West Side Story revival casting? — Page 8

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#176

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

#177

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

Are you joking? Christopher Jackson is BLACK.

And completely wrong for the part.

Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08

#178

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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...

#179

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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.

"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"

#180

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

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

WEST SIDE STORY it ain't.

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.

#181

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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?

#182

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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.

#183

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

#184

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

#185

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

"And suddenly I'm flying flying like a bird, like electricity, electricity, sparks inside of me, and I'm free, I'm free" -Billy Elliot

#186

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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.

#187

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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.

#188

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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.

#189

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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).

#190

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

#191

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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.

#192

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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.

http://www.beintheheights.com/katnicole1 (Please click and help me win!) I chose, and my world was shaken- So what?
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda "And when Idina Menzel is singing, I'm always slightly worried that her teeth are going to jump out of her mouth and chase me." - Schmerg_the_Impaler

#193

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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.....

#194

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

Bianca Marroquin would be fantastic.

#195

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

#196

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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).

#197

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

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

Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!

#198

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

KARENNNNNNN OLIVOOOOOOOOO

Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08

#199

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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.

#200

re: West Side Story revival casting?

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

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

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