Will Laura Leave Wedding Singer? Variety Thinks So- Page 3

[ErikInTheCity]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:48am

Off the top of my head, I cannot think of anyone that would be suitable and be competent as a singer and actress. I don't really know who she is, but Kathryn McPhee is an obvious choice, I've been told, if she can be bought out of her AI contract.

Hilary would be a good character fit, I guess. I still cannot think of anyone.

[thespian geek]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:50am

Mandy Moore?

[Phantom2]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:53am

Tina also hosted a TV show on the Travel Channel. You people need to do your homework!

[thespian geek]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:56am

I could really care less about both Mamma Mia and the Travel Channel, so. I mean, I had no idea who Tina was prior to Wedding Singer. Same way I didn't know who Stephen Lynch was prior to it, either.

Edit: A friend of mine also mentioned Emmy Rossum? I, personally, disagree with this choice. I like her well enough but I don't know.. Updated On: 8/11/06 at 12:56 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:08am

No Stunt Casting can help this show.
I hope all involved get work in Sept.
and Laura gets well
what happened the Night during Previews when she was gonna get fired?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:28am

Updated On: 8/11/06 at 01:28 AM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:34am

Both Mandy Moore and Jessica Simpson would be great for the role, I'd love to see them in the show. I feel terrible about Laura's accident, how come she fell to the floor in ITW and broke her neck? did she trip with her dress? That interview is really great and it will make many of us think twice before we post. I feel terrible about her injury, she really needs to retire I think, her health seems too fragile.

[thespian geek]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:39am

No Stunt Casting can help this show.

I disagree. Stunt casting can help any show. People will pay to see a particular person and not give a rats ass about the show itself.

[zoran912]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:42am

I find it highly disrespectful to Ms. Benanti that you are all trying to find a replacement for her. It would be one thing to speculate replacements if Laura had announced a departure date. The fact of the matter is she has not done so. Until it is officially announced that Laura Benanti is leaving "The Wedding Singer", the speculation and rumors really should stop.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:44am

A show has to have the $ to do Stunt Casting
and TWS is cash poor
not the producers
the Show

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:48am

I completely agree, zoran.

Guys, you all need to remember that these are simply rumors. Most likely UNTRUE.

[OnMyWay]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:51am

TINA TINA TINA

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:52am

Some random casting ideas (some of them probably unworkable for whatever reason): Jennifer Garner, Zooey Deschanel, Lacey Chabert, Brittany Murphy, Katie Holmes, Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson, Jessica Biel, Jenna Leigh Green, Amy Jo Johnson, Erika Christensen, Jamie Lyn Sigler

[C is for Company]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 2:42am

Aside from reading about the Benanti unfortunate circumstances, this thread has made me laugh. Simple: detach the ailing star for her own sake and it won't hurt the show at this point. Then the hard part is find a replacement, but in the meantime sales will still plummet, despite the most adorable standby ever being capable to keep the audiences happy.
The producers better pull some strings fast

[veryownplanetz]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 7:50am

Ok guys, variety aint the new york times...so lets cut it with the rumor mill until something actually does happen IF it's going to happen...plus we also need to cut it with all other rumors INCLUDING whats up with laura...cause frankly, she wouldn't want us speculating why shes gone...basically we should take that she is sick and MOVE ON.

[jdixon69]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 9:27am

Variety prints what it's told to print.

And we're not allowed to speculate here because Laura wouldn't want us to? Should we wait to get permission in writing from her, or assume she'll give us her blessing through one of her oracles here?

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 9:38am

"Jennifer Garner, Zooey Deschanel, Lacey Chabert, Brittany Murphy, Katie Holmes, Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson, Jessica Biel, Jenna Leigh Green, Amy Jo Johnson, Erika Christensen, Jamie Lyn Sigler "

wtf? Katie Holmes. Tom Cruise has her under hypnosis right now.
Updated On: 8/11/06 at 09:38 AM

[Al Dente]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 9:48am

Seriously, first, WHO CARES? The show has been struggling from day one and no name is going to make a big enough difference in box office this late in the game, but more importantly, is anyone else as sick of Iluvs nonsense as I?

The last thread was completely erased which is a shame but now, he feels the need to tell us all about his bedtime conversation with his BFF Laura. I'm sorry but, if you're "really" that close with someone, actor or not, star or not, you NEVER, EVER do the things Luv's doing on these absolutely over the top threads he feels a strange compulsion to start and babble all over. It's one thing to "defend" your favorite people, but YOU started all this crap to begin with Luv, you're the reason she NEEDS defending. Do you even begin to comprehend that fact? No, of course not, because you're too busy trying to fill us all in about your extraordinarily close bond with a theater actress(with very questionable work ethics, injury or no), no one outside of theater is "really" all that aware of.

Enough, luv, this is really bad on all levels because it makes Benanti's judgement, seem even more questionable than ever before.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 9:53am

wtf? Katie Holmes. Tom Cruise has her under hypnosis right now.

Hahaha.

I don't like speculating, but since someone brought up Anne hathaway I just have to say I think she could pull it off.

BUT, we don't have to worry about that.

[Yeah, um, no.]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 10:59am

I'm sorry but, if you're "really" that close with someone, actor or not, star or not, you NEVER, EVER do the things Luv's doing...

You hit it on the head, Al. It's very sweet that Luv has a semi-famous "friend", but he comes across as nothing more than a sycophant and fan. (I know some of you will disagree, but let's agree to disagree now and dispense with the verbose defenses.)

Tina was on again last night. My prediction is that we'll see very few, if any, more shows with Ms. Benanti. They'll try to stunt cast in the Fall, with Tina assuming the role if it continues beyond then.

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 11:04am

Hey if they put Ashley Tisdale in the role, The High School Musical Fans would come and it would run FOREVER.

[thespian geek]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 11:04am

Rumor or not (and even if Variety does print what they're told to) .. they - Variety - are NOT a tabloid. I'd take this whole thing with a grain of salt if it were say, the Post, but it's not. Variety is an old magazine with a decent reputation. I wouldn't count their sources out.

Besides that, this news isn't coming as a surprise to me. A friend of mine overheard conversation a few weeks ago regarding the producers being at the show to see "audience reaction to Tina Maddigan" - at the time they may have been looking to just bump Tina up, I don't know for sure, but I'm not at all surprised that they might be looking to release Laura and stunt cast in her place.

And that's all I have to say. :p

[fanohmight]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 11:17am

Did I just read that Laura's mom is reading this thread...seems that Laura is very tied up in what people have to say about her.Look we wish her well..Got it...We want her to get better..Got it...Bottom Line...Tina Maddigan as been on for almost two weeks in row now...she is not just standing by..
she is on!!

[DrunkyMcWasted]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 11:21am

I'm not looking to get into it with anyone (the amount of drama already on this board makes my head hurt). But I would like to say for the record that Luv, reguardless of how he might come across to you, is indeed very close to Laura. And if you'd seen some of the PMs he's been getting, you'd understand why he feels the need to post as he does.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 11:25am

For the person who said take what Variety writes with a grain of salt: you obviously don't know the entertainment industry. The consencious in the entertainment world is that once something gets into Variety, it's official. They have very (and I emphasize very) good contacts, and don't print anything unless they are 100% sure of it's accuracy.