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

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.

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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.

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

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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?).

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

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

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

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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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: 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.

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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.

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