Friday 5: 5 Replacements I Missed

5 Replacements I Missed 

Since you asked, we are bringing back our Friday 5 feature! Broadway Games fans, not to worry, we'll have those on alternating Fridays.

This week, I'll get things going again with a look at five replacement performances I am still regretting!

1. Betty Buckley in Song and Dance

Any time I get to see her perform, I always leave the theater better off than when I arrive. I was particularly smitten with her in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, so when she left that show to replace Bernadette Peters in Song and Dance, I knew I had to get tickets. I mean, I was sure her "Tell Me On a Sunday" and "Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad" would be epic and life changing. Well, I had tickets for the first Saturday after the show closed...

2. Darren Criss in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying!

As a huge fan of this musical, and this production, I had to see it again, and when he was announced to replace Daniel Radcliffe and make his Broadway debut, I had to be there! Well, a short run (less than 3 weeks) and bad weather at home scrapped those plans, and I missed him...

3. Nick Jonas in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying!

Okay, so I missed Darren, I couldn't miss Nick! Heck, I saw him on Broadway before he was anyone famous...he was just a little boy when I caught him as Chip in Beauty and the Beast. In the intervening years, he got a wee bit more famous, so I knew he'd be great as J. Pierpont Finch. Apparently, a lot of others did, too, since tickets were hard to come by...

4. Reba McEntire in Annie Get Your Gun

My love for Reba has been a long affair. Her TV comedy is still one of my comfort shows, and I enjoy her music, too. I am not a fan of Annie Get Your Gun, per se, but videos of her now legendary turn as Bernadette Peters' replacement really have me kicking myself for missing her...

5. Lola Tung in Hadestown

So, I discovered her in the series The Summer I Turned Pretty, where she is quite a charming and captivating actor. When it was announced she'd be in Hadestown, I was very curious. Nothing from her show indicated that musical theater might be part of her repertoire, but why not? Alas, her pretty short run and a crowded season of new shows to see conspired against my return to the Walter Kerr Theatre...

Share: What are some replacements you regret missing? Did you see any of the above, and if so, did I miss out? Tweet me, IG me, Threads me! (all @jkstheatrescene)