Alex M said: "Very out of left field! Interested to know how she is!"
I wouldn't say she's out of left field, she is the traditional Audrey, a young ingenue with a slight edge/sadness.
Its more so interesting for the fact that the there are only 2 things that didn't make this a paint by numbers replica revival that countless schools, regional, and community theaters put on every year. One was it was built around Seymour, making him the shows focal point with all other characters being supporting, as opposed to most productions having Audrey being either the co-lead or star. The way this was done which leads to the second point was that Audrey was no longer a fresh faced naïve ingenue, she's an older middle aged woman beat down by life. In doing so it makes Seymour the sole spark of hope for change on Skid Row.
Audrey knows she's in an abusive relationship, she simply thinks she can't do better, which is much easier to portray when you are in your late 30s to early 40s as opposed to being 25. It transformed Audrey from a Tracey Turnblad/Ellen Green caricature into a Sally Bowles, which is why many could overlook the fact that Blanchard did not have the traditional vocal chops for the role. I am not saying I don't think Maude Apatow will do a good job, it just seems like a complete 180 for what this revival was created to be.
