How'd they get that part?

[Spacedog78]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:37pm

In your opinion, who are the casting choices that make you think WTF? I wonder if at some point during the development of a show, does anyone ever sit back and say..."Maybe we picked the wrong person.." I have many in mind but there is one person who comes on my Broadway channel who just makes me cringe, Elena Roger. What were they thinking.

Who are your WTF casting opinions?

Updated On: 7/8/14 at 01:37 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:38pm

*Elena

*Roger

Updated On: 7/8/14 at 01:38 PM

[Spacedog78]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:40pm

oops, thanks

[gleek4114]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:40pm

I thought she was wonderful. Plus she did the show in London and on Broadway so it think they were pretty pleased with her since they asked her to do the show twice.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:44pm

I hear her audition involved peanut butter and a straw.

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:45pm

She did have some really off days. The first time I saw her, I was baffled with what was coming out of her mouth and why people loved her. The second time, she was amazing and owned the stage. So, she may have been wildly inconsistent, but if you caught her on one of her "on" days, it was pretty amazing stuff.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:46pm

Just because a performance doesn't work for you, doesn't mean it doesn't work for others, including the director and the lead producers.

[Spacedog78]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:47pm

I wonder if she was having one of her "off" days when she recorded the cast cd

[Spacedog78]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:49pm

That's exactly RIGHT dramamama, that's why they are called opinions.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:50pm

Wait...you are judging her "performance" based solely on the cd?

[Spacedog78]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:52pm

No, I was lucky enough to see her live as well...

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 1:55pm

Elena Roger was doomed from the start. They should have known her portrayal in London would not have worked in the states. Poor thing didn't even get a tony nomination. I saw her live and she was just horrible. And I really wanted to like her.

Other people that come to mind:

Fantasia in Color Purple.
Courtney Reed in Aladdin.
Carly Rae Jespen in Cinderella
Updated On: 7/8/14 at 01:55 PM

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 2:17pm

I'm not sure it's a mystery how Carly Rae got Cinderella...

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 2:23pm

True...I just thought she was bad. Couldn't they have gotten a more talented D-list celebrity?

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 4:10pm

She was the only weak spot for me in Evita. She worked physically for the part, which is probably why got it. She sounded like a shrill Nazi captain when hitting the high notes.

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 4:13pm

Definitely Courtney Reed in Aladin. And I didn't see this production of Gypsy, but I will NEVER get into Bernadette's version of Mama Rose. I wish I could have seen it to actually form an opinion on it!

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 4:25pm

Promises, in what way does Courtney not work in the part?

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 4:27pm

Sorry...I disagree with Courtney Reed in Aladdin and Bernadette in Gypsy.

Although I didn't think Courtney to be OMG when I saw her live in the show. I've listened to the CD several times and do not think she is as bad as everyone portrays her to be.

Bernadette in Gypsy...it is clear that everyone has a favorite Rose. I enjoyed Bernadette's performance and still do on CD.

When I read the thread titles I was sure I would see the response: "knee pads" but didn't find it even one time. Certainly didn't think it would be isolated to the 2 or 3 performers being criticized.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 4:44pm

Reed just doesn't have a beautiful, effortless Disney princess voice like we're use to hearing, so that was a bit of a let down. It's super nasal and forced.

The only one I can think of would be the Pippin u/s I saw. He was just so off the entire show. Off key, etc. I just wasn't into it.

[carlodowd]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 4:47pm

I actually loved Elena Roger's performance as Evita and think she does a wonderful job on the cast recording and I can never understand the hatred fro her portrayal

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 4:56pm

I don't know if it's because everyone else had SO much more energy than Reed on stage, or if it was her voice that really bothered me, but she just felt very misplaced to me. I don't have the cast recording so I can't base it off of that, I can only base it off of when I saw it in NYC. I'm not a big fan of Disney to begin with, though, so that might be part of it too!

[vpd1981]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 7:57pm

NPH in anything

Denzel in "Raisin in the Sun" (too old for the role)

Usher in "Chicago" (really?)

Loved Bernadette Peters in "Gypsy." Was really disappointed by Tammy Blanchard, though.

[IndyTheatreGeek]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 8:02pm

I'll expand the universe a little and include some guys.
Jerry Springer in Chicago as Billy Flynn (London-couldn't sing on key)
Paul Stanley as the Phantom (Toronto)

OK, I know it's all about putting butts in seats, but really...

I wasn't impressed by Elena Roger in Evita but on the night I saw her she wasn't horrible. Carly Rae did a serviceable job as Cinderella. I found her performance more what I would have expected from community theatre than Broadway. Fran Drescher, however was just cringe worthy.

And I found both Cheryl Ladd and Reba McEntire better in Annie Get your Gun so put me in the unimpressed by Bernadette Peters camp. One of the reasons I didn't see her in Gypsy. I haven't cared for her since I saw her do a Cabaret show in Toronto in the 80s. I know she's well respected and talented, but I just don't appreciate it.

[all that jazz]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 8:32pm

I'd say the new Eponine... If the tony performance was any indication, I can't imagine why anyone in their right mind would cast her in such a coveted role.

[evic]

Posted: 7/8/14 at 8:51pm

Elena's voice was not suited to the score- she screeched. But they thought that because she was from Argentina, that she was authentic. She had little stage presence (she is tiny and seemed to be the only person in Buenos Aires under 6 feet tall and she was eaten up by the huge sets) and I never believed that millions of descamisados loved her because of her charisma and beauty. She had no fire and brimstone. But an excellent dancer. I didn't see her but read that Kelly Osborne played Mama Morton in Chicago in London. GOOD GRIEF!