Tony Winner Lea Salonga to Join Les Miz as Fantine- Page 4

[NJRae]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 6:34pm

I would actually really like to see Nikki during the week or so that she is on . . . not sure if I will actually be able to or not, but would love to. Good for her. Have never heard Lea Salonga but looking forward to it.

Not surprised Daphne isn't returning after the revies she has had, although slightly sorry. Oh well . . . will have seen her four times by the time she goes and will definitely see her in "Jack Goes Boating" so won't miss her too much! Definitely wish her the best of luck in everything.

[All_For_Laura]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 6:34pm

SOOO EXCITED!! I am buying my tix for spring break ASAP! The dream cast is complete!

[evadiva]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 7:35pm

I've decided to see them both. I wasn't going to see Les Miz, but I'll admit, now I'm intrigued. I'm a HUGE Lea fan - but now that DRV is leaving I want to see her before she goes.

The fact that Daphne even had to say "now the haters can be happy" makes me feel ill. People just could have been nicer about not digging her performance. I mean, have a little class people (reviewers included). Even big theatrical names have feelings.

There are plenty of ways to say you don't care for someone's performance without being a jerk about it. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to provide an example of how to do that after I see DRV in Les Miz.

Best of luck to Lea. WAY EXCITED about seeing her.

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 7:49pm

have to wonder with that comment whether it is more than just the reviews

maybe some people actually wrote or email or said some things to her

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 7:53pm

I wouldn't be surprised if she received letters, saying:

omg u suck in les miz but i luvd u in rent!!
please sign my rent dvd!
kthnx

Scary.

[WesternSky2]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 7:55pm

I couldn't possibly be happier. Can't wait to finally see this woman on stage.

[evadiva]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 8:00pm

I think she didn't have a choice in a lot of ways. To have to follow the belting chops of Lea would have been hard for ANYONE. Let's face it - their voices are like night and day - a peach and a plum. Totally different, but distractingly so. Long running shows need SOME consistency with their players.

It's obvious that either....

a) DRV chose to leave - I mean, in her shoes who wouldn't? Could you imagine how the "haters" would POUNCE on her again once she returned after following a HUGE, full and traditional belt voice?

or

b) The producers wanted to take a new direction with the role and therefore ease Daphne out through the open door of her other show.

[gustof777]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 8:21pm

So i just looked over the les miz reviews again and i really don't think Daphne's reviews were as bad as everyone said they were...they wrer by no means glowing or raves but they certainly weren't as henious as I feel some peopl on the boards are making them out to be. As far as Daphne's comments, that's just sort of her. i mean she talks in her Downstage Center radio interview that even though she didn't read the reviews she something along the lines of "you can still smell the energy coming from the audience" and at least going off of the night that I went you certainly could feel the negative energy twoards her. I was disgusted at the audience when i heard MULTIPLE PEOPLE CLAP AT FANTINES DEATH!! like come on just because you didn't like her performace do you have the right to be nasty. Also at intermission it was the ONLY thing it seemed that people were talking about and on the way out after the show as well. I was suprised at just how passionate people were in their dislike for her. So of course when she bowed i screamed as loud as I possibly could and made a huge scene. :) So personally i can understand if she'd want to leave because if she has to deal with what she dealt with the night I had her i don't think anyone would stay.
but on the other hand she has an incredibly thick skin and if you listen to her on interviews i get the sense that she really has the attitude of owning her interpritation on the role and you can take it or leave it. That being said she also is very sarcastic and funny and takes things in stride and loves to joke so i think that too could be where the comment came from. She made some comments like that when I was at the stage door one night.

Again, I'm excited for Lea but i Auggie27 posted this when Les Miz reviews came out and i agree with it 100%

"That's why I bought Daphne -- it wasn't a replication of LuPone, Graff on. It dared to reinvent Fantine, and even if it's more contemporary, or "breathy" or whatever, it doesn't just feel like a diva-imprint. I found her acting truly rather dangerous -- the nervousness, the discomfort. I watched everything she did, which I cannot say was the case with everyone else, who fell into predictable Les Miz grooves."

anyways moving on to bigger and better things! Go Daphne

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 8:29pm

I was disgusted at the audience when i heard MULTIPLE PEOPLE CLAP AT FANTINES DEATH!! like come on just because you didn't like her performace do you have the right to be nasty.

I've heard several audiences over my past 12 years of Les Miz-going clap for Come to Me. Now, I haven't/won't see Daphne as Fantine, but it's not always a nasty sentiment. It can be an appreciative gesture.

[gustof777]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 8:30pm

no I head the guy say "Thank God"....trust me it was NASTY~ the audienced snickered as well

[augustine73]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 8:31pm

Holy!!!!!!!!!! Salonga is it!

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 8:42pm

Yes, Holy Crap and add a woohoo to that.
Check out Lea's preview of her Fantine look to your left. Wow!

Updated On: 1/4/07 at 08:42 PM

[chino]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 9:52pm

I AM SO EXCITED! I really want to see her as Fantine!!! So, when will Aaron be back? I want to see him too. Whew! So exctied!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 10:05pm

I think Daphne's leaving has something to do with Jack Goes Boating, not people hating her performance.

She's doing an off-Broadway show with Philip Seymour Hoffman and the LABrynth. It's not exactly a low-profile show. If it gets good enough attention, who knows whether or not it'll get extended. She's originating the role. Why would she want to leave it to go back to the critically maligned Les Miz, in a role, that, more-or-less, any female actor who can sing and act can do?

[leon1489]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 10:05pm

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.
And to think I just wasted that money on Daphne. Oh god. I need to go back to NY.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 10:06pm

I am almost sure Daphne chose to not come back. The producers knew when they cast her that the reception toward her performance would be mixed because of it's... originality, so them letting her go because of the reviews isn't likely.

I do think, however, that that the reviews were the cause of her own decision to depart permanently, as was the overall negative reception toward her portrayal of the role. If people had loved what she did, she'd return in a heartbeat.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 10:07pm

Lazar's back.

[lucydee]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 10:23pm

WOW!
Just heard the news!
How exciting is this
I am currently listening to
the 10th anniversary at Royal
Albert Hall with Lea on it.

Well, now I have an excuse to go back
to see Le Mis. Can't wait for March,
this is really great for the show maybe
now you think they will decide to put out
a revival cast recording. It would make my
year!

[MovieGuy1031]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 10:44pm

I'm starting to think that, with Lea as Fantine, they'll be much more apt to release a cast recording...

Poor Daphne though, if they use Lea for the recording...

[AlanAntonio]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 10:44pm

I witnessed Lea grow from Annie, to Kim, to Eponine, to Mei Li, and will see her as Fantine! She became a mother last year. I am sure that will add another layer to her acting skills. Vocally, she has matured through the years and there is no doubt that she can tackle Fantine. Everybody who loves the musical theater should not miss this.

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 10:53pm

A revival cast recording is a great idea.
Oh, on the discussion of the half-Filipino cast members, Adam Jacobs is also half-Filipino.

Article on Adam Jacobs

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 11:46pm

Yankeefan007, "Jack Goes Boating" has nothing to do with Daphne not returning to "Les Mis."

She said publicly in several interviews before the show opened that the creative team at "Les Mis" accounted for the possibility of an extention for "Jack Goes Boating" (possibly as far into May) when they agreed to give her the time off to do it.

Her not coming back is either a decision the producers made or one she made for personal reasons.

From the sound of quotes like this (from her Broadway Bullet interview last week,) her reasoning seems to be a personal one due to the mostly negative reception she faced regarding her performance:

"So, I’m thrilled to actually do a show with the lab having been a member and never actually done a lab show. So I’m leaving Les Miz a little early just so those haters and can go covel over other divas."

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 11:57pm

you know what i'm looking forward to (if i do get to new york again).... is to see Lea Salonga as a bullet boy during the rest of the show (which i hope she does it)... that'll be awesome! woo hoo... haha

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 1/4/07 at 12:06am

As a bullet boy? Well, it won't be new for her. Barring changes in her contract with Mackinstosh, she should be playing a bullet boy and a male soldier when she's not performing Fantine.

Updated On: 1/4/07 at 12:06 AM

[BudFrump23]

Posted: 1/4/07 at 12:09am

I saw the show today (Wednesday) at the matinee. I loved it, and have never seen Les Miz before. I thought Daphne did very well (not having anyone else to compare or base my oppinion on.) However, I have heard Lea on several Cast Recordings, and, as I deffinately want to go back and see it soon because I loved the show so much, I'm going to have to go catch her in it.