Leona Lewis OFFICIALLY cast as Grizabella - Page 2

[PopAria]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:07pm

Cupid Boy2 said: "PopAria said: "If they're already stunt casting, i assume this show will run for less than a year." 

The thing is stunt casting isn't stunt casting if it's not going to sell any tickets.  

 

"

Lol. Good point.   I might go just to say I saw Leona Lewis. But I'm not interested enough in either Cats or Cats the musical 

[slow_the_rain]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:10pm

Honestly, last time I heard anything about her career, her latest album was being sold for $4 on Grindr, so I wouldn't exactly say she has any relevance in the US as of late, either.

I remember liking her when she was on X Factor, but was never a big fan of her live performances of her songs. Scherzinger also had a background in theatre. I worry about Ms. Lewis getting lost behind the makeup. 

I'm sure it's my naivety speaking, but if they weren't going to cast someone who would boost ticket sales, why couldn't it have just been a Broadway actress? Someone like Christine Dwyer, or even Alice Ripley might have done more to convince us jaded theatre people to give Cats a second chance. I'm disappointed all around. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:11pm

I can't wait to see this production!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:12pm

I've never heard of her, but I still plan on seeing this.

[Skimbleshanks2]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:12pm

I guess this is proof that nobody wanted to touch this revival with a 10-foot pole. She has a nice voice tho...

[thirtythirtyninety]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:26pm

FWIW, she also sang the forgettable end credits song from AVATAR

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YDz-ftqr1g

[devonian.t]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:28pm

I still don't understand how casting someone who is such a beauty helps with the whole point of this character- the faded beauty in need of reincarnation.  There is no way Nicole Scherzinger looked "faded" in London.  ALW seems to be determined to willfully misunderstand his shows, (I cite casting of the Phantom in recent times as another example).

[trpguyy]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:35pm

devonian.t said: "I still don't understand how casting someone who is such a beauty helps with the whole point of this character- the faded beauty in need of reincarnation.  There is no way Nicole Scherzinger looked "faded" in London.  ALW seems to be determined to willfully misunderstand his shows, (I cite casting of the Phantom in recent times as another example)."

Are you not aware that casting agents cast shows, especially ones that have been running for decades?

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:38pm

Skimbleshanks2 said: "I guess this is proof that nobody wanted to touch this revival with a 10-foot pole. She has a nice voice tho..."

Leona was supposedly ALW's second choice for the role, so I don't know if it's fair to say this is proof of anything. 

[smidge]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:39pm

Simon Cowell really pushed Leona as the next Mariah and she just wasn't.  ALW does seem hell bent on tapping the non existent reality singing competition market audience 

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:44pm

smidge said: "Simon Cowell really pushed Leona as the next Mariah and she just wasn't.  ALW does seem hell bent on tapping the non existent reality singing competition market audience"

He does seem fixated upon turning these women into "stars of the theatre."

[DeNada]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 12:59pm

trpguyy said: "Are you not aware that casting agents cast shows, especially ones that have been running for decades?"

While I know devonian.t is VERY well aware of how shows are cast, I can also tell you point blank that no Phantom is cast on Broadway without ALW's (and Cameron Mackintosh's) approval, even beyond that of the associate director at the very least, if not Hal Prince (although this may not happen so much these days given various different factors).

While a casting agent may suggest a principal, it is not normally their call as to who is eventually cast.

It's not exactly a secret that since Love Never Dies became reality the Phantom's casting has been very much sexed up to fit a vision of the part as being something of a romantic lead (and the end of the show has been redirected to fit).  That's not going to be down to a casting agent, but whoever has instructed them.

(also worth noting that Phantom isn't cast by agents in the UK, but directly by the Mackintosh office's casting team, which directly reflects much of what happens on Broadway)

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 1:02pm

I love Lenoa. She has a great voice but I know she's had some inconsistent live showings as of late. I hope she can do this justice! I'm rooting for her 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 1:20pm

she hasn't been relevant in about ten years but I was a fan of that song Bleeding Love (I think Jessie McCartney wrote the song). in a revival such as this, I'm kind of glad no big theater stars are wasting their time on it.

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 1:46pm

One-hit-wonder.  I thought she would be on Dancing With the Stars before making her Broadway debut. 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 1:54pm

if you look at her Wikipedia page, she's technically not a one-hit wonder since she's had more then one single on the charts. but she hasn't had one in several years.

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 1:57pm

This is so odd. Aside from the question if she's can pull of the role or not, she's not big enough of a name (anymore?) to actually pull in an audience. But if you're not going to cast a massive star, why don't you cast a Broadway vet? In a recent Live At 5 the Paul Wontorek said they had been auditioning a LOT of Broadway people for that role a few days before that Leona Lewis thing first popped up as a rumor (and they have some inside knowledge there with ALW daughter in the room, so I believe that to be true).

I've already seen at least 2 annoyed tweets (critic Paul Feldman and JRB) about the casting of a Brit over an American Broadway actor. I'm sure many could have and would have loved to play that role.

[lucillefrank]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 2:03pm

I'm just really pissed off that some amazing Broadway people were called in to audition and they were all told no because they were so sure that Nicole was going to do it and now....Leona was cast. Why waste everyone's time if you were just going to cast an irrelevant pop star the whole time?

Updated On: 5/26/16 at 02:03 PM

[trpguyy]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 2:07pm

_IrisTInkerbell said: "I've already seen at least 2 annoyed tweets (critic Paul Feldman and JRB) about the casting of a Brit over an American Broadway actor. I'm sure many could have and would have loved to play that role."

He's probably just bitter that this revival is still going to last longer than all of his shows...put together.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 2:11pm

Its theatre, not geopolitcs 

[Broadway Forever2]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 2:15pm

lol well her bleeding love song did go #1 in the US and her debut album apparently sold 8 million world wide but she's completely irrelevant as of late. At least she has a good voice I guess. IDK maybe she wants to transition to Broadway. 

Updated On: 5/26/16 at 02:15 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 2:20pm

What a disappointment 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 2:28pm

Broadway Forever2 said: "lol well her bleeding love song did go #1 in the US and her debut album apparently sold 8 million world wide but she's completely irrelevant as of late. At least she has a good voice I guess. IDK maybe she wants to transition to Broadway. 

Well on a meta level, doesn't that kind of mirror the character of Grizabella, the washed up former glamour cat?

"

 

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 2:30pm

Well, I guess it's a sort of comeback for Leona. I think she has a great voice and I'm rooting for her. When I first heard her, back in 2007, I thought she'd go further with her career...this could possibly do it. 

I originally thought they'd need a big star name, but I now agree with some of the other posts here; CATS is the star of the show. It's just great that we've got someone who should serve MEMORY well.

[SweetLips]

Posted: 5/26/16 at 3:28pm

Buffalo Bill said: "I am so grateful that they've found such a powerful, big voice for this role! I'll be hearing her eight times a week sing "Memory" and frankly, I cannot wait.  

I love the idea that this will be an ensemble show with amazing talent. Brilliant. 

BB--What is your job in that theatre-?-just me being curious.

 

 

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