Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
#2
Posted: 5/7/09 at 12:59pm
Yes! LaChanze!
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#3
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:01pm
So thrilled for LaChanze...love her. Don't know much of the remainder of the cast though...
#4
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:04pm
Well, Dawnn Lewis used to be on the sitcom A Different World which was a spinoff of The Cosby Show. And Asmeret Ghebremichael was in Legally Blonde.
"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney
We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".
#5
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:07pm
Darlesia Cearcy, who was Nettie for most of the run of THE COLOR PURPLE, is also in the cast.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#6
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:07pm
Orlando Jones is a really talented guy! Good for him -- Love to see a video of this.
#7
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:09pm
Love the casting of all the Witches. Tichina Arnold was great on Martin and Little Shop of Horrors. Dawnn Lewis was ok (if slightly miscast) in Sister Act the musical in Pasadena. Hoping they do a live recording to capture the entire score.
#8
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:11pm
i've never seen A Different World, but yes, I do remember Asmeret Ghebremichael from LB. She replaced DeQuina Moore.
#9
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:11pm
I hope it gets great reviews with the exception of Ashanti, who is replaced by Anika Noni Rose when they transfer to Broadway.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#10
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:11pm
Tichina Arnold was absolutely brilliant on the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. She's a fierce comedic presence with the perfect persona for a role like Evillene and, from what I remember, displayed a strong voice in the film version of Little Shop of Horrors.
I saw Dawnn Lewis as Deloris in the Atlanta production of SISTER ACT. While she didn't have the star quality to carry a show like that on her own, she's extremely talented. I'm sure she'll work wonders with "He's The Wizard."
It's funny that Thomas Kail chose to populate the principle cast with mostly inexperienced television actors, but I'm curious to see what the final result will be. Many of these performers have a lot of potential based on their previous work.
I saw Dawnn Lewis as Deloris in the Atlanta production of SISTER ACT. While she didn't have the star quality to carry a show like that on her own, she's extremely talented. I'm sure she'll work wonders with "He's The Wizard."
It's funny that Thomas Kail chose to populate the principle cast with mostly inexperienced television actors, but I'm curious to see what the final result will be. Many of these performers have a lot of potential based on their previous work.
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.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 5/7/09 at 01:11 PM
#11
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:14pm
This casting doesn't have me jumping up and down except for LaChanze.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
#12
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:15pm
...the 7UP guy?!?! Really?!
#13
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:15pm
Somethingwicked - If you watch the Little Shop of Horrors film from the 80s, you will see Tichina Arnold singing (she's one of the "urchens"). She's quite good and you're right she was great on Everybody Hates Chris.
#14
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:17pm
I'd respond with "yeah, he chose the cast," as a cheeky poke at Encores! Summer Stars, which, like last year, chose to populate their shows with strange TV stars.
Then I thought...are any of these people really that well known? This isn't stunt casting. It's not like putting Jack McFarland in DAMN YANKEES. Ashanti is talented, LaChanze is talented, Orlando Jones is absolutely hilarious.
This isn't a star-studded cast.
Then I thought...are any of these people really that well known? This isn't stunt casting. It's not like putting Jack McFarland in DAMN YANKEES. Ashanti is talented, LaChanze is talented, Orlando Jones is absolutely hilarious.
This isn't a star-studded cast.
#15
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:17pm
Do you think this video might have been the inspiration in casting Tichina?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUm5ovtSZOU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUm5ovtSZOU
Updated On: 5/7/09 at 01:17 PM
#16
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:22pm
Yup...Orlando Jones, aka the 7 UP guy.
"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man
#17
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:26pm
Gee, an Encores show without Debra Monk and Karen Ziemba?
And yet another show without one major star. No one in the sticks knows who the heck is LaChanze.
How about Diana Ross to be the Good Witch? :)
And yet another show without one major star. No one in the sticks knows who the heck is LaChanze.
How about Diana Ross to be the Good Witch? :)
Do you know what happens when you let Veal Prince Orloff sit in an oven too long?
#18
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:28pm
And looks like I will not be seeing the Wiz. All of them are totally disappointing choices to me.
http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer
#19
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:34pm
Ha, actually, NOW I'm excited. La Chanze AND Tichina Arnold. Arnold is HILARIOUS. And I really like Orlando so that should be interesting.
http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com
#20
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:38pm
Orlando Jones being the 7-Up guy was the first thing I thought of when I saw this article. Should be interesting. I'm still looking forward to seeing this.
"I don't want the pretty lights to come and get me."-Homecoming 2005
"You can't pray away the gay."-Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy.
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#21
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:41pm
Big thumbs up for LaChanze.
#22
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:56pm
I hate to tell some of you theatre snobs, but Orlando Jones, Tichina Arnold and Dawnn Lewis are better known to 99% of America than LaChanze.
Updated On: 5/7/09 at 01:56 PM
#23
Posted: 5/7/09 at 2:02pm
I'm not sure why we're focusing on who in Idaho, for exmaple, has heard of whom.
#24
Posted: 5/7/09 at 2:47pm
Well, to be fair, I guess this ends the argument of "Are Jane Krakowski and Sean Hayes stars?"
http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer
#25
Posted: 5/7/09 at 2:54pm
Yay for Christian White! His first (Semi)Broadway gig.
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