Some people have pointed out that they lovingly create a well-worded post, only for it to be overlooked in favour of the current "flavour of the day" topic.

I agree with this, and feel that some people (me included!) are too keen to fire off their own opinion within the spirit of the thread title without giving enough shrift to what recent posters have said.

In this thread, you MUST respond to the post immediately before yours.

If two or three people post more or less at once (as happens), the most recent post still holds sway.

I'll start, as it's my (lame) idea:

From the start, I've felt that Jessie has the right look for the sort of Nancy that Cameron and Andrew seem to want, and the most raw talent. I agree that her arm/shoulder actions are a little exaggerated in more active routines, but I'm not sure this would hamper her as Nancy.

I agree that Jessie has remained more or less the same, but so have others like Jodie (i.e. sustained the strengths they came in with). It is the popularity of the latter that, on this site, is growing, as opposed to her suitabilty for the role.

Go

nice idea

I agree with the "look" Jessie has, I can't work out why, but the curls seem to work well with my notion of what Nancy would look like. She also somehow has the look of a street urchin (in the nicest possible way!). I suppose its the unpolished nature of her. I can't remember if a judge said this at some point, but she looks sort of "coltish" and untamed, which is quite a good way of describing Nancy imo (and much kinder than "feral").

She has mostly stayed the same, but I'm not sure if she hasn't lost a bit along the way. I do think Jessie has something, and could make a good Nancy, but I'm not sure if she's ready right now... there will be time for refining and training I suppose before opening night, but Jodie seems to have more stamina right now. I think what Jodie does that Jessie doesn't is interpret the song she's given well.

I agree with the majority of this. Didn't John make some comment about her being a 'wild irish pony'? Which was a great description of both her and the part, I thought. The only thing I'm not 100% with you on is on the song interpretation. I think Jessie can do this incredibly well, when she's on form. I think her Killing Me Softly and Man that Got Away were truly excellent interpretations. I'd say that she hasn't been as consistently good as Jodie, who pulls it out every week, but when Jessie's on, she's on fire.

My ideal situation (and I've thought this for a while now) would be for Jodie to win the main part and for Jessie to do be two days a week Nancy. That would be a nice way of easing her into the pressures of the west end.

Thanks for supporting this thread, ladies

I agree that Jodie vocalises well every week but I'm not sure that's the complete package.

Fact is (and I don't mean to lapse into being unpleasant) my Oliver tickets will go straight on to e-Bay if Jodie wins (which is a strong possibility if ALW can't find a loophole to vote her off).

David

I think there is a lot of potential for a job share here - not just Jessie and Jodie.

Perhaps let Sam have a god also, with Rachel as the 4th choice understudy. Seems to be what she is marked for.

Niamph can a different role for which she is more suitable.

(Hope I followed the rules)

Yes, I think a Jessie/Sam job share is another viable option (and one which the Lord might be very keen on).

I personally don't think that Sam, Jessie or Niamh would be able to handle eight shows a week. They are still to young and inexperienced, it would be too much a strain on their voices. I think a job share between Jessie and Sam could work though.

Niamh, I believe is just not quite right for the part, although I'm sure something else will come her way, I think maybe ALW alreadt has his plans!

Personally I don't agree, as I'm not sure either of them has the consistency to even pull that off.

I think it is much more important to get someone who can deliver the role professionally on a consistent basis. And would it not be better to see your "non-favourite" do a really good job, than see your "favourite" on a bad night?

I personally would rather see an either Rachel or Jodie in the role as I think it really does call for an "older" actress rather than a teenager.

PS Melvin, great idea for a thread

Still no stand-out winner for me and that includes Jessie. Sorry.

I haven't got a clue about who would make a good Nancy. I haven't heard or seen them acting any of Nancy's scenes or singing a whole one of her songs. So I haven't been given an opportunity to decide. All I know is that some are better than others at singing pop and "american show" songs. But that is a million miles from the music in Oliver.
Oliver doesn't come from the Broadway heritage at all. Its roots are in shows like the Boyfriend. Such a shame that the producers of the show haven't realised that.
Alan

They should be singing MT songs...for goodness sake, there are enough of them, as they are being cast for an MT ROLE.

As well as being a real English musical there's a bit of music hall as well in Oliver (certainly in Nancy's songs) what would be the problem in having all of them singing a proper music hall song and seeing how well they can rapport with the audience?

Having them tunelessly screech an Aguilera song is sod all to do with Oliver.

Great call, Dave.

There is something about Jessie that makes me cringe so I could never go & watch her but I agree that none of them are wonderful. Only Jodie or Sam would entice me.
Also, is the show they are thinking of doing very different to the film? I saw it with Robert Lindsay (who was great) & it was practically the same as the film.
I saw The Sound of Music with Connie (who I thought was dire) & the show was so wooden & stilted compared to the film.

I've only seen the film a couple of times but there was quite a few of the songs taken out (a shame) also Oom Pah Pah which opens the second half of the show was put back rather later on so Nancy sings it to get all the pub singing while she attempts to smuggle Oliver out from under Bill's nose.

BTW, the stage show IS the original, in 1960.

I keep hearing that about Connie,.........what was so wrong about it.....I havent seen it?

SOM is not well produced, the choreography is very amature and the hills look like they were lifted out of the telytubbies.... basically.

and as for Connie: I've seen her twice, one before she damaged her voice and one after, and the first time I saw her, her voice was much stronger, in both performances she had a tendency to overact. I personally prefer both Summer and Aoife to her (with Aoife being my favourite).

oh I loved it! Thoroughly entertaining evening. My uncle was, however, disappointed cause it "wasn't like the film"... no sh*t, funny how they can't drag the Alps into the London Palladium

didn't see Connie though, saw understudy... but I thought it was a very good production. You have to remember its based on the stage show not the film

Haha I actually rather like the production (i've seen it four time now!), it has a charm to it and the cast are all very good, but it's hardly 'slick'.

The Sound of music is one of my favourie fimls, but I was rather disappointed in the stage show. As for Oliver I think it was quite a depressing film, and only Jessie or Rachel would tempt me to the stage show.

That's probably why I like it... can't be doing with too much "showbiz" in my musicals. I found Phantom far too "slick" with not enough charm, whereas I adored The Lion King which feels a lot more "earthy".

Is Summer good?

and back on topic...

a question I've been meaning to pose: last week the Nancys (or Nancies? can never decide which to use) had to sing songs that represented different sides of Nancy: maternal, loving devotion, survival and... whatever Fighter, You've got a friend and Say a little prayer were meant to represent! Given that the song choices were a bit rubbish, which songs would have been better? especially interested in any MT songs people think could have conveyed these emotions

Maternal's a bit difficult, but perhaps something along the lines of Getting to Know You from The King & I? Anything that's aimed towards children, really. The King & I also gives us Something Wonderful which is definitely a "loving devotion" number. I'll have to have a think - those two just sprung to mind though!

Well I think so but i'm biased because i've been a fan of hers ever since I saw her in The Drowsy Chaperone . Seeing as she has just started she isn't quite as comfortable in the role as she could be but she has time for that (having said that I saw Aoife very early on in her run and she was fantastic), but she's a very strong singer and actress. She is also completly different not just to Connie and Aoife but also to Julie Andrews, although she does have a bit of that Julie Andrews 'serenity'.

My point is, if the film improved on the stage production, i.e. not so stilted lines - you don't have to overact just because it is on the stage - why not merge the best of both. Why keep Something Good out & keep An Ordinary Couple in just because the original was written that way.

Something Good was in it when I saw it

I didn't find it stilted but it's horses for courses

good to know she's a bit different... I fancy seeing her in it

Maternal is a difficult one, though like you said, anything with children, though if Niamh (I'll use as an example seeing as she was supposed to convey that this week) sang Getting to know you or something from SoM, I'm not sure it would come across as maternal, or be a good test, unless she sang it with some children, if you get what I mean. Maternal's quite hard to play unless you have someone to bounce off against.