I Finally Get It!!

[dlass727]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 7:20am

I could never understand why people got so hung up on original cast members from Broadway shows. I have a friend who loves Wicked but will never see it again unless Idina comes back. I have always thought she was crazy- I mean if you love a show who cares who's in it. I have always gone to shows to see the show itself and never cared who was in it. That is until Xanadu! I was looking at photos yesterday of the touring cast and it was just weird. What I mean is, to me Xanadu will always be Cheyenne, Kerry, Mary, Jackie, Tony, Kenita, Marty, Andre, Patti and Curtis. I'm sure the touring cast is great but they're just not Xanadu to me. I finally get what people mean when they say there's nothing like the OBC. Any thoughts on your favorite original casts?

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 7:46am

It can cut both ways .... ask anyone who saw Jill Haworth as Sally Bowles in the OBC of CABARET.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 7:46am

For me it's really only been one person ~ Alice Ripley in Next to Normal. To me she IS Diana. I love all the other cast members dearly, but when they were casting for Arena, Alice was the only one I was all "They HAVE to get her back!"

Aaron Tveit is close...but I'd be willing to try it with someone else in Gabe's part.

Now, the interesting thing... I had thought Dan would be hard to replace for me, even though I knew they were going to have to since Brian d'Arcy James is in Shrek. I am THRILLED to report that IMHO, J Robert Spencer has totally won me over in the role ~ and dare I say I like him BETTER in the role! He's pretty close to ranking up there in "Can't imagine anyone else in the role" status...not quite there yet, but darn close.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 8:40am

The only OBC I ever saw was The Little Mermaid. I only saw it once. I don't think I can really answer this thread to be honest since I have only seen it once.

[Dre2387]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 9:45am

I thought the same thing when I saw Dirty ROtten Scoundrels but then John Lithgow left and Jonathan Pryce took over and boy was he good (and I hate to say it but even a little better).

so, it is possible to love an OBC so much that you don't think that anyone else could be better, but have an open mind. you never know.

[burnsy]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 9:51am

To me Xanadu will always be James Carpinello, Kerry, Mary, Jackie, Tony, Kenita, Andre, and Curtis.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 10:14am

I agree about Xanadu -- there will never by anything like that original cast.

Several others in my years of theatreoing:

Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz
Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (sorry, I saw others do it -- it just wasn't the same show)
Zoe Caldwwell in Master Class
The Lunts in The Visit.

All great, irreplaceable performances, IMO.

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 10:40am

I felt the same about Michael Crawford in Phantom and Daphne Rubin-Vega, Adam Pascal & Anthony Rapp in Rent.
Updated On: 12/11/08 at 10:40 AM

[Pocketsquared Fanadu]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 10:50am

I totally agree--I posted when I saw the touring company that it was like looking at photos of people impersonating my family. I wish them all the best, though, in a show that I love.

[Madcap Maisie]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 5:51pm

RENT!!! (with the exception of Joanne)

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 5:58pm

I also think for a lot of people, it's not about the original performer; it's about who you see first. Actors other than original cast members can still make impressions that deep.

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 5:59pm

Actors other than original cast members can still make impressions that deep.

No, only Idina!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 6:00pm

I forgot to include the exception: "unless they're in Wicked."

[bundy5000]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 6:00pm

Curtains..........well I know not a lot of change happened.. heh

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 6:07pm

I love Wicked(yes I said that) and I don't care for the OBC at all.

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 6:16pm

I love Xanadu's original cast but I think that's simply because it was cast so well. Some OBCs such as Wicked's I hate.

[BroadwayBoy2]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 6:48pm

I think it depends if the show is selling tickets based off of whose cast, or another reason ; Sondheim, popular title musical. People will see Lion King regardless whose in it, but if Patti was to be out sick one night of Gypsy, people would get a refund. I know I would. However I don't think I could see anyone else play Robert in Boeing-Boeing Mark Rylance was just that good.

[parislover87]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 7:01pm

I saw the drowsy tour and it was really good... but without Bob and Beth and Sutton et all it was just not the same

[MillieDillmount]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 7:04pm

The Drowsy Chaperone's OBC was just such a perfect fit! It's a shame they started to leave so soon.

And I agree with Curtains.

Also with Young Frankenstein, the OBC was amazing together! [Sutton Foster, Andrea Martin, Megan Mullally, Christopher Fitzgereld, Roger Bart ... AMAZING!]

[abominableerror]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 10:17pm

I agree in some cases. Take Wicked for example, although Idina "is" Elphaba to me, I like Kerry Ellis SOO much more...actually, I don't like Idina at all really.

But, yeah. The OBC of [title of show] is it for me. Like no one else can play Jeff, Susan, Hunter, and Heidi except Jeff, Susan, Hunter, and Heidi. Call me crazy, but I guess its just my taste.

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 10:28pm

On the subject of Wicked, I've seen several different casts over the years including the OBC. The only cast member who surpassed their OBC counterpart was Deedee Magno Hall as Nessarose. Lisa Brescia and Katie Rose Clarke are better than Idina and Kristin in the acting department, but Idina and Kristin still win overall.

[homeimp]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 10:28pm

I think one of the best examples is the OLB of Into The Woods. There just can be no other Red Riding Hood than Danielle Ferland, no other Jack than Ben Wright, and no one but Bernadette will do as the witch. Joanna Gleason and Chip Zien cannot be replaced as the Baker and his Wife. Right down the line. I am so glad I saw this cast with all present and accounted for. Perhaps they even made the show a little better than it is. Well, no, that's impossible, isn't it?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 10:47pm

Sorry, but I absolutely loved the original production of HELLO, DOLLY! (Duh!) and was crazy about Carol Channing's performance.
However, I saw each and every one of the replacement casts and found that each new Dolly brought something special to the role.
Ginger Rogers was grace personified. Martha Raye was hilarious and an incredible singer. Betty Grable was as cute as the girl next door. Pearl Bailey was, well...Peral bailey. Phyllis Diller gave an excellent performance and proved that she could carry a tune. Ethel Merman was in a class by herself. On the road I saw Mary Martin, Eve Arden and Dorothy LaMour. None of this would keep me back from seeing Carol Channing play the role one more time, though.

Yes,replacement casts can be quite enlightening.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/12/08 at 1:36am

My experience more and more has been that the replacements are better than the originators. For example I saw Bebe Neuwirth in Chicago and she was good. Later I saw Ute Lemper in the same role and she blew me away! What an amazing performance. I love Bebe but Ute really defined the role for me. I have seen both Stephanie Block and Kerry Ellis in Wicked and they were both much better than Edina Menzel. I also saw Jane Houdyshell as Madame Morible. She gave Carol Shelley a serious run for her money! In general, the tour of Jersey Boys I saw here in Dallas last summer was far and away MUCH better than the original cast in New York (which I also loved). I thought the tour of Avenue Q was much better than the original cast in NYC. When I was a kid I saw Twiggy in My One and Only on Bway. I then saw Sandy Duncan in the tour. She wasn't better just very different. Twiggy played it more as a vamp and Sandy Duncan was very spunky and quirky. I also remember seeing some AMAZING understudies in the revival of Into the Woods, Namely the understudy who was on for Laura Benanti. I think it was Melissa Dye. I think we should always remember that there are a lot of talented folks out there who are just as good, usually BETTER than they big name stars the producers employ to sell tickets and get butts in seats. Lets hear it for that AMAZING understudy who works really saves the stars butts when they don't have the chops to go on 8 shows a week.

[dlass727]

Posted: 12/12/08 at 7:31am

When I saw In The Heights, Lin-Manuel was out and Shaun Taylor-Corbett was in. Sure my friend and I were disappointed at first but we stayed and saw the show. I have to say Shaun was fabulous-IMO.