I know it's too soon to be talking about this but I think she would make an amazing Leading Player! Who else do you guys think should be a replacement?
Glover is one I thought of. Sasha Allen is another. Asmeret Ghebremichael could also pull it off.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
She wouldn't replace at the point, but Condola Rashad would be my choice. She has a fierce presence and a fantastic voice.
Tracie Thoms played The Leading Player in the first reading of this production, so I wouldn't be surprised to see her involved down the line.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
@Quizking Vanessa could never, even in her prime sing the score as written. "Glory" would be out of her range, unless they were planning on letting her mix it. Now I would love to see her dance and act the role, but singing it I think not.
Love the idea of Condola Rashad, but yeah, I guess she wouldn't replace someone when she's the "it" girl in town. I think Tracie Thoms has turned out to be one of the most consistently just okay in about everything I've seen her in, maybe Paulus can bring some magic to her performance but Patina Miller she ain't. Sasha Allen was stunning, haunting and memorable in HAIR, but I doubt she wants to make a Broadway career out of replacing Miller. I'd love to see what she could do with Deena in DREAMGIRLS.
EDIT: Yes to Capathia Jenkins, and to address the original question, I agree with the poster who said Glover might be a fine singer but God is she a dull actress.
"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"
Does it have to be a skinny black actress? Is that the only type that works for this production?
No, I think certainly not. Schwartz himself has said the role just needs to be played by someone charismatic and captivating and almost all I've spoken to seem to agree gender-blind casting has worked fine and I'd imagine race-blind would as well.
And no, the actor playing the Leading Player doesn't need to be "skinny" but the demands of the Fosse style choreography and the acrobatics of this production that I'd doubt they'd want to change (Patina Miller is on a trapeze for several minutes throughout the show and performs other highly athletic stunts) would mean the actor would need to be somewhat athletically built, which could make Capathia Jenkins difficult to cast.
Just to be sure, I don't know anything about Ms. Jenkins' health nor am I trying to discriminate against her about weight, but I would imagine it would take a certain athleticism and body type (and age!) to do tricks on a trapeze like Ms. Miller does.
Scratch and claw for every day you're worth!
Make them drag you screaming from life, keep dreaming
You'll live forever here on earth.
Broadwaydevil, you do make a good point about the casting limitations for this specific production, and I definitely agree. If she hadn't changed paths, Karen Olivo would be ideal in my book.
"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"
I didn't mean it as an insult, just saying the names that were being thrown out are def. in the "patina" category.
I'd like to see them go a different route, but I don't think this is the kind of show that can thrive on "star" replacements. I think it will last a year or so and then be done.