Eliza? - My Fair Lady Revival 2018- Page 45

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 3/12/18 at 5:20pm

And I am sure Lauren Ambrose had her own audition as well just so Sher would be sure she was up to it.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 8/23/18 at 12:14pm

Bumping this as an LOL that a year and a half of waiting and 44 pages of comments has finally led to today’s Benanti announcement.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/23/18 at 1:05pm

GeorgeandDot said: "Not really, they're all sweet people, but what Poison said is true. Bart knew well ahead of time that he was casting Ambrose, but put a ton of great musical theatre actresses through rigorous auditions, only to give the role to Ambrose. A lot of actresses feel that he lead them on and wasted their time."

I don't understand.  I'd understand that if it had been one other actress who had been led on to feel she had the role how this might be an issue.  But since he put a whole lot of them through this regime, and I'm guessing that his doing so wasn't a secret, they must have realized obviously that not all of them were going to be cast.

Would they be feeling the same angst if instead of them it were another Broadway musical name getting cast, rather than Ambrose?  I doubt it.  Even if they came to the conclusion that "name other Broadway musical name" had it all the time?  In such instance, wouldn't what they'd be feeling be more appropriately called "business as usual?"

Posted: 8/25/18 at 11:35am

Ever since I saw My Fair Lady at a regional theater when I was 8 years old, it has been my favorite musical. It has stayed that way for many years and I've seen it countless times onstage and screen. But, last night when I saw this production.. It was like nothing I have ever seen in my lifetime. I don't know if I have words to describe the adoration I have for this production. I took my mother, who is also a My Fair Lady super fan. She was weeping from start to end, as was I. The moment the overture began to go into the final section and Eliza appeared I lost it. Bart Sher, thank you. I must also say that the performance of Lauren Ambrose was the most powerful thing I've seen in a long time. What strength and control. Not to mention the incredible comedic timing, and of course the stunning vocals. I quite liked how most of the first act she is not pushing or being incredibly loud while singing, but instead she builds up to the final verse of I Could've Danced All Night. The crowd ERUPTED the second she hit the final note, and again tears were streaming down my face and so many people around me. This is a My Fair Lady for the ages. I can't stop thinking about how lucky I am to be living at a time where this show is needed to be told. They truly don't make shows like this anymore. Just glorious... 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 10/28/18 at 12:27pm

I know Benanti literally just started this week (and I really enjoy her Eliza), but I'm curious if anybody knows yet who her successor will be when she leaves the show in February?

[VotePeron]

Posted: 10/28/18 at 12:29pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "I know Benanti literally just started this week (and I really enjoy her Eliza), but I'm curious if anybody knows yet who her successor will be when she leaves the show in February?"

Depending on the grosses with Benanti, I can imagine them letting Kerstin Anderson, the current alternate, take over the role for a few months before closing up shop. I initially was thinking it would close in February, but I doubt Danny Burnstein would agree to join if there was doubt it wouldn’t be around for a while. Then again, Marin Mazzie didn’t even get 2 full months as Anna in TKAI.

Updated On: 10/28/18 at 12:29 PM

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 10/28/18 at 1:09pm

VotePeron said: "BroadwayConcierge said: "I know Benanti literally just started this week (and I really enjoy her Eliza), but I'm curious if anybody knows yet who her successor will be when she leaves the show in February?"

Depending on the grosses with Benanti, I can imagine them letting Kerstin Anderson, the current alternate, take over the role for a few months before closing up shop. I initially was thinking it would close in February, but I doubt Danny Burnstein would agree to join if there was doubt it wouldn’t be around for a while. Then again, Marin Mazzie didn’t even get 2 full months as Anna in TKAI."

Marin Mazzie had to leave the show because her cancer had returned. She kept it really quiet. 

 

[billyelliotfan123]

Posted: 10/28/18 at 1:26pm

Is that why it closed early?

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 10/28/18 at 1:44pm

^That, and Daniel Dae Kim had to go back to shooting a TV series. Plus the show just wasn't making much money.

[Plexsis]

Posted: 10/28/18 at 2:18pm

The current Eliza alternate or Elena Shaddow for the upcoming tour?

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 10/28/18 at 8:21pm

Funny that the Eliza alternate was actually thrown in the thread for the role, how anyone guessed that? LOL

Also it’s funny that the dream Eliza and Alfred for this thread will actually happen lol

[lesmizsaigon]

Posted: 7/9/19 at 12:19pm

Did anyone see Shereen Ahmed as Eliza? If so how was she?

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/9/19 at 12:54pm

I saw Shereen Ahmed as Eliza on June 29th.  I thought she was wonderful.  I was hoping Kerstin Anderson would be doing the tour, but I guess not. I had really wanted to see her.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 7/9/19 at 12:58pm

I saw her and she was very good. She sang very well and  the formal costumes complimented her good looks.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 7:21pm

I'm a non-theater person. (To my regret, I have no talent at all transferrable to the theater. And even if I had the talent, I would not have the nerve to audition.) The actions of Bartlett Sher, the Director Major of the first quarter of this century (almost), elude me as to casting.

It is said that Lauren Ambrose was his choice all along to play Eliza, but he auditioned many actresses for the part anyway. Is this considered fair play?

In casting the replacement of Ms. Ambrose, it seems that he all along had Laura Benanti chosen but again put other actresses through the audition grind. (Ms. Osnes, for one, who had a history with Sher going back to South Pacific.) And the replacement actress interpreted the role of Eliza quite differently than did Ms. Ambrose.

Is this acceptable practice? I suppose that the director could say that he was 95 percent sure of whom he wanted in the role, but wanted to see a few others just to be certain that his intuition was correct.

[joevitus]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 7:30pm

Pretty sure Equity requires directors to hold auditions, just as businesses must interview outside candidates. 

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 7:37pm

OlBlueEyes said: "I'm a non-theater person. (To my regret, I have no talent at all transferrable to the theater. And even if I had the talent, I would not have the nerve to audition.) The actions of Bartlett Sher, the Director Major of the first quarter of this century (almost), elude me as to casting.

It is said that Lauren Ambrose was his choice all along to play Eliza, but he auditioned many actresses for the part anyway. Is this considered fair play?

In casting the replacement of Ms. Ambrose, it seems that he all along had Laura Benanti chosen but again put other actresses through the audition grind. (Ms. Osnes, for one, who had a history with Sher going back to South Pacific.)And the replacement actress interpreted the role of Eliza quite differently than did Ms. Ambrose.

Is this acceptable practice? I suppose that the director could say that he was 95 percent sure of whom he wanted in the role, but wanted to see a few others just to be certain that his intuition was correct."

Obviously you never heard of the stories of Michael Bennet making random pop-ins to A Chorus Line and firing whoever he wanted on the spot without explanation and replacing said cast member with whoever he wanted. 

Or the infamous Bob Fosse "auditions."

It's show business.

In case you still don't get it, here's a video that will explain how it works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zQIZjCaOB8

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 7:53pm

joevitus said: "Pretty sure Equity requires directors to hold auditions, just as businesses must interview outside candidates."

Yes, they must hold EPAs (Equity Principal Auditions) and ECCs (Equity Chorus Calls), but any names they were seeing for Eliza, for both the original cast and the replacement, would have been by appointment, which is not required.

There are many reasons to hold auditions for a role like that, even if the director is positive that they want one specific person. Unless the production is being built around the star (such as the upcoming The Music Man with Hugh Jackman) then you can't count on anyone until a deal is reached and a contract is signed. In the meantime, you better have other choices ready to make offers to as well.

Additionally, just because a director may want somebody it doesn't mean that the entire creative team or the producers are on board with the idea. In that case, the best way to convince the rest of your team that your choice is the best choice is to not only have them audition, but to also see other options as well. 

As for the direction of the replacement, that is entirely up to the creative team. Some may want carbon copies of the person they are replacing, others will be more open to looking at the piece again and giving the replacement an opportunity to make the role their own (this goes for understudies as well). There are no set rules for or against this (other than things like forbidding the use of teaching a role by making the replacement/understudy watch a video of the show).

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 8:21pm

Thank you, Ivory. I would have thought that the unions were powerful enough to prevent such abuses.

Just speaking off the top of my head, is it time for a change in musical theater in this country? Should the path to stardom in the theater always go through Broadway? There is too much talent concentrated here and not enough opportunities for the talent to show itself. Why can't other cities develop musicals and drama, using primarily local talent, If they are successful, bring them to New York with the local casts or just send them out on tour.

I know that this happens to some extent in the case of, for example, the Hal Prince Show Boat which spent a year in Toronto and Grand Hotel, which spent at least a month in Boston being greatly patched up before opening on Broadway. But the talent should be mostly local. No gathering of every talented young actor in New York where they must fight off others of great talent to achieve starring roles.

Even if the locally produced show did not qualify for Broadway, the local city would benefit from the high quality entertainment. And exceptionally talented actors and actresses would be discovered.

Even the exceptional Kelli O'Hara tells the fable of coming to New York alone, knowing no one, and giving herself a year to "make it."

That's it. I've blathered enough for one day. Some might say that I've blathered enough to last a year.

 

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 8:27pm

Never gonna happen. Nothing in the theatre comes close to success in NYC. Someone outside NYC May be noticed, but isn’t going to ‘make it’ until they are successful in NYC. By hat will be the real start.

Clearly, this excludes London.