1,102 posts
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Post by zak97 on Jun 26, 2020 20:16:37 GMT
Personally I’d like to see Anna O’Byrne reprise the role, and thereby see her play a larger role in London
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396 posts
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Post by djp on Jun 26, 2020 21:05:24 GMT
its not difficult to find really good Elizas. St Paul's Church put it on in 2016 with 5 good options, a couple of whom could play her any age 16 - 40. musicaltheatrereview.com/my-fair-lady-west-end-stars-celebrate-60th-anniversary/You could add multiple other options for other top performers who can do the accent.If you want someone from films , if she can do Glaswegian Jessie Buckley can sure do cockney. And in the MT world, Nancy Sullivan even comes with the right accent. and has played her twice in Italian opera houses. The Colosseum however seems to now like inappropriate big names who they think can sell tickets at exorbitant prices to prop up their other productions. So wouldn't be surprised to see Boe, Ball , Dolores Umbridge playing herself again, and Carrie .
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4,631 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 26, 2020 21:31:59 GMT
Putting any musical into the Coliseum is madness. Unless you're going to cast someone like Hugh Jackman as Higgins, you're going to be playing to lots of empty seats and that can't be sustained over a run. It's just too big. Didn't The King and I do incredibly well though? X x x Hmm that's surprising 🤔 x x x
Not particularly, given that it played at the Palladium.
The Coliseum is only 73 seats more than the Palladium (albeit not really seen as a musical house any more). The King and I was marketed incredibly well given that they made the show and production the hero and the two excellent Broadway stars weren't really West End names. It seems to have been a big hit on tour too - it was packed in Dublin. If My Fair Lady was publicised as well I think there would be a huge appetite for a limited season of a big, luxurious production in a big house. Hopefully that would take the pressure off for casting stars - maybe a star Higgins and a brilliant lesser known Eliza of the right age. The King and I was brilliant at the Palace of the London Palladium, Kelli O’Hara was brilliant in the role and should have won the Olivier, when she sung ‘Hello Young Lovers’ she was like a peacock with feathers fully spread. But they still struggled to sell tickets and it was very easy to get a £25 rush ticket from TodayTix on the day. Hence why producers don’t like the big theatres now.
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4,458 posts
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Post by poster J on Jun 26, 2020 22:13:25 GMT
I would love to see Jessie Buckley do this!
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4,522 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Jun 26, 2020 23:14:07 GMT
Jessie Buckley is a SUPERB shout for Eliza.
And I honestly think this would sell very well on a 12 week season. I saw King and I 3 times at the Palladium, on a variety of days and times, and the house full sign was always up. My Fair Lady is as big a title - the show sells itself. If there are some names in it that people recognised (Jessie, Harry H-P and Diana Rigg) then I'd see this being a smash.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2020 1:08:03 GMT
Jessie Buckley is a SUPERB shout for Eliza. And I honestly think this would sell very well on a 12 week season. I saw King and I 3 times at the Palladium, on a variety of days and times, and the house full sign was always up. My Fair Lady is as big a title - the show sells itself. If there are some names in it that people recognised (Jessie, Harry H-P and Diana Rigg) then I'd see this being a smash. Diana Rigg is the only recognisable name in there. it will need more than that to turn a profit.
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360 posts
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Post by thebroadwayboy on Jun 27, 2020 7:52:29 GMT
I'm not 100% sure that they won't cast Sheridan Smith in this tbh, although the idea is frankly horrifying Sheridan can do many things. Sing in an opera musical not so much
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364 posts
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Post by dazzerlump on Jun 27, 2020 9:03:25 GMT
I'd be more than happy with the Sheffield Crucible cast, Carly Bawden, Dominic West and Louis Maskell
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5,318 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 27, 2020 10:52:35 GMT
I thought The King and I palladium run was a big hit? No?
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724 posts
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Post by basdfg on Jun 27, 2020 11:09:17 GMT
Would a non white Eliza help ticket sales through the extra attention it would bring.
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5,318 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 27, 2020 11:33:24 GMT
Would a non white Eliza help ticket sales through the extra attention it would bring. Was that a question ?
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724 posts
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Post by basdfg on Jun 27, 2020 11:37:26 GMT
Would a non white Eliza help ticket sales through the extra attention it would bring. Was that a question ? Yes.
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4,458 posts
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Post by poster J on Jun 27, 2020 11:44:01 GMT
Jessie Buckley is a SUPERB shout for Eliza. And I honestly think this would sell very well on a 12 week season. I saw King and I 3 times at the Palladium, on a variety of days and times, and the house full sign was always up. My Fair Lady is as big a title - the show sells itself. If there are some names in it that people recognised (Jessie, Harry H-P and Diana Rigg) then I'd see this being a smash. Diana Rigg is the only recognisable name in there. it will need more than that to turn a profit. No it won't, it's My Fair Lady! That alone is enough, this is not a show that needs a bunch of names. A fair few people would I think now recognise Jessie Buckley from Chernobyl, Judy, singing on the Baftas or being praised by Renee Zelleweger in all her awards speeches even if they don't remember the I'd Do Anything days!
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4,458 posts
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Post by poster J on Jun 27, 2020 11:44:59 GMT
I thought The King and I palladium run was a big hit? No? It was. Some people just assume everything needs stunt casting to make money...
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5,318 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 27, 2020 12:28:31 GMT
Questions do have ?’s traditionally.
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5,318 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 27, 2020 12:29:18 GMT
How about Dan Stevens as Higgins?
(Starts praying they don’t cast Alfie Boe)
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724 posts
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Post by basdfg on Jun 27, 2020 12:30:56 GMT
Questions do have ?’s traditionally. I forgot.
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724 posts
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Post by basdfg on Jun 27, 2020 12:32:12 GMT
How about Dan Stevens as Higgins? (Starts praying they don’t cast Alfie Boe) I can't imagine Boe would want a role where he can't use his singing voice let alone his inability to act.
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5,318 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 27, 2020 15:52:23 GMT
How about Dan Stevens as Higgins? (Starts praying they don’t cast Alfie Boe) I can't imagine Boe would want a role where he can't use his singing voice let alone his inability to act. Oh good point. I’d totally forgotten Higgins hardly sings!
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6,363 posts
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Post by Jon on Jun 27, 2020 15:59:01 GMT
How about Dan Stevens as Higgins? (Starts praying they don’t cast Alfie Boe) Dan Stevens would be great and he's only two years younger than Harry Hadden-Paton so age wise, he'd be good for the role.
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Post by theoracle on Jun 27, 2020 23:49:46 GMT
I was thinking Ashley Day as Higgins although I believe he resides stateside now? And i’d love to see Celinde Schoenmacher as Eliza and for them to keep Jordan Donica as Freddy. It would be nice to have Diana Rigg again too. I’m excited to see the production in general, it all looks scrumptious with the scenic and costume designs!
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5,318 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 28, 2020 6:27:27 GMT
I was thinking Ashley Day as Higgins although I believe he resides stateside now? And i’d love to see Celinde Schoenmacher as Eliza and for them to keep Jordan Donica as Freddy. It would be nice to have Diana Rigg again too. I’m excited to see the production in general, it all looks scrumptious with the scenic and costume designs! Ashley day is way too young for this role
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Post by danb on Jun 28, 2020 7:03:18 GMT
But it would be way less creepy if Higgins was nearer to Eliza’s age...its the one aspect of MFL that jars.
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Post by theoracle on Jun 28, 2020 12:05:24 GMT
I was thinking Ashley Day as Higgins although I believe he resides stateside now? And i’d love to see Celinde Schoenmacher as Eliza and for them to keep Jordan Donica as Freddy. It would be nice to have Diana Rigg again too. I’m excited to see the production in general, it all looks scrumptious with the scenic and costume designs! Ashley day is way too young for this role By the time it gets to 2022, he will be in his mid 30s which follows Sher’s desire to have a younger Higgins.
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5,318 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 28, 2020 12:22:25 GMT
Ashley day is way too young for this role By the time it gets to 2022, he will be in his mid 30s which follows Sher’s desire to have a younger Higgins. Let’s not get carried away here. He’s a good hoofer but Higgins needs an actor with serious gravitas. Hadley Fraser Joseph Millson Michael Sheen Adrian Lester?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2020 12:29:43 GMT
Ashley Day would be better suited to playing Freddy.
Michael Sheen is a good shout for Higgins.
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6,363 posts
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Post by Jon on Jun 28, 2020 13:16:32 GMT
Ashley Day would be better suited to playing Freddy. Michael Sheen is a good shout for Higgins. I agree, Higgins you do need a name and luckily it’s one of the very few roles in musical theatre which only requires minimal singing ability. He’s way too busy due to Pointless and his Classic FM show but would Alexander Armstrong work as Higgins or Pickering? I had a flash of inspiration for who could play Alfred Doolittle who can sing and is a name although again has a hugely busy schedule, Bradley Walsh.
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Post by theatremadness on Jun 28, 2020 14:10:26 GMT
Sheen as Higgins and David Tennant as Pickering 👌🏻
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Post by Polly1 on Jun 28, 2020 15:03:09 GMT
Sheen would be fab of course but actually Adrian Lester is a brilliant shout for Higgins. And much as I don't think Bradley Walsh can act, that wouldn't really matter in this. But please, please don't let Alexander Armstrong anywhere near it, his singing is indescribably awful (imo, of course
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5,318 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 28, 2020 17:02:19 GMT
Bradley Walsh would be good actually.
Like Dennis Waterman was good casting for the NT production - that role is mainly about the comedy and delivering a crowd pleasing number
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