Rumor: Sutton may be staying w/ Millie 'til....

[PJ]

Posted: 8/1/03 at 5:52pm

February 2004. I know, the keyword here is RUMOR, but those little 12 yr. old girls who post on her official website's m. board wouldn't lie. lol

[mamamia sammy]

Posted: 8/1/03 at 6:04pm

Why would she leave? What else has she got to do?

[PJ]

Posted: 8/1/03 at 11:19pm

I've heard that Ms. Foster is quite talented. So why wouldn't she leave? It's a big world out there and I'd hate to see her in this role for much longer. She's great on the cast recording, and I would have seen her live last February had the terror alert level been raised to orange therefore forcing the travel agency to cancel our trip to NYC. Anyway...I do think it's time for her to leave. It'll break a few fans' hearts...but I think she has a pretty strong career ahead of her.

[NativeNewYorker]

Posted: 8/1/03 at 11:28pm

Well, it's only 3 more months than we originally thought...

I seriously love this girl...I don't know if I could handle watching another Millie :), but I'd love for Sutton to go on to other projects.

[Becky]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 3:37am

For professional reasons, I can see why performers want to explore new projects and avenues so they leave a role -- and of course we like to see our favorites in a variety of things. I get that (in a professional sense). But I also wonder why people are so quick to question an actor's decision to stay in a hit role/show for any long period of time. I hear the phrase "it's time for them to move on" thrown out there so often - as if there is a time limit one can stay in a successful role.....and it just surprises me. It sounds as if they will be doomed to the depths of theater hell if they remain in a role for too long. When Adam Pascal stayed in Aida for 3 and a half years, people thought that was insane. Sutton has been in her show for a while, and people are ready to kick her out because...why? Oh yeah. It's time for her to move on. In all seriousness, in looking at the shows opening in the near future -- I haven't seen anything out there that seemed like it had much potential for Sutton. Certainly not anything that would prompt her to leave a starring role (unless there is something I'm missing which is always possible), so maybe that's why she might extend? Waiting till a better opportunity presents itself?

I guess I may be in the minority in thinking it's not detrimental to a performer's career to remain in a show for longer than people would have expected. And there are certainly those who left a hit only to find themselves out of work. So I can understand both sides.

[JakeB]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 5:46am

I think she should leave before Feb. Otherwise she will always be Millie.. like Lea Salonga (sp..) will always be Kim no matter what.

[NativeNewYorker]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 11:12am

Kinda a funny story about me and Sutton...

Like I said, I totally love her and cried the entire time I first saw Millie because I wanted to be up there so badly. Seeing a cute, regular girl up there with this big voice and everyone singing and dancing around her on this big stage...wow.

So, for my internship, I was backstage at Stars in the Alley. I had to wait for my boss outside, so I'm waiting, and this girl comes up and it looked like Sutton, but since I had never seen her up close, I wasn't sure. Also, her hair is a lot longer and lighter. The woman at the door stopped her and Sutton goes with this wonderful smile,

"Oh, I'm one of the performers! I'm Sutton!"

The lady's like, "Oh, yes, you are."

First of all, it was pouring rain that day, and I was standing in the corner of the lobby of the Boothe theatre in my pink raincoat, my curly hair going crazy, and am just surrounded by Broadway stars eating bagels and drinking coffee.

Sutton and Debbie Gibson were hanging out, and I glanced over at Sutton, just because I am in such AWE of her, and Debbie must have thought I was looking at her, becuase she gave me this huge smile. (I guess most NORMAL 20-year-old girls would get more excited over seeing Debbie Gibson than Sutton Foster...:))

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 11:23am

It's not so much that people WANT her out of Millie, as much as it is people not wanting her to get bored in the role and seeing her performance suffer. that happens all too often when a person stays with a role for a very long time. And people who just discovered her becasue of Millie want to be able to see her in other stuff and see what she is really capable of. I mean, not everybody saw her way back in the chorus of The Will Rogers Follies or as Sandy on tour in Grease! (she did it on Broadway very briefly), or as Eponine, or as the Star-To-Be in that not too good and somewhat controversial revival or Annie. People want to see what else she can do. Updated On: 8/2/03 at 11:23 AM

[PJ]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 12:32pm

AMEN,

[Becky]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 1:22pm

I understand that, and I actually agree with much you have said. I just have a hard time with the phrase "it's time for them to move on" being thrown out there so frequently. People were saying that about Marissa before her first year was even up - and her performance isn't close to suffering.

I did see Sutton in GREASE and ANNIE, but I haven't made it to see her in Millie so I don't know what her performance is like in that. Is her performance suffering - or does she look bored now? If so, then maybe I can understand the need for her to change roles. There's nothing worse than sitting through the performance of someone who obviously doesn't have their heart in it anymore. But, if she's still delievering a wonderful performance and wants to stay, then I'm just saying there isn't the *need* for her to change for the sake of changing. I just know that if she extends again, people will be quick to question it (as they already are here and other places), when as long as she's happy and doing the role justice - it shouldn't be a question in my opinion. That's all I'm saying. And like I mentioned before, there doesn't seem to be anything out there at the moment that looks promising as far as starring roles for her.

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 2:10pm

I've never seen Sutton in Millie, but I did have the pleasure of seeing her as Eponine in Les Miz on tour. I too think she should branch out.

[Becky]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 2:33pm

"I too think she should branch out. "

I'd be for that too, and I'm all for her challenging herself...but right now, branch out to what? I'm all for her going for another great opportunity, but we can't assume there has been anything offered that's better than where she is at the moment. It's not like we've heard she turned down a great part to stay. Updated On: 8/2/03 at 02:33 PM

[Hank]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 4:18pm

I have just seen Millie for the 4th time 3 weeks ago, and if anything, Sutton just keeps getting better. It was the final week for Marc Kudich, and a few others are due to leave soon too, but Sutton just gave it a little extra in "The Speedtest" when she belted out "take a whif if you will doubt". As I go back I keep noticing little things like that. Half of me would love to see her stay on in this role forever, but that would be kind of selfish of me. Most of the world still does not know who Sutton Foster is, and they have no idea what they're missing. She is such a talent, and a nice person as well, I just want to wish her all the best whatever she decides.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 5:31pm

If she wants to stay, let her stay! I think she still loves being in Millie. She should stay in it but keep auditioning and waiting for things to come her way, like Kerry BUtler in Little Shop. Because there's no doubt things will be offered to her. But like someone else said, there's nothing out there right now that would suit her as well as Millie does.

[Hello Gorgeous]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 6:40pm

I think she should stay if she wants too! She was absolutely fabulous when I saw it in February. I loved her in it.

[skingdom]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 7:45pm

Sutton knows whats best for her.

[Madame X]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 8:19pm

PJ - LOL to your original message!

Given that Christian is signed through February 2004 as well, it wouldn't surprise me if she stayed until then.

[Madame X]

Posted: 8/2/03 at 11:11pm

Actually I just read the post that PJ was speaking of - what it sounds like is some 12 y.o. girl just heard from her daddy that he received some promotional thing in the mail stating that Millie would go on through Feb'04. No word of Sutton extending...

[PJ]

Posted: 8/3/03 at 12:27am

Ya gotta love those 12 yr. old girls.

Posted: 8/3/03 at 1:34am

I heard a rumor that Sutton was taking over the role of Glinda in WICKED after Kristin leaves.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/3/03 at 1:40am

That's odd. I heard she was going to be the new Edna when Harvey leaves...... or was it Tracy when Kathy leaves???

[billyweeds]

Posted: 8/3/03 at 8:21am

Sutton doesn't seem bored at all. In fact, as someone said, she keeps getting better and better. She really appears to be enjoying doing the show. Moreover, she may feel she owes it to the people who had the faith in her to cast her in the first place to stick with it for the box office. In any case...

I had the misfortune to see Barbra Streisand on Broadway in "Funny Girl" not TOO far into the run. Never in my life have I seen more of an obnoxious walk-through of a role. She was AWFUL, so bored with the show that you could almost taste her revulsion. That was a total ripoff. (Of course she was great in the film, which was nice, but made the Broadway performance even worse in retrospect because you could see even more clearly how she had been phoning it in.)

[Al Dente]

Posted: 8/3/03 at 10:09am

(I guess most NORMAL 20-year-old girls would get more excited over seeing Debbie Gibson than Sutton Foster...:))



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't think most "NORMAL 20-year-old girls" even know who Debbie Gibson is, certainly not outside of the parameters of musical theater. As for Sutton, when all of you who think she should leave have other job offers for her, along with a good paycheck then, AND ONLY then should you be discussing whether or not she's been "Millie too long". Seriously, are you people kidding? There are NO guarantees that there are nothing but more roles out there for Sutton or anyone for that matter. Times are hard and if you've got a great job, why leave? IMO, it's the Adam Pascals that are smart. How many Broadway shows have you seen Wilson Heredia in lately, or a "favorite" like Sherrie Renee Scott? (who left Aida for "bigger and better things") Heredia even has a Tony just like Sutton. Big deal. If the producers don't want to get rid of you and you have no CONCRETE offers to leave for, than why?
Updated On: 8/3/03 at 10:09 AM

[Songsstresss]

Posted: 8/3/03 at 12:12pm

L5Y, where did you hear that? It seems a bit odd to me. I've never seen Sutton perform, but I've heard the Millie Soundtrack. Does she have a strong head voice? Because, Glinda in Wicked has many high moments where you can tell the role was kinda tailor-made for Kristen and her unique ability to belt like Sutton and hit a high C with the grace of a Met Opera singer. Sutton would be better suited as Elphaba I think.

[Duane Reade]

Posted: 8/3/03 at 12:16pm

Al,

You're right on. A good job is a good job.

Duane