Amazing how Lisa O'Hare, Lauren Ambrose, Laura Benanti, Laura Michelle Kelly, Ashley Park and Sierra Boggess are gonna alternate the part on a nightly basis.
hmph said: "Am I completely out of the loop for not even knowing Lauren Ambrose could sing? Is there anything out there that would prove she can handle it?"
if Sher is going to cast her as Eliza, presumably he'd be quite sure she can handle Eliza vocally (range, notes, etc.). He's hardly known for casting actors in musicals that can't handle the vocals - quite the opposite. And he previously considered Ambrose for SOUTH PACIFIC and cast her in FUNNY GIRL (for which he's on record as saying she gave one of the best audtiions he'd ever seen).
As far as Ambrose being able to sing and, IMHO, quite impressively, please see SIX FEET UNDER link below:
To those saying "who?," Ambrose, though many believe she deserves greater profile/recognition than she's achieved, in addition to having serious NY credits (Sher's AWAKE AND SING with Ruffalo and Wanamaker, EXIT THE KING with Rush and Sarandon, Ophelia, and Juliet opposite Oscar Isaac's Romeo), is, safe to say, from SIX FEET UNDER, much better known to the general public than many Broadway leading ladies who have been much discussed as possible Elizas for this production.
As far as not being a big enough star for that planned FUNNY GIRL revival to have taken off, not only are the demands of the Streisand-synonymous never-yet-revived FUNNY GIRL very different than those of MY FAIR LADY, especially when comparing a commercial to a non-profit mounting, they might well be vastly and categorically different. As many, with good reason, believe that a well-produced FUNNY GIRL requires far more expense than that required for a well--produced MY FAIR LADY, given the former's lavish Ziegfeld Follies numbers.
After seeing prince of broadway I'm throwing Kaley Ann Vorhees into the ring. Also, now that I think about it, I'm worried that an actor of color playing Eliza would turn into a white savior storyline.
When will this madness end?? Supposedly some people have it on good authority it's Lauren Ambrose and now it's Anne Hathaway? I just hope we get an announcement. I'm not convinced of Anne's soprano.
Word on the street is that it's Ambrose. I haven't heard anything about Hathaway being involved at all. Too bad since she'd probably be better than Ambrose who many (myself included) find to be incredibly miscast. We'll have to wait and see.
I'm actually really interested to hear who will being playing Higgins. I've heard a few names, but I'm not sure who they went with.