Leading Actor Joined: 8/17/05
According to David Weitzers website (http://www.davidweitzer.com/)....
Aida- Nikki Renee Daniels
Radames- Michael Hunsaker
Amneris - Jacqueline Bayne
Zoser- David Weitzer
Pretty amazing cast if you ask me.
I like Ms. Daniels. Saw her as Celia in the world premiere of "Dorian" here in Denver. She had a really good song in the show called "Teach Me to Fly".
Wait, I thought Brandi Chavonne Massey was Aida? That is what was announced here in Buffalo?
"Pretty amazing cast if you ask me."
I'm only familiar with Daniels' work but I'm sure she is as fantastic as ever. Lestat couldn't even bring her down. (look at her, she's wicked..etc.)
Leading Actor Joined: 8/17/05
According to another post that was on here Brandi is now doing Lorell in DreamGirls with Holliday.
I love Nikki! Good for her!
She'll also be singing with the SF Symphony for July 4th:
http://sfgate.com/listings/event.php?events,e225226
I didn't realize she left Les Miz.
Aida isn't until August; I don't think she has yet.
I'm too lazy to check, does she ever cover Eponine? 'Cause that'd be hot.
No. She understudies Fantine.
Yeah but I figured she might be fierce like Drew Sarich and cover two fab parts. Oh well, someday...
Thanks, Lizzie.
Swing Joined: 3/15/06
my friend recently informed me of this. I am so happy for her. I hope to see her Fantine before she leaves.
I will be seeing the show alot when Drew goes on as Valjean (his javert was fierce wednesday)
hopefully I see her one of the days I go
AIDA runs August 9th - 19th in Lewiston, NY
Here's the event listing:
http://www.artpark.net/event.php?id=96&show_sub=11
Got my tickets this weekend, so I'll be there!!!
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
Damn I wish I could see this. I LOVE Nikki Renee Daniels. Absolutely stunning woman and an incredible talent.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/20/06
The only problem is that the director and choreographer are Buffalo locals who only do community theatre there. The productions never have that "professional" slick feel.
Stand-by Joined: 6/5/03
Actually Lynne Kurdziel Formato, the choreographer, has done more than just Buffalo "community" theatre:
"As a professional Director/Choreographer, Lynne is a proud member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC) and has over 300 productions to her credit including Oklahoma!, Fiddler on the Roof, Blood Brothers, Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, The Merry Widow, The King and I, Copacabana, West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Swing!, Anything Goes, Grease, Forever Plaid, Smokey Joe's Café, The World Goes Round and Cole as well as this season’s The Full Monty at Artpark in Lewiston, N.Y., West Side Story (Tennie Award for Choreography), Evita and Ain't Misbehavin' for the Tennessee Repertory Theatre in Nashville, A Chorus Line and My Fair Lady for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre in Little Rock (where she will return in May to choreograph The Full Monty), three seasons of Christmas in The Smokies for Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, On the Town for the University of the Arts at the Merriam Theatre in Philadelphia, South Pacific for the Heritage Repertory Theatre in Virginia and over 20 productions for the University at Buffalo including the first regional production of Andrew Lippa's Wild Party.
She is a 16-time nominee and five-time recipient of the Buffalo New York Artvoice Artie Award in the areas of direction and choreography, received the 2004 Artvoice Career Achievement Award, a 2006 Katherine Cornell Award for her choreographic work on Musicalfare’s Urinetown and was named the 1996 "Individual Artist of the Year" by the Buffalo and Erie County Council on the Arts. Lynne is also an accomplished performer and a member of the Actor's Equity Association (Lynne Van Remmen). Her last on-stage credit was at Universal Studios Florida where she was part of the 1990 opening team of actors.
Here at Elon, Lynne choreographed West Side Story, Urinetown and is currently at work on Carousel."
It may not be Broadway choreography, but it's still professional.
Thank you, Phantour, for posting Lynne's bio. It shows she's definitely not "community theatre" material.
Lynne was the head of the Universtiy at Buffalo Musical theatre program when I was accepted there. The work I did with her was some of the best I've ever done, and the productions she is able to produce are astounding. I spent one summer at ArtPark with 13 other actors. We did two reviews: "Cole" and "The World Goes 'Round" (for anyone who happened to see those shows I sand "Down in the Depths on the 90th floor" and "Maybe This Time")
Trust me, anything Lynne puts on stage will be amazing. You don't have to worry about it being a professional quality production, because it IS a professional production.
Leading Actor Joined: 8/17/05
um, Trish you might be confused with the directors. First off there is a new director. Randy Kramer who has not directed at Artpark in sometime (if at all). He is far from a community theatre director. He is the head of his company Musicalfare (www.musicalfare.com) which is far from community theatre. I don't think Jeffry Denman and Eric Jordan Young would come back to do their own shows at a community theatre.
Well, you got Lynnes resume right there.
So to say that they are Buffalo locals who only do community theatre is very false information. But it is your opinion if you think it doesnt have a "professional" slick feel. This is gonna be a great production. I can't wait to see it.
Broadway Star Joined: 2/13/06
I am curious to know, who is taking over for Nikki in Les Mis?
I can't wait for pictures. Isn't Nikki the size of one of Michael Hunsaker's pecs?
Seeing it Saturday.
Getting very excited as I missed it on Broadway!
Does anyone know if Daniels plans on returning to "Les Mis" after concluding her run in "Aida"?
Yes she will be. There was a article in the local news about the show, and she said that this show was a "mini-break" from Les Mis.
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