When Lincoln Center first announced that it would revive SOUTH PACIFIC about a year and a half ago, PIAZZA was still playing. Victoria Clark was still in it, but Kelli O'Hara was not. And some pundits predicted Victoria Clark would be picked to play Nellie. But is she too old for the role? Probably not, since Glen Close did it in the ABC TV film version.
But no, we learned. Lincoln Center wanted a younger, sexier Nellie. Word was out that they wanted a film actress with celeb cashet. Apparently, they wanted Scarlet Johanson, once a possibility for the London revival of SOUND OF MUSIC. But if they wanted young, why not O'Hara?
In March, O'Hara led the Pops at Carnegie Hall in a Broadway tribue event and took the stage with "I'm In Love With a Wonderful Guy." And damn, she was great. Charles Isherwood, who reviewed the event, went as far as saying she was at the top of his Nellie wishlist.
What do I think? I'm very happy O'Hara got the part. I remember interviewing her exactly three years ago when she was in that piece of s**t musical DRACULA, where she was forced to not only sing bad songs, but go nude. But in that same season she scored PIAZZA, where she got her first Tony nom. And then next season, she scored PAJAMA GAME, where she got another Tony nom.
If she makes an outstanding Nellie, which I bet she will, I think she probably will win Best Actress in a Musical.