Rosie/Gaga lead Funny Girl to reopen the Palace! — Page 6

Isn't Annaleigh Ashford a bit too pretty to be the girl who everyone says isn't pretty? Although I guess you could say that about Lauren Ambrose.

It would just be nice to give the role to someone who doesn't have traditional leading-lady looks, as that's exactly who the character is meant to be and sort of the whole point of the story, including Streisand's original casting in it.

I'm just saying depending on how young they want to cast, Micaela Diamond would be perfect.. Also, Bonnie Milligan would be insane.

Michaela Diamond does not sell a $12M musical.

candydog2 said: "Isn't Annaleigh Ashford a bit too pretty to be the girl who everyone says isn't pretty? Although I guess you could say that about Lauren Ambrose.

It would just be nice to give the role to someone who doesn't have traditional leading-lady looks, as that's exactly who the character is meant to be and sort of the whole point of the story, including Streisand's original casting in it."

I have never really considered Annaleigh as someone with "traditional" leading lady looks. Biased here, clearly, but she definitely has a very natural quirkiness about her that plays exactly into who Fanny was. Give her a brown wig and I would even say they look very similar.

Annaleigh and Jessie have enough Broadway clout to sell the show with a well-known Arnstein and Rosie O'Donnell. Lindsay Mendez could, too, with her Tony and being a series regular on a CBS procedural. Most of the other names would be perfect for a nonprofit production at Lincoln Center or Roundabout.

If they somehow got Gaga or even Idina, I'd love to see Micaela as a standby a la Donna Murphy in "Dolly".