Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
#1Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 4:58pmI was watching some clips of Avenue Q on the site that shall remain nameless, and I noticed that Gary was played by a woman on Broadway, but by a man in London. Does anyone know why they did that? I was just curious.
#2re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 5:08pmDamn, I thought this thread was about Gary Coleman ACTUALLY being in Avenue Q.
#2re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 5:17pmWhy did they change lyrics to "Sucks to be me" in London?
#3re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 5:23pm^^^^^^ I was wondering why they did that as well
bossbear062
Understudy Joined: 9/5/08
#4re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 5:24pmIt is because the british people are not familiar with who gary coleman is. So they decided to make the part played by a man..to make it less confussing
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#5re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 5:30pm
They used the name of a local celebrifailure becaause no one in London knows Gary Coleman, his story, or the catch phrase, "What you talkin' about, Willis."
Local humor.
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
#6re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 5:58pm
"It is because the british people are not familiar with who gary coleman is. So they decided to make the part played by a man..to make it less confussing."
Well, I'm American and I have to confess that while I really liked Avenue Q when I saw it on Broadway -- that whole Gary Coleman thing left me cold. I just plain didn't get it, didn't see anything funny about it, and sure didn't understand why it was played by a girl.
Then I saw the show in London and at least it a made a little bit of sense (although still not particularly funny in my book).
#7re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 6:03pmPatash, maybe some of the show was skipped when you saw it in New York...
#8re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 6:26pm
When the show came over to London the part was going to be a generic former child star, during previews it changed back to being Gary Coleman specifically but stayed a male part.
There are a few lyric changes here and there but nothing too major
commasplice
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/29/04
#9re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 6:32pmOriginally they were planning to axe the Gary Coleman role altogether and change the character to Job; it was listed that way in the early press releases for the production (before Naoko Mori, who was originally cast as Christmas Eve, left the cast due to filming commitments and Ann Harada was brought in). By the time the show started previews, Job had become Gary, a generic washed up child star, it didn't work very well, so after a few previews, the character was back to being Gary Coleman. I'm guessing that at that point, it would have been silly and more trouble than it was worth to recast the role, so they kept the actor they already had.
#10re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 6:37pmBut why has Gary never done the role? It would be a great piece of stunt casting, even if only for a few weeks. Is he offended by it, or has he just never been asked?
commasplice
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/29/04
#11re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 6:48pmDidn't he talk about suing the show at one point?
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#12re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 6:55pm
I don't think it's in his range.
Frankly, I don't think he can sing...
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
Broadwaynerd101
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/6/08
#13re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:09pm
IMO, He could do it but here is why they never asked him for the musical.
They asked him to do it for the (at tthat point) TV show. He said "sure" and they set up a meeting. He kept them waiyting for 4 hours and they never spoke to him again. They wanted to ask him when it was going to be a musical, but decided it was better that they didn't because they didn't want to screw the chances up and didn't know if he could sing.
#14re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:09pmHe would do it, I mean he is doing insurance commercials for god sake. It really bring the people. Gary Coleman as Gary Coleman.
Broadwaynerd101
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/6/08
#15re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:11pmI guess they were right in Avenue Q when they say he's selling his stuff on Ebay!
#17re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:18pm
WRONG!
Gary Coleman is very well known in the UK and 'Different Strokes' was a huge TV in this country!
The audiences in London totally get the Gary Coleman content!
A young actress with Noel coward after a dreadful opening night performance said to him 'Well, i knew my lines backwards this morning!''
Noels fast reply was ''Yes dear, and thats exactly how you said them tonight'!'
Broadwaynerd101
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/6/08
#18re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:27pm
Even though he was well known, that doesn't mean that the poster who said that was wrong. That IS what happened!
For those who don't know, the original lyrics
I'm Gary Coleman from TV's Diff'rent Strokes
I made alot of money that got stolen by my folks
But now I'm broke and I'm the butt of everyone's jokes
But I'm here, the superintendent
On Avenue Q!
The London lyrics
I was the cutest little black kid on TV
I made a jillion dollars that my parents stole from me
My life was over when I hit puberty
But I'm here fixing the toilets
On Avenue Q!
#19re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:38pmRead what Patash wrote.
A young actress with Noel coward after a dreadful opening night performance said to him 'Well, i knew my lines backwards this morning!''
Noels fast reply was ''Yes dear, and thats exactly how you said them tonight'!'
Broadwaynerd101
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/6/08
#20re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:49pm
Oh.
In the book, they explain that Gary was going to be played by a white woman, but the fact that it's being played by a woman is just strange enough so they made sure she was black. Then they added that if an albino midget came in and gave a kick ass audition, things may have changed!
#21re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:00pm
Gary Coleman is best known as a kid, and he still doesn't have the manliest voice. A woman is perfect comedy casting.
As for the lyrics change, we don't have "superintendents" in the UK, so that's why that got changed. As for the rest of the verse? Well, it's a nifty summary that's slightly clearer than the original (although there's really not much in it), so I guess it's just a wee concession to the fact people might not know who he is.
I think the "originally a generic person, turned back to Gary Coleman because British audiences aren't completely thick" bit has been covered well enough by others. XD
#22re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/14/08 at 6:29pm
I have an African-American woman at my work who does an excellent interpretation of Gary Colemann all the time. It just seems funnier when a woman is able to do the "Whatchu talkin bout Willis?" line. I kept on imagining her in the show as I was watching it.
Anyway, if you were hung up on the fact that Gary was played by a woman, then wouldn't you be hung up by the fact that normal humans were interacting with puppets? Or that different people are controlling the puppets at different times?
Xanadu! Can't cry on cue!
bwayfan9
Broadway Star Joined: 9/14/08
#23re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/14/08 at 6:31pmbut if brits don't know him, they won't find the joke amusing.
Obama/Biden 08
#24re: Gary Coleman in Avenue Q
Posted: 9/14/08 at 6:39pm
Just as Americans who don't know him won't find the joke amusing. See how that works, or do I need to go more indepth?
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