West Side Story revival casting?- Page 9

[Deycallmemimi2]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 9:00pm

YUP...it is true...she got offerred the role, and accepted, she is leaving IN THE HEIGHTS sometime next week!
Updated On: 10/18/08 at 09:00 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 9:03pm

Good for her...if that's true.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 9:03pm

Olivo is contracted with IN THE HEIGHTS through February 15th.

How would she be able to get out of that deal on a few days notice for a job she supposedly just booked today?

[jalvarez]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 9:43pm

she got the offer on thursday, she is going to be anita!

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 9:50pm

The point still stands, jalvarez.

No contract on the face of the planet has any "out" clause that allows a performer out four months early with a few days notice.

[jalvarez]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 9:53pm

we are talking about a major revival, most likely the will buy her out of her ITH contract, producers do that all time.If you don't believe is all good. They will announce the cast very shortly.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 10:01pm

I'm not saying I don't believe it and I'm not saying that I don't think it's a possibility that the team behind WEST SIDE STORY would be willing to buy out Olivo's contract with IN THE HEIGHTS, but they'd at least have to allow for a substantial amount of time (two weeks, even) before she could actually leave the show.

Her getting cast on a Thursday and leaving IN THE HEIGHTS a few days later gives the show no time to cast a replacement for her, short of bumping up an understudy temporarily and working like crazy to get someone fast.

I think Karen is a brilliant talent and would be happy to hear she has this opportunity (as unlikely a choice for Anita as she may be,) but a couple facets of the circumstances surrounding her supposed casting just seem shady to me, including the fact that I was told last week by a member of the production team behind a different show that Olivo was in negotiations to be cast in that particular project.

[jalvarez]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 10:07pm

i was expecting a BIG NAME DANCER to be cast as Anita, but i guess they went for the voice and acting. will see, is going to be interesting to see the cast list.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 10:07pm

Well, it certainly helps that In the Heights and West Side Story are produced by the same people. If they really wanted her that badly for the one, I don't see why they wouldn't just let her out of her contract for the other.

[Deycallmemimi2]

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

ITH and WSS share some of the same producers, and the reality is, if they want someone, and that person wants to do it, the people putting up the money are going to make it happen! Is it convenient for anyone involved? No! But it is BUSINESS!

[EnWashingtonHeights]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 10:31pm

When do you think it will be announced I don't want to get tickets if it's not conformed.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 10:34pm

YES YES YES YES YES

KAREN OLIVO!!!!!!!!!!

I've been pushing this for MONTHS, guys.

[alfgiotir]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 10:34pm

Both ITH and WSS are produced by McCullum and Seller. I am sure that it wasn't recently that they began to think that Olivo could be Anita.

If they have been thinking about her and putting her through auditions then they must have been thinking what they could do about her role of Vanessa in ITH.

If this is true about her being offered Anita, then I am sure one of the cast members will be bumped up. First name that comes to mind is Krysta Redriguez (my OWN thoughts. not trying to start a rumor).

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 10:36pm

I wouldn't be surprised if ITH was losing more of their cast to WSS.
If they're in need of strong Latin dancers, then In the Heights is a freakin' Sam's Club.

[EnWashingtonHeights]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 10:37pm

I am so happy to me it is perfect casting!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 10:54pm

It's official:

Lance Bass will be playing Doc.

[bethnor]

Posted: 10/18/08 at 11:24pm

"They will announce the cast very shortly. "

that's what laurents said two weeks ago. and before that casting was supposed to be announced mid-september. *sigh*

[Ole Chum]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 12:11am

so remarkable- karen is starring in the biggest musical in a while, and is now figuring out whether to star in the new West Side Story revival or the HAIR revival?

girls come a long way, congratulations to her.

[??]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 12:39am

not to detract from the Anita excitement...

I heard some stage door chatter that Matt Hydzik, swing in Grease (played Kenickie between Matt Saldivar and Ace Young) will be joining the ensemble and and understudying Tony. Not sure how true that is.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 8:55am

Would love to see Natascia Diaz as part of this cast !

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 9:24am

LOL @ Dollypop.

[jennyish]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 2:06pm

Ugh. Karen Olivo . . . she was decent in IN THE HEIGHTS, but terrible in HAIR.

At least she's not as bad as Lea Michele.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 2:19pm

She was anything but "decent" in IN THE HEIGHTS. Her voice is spectacular and her dancing is quite impressive (she did win the Fred Astaire Award for the show, after all), and she gave Vanessa a sort of showstopping quality. She--along with Andrea Burns--was my favorite actress in the show. As I said before in this thread, I think she's as ideal as you can get for Anita in this revival.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 2:22pm

I guess Bianca Marroquin lost out? She was one of the rumors too. Bianca has the dance skills, but Karen looks much younger, which I guess they wanted.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 2:52pm

I'm sorry, but she looks about 40. No. Just no.