Caren Lyn Manuel as Mimi in RENT. Becky Gulsvig as Elle in LB. Noah Weisberg and Bryce Ryness as Emmett in LB. Nadine as Cassie in ACL. Krysta Rodriguez as Wendla in Spring Awakening. Matt Doyle as pretty much everything specifically as Melchior, Otto and Georg. Kelly Karbacz as Maureen in RENT.
When Maureen went on, they had a recording of her singing "Girl Who Has Everything."
I love America. Just because I think gay dudes should be allowed to adopt kids and we should all have hybrid cars doesn't mean I don't love America.
[turns and winks directly into the camera]
- Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) on 30 Rock
Definitely Krysta Rodriguez as Wendla. Also, too many from RENT to name. Let's just say that Tamyra grey can't even be compared to Karmine Alers and Caren Lyn Manuel .
<-- Gwen Stewart, SOLoist at the last show of RENT Cages or wings?
Which do you prefer?
Ask the birds.
Fear or love, baby?
Don't say the answer
Actions speak louder than words.
(Tick, Tick... BOOM!)
Oh and how can i forget, Becky as Margot in Legally Blonde. Don't get my wrong, I love Haven just... LB didn't exactly bring out her best talent. (and we're talking understudy, so I'm not comparing Becky to Analeigh, just clarifying that)
<-- Gwen Stewart, SOLoist at the last show of RENT Cages or wings?
Which do you prefer?
Ask the birds.
Fear or love, baby?
Don't say the answer
Actions speak louder than words.
(Tick, Tick... BOOM!)
I liked Karmine as Mimi more than Tamyra. I love Tamyra's voice, and she's a phenominal performer, but to me she just wasn't Mimi. I don't know, maybe it was the hair. I loved every Mimi I've seen (including Rosario in the movie), but to me Karmine was just a little better than Tamyra.
I saw Kevin Kern in Stepehen Lynch's place at the Wedding Singer, and really enjoyed his performance. He and Stephen are very similar in how they play the role, so I wouldn't say that Kevin was better, but he definitely gave a really nice performance.
I found Jennifer Hughes a superior Clara Johnson to both Kelli O'Hara and Katie Clarke when she covered the role in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA a few years ago, though Elena Shaddow's performance on tour trumped all three.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
I actually saw the understudy's understudy, when I saw "Grand Hotel" ages ago. David Carroll was still listed as the Baron, but had basically left the cast because he was dying of AIDS.
I saw the show when his understudy, Brent Barrett, was not available. (Possibly because he was appearing in "Closer Than Ever" Off-Broadway at the time?) I saw the swing playing the Baron and he was incredible. (I can't remember his name at present, but he was Cornelius Hackl in the last revival of "Hello Dolly" with Carol Channing and he appears on that cast album.) He was handsome, dashing, aristocratic and an incredible singer.
I loved the show so much that I went to see it again the next night and saw Brent Barrett play the Baron and I didn't like him as much as the swing. I saw him again when he played the role on tour and he had grown into the part by then.
"A coherent existance after so many years of muddle" - Desiree' Armfelt, A Little Night Music
"Life keeps happening everyday, Say Yes" - 70, Girls, 70
"Life is what you do while you're waiting to die" - Zorba
Susan Owen as Christine in Phantom, Drew Sarich as Javert, Elizabeth Loyacano instead of Melissa Errico in Dracula and I can't remember her name but the understudy for Toni Braxton in Aida. I saw Aida four times while Toni Braxton was in and luckily I had her understudy each time.
"But I can tell you that Raoul, who was so handsome in "The Phantom," is now a drunken wreck."