Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad
Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad
Broadway Star Joined: 9/29/04
Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#0
Posted: 5/16/05 at 9:11pm
I heard that Phylisha Rashad replaced Bernadette Peters in Gypsy. Is this true?
Also Phylisha Rashad was in the original The Wiz, was she an ensemble? Did anyone see her?
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#1
Posted: 5/16/05 at 9:14pm
Rashad replaced Peters as the Witch in "Into The Woods" not "Gypsy" (Rashad doesn't have the voice to ever do Rose).
I was a wee child, but I saw her as munchkin in the Wiz. She was a Glinda understudy, but she was just an ensemble member the night I saw her.
I also saw her in the ensemble of "Dreamgirls" (she was a Deena understudy, but didn't go on too often).
Broadway Star Joined: 9/29/04
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#3
Posted: 5/16/05 at 9:19pmMargo, you were just a child?????? Don't take this the wrong way, but I had thought you were older......I guess your post are just very wise, knowledgeble, and mature!!!!!!
Broadway Star Joined: 9/29/04
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#5
Posted: 5/16/05 at 9:23pm
me too
Also, I just thought of this, but I guess at one time, Debbie Allen was more popular/sucessful that Phylisha......What happened to Debbie's career after Sweet Charity??????
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#6
Posted: 5/16/05 at 9:29pm
Remember the Oscars? Allen choreographed the Oscars for about a decade. Between the Oscars, tv specials and Fame, she was nominated for 14 Emmy Awards for choreography and acting, winning three times.
That's not to say all of her work was acclaimed mind you, but she was quite busy after 1986 -- notably she choreographed the legendary Broadway flop "Carrie" in 1988.
Joined: 12/31/69
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#7
Posted: 5/16/05 at 10:00pmMargo, she was also instrumental in getting the movie Amistad peoduced.
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#8
Posted: 5/16/05 at 10:10pm
Rashad was a great follower of Swami Muktananda.
When Gurumaiya Chidvilasananda spoke at the Manhattan Center in the early 80s Rashad gave the introduction speech. She was wonderful. I wonder if she is still a devoted follower.
Stand-by Joined: 11/15/04
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#9
Posted: 5/16/05 at 10:29pm
I saw her in The Wiz when I was 10.
Of course I didn't know who she was at the time but I do remember her as a munchkin. If you listen to the OBCR you can clearly hear her doing backup for Addapearl on He's The Wizard.
And you can hear her on Everybody Rejoice.
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#10
Posted: 5/17/05 at 12:40amRashad totally has the vocal chops to sing Mama Rose. It's actually not that high. There's just a lot of it. Dreamgirls is actually vocally more intense.
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#11
Posted: 5/17/05 at 1:22am
>>>Dreamgirls is actually vocally more intense.>>>>
But have you heard her sing Dreamgirls?
Also, for the rest of this topic, let's get the spelling right. It's "Phylicia"
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#12
Posted: 5/17/05 at 1:26amThe point was that she did it. She sang Dreamgirls in the original company and I'd love to see her do Mama Rose
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#13
Posted: 5/17/05 at 1:28amIf you heard her, I think you would agree with Margo.
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#15
Posted: 5/17/05 at 4:41am
It's not so much about range and the fact that Rashad has little chest voice and no belt -- you CAN'T sing Rose if you can't belt chest and she can't.
She finessed her way through Deena on head voice the few times she went on, but could barely handle that (in fact, her voice was so weak, Bennett wouldn't let her take over the role when Ralph went on vacation for a week, so she quit the show). And she awkwardly crooned her way through the witch. She's really not much of a singer. Very good actress, though.
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#16
Posted: 5/17/05 at 8:38am
Debbie Allen also did a lot of TV sitcom directing, including a long run of "A Different World."
I saw Phylishia perform the Witch right after she started the run. Though it didn't have the full-throttle belt range of Bernadette, it was a convincing performance and she made the role her own.
Updated On: 5/17/05 at 08:38 AM
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#17
Posted: 5/17/05 at 9:05am
Temporary threadjack -
If ever there is an African American version of Gypsy, I vote for Tonya Pinkins or Yvette Cason as Rose. Thank you.
Threadjack over.
Stand-by Joined: 11/15/04
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#18
Posted: 5/17/05 at 9:19am
Ooh, I love Yvette Cason. I saw her understudy Effie (for Sharon Brown) in Dreamgirls way back in the shows 1987 return to Broadway.She was great.Does anyone know what she been up to lately?
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#19
Posted: 5/17/05 at 9:23amI loved the 87 revival. Of course I loved the original Broadway production as well, but when I saw the 87 revival I could swear I saw Lilias White as Effie. No? I wish I still had my program from that revival which I saw twice.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/28/04
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#20
Posted: 5/17/05 at 9:25am
I've always been curious about the Dreamgirls revival and why it was revived so quickly
Was it a sit down of the tour?
How was it different from the original production?
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#21
Posted: 5/17/05 at 9:35amGlebb, according to ibdb, Lillias White was indeed Effie in the 87 revival.
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#22
Posted: 5/17/05 at 9:37am
Thanks PCB!
I loved her in the role and can still picture her bow.
Huge eyes.
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#23
Posted: 5/17/05 at 9:49am
Lillias White was Effie in the original tour, and indeed played her again during the revival, which was great! She also worked with Debbie Allen (choreog) in Carrie, where she understudied Miss Gardner, the gym teacher for Darlene Love.
On Phylicia, she was more suited for Deena even with a thin voice, which is correct casting as Deena isnt supposed to be the best singer, but the most bankable. Being beautiful is more important for that role. Have to agree w/ Margo, etc. that she doesnt have the voice for Mama Rose. She is a wonderful actress tho.
"In Oz, the verb is douchifizzation." PRS
re: Gypsy, The Wiz and Phylisha Rashad#24
Posted: 5/17/05 at 10:04am
And it was a pleasure to see Lillias in H2$.
I finally saw the OBC in DREAMGIRLS in what was Jennifer Holliday's last week with the show. It was such a cool experience. The audience rose to it's feet several times per song, for Jennifer. :)
I loved Rashad as Mrs. Huxtable. She was such a great mom. Wise, fair, hypnotic and real too. I alas never saw her on Broadway. I did get to see her speak at the Manhattan Center, introducing Gurumaiya Chidvilasananda. She's a great speaker.
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