All tagged Jonathan Groff
A few weeks ago, I was wandering around Barnes and Noble looking for some true crime books to read (I’ve been on a kick with this genre lately). I picked up a book on Jack the Ripper (a mind-shattering puzzle of a case that continues to fascinate me) and went to check out. The store cashier (also a true crime fanatic), asked me if I had read the book Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit. I had not. He proceeded to tell me about the book, and he also informed me of the new Netflix series called Mindhunters (without the space) that is based on the book, urging me to give both a try. Barnes and Noble, as well as Netflix, owe this guy a commission, for I am sold on both.
Well, Hamilton swept the Tony Awards and before the trophies could gather dust on the mantelpiece, news of original cast members departing the production began to get people (especially those who haven't seen it yet, down). In the coming weeks, the two male leads, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom, Jr., will depart the show, breaking the hearts of legions of zealous fans. True, they have spent quite a few months performing this show eight-times a week and have probably earned some time away, and they will most-likely return to the show for limited engagements. It's hard for many to imagine Hamilton without these two powerhouse performers.
I was sitting the other night, catching up on this season of Orange is the New Black, and I was struck by just how terrific an actress Annie Golden is on the program. What makes her all-the-more special is the fact that her character doesn’t speak, but says so much with her eyes and her facial expressions. In one particularly thoughtful moment I found myself asking “Has she ever played Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd?” I think this would be an inspired casting choice, and Golden is no stranger to Broadway musicals or playing psychotic Sondheim characters, having originated the role of Squeaky Fromme in the original Playwrights Horizon’s production of Assassins (1990).
This got me thinking: If I could cast some roles in Sondheim musicals, who would I choose and why? We all love a little speculative casting, so why not play that game right here. Today’s blog features some of my favorite choices for people I would cast in Sondheim roles.
