After hearing how Carrie Underwood should not have been cast in the live version of The Sound of Music (which I agree about without wasting three hours), and knowing how disappointed I was by some of the casting for the movie of Les Miserables last year, I was thinking of the ideal casts for if other musicals were performed live for a TV audience.
Guys and Dolls:
Sarah: Katharine McPhee
Adelaide: Megan Hilty
Sky: Jeremy Jordan
Nathan: Neil Patrick Harris
I know I mostly chose actors from Smash, but they fit so perfectly into those roles! And NPH, with his singing talent and comedic style is perfect as Nathan Detroit!
Oklahoma:
Curly: Luke Bryan
Laurey: Laura Osnes
Ado Annie: Miranda Lambert
Will: Matthew Morrison
I thought it might be fun to cast with some country singers. (Who would be better fit for these roles than certain country singers playing British nannies.) Who doesn't go weak at the knees when Luke Bryan sings? If he can make thousands of screaming girls get in his truck, surely he can get one girl into his "surrey with the fringe on top." Laura Osnes has the All-American look and demeanor to play Laurey. She has a great voice too! Miranda Lambert is such a force on the country scene and would be super cute as the girl who "cain't say no." Annie's boyfriend, Will, seems like the needy, pushover type and Matthew Morrison could play it well.
Evita:
Eva: Lea Michele and Idina Menzel
Che: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lea Michele could start out strong with this role, singing "Buenos Aires" and "Goodnight and Thank You." Idina could take over by the time they get to "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and carry it the rest of the way through. They look alike enough to play mother and daughter on Glee, so why not?
Che (the role played by Antonio Banderas in the movie) was harder to cast, but then I thought of Lin-Manuel and got so excited at the idea!
West Side Story:
Maria: Selena Gomez or Miranda Cosgrove
Tony: Grant Gustin
Anita: Naya Rivera
I think either actress/singer could work for Maria. They both have that teen charm to them. As for Grant, I normally see him in bad guy roles, but I also could see him playing Tony in a genuine and sincere way. And since Naya played Anita so well on Glee, she's a shoo-in! (Or Schue-in, in the case of Glee.)
My Fair Lady:
Eliza: Emmy Rossum
Henry: Hugh Jackman
I think Emmy has the voice and look for Eliza. The other possibility is Marion Cotillard. And who wouldn't want Hugh to play the man who reforms her and then falls for her?
I know there's a movie being made of Into the Woods, but I'm really not keen on the casting choices. I'm glad they replaced the girl playing Red Riding Hood, but still....
Here are my choices (some are re-used from before, but they're just that good):
Witch: Idina Menzel (she played a witch to perfection before, and is great in dramatic roles. I'd love to hear her sing "Last Midnight.")
Cinderella: Katharine McPhee
Jack: Chris Colfer (I've always seen him in this role. He still has the baby face to pull it off.)
Red Riding Hood: Ariel Winter (Given that she plays Sofia the First, we know she can sing. She also has the sassiness to play this role to perfection.)
Baker: Christian Borle (He kind of reminds me of the original guy who played the Baker in the PBS production. Something about his voice and the way he carries himself.)
Baker's Wife: Anne Hathaway (She's meant for the stage. Especially after she blew me away as Fantine in Les Miz.) I think she'd do a great job in the role.
Jack's Mother: Helena Bonham Carter (although Tracey Ullman is a good choice too)
Rapunzel: Mandy Moore (She can sing, she's already familiar with the role of Rapunzel because of Tangled, etc.)
Cinderella's Prince: Armie Hammer
Rapunzel's Prince: Adam Pally
I don't know if either of these guys can sing, but I just see them in the roles. I'd love to hear them sing "Agony" together.
I'd love to hear your choices for any of these musicals. If you have other suggestions for musicals to cast, please let me know. I love casting musicals as much as (if not more than) books! I didn't feel ready to cast Little Shop of Horrors or Grease yet. I will NEVER re-cast Rent or Wicked though!
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1 comment:
hey there! finally read this post and think you make great choices! Though I had to research who Luke Bryan is. And I am glad you didn't forget my dear Grant Gustin (who I think will make a better Bernardo than Tony)
And did you know that Lea Michele was offered the last revival of Evita (the one with Ricky Martin) although she was to have been paired with Matthew Morrison as Che. So you are on the right track :)
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