DreamCast: Into the Woods

The man defines dapper & I would gladly listen to any story he had to tell. Plus, Mr. Grey is nothing if not mysterious.


I first thought of Kate Walsh for the Baker's Wife because my attention span lights up everytime she comes onto the Grey's set. She also is a contemporary physical reinterpretation of what The Baker's Wife has become. Originally for the The Baker (so difficult because the possibilities are endless), I thought of Matthew Fox and was dead-set. But then I considered him with Ms. Walsh & the chemistry seemed impossible. Then I realized Patrick Dempsey has that sincere effort muddled with uncertainty, and those 2 have already established in my mind the marital chemistry/history necessary for the casting of these 2 parts. And I would rather see an amazing duo repeat the similiar setting of coupling than risk some inauthentic chemistry. Plus, bakers and surgeons have a lot in common.


Kimberly Paisley-Williams was a belle in Father of the Bride and would be a sweet, strong, sassy belle as Cinderella. In playing the Wolf & Cinderella's Prince, Clive Owen could handle both the sexually predatory Wolf & charasmatic, faux genteel Prince with comlplexity & charm.


First of all, LOST alumni are perfect & will be forever.
Emilie de Ravin is actually a great actress who brought meat to a potentially bland blonde role on LOST. She would do the same thing to Rapunzel. From her brilliant time on the brilliant LOST, she tackled all the acting requirements for an ideal/pretend Rapunzel: perfecting the blood-curdling scream, pulling off a pretend pregnancy without it seeming like a joke, & the ability to channel the blonde & green-finch caged-bird. She could really light the part up.


Something about Californication and True Blood seem to draw upon the same acting skill sets. They both are set in settings that seem so close to being possible, even though they are clearly contemporary fairy tales. In playing Little Red and Jack, Madeleine Martin & Ryan Kwanten could bring bright, thick, & youthful portrayals of their respective roles.


Estelle Parsons has a voice that was cater-created for Jack's Mother. I am not ashamed to say that I love Roseanne & think it is TV show that was stocked with great actors, E.P. being one of them. She is a great actress in terms of subtle humor, comedic timing, & understanding of one's opportunity as an actor to personalize the comedy written in the subtext of great text.
Susan Sarandon has proven she can play a Stepmother. And, in playing Janet in Rocky Horror, she has solidified herself a role in musical theatre history, which must be respected.

And,
Finally,
Our Glorious Queen...
For only the most obvious reasons.
Who else would have the creative competancy, respect for the work, & visionary chops to reign as one of Captain Sondheim's most beloved lady-part creations?
I think Ms. Peters would approve.

I wish!

DreamCast: Les Mis

Cameron Mackintosh has confirmed a Les Mis movie to come out in 2012. This could be great. And it got me to thinking about translating these iconic parts to Hollywood. Here is who I would cast for a movie (assuming/pretending they would all sing the parts perfectly).


I LOVED the 25th Anniversary Tour's choice to cast an African-American as Valjean. I ended up seeing his understudy, but I still thought it was a modern & awesome casting choice. Denzel Washington can play the criminal, the man on a holy journey, the protective father, the fighter on the streets, and he can age very well on film.


I only know Jessica Capshaw from Grey's Anatomy, but that is enough for me to see her as a great Fantine. Any actor on that show has to tackle a wide & crazy range of emotion in each 40-some minute episode. Considering that Fantine's entire whirlwind occurs within the first 35 minutes of Les Mis, I feel that JC would be used to having to climb emotional mountains at warped speed. She is also a steel magnolia, conveys some sense of an innate goodness, and is so pretty.

Clive Owen is the perfect picture of Javert in my mind's eye. He is brilliant, intense, well-rounded, and captivating. And I would be totally fine with him using his British accent.

Jonathan Pryce as Thenardier is a musical theatre lover's dream articulated. I feel like he must have played the part before and I missed the boat. It would be so exciting to hear his interpretation of Thenardier's great, offensive, loaded lines. He is timeless, ageless, and a comedic genius who is one of very few that could reimagine the more imagined character in the show. Speaking of comedic genius, let's talk about Amy Poehler. I don't know if she sings, but I feel like I can already hear her voice bringing a whole new humor to Mme. Thenardier's situation. She would bring a fresh, contemporary take on a role that has become somewhat routine due to the successful re-interpretations of previous actresses.

Kristen Stewart has become an icon of the awkward female wallflower, and Eponine is nothing if not that. Plus, that girl rakes it in at the box office & that can't hurt anything.

In The Social Network, Jesse Eisenberg played a character who gladly & knowingly allowed an unrelenting focus on the pursuit of his goals to cost him everything. People were pawns & nothing stood in the way of his common goal, which become the common ground of everyone around him. This is why I can see JE as Enjolras. He can convey an idealism clouded with human faults, lofty goals, and immature execution of those goals.

James Franco seems to be cast as every type of guy, and part of Marius' role is to provide a face & beloved character to all those bodies littering the barricades. He plays a perfect lover & has a youthful energy that could create an especially endearing edge to a potentially bland role.

Carey Mulligan is the perfect Cosette because her acting method is so delicate & deliberate. She breathes life & volume into quiet, pretty roles. She also looks like she could be Jessica Capshaw's daughter, which should always be considered in the casting of the role. I loved the 25th Anniversary Tour's choice to make Cosette blonde. It made me think, why didn't they think of this (and this) a long time ago...