I don't normally write about celebrities, but it has recently been announced that Dreamgirls cast member Anika Noni Rose, who played Lorrell, will appear at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (Stratford, ON) in 2008 as Cleopatra in Caesar and Cleopatra (yes, George Bernard Shaw's play. I thought I misread it too.) Playing Julius Caesar will be none other than Christopher Plummer, who most of us know as Captain von Trapp (I do realize that he's a little older than most actors in the role, but apparently he suggested that the Stratford Festival do this. Stratford doesn't normally produce Shaw plays (they have only done 2 other ones in their 50-something history), since there is another theatre festival that specializes in Shaw, held annually at Niagara-on-the-Lake) . It's nice to see a petite actress playing Cleopatra, who is seen by again (Elizabeth Taylor is also 5'2" according to IMDB) .
Ms. Rose is a trained and award-winning actress who has appeared on Broadway shows such as Carmen Jones and Caroline, Or Change. The latter earned her a best actress Tony award.
I haven't gone to Stratford in a long time (it used to be routine in high school...the last time I went down was in 1999, to see West Side Story, starring petite (5'3" according to a 1993 Toronto Star story when she was playing Kim in Miss Saigon. ) Ma-Anne Dionisio as Maria.), but I think I'll be heading over for this one next year.
Toronto Star article
New York Times article
