Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
BETTY22
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/29/13
#1Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/28/22 at 5:16pm
Can you imagine turning down a star as big as Taylor Swift because she wasn't right for the part?
What brave producers.........
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/taylor-swifts-les-miserables-audition-was-a-nightmare-when-i-met-eddie-redmayne-i-didnt-open-my-mouth-to-speak-1235417130/
pmensky
Broadway Star Joined: 7/18/11
#2Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/28/22 at 5:29pm
BETTY22 said: "Can you imagine turning down a star as big as Taylor Swift because she wasn't right for the part?
What brave producers.........
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/taylor-swifts-les-miserables-audition-was-a-nightmare-when-i-met-eddie-redmayne-i-didnt-open-my-mouth-to-speak-1235417130/"
Yeah, and Samantha Barks was as bland and unimpressive as the entire movie. So much so that they replaced her with the Bishop in the finale, because they needed some semblance of an emotional impact, and they figured they”d get more of that using Colm instead of her.
#3Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/28/22 at 5:56pm
To be fair, when Swift auditioned, she was NOWHERE near as famous as she is now.
#4Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/28/22 at 6:00pm
“I had the range vocally of Éponine”
Not trying to be shady here, I genuinely don’t follow nor listen to Taylor Swift… does she really have the range for Éponine?
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#5Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/28/22 at 6:04pm
LukeDAP2 said: "“I had the range vocally of Éponine”
Not trying to be shady here, I genuinely don’t follow nor listen to Taylor Swift… does she really have the range for Éponine?"
Definitely on par with the rest of the cast.
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
TheGingerBreadMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/7/12
#6Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/28/22 at 7:42pm
n2nbaby said: "To be fair, when Swift auditioned, she was NOWHERE near as famous as she is now."
I mean, she was topping the charts as early as 2006, and was a pretty recognizable major star by the time she released her second album in 2008. One could argue that her fame continued to grow, but it’s not like she wasn’t already incredibly famous.
#7Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/28/22 at 8:19pm
TheGingerBreadMan said: "n2nbaby said: "To be fair, when Swift auditioned, she was NOWHERE near as famous as she is now."
I mean, she was topping the charts as early as 2006, and was a pretty recognizable major star by the time she released her second album in 2008. One could argue that her fame continued to grow, but it’s not like she wasn’t already incredibly famous."
I never said she wasn’t famous, she was just nothing like the name that she is now.
BroadwayGirl107
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/26/03
#8Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/28/22 at 9:14pm
I mean…you’re right, she wasn’t as huge as she is right now, but she WAS selling out stadiums across the country. So she was pretty huge.
I don’t know if it’s “brave” to turn her down. They didn’t know if she could act, and it sounds like the audition went poorly. With someone that famous who’s not known for acting, if she didn’t mail it she could become a distraction from telling the story. But to be honest it sounds like they didn’t set her up for success. A screen test where she’s in full costume and makeup but Redmayne is in regular clothes? I’d feel weird too…especially if I hadn’t acted much before.
#9Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/28/22 at 9:32pm
The movie came out in 2012 a few months after her album RED came out which truly cemented her as a force. She did have 6 Grammys at the time though. 2014 was when she achieved full superstardom.
inception
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/13
#10Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/29/22 at 1:18pm
Everyone is focusing on the negative in the article, and no one I'd focusing on the positive at the end:
"she’d later get a chance to star in another Hooper-directed movie musical: a supporting role in “Cats.”"
...
#11Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/29/22 at 2:00pm
inception said: "Everyone is focusing on the negative in the article, and no one I'd focusing on the positive at the end:
"she’d later get a chance to star in another Hooper-directed movie musical: a supporting role in “Cats.”""
Is that really a positive thing?? Haha
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
#12Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/29/22 at 4:59pm
Maybe more producers should be 'that brave' when casting big names for their movies.
They should have been brave and dropped Lucille Ball from "Mame", Liz Taylor from "A Little Night Music"...I'm sure there are more.
VintageSnarker
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/30/15
#13Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/29/22 at 7:27pm
BroadwayGirl107 said: "But to be honest it sounds like they didn’t set her up for success. A screen test where she’s in full costume and makeup but Redmayne is in regular clothes? I’d feel weird too…especially if I hadn’t acted much before."
This. Keep Hooper away from musicals. And why were they considering her for both Eponine and Cosette??
SouthernCakes
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/19
#14Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/29/22 at 9:41pm
She clearly didn’t help the Cats box office so it’s sort of a win win I guess? They were clearly going for Oscar gold with Les Miz
Ke3
Broadway Star Joined: 6/25/20
#15Taylor Swift’s ‘Les Misérables’ Audition Was a ’Nightmare’
Posted: 10/30/22 at 1:20am
VintageSnarker said: "BroadwayGirl107 said: "But to be honest it sounds like they didn’t set her up for success. A screen test where she’s in full costume and makeup but Redmayne is in regular clothes? I’d feel weird too…especially if I hadn’t acted much before."
This. Keep Hooper away from musicals. And why were they considering her for both Eponine and Cosette??"
As she mentions in the full quote, she has the look of a Cosette aesthetically, but her voice would not fit that track. So they also considered her for Eponine. Although the idea that her voice "fits" that role is laughable. Taylor is not a very good singer but unlike many other bad singers, she doesn't often tackle things outside of her vocal abilities.
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