Lauren Kennedy in SPAMALOT

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 12:30am

Okay, I saw the show tonight for the third time - second with Lauren Kennedy. WHY IS THIS WOMAN STILL WORKING IN THIS SHOW? She is absolutely horrendous. When The Lady of the Lake goes from being the funniest part of the show to the most plooding, painfully boring part of the show - something has gone wrong.

She needs to be replaced immediately, it's NOT a difficult part

[C is for Company]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 12:33am

I thought that at least her vocals got a pretty good reception with our crowd. However, Divas Lament was one of those moments of theater where you don't want to watch because the more you watch, you get really uncomfortable thinking about how they must feel onstage alone and being incredibly unfunny. It was a painful watch, but at least it was a good listen

[BSoBW3]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 12:33am

Why'd you see it again?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 12:42am

I saw it again because everytim a friend comes in from out of town, they want me to take them to Spamalot.

The girl can sing, but she's out of her league here. I'm not one for belting to the rafters, but this is rediculous.

I didn't even like her vocals in "lament." The song is two times as fast as it was with Ramirez - so before it even starts it's over. And she's just not funny. I agree, it was uncomfortable to watch her.

[BSoBW3]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 12:47am

But she's so pretty.

What a shame.

[andyf]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 1:15am

And she'll always be my girl.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 1:48am

No wonder she's never really had a part on Broadway before...

[bythesword84]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 1:54am

LK is awesome, I second andyf, she'll always be my girl too.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 1:57am

She's awesome when she's just singing and not trying to act.

[Doogie]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 1:59am

Lauren was Nellie in the West End Revival of South Pacific, and did well over a third of the run of SIDE SHOW as Daisy.

I've also heard she was a knockout Carla in NINE at PMP.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 2:03am

Okay, perhaps she just cant do this part. Thhat's really all I know for sure.

[whimsical]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 4:34am

Ok, you know what? Some people just aren't meant to do some parts. That doesn't mean they aren't super talented.

And besides, I know a lot of people think she was excellent as The Lady of the Lake. It's a personal opinion. I'm glad she's not a replica of Sara.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 6:06am

Lauren is extremely talented. This just isn't the right role for her. I hope she gets a part soon to show off her considerable talents.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 7:54am

She needs to be replaced immediately, it's NOT a difficult part

On the contrary, making such a nothing part into something truly memorable is quite the challenge.

[ruprecht]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 8:45am

You're really going to make me go there again huh? GIVE ORFEH THE DARN PART! And PopCultureBoy nailed it. It's not such a great part if a great performer isn't in it as has been glaringly displayed with Kennedy in the role. Orfeh is especially proficient at turning nothing little parts (Annette,Pipi), into show stealing roles. That's exactly what Lady Of The Lake *should* be and was with Ramirez. Nuff' said yet again.

[BreeDaniel]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 9:15am

She's definitely got my vote. I saw Spam with Kennedy too and well, let's just leave it at that. Rup, that was a very interesting observation about Orfeh. She does frequently turn thankless roles into far more.

I saw the original Saturday Night Fever in London and never thought twice about the Annette role and couldn't tell you a thing about who played it. Says alot about Orfeh as she was all anyone talked about during and long after the Broadway Fever. Although to be fair, she might not have had as easy a time stealing the show if they had brought Adam Garcia over to play the Tony Manero role. Now him, I remember.

Posted: 3/3/06 at 9:49am

While I am a big fan of Lauren Kennedy's, I agree somewhat with the remarks made about her performance in SPAMALOT. I thought she did what she could with the role (that probably wasn't suited for a gorgeous ingenue-esque woman with a huge vocal range), but there was still something "missing" about her performance.

She has said herself in interviews that she thought it was weird that they asked her to come in and audition for it, but the character breakdowns specifically state that the Lady of the Lake doesn't need to be of any particular ethnicity or type. The producers went out on a limb and cast someone who was the complete opposite of Sara Ramirez, probably hoping it would bring on a fresh interpretation, but clearly some have felt otherwise. :)

I have seen Lauren in 'Side Show,' 'Sunset Blvd', and in the 'L5Y' concert she did here in New York a couple years back with Jason Robert Brown. She has been stunning in everything she has performed in and is one of my biggest influences. The Lady of the Lake just isn't a role that matches her individual abilities well.

As for her comedic and acting chops, no one has the right to question either of those areas - as Cathy in L5Y, she demonstrated every realm of emotion possible. Her "Still Hurting" was heart-wrenching and "Summer in Ohio" and "Climbing Uphill" were absolutely hilarious.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 10:43am

I've worked with Lauren Kennedy once as her accompanist. She was wonderful to work with. It's a shame about all of the negative remarks. Of course, I can't say anything about them because I haven't seen her in the role. I keep thinking that I should go back to see her in it, but then I realized I didn't want to subject myself to that show again. Once was enough for this boy.

~Steven

Posted: 3/3/06 at 10:51am

I have yet to see Lauren in a role that has impressed me. Maybe the right part hasn't come along yet, but when I saw her as Daisy in SIDESHOW and Nellie in SOUTH PACIFIC, she was consistently overshadowed by her co-stars. It was particularly obvious to me in SIDESHOW because I was so familiar with the show, having seen it 5 times with both Lauren and Emily Skinner. When Alice and Emily sang their duets, they seemed like two equals expressing differing emotions and opinions. When Alice and Lauren sang together, Lauren sounded weaker. I thought Lauren's portrayal was inconsistent with the premise of the story - Daisy is suppose to be the bolder, more assertive, more confident sister. There are obviously a lot of Lauren fans on the board, so I assume that she has performed better in other shows, like the L5Y.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 7:26pm

Doesn't seem like the right fit at all. Orfeh should be playing alot of roles she's not at the moment but alas, there's no accounting for taste and sense where N.Y. casting is concerned which probably explains why so many come out here to L.A.

[Doogie]

Posted: 3/3/06 at 7:29pm

Orfeh's voice and exotic looks carry her everywhere she has gone. In Trailer Park, she missed a bit of the comedy that would have made it much funnier.

[Gpvegas]

Posted: 3/4/06 at 12:42am

I saw the show tonight (Friday) everyone was in. Great as always. First time seeing Lauren and I have to agree. Not right in this role. The show seems to come to a screeching halt when she is on stage.

[BreeDaniel]

Posted: 3/4/06 at 10:23am

Doogie, are you sure you don't have Orfeh and Idina Menzel confused? While I agree about her having a voice and exotic looks,IMO she hardly strikes me as someone who's simply lucky and coasting by.

As for your comment, "she missed a bit of the comedy that would have made it much funnier", sorry but I strongly disagree. She milked some VERY unfunny lines bone dry and made the *material* far more funny than it was. the couple of times I sat through it, she stopped the show with her bit in "Great American T.V. Show", so if anything, she added comedy where there was none. It was my problem with the show in the first place.

Anything that was good about TP came from the overqualified and proficient cast, not the source material and I've said that all along. Matter of fact, all the reviews echoed my sentiments exactly. Great cast, not a great show.

Posted: 3/4/06 at 4:09pm

its too bad lauren isn't getting a better response and its also too bad that she has been cast in a role that isn't suited to her because she is very talented.
did anyone see her as fantine?

[ShuQ]

Posted: 3/4/06 at 4:15pm

It's also too bad that people think when someone is not strong in a role that it's the role's fault and not the actor's.