In college we were talking about the younger ones and that they will not make good josephs because of the pressures of young people.

For example

five things that you don't want to do in musicals
[LIST=1][*]Drink the night before[*]Go out partying[*]Smoke[*]give up with getting tired[*]to tired for gym[/LIST]
these are things that young people are likely to do. I dont know if any of them does do any of these. its justr something we were talking about

I think that young guys like Ben and Lewis are thinking long term and very focused. They wouldn't have got this far without that. They are not going to give up the chance of a stage career for the sake of partying.

I think some of them are too young for the pressures of being a leading man. I seriously can't see Keith or Lewis being able to handle a bad review, or craig, Lewis and Keith being able to handle such a big stage.

Out of the younger ones, I feel only Ben has the confidence to be able to handle it, BUT he is still young his voice will still be developing, we've seen the dangers of someone with little experience doing 8 days a week with Connie Fisher, many of the boys are less experienced and younger than her.

craig has shown by sheer hard work, that he is repaying the
faith shown in him by andrew lloyd webber and the judges..
by all accounts he has been thoroughly professional

What I don't understand is why was youth such a big disadvantage last year and not this? ALW totally sabotaged first Leanne and then Siobhan because at 20 and 21 respectively they were 'too young'. This year he seems to think that 17 year old Lewis is a much better bet than the experienced Daniel?
I don't think that any of the under 20s will be able to carry this show, but andrew seems to have totally different ideas

It is slightly strange, especially in that girls' voices develop earlier. I'd be a bit worried about one of the youngsters damaging their voice by over-singing.

Oh yes because all young people are flakey and the same

its just stereotyping young boys i didnt mean anything by it

I agree it is strange. I would have thought they would at least make a comment about Keith or Lewis.

Although with maria they had to make sure they cast someone who didn't look too young otherwise the relationship between her and the captain would be unseemly (which ruled leanne out). As for siobhan, she wasn't too young, just too inexperienced and couldn't act for tofee.

I agree with the comment that some may be too young to be able cope with or handle the responsibility that comes with being a West End leading man in such a high profile production which Joseph is

i think they can handle it

Age makes no difference, there are plenty of people who do all of the above whatever the age. What is important is the level of commitment, if they want it enough then they will be focused enough not to overindulge.

Fair enough, but you should know that stereotypes are flimsey, even though they are almost always based upon a fair element of truth.

Ben and (I think it's) Lewis have been to drama school, and a lot of kids that go there tend to be very driven. Keith...I don't know, it seems to me that he wants to put the work in.

Craig I really don't know or care about.

he's 25 - the same age as lee

excatly ALW has completly lost the plot so when he gets lewis or keith in the role and they cant hack it , it will be what he deserves

But the Jospeh role is a lot less demanding than the Maria one so I can understand the difference with ALW this time round

the younger ones simply are not good enough yet, or ready to play a lead.

I really want this role to go a man. Not a lad.
The lad's are good, but the men are great.

The boys will go places after this but a show this big is too much, too soon.

Hear hear.

I see where you're coming from but 25, 28 and even 35 is hardly Methusellah. There are many celebrities of that age and beyond who do all the things you have listed and far worse.

Not many men left now!

If one of the kids win it, they won't be good enough yet or ready to cope with a lead role, so it will bite ALW in the bum in the end.

craig fits the bill - he's a boyish 25

He definitely has grown and taken in what was asked of him week after week.......I was so thrilled when his name was called out first for going through to next week. He has shown such guts to land up in the bottom 2 so often yet still carry on and not lose his nerve....he deserves to be in the final eh!