Wicked stunt castings

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/23/15 at 8:26pm

Has Wicked ever stunt casted? I've been trying to think of a few and all I've gotten were Nicole Parker (whose semi famous) and Ana Gasteyer (Whose pretty famous).

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/23/15 at 8:32pm

Cast, not casted.

[RW3]

Posted: 1/23/15 at 8:34pm

Joey McIntyre as Fiyero
Rue McClanahan as Madame Morrible

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/23/15 at 8:37pm

Isn't the concept that you would cast someone famous to help a struggling show? Wicked isn't struggling.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 1/23/15 at 8:43pm

Justin Guarini, though he's more of a has-been at this point.

[Mrtrobz]

Posted: 1/23/15 at 9:03pm

The London production is stunt cast regularly, Matt Willis was from a Boyband, Rachel Tucker and Lee Mead were Andrew Llyod Webber TV talent show contestants, Liam Doyle(UK tour) was also on a similar Star search show, Morrible is always stunt cast with a popular British actress Miriam Margoyles, Harriet Thorpe, Sue Blake...

As for the Broadway show would we call Nicole Parker a stunt casting?

[gypsy101]

Posted: 1/23/15 at 10:16pm

Taye Diggs covering for Norbert Leo Butz to play opposite Idina Menzel seemed a little like a stunt (although he seemed appropriate for the character).

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 1/23/15 at 10:25pm

I don't consider Nicole Parker stunt casting. She's a trained singer and actress with experience in live theater. She just happened to find her niche in sketch comedy. When I think of stunt casting, I typically think if casting someone who isn't fit for the role and is brought in to make some money. On top of that, I don't think of Parker as an exceptionally well known person. Yes, she was on Mad TV, but that was never a massively popular show (at least that's how I remember it). If you told the average Joe from Dayton who was interested in seeing a show with the fam, I don't think saying Nicole Parker is Elphaba is going to be the thing that makes him say, "Yes. Absolutely. This is the show!"

Ana Gasteyer as stunt casting is one to me that's a maybe. I don't think she was cast specifically to bring people in, but I don't think it's a decision anyone regrets. If she attracted people, great. She's a known name, but Wicked sells on it's title, not because of who is in the cast. I thought she handled the role just fine because of the training and experience she has. You can't just take anyone and throw them into that role. Singing it well 8 performances a week can be very challenging,

[steven22]

Posted: 1/23/15 at 10:48pm

I have to add that Ana Gasteyer was a fantastic Elphaba.

[IloveBroadwAY3]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 12:53am

"The London production is stunt cast regularly, Matt Willis was from a Boyband, Rachel Tucker and Lee Mead were Andrew Llyod Webber TV talent show contestants, Liam Doyle(UK tour) was also on a similar Star search show, Morrible is always stunt cast with a popular British actress Miriam Margoyles, Harriet Thorpe, Sue Blake...

As for the Broadway show would we call Nicole Parker a stunt casting?"


I hate wicked but hiring appropiate actors to do the role is not stunt casting even if they are well lknown

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 10:14am

Isn't the concept that you would cast someone famous to help a struggling show? Wicked isn't struggling."

Exactly. I think the show "Chicago" is the leader with that, casting "Christie Brinkley years ago said it all - lol.

[Jay94]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 10:38am

I've always thought that if Madeline Kahn did not sadly pass away, she would have played Madame Morrible at some point.

[Tag]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 12:04pm

Nicole Parker was not stunt cast, as no one knows who Nicole Parker is.

Idina was stunt cast in the West End.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 12:17pm

Mandy Moore was offered to be Glinda very early on (I think after Jennifer Thompson?), but thankfully turned it down because she knew she wasn't good enough.

This show doesn't need stunt casting now. The name sells itself

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 12:52pm

"Idina was stunt cast in the West End."

The always misinterpretation of "stunt casting". Stunt casting is more for a celeb that would sell tickets but isn't really known for musical theatre. Idina had already played the part so she was more "star casted"

[carash22]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 2:56pm

Updated On: 7/6/20 at 02:56 PM

[girlonbroadway]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 2:56pm

Carol Kane as Madame Morrible. I got to see her, and she was fantastic in the role.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 3:05pm

Disneybroadway, Moore was to succeed Chenoweth and become first replacement.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 4:23pm

^That was my second guess! Thanks for clarifying!

[lambchop2]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 4:53pm

"Ashley Parker Angel is Fiyero in the 2nd National Tour. I'm not sure if this is considered stunt casting because he's such a has-been, but he was fairly well-known back in the day thanks to his boy band. Have any theaters been using his name in advertisements to sell tickets?"

They didn't use him as an advertisement in Detroit (to my knowledge anyway) although when I saw the show, I was standing by the cast board before curtain and a lot of women around my age said "It's that guy from O-Town!!!" when they saw it.

[carash22]

Posted: 1/24/15 at 7:41pm

^ Interesting. I guess his name is still fairly recognizable but not big enough to sell tickets. Not many O-Town fans out there.

[theatrecr8zy]

Posted: 2/5/15 at 3:08am

^
Saw the tour a few weeks ago in Durham. Heard a few people around my age (mid 20's) comment about Ashley being in the show, neither as a positive or negative thing, just very matter of fact. Just that they kind of knew who he was. I don't know if the Wicked team threw him in there as a "name", or what. While he is a VERY pretty man, he wasn't really anything special.

[Marble Faun]

Posted: 2/5/15 at 4:06am

Idina Menzel originated the role of Elphaba on Broadway so the claim that she was stunt cast in the West End is ludicrous and severely inaccurate.