What's next for Piazza's Katie Clarke?- Page 4

[Wicked_fan]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 1:57am

I think the woman needs to develop more...

I know that since she's young, we'll be seeing greater things from her in the future... but right now, her performance in LitP just didn't do anything for me... I don't believe it was broadway quality, it seemed more of college quality...which makes perfect sense since she just came from college.

light and fun would probably be easier for her.

[treyisthekiller]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:01am

something light and funny would be aweosme.


and i agree with everyone who has said this so far. she is gorgeous. even more so in person.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:11am

She has great acting chops. I don't think her performance came off amateurish at all. Her acting made up for any vocal flubs. Also, she was in great company so that may have been why she came off so well.

[Wicked_fan]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:17am

and this thread once again proves that everyone is entitled to their own opinion...

because rentboy I couldn't agree with you more. As I stated earlier she had the same facial expressions throughout most of the show, now I'm not saying she's terrible, but she has a lot to work on. But... what actor doesn't.

but... ah well, our opinions won't affect where her career goes... however, it'll be interesting to see how she grows.

EDIT: and I did not mean for that last sentence to rhyme.

Updated On: 6/20/06 at 02:17 AM

[treyisthekiller]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:18am

how crazy would it be if she made her career just replacing o'hara. lol. sorry. i just thought about it.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:38am

Yeah. I like discussing things like this. I know that my opinion means nothing to anyone except myself, but I enjoy seeing what people have to say and I love a nice little argument or whatever.

But I don't see how we agree? ha. I thought he acting was great.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 7:55am

A diet is absolutely NOT what Katie Clarke needs- she is a beautiful young woman and she is a fine actress. I loved her as Clara. Her choices were right on target. Maybe she could benefit from some further vocal training (but then, WHO COULDN'T?).

[originalsin]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 12:31pm

maybe she will end up doing movies with her brother. i heard he was a producer in california. At any rate she was not was i was expecting in LiTP. I heard the OBC and fell in love with the score. I was thrilled to know that a girl from my hometown had been cast as the replacement but, after seeing the PBS special, I was extremly dissapointed. She just didnt do it for me at all. I have seen more talented people in my local theatre productions! I have no idea why she was cast. In my opinion there was nothing outstanding about her. Her acting was marginal, her singing was marginal and her looks were average. I think she just got lucky. I am however,intrested in seeing where she will go from here. I hope that with more training she will get better and have a wondeful career but who knows. This could be as good as she can get.

[Wicked_fan]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 12:38pm

ah, I was out of it last night...

Rentboy, I meant I couldn't DISagree with you more... sorry. haha.

[whimsical]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:13pm

I completely disagree with you, originalsin. While she might have vocal problems to fix, there IS something special about her. She has a glow and wonderful stage presence. She has sunshine pouring out of her eyes (I know that sounds silly, but I'm serious!).

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:38pm

Are you guys serious? Average looks? She's GORGEOUS.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:42pm

Clara's condition is perfectly possible. There are many things that could have happened. Like Phineas Gage (mentioned above) there could have been damage to her frontal lobe, taking away inhibition in addition cognitive development developing abnormally. I read on another thread today that Adam Guettel consulted a brain trauma specialist while researching for LitP and was told that trauma manifests itself in so many ways, Clara's condition could be nearly anything.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:45pm

You guys are simply glorifying a young woman who JUST graduated college. That is all she is. I remember the weekend before they announced Katie for Clara. They asked my friend to consider taking over the role and they asked this other "fresh-face-straight-out-of-college" girl. She got the role purely out of luck. It could have easily have gone to other women, had they not turned it down. Wasn't some understudy from "Woman in White" asked first, but she wanted to stick with that show? And I heard Megan McGinnis' name thrown somewhere? Clarke is like #212,400 (exaggerated number) on the list of Clara's to replace O'Hara. Her interpretation of the role is unique, but profuse in childish nature. Part of the reason why Celia wasn't asked to come back.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:49pm

I so wished Celia left Spelling Bee, it was about time that it would have made sense leaving the show, and then re-auditioned for them. She would have been great to see.

[topher]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:51pm

You do realize that in addition to "luck" she also had to auditon for Janet Foster, Bart Sher, Kim Grigsby, Adam Guetel, etc., a few times? They didn't just call her and say "Pack your bags, babes, you just hit the lottery!"

I also am hard pressed to believe that all the other girls who auditioned just turned it down, and the whole creative team was reduced to grabbing the first person they could.

Maybe the creative team liked what they saw? Maybe they wanted her because they thought she was right for the part?

Nah, it was all luck.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:53pm

BillFinn: I COMPLETELY agree. When I heard this girl was fresh out of college, I was thinking "Wow, she must be amazing." She really didn't fit that bill at all! And considering that Jennifer Hope Wills was considered for the role...

C is for Company: I know, Celia's Clara was fantastic.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:54pm

Even if the, what was that, 2 girls you mentioned, turned down the role, you still have to be REALLY good to get the part. No one without talent is going to get a leading role on Broadway, so luck or not, she's still got more talent than most people have in their pinky toe.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 3:00pm

BillFinn, you said it best.

The comment about diet was rude and uncalled for and cruel. She does NOT need to lose any weight; she needs more training and exposure.

Kelli will always be Clara to me, but Katie showed promise. She wouldn't have been chosen if they did not have faith in her and if she didn't belong there.

That said...I wish her well, but I can't see her moving into Glinda bubble anytime soon. I could see her as Jolene before I could see her as Christine in DRS.

How about Meg in PHANTOM? Does she dance, specifically pointe?

SammieB, are you out there? Since you know her, can you shed some light on this?

Updated On: 6/20/06 at 03:00 PM

[BillFinn]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 3:04pm

You cannot blindly trust casting directors and think they know more than you, in every instance. I know when the casting directors at Wicked were trying to find THE NEW GLINDA! to replace Kristin Chenoweth, they were turning down girls who were deemed "too tall" for the role (potentially HILARIOUS Glindas), and then ended up just choosing Jennifer Laura! They're as fickled and human as we are. People make mistakes all the time.

No one with talent is going to get a leading role on Broadway? Stunt casting is done all of the time. My friend saw Jennifer Hope as Clara and said she was really great in the role. Better than Clarke. It puzzled her as to why she wasn't asked to replace Kelli.

Personally, I love Celia as Clara vocally. Her innocence is so charmingly conveyed. She can't sing as high as Kelli can, but man. When she sang the title song, you cried. You just saw "This is a child finding love". But Celia was apropos for what Piazza used to be. The show matured as well as the character and what Kelli brought to the table was equally fantastic.

[Doogie]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 3:05pm

BillFinn,

I didn't love Katie either, BUT...

the statement about her beeing "12,400,th" on the list to replace Kelli is just false.

They auditioned LOTS of girls, and 99.9% of them would have fallen all over themselves to get this job, but they chose Katie.

I don't love her portrayal either (I thought she came off better on the telecast than in the theatre, though), but I can certainly understand why she was cast.

[topher]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 3:11pm

Bill, I am just not getting what you are saying. The entire creative team, you know the people that visualized the show, can't be trusted? They were all in on the decision. They didn't have the advice of your friend who saw Jennifer, though, so maybe they screwed up.

What is stunt casting, by the way. I think I understand by the context of what you are saying, but can you go into more detail?

[BillFinn]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 3:21pm

Those girls they auditioned who would have fallen over for the role; were they adaquate for the role? were they American looking enough? were they thin enough? were they vocally strong enough? could they act like a child without being ridiculous about it? My statement isn't false. Just an observation. Literally, my friend called me up on a Saturday and was like "They offered me this role and I might take it, but then I'd have to leave this other show." I told my best friend and she goes "That's odd. I heard they were offering it to this girl who hasn't even graduated college yet." And then the following Friday, they announced Katie Clarke.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 3:25pm

BillFinn: Thing is, Clara doesn't need to hit that high of notes IIRC. The audition notice said C6, I believe, though I've never heard Clara hit C6, only A6. Anyway, Celia was Johanna in Sweeney Todd, so she definitely has the upper range.

[whimsical]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 3:30pm

Sounds like your friend was lying. Even if she wasn't, where do you get off saying Katie was number 212,400 to be offered Clara? That's completely false, without question. Even as an exaggeration, it's just plain wrong.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 6/20/06 at 3:31pm

When I talked to Adam, he said that when Kelli was cast in the role, it really helped him visualize "The Beauty Is" in terms of music since she's a lyric soprano versus Celia, for whom he couldn't write as high.

Updated On: 6/20/06 at 03:31 PM