Posted: 8/7/17 at 5:32am
GeorgeandDot, re: Higgins: are you allowed to mention any of those names? Or at least whether Colin Firth is still in the mix? If it ends up being him and Anne Hathaway, I'm booking flights asap...
Updated On: 8/7/17 at 05:32 AM
Posted: 8/7/17 at 8:08am
Wasn't the Hathaway thing a longstanding rumor? I remember reading about her and Firth a long time ago
Posted: 8/7/17 at 9:39am
After seeing prince of broadway I'm throwing Kaley Ann Vorhees into the ring.
She would be PERFECT.
Updated On: 10/28/18 at 09:39 AM
Posted: 8/7/17 at 9:46am
I honestly just can't see Anne as Eliza. I'm sure she'd be wonderful, but I'd take Lauren over her any day.
Posted: 8/7/17 at 9:48am
Wasn't Hathaway mentioned along with Firth for a possible revival a few years ago?
Posted: 8/7/17 at 9:53am
dianamorales said: "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."
Interesting, but couldn't it also offer a pointed critique of the white savior narrative? After all Higgins savior complex is completely turned on its head by Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, through the admonitions and intervention of Mrs. Higgins (with help from Mrs. Pearce) and through Eliza's defiance.
As is, Shaw has already provided a wildly entertaining denunciation of the upper class male savior.
If an actor of color plays Eliza, and if we see Higgins as, in addition to all else, a white savior, his saviordom will still get trounced.
So rather than identifying a worry, you may have stumbled upon a greatly resonant textual reason (not that one would nec. be required!) to cast Eliza as a woman of color.
Updated On: 8/7/17 at 09:53 AM
Posted: 8/7/17 at 9:58am
Hathaway proved to be a disappointing Lili in the Encores CARNIVAL some years ago, with a very colorless soprano. A good actress, though, and certainly a big ticket draw. Still hoping for Kelli, who was so amazing in the concert version some years ago, and just finished her Williamstown concert with "I Could Have Danced All Night" that blew everyone away.
Posted: 8/7/17 at 10:07am
henrikegerman said: "dianamorales said: "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."
Interesting, but couldn't it also offer a pointed critique of the white savior narrative? After all Higgins savior complex is completely turned on its head by Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, through the admonitions and intervention of Mrs. Higgins (with help from Mrs. Pierce) and through Eliza's defiance.
As is, Shaw has already provided a wildly entertaining denunciation of the upper class male savior.
If an actor of color plays Eliza, and if we see Higgins as, in addition to all else, a white savior, his saviordom will still get trounced.
It's not like it's never been done . . .
Posted: 8/7/17 at 3:02pm
Kelli O'Hara isn't in the running for Eliza since she will be performing in an opera at the MET in March. As for Anne's soprano, it really isn't my favorite, but I'm sure they would put her through a soprano boot camp, but at least she has the range. The apparent casting of Ambrose is so strange since she'll be forty years old and a belter. Not really what I was expecting from Sher.
I've heard a couple of names for Higgins. Firth was one, but I cannot confirm how factual that is. I also heard about Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Spacey, as well as Kevin Kline. Again, no one that I've spoken to seems to really know about Higgins.
Posted: 8/7/17 at 4:08pm
I hear Oak is going to play Eliza!
But in all seriousness, if we're to believe Riedel, Kline turned it down and they would prefer a British actor (though that could have changed in desperation). Spacey has also gone on record saying that he's had a lot of Broadway offers (no surprise), but the schedules will never work as long as House of Cards is airing.
Ambrose as Eliza seems beyond ridiculous to me... I think we're all driving ourselves mad trying to speculate about this casting, when it truly seems like NOBODY knows who's playing these roles.
Posted: 8/7/17 at 4:47pm
While I'm not a fan of the Lauren Ambrose rumor I wouldn't be surprised. I did research and apparently she went to school for opera/voice so perhaps her soprano is very good. The suspense on who Eliza actually is seems to be driving nearly everyone insane. Including me. LOL
Posted: 8/7/17 at 6:02pm
The rumors on this thread have gotten out of control. And we've all taken the bait at one point or another. I'm out until an actual press release comes out. But I will say, I have a really hard time picturing Anne Hathaway going through the audition process at this stage of her career, especially when she has been offered virtually every Broadway musical or play in the past 10 years. Remember when Sher asked Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones to audition for WOMEN ON THE VERGE, she picked one of the other two offers she had to be on Broadway that did not ask for an audition, and that's how we got her beautiful turn as Desiree in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.
Posted: 8/7/17 at 6:24pm
Beanie Feldman
Posted: 8/7/17 at 6:27pm
^^ Don't you mean Beanie Feldstein?
Posted: 8/7/17 at 6:34pm
Well I've heard from several reliable sources that it's Lauren Ambrose. Apparently that's the name coming out of LCT right now.
Posted: 8/8/17 at 4:34pm
Scarlett Strallen?
Posted: 8/8/17 at 6:32pm
Anyone else think that with all these names being thrown around by "reliable sources", misinformation is being put into the rumor mill for a shock name announcement?
It just seems ridiculous that "the word on the street" has changed as much as it has.
Personally, I'm getting ready for an out-of-left-field A-lister with chops.
Posted: 8/9/17 at 12:37pm
I have it on good authority that I don't know anyone who knows who Eliza is. I am also over this until the announcement is actually made. Very disappointed that it might not be Benanti.
Posted: 8/10/17 at 10:33pm
Mr. Sher ventured into the opera field and recruited one of his leads for South Pacific, perhaps a young talented opera singer could fill the bill nicely.
Posted: 8/10/17 at 10:41pm
As is, Shaw has already provided a wildly entertaining denunciation of the upper class male savior.
If an actor of color plays Eliza, and if we see Higgins as, in addition to all else, a white savior, his saviordom will still get trounced.
So rather than identifying a worry, you may have stumbled upon a greatly resonant textual reason (not that one would nec. be required!) to cast Eliza as a woman of color.
"Sorry! I guess my memory of the show isn't as strong as I thought...
Posted: 8/15/17 at 5:23pm
Bumping this because I've gotten used to outlandish Eliza "dreamcasts" over the past few months and it's been a while.
(Seriously, when are we going to find out?!)
Posted: 8/15/17 at 5:50pm
A very reliable source has informed me that it's Alexis Michelle
Posted: 8/15/17 at 5:55pm
NOWaWarning said: "A very reliable source has informed me that it's Alexis Michelle"
I can confirm that it is indeed.
In all seriousness, I have heard a lot of names from a lot of very reliable sources. Either their going to alternate the role on a nightly basis (kidding) or LCT has been very careful to not let anything slip and have been sending out rumors just to mess with everyone.
Posted: 8/15/17 at 6:00pm
NOWaWarning said: "A very reliable source has informed me that it's Alexis Michelle
"
I heard she was going to be the star and producer.
Posted: 8/15/17 at 6:05pm
I wonder what's holding them up from announcing. Do they really not have an Eliza yet? Or are they still waiting for a Higgins?
