MCC Theater hosted its annual Miscast gala April 1. The event, a tradition of the Off-Broadway company since 2001, invites a “class” of performers to sing songs from roles they would not otherwise be cast as.
Karen Olivo, who will return to Broadway this summer as leading lady Satine in the stage adaptation of Moulin Rouge!, blew the roof off the Hammerstein Ballroom when she sang “Your Eyes,” Roger’s final song in Rent. Watch her performance in the video above.
The West Side Story Tony winner made her Broadway debut as a swing in the Jonathan Larson musical before going on to play Mimi in the national touring company. As Olivo said, there were so many times she listened to the song lying “dead” on a table, and all she wanted to do was sing it—now she had the chance.
Between Rent and West Side Story, Olivo appeared on the Broadway stage in Brooklyn and as Vanessa in In The Heights. More recently, she starred in another Lin-Manuel Miranda musical, originating the role of Angelica in the Chicago engagement of Hamilton.
The 2019 Miscast class also featured Mean Girls’ Taylor Louderman, Kate Rockwell, Barret Wilbert Weed, and Krystina Alabado, Tony winners Beth Leavel (The Prom), Kelli O'Hara (Kiss Me, Kate), Gavin Creel (Hello, Dolly!), and Alice Ripley (Next to Normal), Eva Noblezada (Hadestown), Stephanie J. Block (The Cher Show), Christopher Jackson (Hamilton), Jason Tam (Be More Chill), Broadway power couple Andy Karl (Groundhog Day) and Orfeh (Pretty Woman), and Grammy winner Jennifer Nettles (who, earlier in the evening, dueted with Olivo on Parade's "All the Wasted Time").The fundraising event also honored Tony and Oscar nominee Laura Linney. MCC Artistic Directors Bob LuPone, Bernie Telsey, and Will Cantler co-hosted the event with Executive Director Blake West.
See below for the full Miscast 2019 set list:
Mean Girls’ Taylor Louderman, Kate Rockwell, Barret Wilbert Weed, Krystina Alabado as the Four Seasons singing a medley of “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man” from Jersey Boys
Alice Ripley as Gabe singing “I’m Alive” from Next to Normal
Jennifer Nettles and Karen Olivo as Lucille and Leo Frank singing “All The Wasted Time” from Parade
Gavin Creel as Flora singing “A Quiet Thing” from Flora the Red Menace
Andy Karl and Orfeh as Seymour and The Plant singing “Feed Me” from Little Shop of Horrors
Eva Noblezada as Hercules singing “Go the Distance” from Hercules
Stephanie J. Block as Guido singing “Guido’s Song” from Nine
Karen Olivo as Roger singing “Your Eyes” from Rent
Beth Leavel as Joe singing “Ol’ Man River” from Show Boat
Jennifer Nettles as Robert singing “It All Fades Away” from The Bridges of Madison County
Gavin Creel, Jason Tam, and Andy Karl as Mezeppa, Electra, and Tessie Tura in “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” from Gypsy
Christopher Jackson as Deena singing “Listen” from Dreamgirls
Kelli O’Hara as Billy Flynn singing “All I Care About” from Chicago
