How'd they get that part? — Page 2

I loved Roger as Eva. And Fantasia as Celie (until the riffing at the very end, she was quite restrained).

---

THANK YOU. She was great in Book of Mormon, but I have no idea who thought it was a good idea to cast her, especially in a role that so many would be willing to play.

David Hasselhoff in Jekyll and Hyde. He was awesome in Knight Rider, and he is not really a bad singer, but in J/K, he was an absolute mess.

Sutton Ross - Nikki James has a nice voice but she seems like she wandered into the wrong production of Les Mis. She just doesn't fit vocally and stylistically with the rest of the production. Also, the direction emphasized having a deep connection between the actor and the lyrics - and it seemed like she was the only one who didn't buy in. She came out like "I'm singing a famous song" and it doesn't matter what the lyrics are (in my opinion).

And I'd nominate Courtney Reed from Aladdin. Maybe she had an off night the night I saw her, but she was really pitchy - though she doesn't sound that way on the CD, so I guess maybe I just saw an off night.

Updated On: 7/9/14 at 02:09 AM

I was at the first preview for Evita. I was flabbergasted at the voice coming out of her. While I wasn't expecting Patti or Elaine, her singing was not strong. To her credit, she was an amazing actress and dancer, but her singing was quite the letdown.

---

NPH in Assassins

---

I thought Courtney was great. I don't get the hate.

My "How'd They Get that Part" goes to Carly Rae Jepsen. Her acting was great, but her singing voice was way off. She transited (It's 7:30 am, forget my spelling) from classic to pop to classical to pop, and it was terrible. She butchered IMOLC. You're supposed to sing classical, so sing classical! It baffles me that Rachel Potter, who has the fame AND Broadway experience/voice, lost this part to Carly because she was not famous enough!

I wasn't sure if Google would pick it up.

^^ Yes about Nikki James. Her voice is too "modern" or "pop" sounding for the classical sound of Les Mis.

I didn't HATE Courtney Reed in Aladdin but she certainly was not one of my favorite aspects of the show. She was definitely missing some Disney Magic - both in look and in sound. I think the "intangible" parts were lackin.

But oh yes..David Hasselhoff in Jekyll and Hyde. THE WORST. It's not a strong enough show to survive under such a comically weak performance in the lead.

I ended up actually liking him, but when Reeve Carney was first announced to play Spider-Man having no prior acting credits whatsoever, I thought WHAT?! Alas, he got better as the run progressed and is finding success on television. :)

I also did not like Elena Roger in Evita. Matt Cavanaugh was bad in West Side Story too. He made me not care that Tony died. I went back almost a year later to find out I was seeing the alternate of his replacement and loved him. That was Jeremy Jordan.

I felt Marin Mazzie was phoning it in when I saw her in Spamalot. She was great in Next to Normal though.

---

Lindsay Lohan. She may not have yet performed the role (and may not ever), but simply being cast is mystifying.

---

Kathy, I agree that Nikki James's "voice is too 'modern' or 'pop' sounding for the classical sound of Les Mis." Except for the Thenardiers, these folks need to do more than belt. While we're on "Les Mis," I have only two words to add, but I'll repeat them for emphasis: Russell Crowe, Russell Crowe, RUSSELL CROWE?!

Other examples of miscasting, in my view, include:
1) Richard Chamberlain as Henry Higgins.
2) Carrie Underwood (was that who it was?) in the TV production of "The Sound of Music."
3) The overweight fellow who played the Phantom in London some years back -- the Phantom needs to be lithe, and move like Clark Gable moved as Rhett Butler (a panther waiting to spring).

And the award goes to an unknown actor who played in the chorus of "Les Mis" at Wolf Trap. The guy playing JVJ was big and broad-shouldered. In the scene where JVJ interrupts the courtroom proceedings after soliloquizing in "Who am I?", the fellow cast as the man who "bears no more guilt than" Javert was a string bean who looked totally different from JVJ. It was pitiful -- it made the whole production seem second rate.

---