West Side Story revival casting?- Page 8

[dg22894]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 7:41pm

Natalie Cortez as Maria
I would love to see Karen Olivo as Anita
As Bernardo I think Mario Lopez should be back I broadway or Christopher Jackson
As Tony I think Adam Kanter

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 8:13pm

Are you joking? Christopher Jackson is BLACK.

And completely wrong for the part.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 8:57pm

Someone in another thread suggested Elena Roger for Anita which would be brilliant casting if they are going the European Spanish and not the Puerto Rican spanish...

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 11:22pm

After seeing Karen Olivo channel Rita Moreno during the nightclub sequence in IN THE HEIGHTS, I think she is as perfect as you can get for Anita. I'm sure if she had been cast her name would have been leaked already, but I can't imagine anyone more perfect for the role that's currently working on Broadway right now, she's wonderful.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 11:24pm

Karen Olivo already has a project booked post-IN THE HEIGHTS.

WEST SIDE STORY it ain't.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 11:37pm

Glad to hear she has a project lined up, but all the time during the nightclub sequence I just couldn't get past how perfect of an Anita she would make, not only during the "Dance at the Gym" number, but her dialogue scenes and her "A Boy Like That" would be to die for, I imagine. Oh well, what can you do?

[jewishboy]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 11:44pm

I wouldn't mind seeing Natalie Cortez back on Broadway as Anita... She was my favorite female cast member in the revival of A Chorus Line.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 12:03am

I'm not sure Karen Olivio would work opposite the girl that supposedly has been cast as Maria from Argentina. I keep wondering if there is a clue to be garnered from her casting as to how the rest of the Sharks will be cast.

Scaglione, of course, does not look Spanish at all, though she is. Maybe Laurents is going to cast the rest of the Sharks that way as well. That's why I keep coming back to Elena Roger. She'd be the best choice for Anita opposite the girl they've cast...
Updated On: 10/14/08 at 12:03 AM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 12:38am

Well, maybe Arthur Laurents is smart enough (and trusts audiences enough) to know that not all Hispanic people look the same--even if they are from the same country. Not all Argentineans look the same, neither do all Puerto Ricans (Rita Moreno doesn't have the same kind of features/skin color as Jennifer Lopez, and Mario Lopez doesn't have the kind of features that someone like Wilson Cruz has), so why not have a multi-ethnic Latino cast as the Sharks?

Updated On: 10/14/08 at 12:38 AM

[LesMizazz]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 12:42am

The understudy for Maria is a recent Wagner College grad. I'm not sure if she's latina, but I think she might be part Italian

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 12:42am

I think that concept would work Ray, but I think they'd have to go out on a limb as they have with Maria and not cast Anita in the "Rita Moreno" mode for audiences to buy it.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 12:56am

We'll see, MB. Elena Roger is certainly a great performer and seems to be hot-ish in London with PIAF, I'd love to see her as Anita, but isn't she too old for the role? Just wondering, Laurents has said and done so many inconsistent things with the casting that I don't know anymore.
I'm not that worried though, I think the best part about his direction of GYPSY was the spot-on casting of the principals from Louise to Electra.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 1:06am

Elena Roger is 33, which would be about appropriate, considering Matt is 30 and Anita is probably about the same age.
Karen is 32.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 1:15am

MB, you might be unto something :) The more I think about it, the more I like the idea (now that my Karen Olivo dreams have been crushed).

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 1:23am

Well, I would assume Karen is continuing with HAIR when it transfers. I also know that realistically Elena Roger is doing PIAF in London through early next year. So its not going to be either woman, but I do love the 'idea' of Roger

At any rate, I would imagine we'll hear about final casting pretty quick here.
Updated On: 10/14/08 at 01:23 AM

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 2:32am

I hear that final callbacks for the role are happening early this week, and that they are looking for someone older than they were originally.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 9:39am

As Bernardo I think Mario Lopez should be back I broadway or

LOL!!! That is hilarious.




I really would like Natalie Cortez as Anita.

[jalvarez]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 11:00am

Bianca Marroquin has a final call back for Anita this week.
She would be the perfect Anita, amazing dancer, amazing actress and singer.

just wait and see.....

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 11:04am

Bianca Marroquin would be fantastic.

[jalvarez]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 11:13am

she is perfect for it, she one of the few TRUE latina actresses on Broadway and she would DANCE the hell out of America. And her spanish is perfect.

Plus they need some real latin people in the cast. Most of the sharks in the cast are White/asian and black and dont speak Spanish at all! Joey Haro is Chino, Issac from Mamma Mia is covering Chino, Emmanuel Herrera is Pepe and covering Bernardo.
I still think they are going to re-cast after D.C

Updated On: 10/14/08 at 11:13 AM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 2:11pm

I guess that for the non-principal Sharks, they were looking for dancing ability first and foremost, with actual Latino heritage being more of a "plus" than a necessity (which is how most WSS productions are cast, really).

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 4:04pm

I saw Bianca Marroquin in the Chicago tour! She'd be great.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 4:12pm

KARENNNNNNN OLIVOOOOOOOOO

[jalvarez]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 8:48pm

so my sources tell me

KAREN OLIVO got offered ANITA!!!! YES she did! dunno if she is taking in it or not, but they are negotiating the contract.

Arthur felt in love with her, she wasn't the best dancer, but they are going to have intensive extra time for her!
SHE GOT IT.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 8:59pm

If that is true that made my day, I would die to see her!