"Replacement" cast members who were better than the originals- Page 2

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 6/8/17 at 1:32pm

Heather Headley in The Color Purple and Rob McClure in Something Rotten!.

Also, as much as I love Anthony Ramos, I think both of his successors (Jordan Fisher and Anthony Lee Medina) are superior Laurens/Philips.

[loveinnewyorkcity]

Posted: 6/8/17 at 1:43pm

I thought Nick Jonas was excellent in How to Succeed. He was far better than Daniel Radcliffe, who, in my opinion, should solely stick to plays. Nick Jonas really surprised me with his acting, his singing was incredible, and his dancing was very energetic. 

I also think, with the exception of John Lloyd Young, that the 2015 cast of Jersey Boys was far better. Richard H. Blake, Quinn Van Antwerp, and Matt Bogart were the best 'Seasons' in my opinion. They were lively and their movements were more crisp and uniformed than the OBC's. Though John Lloyd Young was the best Frankie Valli in my opinion, Mauricio Perez did a stellar job when he understudied and alternated. 

[The Other One]

Posted: 6/8/17 at 2:00pm

Going back too many years for me to have actually seen for myself, Michelle Lee was almost assuredly a better Rosemary than Bonnie Scott in the original production of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.  Michelle is that rare replacement who went on to play the role in the film version, albeit with most of her songs cut.

I second Jonathan Pryce in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and add David Dukes in M. Butterfly -- this despite the fact that I truly like John Lithgow.

Updated On: 6/8/17 at 02:00 PM

[ComingUpRoses2]

Posted: 6/8/17 at 6:22pm

Definitely Emma Stone in Cabaret. Michelle Williams was...fine I guess, but she seemed like she was trying too hard. Emma nailed Sally in a way that I haven't seen since Natasha Richardson and Jennifer Jason Leigh. She was so effortless and there was a strange kind of joy to her performance. You could tell it was a role she'd always wanted to play. 

The less said about Sienna Miller the better. I've never seen a Sally disappear into the background like she did. 

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 6/8/17 at 6:57pm

I agree that Emma Stone really nailed Sally.  I thought that she was absolutely perfect.

I would like to add to the Heather Headley love.  Had she been eligible for a Tony, should absolutely would have won.  She was just so spidery in such a sexy way (yes she would be perfect in Kiss of the Spiderwoman).

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 6/8/17 at 6:57pm

I'll second Nick Jonas in H2$ and Marin Maxim in N2N  and Reba is a gimme   No contest 

 

adding in 

Rita Marino (west end) in Sunset Blvd

Aaron Tveit in Hairspray

Cory Cott in Newsies

and Will Chase in Miss Saigon

 

 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 6/8/17 at 7:12pm

It's Marin Mazzie and Rita Moreno...

Darren Criss wasn't bad in H2$ either

[thirtythirtyninety]

Posted: 6/8/17 at 7:32pm

It wasn't on Broadway, but NPH was pretty incredible as Mark in RENT in LaJolla & LA

[nsguy45]

Posted: 6/8/17 at 8:38pm

An originator rather than a replacement, but Jeremy Jordan was far better than Matthew Morrison in Finding Neverland. 

I saw Lauren Bacall, Raquel Welch and Debbie Reynolds in Woman of the Year and Debbie was by far the best Tess Harding.

[sparepart973]

Posted: 6/8/17 at 9:56pm

Betty Buckley replacing Patti LuPone and Glenn Close in Sunset (London/Broadway)

Siobhan Dillon as Ellen in the recent revival of Miss Saigon in London

 

[The Other One]

Posted: 6/8/17 at 10:15pm

"The less said about Sienna Miller the better. I've never seen a Sally disappear into the background like she did."

Couldn't agree with you more. 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/9/17 at 12:33am

I don't think Lenora Nemetz was better than Chita Rivera in CHICAGO. But at the time, I liked the show better with Nemetz as Velma. Rivera was so brilliant and so dark, I rather wanted to slit my wrists by the end, where Nemetz handled the role with a slightly lighter touch. Still the same point, but it was easier to swallow.

But that was 40 years ago before the entire culture caught up with the show. I might feel very differently if I were seeing CHICAGO for the first time today.

[cglaid]

Posted: 6/9/17 at 6:42am

I think the entire replacement cast of Waitress is superior (Bareilles, Houlahan, Dawson, Diamantopoulis).

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/9/17 at 9:23am

Really? As I said, I liked Bareilles more, but I thought Diamantopoulis was far inferior to Drew Gehling. Diamantopoulis struck me as a little bit sleazy, and he struggled vocally with some of the higher stuff. Dawson, Houlahan, and Swenson I liked about the same amount as their predecessors. 

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/9/17 at 9:29am

Carly Jibson in Hairspray.

[PepperedShepherd]

Posted: 6/9/17 at 1:11pm

HamilHansen said:

"Javier Munoz for Lin Manuel-Miranda in Hamilton"

^^^ This ^^^

Also (tho it's a close call):  

Kyle Dean Massey over Michael James Thomas in Pippin

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 6/9/17 at 1:52pm

He hasn't really replaced, but Joshua Henry as Aaron Burr

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/9/17 at 4:36pm

Marin Mazzie - Next to Normal
Betty Buckley - Sunset Boulevard
Liza Minnelli - Victor/Victoria

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 6/9/17 at 4:38pm

Lois Smith in Dividing the Estate.

[Skip23]

Posted: 6/9/17 at 4:49pm

Ann Miller - Mame

Ethel Merman - Hello, Dolly!

Harry Groener and Bob Gunton - Follies - L.A.

Elaine Paige - Sunset Boulevard

Laurie Beechman - Cats

George Hearn - Sweeney Todd

Keene Curtis - La Cage Aux Folles

Raquel Welch - Woman Of The Year

Liza Minnelli - Chicago

Stephanie J. Block - Anything Goes

Ann Miller - Anything Goes - (Tour)

Laura Osnes - South Pacific

 

[Spiritual_Master]

Posted: 6/9/17 at 4:55pm

HeyMrMusic said: "I love Jessie Mueller and pretty much think she can do no wrong, but I preferred Sara Bareilles in Waitress.

 

I thought that I was the only one who felt this way. As good as Mueller was I really preferred Bareilles.

 

[EvanK]

Posted: 6/9/17 at 6:29pm

Stephanie J. Block - Anything Goes

 

Vocally: Shoshana Bean - Wicked

 

[mamaleh]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 11:51am

Betty Buckley in SUNSET BLVD

William Daniels in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (though I also enjoyed Len Cariou's softer Frederick)

Andrew Samonsky over Matthew Morrison in SOUTH PACIFIC

Updated On: 6/17/17 at 11:51 AM

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 12:16pm

Betty Buckley in Carrie.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 1:46pm

Marin Maze - Man of La Mancha.

 

ETA: in the recent revival.

Updated On: 6/10/17 at 01:46 PM