Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
#1Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 6:32pm
I know this seems like a random question but I just re-discovered Caroline, or Change, given the number of accolades the show has received in London I checked it out from the library after a long time without listening to it and I've become fascinated by Tony Kushner's brilliantly told story (it's auto-biographical if I'm not wrong).
I love Tonya Pinkins in this recording, it's a pity she wasn't in the best vocal shape during the Tonys (though she still managed to provide a moving and powerful performance). However, listening to numbers like "I Got Four Kids" and more specifically "Lot's Wife" I couldn't help but wonder what Jennifer Holliday would be like in this role. Her "Lot's Wife" would probably stop the show every night, which brings me to the question, was she ever considered to play the role in any of the major productions the show has received (Broadway, D.C., L.A, London)? I believe it's the kind of role that seems fit to her type of performance.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#2re: Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 6:36pmIt seems like she may be too over the top as a performer, and as a person, for the role of Caroline.
#2re: Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 6:37pmalso, it's not auto-biographical it's "as close to autobiographical as Kushner has ever been"
"Picture "The View," with the wisecracking, sympathetic sweethearts of that ABC television show replaced by a panel of embittered, suffering or enraged Arab women" -the Times review of Black Eyed
#3re: Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 6:42pmWell, perhaps auto-biographical is not the word. But I do remember reading that the character of Caroline is based on his childhood maid and that she actually saw the show. Again, I might be wrong.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#4re: Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 6:43pm
sorry, i was just being an a-hole 
"Picture "The View," with the wisecracking, sympathetic sweethearts of that ABC television show replaced by a panel of embittered, suffering or enraged Arab women" -the Times review of Black Eyed
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#5re: Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 6:51pm
George C. Wolfe handpicked Tonya Pinkins to play Caroline as soon as Kushner brought an early draft of the libretto of the show to him (based on he and Pinkins having worked together previously on his Jelly's Last Jam). Pinkins was there for all of the workshops as the show was developed at The Public (and the role was tailored specifically to her abilities) and so she was the only choice to play the role once it was ready to open at the Public and subsequently on Broadway. Wolfe, Kushner, and Tesori kept Pinkins and the original Broadway cast and production for the LA and San Francisco engagements and Wolfe then brought her to London to repeat her performance at the National. Basically, no one other than Pinkins was ever considered for any of those productions.
The DC production starred Julia Nixon, who was one of Holliday's replacements as Effie in the original production of DREAMGIRLS and who has been one of the most popular and best known r&b singers in DC for the past 20 years, since she left NY.
Not sure, how the Boston production of the show was cast.
Bottom line, Holliday has never really had an opportunity to audition or even be considered for the role of Caroline in any of the major productions of the show that have been done thus far. I agree that it would be interesting to hear her take on the role. Perhaps, an opportunity will come up sometime in the future.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
Updated On: 2/4/07 at 06:51 PM
#6re: Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 6:52pmNo, but she did audition for Whoopi Goldberg's role in the movie of GHOST.
#7re: Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 6:58pmI would hope not cause there couldn't have been a more perfect person to play Caroline than Tonya Pinkins
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#8Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 6:58pm
Isn't JHol kinda old?
But, JHud isn't.
#9Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 7:01pm
WTF does any of this have to do with Jennifer Hudson?
secondly, Jennifer Holiday is only 2 years older than Tonya Pinkins, so no, she isn't kinda old.
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#10Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 7:05pm
Caroline is 40 (remember she has a son in Vietnam and a 16 year old daughter, as well as a pair of younger sons).
Tonya Pinkins is 44.
Jennifer Holliday is 46, so no she's not too old for it.
Jennifer Hudson is 25 -- give her another 15 years or so before she plays it.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
#11Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 7:09pm
JHol?
That's just wrong.
Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson
#12Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 7:20pm
Thanks for the insight, Margo.
I agree that Tonya Pinkins is a great Caroline (judging from her Tony performance and the cast recording) but I can just imagine that Holliday's "Lot's Wife" alone would be worth the price of the admission.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#13Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Ch
Posted: 2/4/07 at 7:49pmRay, that was my first thought when I read the title.
I have NEVER met Cheyenne Jackson. I have never hung out with him in his dressing room, he did not tweet me, he never bought me a beverage, and he mostly certainly didn't tickle me. . .that is all.
#14Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 7:50pm
Jennifer Holliday is, without question, a phenom of a talent. She has immense stage presence and a booming voice that can belt to high heaven. I don't think, however, that she is right for the title role in Caroline, or Change.
Let's be blunt: the role of Caroline requires quite a skilled actress, and an actress Holliday is not. While she was able to turn in a dynamite performance as Effie White after being directed every step of the way to immense detail by Michael Bennett, she has subsequently faltered in her limited outings since then.
I also just don't think she's right for it. Holliday is naturally an over-the-top, incredibly passionate performer, and considering Caroline is quite stolid and restrained for alot of the show (which makes "Lot's Wife" all the more explosive,) I'm not sure she could hold back.
Vocally, as we all know, Holliday is a fan of many often ridiculous runs and riffs. While that works for things like Dreamgirls, that would immensly clash with Tesori's score for Caroline... (even, and perhaps most obviously, in "Lot's WIfe.")
I'd rather see someone like LaChanze or even Melba Moore take a crack at this legendary role before Holliday.
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.
Updated On: 2/5/07 at 07:50 PM
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
wiggum2
Broadway Star Joined: 9/21/03
#15Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 7:50pmHow often in the past 20 years has Jennifer Holliday's name come up and someone said "Not worth the hassle"?
#16Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/4/07 at 11:38pmbump.
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.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
ThePinballWizard
Leading Actor Joined: 1/25/06
#17Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/5/07 at 12:25am
MAYBE she can play Whoopi Goldberg's role when they musicalize GHOST. I can just see it now:
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat are soooooome nun's gonna doooooo with 20 million ah ah ah ah ah ::gasps:: dollaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaars?"
"Isn't it strange that we spend most of our time learning to do what they put people in asylums for." - Jane Fonda on Acting
TonyaFanatic
Broadway Star Joined: 12/29/04
#18Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/5/07 at 12:42am^^^^^that could've been funny.
"Girl, this cupcake is the jumpoff"- Adriane Lenox
#19Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/5/07 at 9:34amMargo, did you see Nixon in the role in D.C.? I heard such tremendous things about her, and was curious as to how you thought she faired as Caroline.
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.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
ceeejaye
Understudy Joined: 12/15/05
#20Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/5/07 at 10:00am
FYI
In the LA production of Caroline or Change, there were two new members that were not in the NYC Broadway cast:
Dottie in the musical was played by Chandra Wilson on Broadway (now of Gray's Anatomy as Miranda Bailey aka Natzi)was played by another actress.
The Busdriver/Dryer in the musical was played by Chuck Cooper on Broadway. However, during the first couple weeks, someone else played the role; however, Chuck Cooper eventually returned.
#21Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/5/07 at 10:17am
I also listened to the cast recording again this weekend after hearing about its win in London. I love the score - but whenever I hear it all the way through I get incredibly depressed at the end.
Pinkins is truly incredible.
....but the world goes 'round
#22Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/5/07 at 12:00pmJen Holiday could TOTALLY sing the role but I think at the same time she can completely ruin it with her over-riffs. I think Tonya was just perfect and to be honest, the role was made for her!
All That Jazz
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Jazzysuite82
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/6/05
#23Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/5/07 at 2:16pmLaChanze and Melba Moore....hm that's ok. They might have to lower it in places but I think if Phylicia Rashad were younger she'd have been excellent. That's a lot of if's though.
#24Was Jennifer Holliday ever considered for the title role in Caroline, or Change?
Posted: 2/5/07 at 2:28pmin 15 years...i would kill to see j hud as caroline.
""the gays love their presents. just wave something shiny in front of their faces, you can get whatever you want. Thats how we got manhattan from the gay indians" -Karen (W&G)"
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