ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "OLIVER doesn’t really lend itself to star casting. Not a ton of guys who mean A LOT at the box office are gonna be rushing to play Fagin for two weeks; maybe you get a Tony nominee/winner for Nancy at best.
Any speculation of casting will also depend on how they are handling it racially — if some roles will be deliberately people of color, or vs. “colorblind” casting across the board. (I would assume the former.)
Would be shocked if we get anyone close to Sara B or NPH."
Over here in London, Fagin is usually played by big-name stars (Johnathan Pryce, Rowan Atkinson, etc) but that can sometimes be a bit of a problem. In the original production, the reimagining of Fagin represented a Jewish writer and a Jewish actor "claiming ownership" of one of the most notorious Jewish villains in literary history. Casting non-Jews can diminish this somewhat and lead to the character becoming a caricature. Therefore, I would prefer a Jewish actor in the role...