Sutton Foster to star in Roundabout's Anything Goes?

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:35pm

Oh dear. *Yawn*
I see she is finally resorting to revivals.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aOQOBcE49zP4
Updated On: 4/28/10 at 04:35 PM

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:36pm

Jesus Christ, is she miscast. I mean, I'm a huge fan, but she could not be any more wrong for that role. This would make Chenoweth in Promises, Promises look like Merman in Gypsy.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:37pm

She doesn't have the sex appeal for Reno. Unless she's been hiding it all this time.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:38pm

Well, Merman hid her sex appeal her own life, and she created Reno.

So who knows?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:38pm

She's a DORK. That is what what she plays. Not the sexy songstress.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:39pm

Oh, god. Foster does not have the star power, charisma, charm, comedic chops, or "it" factor for the role of Reno Sweeney. By the time the title song rolls around, Foster will have put the audience into a coma.

Roundabout has been talking about reviving this show for years, first with Catherine Zeta Jones, then Reba, and now...Sutton. Talk about a drop in quality and "settling."

And then they hire Kathleen Marshall to helm this, who hasn't done anything of note since that oh, so well received revival of Grease.

This is going to be a disaster if it pans out.

Updated On: 4/28/10 at 04:39 PM

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:41pm

Well, at least maybe they can court Harry Connick Jr. to play Billy.

Though this sounds like terrible casting, I just would like to point out that Roundabout does seem to have learned their lesson in casting incompetent B-listers in their shows and instead nabbing prime Broadway talent. It's just a shame that this particular piece of Broadway talent is completely wrong for the role.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:42pm

True, Reggie, but Merman wasn't a dork, as TheatreFan so eloquently put it. I had to laugh when Sutton came out in that red dress in Anyone Can Whistle. She has a nice body and should've looked sexy in that dress and instead...she looked like gawky Sutton in a red dress.

I WILL say that she's one of the funniest Broadway actresses in her age group.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:44pm

Most recently, Roundabout had been talking to Sherie Rene Scott about doing ANYTHING GOES, but she chose to commit to WOMEN ON THE VERGE for the fall instead. Foster seems so miscast, but then again... it's Roundabout.

To her credit, this would really by her first true lead in a "song-and-dance" musical since THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. Almost all of her other roles in the past few years have either been in ensemble pieces or as secondary love interests to stronger male characters. Had she done LEAP OF FAITH, she'd be right back in the latter circumstance.

Here's hoping she's able to flex her muscle a bit and carry a show again.

Updated On: 4/28/10 at 04:44 PM

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:44pm

As much as I love Sutton. Doing revivals is bad news for her career. And I thought 'Whistle' was a stretch. I'd rather see her do another Movie Musical adaptation than this. The only revival I'd let her do would be Gypsy in about 20 years.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:49pm

Oh, givesmevoice (what's your nickname, btw?), I wasn't saying it was a good idea. Just pointing out that hot wasn't one of Merman's salient qualities.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:50pm

Wow, this is so wrong on so many levels. How do you go from Sherie Rene Scott to Sutton Foster? They are polar opposites. I think Foster is great in the parts that actually fit her but she's just so wrong for the role.

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:52pm

You're all so wrong. It's a brilliant idea. Remember her in MILLIE? She'll knock this one out of the park.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:53pm

Reggie, I kind of hate that my username shortens so awkwardly. (just like my real name!)

I don't think Merman was hot, but in some of the pictures I've seen of her during Anything Goes, she's beautiful.


that one in particular is a great shot of her.

Although I don't know if anyone made Reno as hot as that lady in my newly updated avatar pic.

Updated On: 4/28/10 at 04:53 PM

[sundayclothes2]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 4:54pm

As much as I love Sutton. Doing revivals is bad news for her career.

You should tell that to Kelli O'Hara, Laura Benanti, and Gavin Creel. All three of whom are relatively young actors who have had successful careers from doing revivals
Updated On: 4/28/10 at 04:54 PM

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 5:01pm

You should tell that to Kelli O'Hara, Laura Benanti, and Gavin Creel. All three of whom are relatively young actors who have had successful careers from doing revivals

Except for Gavin Creel (because I exclude men from my theory)I don't expect to ever see Kelli or Laura in a new musical ever again. Although Laura did Vibrater Play after Gypsy, it was a period piece after all, and it wasn't a musical.

I just don't want sutton to stop doing roles in New musicals. And I think this would hurt her career if she wanted to continue to do New Musicals.

[Brick]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 5:03pm

Oh God..... That is worst idea I've heard in a long time.

When Catherine Zeta was rumoured, that made sense. And even the rumoured Reba would have worked, with her star power and wonderful charisma.

But Sutton? She isn't charismatic, let alone funny in a bawdy manner. She's funny because she's endearing and awkward.

Enough with the bad casting!!

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 5:04pm

Wasn't she supposed to be taking a break after Shrek?

[actionjaxson91]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 5:07pm

^ Yeah, since Gypsy is a period piece in comparison to the VIBRATOR Play.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 5:13pm

Ya know...I used to be hard on Sutton Foster...but I've come around to her particular charm.

I think she's at least as attractive and sexy as Merman and Lupone when they did those roles. I mean...that picture of Merman is beautiful...for Merman. Foster on her worst day is still more naturally attractive.

She'll sing the sh*t out of it, dance like a dream and probably mine the book for an infinite number of laughs. Good on her.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 5:21pm

I agree that Sutton is beautiful, but she is also a geeky tomboy. It says something to move from playing a burping ogre to a role that needs enormous sexual enticement. Maybe we'll realize that she has the acting chops to pull it off, but it just seems like a bad idea.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 5:24pm

"enormous sexual enticement"

Are we REALLY going to use this phrase to describe both Merman and Lupone????

I don't know...I guess I have more faith in her talent to be able to pull off Reno Sweeney. It's not like she's doing Mary Tyrone!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 5:26pm

Isn't Marshall very pregnant at this point?

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 5:26pm

Also, Billy has dumped her already for a more feminie young lady, right? And I could see the English guy falling for a brash tomboy of an American.

So maybe it does sort of make sense.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/28/10 at 5:31pm

I think she's at least as attractive and sexy as Merman and Lupone when they did those roles.

have you SEEN pictures/video of Patti in Anything Goes? I think she's a lot sexier than Sutton.