Q & A: 11/6/03 - broadway.com Superior Replacements

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Which replacement or revival performer is superior to the original?


hmmmmmmmmmmm.......

there are not a great many instances where I actually saw an original and a replacement that I can think of.but there are a few I can recall...

I saw Verdon and Reinking as Roxie in Chicago and actually recall them being rather similar. However, there was certainly that aura of "great big star" and a special excitement surrounding that original Chicago cast....but I would not say Reinking was superior....however..

in A Chorus Line....I loved Donna McCechknie as Cassie but for me, Ann Reinking brought A Chorus Line to bewitching new heights when she assumed the role...

I loved both Channing and Pearl Bailey in Hello Dolly! Pearl Bailey was not superior than Channing but was certainly magical in her own fashion.

Patti Karr was not superior to Michelle Lee in Seesaw. Nor was Tony Robert superior to Jerry Orbach who was stupendous in Promises, Promises.

There have been many fine Tevyes but no one I have seen has ever reached the dizzy heights reached by Zero Mostel in Fiddler on the Roof.

I liked Dom DeLuise better in Last of the Red Hot Lovers than James Coco.

I liked Alaina Reed more in the original Chicago than Mary Mccarthy, but I don't know if I would say she was superior...

hmmm this is such a kewl topic:)

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I saw both Gwen Verdon and Liza Minnelli in CHICAGO. Liza was superior to Gwen vocally, but not as a dancer.

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Oh - and I absolutely loved Laura Benanti and Kerry O'Malley. I think I like Laura Benanti more than the original (Kim something...blanking on the name..) but I'm kind of leaning towards Joanna Gleason for the better Baker's Wife.

I recall many folks thought Reba McIntyre superior to Bernadette in the Annie Get your Gun revival, no?

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Robert Even over David Hasselhouf (Barf) in the last days of Jekel and Hyde. I got the video, eech !!

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I second that on Felicia, she's a talent, and she was a wonderful EVITA, while the overall production kind of left me cold, she was very powerful and her notes on "New Argentina", yikes!

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Maureen Moore replacing Randi Graff as Fantine in Les Miz. I liked Maureen's performance much, much better.

There is another show I would like to mention, but I'm afraid what it will start. These particular performers were debated over a year ago and things got ugly.

I'll leave it at that.

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