The Best Casting Choices

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The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 1:41pm

I figured since there was a thread on people's choices for actors who were terribly miscast, there should be one for the best casting choices.

I did a search and found a thread for the best casting from the 03/04 season, but this one is for just general choices throughout Broadway history.

So.

What actors/actresses would you say were ABSOLUTELY perfectly cast for a role, so much that you watch the performance and there is no doubt in your mind that he/she IS that character, not just someone playing a character?

For me, some examples are Angela Lansbury as Ms. Lovett in SWEENEY, Julia Murney as Elphaba in WICKED, and I'm extremely looking forward to YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. That cast is the most perfectly chosen one I've seen in a long while.

Thoughts?

"Cages or wings, which do you prefer?"-- Tick, Tick...BOOM!

Updated On: 12/5/06 at 01:41 PM

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 1:42pm

I second Julia as Elphaba. Celia Keenan-Bolger as Eponine is another favorite. Actually, the whole revival cast of Les Mis.

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 1:46pm

a) Achance- I love your avatar! ("Like my jeans? They're from the Lennon collection."
b) "Casted" is not a word
c) I think Raul in Company is an obvious one, but I'll say it.

"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 3:53pm

Daphne Ruben-Vega as Martirio in Bernarda Alba.

Idina Menzel in See What I Wanna See (I just really think she was the best choice for the role. While I know Audra originated this role, I think that Idina brought more to the vulnerability of the role than Audra possibly could have with her naturally powerful presence.)

Beth Leavel as The Drowsy Chaperone.

Rebecca Luker as Mrs. Banks

Obvious Ones: Raul in Company, Stritch in Company, Patti in Sweeney, Bernadette Peters (enough said), Donna Murphy in Passion, Victoria Clark in Piazza

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 3:56pm

<---Kerry Butler as Penny in Hairspray
Kerry as Audrey
Josh Strikland in Tarzan
and hopefully
Kerry as Ariel!

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 3:58pm

Mary Martin as Peter Pan
Elaine Stritch as Joanne in Company
Angela Lansbury as Mame and Mrs. Lovett
Carol Channing as Lorelei Lee and Dolly Levi
Gwen Verdon as Sweet Charity
Carol Burnett as Princess Winifred in Mattress

... I may come up with some others

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 4:02pm

La Chanze as Celie
Brian Stokes Mitchell as Don Quixote
Angela Lansbury as Ms. Lovett

Updated On: 12/5/06 at 04:02 PM

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 4:08pm

Ellen Greene as Audrey in Little Shop
Lotte Lenya as Frau Schneider and Joel Grey as Emcee in Cabaret

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 4:20pm

The original cast of Company (1970) is the best casting I have ever seen and I think I ever will see.

The stuff of legend.

"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable." --Carrie Fisher

#10

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 4:27pm

Idina Menzel in both Wicked and SWIWS
Raul Esparza in Tick Tick Boom and Company
Stephen Lynch, Amy Spanger, and Felicia Finley in Wedding Singer
Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott in Last 5 Years
Sherie Rene Scott in Aida

aannd theres lots more, but thats what I can think of for now haha

I don't need a life that's normal. That's way too far away. But something next to normal would be okay. Something next to normal is what I'd like to try. Close enough to normal to get by.

#11

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 4:43pm

Woo, longest thread I've had going in a while, YES!

ashley:

a. Yes, thank you, it is an amazing avatar. Oh, how I wish I could have been there.

b. I blame it on my brain having melted out of my ears due to the final exam I took this morning. :)

c. Oh, Raul. Yes. He will also always be my one and only Jon in Tick, Tick...BOOM!

I also really agree with Joel Grey as the Emcee and Kerry Butler in Hairspray...she was amazing!

"Cages or wings, which do you prefer?"-- Tick, Tick...BOOM!

#12

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 4:52pm

Sutton Foster as Millie!

#13

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 5:08pm

The ENTIRE Drowsy Chaperone cast
JLT as Glinda
Idina as Elphaba
The Odd Couple Revival Cast

#14

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 5:10pm

Chita Rivera as the Spider Woman/Aurora

#15

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 5:36pm

Bob Martin in The Drowsy Chaperones
Ethel Merman in any of her shows
Lea Salonga in Miss Saigon

"Hey, you! You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" -Family Guy

#16

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 6:17pm

Victoria Clark in Piazza
Nobert Leo Butz in DRS
Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott in The Last Five Years
Ellen Greene in Little Shop
Idina and Kristin in Wicked
Joel Gray and Liza (even though she never played it on Broadway, her performence, in my opinion, is definative) in Cabaret
Raul in Tick Tick Boom
Stritch in Company
Glynis Johns in A Little Night Music
Chita Rivera in Kiss of the Spider Woman

and last but not least...

Gwen Verdon in Damn Yankees.

There's a lot I am not certain of...

#17

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 6:38pm

michael cerveris as sweeney todd
sara ramirez as the lady of the lake [spamalot]
sutton foster as millie/and jo march
amy spanger as holly [wedding singer]
stephen lynch as robbie hart [wedding singer]
felicia finley as linda [wedding singer]
lachanze as celie [color purple]
harry connick jr. as sid sorokin
beth leavel as the drowsy chaperone

#18

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 6:42pm

I think the best casting choices are the ones that come out of the woodworks. When a no name takes over a large role and blows you away. Basically, when the most talented person actually gets the role, instead of the most well known or famous actor.

#19

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 6:50pm

Sutton Foster as Jo March (Little Women)
Amy Spanger as Holly (The Wedding Singer)
Stephen Lynch as Robbie (^)
Hunter Foster as Seymour (Little Shop of Horrors)
Barret Foa as Leaf Coneybear (Spelling Bee)

Edited to fix my misspelling poor Amy's name. Thanks Dancing!

"Movies will make you famous; Television will make you rich; But theatre will make you good."--Terrence Mann

"Pretty much...if you've seen any shows that have a jerk boyfriend in that show...I'm that guy."--Richard H. Blake

Diane: Aww, you are such a chick flick. I would totally pay $12 to see you. (Kristin Chenoweth on "Ugly Betty") http://musicalangel12.blogspot.com <-- my blog. Give it a read, please.

Updated On: 12/22/06 at 06:50 PM

#20

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 7:29pm

musicalangel- It's Amy Spanger (no L), but that was cute.

Patti Cohenour and Victoria Clark as Margaret in Piazza (You could not lose no matter who you saw)
Raul Esparza in Company
Sutton Foster as Jo March
Stephen Lynch as Robbie Hart
Megan Hilty as Galinda
Aaron Lazar as Fabrizio in Piazza

http://www.beintheheights.com/katnicole1 (Please click and help me win!) I chose, and my world was shaken- So what?
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda "And when Idina Menzel is singing, I'm always slightly worried that her teeth are going to jump out of her mouth and chase me." - Schmerg_the_Impaler

#21

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 7:38pm

Bernadette Peters enough said. I love it. You're so right!

#22

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:06pm

I love Francis Rufelle as Eponine... Bernadette Peters as Dot... Lea Salonga as Kim in Miss Saigon...

What a night! I was in more laps than a napkin!

#23

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:32pm

Donna Murphy as Fosca In Passion. That is some of the best casting in the last twelve years.

I'm just naming the more recent ones:
Victoria Clark - The Light in the Piazza
Sutton Foster as Mille
Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott- Last 5 Years
Idina Menzel in Wicked
Beth Leavel- The Drowsy Chaperone

Updated On: 12/5/06 at 08:32 PM

#24

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:35pm

"I think the best casting choices are the ones that come out of the woodworks. When a no name takes over a large role and blows you away. Basically, when the most talented person actually gets the role, instead of the most well known or famous actor."

To expand on that theory...the original cast of RENT. As far as I know, they were all "unknown" at the time. They got the part, and their careers took off from there.

BroadwayBoobs: I'll give all of you who weren't there a hint of who took the pictures ...it rhymes with shameless

SOMMS: I knew it was Tink!

#25

re: The Best Casting Choices

Posted: 12/5/06 at 8:38pm

Debbie Gravitte... Nina in Tenderloin (Encores!)!

Christopher J. Hanke... Mark in Rent

Amy Spanger... Lois Lane/ Bianca in Kiss Me Kate

Marin Mazzie... Aldonza and Lili Vanessi/Katherine in Man of La Mancha and Kiss Me Kate

Nathan Lane... Max Bialystock in The Producers

Kristin Chenoweth... Sally and G(a)linda in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown and Wicked

Laura Benanti... Claudia in Nine

Christine Ebersole... Morgan La Fay and Eddie in A Connecticut Yankee (Encores!) and Grey Gardens

Donna Murphy... Anna and Fosca in The King and I and Passion

Patti Lupone... La Mome Pistache in Can- Can (Encores!)

Norbert Leo Butz… Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

I'm including these two together because you couldn't have one without the other:
Marc Kusich and Emily Skinner... Mike Robinson and Comfort O'Connell in No Strings (Encores!)

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