Eliza? - My Fair Lady Revival 2018 — Page 44

Hmm Bart Sher was not very transparent about the casting process for Eliza. He has been planning this for Lauren Ambrose for a long time. However he didn't say this to the many Elizas who auditioned and they got their hopes up. I think had he been more honest that Ambrose was going to be The One from the start there wouldn't have been so many hurt feelings.

NYadgal said: "Sounds like sour grapes on the part of the people who didn't get the job."

I mean I can understand them feeling like their time and energy was wasted but I also understand Sher wanting to see other auditions, just to make sure there wasn't someone he liked even better than Ambrose.

Just about a year ago Kelli O'Hara, in an interview, when asked bluntly if she would like to play Eliza, replied that she would love to play the role. She loved the role, the show and the score, but she thought that "that ship had sailed," referring to her age. She started to make a passing reference to Mary Martin and the roles that she had gotten in her 40s, but let that drop. And Bartlett Sher gives the role to someone only a year younger.

Since she and Bart Sher are such great friends and colleagues, certainly the subject was broached. Or maybe not, if O'Hara already knew whom Sher had in mind and thought it tactless to bring up the subject.

Having seen Kelli in the New York Philharmonic Carousel four or five years ago, I don't think that she can be well cast as Julie or Eliza. Not because of her age in itself, but because the gaze of her eyes and the tone of her voice just have too much intelligence and authority behind them to belong to an uneducated and vulnerable young woman.

Or is a good actress able to adapt to such a role?

OlBlueEyes said: "Just about a year ago Kelli O'Hara, in an interview, when asked bluntly if she would like to play Eliza,replied that she would love to play the role.She loved the role, the show and the score, but she thought that "that ship had sailed," referring to her age. She started to make a passing reference to Mary Martin and the roles that she had gotten in her 40s, but let that drop. And Bartlett Sher gives the role to someone only a year younger.

Since she and Bart Sher are such great friends and colleagues, certainly the subject was broached. Or maybe not, if O'Hara already knew whom Sher had in mind and thought it tactless to bring up the subject.

Having seen Kelli in the New York Philharmonic Carouselfour or five years ago, I don't think that she can be well cast as Julie or Eliza. Not because of her age in itself, but because the gaze of her eyes and the tone of her voice just have too much intelligence and authority behind them to belong to an uneducated and vulnerable young woman.

Or is a good actress able to adapt to such a role?"

Not all good actresses might be right for uneducated, vulnerable or less intellectually developed characters.
However, it might well be noted that Kelli O'Hara, an exceptional actress, first came to prominence playing the mentally disabled Clara Johnson in LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.

LOL well while i am excited for this show, and I'm hoping Ambrose will be wonderful, I have to admit im concerned when people say they are excited about her 'soulfull voice". This is NOT a jazz score. I know she had (as the NYT put it) a "stint" at Tanglewood, but I will lose my mind if keys are changed. I totally believe in her acting abilities though.

OlBlueEyes said: "Just about a year ago Kelli O'Hara, in an interview, when asked bluntly if she would like to play Eliza,replied that she would love to play the role.She loved the role, the show and the score, but she thought that "that ship had sailed," referring to her age. She started to make a passing reference to Mary Martin and the roles that she had gotten in her 40s, but let that drop. And Bartlett Sher gives the role to someone only a year younger.


Its not about actual age, it’s about playing age. If Kelly O’ Hara feels she is too old, fine but thats more to do with how she looks/sounds/roles she has been playing of late - it’s about brand. For example Kerry Butler has very much branded herself as the youthful ingenue and stuck with it, she was playing teens in her forties but that’s to do with her look and the public perception. If she suddenly played Desiree in a high profile production, it rotor and hard to get people to accept her in a more youthful role going forward and by people, I mean directors/casting directors as well as the audience.

But there is nothing to say that O’ Hara could not play the role, if someone decided they wanted her to. But the fact that Ambrose is almost the same age isn’t relevant.

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "broadwayboy223 said: "LOL well while i am excited for this show, and I'm hoping Ambrose will be wonderful, I have to admit I'm concerned when people say they are excited about her 'soulfull voice". This is NOT a jazz score. I know she had (as the NYT put it) a "stint" at Tanglewood, but I will lose my mind if keys are changed. I totally believe in her acting abilities though."

I have read that Ambrose is a trained opera singer."

As I said she studied for a brief time at the Boston Tanglewood Conservatory for voice. That hardly makes her a qualified “opera singer”. I’m guessing (also hoping) she has a nice enough legit voice. As for the drama of the casting... I think it was pretty unfair to the hundreds of actresses that auditioned for Eliza if Sher was planning on casting Ambrose from the beginning. It’s kind of like how they had open auditions for Grizebella in Cats and then gave it to Leona Lewis.

Don't almost all casting directors for big projects like these have somebody in mind even if they have auditions? I think you can't take anything for granted because somebody may have had the opportunity to nail it to the point where Sher would question wanting Ambrose that badly. I mean the fact that there was an audition process shows Sher was open to changing his mind even if the standard was really high and he really wanted Ambrose. That's just casting in general. It really IS that hard to get a role some times.

Updated On: 3/12/18 at 04:45 PM