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Musicals.Net Forums -> Les Miserables

AndrewShatterhand	Revival Cast Changes. Quote: Sunday, June 17, 2007 Au revoir Les Miz Wow, what a turn of events. Sometimes events happen in life that you just can't make sense of. It's only after time passes that you are able to see the reason it needed to take place. So, last night was my last night in Les Miz. Last Saturday, Cameron Mackintosh came to see the show. Great I thought... I was happy with my performance, everybody else seemed happy with my performance. Well, this past Thursday I get a call from my agent telling me that Cameron wants to replace me. My world went completely upside down. It absolutely blindsided me. Folks, I had not been given 1 note by the associate director from London, the musical director from London, nobody! The reason they gave me... "your voice is too heavy and classical for the new orchestrations"... HUH? This just doesn't make sense to me. But I also know Cameron is notorious for pulling this kind of stuff. He likes to come in and blow up a place. In talking with friends that have also dealt with him, you can't look for rationale in his decisions. And of course he didn't tell me himself so I am left wondering what the hell went wrong! All this being said, life goes on. I feel really good about what I did up there on stage. I had an absolute blast with the role, and felt like I was still discovering which is always good. In situations like this, you can either let it destroy you and make you question your talent or you can understand that, like the old saying, opinions are like... well you know how it goes. So thank you so much to everyone for coming to see the show, for your support, for everything. These things can look very huge when you are in the middle of them, but I know that in the totality of things, it's gonna be a blip on the screen and nothing more. http://benjaminjaydavis.blogspot.com/ I haven't heard Davis but from what I've read he seems to be the strongest of the new cast additions and Macintosh decides that he's the one to go? I guess he's happy with the mediocre orchestrations that he'll sacrifice the "classical" cast members. If this is the case the show is dying...once again.
The Very Angry Woman	I've seen Ben Davis in several other shows, so I'm probably biased, but I didn't think in any way that there was a problem between his voice and the orchestrations. Actually, he was one of the few people in the cast I saw last month who were worth watching. I can think of a handful of other people I'd fire (if I had to) before Ben Davis.
Orestes Fasting	Cameron Mackintosh must be on crystal meth. Ben Davis and Lea Salonga were the only things holding that revival together. According to Lea's blog, there's a huge cast shuffle taking place over the next couple weeks. She didn't name any names, but I'm fairly sure that Ben Davis, Mandy Bruno, and Ann Harada have been fired; Kate Chapman and Marya Grandy are leaving the week after that; Ben Crawford is changing ensemble tracks and having Valjean cover added to his understudy duties; and someone else already in the cast is getting a new understudy role. (I'd guess that someone in the female ensemble is becoming Mme Th�nardier understudy, since the principal and both understudies are leaving.) Bruno and Harada I understand, but Ben Davis was fantastic as Javert and there was absolutely no reason to fire him. Completely unnecessary. Ugh.
EponineMNFF	Sigh... It makes me so upset that the cast is changing. When I last saw this cast, I tried so hard not to like them because of what I'd heard, but I couldn't. (I know, I'm an odd duck.) I even liked Mandy Bruno. Poor Ben, he was so good! If they're going to get rid of the cast members though, I wish they'd just let the understudies move up instead of recasting the leads. I know it's easier to recast the leads, but some of those understudies rock and deserve to be full time.
Fantine	I think it's a disgrace. Without any notice?
The Very Angry Woman	Fantine wrote: I think it's a disgrace. Without any notice? Well, he was told on Thursday -- but that's not much notice.
EponineBarker	Who's replacing him?
Quique	Wtf? This is bull! I am shocked. And it's tied to the disgustingly thin orchestrations. I knew they'd cause even more problems later on. Don't ask me what kind of problems I thought might arise but I just had a feeling that they'd degrade the show in other ways. This is ridiculous. Too classical and heavy???? I agree, CamMack is on effin' crystal meth!!! I was soooo looking forward to seeing Ben. jgeruhgorgho34t24y85y2vy2ht20t8hv20ht4!!!
MrMarius	This news is a complete shock to me. I think he was one of the most talented performers Les Mis has had the privalege of encompassing. I don't understand the reasoning behind it either. It is utter BULL CRAP. The revival has been one long excuse for experimenting for Cameron Macintosh it seems, hiring on a whim in some cases, firing for the mere fact that the orchestrations are too weak, not that the vocals are too strong. Where's the loyalty? Where are the headphones? Someone get that man a clue.
NoOneMournsTheWicked	EponineMNFF wrote: If they're going to get rid of the cast members though, I wish they'd just let the understudies move up instead of recasting the leads. I know it's easier to recast the leads, but some of those understudies rock and deserve to be full time. Okay, really mean of me, but... Do you think they're going to hold open auditions to recast? ...Since I did just turn 18 and all...and I kind of fit the Eponine description (though I'd rather play Cosette...I'll take anything to be in Les Mis)
dcrowley	I just don't understand that at all... I thought Ben Davis was great as Javert... Certainly better than most of the other performers. Of course I have heard all of the rumors about replacing Mandy Bruno. While I didn't really mind Bruno's performance, I can understand them wanting to replace her, but not Davis.
The Very Angry Woman	NoOneMournsTheWicked wrote: EponineMNFF wrote: If they're going to get rid of the cast members though, I wish they'd just let the understudies move up instead of recasting the leads. I know it's easier to recast the leads, but some of those understudies rock and deserve to be full time. Okay, really mean of me, but... Do you think they're going to hold open auditions to recast? ...Since I did just turn 18 and all...and I kind of fit the Eponine description (though I'd rather play Cosette...I'll take anything to be in Les Mis) They already held them for Eponine.
Orestes Fasting	dcrowley wrote: While I didn't really mind Bruno's performance Did you ever actually see her?
The Very Angry Woman	Orestes Fasting wrote: dcrowley wrote: While I didn't really mind Bruno's performance Did you ever actually see her? Hey, *I* didn't mind her performance. ...ya know, before "Look Down" and all.
EponineMNFF	The thing about Mandy Bruno, for me at least, was that when I saw her, I was so focused on trying not to like her because everybody over here said she was so bad. So the first time I saw her, all I could think was "UGH SHE WAS SO AWFUL!" But then I met her at the stage door, and she was really nice, so then the next time I went to see her, I thought she was amazing. I've settled on her being somewhere in between, in my opinion. She was far from the best I've seen, but I did enjoy her performance the second time I saw her. /Kind of off topic
Orestes Fasting	A lot of the people whose performances I hated were really, really nice at the stage door. Didn't make me like their performances any more--in fact, I felt really awkward talking to them. The only exception is Max von Essen; the first time I saw him I was quite disappointed, but after a few conversations with him I just can't bring myself to dislike his Enjolras. To be fair, he has improved and become more comfortable in the role, but that's about the only time my opinion of someone's performance was influenced by talking to them at the stage door.
EponineMNFF	Just saw a rumor that maybe Mandy Bruno isn't leaving. http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?page=1&thread=938785 This thread is quite amusing; there are a few typos that make you go "WTF!" for a second before realizing that it's wrong. The idea of JOJ going to Broadway makes me laugh.
Orestes Fasting	Latest post in Lea's blog: Quote: Oh my goodness... there has been so much news coming out on message boards and other blogs that I guess it's time to straighten a few things out (without giving away news that hasn't already been delivered officially). First... Ben Davis' last show was on Saturday, June 16, and Mandy Bruno's was today, June 17. As for their replacements, Robert Hunt (who was in the ensemble of this production and a Javert on the tour) will be rejoining the show in a couple of weeks. Understudies will be going in for both roles in the meantime. As far as ensemble departures, Kate Chapman's last show was today as well... replacing her will be Lucia Spina. J.D. Goldblatt's final show is this Thursday, but because he's been out sick (he had surgery on his foot last night and is now recovering), I don't know that he'll be able to play his last 5 shows. I hope he comes back though, he's great. That's it, as far as I know. Mike Evariste will be taking over. Don Brewer will be doing the Courfeyrac track while Ben Crawford will now be Brujon, as well as a Valjean understudy. Victor Hawks will be leaving the show on Saturday, June 23. Christy Faber will also be coming in as a vacation swing for the girls, and Jeremy Hays, currently in Dan Bogart's track, will be covering a myriad of roles this coming week. Whew! Gary Beach will be having surgery, so he'll be out for a while. Chip Zien (Into the Woods) will be performing in his place. Gary and Chip are old friends, so Gary's really thrilled that Chip will be joining us. I think he'll be a great addition to the show. And that is all! Any other rumors of firings and cast changesthat isn't written here are all untrue. If I didn't write about it, it didn't happen.
EponineMNFF	Aw man. J.D and Victor are leaving? *sad* They were two of my favorites! I guess bieng in denial about Mandy Bruno just disappointed me in the end... haha. It'd be sweet if Melissa Lyons could come back, but there's probably a 1/10000000 chance of that happening, considering they held auditions. I AM SO EXCITED FOR CHIP. SQUEE! I'm really surprised that Ann Harada is staying. If Cammack was being picky enough to have a problem with Ben, he didn't have a problem with her? O.o This business is so weird...
Quique	Cool! I bet Chip will be a great Thenardier! As for the firings, I'm thoroughly confused. So Ben wasn't fired? Wasn't he the one who said he actually was in his own blog?
The Very Angry Woman	Quique wrote: So Ben wasn't fired? Wasn't he the one who said he actually was in his own blog?[/color] I have no idea why Lea Salonga would try to contradict what someone else would know more about than she would.
Quique	This is all so odd. Is Lea covering up for CamMack? I hope not.
bigsis222	Re: Ben Davis Fired Quique wrote: Cool! I bet Chip will be a great Thenardier! As for the firings, I'm thoroughly confused. So Ben wasn't fired? Wasn't he the one who said he actually was in his own blog? Hi, this is Lea... I didn't say that he wasn't fired... only that his last show was on June 17. I felt that it would have been in bad taste to mention the circumstances of his departure in my blog, seeing that he was a colleague and a really nice guy. If he wants to say that he was released from his contract on his own blog, that's his prerogative, but it wasn't in my place to do so. I was shocked and saddened upon hearing of his leaving the show, and it did bring down the mood and atmosphere backstage, but I know that he will be just fine, as he is a talented and wonderful man. I wrote the cast changes on my blog (it's since been slightly edited) so as to keep the rumormill at bay. People have been writing that such-and-such was fired when in fact they weren't. Spreading rumors like that isn't nice, and yes, it does arrive at the theatre.
Quique	*Starstruck* Lea, is that really you? Thank you sooo much for clarifying that. I see where you're coming from and understand how writing something like that in your blog about a fellow actor would be a very sensitive thing to do. I am so saddend that Ben is not going to be there. Like I said earlier, I was really looking forward to seeing him at the evening performance of 21 July. I hope at least I get to see you! Hehe! Wow, this is cool, lol.
flying_pigs	EponineBarker wrote: Who's replacing him? Robert Hunt for a while: http://bigsis222.multiply.com/journal/75
Fantine	Wow, our little forum seems to be more popular and well known than I thought What kind of excuse is that anyway? His voice doesn't fit in with the new orchestrations. WTF? That would totally piss me off. (I'm sure it pissed him off too )
Fantine	Re: Ben Davis Fired bigsis222 wrote: Quique wrote: Cool! I bet Chip will be a great Thenardier! As for the firings, I'm thoroughly confused. So Ben wasn't fired? Wasn't he the one who said he actually was in his own blog? Hi, this is Lea... I didn't say that he wasn't fired... only that his last show was on June 17. I felt that it would have been in bad taste to mention the circumstances of his departure in my blog, seeing that he was a colleague and a really nice guy. If he wants to say that he was released from his contract on his own blog, that's his prerogative, but it wasn't in my place to do so. I was shocked and saddened upon hearing of his leaving the show, and it did bring down the mood and atmosphere backstage, but I know that he will be just fine, as he is a talented and wonderful man. I wrote the cast changes on my blog (it's since been slightly edited) so as to keep the rumormill at bay. People have been writing that such-and-such was fired when in fact they weren't. Spreading rumors like that isn't nice, and yes, it does arrive at the theatre. Hey Lea, would you like to join my Fantine fanlisting? That would be awesome. Sorry, I didn't want to be the crazy OMGGGG!!! Fangirl, but I couldn't resist. I probably scared her away now
NoOneMournsTheWicked	The Very Angry Woman wrote: NoOneMournsTheWicked wrote: EponineMNFF wrote: If they're going to get rid of the cast members though, I wish they'd just let the understudies move up instead of recasting the leads. I know it's easier to recast the leads, but some of those understudies rock and deserve to be full time. Okay, really mean of me, but... Do you think they're going to hold open auditions to recast? ...Since I did just turn 18 and all...and I kind of fit the Eponine description (though I'd rather play Cosette...I'll take anything to be in Les Mis) They already held them for Eponine. Oh well. It sucks to be me, then. It would have been cool though.
dcrowley	Orestes Fasting wrote: dcrowley wrote: While I didn't really mind Bruno's performance Did you ever actually see her? Ummm... yesss I did see her She was not by any means a good Eponine, but not the absolute worst... She was unmemorable.
kitty17794	Wow, helloooo Lea. my idol just posted on a board i'm a member of. woaaahz. [/end fangirly-ness] I wish I had known about the Eponine auditions before they happened...I have a friend who is AMAZING, lives in NYC, and would KILL to play Eponine...lol. I wonder who's replacing Mandy, though... (I had a feeling she'd be one of the said three to go, though...she just hasn't had rave reviews...)
The Very Angry Woman	kitty17794 wrote: I wonder who's replacing Mandy, though... Megan McGinnis. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/108899.html
kitty17794	Yes, but will she KEEP the role? Or is she just filling in until a replacement is found?
EponineMNFF	OMIGOSH MEGAN MCGINNIS IS REPLACING HER? *JOY* YAYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYAY I'M SO HAPPY FOR HER! /spammy joy And WHOA! Hi Lea! I didn't know you had a musicals.net account! That's AWESOME!
Fantine	Well she didn't, up until today.
Orestes Fasting	Color me surprised--Megan as Eponine always struck me as the Excellent Understudy who would always be an understudy, because her interpretation is a little too unconventional to be the norm. She's very good and I'm happy she's taking over, but I wasn't expecting that at all. I assume Marissa McGowan is being bumped up to first cover Eponine, then. Has there been any word about who the new second cover will be? Quote: I wrote the cast changes on my blog (it's since been slightly edited) so as to keep the rumormill at bay. People have been writing that such-and-such was fired when in fact they weren't. Spreading rumors like that isn't nice, and yes, it does arrive at the theatre. Thank you for doing that. There's always going to be speculation when a bunch of people who care about the show get bits and pieces of information about big changes coming up--there's a pretty fine line between rumor-mongering and just trying to figure out what's going on. So thanks for putting the rumors to rest so quickly, and I hope nobody in the cast was hurt by them.
LesMisForever	Lea herself posting here ! WAO! Just wanted to say that you are awsome, and i hope one day you can come to London to perform in ANY musical
bigsis222	Orestes Fasting wrote: I assume Marissa McGowan is being bumped up to first cover Eponine, then. Has there been any word about who the new second cover will be? No, we haven't heard any news at all. We don't always know about auditions for whatever roles, but we do find out about replacements when it is appropriate for us to know. As for Megan, she'll be taking over permanently. I found out about it last week, but wasn't at liberty to spread the word until official news was released. I for one am ecstatic for her, as she makes for a wonderful Eponine, one that I really enjoy watching from backstage. She's a damn good poker player, too.
EponineBarker	Quote: As for Megan, she'll be taking over permanently. I found out about it last week, but wasn't at liberty to spread the word until official news was released. I for one am ecstatic for her, as she makes for a wonderful Eponine, one that I really enjoy watching from backstage. She's a damn good poker player, too. Megan's the new Eponine? Awesome! I haven't seen her live, but I've heard good things about her. And Lea, I just wanted to say, I love your potrayal of Fantine.
Eponine93	Jesus Christ... I thought I was having a stroke or something when I read that... Hi Lea... Cammack is an idiot. I'm sorry, but there have been some weird casting in this revival. I still don't understand why Lea didn't get the role of Fantine in the first place... In a random note, I was way excited that Chip Zein was cast because I loved him in Into the Woods (ITW was the first Broadway musical I completely obsessed over.) Megan's a good Eponine, I really enjoyed watching her performance, but it's very interesting to hear because I thought she was a soprano. She's got a very good and pretty soprano, but she's definitely a soprano.
eponine5	Hi Lea! Okay, I'm desperately trying not to make the big "OMG" post that I'm sure everyone else has been having trouble avoiding. It's great to see you on this forum. Thank you so much for clearing up all the cast-change news, I really appreciate it. I myself am shocked that all this is happening so suddenly. It just came out of no-where!
Fantine	All I hear about the revival is that it has an overall weak cast with only one or two actors keeping it alive. Maybe the changes will actually bring some life into it. I do hope (for the cast) that there will be no more cast changes for a few months for now, because it must be so frustrating to get used to the new members and form a bond with them all the time! Like you said, Lea, it must be nice to settle down and create something nice with the cast as a whole, like a family. That is what our cast is to me though - a family. I have some doubts about the Dutch cast too... I'm kind of worried.
Fantine	bigsis222 wrote: Orestes Fasting wrote: I assume Marissa McGowan is being bumped up to first cover Eponine, then. Has there been any word about who the new second cover will be? She's a damn good poker player, too. Do you have time to play poker backstage?
Quique	I'd just like to have John Cameron's original orchestrations restored, grr. I can't wait to see it next month. I hope I get to see Chip. Though he'll probably be gone by then.
Trevor	Hahaha. Is that really Lea?
The Very Angry Woman	trevorsanderson wrote: Hahaha. Is that really Lea? She's posted to her own newsgroup in the past. I'm sure it is.
Fantine	Oh noooo! I just found out that the new Dutch production will have the new orchestrations as well At least, if Chris Janke is the man that is responsible for those new arrangements. Or do the names Stephen Brooker or Stephen Metcalfe ring a bell? Nieuwe Orkestraties (New Orchestrations): Chris Janke Co-Orkestrator: Stephen Metcalfe Aanpassingen Orkestraties (Adjustments Orchestrations): Stephen Brooker Oorspronkelijke Orkestraties (Original): John Cameron And: "Les Mis�rables komt in het volgende theaterseizoen terug als een nieuwe Nederlandstalige versie van het origineel." "Les Mis�rables will return with a renewed Dutch version of the original." So that means that we are getting new lyrics. (Which is actually good, because the old ones from 17 years ago are terrible).
Orestes Fasting	If the old Dutch lyrics are anything like the German ones... ouch.
Fantine	I only know the German version of OMO which I thought wasn't too bad, but I'll believe you The Dutch lyrics seemed to use the kind of Dutch spoken in the Middle Ages.
Orestes Fasting	Oh dear. No, the German ones aren't that bad, just awkward and painful and they often sound really stupid. Especially AHFOL, ALFOR, and Empty Chairs.
The Very Angry Woman	May I nicely request the title of this thread be changed? I know that's pretty much what happened, but besides the fact that we're talking about other related stuff now, I can't be the only one who thinks it's kind of insensitive (I know, pot/kettle, save your breath).
Orestes Fasting	I second the motion for a slightly more tactful thread title--maybe a mod could do it, since the original poster isn't around much and might not see this. So Rob Hunt is coming back as Javert, eh? I never got to see his Javert in the revival, but I did see him many times on the national tour. I still want Ben back, but it's good to know the role is in capable hands. I do wonder what the St. Louis Les Mis is going to do though, now that their Javert is on Broadway for an indefinite period of time. Is Rob going to leave the Broadway company for a week or two, or will the St Louis production replace him? Interesting.
AndrewShatterhand	Orestes Fasting wrote: I second the motion for a slightly more tactful thread title--maybe a mod could do it, since the original poster isn't around much and might not see this. Oh, I'm always here; I'm just not always posting Hopefully this title is more suitable
Orestes Fasting	Well, hello there. Thanks for the edit.
kitty17794	bigsis222 wrote: As for Megan, she'll be taking over permanently. I found out about it last week, but wasn't at liberty to spread the word until official news was released. I for one am ecstatic for her, as she makes for a wonderful Eponine, one that I really enjoy watching from backstage. She's a damn good poker player, too. Aw, thats great! From what I've heard of her, she seems to be good in the role and has a great voice to boot! Big congrats to her for finally moving up in the role!
Moci	Fantine wrote: Oh noooo! I just found out that the new Dutch production will have the new orchestrations as well At least, if Chris Janke is the man that is responsible for those new arrangements. Or do the names Stephen Brooker or Stephen Metcalfe ring a bell? Nieuwe Orkestraties (New Orchestrations): Chris Janke Co-Orkestrator: Stephen Metcalfe Aanpassingen Orkestraties (Adjustments Orchestrations): Stephen Brooker Oorspronkelijke Orkestraties (Original): John Cameron Yep, thats the same team of people who're responsible for the new Broadway orchestrations. New Orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke. Co-Orchestrator: Stephen Metcalfe. Original Orchestrations by John Cameron. Orchestral Adaptation and Musical Supervision: Stephen Brooker Lucky you.
The Very Angry Woman	Orestes Fasting wrote: I do wonder what the St. Louis Les Mis is going to do though, now that their Javert is on Broadway for an indefinite period of time. Is Rob going to leave the Broadway company for a week or two, or will the St Louis production replace him? Interesting. I imagine it'd be harder to find a Javert for the Muny than on Broadway given the difference in staging, so maybe Rob will only stay for a certain period of time before he has to leave. (Unless they have understudies at the Muny and are open to promoting one of them.)
Paula74	kitty17794 wrote: bigsis222 wrote: As for Megan, she'll be taking over permanently. I found out about it last week, but wasn't at liberty to spread the word until official news was released. I for one am ecstatic for her, as she makes for a wonderful Eponine, one that I really enjoy watching from backstage. She's a damn good poker player, too. Aw, thats great! From what I've heard of her, she seems to be good in the role and has a great voice to boot! Big congrats to her for finally moving up in the role! Actually, that plan to move Megan up is apparently off now and the role of Eponine still needs to be recast. The young woman who runs a site for Drew Sarich's wife, Ann Mandrella, said Drew's been keeping her updated about all the cast changes going on there.
Colle	Welcome to muiscals.net Lea! I understand why you would want to be careful when talking about the cast changes. I am surprised about Ben leaving, not so much about Mandy. As for Megan, I have heard a clip of her and I wasn't too fond of her voice, but I will take people's word for it that she is better in person.
The Very Angry Woman	Interesting: http://z7.invisionfree.com/The_Devils_Den/index.php?showtopic=53&st=720&#last
Paula74	The Very Angry Woman wrote: Interesting: http://z7.invisionfree.com/The_Devils_Den/index.php?showtopic=53&st=720&#last Don't even get me started on the Den or the young women that run it. It's more a place where they hang out, complain their lives suck and how much they hate their jobs/parents/friends, and swear because they think it makes them mature and uncensored. I've always noticed that, even though he's well aware of the Den, has the contact information of the girls in charge, and sees them often at the stage door, Drew has never relied on that forum as a means of getting out the news about his gigs and roles...he's always counted on the young woman who runs anndmandrella.com (even before she started that site for Anne) to get the word out on-line. (And, yes, my views on the Den are personal since the young women who run it brought their insults, threats, and rants to Hugh Panaro's site and they ended up being banned, responded with threats at the Den about smashing certain people's faces, gruesomely vandalized a personal photo of myself and a friend, and devoted two blogs to malicious grammatically-challenged blogs to my sanity, credibility, maturity, and personal life.) Anyhow, here's the comments they borrowed their information from: http://forum.lestatmusical.com/index.php?gettopic=796&p=14 LadyD's posts about it start on page 14 of that thread.
Jordan	I hate to be a damp squib but if that's Lea Salonga, maybe I'm Michael Crawford. You never know.
Mademoiselle Lanoire	That's an username she uses frequently, but obviously someone else could register as such. However if the IP is out of New York, there's a decent chance it's her (not that I doubt it, but still...)
The Very Angry Woman	GayBoy wrote: I hate to be a damp squib but if that's Lea Salonga, maybe I'm Michael Crawford. You never know. You could ask her to mention musicals.net on her blog and see what happens.
Jordan	The Very Angry Woman wrote: GayBoy wrote: I hate to be a damp squib but if that's Lea Salonga, maybe I'm Michael Crawford. You never know. You could ask her to mention musicals.net on her blog and see what happens. Oh go on... you do it. You're braver than I and I don't have any influence on this forum BTW have you heard my performance on the OLC of PotO? I'm awesome.
Orestes Fasting	GayBoy wrote: The Very Angry Woman wrote: GayBoy wrote: I hate to be a damp squib but if that's Lea Salonga, maybe I'm Michael Crawford. You never know. You could ask her to mention musicals.net on her blog and see what happens. Oh go on... you do it. You're braver than I and I don't have any influence on this forum BTW have you heard my performance on the OLC of PotO? I'm awesome. Yeah, but I was manlier in the movie. And I have more fangirls.
Trevor	Orestes Fasting wrote: GayBoy wrote: The Very Angry Woman wrote: GayBoy wrote: I hate to be a damp squib but if that's Lea Salonga, maybe I'm Michael Crawford. You never know. You could ask her to mention musicals.net on her blog and see what happens. Oh go on... you do it. You're braver than I and I don't have any influence on this forum BTW have you heard my performance on the OLC of PotO? I'm awesome. Yeah, but I was manlier in the movie. And I have more fangirls. Aye. But I DID originate the role of Valjean in London and on Broadway. Suck it.
Orestes Fasting	I was still a better Phantom than you were. And it's bloody creepy that Rebecca Caine went from playing your daughter to playing your love interest.
Jordan	Orestes Fasting wrote: GayBoy wrote: The Very Angry Woman wrote: GayBoy wrote: I hate to be a damp squib but if that's Lea Salonga, maybe I'm Michael Crawford. You never know. You could ask her to mention musicals.net on her blog and see what happens. Oh go on... you do it. You're braver than I and I don't have any influence on this forum BTW have you heard my performance on the OLC of PotO? I'm awesome. Yeah, but I was manlier in the movie. And I have more fangirls. Movie? Schmovie! EVERYONE hated the film. http://www.phantommovie.com/default.htm
Jordan	Orestes Fasting wrote: I was still a better Phantom than you were. And it's bloody creepy that Rebecca Caine went from playing your daughter to playing your love interest. It's all about keeping it in the family matey! (No, I can't believe I just said that either!)
Trevor	Orestes Fasting wrote: I was still a better Phantom than you were. And it's bloody creepy that Rebecca Caine went from playing your daughter to playing your love interest. Why do you think while I sang "Bring Him Home", I was secretly wishing Michael Ball would just DIE!?
bigsis222	The Very Angry Woman wrote: GayBoy wrote: I hate to be a damp squib but if that's Lea Salonga, maybe I'm Michael Crawford. You never know. You could ask her to mention musicals.net on her blog and see what happens. Your wish is my command. Check out my blog.
Quique	Awwww...that's very sweet of you to mention us, Lea. We love you! Welcome to M.net. (((Hugs)))
EponineMNFF	Haha everything going on in the last bit of this thread is very funny (and AWESOME!), so I'm really sorry for kind of rainig on the parade, but I'm extremely confused. What's going on with Drew? HUGE news like this sounds like it could only be him taking over full time for some lead? *Is obsessed with Drew!Grantaire* And no more Megan Eponine? Whaa? Is anything else going on? O.o
Fantine	Hah Lea, that's priceless I do hope you will continue to visit this forum GayBoy wrote: I hate to be a damp squib but if that's Lea Salonga, maybe I'm Michael Crawford. You never know. So does this mean that you are Michael Crawford then?
Paula74	EponineMNFF wrote: Haha everything going on in the last bit of this thread is very funny (and AWESOME!), so I'm really sorry for kind of rainig on the parade, but I'm extremely confused. What's going on with Drew? HUGE news like this sounds like it could only be him taking over full time for some lead? *Is obsessed with Drew!Grantaire* And no more Megan Eponine? Whaa? Is anything else going on? O.o No clue what it means...he said the news would be posted at his own MySpace as soon as it was officially OK to announce it. http://www.myspace.com/victiminternational And, after saying Megan was NOT going to be moved up to the role of Eponine full-time and that he was going to recast it, Sir C. has apparently changed plans and WILL be moving Megan up to the role, but she's sick and having voice trouble at the moment...so she won't be starting in the role until that clears.
Orestes Fasting	Aw man. Since it came on the wake of the now-retracted news that Megan wouldn't be the permanent replacement, I thought Drew's huge news was that he was being made replacement Eponine. And I would've paid good money to see that.
kitty17794	bigsis222 wrote: The Very Angry Woman wrote: GayBoy wrote: I hate to be a damp squib but if that's Lea Salonga, maybe I'm Michael Crawford. You never know. You could ask her to mention musicals.net on her blog and see what happens. Your wish is my command. Check out my blog. You are so amazing. Thanks Lea!
Paula74	Orestes Fasting wrote: Aw man. Since it came on the wake of the now-retracted news that Megan wouldn't be the permanent replacement, I thought Drew's huge news was that he was being made replacement Eponine. And I would've paid good money to see that. Well, he did make a pretty enough Hedwig! I don't have any idea if the news actually even relates to Les Miz. It could be involve the Frankenstein musical. He did the reading for it months ago, then it was announced that he'd be playing Victor in it this fall at Papermill...but he didn't even know about it. I think the first he heard was when some fans started congratulating him. Or it could be something completey unrelated to either.
Electricity24601	Just thought I'd come out of lurking to put in my $0.02 First off, hi Lea! Thanks for doing your best to put down the rumors- it keeps cast members from being hurt and gives us fans an accurate idea of what's going on. Plus it makes all of us here at musicals.net feel very special! This whole thing is totally crazy. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Mackintosh (or Mr. Tosh, as I affectionately call him) but this is a bit... extreme. I haven't seen the new cast yet, so can't really comment on a lot. I am glad that Megan's being moved up- I saw her as Eponine and really loved her. As for the buzz surrounding Drew, I'm not really sure how I feel. I like his Grantaire, but was none to keen on his Enjolras. So we will just have to wait and see. Wasn't there an instance like this back in the original run of Les Mis when Cammack came and saw the show, and then got rid of a huge bunch of cast members, to freshen up the show? Maybe he's getting panicked that the revival isn't is strong as it should be (which it isn't with teh icky orchestrations) and just kind of pointed the blame at some of the cast members? Hmm.... At least it's giving me something interesting to think about during the first days of my summer vacation!
The Very Angry Woman	Electricity24601 wrote: Wasn't there an instance like this back in the original run of Les Mis when Cammack came and saw the show, and then got rid of a huge bunch of cast members, to freshen up the show? Maybe he's getting panicked that the revival isn't is strong as it should be (which it isn't with teh icky orchestrations) and just kind of pointed the blame at some of the cast members? Hmm.... That was in 1996 in preparation for the 1997 10th anniversary. They realized things weren't how they should be, especially since a few of the students had been immediate replacements for the OBC, so they sacked half (?) the cast, but several others were able to re-audition and everyone who was fired had the rest of their contracts paid out. From what I remember, John Caird was more involved in the goings-on than he is this go-around (is he even involved in the revival?). Christeena Michelle Riggs was playing Eponine at the time and was recast as Cosette. Tom Donaghue, Joel Robertson, Drew Eshelman, and Florence Lacey outright left. (I say left because I'm not really sure which ones decided to re-audition or which were not even asked to and were fired outright.) Most of the articles on this are subscription-only or never made it online. Somewhere I may have a typed-up version of one of the New York Times stories, unless someone here is a member of the NYT and can look it up. It started sometime in the fall of 1996. Edit: Thanks to BugMeNot, I have links, but they're not the full articles. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A15FA395D0C738FDDA90994DE494D81 http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30812FF3E5D0C7A8EDDA90994DE494D81 http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40E13F73D5C0C708CDDA80994DE494D81 http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A1EFB345D0C718CDDA80994DE494D81 This one is complete: http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9B00E1D71538F936A35752C1A960958260
lostquiche	bigsis222 wrote: The Very Angry Woman wrote: GayBoy wrote: I hate to be a damp squib but if that's Lea Salonga, maybe I'm Michael Crawford. You never know. You could ask her to mention musicals.net on her blog and see what happens. Your wish is my command. Check out my blog. Awesome pie, Lea Salonga! Gayboy just got buuurned.
EponinesRain	I know I'm one of the late ones, but... Thanks for coming here and giving us a shout-out, Lea! I frequent your blog and you always give good food for thought. Welcome to the forum. Electricity24601 wrote: Wasn't there an instance like this back in the original run of Les Mis when Cammack came and saw the show, and then got rid of a huge bunch of cast members, to freshen up the show? TVAW summed up everything nicely, as always; but yes, Les Mis didn't have cast turnovers built into their performers' contracts when it opened in 1997, so many people were demoted or recast. Turnovers are usually included in contracts for the purpose of keeping productions fresh, and the recasting seemed to have done just that for Les Mis then. It's said to have "generated a fresh wave of publicity and interest long after the show had settled into a quiet life as a permanent tourist attraction." Electricity24601 wrote: Maybe he's getting panicked that the revival isn't is strong as it should be (which it isn't with teh icky orchestrations) and just kind of pointed the blame at some of the cast members? Hmm.... Well, I have yet to see the revival and I'm not really business-savvy...but all these changes just seem very fickle. At least give the remaining cast and the public some time to adjust? I mean, it seems like Ben Davis and others just started. Or, save Quique from a stroke and get the darn orchestrations back! Haha.
Electricity24601	EponinesRain wrote: Or, save Quique from a stroke and get the darn orchestrations back! Haha. Sounds good to me! (Saving Quique the stroke and getting the orchestrations back )
Quique	Too late. I've already had multiple strokes after listening to what they've done with our beautiful, original orchestrations.
TLKbroadway	lol, love the posts. Yeah it's been pretty crazy the last few days with changes. I'll be seeing the show July 2 and now that I found out Robert Hunt is joining the company I'll be seeing it July 6th. I know some people don't like him, but I saw him many times on tour and loved him. (And btw, I have never seen him at the dang stage door...this is my mission when I go! lol) Does anyone know how the switching is going with the two Javert understudies? Just kind of curious as which u/s I'll be seeing. Lea! I can't wait to see you in the show! I was so excited when I found out you were going to be in the show, see you soon! I think I need to chill with the exclamation marks. woo!
Moci	EponinesRain wrote: Electricity24601 wrote: Wasn't there an instance like this back in the original run of Les Mis when Cammack came and saw the show, and then got rid of a huge bunch of cast members, to freshen up the show? TVAW summed up everything nicely, as always; but yes, Les Mis didn't have cast turnovers built into their performers' contracts when it opened in 1997, so many people were demoted or recast. Turnovers are usually included in contracts for the purpose of keeping productions fresh, and the recasting seemed to have done just that for Les Mis then. It's said to have "generated a fresh wave of publicity and interest long after the show had settled into a quiet life as a permanent tourist attraction." From 'Hey Mr Producer- The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh', by Sheridan Morley and Ruth Leon: "No sooner had Mackintosh got Martin Guerre up on its feet and running for a second time, than a new storm blew up from quite another and totally unexpected direction. One of the things that differentiates Cameron's productions from other long-running shows on Broadway and in the West End is that he insists that wherever they play, the directors and choreographers make regular unannounced visits to maintain the production values, so that the shows and their casts never look tired or lazy. John Caird, the co-director with Trevor Nunn of Les Mis�rables, and Cameron, on one of his regular visits to the New York production, which had now been playing to capacity audiences for nearly a decade, saw that several of the actors playing students now looked old enough to be their professors, which is hardly suprising since some of them had been in the original cast. Many had, in the directors' view, now been with the show for rather too long to maintain energy at the regular level of the very first night, something Cameron has always demanded of all his shows worldwide. Whereas in London, British Equity does not allow actors to be contracted for more than a year, so the Les Mis and all Cameron's other shows are able to recast regularly to retain their standards, American Equity (Cameron's former jousting partners) insists on run-of-the-show contracts for non-principal roles, specifying that no actor can be fired unless the show closes. Cameron and Caird, in consultation with Trevor Nunn, decided that half the company now needed to be replaced and gave notice to the actors of the action they intended to take. Predictably this started a war with American Equity, which was no easier than the fight over Jonathan Pryce and Miss Saigon had been. This became a serious problem in view of the classification by the union of virtually every role as chorus, a description engendered by the fact that they all doubled in more than one part. Once again he tried negotiating with Equity, once again Equity made a recommendation in private, which it withdrew in public, demanding the reinstatement of all the original actors, and once again Cameron called their bluff. He simply paid off the actors he wanted to replace, at a rate far in excess of the amount to which they were legally entitled and then re-enaged those actors he wished to keep, finding others to fill the roles where he had wanted to find replacements. The entire enterprise, says Cameron, cost him nearly $2 million."
The Very Angry Woman	TLKbroadway wrote: (And btw, I have never seen him at the dang stage door...this is my mission when I go! lol) Robert can be really shy, but he does come out the stage door. Good luck.
AndrewShatterhand	Drew Sarich will be filling in as Valjean for three months this summer. Drew's Blog
Paula74	AndrewShatterhand wrote: Drew Sarich will be filling in as Valjean for three months this summer. Drew's Blog I'm really losing faith in this revival fast. Nothing against Drew, but he is the last person on earth I could picture in that role.
Orestes Fasting	Les Mis casting has really gone off the deep end now. I'm kind of curious, and he could be really good. But he could also be really bad. I just... wow. What the hell?
Jordan	Fantine wrote: Hah Lea, that's priceless I do hope you will continue to visit this forum GayBoy wrote: I hate to be a damp squib but if that's Lea Salonga, maybe I'm Michael Crawford. You never know. So does this mean that you are Michael Crawford then? I'm not convinced that I'm Michael Crawford yet... The request was for Lea to mention M.net on her myspace blog page which as far as I can tell is http://www.myspace.com/leasalongaofficial If I have this right, she hasn't mentioned us... I'm not MC yet. Perfectly happy to apologise etc if I'm wrong here...
Trevor	Drew as Valjean? ... No.
Mademoiselle Lanoire	No-one said anything about her myspace. TVAW just said her blog. Edit: Which would be here: http://bigsis222.multiply.com/journal
TLKbroadway	The Very Angry Woman wrote: TLKbroadway wrote: (And btw, I have never seen him at the dang stage door...this is my mission when I go! lol) Robert can be really shy, but he does come out the stage door. Good luck. Crap, I just realized that I am going to a matinee...does anyone know if he'll come out between shows. Regarding Drew, is that as of today that'll he be Valjean? Craziness, but I am still excited to see the show.
Quique	I guess I'm seeing a very interesting cast next month, hehe.
The Very Angry Woman	TLKbroadway wrote: The Very Angry Woman wrote: TLKbroadway wrote: (And btw, I have never seen him at the dang stage door...this is my mission when I go! lol) Robert can be really shy, but he does come out the stage door. Good luck. Crap, I just realized that I am going to a matinee...does anyone know if he'll come out between shows. I remember he usually did on tour, but I never got to see him either time he was with the Broadway cast, so I can't tell you fro sure.
Orestes Fasting	If he comes out and he's on his cell phone, abandon all hope. Okay, now I HAVE to go up to New York on Monday and see the show. What a freaking headtrip the casting has been lately. (And I think Ben Crawford will be on as Javert on Monday? If he is, I'm excited!)
Electricity24601	AndrewShatterhand wrote: Drew Sarich will be filling in as Valjean for three months this summer. Drew's Blog Oh My. There are many things I can see Drew doing well. Valjean is NOT one of them. Not that I'm a huge fan of Alexander, but Drew? I don't have a good feeling about this...
Jordan	Mademoiselle Lanoire wrote: No-one said anything about her myspace. TVAW just said her blog. Edit: Which would be here: http://bigsis222.multiply.com/journal On that note, have you heard my Music Of The Night? I'm rather spectacular. I'm now 30+ years older than I think I am and back when I thought I was in single-digits age wise, I had my own sitcom with the BBC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFLpwRMS00g It's a little known fact that I did all my own stunts at the time. Ladies and gentlemen, I *AM* Michael Crawford. May I now crawl away into a corner and hide please?
Orestes Fasting	Oh sh*t, does that make me Gerard Butler? ...hey, I have fangirls now.

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