What is the MOST MISCAST role in Musical Theater History?- Page 3

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 12:33am

Hey Parks, :)

Yes. That was Sydney Chaplin (son of Charlie Chaplin.)

He and Streisand HATED each other--had countless never-ending arguments about production.

Chaplin wasn't really a singer (more of an actor) and proably felt inadequate in part--he carried it through his looks and charm.

Eventually, Streisand exercised her clout and got him fired from show!

Updated On: 10/10/04 at 12:33 AM

[magruder]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 1:28am

Sydney Chaplin was Charlie Chaplin's son, not nephew.

[capnkidd]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 1:39am

thought that too,magruder....but sure it's not sydney the 2nd?

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 1:41am

my vote is Melanie Griffith as Roxie Hart

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 1:47am

Double Post!!! Sorry.

Updated On: 10/10/04 at 01:47 AM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 2:22am

I have to say the WORST I ever saw was a production of "Funny Girl" starring Pia Zadora.

She made me throw up in my mouth a little.

I was lucky enough to see Tyne Daly as Mamma Rose and she BLEW me out of the water. I sat front and center and she sweated on me. I didn't bathe for a week.

[morosco]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 2:27am

There was also a tour of Deborah Gibson as FUNNY GIRL....left at intermission so a critique would be inappropriate (lol).

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 2:32am

Hi Jon... :)

We should start a I HATE MELANIE AS ROXIE topic!!!

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 2:40am

Hey TheaterDiva... :)

Pia Zadora in FUNNY GIRL?

What's next, Britney Spears as Desiree in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC singing "Send In The Clowns"?

[FalmouthJ]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 8:10am

Marc, I saw Daly and Lavin in Gypsy and loved them both. Lavin brought a sexiness to Rose that I'd never seen before and her scenes with Jonathan Hadary as Herbie were downright steamy. I always pictured Rose as a larger than life force to be reckoned with, but Lavin used her femininity to manipulate, it was a great performance.

[mint0621]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 12:08pm

My vote is for Drew Lachey as Roger in "Rent"

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 12:36pm

Said it before say it again. Ally Sheedy in Hedwig as Hedwig. It was just, well lets say awful and leave it at that cause I could go into gross details involving bodily functions.

[Kris2]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 1:06pm

"i definitely have to agree with bdwayboy88 vanessa williams in into the woods UGH SHE WAS HORRID!!!!! bring back bernadette she was amazing! Vanessa couldnt even portray the anger that bernadette had so they rewrote her songs!!!!"

Umgeoboy, say what? They rewrote the songs? I haven't heard the Into the Woods NBC recording or seen it, but I find it hard to believe that Sondheim would rewrite them. If it's true, that's crazy. I would've liked to have seen Billy Porter get the role of the Witch though!


"Toni Braxton as Belle and Aida
Mickey Dolenz as Zoser
Melanie Griffin as Roxie
Christy Carlton Romano as Belle
Melanie B. as Mimi
David Hasselhoff as Jeckyll/Hyde
Can you guys see a pattern? I don't like when "celebrities" take away from true Broadway performers."

Stockesrocks, I think there's a difference between "bad" casting and being miscast though. I consider "miscast" to mean that someone is really talented but in a role that is not a good fit for them at all. For instance, I feel Joel Grey was miscast as the Wizard in Wicked. A little too unassuming. However, I have a lot of respect for him as a performer in general. I don't really consider the people you listed as Broadway quality talents. Maybe talented in other respects, just not Broadway. Oh, and your username/icon rock. I was just listening to Man of La Mancha. Stokes has the voice of a god =D

[morosco]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 1:18pm

They say Lewis Gossett Jr. was pretty horrible in CHICAGO before he was let go after 6 performances. Updated On: 10/10/04 at 01:18 PM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 1:24pm

Totally. It's been years since Hasselhoff did "Jekyll and Hyde," and I still get angry thinking about it.

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 1:24pm

Hi Morosco, :)

Was Gossett cast as Billy Flynn?

[morosco]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 2:06pm

Yes. Lewis Gossett Jr. was cast as Billy Flynn. Reports said that at times on stage he appeared as if he didn't know where he was or what he was doing. (Another fine move by The Weisslers who usually care more about ticket sales than the quality of their product.)

[Sant]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 3:46pm

Mary Ethel
"Sant,

Denise Van Who???

Fill in the blanks please!!! "

Denise Van Outen. She is some kind of a celebrity in the UK. Used to date Jamiroquai's (however you spell it) lead singer, been on tv and singing a bit. She played Roxie in the London production of CHICAGO and as far as I know she played it on Broadway for a short while. If you didn't see her in it, better that way - take my word for it! She's an ok singer but she can't act at all.

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 5:10pm

Thanks Sant! :)

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 5:14pm

"Umgeoboy, say what? They rewrote the songs? I haven't heard the Into the Woods NBC recording or seen it, but I find it hard to believe that Sondheim would rewrite them. If it's true, that's crazy. I would've liked to have seen Billy Porter get the role of the Witch though!"

The lyrics at the end of Last Midnight were changed, and some other lyrics in other songs were changed. None of them were really necessary, though.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 5:18pm

Denise just did the new version of Tell Me On A Sunday that was recorded in the UK and available here in the US.

[Sant]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 6:06pm

Yeah, and I have no plans whatsoever to listen it!
Some of the key songs had to be re-arranged so she'd be able to sing them at all.

[mizzie]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 6:18pm

I don't think this is the WORST cast role, but let's just say I'm not a big fan of Natasha Richardson's "Cabaret."

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 6:21pm

Hi Mizzie... :)

I don't know... I thought Natasha was the best I'd seen since Liza Minnelli in film. :)

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/10/04 at 6:32pm

I absolutely loved Bernadette as Mama Rose. She was phenomenal in my opinion. You can all have different, but I think she created a genius character for Rose that had not seen before.

I agree that Christy Carlson Romano was miscast. Ick.