It's difficult to determine the contributions of directors and choreographers, unless the incoming folks have completely scrapped what their predecessors had created. In reading Becoming Barbra Streisand, there were a slew of directors, choreographers, and scores of versions of the book for Funny Girl.
As for performers, the two replacements that immediately come to mind are Pearl Bailey, who deservedly won a special Tony when she became the fifth Dolly in the original Broadway production.
Fast forward a few decades to Reba McIntyre taking over for Bernadette Peters in Annie Get Your Gun.
Unfortunately, I missed both of those, But I have fond memories of Pat Hingle as the replacement Coach for Richard A. Dysart in That Championship Season;
Maryann Plunkett was also superb taking over for Peters in Sunday in the Park with George;
Betty Buckley was vastly superior to her predecessors in Sunset Boulevard;
Ditto Aaron Lazar as Fabrizio in Light in the Piazza
Stay safe and well,
Fred |
