Casting Goals: Gypsy

So I have already done a Casting Goals for Gypsy (Then titled I Dreamed a Dream) with an African-American cast, but I want to redo it because I recently thought of a much better cast for this show. Now just like previous Casting Goals I'm not going to write out these long written explanations. Just their picture and a brief description after that.

Stephanie Mills as Rose
(The Wiz, The Wiz Live!, Children of Eden)

Queen Latifah as Rose
(Chicago, Hairspray, The Wiz Live!)

I think both of these women would be a great choice for Rose. I think they would both bring something different to this Rose. I think Stephanie Mills would add this ferocity (I don't mean *finger snaps* fierce. I mean Mama Bear protecting her young fierce) to Rose (Not that Rose wasn't already fierce character.) Mills voice is very powerful and she has that Mama Bear quality in my opinion. I just feel that her Rose would be special. Meanwhile Miss Queen Latifah can stop a room with her singing voice. This would be the most difficult role the Latifah has taken on in her career. It would challenge her in all the right ways. I can't quite put my finger on it, but both of these women would make for an interesting and new Mama Rose.

Shanice Williams as Louise
(The Wiz Live!)

Raven-Symoné as June
(That's So Raven, Sister Act, Empire)

Ok you can't do Gypsy with Latifah or Mills as Rose and not include Shanice Williams as Louise. Williams is such an adorable young woman. She blew everyone away in The Wiz Live! and she would blow everyone away as Louise. Williams would add this cute, adorable quirkiness to the role and really make it her own. I think Williams would make a great Louise. Her Little Lamb would be heartbreaking and her Let Me Entertain You would be sexy and fierce. Meanwhile Raven would bring the right amount of sass and comedy to the role of June.

Norm Lewis as Herbie
(Porgy and Bess, Scandal, The Little Mermaid)

Norm Lewis would make such a very interesting Herbie. I think he would give this kind of demandingness (Yay making up words) to the role. I feel like in all incarnations of Gypsy Herbie is portrayed as a pushover. He is wrapped around Rose's thumb and while I believe that is true Herbie is also a very mentally strong man. He knows what he wants and will get it. (He doesn't go as drastic as Rose, but he will get it.)