I recently heard that she was ONLY in Crazy For You BECAUSE of the hype of Little Mermaid. That show was intended for Karen Ziemba, but it was given to Jodi to increase visibility of the project. Luckily, Ziemba was eventually able to perform this role and (IMHO) you could TELL the part was taylored to her talents.
She might just be busy being a mom, she had a kid awhile back. I worked with her on a bunch of stuff. She and her husband are so amazingly talented and sane. They could sight read stuff off the page and be ready to record in almost real time.
Benson wasn't very good in CRAZY FOR YOU. The first time I saw the show was about 6 months into the run, and she was still uncomfortable with the choreography. You could see her watching her feet, counting her steps, and in the finale when she and Harry Groener were dancing on the rising disk she was visibly nervous and tense.
The second time I saw it was about two years later, after Karen Ziemba had taken over. It was a completely different show - the role fit her like a glove and she was fearless, fun and funny. She and Groener were an exciting team, as he didn't have to hold anything back to accommodate a nervous co-star anymore and they matched each other step for step. Marvelous.
Cheyenne Jackson tickled me. AFTER ordering SoMMS a drink but NOT tickling him, and hanging out with Girly in his dressing room (where he DIDN'T tickle her) but BEFORE we got married. To others. And then he tweeted Boobs. He also tweeted he's good friends with some chick on "The Voice" who just happens to be good friends with Tink's ex. And I'm still married. Oh, and this just in: "Pettiness, spite, malice ....Such ugly emotions... So sad." - After Eight, talking about MEEEEEEEE!!! I'm so honored! :-)
I saw Benson in Crazy For You and had NO CLUE who Karen Ziemba was. Then I went to see AND THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND and was introduced to what a true stage start Ziemba was. She makes EVERYTHING appear effortless. Not too long after seeing ATWGR, I was at FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE and Ziemba was in the audience. I talked to her at intermission and said "YOU should the the star of CRAZY FOR YOU." She smiled and said 'THANK YOU!!! That's such a great compliment.' It wasn't too much longer that she was touring in the role, took over on Broadway and I saw her in the role . . . . TRUE MAGIC!
I was just the other week that I found out the role REALLY should have been hers from the beginning.
I only saw Ziemba in the role when it played Los Angeles, and she was fantastic in Crazy For You. I kept thinking she would have won the Tony if she had originated it. They went for a higher-profile name, I guess.
I do remember that both Benson and Groener were signed to run-of-the-play contracts. It's the last time I've ever heard of that happening, because the show became a big hit and started to run much longer than anyone (including them) thought. Benson in particular (but both of them, as I recall) BEGGED to be let out of their contracts. Jodi was "hot" at that point for other work (film, TV, more VO work), and she was stuck in the show and couldn't accept anything. Maybe that experience soured her. Who knows?
They finally agreed to let both of them out. Harry stayed a bit longer (probably with a pay hike) when Ziemba took over, but I don't know of any actor, especially in a musical (since it has the potential to run for years now), that has signed a run-of-the-play contract. It would be nuts.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
B12B, why wouldn't an actor (or at least one that is not a star or "hot") want to sign a run-of-the-play contract? Jodi's situation was obviously different, but I'm sure your average actor would want to keep his or her job as long as possible. I know I would!
Religious people generally do believe that God directs their steps. And there have been millions of such people throughout history, many of them exceedingly intelligent. If belief in God's direction alone makes a person nutty, you're going to have to declare a major percentage of the human race -- including Christians, Jews, Muslims, and people of many other faiths -- insane.
When shows ran 1-2 seasons, run-of-the-play contracts were common. But when musicals started to run 6, 7, 10, 15 years, they became unrealistic.
Ask most actors if they want to be locked into playing the same role in a stage production for 15 years. There are a few exceptions (very few), but most would say no way.
I guess that's hard for some people to understand.
EDIT: Bottom line --- they don't do ROTP anymore, and there's a reason.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22