DreamCast: SWEENEY TODD

I've been on a SONDHEIM kick lately.

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Sweeney Todd

He is just an amazing actor. He especially excels at
conquering shadowy title-characters like Capote,
with confidence, color, & a slightly arrogant intention.
His physicality is perfect & always intentionally executed,
and it would be exciting to see him
reimagine one of the most imaginative title characters out there.

Felicity Huffman as Mrs. Nellie Lovett

She is a tough, cool, complicated actress that displays

the roughened edges that dark humor demands.

She displayed in Transamerica that she can unfold a character

as the text presents new information, which is a necessity for Mrs. Lovett.

Most importantly, she exhibits the strength & skill to play a woman

who has spent years withholding her love towards a man.

Allison Harvard as Johanna 
I know she is not an actress, but she is the perfect caged-bird.  

She has the crazy curious eyes, gothic look, & detached personality

that would result from living in an isolated world.

Johanna is a caricature more than a character,

so a creepy, Tim-Burton-esque-model seems like the perfect fit.

 

Christopher Walken as Judge Turpin

He is a master intimidator who inherently demands

the respect of both other actors & the audience.

His subtle nuances & intense energy would ensure

that Turpin was not performed as a blank, sinister villain.

Michael Cera as Anthony Hope

He could play the earnest, eager moments of

the first falling-into-love of a sweet young man,

While still making the audience fall in love with him,

He provided the same tone in

Juno, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Superbad,

Arrested Development, & Paper Heart.

Catherine Keener as Beggar Woman

She is so beautiful, but it’s an innate beauty

that is not immediately overwhelming.

She could play the Beggar Woman,

while still revealing who Lucy Barker used to be.

T.R. Knight as Tobias Ragg
On Grey’s Anatomy, he created a character who exhibited
blind devotion to his loved ones.
That character trait is the backbone of Toby,
except Toby takes this dedication to a
heightened, slightly crazy level,
which would be a cool challenge for T.R.K. as an actor.

Michael Emerson as Beadle Bamford

His performance as Benjamin Linus on Lost has eternally solidified

my love for him as the wacked-out pseudo-villain.

It would be cool to see him as the

sinister assistant rather than the sinister ringmaster.

 

Michael C. Hall as Adolfo Pirelli

I first fell in love with this man when he played

the Emcee in the Broadway Revival of Cabaret.

He performed the role with a perfect accent while

equally accentuating the campy & intrinsically creepy facets

of his seemingly simple character.

DreamCast: Side Show

"some hidden magnet is bringing me back,

back to this strange little show..."

I remember randomly buying the 1997 soundtrack to Side Show at Borders,
but not expecting much from it.
It grew into one of my strange favorites.
No question, it is a strange subject matter for a musical
Siamese twins in the 1920s 
breaking out of a Freak Show to find success on the Vaudeville Stage,
and finding love along the way is a
disfamailiar & intriguing plotline.
But the feelings are so relatable, &
the story seems crazy but is largely based on reality.

It's a crazy musical with some great one-liners:  
an awesome infusion of artistically altered history,
and songs that are the makings of musical theatre classics.
It is a difficult show to perform well.
The product-ablity curve is scaled against it.
Mostly because it has a tiny but weighted cast who has
to have lungs of steel & chemistry that is just as strong.
(really, how does one cast the chemistry that exists between Siamese sisters?),
the huge degree of artistic license that can be intimidating,
and the thematic controversy that erupts
from strikingly familiar, uncomfortable, & universal chords.

It only ran 91 performances on Broadway,
but has lived on well through fanatic fans as well
as regional, college, & high school productions.


  The Players

Isla Fisher & Amy Adams

as Daisy & Violet Hilton

Disclaimer: credit where credit is due. Ironically enough,
this perfect sister casting decision was my own perfect sister's suggestion.

I always mix these two actresses up in my head,
but have always appreciated their work.
Isla Fisher seems to have the urgent & flamboyant
undertone that Daisy demands,
while Amy Adams has the sweet, hopeful, & passive
demeanor Violet requires.

Peter Krause as Buddy

On Six Feet Under, he had all the right Buddy characteristics down:
disheveled, charming earnest,
half-heartedly invested despite wanting to be fully-invested,
and an inherent strand of cowardice.

Eric Dane as Terry

He is so suave you can't help but distrust him.
Maybe he's generally a good guy,
but he complicates it with the intention of his energyy.

Isaiah Washington as Jake

On Grey's Anatomy, he always begged the question:
Why so serious?
Just like Jake.
He plays unwavering & dedicated well.
And seems good, but not necessarily likable.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

as The Ringmaster

This role gets back-burnered but it is so important.

He has the stage/screen presence to serve as a production's Ringmaster.

This part can be played as a bland predator,

or a narrator of sorts who

paints the picture of the reality of the freak show

He could pull off this amazing opening &

set the stage this show requires as our

Master of the Odditorium.

Queen City Theatre Company

DreamCast: Miss Saigon

Miss Saigon was pivotal to my adolescent education of musical theatre. This is one musical that actually would be great as a movie & there have been talks of that possibility. I love that the writers were ballsy enough to conquer such a complicated war that was still fresh in the minds of many audience members. If it wasn't such a perfect & pristine piece of theatre, it could have been a huge expensive, offensive flop. Luckily, it turned out to be a perfectly-crafted, ageless, & invincible American Musical Theatre classic.

Jamie Chung as Kim

She doesn't have the most amazing acting stats,

but she is the perfect picture of Kim in my mind's eye.

She is an MTV star turned actress & something about that makes me think

she would have the freshness Kim needs & most actresses lack.

Hugh Laurie as The Engineer
Disclaimer: I know The Engineer is usually played by an Asian actor,
but since Jonathan Pryce is synonymous with the role, 
I felt entitled to cast Hugh Laurie based on that interpretation.
On House, his character's identity is grounded in his goals & work.
The Engineer is similarly-minded,
but with a completely different brand of background.
I've only ever seen him play a dry, quiet humor, &
 I would be excited to see him interpret
the more flamboyant flavor of The Engineer.

These girls have small roles, but it is important to cast them as individuals.   

Keiko Agena as Mimi
She reminds me of the sweet & poor Monique Wilson.
And I've gotta represent Gilmore Girls.

Tila Tequila as Gigi
She clearly exhibits the attitude & sexual charisma
Gigi requires to win Miss Saigon.

Devon Aoki as Yvette

She is more model than actress, but she has a great face.

She could individualize a role that could get lumped into the chorus.

Zhang Ziyi as Yvonne

She is a seasoned actress with a wide range of experience.
She seems like she could bring something sad & serious to the part.

Mekhi Phifer as John
I like that he was from ER, the Grey's Anatomy of yesteryear
John leaves the war a more driven & serious man
whose world view is seasoned with what his eyes have seen
I love the song Bui Doi & think it must be such a fun challenge as an actor.
To stand stagnant & sing a public service message
as the Opening to the Second Act requires
an actor whose conviction engages the audience enough
to get their mindset back to Saigon.
It is a challenge & responsibility that I could see
Mekhi Phifer having the intensity to handle.

Disclaimer: I don't like the choice to have the background singers in choir robes.
I like the background singers to be soldiers behind a screen.
This is a song about the perspective of a veteran, the infusing of the church dilutes his perspective.

Justin Chambers as Chris
Many elements of his Grey's character that would be applicable to Chris.  
He is the All-American Boy, but with baggage in his eyes.
His efforts are honorable, but living in a world of shades of wrong but no right,
it is a constant struggle to apply
everyday American ideals in a foreign & impossible world.
Chris seems like the simple, romantic male lead, but
placing that lead in this setting requires
an actor who can use his pretty face to actually act.

Daniel Dae Kim as Thuy

He proved on Lost, he can pull off the traditional, domineering man
without making him into a cruel caricature.
I think he would play a Thuy who felt like a piece of Kim's past,
instead of a random, flat antagonist.

Jennifer Garner as Ellen
Her performance in Juno reminded me of Ellen's journey.
Ellen can be played a million different ways, but I envision hers as:
A steel magnolia who doesn't mind getting dirty,
A wholly-devoted wife, who is strong despite herself, &
A woman with the fiercest of maternal instincts.
The Original 1989 'I Still Believe' - Lea Salonga & Claire Moore

I love them both so much & clearly no one will ever compare.

Pax Jolie-Pitt as Tam

I think Pax could channel

some of his real-life experiences into his interpretation of the role.

There was a limited casting pool for Tam &

he fills the required cute quotient.

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...