FAT PIG's Helen is....

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 1:19pm

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/broadways-fat-pig-finds-its-title-character/?smid=tw-nytimesTheater

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 1:46pm

I'm rather surprised. She's really not that fat. More curvy, I would say. But nowhere near what they claimed to be looking for in the casting notice.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 3:20pm

I have worked with Heather on two different productions and remain fairly close to her. I can not be more excited and, of course, her casting now ensures that I will indeed be seeing the show, as opposed to avoiding it due to Dane Cook.

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 5:08pm

I was expecting five chins and breasts the size of average human torsos. This is... underwhelming.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 5:10pm

I was hoping they'd get Gabourey Sidibe. Love her.

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 5:17pm

Jumping on the bandwagon, since this girl, while I'm sure is brilliant, is not that fat. By American fashion standards, I'm sure she's plus size, but as said above me, she's more curvy than fat. I wonder if they're putting padding on her or something...

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 5:30pm

She seems to be plus size: and the average person considers that FAT.

I am only slightly familiar with the play...is she suppose to be 300lbs big? Is part of the point that she's just not size 4?

It doesnt' take much to be medically OBESE.

[JacksonMaine]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 5:39pm

I saw a reading of the play. The character has to be large enough that the average shallow coworker would cast aspersions on the male lead for being out with her. I agree, Heather is not quite the right type. She might not be model thin, but I don't believe she's so heavy that one would be 'embarrassed' to be her companion, even by the very shallow characters in the play. Of course, I think the play has bigger problems (pardon the pun) than the casting.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 6:00pm

Ashlie Atkinson was very heavy as HELEN in the original, especially compared to Keri Russell and eventual replacement Jessica Capshaw.

This girl doesn't look particularly plus-sized, which could lead to an interesting, less literal take on the material: this production could focus on the power and impact of words and the mind's image, rather than physicality.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 6:12pm

She doesn't in the headshot accompanying the article....but I googled her and she is.

You can particularly tell when you see her with other people -- there's a Shrek after party and a shot of her from Grease (no idea which production, though) From those pix she looks to be a size 16, maybe 18.

[THDavis]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 7:41am

I think she's large enough for the material to still work and be relevant, but she's not as big as I wanted the actress to be. That being said, can you ask an actress to put on weight for a role?

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 7:48am

I think that it might work to the script's advantage that she's not 'huge.' Well, it will certainly throw more sympathy her way at least. There may be a sense of irony if she gets thrown up on a poster in Times Square with the words, 'Fat Pig' on it though, when you have tourists from the West who could fit that description a tad more aptly.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 9:06am

I agree. She is NOT fat. Helen is supposed to be obese. Ms. Rolffe needs to eat a lot of Big Macs before this show opens.

She's actually quite attractive, I think.