Early Casting for Shrek- Page 4

[biggest CHENO fan]

Posted: 12/28/07 at 10:54am

I am now excited about SHREK. Though I was dreading it before, Sutton makes me want to see it as soon as is comes out! She will be fantastic and I am confident she will make the role her own. SO EXCITING..I. CAN'T. WAIT.

[DirtyRottenGirl]

Posted: 12/28/07 at 2:24pm

I cant believe Sutton is gonna do this show. i love her to death but what the heck. She has recently taken the least challenging roles ever. I love to see her challenge her self and she isn't going to do that in shrek.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/28/07 at 2:27pm

Unless you're a big, millionaire movie star, you take the jobs you are offered, especially in the theatre.

I don't think Sutton is turning jobs down in exchange for other jobs.

The fact that she is being given the opportunity to originate five roles in a row is amazing.

Unless you write yourself a show, you take what's offered to you, so you can pay the bills and eat.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/28/07 at 2:43pm

I think Foster is one of the smartest new actresses out there in terms of her career choices. She was smart (and lucky) enough to sign on as the understudy in MILLIE instead of being Eponine replacement number 120394th in LES MIZ... and we all know what happened after that. She has kept originating roles on Broadway and participating in workshops.
She said that after LITTLE WOMEN she wanted to be part of an ensemble instead of carrying the whole weight of a show on her shoulders so she chose to star in one of the most acclaimed (if not THE most acclaimed) musical of the '05-'06 season. Then she was smart enough to star in the BIG FAT HIT of this season. The show may not be great and the part may not be Momma Rose but it will definitely get her even more noticed--which means more work.
I guess now she feels she is ready to headline a show again, hence SHREK, and I can't think of a Broadway actress that is more right for the role of Fiona.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 12/28/07 at 3:07pm

Agreed, FOSTER (I assume aided by her managers/handlers is one smart cookie career wise. I wish her continued success. We are lucky to have her in the Bway community.

Updated On: 12/28/07 at 03:07 PM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 12/28/07 at 3:32pm

"She will absolutely remain with the show through the Tonys, though YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN will not be nominated for Best Musical."

Don't mean to change the subject here, but I think it is a bit too early to be definitely sure what will be nominated and won't be nominated. I have yet to see the show (seeing it tomorrow actually) so I can't judge, but I hope it has just as much of a chance at this point as the other musicals.

"The fact that she is being given the opportunity to originate five roles in a row is amazing."

Ditto. Whoever says she is taking the least challenging roles needs to think again. She's originated roles in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Little Woman, Drowsy Chaperone, and Young Frankenstein, all in a row. That is pretty impressive. She has stated before that she wants to be part of an ensemble piece, so that is what she is doing. She's obviously doing something right if she keeps being asked to originate roles, and perhaps someday she'll want to be THE star of a show again just as she was in Millie.

[squeakyfromme82]

Posted: 12/28/07 at 3:50pm

Shrek won't be at the Palace. It's definitely in a Shubert house. Probably (although not official) in the Broadway.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 11:16am

A little late, I know, but I just wanted to throw in my two cents that Andy Karl was completely brilliant on "Howl at the Moon". I was there live that night, and the emotion he put into that song had many people (me included) tearing up. He sounded fantastic and (maybe this was only in person) I didn't get the impression that he was straining at all. To each their own, I guess.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 7:55pm

Sutton will definitely stay with YF through her one year contract, which probably began at the start of out of town previews.

She will absolutely remain with the show through the Tonys, though YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN will not be nominated for Best Musical.

Wanna Be A Foster, that isn't true.

As you say, Suton Foster is probably contracted a year from the start of the Seattle production of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, which would mean she is commited to the show through August of next year.

Since SHREK is going into rehearsals in June and going out of town shortly after, however, she is almost surely invoking an "early out" in her contract and leaving YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN at the start of the summer.

Updated On: 1/2/08 at 07:55 PM

[BillFinn]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 8:08pm

I heard from someone who spoke to Sutton at Drowsy's closing party that she's leaving YF July 3rd to work on Shrek.

I'm glad Sutton got Fiona, but I'm kind of sad Celia Keenan-Bolger is the one who's being asked to workshop all of these amazing musicals (Little Mermaid, Shrek, Catch me If you Can) and yet, she's not getting any of these leading roles. Did she catch the Kerry Butler syndrome or something?

Updated On: 1/2/08 at 08:08 PM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 8:24pm

BillFinn, Celia Keenan-Bolger knew when she did the last workshop of SHREK that it was only going to be a one time oppertunity.

Sutton Foster has been attatched to the show since the very beginning. Jeanine Tesori has written all of Fiona's material around her voice, and the only reason she didn't do the last workshop was because she was out in Seattle with YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.

While I can't speak for what happened with the other projects she has been involved in, I'm sure Celia considers herself pretty lucky to have experienced the significant amount of success she has had enjoyed her career thus far.

EDIT: July 3rd is a Thursday. Are you sure Foster is leaving on that date?

Updated On: 1/2/08 at 08:24 PM

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 8:38pm

"Celia Keenan-Bolger is the one who's being asked to workshop all of these amazing musicals (Little Mermaid, Shrek, Catch me If you Can) and yet, she's not getting any of these leading roles. Did she catch the Kerry Butler syndrome or something?"

Well, she colud be replacement in these shows...

And don't rule out Catch Me If You Can. It has no opening date yet.

On another note, the 2008-2009 season sounds great:
9 TO 5
SHREK
BILLY ELLIOTT

[BillFinn]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 8:46pm

July 3rd is what I heard, but I would take it with a grain of salt and wait until an official announcement.

I don't think Celia would be asked to do replacement for Mermaid or Shrek. If Mermaid opened with an unknown, they're going to stick with unknowns (unless box office suffers, which I doubt). Shrek will follow suit. Everyone loves Shrek. Plus, she opened Les Miz and Spelling Bee and now she's opening Saved! She opens shows, not replaces actresses in them.

TRUE about "Catch Me If You Can!" 9 to 5 is going to be amazing...

Updated On: 1/2/08 at 08:46 PM

[B3TA07]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 8:58pm

Who is she playing in "Saved!"? The Jena Malone role?

[jbdc]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 9:02pm

I like those O'Keefe songs on youtube, but I think Tesori was the right choice. It made me think:

O'Keefe writes songs. He is like Stephen Schwartz. He has a distinct sound and style that can be found in all his work. (And I don't think it's right for Shrek. I think it was about half-right for Legally Blonde.)

Tesori composes like Bernstein or Sondheim, or like the way Robbins choreographed. They find a style and themes for the story they are telling. And they expand them into a cohesive score. Caroline, Or Change, the new stuff for Millie, and Violet couldn't be more different.

But it's obvious the person who wrote Legally Blonde also wrote Bat Boy. Like it's obvious that Children of Eden and Wicked have the same composer. Or like The Producers and Young Frankenstein.

That said, if I were Sutton, I'd be all over a new Tesori score, too, because it will probably be fun and accessible for a broad target audience, but also artistic, smart and challenging at the same time.

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 9:24pm

Do you think they will "python" a song or two? I was thinking of a song called "In the Morning, I'm Making Waffles!" :)

[purpleprince101]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 9:46pm

Im getting pretty excited for Shrek, but i get excited for everything Sutton. I don't think it will be a fantastic show, but certainly a fun one. I couldn't have picked a more perfect person for Fiona.

[FinalDestination]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 9:56pm

OH OH!

I know, I know. Let's have Francesca Zambello direct. (I wanna see Little Mermaid..BAD. But I heard her directing isn't so hot)

Anyway, getting back on track. I am really excited to see Sutton do this. And see this musical in general. Does anyone know if they have completely casted the musical? Or have just these two been cast?

[EdmundOG]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 10:00pm

"Christopher Sieber as Faarquard would be brilliant casting."

Christopher Sieber as Faarquard would be about four feet too tall.

Peter Dinklage for Faarquard!

[jbdc]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 10:01pm

or chris kattan

[EdmundOG]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 10:06pm

"Why oh WHY are they doing this? Are there no good original ideas left? "

Yes! Original ideas like the musical theatre classics! Like Oklahoma, Show Boat, The Sound of Music, The Fantasticks, West Side Story, Les Misérables, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Kiss Me Kate, Rent, Chicago, Cabaret and... Oh, wait. None of those are original ideas...

[caitlinette]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 11:49pm

Where is it confirmed that Sutton has been cast?

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 1/3/08 at 12:13am

The audition notice states that the roles of FIONA and FARQUAAD are cast. It does not give the names of the actors cast, but it is a pretty poorly kept secret that FOSTER and SIEBER are doing the roles.

[MuppetManiaMan]

Posted: 1/3/08 at 1:30am

Some of Farquad's great jokes are at his height! He needs to be short! How bout John Lloyd Young?
And what are some suggestions for the Fairy Tale Creatures, like Gingym the Wolf, and Pinocchio?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/3/08 at 1:44am

Sieber will, I believe, be on his knees with shoes attatched or something of that nature.