adaptation of Into the Woods, I was thinking that Lilla Crawford would be perfect for the role.
Several of my casting choices for Hairspray Live! ended up coming true (Harvey Fierstein, Jennifer Hudson, and Martin Short).
Andy Mientus was one of my choices to someday play Boq in Wicked, and now he's doing it on the road.
Before the current revival of Fiddler on the Roof was announced, I thought that Bartlett Sher would be a perfect choice to direct a production.
Updated On: 12/27/16 at 12:29 PM
Posted: 12/27/16 at 12:35pm
Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly! Been wanting that for about a decade now, was first in line to buy the tickets. Probably will cry before the overture even begins. Kristin Chenoweth as Velma (Hairspray).
Waiting for Laura Benanti's My Fair Lady, Michael Cerveris's Ben + Sutton Foster's Phyllis in Follies and my *must see* list would be fairly rounded out.
Posted: 12/27/16 at 12:35pm
It's happened now and then for me, but the BIG example was when I literally said I wanted Cynthia Erivo and Josh Henry to do The Last five Years. You should have seen me when they announced it! I seriously flipped out. If only I had gotten to see it...
Posted: 12/27/16 at 12:38pm
Jordan Catalano said: "Hudson was great. But that film was an atrocious adaptation of the material. I'll never understand making a film version of a musical and cutting that much of the music out.
I agree with you. The re-working of that second act really, really bothers me, even now when I watch it.
Another thing that still bothers me: The blatant rip off of "Supremes" album covers and the switch from Chicago to Detroit was not needed.
Posted: 12/27/16 at 1:05pm
I remember seeing Wicked shortly after it opened and thinking, "God, I hope Julia Murney gets to play Elphaba."
Posted: 12/27/16 at 1:09pm
Judy Kaye as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella is the first time I correctly predicted a Broadway casting. Hah!
Julia Murney was my Elphaba when I saw Wicked in 2007.
Posted: 12/27/16 at 1:09pm
John Gallagher Jr. in Long Day's Journey.
Posted: 12/27/16 at 2:46pm
Definitely Bette as Dolly. Also, Patti in Gypsy.
Posted: 12/27/16 at 3:08pm
Megan Hilty in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes! Still waiting with baited breath for that production to come to Broadway. Some day, maybe.
Posted: 12/27/16 at 3:14pm
I was watching Dreamgirls movie earlier this year and the discussion came to who should play Effie in the West End production, and my family unanimously thought of Amber Riley.
When she was announced - fantastic!
Seeing her in the show - Dream come true!
Posted: 12/27/16 at 11:03pm
Recently, I had pegged Andrew Rannells for Whizzer and Stephanie J. Block for Trina in FALSETTOS....I didn't really have anyone in particular in mind for Marvin but Christian Borle actually crossed my mind for Mendel.
Posted: 12/28/16 at 4:58am
Well, James Corden in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum almost happened.
Posted: 12/28/16 at 7:05am
Jenna Russell as the Edies in Grey Gardens
Posted: 12/28/16 at 7:13am
As soon as the recent Australian revival of Les Mis was announced I commented on a theatre news Facebook thread that Simon Gleeson would be my ideal Jean Valjean; one of the admins said no way would it happen. Sure enough, he was cast as Valjean, was absolutely amazing and then played the role in Asia and is now playing it on the West End!
Posted: 12/28/16 at 7:56am
We were thrilled to see Hedwig with NPH, but we said "if only they can get JCM back to do this it would be amazing"
Posted: 12/28/16 at 10:29am
Even though it's a concert, Laura Osnes as Polly Baker in Crazy For You
Posted: 12/28/16 at 2:49pm
Sutton Foster as Charity. When it was announced I got tickets as soon as they went on sale because she is perfect and she had done so many numbers in the past from the show.
Posted: 12/28/16 at 3:38pm
Kristin Chenoweth for both The Apple Tree and On the Twentieth Century. It was made even sweeter that I got to see Chenoweth in the latter.
