Your Dream Cast for the future ACL revival

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 2:14pm

Who would you cast in the upcoming A Chorus Line revival? Im trying to think of who would be good for the roles but I literally cant think of anyone. Maybe they'll get unknowns a la the OBC.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 2:22pm

Well, they won't get anyone at quite the level of the OBC as the majority of the original cast was involved in the workshop and round table discussions that led to the creation of the characters.

[WillParker]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 2:25pm

Elizabeth Parkinson as Cassie, please God!!!!

[jasobres]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 2:30pm

I do have a feeling that they will cast a lot of gypsies.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 2:31pm

I was going to say Elizabeth Parkinson as Cassie, but someone beat me to it!

I just ask that they cast, while not completely new faces - the show is about Broadway gyspys afterall - people who haven't done 14 productions of ACL already.


Updated On: 6/23/05 at 02:31 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 2:32pm

Elizabeth Parkinson as Cassie is a BRILLIANT IDEA!!! I loooove her and know she would make an incomparable Cassie!

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:21pm

What do you think about Sara Ramirez as Morales? Don't get me wrong, I'm ont some crazed fan of hers - I've only seen her on the Tony's - I just think she'd be pretty good in that role, she seems like she'd be perfect at Morales' attitude adn she'd sound great belting out those numbers...but can she dance?

Ummm...I'd love to see Celia as Maggie, Billy Porter in there somewhere - love him and can totally hear him beltin' out the "**** richie!" parts, lol...um, I dunno for Cassie, that's a toughie and I'm unfamiliar with Elizabeth Parkinson...Stephanie Block can dance and would sound great on Ballet somewhere...Michael Arden could sing I Can Do That and be all cute and boyish and energetic - can he dance? um...Jen Cody could be Connie (she's the 4foot 10 gal, right?), tryin' to think of a Val/T&A gal...oh, how about Jane Krakowski?

Alrighty, that's my two cents...just some thoughts, what do ya think?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:22pm

Unknowns.
ALL unknowns (except MAYBE for Cassie).

Updated On: 6/23/05 at 04:22 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:27pm

But would the show fare well without a big name to attract tourists etc?

[halyiaganitefiz]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:31pm

Derrick Williams as Richie, PLEASE! He practically IS Richie, and no, I'm not just saying this because he's a soulful black man. He went to school with a baseball scholarship, and then remembered theater from his childhood and went with that instead. And he's a seriously asskicking dancer. I'd love to see him in ACL. ♥

Hm. I agree with all-gypsies cast, though.

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:35pm

Eh...it's A Chorus Line, I think it'll attract people with unknowns...but don't you think that the casting of this classic, a show so many people in theatre have wanted to be in their entire life, will attract a plethora of 'names' to their audtiions as well? Will they jus tpass on them to take an unknown?

Just a thought...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:39pm

It ran 15 YEARS originally without names (ending as the longest runniung show in Broadway history) -- why would now be any different than 15 years ago. Much like Cats, Phantom, and Mamma Mia, the show is the star and you don't need celebrities to attract audiences.

Not to mention, this is a true ensemble. Except maybe for Cassie, there aren't any star roles in it. The roles are too small for most stars to want to do it -- aside from Diana (and Maggie, sort of), nobody else gets more than one song or real solo turn in the show. How many big names are willing to do eight shows a week for 5 minutes of solo time on stage?

Also, because of the large cast, they're paying Equity minimum across the board (Cassie might be an exception) -- not many "names" would work for that considering how demanding the show is to do.

Updated On: 6/23/05 at 04:39 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:43pm

Krispy -- your cast is great for a studio recording, but I'm just about positive people like Billy Porter, Michael Arden and Sara Ramirez don't have the dance to do the show on Broadway.

The show shouldn't have names. Nor should it be complete unknowns who have never been on Broadway before either. The cast should include people like Joyce Chittick, Shannon Lewis, Eric Otte -- performers who have made their living being dancers in Broadway shows, but almost always in the chorus.

That is what the show is about.

[Elizabeth_DeBris]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:44pm

I can't imagine this show being done with "names" as any of the characters (well, maybe other than Cassie). The point of the show is that they go do all of this work, and go through these painstaking audition processes to become faceless- a member of a chorus line. If you had anyone semi-famous as any of these characters, I don't think that would really happen, because you would know who they are. Did that make sense? Anyway, you might be able to get away with casting someone fairly well-known as Cassie, because her whole thing is that she's too exceptional to be faceless. So, I think the show would definetely lose something if you cast recognizable actors as the rest of the dancers.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:44pm

I agree Margo and possibly Zach. I can tell by the way some of you are rattling off names that you are obviously not familiar with the show. It is intense dancing, singing and acting. You indeed have to be a true triple threat. Having done the show several times I am a bit wary of this revival that is occurring. For some reason it seems too soon for me. Don't get me wrong, Bob and Baayork will do an amazing job recreating the original and I know Baayork will make sure that every finger is exactly in the same position as the original held it. Also, I'm not so sure how long this revival will run. It seems like nowadays you almost have to have a "name" in a show and there really isn't one that I can think of that could pull one of those roles off. They will hopefully use all Gypsies and new faces for the cast. I am also assuming that they will use people that have done the show before. I just thank God that they are using all original stuff and not trying to revamp the production.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:48pm

That's what I meant by "unknowns." Not Broadway neophytes (which would probably be a disaster) but people chosen from the enormous pool of experienced Broadway chorus dancers -- those gifted actor/singer/dancers who are in the ensembles of show after show, year after year, but aren't famous yet. That's who created the show to begin with, what the show is about and who Bennett always cast during the original run.

From Playbill.com:

"The cast included such then-unsung performers as Wayne Cilento, Robert LuPone, Priscilla Lopez, Kelly Bishop (then called Carole Bishop) and Donna McKechnie. Though many went on to productive careers, no one from the cast became a major star. Breglio said he suspected the new cast would also be composed of largely unknown performers.

"It was always this thing that emerged out of anonymity and it exploded. It was this little thing downtown that happened. I want to preserve as best as I can what it is," Breglio said."

Updated On: 6/23/05 at 04:48 PM

[apdarcey]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:50pm

i absolutely think it is necessary to cast all gypsies in this production... i would be all for elizabeth parkinson as cassie if she can sing that material (which i've heard she can...) and of course zach doesn't have to be a no one, but i'm sure no big name is going to want that part anyway!

[WillParker]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 4:52pm

ooh--joyce chittick...nice idea michael b....she's fierce...can i have amy heggins somewhere in there?

[Jwei123]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 5:01pm

I would LOVE to see Elizabeth Parkinson as cassie, but do we know if she can sing?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 5:13pm

Too bad Nancy Lemenager can't sing.

Updated On: 6/23/05 at 05:13 PM

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 5:38pm

John Tartaglia as Paul. Unfortunately, Paul does not have a solo but it would be so wonderful to hear John do that moving monologue.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 5:43pm

It would also be terrific if Paul were actually Puerto Rican...

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 5:48pm

If it's not unknowns, there really is no point in a revival.

[arishmoof]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 6:16pm

this show is FOR unknowns. i want to see some of the fantastic dancers and singers out there who have been working in the ensembles but who dont get a chance to do something individual. the only part that could be a well known actor is the casting director (whats his name again, i cant remember) i dont know who i would cast in that role, the only person that comes to mind, maybe is raul esparza- it needs to be someone like that with a lot of intensity

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 6:22pm

Zach the director is just a voice on the microphone for 98% of the show. He's on stage at the beginning for about 5 minutes putting the dancers through the combinations, midway through the show he comes up and comforts Paul for a minute after the monologue, and then does the "One" curtain call with the rest of the company at the very end. Why would Raul Esparza or any name actor want to do a role where he's almost never seen and doesn't sing a single note solo?

DOZENS of actors out there could be first rate as Zach -- there's absolutely no need to cast somebody famous for it.