Laura Michelle Never Offered White???Date: 24 February 2004Much has been made in the media about the allegedly fierce tug of war between Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber for the right to cast former My Fair Lady Laura Michelle Kelly in their new musical blockbusters (See The Goss, 21 Nov 2003). The 22-year-old actress herself, when accepting the title role in Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins (See News, 28 Jan 2004), said how flattered she was to be fought over by the two impresarios. But speaking today at a press launch for his own musical The Woman in White, Lloyd Webber said that, while Kelly did perform the piece at his private Sydmonton festival, “I would have probably gone with her myself but my co-authors especially felt she was a little young.” The lead in The Woman in White has now gone to three-time Olivier winner Maria Friedman, who turns 44 in March (See Today's News). According to co-producer Sonia Friedman, Kelly knew she would never be considered for the part if she couldn’t commit to being available, which she didn’t do, and so “the official line is, no, we didn’t offer it to her.” Related Content |
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