Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
chinto1984
Leading Actor Joined: 8/6/07
#1Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/19/07 at 8:40pmNo. Kristen is not replacing Laura Bell Bundy, but do you think Kristen would be good in the role? She is not college age but besides that I think she would do well, and she is a legitmate stage star.
jake6970
Broadway Star Joined: 9/21/07
#2re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/19/07 at 8:41pmoy.
"I'm an American, Damnit!!! And if it's three things I don't believe in, it's quitting and math."
chinto1984
Leading Actor Joined: 8/6/07
#3re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/19/07 at 8:43pmI know she is too old. Consider this now, if she was younger, would Legally Blonde be a bigger hit?
#5re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/19/07 at 8:49pmWasn't the part written for her? Or am I mixing up stories? I don't remember. Anyway, ten rows back you wouldn't be able to tell that she's too old.
desiree armfeldt
Broadway Star Joined: 1/8/07
#6re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/19/07 at 8:50pmI was thinking about this recently too! I heard the role was originally written for her and that she backed out. As much as I believe she is an excellent performer, I think she would have looked a little ridiculous as a college/law student. She's definitely a little too old. I can't really picture her on stage with the production. Also, there are other comedic actresses who I am sure could handle the role and look the part...Kristen has greater things going for her.
#7re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/19/07 at 8:50pm
One would hope Kristin would have the good taste to turn down such an awful musical.
I know her film choices have not always been the best, but when you start out a theatre actor and suddenly have studios offering you large sums of money that will financially secure you for life - I can understand how someone would accept those roles. Especially considering the credible stars that also appeared in said films.
#8re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/19/07 at 8:51pm
yes, she was offered the role, but turned it down.
No, I'm sure she is not regretting the decision.
NO, she will never replace the role, becuase Cheno doesn't do replacement parts.
"I'm an American, Damnit!!! And if it's three things I don't believe in, it's quitting and math."
#9re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 2:24am
She was approached about starring in the musical before it was even written. I actually was backstage at the Gershwin Theatre when the producers of the musical came to talk to her about it.
#10re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 2:28am
MichaelBennett, if I remember correctly, you also mentioned that when Chenoweth was approached the idea was to have the show be a sort of satire with all the actors being older than their roles so it would have been a completely different show.
Given the final result, she made a great choice.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
Peronista
Chorus Member Joined: 8/18/06
#11re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 3:03amI kinda thought while watching it that it was too bad Chenoweth is too old to be playing this. Seemed to me that it might have had her in mind when being created. Not that she would have accepted, but still.
husk_charmer
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
#12re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 5:22am
I know she isn't a huge Reese Witherspoon fan because a LOT of people confuse/mix up the two. So to take on a role sooooo associated with her might have added to that. So her refusal may have had more to do with keeping her own identity than anything.
And to whomever said Chenoweth doesn't do replacements, just wait, she'll hit the mid-40s slump and need work...she'll change her tune.
http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer
#13re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 7:30amThere is already a LONG thread about this. I should know. I started it.
A little known fact is that in the original screenplay, Pan's Labyrinth was Pan's FLAByrinth. Hmmmmmmm...glad they changed it.
Grand Motel
Featured Actor Joined: 7/8/03
#15re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 12:11pmI love you for keeping count Jaystarr. I will say one thing and it's not meant to be a b*itchy comment, it's just visually true, Bundy looks MUCH older than her years and not so great on screen, so in hindsight, would it have mattered, no. And the only person who "closely associates her with Witherspoon" is Chenoweth herself, no one in the industry does.
BreeDaniel
Broadway Star Joined: 1/25/04
#16re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 12:17pmOn stage, it doesn't matter how old any one is and as Grand Motel pointed out, it's not like Bundy looks young. Thats said, I'm sure Kristen Chenoweth is more than happy she turned the role down.
#17re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 1:18pmYea, that would just be wierd. Although, honestly, if anyone could prove us all wrong it's Cheno.
"It means nothing to come and sit in a theater night after night and immerse yourself in fantasy, only then to walk out the door and be unchanged in reality. This show will live on in our hearts. But where it truly must survive is in our actions, our compassion and our generousity of spirit towards one another." - Adam Pascal on the closing of RENT
#18re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 1:20pm
Okay...why does this keep coming up?
She's said TO THE PRESS that she doesn't think it would work as a musical nor would she ever take a part.
She is, as said several times, WAY too old for the part.
Besides, she finally got a hit TV show, why would she leave it for a part not even suited to her vocal range?
#19re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 1:22pmShe played college age in wicked....
How can they see with sequins in their eyes?
Lilla
Swing Joined: 10/20/07
#20re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 1:44pmI heard that was asked to do the part, turned it down for YF, and then turned that down for Pushing Daisies
#21re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/20/07 at 2:02pm
"I heard that was asked to do the part, turned it down for YF, and then turned that down for Pushing Daisies"
She turned down Legally Blonde before Young Frankenstein was even conceived as a musical. She did the previous workshops of Young Frankenstein, but turned down the opportunity to do it on Broadway to do Pushing Daises instead.
neddyfrank2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
#22re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/22/07 at 3:00amYoung Frankenstein was conceived as a musical around the exact same time as Legally Blonde.
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#23re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/22/07 at 9:35amWouldn't it just be around the same time? How can something be around the exact same time and not be the exact same time?
#24re: Kristen Chenoweth as Elle?
Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:25amWithout a doubt, Kristen would be perfect as Elle. Sure she's a tad too old, but she does not look old, and the stage is a venue that allows an actor to play a role that is much younger or, for that matter, much older than his or her real age. Already in her 30s, Lea returned and played 17-year old Kim in Miss Saigon convincingly. Kristen Chenoweth is mega talented, hilariously funny, and would be a fabulous Elle.
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