Let's Play a Game: Casting That Almost Was...
Let's Play a Game: Casting That Almost Was...
#1Let's Play a Game: Casting That Almost Was...
Posted: 4/15/22 at 7:36pm
Hi everyone,
Having read that NYT article on all the attempts at producing a revival of FUNNY GIRL got me thinking about all of the Fanny Brices that never were. Naturally, I began to consider some funny casting choices which lead me to this game...
Come up with the funniest, entirely fake "casting that almost was" scenario and post it below. Hopefully it will give us all a good chuckle. Here are a couple of mine:
"Fran and Barry Weissler desperately wanted Paula Deen to play Mrs. Lovett in a Broadway revival of SWEENEY TODD. The plan was to tour it around the country and partner with local bakeries and cafes to have a cook off to find the 'worst pies in London'. The production fell through when Deen's butter based skin moisturizer proved to be a fire hazard."
"Rosie O'Donnell has famously campaigned to play Ms. Hannigan in ANNIE and Rose Brice in FUNNY GIRL, but very few outside the industry know that she aggressively campaigned to replace Alfred Molina as Tevye in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. The producers ultimately compromised and cast her as Golde."
Just some lighthearted humor to finish out the week. Happy Weekend! :)
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#3Let's Play a Game: Casting That Almost Was...
Posted: 4/15/22 at 10:18pm
After Spring Awakening, Lea Michele decided to play title roles only. She campaigned hard for several of these roles, and got callbacks for the title roles in Oklahoma, The Color Purple and The Book of Mormon.
#4Let's Play a Game: Casting That Almost Was...
Posted: 4/15/22 at 11:37pm
darquegk said: "After Spring Awakening, Lea Michele decided to play title roles only. She campaigned hard for several of these roles, and got callbacks for the title roles in Oklahoma, The Color Purple and The Book of Mormon."
I don’t believe the last one. She can’t read… how can she be a book?
#5Let's Play a Game: Casting That Almost Was...
Posted: 4/16/22 at 12:48am
The New York Times reported that Frank Wildhorn was hard at work writing a new musical for Laura Osnes and Chad Kimball in the midst of the pandemic. When it was brought to light that both actors were anti-vaccine, Wildhorn said, "Screw it, forget this project, the show was probably going to get universally obliterated anyway."
#6Let's Play a Game: Casting That Almost Was...
Posted: 4/16/22 at 9:05am
Both Nancy Walker and Carol Burnett had auditioned for 1964's FUNNY GIRL, and made it to the 'short' list of call-backs.
Walker had said later in interviews the producers really liked her for the role, but felt she was too short for the stage (she stood 4' 11"
in a starring role, and would be dwarfed by the supporting cast.
Burnett was passed because she didn't look "Jewish", so they felt audiences wouldn't believe her as Fanny Brice. Of course, Streisand got the role.
Speaking of Streisand...
'Mama' Cass Elliott auditioned for 'Miss Marmelstein' back in 1962 along with Streisand for "I Can Get It For You Wholesale". It's been said the producers were down to those two singers when they decided to go with Streisand - they loved how she auditioned with the swivel chair as a prop. (Cass Elliott always wanted to be a Broadway musical actress, but after losing out on this role and a few others, she decided to concentrate on a music career instead and gave up acting.)
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