Original stars who could never be topped

What actors in which roles do you think could never be replaced by anyone after they have left the show in the original run (Im going with original Broadway run. I realize some have been performed in the west end before )

For me its

Alice ripley in next two normal
Barbra is funny girl
Idina and Kristin in wicked
Colm Wilkinson in les mis
Patti lupone in evita

I want to say micheal Crawford and Sarah brightman even though its more for nostalgia.

Updated On: 3/30/19 at 11:13 PM

I don't really get the question... all were replaced, and there have since been countless successful productions around the world. (Though Funny Girl is the show most associated with its original star.)

There have been some literal "can't replace them so we're closing" situations: The Evita revival was courting people like Lea Michele and Antonio Banderas before it shuttered after 9 months. Nobody wanted to replace Douglas Hodge in La Cage, so they begged Harvey Fierstein to do it (and then it closed). And no actor in their right mind would replace Bryan Cranston in Network or Glenda Jackson in Lear.

musicals1989 said: "Theatrefanboy1 said: "
Alice ripley in next two normal
Barbra is funny girl
Idina and Kristin in wicked
Colm Wilkinson in les mis
Patti lupone in evita"



what.....



Marin replaced Alice and was STUNNING.

There have been MANY replacements in Wicked that were BETTER than Idina and Kristin.

this thread is a joke.

"

Indeed. Mimi Hines starred in FUNNY GIRL on Broadway after Streisand left and ran the show for another 18 months or more. Hell, I've seen at least two HIGH SCHOOL productions where the Fannie Brices knocked it out of the park, acting the title role with more spontaneity.

And as good as Miss LuPone was, I found the show as a whole worked better with Marti Webb, the London matinee Eva, whom I saw two months later when I couldn't get tix to see Elaine Paige.

I think the most we can say is certain actors SEEM irreplaceable at the time we see them. I have trouble imagining anyone other than B.D. Wong as Song in M. BUTTERFLY, but that may well be only because I haven't seen anybody else play the role. Or I have to admit I have trouble seeing anyone but Michael Rupert play Marvin in FALSETTOS (or either of the latter Marvin plays), but though I have seen other competent Marvins, including Christian Borle on PBS, none has played the role nearly as fiercely.

Lillias White in THE LIFE.

Updated On: 3/29/19 at 07:18 AM

The sun.

Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen. I've subsequently seen the show with four other actors and none could replicate the effect of Mr. Platt on that stage.

There was a time when I couldn't imagine anyone exceeding Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in Phantom of the Opera, but then I experienced the talents of Ben Crawford and Sierra Boggess.

I don't know if anyone could truly match Katrina Lenk in THE BAND'S VISIT.

I think the problem is with the title...how about we change it to 'never be topped'.

In my mind, none of the following can be topped (and I have seen many people in most of the roles):

-- Nathan Lane in The Producers

-- Barbara Harris in The Apple Tree

-- Lotte Lenya in Cabaret

-- Angela Lansbury and Beatrice Arthur in Mame

-- Hugh Jackman in The Boy From Oz

-- Zoe Caldwell in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

-- Colleen Dewhurst in A Moon for the Misbegotten

-- Jim Dale in Scapino



This is an interesting topic, actually, because 25 years ago, I would have said Joel Grey in Cabaret; I don't know that Alan Cumming ' topped him', but it's a pretty moot discussion...both gave legendary performances. Nevertheless, I can't imagine that anyone will ever be able to top the performances above.

Patrick page is hadestown(or anything he’s in) is another. Are there even anymore bass’ left on broadway besides him? His voice is like a character on its own.