Posted: 11/24/15 at 12:30am
newintown, you aren't thinking old enough. Carol Channing is still alive! That score in her voice... oh! gorgeous!
Yeah, this is a rotten idea, as it undermines about half of the themes in Pygmalion when Eliza is older than 30. At least it isn't as terrible as the idea of casting Audra McDonald and Christian Borle in the show (by a poster who shall go unnamed, though it still cracks me up)
Posted: 11/24/15 at 3:53pm
I have no problem with the multi-talented Kelli O'Hara for this (although one would like to see the wealth spread about a bit to other talents), but I am completely flummoxed as to why Broadway producers seem to have this enduring obsession with Kelsey Grammer. I have seen him in La Cage Aux Folles and Finding Neverland, as well as in his many TV appearances, and he always seems to be channeling Frasier Crane to me. I really think he is a pretty boring actor and doesn't he have the reputation for getting bored quickly and wanting to bail on shows or demanding extended breaks or something? Would much rather have seen the previously mentioned Colin Firth or Ralph Fiennes tackle Henry Higgins. Grammer would be a deal-breaker for me seeing this.
Posted: 11/24/15 at 4:01pm
Just noted that someone suggested Benedict Cumberbatch. Not sure if Cumberbatch can sing, but if he can that would be a lot more exciting a choice than the deadly Grammer. Not sure that the youth factor should be all that much of a problem. From reading the source, I never got the opinion that there was supposed to be a Grand Canyon age difference between Eliza and Henry Higgins. I think people stumbled to that erroneous assumption because Rex Harrison played the role well into his dotage and then older actors like Jonathan Pryce picked up the slack opposite much younger women. A lot of viewers of My Fair Lady often wonder why Eliza does not opt to go off with the younger more agreeable Freddy, so a more youthful Higgins may actually help rather than having an actor that looks like he could be Eliza's father or grandfather.
Updated On: 11/24/15 at 04:01 PM
Posted: 11/24/15 at 4:22pm
Nothing against Kelli O'Hara, and I'm aware none of this is set in stone, but the only person I can see doing this is Lauren Worsham. Her voice is beautiful and she was brilliant in Gentleman's Guide. I would love to see what she'd do with this.
Posted: 11/24/15 at 5:32pm
Wow. You're such a bleak little person.
I didn't realize that O'Hara was so old and feeble. Maybe she'll need an earpiece to feed her, her lines since her mind is obviously going. I hope she'll survive the run since she's basically got one foot in the grave.
Posted: 11/25/15 at 1:54am
I do think Kelli is too old for the role, but she'll still be wonderful if the show happens and I don't think it would be as appalling as Glenn in SP because Kelli looks much younger then Glenn was and Eliza can be played older without losing the importance of the themes. That said, it would be more ideal to see someone younger who hasn't came up yet. Mueller and Benanti shouldn't be that person though. Worsham seems like a perfect choice.
Agreed with the Grammer comments- Please find someone different! I've been told by actors who've worked with him personally that he is not a great person at all and I think his interpretation would be dull and dry.
Updated On: 11/25/15 at 01:54 AM
Posted: 11/25/15 at 4:36am
O'Hara is far too old. Grammer would probably be fine but I'd prefer someone like Jeremy Irons or Chris Walken, who would love to return to a musical. Eliza is really a character role, not an ingenue, despite the legit soprano required.
Posted: 11/25/15 at 7:27am
Benedict Cumberbatch a more exciting "choice"? Lol, as if he would ever consider it. I sadly think K's just too old for this one-- and I think I come from a majority perspective here. She's such an amazing talent that I feel it would be a huge mistake for her to enter this lion's den where no one will be talking about her abilities, only her age. Also, just my opinion, I don't think she's a perfect choice either. Now that use of the word choice is accurate, because she'd actually be someone who would ever say yes.
Posted: 11/25/15 at 1:50pm
I saw Jeremy Irons in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC years ago and as much as I admire him as an actor, I have no desire to hear him sing in a musical ever again.
And why wouldn't Cumberbatch consider a musical? It is actually a very complex character for a musical - look what the late Ian Richardson did with it in 1976. Cumberbatch may not want to give up the big bucks of TV but he seems to enjoy a challenge.
Posted: 11/26/15 at 10:04am
Saw Kelli and Kelsey do the concert some years ago, and they were both surprisingly good. No, Kelli is not totally convincing as a Brit (her undeserved Tony for Mrs. Anna notwithstanding), but she played and sang it extremely well, and Grammer really got it. Perhaps after his on-again, off-again Hook, he would relish a good role. Age appropriate? When has Broadway ever cared much about that???
Posted: 11/27/15 at 5:25pm
Yes to this.
Posted: 11/27/15 at 5:42pm
There's a video of "The Rain..." on youtube. Grammer looks ok, but O'Hara sounds beautiful.
Posted: 11/27/15 at 8:51pm
I don't understand the obsession with having an Eliza who's practically prepubescent but whatever.
Posted: 11/27/15 at 10:19pm
Count me in the Worsham camp. While she's only 6 years younger than Kelli the fact that she's only within the past 3-5 years came into prominence on the main stem gives her a "younger" vibe.
Kelli has proven that she's shrewd when deciding what roles to tackle and I think (from an outsiders perspective) the fact that she did the concert with KG could wind up working against her deciding to accept the role. She's very much an actor's actor and will always eschew whatever seems easy for what's going to stretch her abilities.
To my unprofessional opinion this role feels both unnatural in that she doesn't read as Cockney street tough to me and habitual in its "Kelli O'Hara in a revival of a Golden Age Musical" sense. At this very critical point in her career, post Tony win after so many nominations, the pessimist in me is fearful that there are a lot of people out there waiting to jump on her next project with claws out. I'm sure she and her team will choose whatever it is with even more care than they usually do. As kind as the golden age catalogue has been to Ms. O'Hara I'd love to see her in something new, a revival of something more current, or probably most intriguingly for my money a straight play. Has Roundabout begun casting The Cherry Orchard yet? It's been ages since I read it, I'm foggy as to the ages of the characters, but Kelli feels like she'd be right at home with Chekhov.
All that being said I'll echo others sentiments that when Dame Julie calls you to the table you don't leave...
Posted: 11/28/15 at 2:25pm
She's actually expressed strong interest in wanting to do it again because of how much fun she had with it the first time around. Check this out: http://www.broadway.com/buzz/161546/nice-work-star-kelli-ohara-looks-back-on-four-tony-nominated-roles-more/.
That was three years ago though and this is a critical point in her career: However, since Andrews is involved, I have a feeling she will take it if she really was offered it.
