Heather Headley as Elphaba?

[Miss_Jenny_Wins]

Posted: 8/6/06 at 10:25pm

Ok don't shoot me for posting this....but just think how amazing her "No Good Deed" would sound!!....she just needs to come back to Broadway...love her!

[Miss_Jenny_Wins]

Posted: 8/6/06 at 10:28pm

oops sorry...already posted!....lol...sorry

[atlsuperstar]

Posted: 8/6/06 at 10:44pm

I love Heather as well, but I think that Elphaba would be great for her as far as acting goes. But she does not have the range for it, we saw that mistake when they cast her as Lorrell in the Dreamgirls Benefit, she struggled through "Ain't No Party". I think that she would sound a mess! I agree though, she does need to come back. I am thinking more of Color Purple, she would be a great Celie

[JamesMacon]

Posted: 8/6/06 at 10:44pm

Not a bad idea...

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 8/6/06 at 11:31pm

We should rename the thread to "Who would you want to see cast as Elphaba" if it hasn't been done already...

[snl89]

Posted: 8/6/06 at 11:39pm

yeah.. I LOVE heather headley, but I REEALLY dont think she has the right voice for doing it. I mean dont get me wrong, her No Good Deed WOULD be amazing.. but she should just do it as like.. a one song performance kind of thing, not really in the show :) I dont know, I just never really thought of elphaba as having a deep african american voice. I havn't really heard much of Saycon at all, but I'd probably feel the same way about her. I just always thought of elphaba as having more of a higher-pitched, pop-ish voice, you know? Then again, its probably just cause I'm so used to Idina haha. But yeah.. I just dont think she'd really be right for the character. But I really really do love heather and she's amazing! And yeah, she totally NEEDS to do color purple, THAT would be absolutely perfect for her

Updated On: 8/6/06 at 11:39 PM

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/6/06 at 11:43pm

I don't think she will return to Broadway for a long time. After her comment's made, I don't think she is welcome back. SNL just because Saycon is African- American dosn't mean she has the type of voice like Heather. Heather is from Trinidad that's why her voice sound's the way it dose.

[Miss_Jenny_Wins]

Posted: 8/6/06 at 11:59pm

What comments were made?...

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 12:07am

She said Broadway was a "stepping stone" to other opportunities.

[zoran912]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 12:15am

She said that because that's what it was. I really don't think she was intending for that comment to be taken as such an insult. What she wanted was a recording career. She was offered theatre jobs and OF COURSE she took them! Who wouldn't? She'd be terribly stupid not to. The roles she took got her the attention she needed. The right people saw her. She proved her talent. She was able to go on and start a recording career.

Broadway is not the end all be all of the arts. If it's not what you want, then it is not what you want.

In my opinion, a casting director would not let the "stepping stone" comment get in the way of casting Heather if she is the best actress for the role. That is, if she auditions. We don't even know if she has any desire to come back.
Updated On: 8/7/06 at 12:15 AM

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 12:36am

Lot's of Broadway people have recording career's but, she also said theater was something she would go back and do "when she was 50." There was this thread about it.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=902789#2304698
Updated On: 8/7/06 at 12:36 AM

[OrdinaryJukebox]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 7:48am

This topic has been covered before...

There's no way she could play Elphaba...

Her range doesn't even come close...

-Vincent

[Chloe]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 8:00am

As a matter of fact, she said recently that she'd love to come back to Broadway and is looking for a role. She just hopes it will be as good an experience as doing Aida in terms of working with wonderful people.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 8:30am

I like Heather. I loved her in AIDA. I have both her albums. I think she is talanted. I hope she comes back to Broadway in THE COLOR PURPLE... NOT as Elphie. Personally, I do not think she could pull her off.

Updated On: 8/7/06 at 08:30 AM

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 8:39am

"Broadway is not the end all be all of the arts. "

So true. I'm not quite sure why some people are so determined to be offended by Heather or anyone else implying as much. Why? Because if they love theater more than anything, MOST actors want to do other things and would not be hesitant to do so IF given the chance.

Only people who post on this message board seem to expect actors to want to do theater ONLY, and heaven forbid that they should actually say so.

And frankly, compared to the high visibility and prestige that that it USED to carry, Broadway or live theater, IS a marginal art form.

"As a matter of fact, she said recently that she'd love to come back to Broadway and is looking for a role."

I too remember reading this. Maybe she IS contemplating a return to theater because her recording career and movie and TV careers didn't take off like she an many others expected. Then again, maybe she simply misses stage acting.

"Heather Headley as Elphaba?"

You know, you don't have to be a "Wicked" hater to feel that Elphaba isn't the be-all and end-all of female roles in musical theater. But some people behave as if musical theater didn't begin until Wicked was written.

Did it ever occur to some folks that some actresses - even if they can sing the role, and sing it well - might not actually be interested in it?

And no, I'm not saying that Heather CAN sing it. Just that Elphaba isn't everyone's dream role.

"Lot's of Broadway people have recording career's "

I can't think of many Broadway actors - save Streisand - who have had mainstream, susperstar, recording careers, which is what music industry people predicted for Heather. True, she's had only moderate success at it so far. But the potential to blow up to huge sales is still there.

Was Heather calling Broadway a stepping stone to other things wise? Probably not. But she's hardly unique in thinking that way.



Updated On: 8/7/06 at 08:39 AM

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 10:17am

"Her range doesn't even come close... " Ok obviously you do not know anything about her or the "range" of the range required for Elphaba. I think it would be terrible casting, but Headley has the chops. I don't think her present career choices were necessarily good ones. She really hasn't made herself all that famous yet. Headley has an amazing voice and it is shame she is not using it more often.

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 10:48am

I bet if she did come back she'd want to originate some new piece, so she could get all the accolades and award noms associated with that - I just have a hard time imagining Headley stepping into a role like Elphaba, where she'd just be one in a series of actresses to play the role.. but thats just me.

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 11:32am

Hmmm

I actually think she could sing the role and I BET MONEY her Defying Gravity would be AWESOME.

Did anyone else see her perform "The Star Spangled Banner" at the WNBA EAST VS. WEST games...it was AMAZING it was good y'all.

I can see her playing Celie....though and wouldn't be suprised if she did.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 11:37am

"I just have a hard time imagining Headley stepping into a role like Elphaba, where she'd just be one in a series of actresses to play the role.. but thats just me.'

Trust me. It's not just you who feels that way.

[atlsuperstar]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 5:50pm

Heather can not sing Defying Gravity. That song is in that same vocal range as "ain't no party" from Dreamgirls. You have to have a high belt and Heather did not sound good at the Dreamgirls Benefit on that song. It was obviously too high for her, Elphaba requires you to have G's and that is not in her register. I think she would act the hell out of Celie but that role is almost too high for her too! I think she will more than likely come back to orginate a role, I mean she is a Tony winner.

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 11:33pm

I don't see her doing well with the role. If she does come back, I think it should be in a new musical with music within her vocal range.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/8/06 at 12:04am

"Elphaba requires you to have G's"

The highest note Elphaba hits is an F in Defying Gravity. I'm 90% sure about the F note but, I know Elphaba does not hit a G.
Updated On: 8/8/06 at 12:04 AM

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 8/8/06 at 12:04am

Didn't she hit an A at the end of "Easy as Life" in Aida? That's higher than any note she has to sing in Wicked.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/8/06 at 12:12am

I thought that note was a high C.
Updated On: 8/8/06 at 12:12 AM

[soulman83]

Posted: 8/8/06 at 4:31am

Using the part of Lorrel in Dreamgirls and comparing it to elphaba is the dumbest thing i have ever heard. She had to sing high notes over and over and over. For anyone to say that she cant sing the role is ridiculous. I may have to run and check on the notes again but iam about 120% she sing higher in Aida than she would have to in wicked. IF Julia Murney can sing and made some amazing changes, i dont see why heather cant. Makes no sense! ugh! WHO WOULD SAY THAT COLOR PURPLE WAS TOO HIGH?!?! DUMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ok, i dont mean to name call. i dont think half of the people replying know who heather is.

Also, Was anyones voice up to par in the dreamgirls concert? i dont think so...