Too Cute For The Role?- Page 2

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/30/09 at 8:41pm

Natasha Richardson was also too healthy to play Blanche. The character is described as being "moth-like". Richardson wasn't.

[dg22894]

Posted: 3/30/09 at 9:16pm

Tonya Pinkins and Anika Noni Rose(sp) for Caroline or change

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/30/09 at 9:38pm

Huh? Wha?

Tonya Pinkins 'uglied' herself to play Caroline -- she didn't play her looking like her everyday beautiful self. Anika Noni Rose is playing a teenager and looked the part -- the role isn't an ugly teenager.

This post is saying actors playing roles too 'cute' for the role. Donna Murphy wore tons of make-up to make her the ugly Fosca in PASSION. She didn't play her as she normally looks.

Tonya Pinkins:


Tonya Pinkins as Caroline:


Anika Noni Rose:


Anika in CAROLINE, OR CHANGE:


Donna Murphy:


Donna as Fosca:

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 3/30/09 at 11:36pm

I've always thought most of the women playing Elphaba were a little too pretty to be playing a hideous Wicked Witch.

But then again, sticking to the source material was never really Wicked's strong suit anyway so...

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/31/09 at 12:57am

Honestly, I think it comes back to the fact that - and sorry if this is mean or whatever - but no one really wants to see an "ugly" person up on stage for 2+ hours. I mean, its the same reason why Hermione in the Harry Potter movies isn't as ugly and geeky as she is in the books. It makes sense in theory, but you don't want to sit there and stare at her pimples, etc. And most of these are lead roles. Most "famous" actresses are beautiful in their own right, so of course they're going to give the lead role in a big musical to someone with a name instead of some random girl who happens to be "ugly."

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/31/09 at 2:40am

Definitely Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom. How could Christine possibly pick Raul when The Phantom has a body like that?!? Who cares what his face looks like... or if he's a murderer and a little crazy.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 3/31/09 at 6:55am

"I've always thought most of the women playing Elphaba were a little too pretty to be playing a hideous Wicked Witch."

Elphaba isn't supposed to be ugly or hideous. She was only green.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 3/31/09 at 11:59am

She was ugly in the movie, though, wasn't she?

A LOT of Phantoms qualify, actually. I felt the same way about Gary Mauer.

[JJC]

Posted: 3/31/09 at 6:21pm

Barbara sang the score exceptionally well and her acting as Fanny was well regarded, but I can understand your doubt...!
Jule Styne more than approved of Barbara's vocals and performance.

[MiracleElixir]

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

Aaron Tveit in NEXT TO NORMAL. Considering it's a part that often requires the character to be on stage while central action is taking place away from him, having him on stage is just too distracting. It's impossible to focus on what's going on with the other character when someone that cute is standing elsewhere distracting you.

[lisaatje009]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 4:25am

Haha, that is funny. And So true!

[KingKong]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 4:49am

Anyone who says Aaron Tveit is too cute is simply someone who is too horny to pay attention. There's nothing wrong with Watching Aaron when he's not actually involved in the scene because he is always present, he's not window dressing when he's on stage, he's part of what's going on, even when he's just sitting there readin while diana sings I miss the Mountains

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 5:03am

It was a joke, KingKong... but kudos for being confrontational and douchebaggy about EVERYTHING.

[KingKong]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 5:33am

Congratulations as realistically coming across as a person to consumed with aarons looks to pay attention to the show.


talk about douchebaggery.

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 10:51am

I just posted a lengthy review expressing my adoration for the show, I clearly wasn't too focused staring at the beauty of Tveit to focus.

[TheBoyDownstairs]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 10:56am

I actually think Gabe must be a really handsome guy, it totally plays into the whole "Superboy" image Diana has of him. Wouldnt really work as well for me if he wasnt good looking.

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 10:58am

Yeah I totally agree, TheBoyDownstairs. Once it's revealed the context of who/what he is, it completely makes sense.

I was simply making a joking comment about the pretty-pretty that is Aaron Tveit.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 11:52am

I honestly don't get the "cute" factor with Tveit. Don't get me wrong, he's a good looking guy, but I think if you took away all the hoopla over his "body" then you're left with a guy who can sing pretty okay, and act pretty okay. And don't we have like a ton of those on Broadway (Christopher Hanke, Jon Groff, Gavin Creel, etc). I mean there are plenty of "pretty boys" on the ol' White Way. So I'm just not sure I see the hoopla over it.

[MiracleElixir]

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

To be honest, I don't know if he's exactly "cute" or "hot" so much as pretty, like a girl. Like, he's almost too beautiful, to the point where it's distracting.

That said, I think he sings more than okay, and I feel like the jury is still out on acting.

But, at least to me, he's much much more desirable than Hanke, Groff and Creel, and significantly more talented than at least one of them (you can take a crack at guessing which one).

[RevolutionaryCostume]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 1:37pm

Not theatre related. . but it's always bothered me.

Eric McCormack was always WAY too attractive to play "Will" in "Will and Grace."

That character has ugly written all over it.

-Jacob.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 2:58pm

I don't think that Will is necessarily supposed to be ugly. I think the problem is more his relationship with Grace pushing away potential relationships, and his neurotic tendencies that scare guys away.

IIRC he's referenced as being cute in the script a few times, like when Grace brings him to meet her family when they're dating in college. Jack calls him ugly, but I'm not sure he's a reliable source.

And, wow, I just gave WAY too much thought to this.

[Jon]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 6:55pm

The fact that Jack calls Will "fat" is a sign of his own insecurity. Jack has the need to be the best looking guy in the room.

[raker]

Posted: 4/1/09 at 9:14pm

Laura Benanti is a goddess. I'd love to see her in anything, but isn't Louise in Gypsy supposed to be untalented and unattractive, hence the need for a gimmick like every other untalented, unattractive stripper?

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 4/2/09 at 2:00am

This reminds me of a bit in William Goldman's classic "The Season" where he's writes about plays about homely people finding love, etc. wherein the actors playing the homely people are actually attractive playing dowdy (like the hit play of the time "The Cactus Flower" starring Lauren Bacall as an uptight secretary).

He mentions a play he saw that he thought was terrific about a homely person finding love which had Marian Seldes giving a marvelous performance. The play flopped, he felt, because the producers actually cast an unattractive actress in the part. (Marian Seldes may be fabulously patrician now, but back then...)