By Michael Gioia
05 Mar 2013
Although LaChanze decided on a song from Dreamgirls — "She's black! What is the miscast?" said the Color Purple Tony winner — she confessed that after years of auditioning for the role of Effie, she was consistently told by casting directors that she was "not black enough." The actress, in a bright red dress, addressed those casting directors and said, "This is for you," as she belted the second-act Dreamgirls ballad "I Am Changing."
Jane Krakowski Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN
The evening continued with "Matchmaker" from Fiddler on the Roof, performed by Borle, Michael Mandell and the evening's host, Victor Garber; a heartfelt "No One Is Alone" from Into the Woods, performed by Jackson; a dance-heavy "Don't Break the Rules" from Catch Me If You Can, performed by a Norbert Leo Butz-inspired Parker; and a belty "Back to Before" from Ragtime, performed by LaChanze.
The second major highlight of the evening occurred when Boggess returned center stage and introduced the evening's next performer — "Britney Spears." The actress, who recently starred as soprano Christine Daaé in the 25th anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera, performed a riff-tastic "Think of Me" in the spirit of Spears — complete with booty shaking, lack of diction and a can of Coca-Cola.
Miscast concluded on a high note — well, two high notes — from Jordan and Groff as they took on the "Smash" staple "Let Me Be Your Star." Jordan, who introduced the number as an homage to his "Smash" cast, took on Karen, as Groff played Ivy. The two adorned Marilyn Monroe wigs and ran throughout the ballroom — singing to audience members and competing for stardom.
(Playbill.com staff writer Michael Gioia's work appears in the news, feature and video sections of Playbill.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PlaybillMichael.)
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