Jonathan Pryce- The New Lawrence in DRS?

[SirLiir]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 1:55am

This is the big rumor now. He's even seeing the show this weekend as the producers no doubt want him there. Any thoughts about him? Personally, I can see him in the role and he would work well. But he must be cool with Norbert licking his face.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 2:05am

Why does he have to be cool with Norbert licking his face?

[BreakingTheCircle07]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 2:16am

What an amazing idea. I hope they're really hounding him. I didn't like the show, but I would go back to see it just for him.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 2:16am

Oh come on. Think about it. Nuff said.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 2:18am

??

No, I think that if he did the show, and didn't want to man-lick Norbert, he wouldn't, and they'd come up with something else.

And if they are adament about the lick, then they would make him do it, whether or not he wants to. Acting is about sacrifice.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 2:23am

Yup, heard about this a couple days ago. The producers do are "courting" him and he is seeing the show this weekend, and last I heard they wanted the full cast in, but I haven't heard anything on whether that worked out or not.

Personally, I would love him in the role. Amazing voice and personality, and I think him and Norbert would make a great comic team.

Personally, I'd prefer him to Alec Baldwin at this point.

Also played the game w/ some people who could you see the role but they would never do it and probably couldn't sustain 8 shows a week, so a very interesting one was brought up: Richard Gere. Actually could see him in the part except for the title of the game.

But here's hoping for Jonathan Pryce.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 3:01am

I don't think Gere would do it just because its not a main role. As in, he doesn't carry the show. the leads in this show are a duo, not a single person like Sweet Charity. I was reading the thing on Backstage.com and apparently there's a sitdown production of this in Vegas next year? I never heard anything about that. Vegas is getting a lot of stuff coming to it in the next year. (Hairspray, Phantom, Spamalot, DRS, etc.)

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 7:01am

Not that im any casting expert, but I posed this months ago. yay for Price. The man's a theatre god as far as im concerned. He can do anything.

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 7:15am

Oh, yes! That would be incredible, I'd definitely go back to Scoundrels to see him in it. He'd be great.

[safety_in_falsehood]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 7:21am

This would be FANTASTIC! I love Jonathan Pryce...it is high time he is seen again on Broadway.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 10:09am

He's a fine choice to replace Lithgow.

[Patronus]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 10:19am

I could definately see Pryce in that role and arguably he has a better singing voice than Lithgow.

I could see he and Norbert having nice chemistry as well.

MUCH better choice than Baldwin.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 12:00pm

Alec Baldwin is an idiot.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 12:43pm

What I mean BsO is that Norbert and John work so well together and have such great chemistry that there needs to be a good fun relationship bwteen Johnathan and Norbert as well for the show to maintain. As you know, Norbert does some *ahem* interesting things to Lawrence in that Ruprecht scene, outrageous things that of course make it so funnny. Just saying that Jonathan should be okay with that, thats all.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 2:53pm

I adore Jonathan Pryce. I hope he does it!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 3:18pm

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but...

While I think Pryce would be very good, is he going to sell any tickets to the general public? Does "Starring Miss Saigon's Jonathan Pryce" really mean anything to people?

The box office took a huge hit when Lithgow was out of the show. Won't it do the same without a "star" in the role?

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 3:25pm

I have to agree with adamgreer, I love Jonathan Pryce, but I had to look up his credits to be sure he was who I thought he was. If they are looking for a "name" I'm not sure he is it.

That said I hope they are not looking for a "name." Yes the BO dropped by a large percentage when Litgow went out, but I don't think it will go down as far once he leaves, many of those people bought tickets just to see Lithgow so they got refunds, if there was none of that happening I can see the show steady in the 80's for a very long time.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 4:14pm

I think they are looking for a name though. That's why an offer went out to Kelsey Grammer and Alec Baldwin.

Yes, people returned their tickets when Lithgow was out because they had purchased those tickets specifically to see Lithgow. However, once he leaves and there isn't a "star" around, what's to say they just won't purchase at all?

I'm not trying to be bleak, but I really think people under estimate the value of a star in this show.

[grizzabella]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 6:09pm

I'd love to see Jonathan Pryce as Lawrence, and I think he would be a fine choice. As for a name? I think he has enough of a TV and screen body of work that, while he isn't a household name, he would be recognizable, so I don't see that as a huge issue in his case.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 6:13pm

What body of TV and film work? The villain in one of the James Bond movies?

If he goes into the show it IS an issue, because talented as he is, he's not a name the way John Lithgow or Alec Baldwin is.

I'm not denying his talent or his suitability for the role, I just don't think he'd keep the show afloat.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 6:22pm

I remember him in evita, glengarry glen ross, and pirates of the caribbean... I think the majority of theatergoers would remember seeing him in something after reading his bio... true he's not as famous, but he as a very decent body of film and thratre work... plus he has two carribbean sequals in the works and was just in de-lovely and the brothers grim...

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 6:29pm

Why would Kelsey Grammar have turned it down? What else has he got going on?

[grizzabella]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 6:31pm

He's Governor Swann to any kid who has seen Pirates of the Caribbean, in addition to having done numberous tv guest appearances - and while it wasn't exactly a career high, he was the narrator of dozens of Lexus commercials for a couple of years. He's not a nonentity. People do know who he is. He's also had a solid string of appearances in the West End, so he's not a theatre novice, either.
Truthfully, I don't know if he'll keep the show afloat either. Lithgow will be a tough act of follow, but that wasn't actually the point I was trying to make. I'd just like him in the role. I just think he'd be more suitable than Alec Baldwin.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 6:34pm

Kelsey Grammar is filming X-Men 3... but, then Pryce is also, according to imdb, filming two separate pirates of the caribbean movies...
Updated On: 10/15/05 at 06:34 PM

[Marguerite Chauvelin]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 7:01pm

I love that idea! It'd be so great if Jon Pryce could be in DRS.