Princess Bride Cast Musings

[Rentjenn]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 11:22am

Everyone's fav feel good movie finally making the jump to stage, I'm sure there'll be no shortage of opinions on casting...what do you guys think? Here's my early thoughts on it:

Westly - Matthew Morrison
Buttercup - Celia K.B.
Inigo - Hank Azaria
Humperdink - Christopher Sieber
Fezzik - Mark Kudisch

Wallace Shawn would be the film member I'd most like to see cast in the musical.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 11:32am

Celia isn't traditional fairy tale princess enough for the satire to really work, in my opinion. Kelli O'Hara would be the natural choice...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 11:35am

By the time Guettel finishes writing this, O'Hara and Morrison will be too old to play those roles. He's a sloooooooooooooow writer.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 11:37am

That's true. How about Dakota Fannning as Buttercup?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 11:38am

I think Julia Roberts' twins are up for a few roles.

[M J R]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:04pm

It's about time this musical was made - this is one movie turned musical that I'm actually very excited to see!

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:07pm

Poor BMI. They often use in their class exercises shows which cannot (for various reasons, sometimes rights issues) be musicalized. One was the Princess Bride. Guess they'll drop that.

By the way, I've heard some absolutely inspired numbers from various BMI teams based on various scenes from PB. It practically begs to be musicalized.

[Plum]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:07pm

Margo- I vaguely remember Guettel saying, in a Times interview you mentioned, that he was actually a fairly fast writer, but spent a lot of his time between musicals not writing but being drugged out and trying to recover. Maybe he'll prove that this time around.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:09pm

Raul as Inigo.



Personally I'll be surprised if this ever sees the light of day.

[buskeat]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:32pm

I know he's probably way too old, but why not just have Mandy reprise Inigo? Just stick that black curly hair on there and cover his wrinkled puss with the mustache and there you go.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:36pm

It's been suggested that things that seem to beg to be musicalized aren't the best choices to musicalize because the audience will tend to come in with more specific expectations. If they have no idea how something might work musically, they're more likely to follow the writers more openly.

It's a theory, anyway. I think it has some merit, though.

[Plum]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:40pm

That may be true, but I think if the creative team really pulls this off they'll pull the audiences along with them.

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:45pm

Hey and while we're at it....Chris Sarandon as Humperdinck...and hey Billy Crystal is almost old enough to play Miracle Max without any make-up!

Seriously...assuming this project comes to fruition in the next few years I could see maybe a Douglas Sills or Mark Kudisch as Prince Humperdinck and Kelli O'Hara as Buttercup. I could see Esparza as Inigo, although it would be hard to fill Patinkin's shoes (or get his image out of my mind). With Andre the Giant being such a unique individual, and that role tailored exactly for him--who could play Fezzik? Enormously huge, but still come accross sweet and innocent? Cheyenne Jackson? Burke Moses?

[Plum]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:46pm

Someone on stilts? :P

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:48pm

I'm thinking more along the lines of Gavin Creel as Westly, but I agree that regardless of the Piazza connection, Kelli O'Hara definitely seems ideal for Buttercup---but clearly this won't be in motion for a while, so who knows!

[Plum]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:51pm

I'm thinking more along the lines of Gavin Creel as Westly

Ah, yes. The perfect actor for a character that's all pretty, no personality.

*ducks*

[Cheno'sBiggestfan]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:55pm

please no more dakota fanning!! she drives me nuts!

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 1:54pm

Ha Plum- no need to duck; 'tis true that I was thinking more along the lines of looks with that suggestions...keeping that in mind...what about Patrick Wilson?

[Plum]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 1:57pm

See, I just read the book and wasn't overly impressed with the Westly character in general. He was too Gary Stu-ish for my taste. Which I realize is silly in a fairy tale, but still. Any old male ingenue with some charisma will do, I think, unless the character gained a personality in the movie.