Theater Criticism from Overheard In New York

[ceebeegee]

Woman: Yeah, but just because you can play a dying crackwhore in Rent, that doesn't mean that you can play a dying crackwhore in Les Miz--they're two different kinds of whores!

--Broadhurst Theatre

Comments

♪ I'm Fantine, but I'm old for my age... ♪

[king-duncan.livejournal.com]

I hear she's being replaced soon by Lea Salonga.

[alexlady.livejournal.com]

it's so true.

[defy-gravity99.livejournal.com]

When I saw it, she was wretched. I mean, WRETCHED. After we left, we were three blocks from the theater talking about how bad she was, and a couple turned around and said, 'Are you guys talking about Daphne Rubin-Vega?"

[dry-2olives.livejournal.com]

I liked her a lot as Fantine. Her singing was in child-like tones as though she were a woman who never had a chance to grow emotionally. She's defeated, unable to make sense of her past and too weak to fight for her future. I found it very moving. When she came back in act two she was regal and confident, like she finally found a happy place to be.

[dry-2olives.livejournal.com]

A BroadwayWorld reader posted, "Hey, give Daphne a break. She is the only actress ever to try and actually act the part with some credibility, rather than run around in a fright wig and belt out her death song like she was in Yankee Stadium!"

[wonderpanther.livejournal.com]

Everything I hear about Lea Salonga is unfortunately tainted by the fact that I have heard that she is an enormous beyotch. I think that Marion met her a bunch of times, nose totally in the air.

[carlycouture.livejournal.com]

That is hilarious.

-Semi-off subject question for you. Have you seen the ads for a new reality show to find the lead characters for a Broadway production of Grease? I'm not a theater person at all and it really bothers me that they are finding an 'Average Joe' for such huge roles. I can imagine that some people are pretty upset over this. Any thoughts?