NY Philharmonic MY FAIR LADY - let the casting begin!

[JBSinger]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 12:45pm

My guess is that they'll try to do a crossover mix again. They'll bring in an opera singer (who can hopefully belt) for Eliza and then have someone like Lithgow or Pryce for Higgins.

Patti LuPone will only do a cameo as Higgins' mother. They could very well just bring in Chenoweth as well and ditch the crossover aspect all together. I just hope its good and they record it. The Phil will sound lovely on that score. Who would be good for Dolittle these days? Barry Humphries (Dame Edna) would be fun.

discuss.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 12:50pm

Would Roger Rees or Jonathan Pryce just not have enough "name draw" for Higgins? I think they'd be perfection (Pryce played it in London recently, I think).
And, please, lord Jesus above, let their be justice in this world and find someone besides Cheno to play this role.

[D2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 12:53pm

Let's get this out of the way right now. It's a concert, she'll never get the chance to play the role on stage, blah, blah, blah...

Audra McDonald.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 12:56pm

totally could see Audra.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:01pm

I think I'm one of the few people who think Audra is wrong for the role, and it has nothing to do with how she looks.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:03pm

Thank you, D2!

I nominate Erin Davie.

[D2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:14pm

You're welcome, Rath.

[JBSinger]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:14pm

I can see Audra in this as well, but don't think it will happen. She will be performing one of the most demanding acting/soprano roles at the time and I doubt even she would want to try and create a credible Eliza at the same time. I still think they'll bring in someone from the opera world for Eliza (just as long as they can use their chest voice).

Wait - what about Kelli O'Hara? What a challenge that would be for her.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:15pm

Rebecca Luker

[D2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:17pm

I wasn't serious about Audra. I was just heading off the Audra flood at the pass.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:18pm

Yeah, well, you were too slow for the Kelli and Rebecca floods.

Step it up next time.

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:19pm

I nominate Rachel York. If Pryce played Higgins, they'd have a mini Dirty Rotten Scoundrels replacement cast reunion. Wait, how about Brian D'Arcy James as Freddie, and the reunion will be complete?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:26pm

Rachel York? Hell, why not Barbara Cook?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:31pm

Rebecca Luker? So you want us to be bored to tears.

[D2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:37pm

Rath, I didn't even see those coming!

[Calvin]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:39pm

The forecasters also say a 30 percent chance of Sutton floods.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:44pm

Sorry, D2. You must have been blond-sided.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:56pm

Reba! Reba! REBA!!!!!

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:58pm

Rath,

Are you saying that Rachel York is too old? I think she'd be terrific. Singing and acting chops, and she'd handle the transformation from gutter snipe to passes-as-royalty beautifully.

Of course, she'll be on tour playing Guenevere in Camelot opposite Michael York, so it's a moot point. Actually, now that I think of it, her Eliza opposite his Higgins would be pretty good, too!

In reality, though, I wonder if they might go with Melissa Errico. Hasn't she played the role before?

lc

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 2:00pm

i heard that kelli o'hara got eliza a while back.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 2:01pm

How about yo mamma?

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 2:02pm

No offense, but yeah, Rachel York is too old. I saw an older woman play Eliza in a regional production and it just really doesn't cut it. I'm not saying she needs to be 20 but she can't be 40.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 2:03pm

loveclassics, if there is one thing you should know about Rath is that there is no such thing as "TOO OLD".

Another is that everything she posts is "a joke". Don't you get it?

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 2:07pm

And one cool thing about Sueleen is that, even were Rath or someone else on his hitlist ever right, hell would freeze over before he'd say it's true.

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 2:09pm

Rachel's 35. And she can read younger. Witness DRS - Christine was supposedly 29. Guenevere is also youthful - in her 20s. And the character she played in Summer of '42 - Dorothy - was 25. I don't think it would be a stretch, especially since her acting is so strong. She could definitely pull it off.

lc