scary spice in talks to be ROXIE HART!

[IveGottaBeME]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 2:51pm

Mel B as Roxie Hart? The former Scary Spice attempted a solo comeback last year and is now turning her attentions to the stage. She sees herself high-kicking as Roxie in the hit musical Chicago.

She told me: "People forget that I trained as a dancer and singer prior to being in the Spice Girls and it's something I want to get back into." The show, I hear, is keen on the idea too, and a meeting has been set up in the next few weeks.

Doubters, take note - Mel scored high with critics when she appeared in Broadway musical Rent last year Good luck, Mel.

This is from skynews.com


Anyway, I didn't think she was terrible in RENT.. i think Roxie is much easier to sing.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 2:53pm

The Weisslers are the most ridiculous producers ever. Seriously.

[IveGottaBeME]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 2:54pm

haha, i know... it'd be amusing to see but it is really random.

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 2:56pm

What ever happened to that Chicago needs to close thread from awhile back?

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 2:56pm

Scored high with what critics? Helen Keller?

[philcrosby]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 2:57pm

Now that IS Scary.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 3:26pm

Im telling you, after i saw Melanie Griffith as Roxie, Mel B will seem like Meryl Streep. I saw Mel B in Rent and she was pretty bad. But if she stays away from cigarettes, she will pull Roxie off. Her dancing and her body looked great in Rent though. She sounds a lot like Daphne Rubin Vega in her CDs (i think), plus she looked the role of Mimi. But her singing live was just not good.

[willact4food]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 3:30pm

oh no, just please no.
as much as i loved the spice girls when i was like 8, none of them belong on broadway.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 3:32pm

The title alone made my stomach hurt. Barry and Fran need to be put to sleep.

[kaboodles041]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 3:37pm

I really don't think it is fair and/or nice to judge before even seeing it.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 3:41pm

Kaboodles is right, and i am not a fan of Mel B for the record. I didn't enjoy her performance in ReNt.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 3:55pm

Roxie calls for a VERY small singing range, it's not Mimi at all.

If she is a trained dancer, then I'm sure she can handle the dancing. For Roxie's biggest dance number ME AND MY BABY there are 3 choreographed versions ranging from easy to hard. I'm sure one of those can suit her.

But this sounds like this might happen in London opposed to Broadway.

So just because the Weisslers like to stunt cast sometimes, lets just murder them, huh? Lets not be greatful for them turning Chicago into a mega success after Encores did it. Lets not be thankful for their amazing GYPSY revival in 1989 with Tyne Daly. Lets not be thankful they got the right for WONDERFUL TOWN after Encores, and they revived it on Broadway 50 years after it originally was produced.

They are very powerful, and very successful producers. Thanks to them, they bring family audiences to classic Broadway shows.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 4:01pm

thats really fascinating ljay, I always wondered how they do changes in the choreography with stunt casting. I like that 3 different choreographed Me and My Baby thing.
I saw Melanie, I'm guessing shes one, Bryn Dowling, I guess either 3 or 2, and Robin Givens, I'm guessing was 2?

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 4:07pm

Actually, I might be wrong but if I can remember well Melanie Griffith danced something below level one for "Me and My Baby," she has almost no dancing skills. I do enjoy some of the Weisslers' choices for casting, but sometimes I think they are disrespectful to their audience by casting less than appropriate "actors."

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 4:09pm

Yes, it is absolutely true that Griffith didn't follow any level. I believe the dance captains (don't think it was Reinking) came up with the easiest moves possible for her. Like clapping on beat.

You will know if a Roxie is doing level 3, because level 3 includes the leaps at the end of the number. Charlotte d'Amboise gives a killer level 3.

I believe Brooke Shields did a level 2, she had no leaps. Brooke did all the original Reinking choreography opposed to Griffith. Brooke also had her own session with Ann Reinking (and I believe also with Walter Bobbie for her acting.)
Updated On: 4/14/06 at 04:09 PM

Posted: 4/14/06 at 4:11pm

Mel B as Roxie is hilarious. Almost as hilarious as casting Keira Knightly as Eliza Doolittle because she looks like Audrey Hepburn.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 4:14pm

I think she'd make a better Velma...

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 4:16pm

Um, if she was Velma. She would need a strong singing voice, that can belt. And she would need to be an amazing dancer.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 4:44pm

no, actually, she wouldn't NEED to be... she would just need to sell tickets...

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 4:47pm

"So just because the Weisslers like to stunt cast sometimes, lets just murder them, huh? Lets not be greatful for them turning Chicago into a mega success after Encores did it. Lets not be thankful for their amazing GYPSY revival in 1989 with Tyne Daly. Lets not be thankful they got the right for WONDERFUL TOWN after Encores, and they revived it on Broadway 50 years after it originally was produced. "

Sometimes? Let's try almost EVERY show. I mean they should at least see the performers before they hire them.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 4:48pm

When we saw Brynn, she did the entire choreography, I guess, as an understudy, she was taught the real deal.

[Chicboheme]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 4:54pm

oy.. i saw her in Rent and its was not very good. They even changed the key in "another day" to accomodate her voice. She was cracking, she was out of breath.. hmm, well, maybe she'll do better in chicago.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 4:55pm

You're info is false. They auditon most (if not 90%) of the performers before they are casted. Just ask Robin Givens. She had an extensive audition with the Weisslers, and Ann Reinking.

Marissa, Elfman, Jane, and Applegate all had extensive audtions for Charity. Marissa and Elfman couldn't handle it, so the Weisslers kept looking. Christina auditioned their butt off for them, and a private singing audition/session with the amazing Cy Coleman, and then they all realized she was right for the part.

Who was stunt casted in their productions of Cabaret, Fiddler, Macbeth, My Fair Lady? I feel they didn't start heavily stunt casting until their Grease revival.
Here's a list of all their shows, how many show can you honestly say had stunt casting?
http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=21259

And also Velma is rarely ever stunt casted. They know it's way too hard to stunt that role. That's why Roxie is always stunted.



Updated On: 4/14/06 at 04:55 PM

[C is for Company]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 5:02pm

Ljay, do you suppose Reinking is too old now to make a return of her own? Not necessarily in Chicago but perhaps a revival of an obscure Fosse show, she still seems pretty active in the casting/choreography stuff for Chicago. I would love to see such a dedicated performer come back after seeing her in All That Jazz and watching Fosse.

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 5:04pm

Now that's SCARY : ) Updated On: 4/15/06 at 05:04 PM