I could not agree more about Laura as Ariel. I have been thinking about taking my kids to see this in conjunction with our next trip to see Grease. I saw the interview with some of the cast and one thing they mentioned was that this retelling of Mermaid plays out the theme of losing your "voice" as a girl/female and then regaining it and realizing you will never compromise yourself ever again in that way. Great message for girls, young and old! Laura as Ariel would be amazing, she is born to play that role. I thought of her immediately when I heard that it was coming to Broadway!! Although I think she would also be amazing as Glinda in Wicked......or any role that calls for an amazing, sweet and pure voice and spunky personality.
As for Max, that's tougher. I think he would love a role in Spring Awakening, which I haven't seen so I can't speak to. Hmmmmmm..................I'll think on that one.....I like him so much as Danny its hard to refocus yet......

I could see Laura doing Little Mermaid and/or Mary Poppins. If Beauty and the Beast were still around, I'd throw that in, as well. Oh well, I'm sure it'll be back in, oh, three years when it can qualify as a revival. I can't honestly say Wicked, since I don't know how high her register is.

Max, I don't know about. Perhaps something in Spring Awakening would fit - Melchior or Moritz (though I'm not a fan of the production).

Either way, I'd love to see them both go from Grease to a play, either a drama or comedy, perhaps off-Broadway. They may like doing musicals a lot, but to be pigeonholed as a "musical theater performer" is detrimental to a career.

Forgive me for asking the obvious but why? I mean if it's what you enjoy doing and you're good at it Does it really matter? I like both musical and non musical productions. But in my opinion if you pick a musical that also has a good story line then it is the best of both worlds. Two of my favorites are West Side Story and Man of LaMancha. They are wonderful musicals and yet the story is wonderful as well. I loved the book the play was based on for Man of LaMancha because it deals with chasing an impossible dream but yet what is any of us without a dream? And of course West Side Story is based on the musical Romeo and Juliet, set in modern America with rival gangs instead of rival clans.
I guess my thought would be if it is detrimental in whose eyes and why is it detrimental? I guess I'm looking for a good discussion Mr.E. In the final estimation if what you're doing brings audiences to see you week after week then you must be doing something right. While others may vote on a ballot theater and movie goers vote by buying a ticket.
I know that Max and Laura will do many other wonderful things besides musical theater but I don't see that it is a bad thing if it's what you like, no change that if it's what you love.
Oh and I was thinking, I don't know what Wicked is all about either but if it's a kind of Wizard of Oz story then Max would make a perfect Tin Woodmen.
Okay, that's my two cents.

Wicked is the story of Glinda, the good Witch and Elphaba (a subtle reference to L. Frank Baum, the Wizard of Oz writer), the green girl who becomes Wicked Witch of the West. It's based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, who has made a career on spinning off and doing "untold stories" of the classic tales - Cinderella, Snow White, etc.

Good discussion time:

I said don't be pigeonholed as a "musical theater performer" for a number of reasons. Look at 4 of the great theatrical performers of the day - Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Nathan Lane, Kevin Kline. Why are they well known? Musicals.

Patti LuPone won a Tony for Evita and a Drama Desk for Anything Goes. But she's also won acclaim for drama and comedy - Noises Off (a slapstick, door slamming farce) and Master Class (where she played opera legened Maria Callas).

Audra McDonald has 4 Tonys and countless other awards. Two of them are for musicals - Carousel and Ragtime. The other two are for dramas - Raisin in the Sun and Master Class. And, as anyone who's a fan of Private Practice knows, she's the best part of that TV program, as well.

Nathan Lane - 2 Tonys - The Producers (his star-making role) and Funny Thing...Forum. He's done a slew of plays, as well. Man Who Came To Dinner was filmed for PBS. He was in the film version of Love! Valor! Compassion, as well as the stage version. He's coming back to Broadway in January, playing the President of the United States in David Mamet's new play, "November."

Kevin Kline - all around renaissance man. Legendary actor (not a very nice person, but that's neither here nor there). Academy Award winner for slapstick farce, A Fish Called Wanda. Has starred in every genre of film there is. Won 2 Tonys for musicals - Pirates of Penzance (he played opposite Linda Rondstat) and On The Twentieth Century (holding his own against Imogene Coca, John Cullum, and Madeline Khan). Renowned for his Shakespeare - won a Tony for his Falstaff in Henry IV, has done nearly every Shakespeare play, and is currently back on Broadway in an incredible performance of Cyrano de Bergerac.

As a performer, you can have your favorite genre. If you want to be a completely well-rounded actor, you have to go out of your comfort zone. Of course, you could fail. But you could also succeed very well. Audra McDonald has done numerous interviews saying how terrified she was of doing Master Class, a drama, playing opposite the legendary Zoe Caldwell (and then LuPone). But she did it, and won a Tony for it.

And then I suggest off-Broadway for one big reason: Broadway is great, but there are incredible things to be seen off-Broadway, from Shakespeare to experimental work. Spring Awakening started downtown at the Atlantic Theater Company. Grey Gardens started at a lovely theater called Playwrights Horizons.

Broadway is all about money. That's why half of the musicals which opened in the past 2 years have been based on movies. Familiar properties that people will (mostly) want to see. It was Avenue Q which opened the door for Spelling Bee, Spring Awakening, as well as shows opening later this season like In the Heights and Passing Strange. I saw no reason to revive Grease except to make money. And this production clearly is a moneymaker.

If actors really want to hone their skills, they have to have a diverse background. They can do musicals. Grease is a great starting point for Max and Laura. Perhaps they'll want to do another musical as their next project. But to make a career doing musicals? Gotta broaden the horizons. Do a Shakespeare in Central Park one summer. It's hot, it's tiring, but it's incredibly rewarding. Do an experimental piece. Do an old-timer, 3-act, 3-hour comedy.

Every little bit helps.

Well if I were Max or Laura I would try to parlay my current popularity into something other than live acting. The only thing I would regret about that would be not using the great voice. Laura is more complex in Grease than meets the eye. She goes from meek, to sweet to self righteous to vamp. Maybe Mr E is right when he says she should do something different. I also think a Legally Blond type of role would be great for her.

I still think Max would be good in the typical Tom Cruise strong yet vulnerable type of character. He has the smart alec attitude tempered with a cute, sweetness that lets you forgive any shortcomings.

I haven't seen any of the shows talked about above, so I can't imagine how Max or Laura might be in the various roles. No doubt, they would be fine.

But would it be the best career move to be a replacement in an old show? Yes, if you're Reba and take Broadway by storm.

In the case of Max and Laura, I think it would be preferable for them to go their separate ways, as they are radically different talents and personalities, and do original projects, where they won't be compared with anybody.

I read somewhere that NBC owns them for a year after "Grease"... God help them.

Although I've yet to see a Broadway show, I can see Laura as Belle or as almost any Princess; she is tiny, beautiful and she has a sweet, pure voice and personality -- but I agree that it might be smarter for her to diversify. As for Max, I see him doing something for a TV comedy, or another movie, perhaps. For some reason, I can see him as Aladdin, but I don't think that's a Broadway show. (?) Yet.

Oh, of course you gotta do what makes you happy. The problem with doing theater, acting in general, is that it's so unsteady, you're thankful for any job you get, good or bad.

Regarding them being stuck with NBC for another year...I can see Max doing a sitcom before Laura. Max strikes me as someone who could diversify, whereas Laura I can see stricty doing theater. Now that they both have their Equity cards, the hardest part is over, since you can't audition for an Equity show without having an Equity card, and you can't get an Equity card without being in an Equity show. It's a very tough process for the up-and-comers.

Or, they can just do two years of Grease and get done with it that way.

ABC is owned by Disney. I wonder if NBC,which apparently has Laura and Max under some form of contract for the year starting this coming June, would allow Laura to appear in one of Disney's productions (ie-The Little Mermaid) even if that show's producers and Laura wanted her to be a raplacement for Ariel? By the way, I too could easily see Laura fitting into one of the Disney "princess" roles.

Laura and Max would be good in Godspell, the revival is coming out next year. Spiritual Sandy would also be a good choice in that play.

I could see Max as Cornelius in Hello Dolly or Conrad Birdie in Bye, Bye Birdie. He could be Ren in Footloose.

I could see Laura as the eldest daughter in The Sound of Music with her hubby as Rolfe.

I seem to remember MrE1111 saying he was writing a play that would be perfect for Laura.  How about getting that in an off-Broadway venue when she's available?

Renie - It's been widely reported that NBC has Max and Laura under contract for 2 years. That has nothing to do with Equity. The thing about Equity is that, to become a member, you must be in an Equity show. Doesn't have to be in NY, there are plenty of Equity theaters around the country. The thing, though, is that you can't get cast in an Equity show without being an Equity member.

That's the tough part. What many non-Equity actors do is show up to auditions and hope that the casting director will see them once all the Equity people are gone. Most casting people do make a point to see a handful at the end of the day.

Tukee/Greatwhite - From your mouth to some rich producer's ears.

I just have to finish writing it.

I'd also love to see Laura do the lead role in 42nd St. She can tap dance up a storm and has all the determination of that character to make it to the top somehow! It would be physically demanding, but sure fun to watch her!

Now that they've got their Equity cards, they are in like flynn. The can show up to EPAs (Equity Principal Auditions) and ECCs (Equity Chorus Calls) without being turned away.

The Screen Actors Guild is the film actor's union.

My play? It's a comedy which, while blending fact and fiction, revolves around a writer writing about a writing writer. Kinda like Adaptation, only less confusing.

Maxismylove wrote:

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He makes his sister laugh so hard, we have to remind her to breath.

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My younger brother does that to me too lol

In thinking about it now, I'd love to see Laura play the role of Niki Harris in CURTAINS, opposite David Hyde Pierce. It's the role of the ingenue - not a terribly large part, but she does get a great soft-shoe with Pierce. Jill Paice is leaving rather soon, so Laura wouldn't be able to go into it, but it's always something to think about.

Max is wrong for the West Side Story revival. They're going for a completely authentic-looking-and-sounding production (down to changing many of the lyrics to Spanish) - and Max doesn't fit the bill.

Mea culpa!

Max could do Footloose. Easily. Interesting to see if that would ever comes to fruition, even at the Papermill Playhouse.

Remember, if it does, it was my idea first!

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