Brilliant Missed Casting Opportunities

[Q]

"The only character Judy Garland ever played was Judy Garland."

I assume you mean on Broadway . . .

[Q]

Double.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Vanessa Williams in a revival of IRMA LA DOUCE

Harry Connick Jr in PAL JOEY

Joe Mantegna as Billy Flynn in CHICAGO

[random person 112]

Julie Andrews as mrs. lovett in sweeney todd.

[madbrian]

John Cullum as Sweeney Todd

Kathy Bates as Rose in Gypsy

Anne Hathaway as Anne Egerman in A Little Night Music

[AC126748]

Wasn't Harry Connick Jr rumored, at one point, to be interested in playing Pal Joey?

[Elphaba3]

Sutton could still do Mattress, she's barely into her early 30s and still reads in her 20s.

She's 36. As much as I love her, I don't think looks in her 20s.

[madbrian]

Kelly Bishop as Joanne in Company

[husk_charmer]

Sutton's 36? Well she still reads as young, and Winnifred doesn't have to be a 25 year old. Carol Burnett certainly wasn't pretty, just funny and charming.

Bishop could probably still play Joanne regionally.

[Wilmingtom]

Cyndi Lauper as Princess Winnifred
Lady Gaga as Fanny Brice (not actually a missed opportunity yet!)
Gwyneth Paltrow as Nellie Forbush
Mickie Rooney as Peter Pan

[PennybankBill]

For some reason, I believe Robert Morse would have made a pretty good Buddy in FOLLIES. That's all.

[gvendo2005]

Two major revivals of rock musicals were planned in the Eighties that never got off the ground. The billing for one always made me smile:

DIVINE
in
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW

She's the sweetest transvestite of them all!

The producer was about to start talks with Mr. Milstead's manager, but the day they were to meet, Divine turned up dead.

Also apparently booted about was a major revival of JCS in the Eighties with Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson as the leads, but that's only ever been heard as rumor*. (I think it would've been great, personally.)

* I can confirm the Divine casting, as I work for/with the producer in question.

[BeingAlive2]

Patti Lupone and Julie Andrews as Elphaba and Glinda

[Jon]

The 1994 Central Park production of KISS ME KATE with Kevin Kline that never happened.


And my fantasy - what if in 1997, after the closing of STEEL PIER, Karen Ziemba and Kristin Chenoweth could have reunited for a revival of WONDERFUL TOWN?

[PennybankBill]

After hearing that, I realised Kevin Kline would make a perfect Ben Stone!

[Patronus]

Brian Stokes Mitchell as Javert
Norbert Leo Butz as George Seurat
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Mercutio

[Overkill]

"Sutton could still do Mattress, she's barely into her early 30s and still reads in her 20s."

"She's 36. As much as I love her, I don't think looks in her 20s."

Sutton always reads younger to me. She'd be a great Winnifred, but I'd rather see it go to Leslie Kritzer. Also, I feel she kinda already played the part in SHREK.

Also, she's NOT too old! Tracy Ullman did the movie, and she's was in her forties. Denis O'Hare was Prince Dauntless. They don't have to be young kids, it can be played either way.

[redmustang]

Liza as Mama Rose about the time Daly did it.
Or 30 years ago, Chita as Mama Rose and Liza as Louise.
Or how about when Lupone is ready to exit Evita, Meryl Streep agrees to a 6-month run before she films the movie.

[SondheimFan5]

Nathan Lane as Hanratty -- I loved Butz but Lane would've been excellent as well. he did it in workshops.

Angela Lansbury as Phyllis or Carlotta

Natasha Richardson & Vanessa Redgrave as Desiree and Mme Armfeldt (in a full production)

Norm Lewis as Coalhouse

Chita in Dear World

Beth Leavel as Mrs. Meers

Rachel York as Victor/Victoria --- coming full circle!

[3bluenight]

KIM STANLEY in a delicate balance - so close. and actually maybe vanessa Redgrave as agnes.

[ComingUpRoses2]

Liza would have made a terrific Madame Rose back in the day. Her "Some People" and "Rose's Turn" are sensational!

It still hurts me that they didn't end up getting Judy Garland and Ann Margret for Rose and Louise for the 60's film version.

Kelly Bishop as Joanne? Where do I sign? I love that woman. It could still happen, right? Please?

The Kevin Kline/Julie Andrews Sweeney Todd film I once heard about simply fascinates me. Mary Poppins as Mrs. Lovett? Once again...where do I sign?

[AEA AGMA SM]

Going with the songs/parts we can only lament Judy not singing/playing - "I'm Still Here"/Carlotta. I also think Ann Margret would have knocked that part out of the park at one point.

I would have loved to see Alice Playten take on Hattie in the current revival of Follies. She would have been a bit younger than most other Hattie's, but she truly was a Broadway baby (look up her performance of "Poor Little Person" on the Ed Sullivan show).

Going along with the current production of Follies, Eartha Kitt as Solange. Would love to have heard that throaty growl of hers on "Ah, Paris!"

[AC126748]

Vanessa Williams as Phyllis Rogers Stone or Desiree Armfeldt
Donna Murphy as Maria Callas (MASTER CLASS)
Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson in ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

It doesn't warrant a full production, but I've always been surprised that Encores! or some other limited revival company never mounted HALLELUJAH, BABY! for Audra McDonald.

[givesmevoice]

It doesn't warrant a full production, but I've always been surprised that Encores! or some other limited revival company never mounted HALLELUJAH, BABY! for Audra McDonald.
It could still happen, couldn't it?


I was thinking that Victoria Clark could've have made a fantastic Amalia Balash.

[henrikegerman]

I want to get back to the anecdote about Elvis's career getting saved by taking the role of - I guess Tony - in West Side Story? Huh? Leaving aside how successful he would have been in the role, his film career certainly didn't die in the early 60s. In fact most of his movie successes - Viva Las Vegas et all - were after West Side Story. Not before it.

[henrikegerman]

I want to get back to the anecdote about Elvis's career getting saved by taking the role of - I guess Tony - in West Side Story? Huh? Leaving aside how successful he would have been in the role, his film career certainly didn't die in the early 60s. In fact most of his movie successes - Viva Las Vegas et all - were after West Side Story. Not before it.