Juliana Ashley Hansen WILL be Sandy!- Page 2

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 9:56am

so is this the same girl as julie hansen the christine alternate in phantom?

[iheartamc10]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 9:57am

Also, isn't Jason Celaya from Altar Boyz?

[mmajer]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 10:02am

Is it just me or does something seem "manufactured" about Juliana Hansen? I don't mean to say this about her as a person, I bet she is an amazing human being, but something about her on this show..... Here is a girl with professional credit out the wazoo and she is the "hesitant" one, and she is not a dancer? I saw her in the tour of Millie and everyone in that show could dance and had a lot of dance training....I don't...something just seems odd to me about this. And I saw her bio on the site doesn't mention any of her credits, it's just very strange.

Posted: 1/22/07 at 10:28am

I hope she wins. But she said she had less experience than other girls YET she was in the tour of Millie.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 11:44am

I believe that Juliana wrote in her journal that dance is not her forte. And she wasn't just "on the Millie tour" she was the standby for Millie and performed the role.

I was dismayed to see her profession listed as "temp worker". She is a professional actress and should be proud of the fact. Where are all the "Proud member of AEA since 19--" subtitles?

Perhaps they are all "acting" as if they are nervous and worried to win the audience sympathy vote. Hmmm, there's an idea.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 11:48am

It bothers me that I see SOOO many people that I know to be preofessional actors - Juliana, Jason, etc etc, who ARE professional actors, and they are listing them as other things, yet blatantly pushing Austin as a seasoned pro.... even Austin's understudy from Hairspray las Vegas was listed as a bartender and not an actor!

Juliana is my fave.. she can go from innocent to sex-pot in the drop of a hat.
I was MAJOR ticked that they cut Matt Nolan. he was my favorite of the boys..

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 11:52am

Well if she is currently a "temp worker" - thats her profession.

I know people who haven't worked on a stage in ten years who still call themselves "actors" but that isn't really accurate is it?

The show promises to go into the backgrounds of the top 12 on the next couple of shows - I'm sure they will mention some of the professional credits these contestants have.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 11:56am

And I suppose that being an actor could also be referred to as "Temping". I mean no acting job is permanent, right? And in the case of Millie, she actually WAS a temp worker. So the title "temp worker" for Juliana works on all sorts of levels, right?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 11:59am

Sure. And I think being a "bartender" or "Temp worker" is, as you say, good for generating audience good will.

But the truth may be that she is temp worker with professional acting experience. I think you can really only call yourself a "professional actor" if you are currently "professionally employed."

Nature of the biz. Not an insult.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 11:59am

michael, i take ofense to that. I guess with your reasoning, 90% of equity members are not actors then, right?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:00pm

Yes, I agree that 90% of members of AEA are not actors. Your job is how you make money. If you are waiting tables - you are a waiter. I don't care if you've won 12 Tony Awards. That is your current profession.

Again, its not meant as an insult.
Updated On: 1/22/07 at 12:00 PM

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:03pm

I disagree, MB. Is a painter only a painter when they have a brush in their hand? A plumber only a plumber when he is unclogging a pipe? In that case, Juliana isn't even a temp worker unless she is answering a phone or entering data.

A professional actor is constantly working on their craft, updating head shots and contacts, reading scripts or taking a lesson. That is part of their job.
What an insulting thing to say that if they are not performing they are not really actors.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:04pm

Thank you, sueleen

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:14pm

Sueleen, that is a lovely description. And I apologize if my pragmatic viewpoint is a little less "artistic" but that is how I, and frankly the AEA health and pension view the qualifications of being a " professional actor."

Of course when you are pursuing the arts you have to take classes and study your craft, but for me, that falls under the description of "aspiring." Again this is no insult to the men and woman who ARE aspiring. Even movie stars go through periods where they are aspiring for their career. "Aspiring" has nothing to do with drive, talent or accomplishment.

Okay - lets say this: if you have worked enough professionally in the last 18th months to still be eligible for your health insurance under AEA - you can call yourself a professional actor. Otherwise you are aspiring. And that for the 800th time is not an insult.

But if at the end of the year, your W-2 is soley from The Olive Garden for waiting tables - you are a waiter.

Since there are many aspring artists posting on this board (oftentimes myself included) I understand why its a "touchy" subject. But to me - this is the reality of the biz.

Updated On: 1/22/07 at 12:14 PM

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:36pm

Well, if you use Equity guidelines for health insurance as a measuring stick, no one would be considered "professional". That health program is a joke and everyone knows it. But that is for another discussion.

GO JULIANA!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:36pm

I'm also sure that the producers of this show don't want to qualify everyone involved as an "actor/actress" to give it that "finding someone off of the street" quality. Just my opinion.

Regarding Austin, I find it odd that he was one of the few people from the Hairspray tour that never transferred to the Broadway cast.

Did Gretchen Beiber ever make it to the Grease Academy?

Now back to Juliana; I like her a lot.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:41pm

amen Sueleen

yes, Gretchen made it. She was sadly cut during the sing off. Gretch is one of the best Ambers AND Velmas that I have seen in the show.

Austin, THANKFULLY, hasn't transferred to the Broadway cast. he is the weakest Link (pun there, but not intended). One thing about Austin on this show.. he reads MUCH older than anyone else..

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:46pm

Thanks, BG2.

I was surprised when I read on the screen that Austin is 30. He definitely doesn't look it, I think he reads younger.

Now the 42 year old guy who was shocked that he got cut; please, get real!! I didn't need to see his age to tell that he was a lot older than everyone else there.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:48pm

I think in general the Dannys look older than the Sandys.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:49pm

Austin is really showing his age. personality wise, he comes off younger because of his high pitched voice and immaturity. he LOOKS older however... he isn't aging well at all.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:53pm

Well, I think he *looks* about 30. There is a 26 year old contestant who looks about 30 as well. The question is - is that too old for Danny in THIS production of GREASE. Most of the actors who have played these roles on Broadway and in the film were in their 30s.

I only see it as a potential problem because so many of the Sandys look about 21.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 12:57pm

well, every casting call for the revival has said that they want to go with early-mid 20s... no the "early 20s-early30s" I see specified for every regional mounting I see...

I am still ad that they cut Matt Nolan. get him back.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 1:09pm

Don't forget you are judging how old these people look ON CAMERA. They could look much younger on stage. And let's not forget Stockard Channing...speaking of too old for Grease (although her performance is great.)

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 1:12pm

The Grease website now has bios of the top 12 - they are again downplaying professional experience, though not necessarily that some of been working as an actor for the last few years.

SUELEEN: how are we supposed to judge them for how they look off camera? We can't tell how old they look on stage. How they look on camera is the only thing we at home can go by, which is one of the difficult things about casting stage actors from a tv based reality show.
Updated On: 1/22/07 at 01:12 PM

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/22/07 at 1:31pm

I just watched Juliana's audition and I'm really not impressed.