Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
#2re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
Posted: 5/7/09 at 12:59pmYes! LaChanze!
-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)
#2re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:01pmSo thrilled for LaChanze...love her. Don't know much of the remainder of the cast though...
#3re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:04pmWell, 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.
#4re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:07pmDarlesia Cearcy, who was Nettie for most of the run of THE COLOR PURPLE, is also in the cast.
-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)
LadyDramaturg2
Featured Actor Joined: 8/21/08
#5re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:07pmOrlando Jones is a really talented guy! Good for him -- Love to see a video of this.
#6re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:09pmLove 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.
#7re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:11pmi've never seen A Different World, but yes, I do remember Asmeret Ghebremichael from LB. She replaced DeQuina Moore.
#8re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:11pmI hope it gets great reviews with the exception of Ashanti, who is replaced by Anika Noni Rose when they transfer to Broadway.
-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)
#9re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
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.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
#10re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Announced
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:14pmThis casting doesn't have me jumping up and down except for LaChanze.
RyToast1
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/07
#11re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:15pm...the 7UP guy?!?! Really?!
#12re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:15pmSomethingwicked - 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.
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#13re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
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.
Gene Kelly Jr.
Chorus Member Joined: 11/25/08
#14re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
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
Updated On: 5/7/09 at 01:17 PM
#15re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:22pm
Yup...Orlando Jones, aka the 7 UP guy.
#16re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
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? :)
husk_charmer
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
#17re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:28pmAnd looks like I will not be seeing the Wiz. All of them are totally disappointing choices to me.
hubee
Featured Actor Joined: 2/4/07
#18re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
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.
#19re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:38pmOrlando 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.
#20re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:41pmBig thumbs up for LaChanze.
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#21re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
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
#22re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
Posted: 5/7/09 at 2:02pmI'm not sure why we're focusing on who in Idaho, for exmaple, has heard of whom.
husk_charmer
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
#23re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
Posted: 5/7/09 at 2:47pmWell, to be fair, I guess this ends the argument of "Are Jane Krakowski and Sean Hayes stars?"
#24re: Orlando Jones and LaChanze Join Cast of Encores! THE WIZ; Full Cast Ann
Posted: 5/7/09 at 2:54pmYay for Christian White! His first (Semi)Broadway gig.
Videos