How About No Stunt Casting?

Not to rain on your parade, but I say cast the best person for the job - celebrity or not.

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How true.

However, really, celebrities can be used well (I thought worked very well for Aida). And, they can keep shows open (whether thats a good or bad thing is debeateable). If they are used well (which they almost never are), and are good in the show they're in, then its fine with me. But 98% of the time, they stink. And its very upsetting to see shows butchered by famous people.

I too am very sick, though, of people saying, "Wouldn't so and so be great on Broadway?" I mean, sheesh, we definately don't need any MORE stunt casting then we already have!

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That's mostly what I was ranting about! Stunt casting is abd enough as it is. Why encourage it by saying, "So and so should be in a show."

Well, I did not mean that to be a real, hard, solid statistic. However, the examples of good stunt casting to me seem to be vastly, vastly overshadowed by the disasters.

Off the top of my head...

Bad stunt casting:
Joey Fatone in Rent
Melanie Brown in Rent
Drew Lachey in Rent
Joey Fatone in Little Shop of Horrors
Christy Carlson Romano in BATB
Vanessa Carlson in Into the Woods


Good stunt casting:
Frenchie Davis in Rent
Jai Rodriguez in Rent (this may or may not be an example of stunt casting, as he was in the show both before and after he was famous)
The R&B divas in Aida (though this could vary from diva to diva)
The Entire Cast of Spamalot

Okay, so, judging by the above, my statistic was waaaaaaay off. But cut me a break! I'm a fifteen year old... I've never taken a statistics class! Yet.

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Vanessa Williams, not Carlton, was in "Into the Woods", and she was brilliant. And Jai was not stubt casting. He played Angel before "Queer Eye" was even a glimmer in Bravo's eye.

I heard that WICKED has entered into a partnership with the UPN - the winner of the next America's Next Top Model competition will be the new Elphaba. That's just what I heard.

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I heard that too. I think it's a good idea. And I've also heard that Versace is being hired to redesign Elphaba's costumes for thw einner.

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Well, there are also different opinions as to what constitutes something "working."

Loudasthehelliwant posted that the AIDA stunt casting worked, and I think it killed the show. The only one who could handle the show adequately was Deborah Cox. The other two - disastrous.

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Updated On: 2/26/05 at 09:15 PM

Speaking of black divas. Why didn't they ever pull Jennifer Holliday in to play Aida. Or Carol Channing. She's black.

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Toni always cried, esp. during "Easy as Life".

Well, I think it's okay to cry during that one. But she ALWAYS cried. *shakes head*
Deborah did this thing where she pointed all the time. If she spoke to Adam, she pointed at him. If she spoke about herself, she pointed at herself. If she talked about something, she pointed at it. Poor woman's arms were constantly failing about. You know, think of a line like the one from Aida to Radames: "Excuse me Captain, I have linen to wash."

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Actually many "Stunt casting" performers that are named had plenty of theatre experience before they became what they are known for. I.E. Christy Carlson Romano was in Parade long before her show on the Disney channel.
Joey Fatone has done many theater productions in high school, and just because he was in a boyband does not make him inferior to the stage.

What about casting Sarah Jessica Parker,or Phylicia Rashaad? Is that a bad decision with stunt casting?

Stunt casting is a way to get people into the theatre. That is a good thing. If you don't like the performer, don't see the show.

And just to reiterate on the Nelly Furtado comment. She was never brought up as "the best person to play Elphaba". Someone just made a suggestion that it may be a good casting choice. If you disagree, fine. But, no matter what your opinion is, There will always be "stunt casting"

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Updated On: 2/26/05 at 09:25 PM