pop-stars,,,ick!!! — Page 3

oops luckystar! what's this i'm reading? OMG say it ain't so.."THE IDINA" wanted to be a *POP* star?

Oh heeeeellls naw, we won't stand for that she belongs in the THE-A-TRE..we shall have none of that nonesense. No recording contracts, movie deals or television for her. She can have the stage ALL TO HERSELF!

why are we making a big deal over Idina anyway? So what if she wanted to become a POP singer. She wasn't famous at all when she got the part in RENT. This thread is about producers trying to get POP stars playing roles on broadway.

If a pop star has talent let them be. I mean some might be wonderful in a role, just maybe not one we've seen yet.

I saw Mel B. in RENT and IMHO she just couldn't handle the role. She did a pretty good Out Tonight and then pretty much lost her voice the rest of the show. She was cracking and really hoarse. We went to see the show again a few days later for a Mat performance and saw Caren Lyn Manuel who was fantastic in the role and who DIDN'T lose her voice. For Mel B, the role is too damanding on her voice. She has a nice voice, like I said her Out Tonight wasn't bad. Her acting was a little over the top, but she was trying and I'll give her that.

But the fact of the matter was when we went we weren't going to see a Spice Girl or anything, we were going to see one of our favorite shows on Broadway. We would've gone spice girl or no spice girl because we love the show.

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stat, but SOME people who went to see Mel B had never seen RENT before.. so they weren't there cause they loved Rent....

I think everyone is also forgetting Miss. Deborah “Debbie” Gibson. She has been doing some great Broadway theater…and lord knows she was a Pop Star.

In my original post Wonderwall, Dayne was most definitely mentioned.

Don't blame the casting directors. Blame the unions and theater owners who have driven up the price of tickets to $100+. If a tourist who doesn't know a lot about Broadway or theater is going to pay those prices, they want to know they're going to get something that is a known quantity. They know who the pop stars are. Bottom line.

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so you all think its perfectly fair that if someone equally or more talented than a pop-star goes up against them for a role they will surely lose just because they dont have a name?...my point throughout this whole this was just that that is what turns me off about them.thats it. and i didnt mean to personally attack or anything i just felt others were (and are) attacking me so i mean i had to defend myself its human nature.

Updated On: 9/14/04 at 03:34 PM

mikeonbroadway: actually it does break down EXACTLY what the characters from rent MUST be like :

WE ARE LOOKING for RAW, ORIGINAL singers who truly have a quality of street life and move well. Authentic people!!! We do not need the typical musical theater performer. RENT requires strong, clear voices and honest personalities.

ROGER
Caucasian, male, early 20’s to late 20’s. Sexy, young, good-looking leader of a rock band. A brooding rock star, but with a gentle side. He has natural charisma and mystery. Rock & roll grunge voice. Range is up to A-flat.

MARK
Caucasian, male, early 20’s to late 20’s. Baritone/second tenor. Underfunded, underground filmmaker. Very casual narrator of the show, but with a sense of humor and fun.

JOANNE
African American, female, mid 20’s to late 20’s. High rock belt. Wry humor and sardonic wit, politically connected, probably Harvard Graduate. A lawyer with spunk. Very smart and mature.

COLLINS
African-American, male, early 20’s to late 20’s. Low baritone, bluesy voice. Very soulful. Philosopher, teacher, anarchist, AIDS activist. Great open personality. Mature and warm, very committed to his friends & lover.

BENNY
African American, male, early 20’s to late 20’s. Baritone/second tenor, can handle pop ballads. A striver who has gone from the projects to becoming a successful business man. Motivated by money at the risk of angering his friends. Very smooth and extremely good-looking - he uses charm to get what he wants.

ANGEL
Latino, Asian male, young/late teens to late 20’s. High tenor to falsetto. Actor must be willing to play drag but he is not just a diva. He has a heart of gold and is a really fun guy, lots of style.

MIMI
Latina, female, early 20’s to late 20’s. Raw rock & roll voice with a high belt. Must be extremely sexy and potential dangerous fun. An optimist, not a quitter, likeable, but with some dark secrets.

MAUREEN
Caucasian, female, early 20’s only. Young, spunky soul singer. Innocent sexiness. Really quirky and funny actor. East Village Performance Artist who is really into it.

and ENSEMBLE
Ethnicities especially encouraged! Early 20’s to late 20’s. Great singers. Ability to move well onstage. Must be able to understudy principles.

Please mail your submissions to:
RENT Casting
145 West 28th Sreet, #12F
New York, NY 10001
http://www.wannabeinrent.com/

Updated On: 9/14/04 at 03:43 PM

"so you all think its perfectly fair that if someone equally or more talented than a pop-star goes up against them for a role they will surely lose just because they dont have a name?..."

Hey, I'm sure on the Planet High Art where artistic considerations reign supreme over pragmatic business your fairy tale outlook on casting might be sensible and something to applaud.

The rest of us live on Earth where financial and marketing considerations play as big a part in casting as artistic ones.

And here's the real stinker: it's like that in EVERY SINGLE OCCUPATION ON THE PLANET.

Fair? Who gives a monkey crap. Anyone looking for fair casting should save the auditioners and the industry the time and irritation and stay at home where they belong. Because if you think anyone's divine talent is what's going to get them to the top, you're in the wrong friggin' business. And you're on the wrong planet.

Life sucks, wear a helmet.

no s*it but the point of the matter is name or no pop-stars arent the asset they are assumed to be...
and we wouldnt have some of the wonderful people we have in show bussiness today if talent didnt play a part in casting...true that talent will not be the deciding factor 100% but EVERYONE starts somewhere and EVERYONE gets their break. why should pop-stars, who already have names, get the roles better suited of new actors?

Updated On: 9/14/04 at 03:57 PM

Because they've already gotten their breaks and, thus, are more attractive to casting agents. They're a known quantity.

Why cast anyone more than once then? There's always an unknown that could use the break.