Theatre Gossip #413: The Meghan McCain IS Roxie Hart Edition

She’s a Velma

Bernadette at her best

Meghan said yesterday on The View that she was a Real Housewives superfan. And who got to play Roxie just before lockdown? Erika Jayne, who’s a Real Housewife of Bumfuck or wherever.

Re: the tail end of the last thread... I saw Bernie's Sally at the Kennedy Center and then later in the Broadway run. Her styling was far too sexy earlier on (a form fitting red dress, as I recall) and she swayed her hips seductively all over the stage. The second time I saw her (several months into the Broadway run) she'd found the character, her styling was more appropriate (a little more mousy) and it was a stronger fit. I'd agree she was never ideal, but she definitely got markedly better. Also, no one (including the, technically, vocally superior) Vicki Clark can sing those songs with such emotion. I'm getting a bit "MARY!" here, but when she sang In Buddy's Eyes, it was like a moonbeam straight to you heart.

Whereas, I found Vicki Clark's rendition... pretty.

To 601 on the last thread - nope, I refuse to believe that the NT Follies cost £14 million to stage, that would mean they spent one tenth their annual budget on a single show. And the set really was not all that - what, three moving elements, and a couple of rows of seats?

I'll repeat my ask from the tail end of the previous thread - does anyone have a rough breakdown or anything on how the budget of a show is spent?

The thread starter needs to retire.

Roxie had a smaller ego

R6. I was the last thread starter (Reba IS Sonia Walsk) and I swear I didn’t start this one. I learned my lesson lol

It’s too bad Kim Cattrall dropped out of the last Follies revival. She would have made a wonderful Phyllis.

Well, R8, at least you know there's someone out there worse than you are at coming up with thread titles. : )

I don't usually criticize thread titles, OP, but putting that harridan's name in it can only serve as a curse on this thread.

r9

I would have gone to DC for that!

R10. Amen sister!

BAJOUR!

586 responses early there R14.

Did Cattrall drop out when she met her director?

I could look through the old threads, but what's the consensus on how Kim did in Private Lives nearly a decade ago?

She's not bad when she has a strong director

Kim was excellent in Private Lives.

Speaking of FOLLIES (and aren't we always?) I just finish Bob Avian's autobiography, DANCING MAN. It's a fun read, more of a And-Then-I-Choreographed than a gossipy dish (although he mentions not once but twice how fat Dolores Gray became) and he's very discreet when it comes to his sex life.

In the final chapter he talks about how good his life was, and is, and mentions a few physical issues, mostly related to his life as a dancer, but gives every impression of being in good health for an octogenarian. Sad that he died of a heart attack less than a year after the book was published.

I've never understood the hate Bernadette got for her performance in Follies. She's the best one I've seen thus far. Granted, I never saw Dorothy Collins play the role.

[quote] I could look through the old threads, but what's the consensus on how Kim did in Private Lives nearly a decade ago?

She was okay, nothing more. But I don't necessarily blame her. The production was deadly dull and she and Paul Gross had no chemistry. The play felt like it would go on forever. I worked on the Joan Collins production of Private Lives and this one made that one look like a breezy romp.

The only Broadway production of Private Lives I saw was the Alan Rickman. I expected him to be better.

This is a great installment of Old Show Queens. The talk of Jennifer Holliday is indeed interesting, but I especially liked the gossip about Dancin. They said that Fosse wouldn't let just anyone wear Annie's blue dress during Sing, Sing, Sing. The understudy said she wouldn't go on unless she had the blue dress. The guys say she had a chip on her shoulder and was crazy. Sandahl Bergman was the Trumpet Solo understudy and it would be hard to believe she had a chip on her shoulder or was crazy. Jill Cook fought a lot with Fosse, but she wasn't the understudy. If Fosse was upset with her, he got over it when he fired Cheryl Clark for the Airotica number and replace her with Sandahl.

Wasn’t there also a rumor that Fosse tried to pimp out Sandahl to studio execs in exchange for a boost in budget for All That Jazz?

That was in one of the books. He tried to get her to meet with David Begelmann. She said if he made the call to him, she was going back to LA and would not finish working on the movie.

I wonder if the crazy understudy was Vicki Frederick.

Vicki didn’t cover Ann’s track. She took over while Ann shot Jazz then played her role on tour. Sandahl covered Trumpet Solo. A friend saw her and said she was spectacular.

R5 Thank you for bringing that back up because I thought $20m seemed ridiculously high. Yes, the set was terrific but...it was a freaking revolve. Nothing that impressive or expensive. Ditto for costumes. It's a huge cast show but most of them wear ONE outfit for the whole show!

The cast is huge and you need a good sized orchestra so you do have a huge payroll for this show.

And, when they say "bring over" they're not actually bringing over sets or even the costumes. And as for the talent, they're not physically bringing over that entire cast...Imelda and Janie and maybe Tracie Bennet but they're not that expensive.

Wow! Gary Raymond played Mr. Weismann in the NT Follies and he was a HOTTIE back in the day!

Thanks R2 — that was a nice trip down memory lane. Got to see Bernie do it live - so long ago I don’t really remember much so was nice to have it refreshed.

Speaking of Follies, when I saw MikeR play Buddy in a San Jose, CA production, I was surprised to find out he wore a dance belt under his costume. It didn't seem entirely necessary for the role. But, I will say, backstage in his dressing room I discovered how nicely it highlighted his lower core muscles. He had a remarkably sturdy chaise lounge in his dressing room.

That sounds like filth to me! Consider yourself Baaaaand r31

Someone (not me) has worked hard to put together 90 minutes of Patti’s vocal range.

R33 - there's a really fun fan-run Patti account on Instagram that has a lot of interesting content. I can't remember the damn handle, but it should be relatively easy to find. I think Patti's aware of / cooperative with the account as there are sometimes messages from Patti on there. I will say, for all her reputation as a diva who holds grudges, she seems to have a good sense of humor about herself.

The only part of that Rickman/Duncan PRIVATE LIVES worthwhile was the set.

Patti is open and brutally honest and I’ll take that over fake shit anytime.

The problem with that clip at R4 is indicative of the major, huge, overwhelming problem of that FOLLIES, a problem so big that it almost outweighed everything that was good about the production: HARDLY ANYONE SANG IN TIME WITH THE FUCKING MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!! Seems like some of the stars never really learned the songs with the proper note values, and on top of that, the back phrasing was so severe that some of those people STILL haven't finished singing their songs. Hard to imagine how something like this could have happened in a professional production, but it did, and although the cast album is somewhat better, it's even an issue there. Very unfortunate.

When can I have my Tony?

It's virtual Aaron.

r38

what will you do if you don't win? I would comfort you

R40-Are you under 18?

Nice to be reminded that Bernadette was once charming.

r28 and r5, there is an enormous, ridiculous difference between London and Broadway costs. Easily estimated to be 50 percent higher. All fees and salaries -- creative and union -- just can't be compared. To get a Broadway star cast, rehearse, tech and advertise that enormous production is easily $20 million. Beetlejuice was at least $22 million, all in.

The reason Bernadette looked to different in D.C. is that she always -- ALWAYS -- has contractual control of her costumes, so when you saw that production, she looked like she had been dropped in from some other show. For Broadway, they were able to find some balance between her designer and the show's.

Why is that, R43? Are US unions essentially better at negotiating for their members? Or is it something else related to producing/marketing in the US?

On tour, Sandahl did Vicki's Broadway Trombone number with Charles Ward and Vicki was in Ann's role. Sandahl was the best dancer in the show, much better than Annie so maybe that's why she had a chip on her shoulder. Maybe she also said no to Fosse.

I still remember the message boards going insane over Bernadette's fucking red dress in D.C. I hadn't heard this much about a goddamn dress since the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

I thought she was really good in the part. As good as one can probably be in that role. Has anyone ever felt like every role besides Phyllis is woefully underwritten in Follies? Phyllis gets all the great zingers and some semblance of an arc, but no one else really does. Ben has his breakdown, but it's not very involving or emotional because you really don't know who this man is. Buddy's just a sad sack who you do feel bad for a bit, but there's not much to him either. Sally's just like some sort of psychotic Doris Day who forgot to take her meds and that can be fun and somewhat interesting, but I always felt like she needed a few extra character beats in there.

If there's ever a movie version, I hope the screenwriter explores the characters more.

R44 I hate divas like that. Just trust the costume designer, for God's sake!

The pink dress on Broadway for Bernadette was much more in character for Sally. I do remember some people getting upset that they had her in red in D.C. because red was Phyllis' color. You'd never know it from that dress Jan Maxwell wore. I thought she was very striking and regal in her gown.

R43 That's interesting, because when he was opening School of Rock, ALW said it was cheaper to do it in New York than London.

Is it fair to include salaries? After all, wouldn't they come from the weekly box office, rather than the initial budget? Of course there's some payments before opening - rehearsals, extra tech staff, etc - but again, I just can't see how it's so many people as to result in these ridiculously sized budgets.

[quote]Has anyone ever felt like every role besides Phyllis is woefully underwritten in Follies? Phyllis gets all the great zingers and some semblance of an arc, but no one else really does.

Phyllis has one or two good zingers, but some of them are pretty lame, and all of them sound like they were WRITTEN with a capital "W," not as if that woman would actually be saying those things. The truth is that much of the dialogue in FOLLIES is lousy, but the score is so great that a lot of people either don't notice how bad the book is, or they insist on downplaying it.

[quote]That's interesting, because when he was opening School of Rock, ALW said it was cheaper to do it in New York than London.

The could just be crazy talk on his part, or maybe there are reasons why it was less expensive to do that particular show here. Are the British laws regarding child performers even more strict than the laws in the U.S.?

ALW didn't say the production was cheaper to create in NYC; he said it was cheaper in on area: The kids. London's child labor laws are such that a child can only do 3 shows a week, so all the kids shows are nightmare casting wise. They didn't want to deal with that in developing that show. Every other ALW show has started in London first because of costs.

R52 Just found that myself and was about to post it. Still would be interesting to know why the costs are so different.

Though whilst looking for that I also discovered the British Equity West End minimum - and it's roughly about half the Broadway minimum. No wonder so many Brits try to get work in New York. But again, given they come out of the box office rather than the initial investment, I don't think this is the reason for the difference between WE/Broadway, nor the large costs in general?

R52 Jesus Christ Superstar was originally staged on Broadway first.

Annie cast Sandahl in the Chicago tour so I’m assuming there was no bad blood.

Here's was cheaper in London: Theatre rent, advertising, actor salaries, crew salaries, set building costs, costume making costs. One primary reason is that no business in the UK has to shoulder the burden of health care for its employees (except thru taxes...). If you want to truly help the arts in the U.S., fight for a single payer, national health system.

Wasn't the NT Follies the first revival to go back to Goldman's original book (with only a few minor changes)? What you think of the book may depend on which production(s) you saw, as there always seemed to be major tinkering going on. Wasn't there a well known rumor that The Widow Goldman for years forbid using the original script?

R56 Is this true or just propaganda? The last sentence seems so tacked on.

Add me to the short list of people who thought Peters was fine in Follies. I saw it in DC (and hated it), but felt that Peters and Raines came off the best of the four. Maxwell didn't so much have two left feet as she barely had the energy to mark (and that permeated throughout her entire performance) and Burstein was trying so hard, the flop sweat was flowing even while he was standing still, listening. I wouldn't give you a fucking nickel for any of the supporting performances other than the woman who played Heidi Schiller, who was wonderful. But the entire mess of a production should have been shot and laid at the feet of Eric Schaeffer, hands down the worst director of musicals I have ever seen.

It is true. If every professional non-profit theatre in the U.S. didn't have to worry about health care costs, that would free up enormous amounts of money. Same with for-profit too...

"The only part of that Rickman/Duncan PRIVATE LIVES worthwhile was the set.:

What nonsense. It's among the greatest productions the play has ever received, fully realizing its serious, existential underpinnings across the board.

I thought the Duncan/Rickman PL was perfection.

If Follies was produced at the National Theater, doesn't it have its own costume and scene shops? I guess Follies might have too big a physical production for the NT shops to handle everything but it's probably cheaper than entirely bidding the labor out to independent contractors as a commercial production on the West End would have to do. I remember seeing an exhibit of some of the Follies costumes in the NT lobby after the show closed with photos of their shop personnel building the pieces.

And I'm sure the NT has its own rehearsal spaces.....another big savings.

Are actors paid some kind of minimum or on a favored nations contract at the NT? Obviously, that would also be a huge savings compared to commercial productions in London or Broadway.

School of Rock would not have had any of those financial benefits.

There are exceptions, of course, but my understanding is that institutional theatres in London (NT, Donmar, etc.) tend to pay everyone the same. And scale in the UK ain’t scale in NYC.

I think Private Lives has painfully dated humor, a lot of which depends on an outrageousness that no longer shocks or amuses.

Maggie Smith was perfection in the 1970s revival but everything else was not up to her zinging those zingers like only she could. Her male lead John Standing was a total dud. And I saw the earlier 1960s revival with Tammy Grimes and Brian Bedford that was also disappointing to my 19 year old self.

And the less said about the Burton/Taylor and Joan Collins versions the better.

"...fully realizing its serious, existential underpinnings across the board."

I don't know, r61. I thought it was a valid directorial approach and the production worked very well with it, but I was so much more entertained by the Maggie Smith production.

Some Broadway dancers have really hot asses and fuck each other on two-show days.

Ooh, ooh! I want stories about both the Burton/Taylor and Joan Collins versions of Private Lives!

Ya want Collins, r68? Ya want Coward? Well, here ya go...

[quote] I think Private Lives has painfully dated humor, a lot of which depends on an outrageousness that no longer shocks or amuses.

I feel that way about most Noel Coward. I watch his plays now and I sit in stony silence. They really are super dated (to use a phrase I don't really care for, but is apt here). Whereas I find most Shaw to still work today.

I would t mind seeing Private Lives with an all male cast.

R67 You really think some of them wait until two show days? Shows have intermissions, after all.

I love Private Lives, but it suffers from some perennial problems, all attributable to direction.

The first Coward identified himself while watching later productions. It was that Victor and Sibyl have to be just as strong - and attractive - as the other two or the plot makes no sense. (Olivier was, of course, the original Victor.)

The second is that the balcony scene has been caricatured so many times that people think it's a brittle play and directors tend to cast slightly immoveable actors (also actors who are WAY older than the required 30). Whereas the brittleness of the balcony scene comes entirely from Elyot and Amanda trying to pretend they are unmoved by the encounter. They are really the lusty, head-kicking harridans of Act 2 all along, and it needs to be cast and directed that way.

As for existential angst underlying Coward's early comedies - give me a break.

Okay, here's two minor stories about the Collins Private Lives.

1- Joan was gaining weight steadily throughout rehearsal, previews and the (fairly short) run. The rumor backstage was booze bloat, so in order to make herself look thinner and less jowly, she would have her wigs teased out higher and larger and wilder to the point where she came perilously close to prosecution-era Phil Spector.

2- Joan was always hot, always sweating, and always complaining about being hot and sweating so she instructed the house manager to open all the doors to the theater before the house opened. They couldn't open the backstage door (not that it would have done much good) and they couldn't open the doors to the lobby, so that meant all the fire/exit doors that led to the alleyways. This was the middle of February in NYC, and the doors were opened from 6:30pm to nearly 8pm. I don't know if it helped at all onstage since the doors were all the way at the other end of the Broadhurst, but the back of the orchestra and the bar area was freezing fucking cold. And every alter cocker would complain about how cold it was.

R72 - yep! See R20

SORRY! R72: that should have been... "see R31"

I LOVED the Rickman/ Duncan Private Lives. They had an extraordinary chemistry on stage. Like nothing I’ve ever seen. It was a wonderful production. You people are fucking delusional. In the same breath talking about how Bernadette sobbing through songs off pitch and wobbly in Follies could even compare to Dorothy Collins.

DELUSIONAL.

NT did not spend 20 million on that Follies. Please. It look like it cost about 2.5 mil pounds, tops. Try harder.

[quote]I love Private Lives, but it suffers from some perennial problems, all attributable to direction.

Not all, there is also a huge problem in the writing. Act I is sheer perfection, but while Acts II and III of course have wonderful moments, they also have a lot of bloat and filler, so the play winds up seeming a slog when you finally get to the end of the damned thing. If cuts were allowed, and if about half an hour's worth of small were made in the second and third acts, and those two acts were combined to eliminate a second intermission, THEN it would be a great play.

Sorry: "If cuts were allowed, and if about half an hour's worth of cuts were made in the second and third acts....."

Coward comes easy to some...

Bernadette isn't off pitch. She has a little rasp to her voice like always, but that's simply her vocal quality you don't like. I'd say it's age, but she's always had that quality in everything I've seen her in since the 70's.

[quote] whilst looking for that

Whilst? Fuck you.

Wrong R82. I’ve loved Bernadette forever. She is a great Sondheim singer. Just not Follies. It’s awful.

Count me as one who loved Bernadette, particularity in the red dress. It encapsulated the this woman’s obsession with the past, her need to be at center of attention, and the audacity of her last attempt to get Ben. When she danced, you knew Sally had been practicing those moves over decades in Phoenix and everywhere else. Near the beginning of the DC run, the show started with a long scene of Sally taking in the theater. Bernadette’s historic added a lot of poignancy.

In person, she was very impressive on Sally’s music - with thrilling high notes many had never heard her sing.

Any photos of Bernadette in the red dress so we can all judge whether it's any good?

But of course, r86.

R78 No-one said the NT spent 20m. It was said that they looked at transferring it to Broadway and the cost of that would've been $20m.

R75/R76 And see this:

Meryl Streep to Star in Broadway-Themed Film "Places, Please":

Smith was the toast of Broadway when she brought her West End production of Private Lives to Broadway in 1975. It was a masterclass in comic timing and handling Coward's dialog. She could reduce the the audience to hysterics with one carefully arched eyebrow.

5 or 6 years later Liz and Dick led a tour that had a sit down in New York. I didn't see it but I heard they had to cut a lot of the dialog because although Burton was fine with it, it was simply beyond Taylor's abilities. A lot of slapstick bits were substituted, not to the play's advantage.

At any rate when the tour reached LA, Smith was there filming California Suite. Asked if she planned to see it, Smith allegedly replied "I don't have the strength."

MeTV is running the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode that stars Barbara Cook as a sex kitten. She just finished a seductive dance on top of a coffee table at a party. I think it's the only scripted show she ever did on TV.

[quote] At any rate when the tour reached LA, Smith was there filming California Suite. Asked if she planned to see it, Smith allegedly replied "I don't have the strength."

California Suite was shot in 1977/78. The Burton/Taylor Private Lives was in 1983.

I think it was very rude of all of them to upset my carefully crafted timeline with the facts, r92.

***SPOILER*** . . . . . . . That Hitchcock episode has a great ending. After Cook and the good brother fight the serial killer brother to his death, the "good" brother says now he'll show her how he killed the kittens and slips his hands around her throat as her cigarette drops from her fingers.

Someone pulled the $20m amount for a NT Follies transfer out of their ass.

It's not fucking Cats or Phantom of the Opera. It had a cool set but a revolve isn't exactly revolutionary; community theaters do revolves!

It's a huge cast and thus a lot of costumes but....a revival of any Big Show musical usually has a big cast/costume plot.

If they brought over the director, the designers and the 4 leads plus Tracie Bennett (there's no way they'd bring over any other cast from London), none of those people are high ticket items, not even Imelda (who is frankly too old now and too tiny to play Sally).

Yes, it's an expensive show to run...has that huge cast and it needs a full orchestra so it's not really a commercial show; it needs to be done by a non-profit.

Really, it's an opera or the musical theater equivalent of what opera now is. I think eventually, classic old musical theater works will be regarded the same as operas and be staged by specific non-profit companies and be heavily subsidized. They're too big now to make a profit.

Taylor made her Broadway debut in The Little Foxes in 1981. It was a generally credible production, with a good cast and decent direction, although not really in a league with the other New York revivals. Taylor overall fitted the part and worked hard to make it work, if without much nuance. It was Maureen Stapleton as Birdie who walked away with the reviews for that production. She and Taylor both got Tony noms and IIRC, Taylor and Stapleton adored each other and Taylor famously treated Stapleton like royalty during the show's run.

The Liz and Dick Private Lives was two years later, 1983. Short runs in Boston, then New York, then The Kennedy Center and just a a handful of other places. I don't think it was ever intended as a major tour. Open to correction.

Liz had had decent success as Regina but nobody thought her playing Coward's Amanda was a good idea, despite Sir Noel and the Burtons being good friends. It required skill sets she just didn't have. But the limited run engagements all turned a profit.

R41, are you the one who showed up a couple of years ago, talking about doing MikeR in his dressing room and that he was spectacular sex and had amazing thighs?

Here's the dress Bernie wore as Sally on Broadway. Definitely more demure than the red with the spaghetti straps.

[quote]In person, she was very impressive on Sally’s music - with thrilling high notes many had never heard her sing.

The only time she ventured into high notes like that was in Dames at Sea, in the song "Star Tar."

She should have worn green.

Bernadette's Losing My Mind was so wrong. She cried all of the audience's tears for them while singing it.

R101, that’s an interestingly off kilter reading of the song. Given the framing device, it is strange to think the audience is meant to empathize with Sally’s tears rather than see them in the context of he delusion. Too bad Danny Burstein had to throw chairs rather than letting the audience do it.

Danny Burstein tries too hard in everything I’ve seen him in. Less is more.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1989, Jerome Robbins' "Broadway" opened at the Imperial Theatre.

The ignorance of Broadway production expenses on this board is hilarious. Look at public information. COME FROM AWAY -- which is basically a set of 12 chairs and a few moving pieces was TEN FUCKING MILLION dollars to produce on Broadway. It makes sense FOLLIES would be (at least) twice that. How naive are all of you? Even a 4 character, one set play is $3-$5 million today.

[quote]Danny Burstein tries too hard in everything I’ve seen him in

Apparently you didn't see him in "Fiddler on the Roof." It would have been nice if he had tried something in that show.

[quote]Apparently you didn't see him in "Fiddler on the Roof." It would have been nice if he had tried something in that show.

I'd be willing to bet tons of money that Burstein's uncharacteristically bland performance as Tevye was 100 percent due to the direction he received from Bartlett Sher, who apparently lost his talent AND his mind at some point before that show was produced.

Well, Sher must have regained it at some point because his production of My Fair Lady was wonderful (at least when they got rid of the dead weight of whatshername and Butz). And Danny was a tryhard as the Doolittle replacement but it actually worked and he was wonderful.

Of all the things to put behind a paywall, the second thread about [italic]They're Playing Our Song[/italic]? Get a grip, Muriel.

As a poster who happily pays the minimal DL monthly charges, I don't understand....can a particular thread here cost the fees to see or comment upon? But not other threads?

R108, agreed. Sher's MFL was eons better than his FIDDLER. I shouldn't have implied that he completely lost his talent sometime before FIDDLER. But, for the record, there was some weirdness in MFL as well, such as those drag performers in "Get Me to the Church on Time" and, of course, the new ending that didn't REALLY fix the problematic original. So maybe let's just say that Sher has been more inclined towards "putting his director's stamp" on shows in recent years, and some of the results have been pretty damn strange.

R110 Who knows? Muriel never stoops to explaining her thinking to her paying customers.

Since when are theatre threads Murieled? I know the soap threads are.

Been going on for a while, not sure why someone doesn't just create a new thread when it happens, rather than wait for the old one to slowly fill up.

And yes, I would create new ones myself except I can't be bothered dealing with the vapid whining about titles.

Or the vapid whining about the vapid whining about titles.

Uh oh, they've paywalled my thread!

Oh no, they've paywalled my thread!

And when they've paywalled my thread

Everybody's got to

Shh, shh, shh!

Don't say a word now;

You can't unless you cough up some bucks.

I'm not scared to say

In my own humble way

Everything about this

Stupid policy sucks!

And now they've paywalled my thread!

The comments came to a head

And now the new ones are dead

And it's all because it's paywalled.

Muriel, stay bald

'Cause you've paywalled

My thread!

Who would have thought

Four decades ago

This cheesy show

Would be a DL thread?

And who would have thought

That big DL thread

Would get a sequel?

I'm still scratching my head!

"Subscribers only" it said.

That's why new comments are dead.

I wish they'd open the thread for no bread;

Let us keep on bawling

Because it's stalling;

Stop paywalling

My thre-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ead!

just fucking pay the 2 dollars a month!

Saw Sher’s MFL. With Benanti. Higgins was good. The rest blah. I think I thought his South Pacific and King and I were bores too. . Arty but bloodless.

Sorry: Whilst I thought Higgins was good, the rest was blah.

"the new ending that didn't REALLY fix the problematic original."

There never was a problematic ending, then or now.

I've seen many a PRIVATE LIVES but no one clocked more laughs as Elyot than Richard Burton. The theater would explode with his line readings, one after another.

Benanti finally got to play her dream role in MFL then rarely bothered to show up. She’s way overrated.

Has there ever been a major production of Pygmalion or MFL that either showed or implied Eliza ending up with Freddy, which is what Shaw said was the only realistic conclusion in the afterword he wrote for the printed script several years afterward.

MFL takes its ending from the 1938 film version of Pygmalion but Shaw didn't write it. Producer Gabriel Pascal secretly added it to the film behind Shaw's back and Shaw was furious when he saw.it. But he got over himself after he won the Oscar best adapted screenplay.

Ripped from the headlines!!!

^ Most of the changes from Pygmalion to MFL came from Shaw's 1938 screenplay but Lerner shamelessly claimed he came up with them on his own in various interviews and I think even his his autobiography.

[quote]Has there ever been a major production of Pygmalion or MFL that either showed or implied Eliza ending up with Freddy, which is what Shaw said was the only realistic conclusion in the afterword he wrote for the printed script several years afterward.

The 2007 Broadway revival with Claire Danes.

Gertie's Eliza...

[quote]There never was a problematic ending [to MY FAIR LADY], then or now.

Well, obviously, a lot of people disagree with you.

[quote]Has there ever been a major production of Pygmalion or MFL that either showed or implied Eliza ending up with Freddy, which is what Shaw said was the only realistic conclusion in the afterword he wrote for the printed script several years afterward.

Some critics feel that Shaw wrote that afterword as a perverse reaction against many people's interpretation that Eliza and Higgins would end up back together again. Even if you feel Eliza would not and should not end up with Higgins, it would be a very unsatisfying and unhappy ending to imply or make it clear that she marries Freddy, as she clearly doesn't love him and they are not intellectual equals. (She's much smarter than him.)

[quote]Most of the changes from Pygmalion to MFL came from Shaw's 1938 screenplay but Lerner shamelessly claimed he came up with them on his own in various interviews and I think even his his autobiography.

As if no one had seen the film. Lerner really could be a smug, egotistical asshole when he wanted to.

Just watched this...

R21, Maybe it's because Peters voice is just plain bad.

"Well, obviously, a lot of people disagree with you."

But 50 + years of audiences haven't.

[quote]Some critics feel that Shaw wrote that afterword as a perverse reaction against many people's interpretation that Eliza and Higgins would end up back together again.

Shaw was such a contrarian.

Hasn't Bernie been noted for years for having vocal issues that can vary tremendously from week to week and even night to night. Like the proverbial box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.

Comparing the costs of a transfer of a revival of a 50 year old musical versus the costs of creating a brand new musical are two totally different things.

R133 you get chocolate.

[quote] just fucking pay the 2 dollars a month!

This site isn't worth that.

[quote]Lerner really could be a smug, egotistical asshole when he wanted to.

I bet all eight of his wives would agree.

In the 1950s he became a patient of Max Jacobson, the notorious Dr. Feelgood with his infamous Vitamin B12 injections. For the rest of his life he was heavily addicted to prescription drugs, mainly amphetamines, but also opioids and barbiturates.

But he was still one hell of a great lyricist.

Yes R133. Look, I love Bernadette and have for nearly forty years, but she has a horrendous technique that has somehow managed to barely function and also caused her to drop out and cancel a lot. You think Benanti is bad? Lol. Look at Bernie’s appearances.

Her Dot and Witch are genuinely iconic and unforgettable. Her technical problems are what make her voice and sound unique. Otherwise she’d just be a minor league soubrette. But with this unforgettable broken sound come pretty severe limitations. If the role wasn’t written for her or she didn’t debut it, it generally didn’t work, especially in older more legit material. Gypsy, AGYG, Follies, etc. were just big vocal negatives that were difficult to sit through.

But in the roles she created no one can touch her. Annaleigh Ashford, a good performer, just paled in comparison vocally in the recent Sunday revival, even though TECHNICALLY, she could be declared to have a better technique and a more proper sound.

That’s just how singing works.

Don't forget Bernadette's glorious singing in Dames at Sea and Mack and Mabel. But yes, everything in the last 30+ years has been.....trying.

Too much Breyer's ice cream. Don't voice coaches normally say to cut back on dairy?

This goes back to the long-noted issue of interesting performers vs. the technically perfect. And Bernie's longevity and popularity are proof that the former is more crucial.

Please, DL, for God’s STFU about Follies!!

FOLLIES SUCKS !

FOLLIES SUCKS !

FOLLIES SUCKS !

FOLLIES SUCKS !

FOLLIES SUCKS !

FOLLIES SUCKS !

FOLLIES SUCKS !

FOLLIES SUCKS !

FOLLIES SUCKS !

FOLLIES SUCKS !

Watched a boot of ALNM on YT with Bernadette Broadway revival at the Kerr Theater and loved her, she puts on a great performance as Desiree.

I've never run into a boot with CZJ playing Desiree but would love to see it.

Don't know if anybody is interested.

I saw both Bernie and Maryanne Plunkett in “Sunday” back in the 80s

It was thrilling to see Bernie, but Maryann was a revelation as Dot.

Much as I loved Bernie, have to agree that Plunkett was even better

r147, she needed a brassiere that added shaping, not inches.

Anyone find any video of plunkett is SITPWG?

If Bernie is so bad, how come she didn't lose her voice like Julie Andrews did?

Julie Andrews lost her voice due to botched surgery.

It was already on the way out because of [italic]Victor / Victoria[/italic]. Even EW said her voice wasn't what it used to be.

Gerard Alessandrini tried to warn her. She must not have seen it.

R151, hey, at least she didn’t end up dead like Joan Rivers.

Hey, did any DL fossils here actually see Joan’s play Fun City which opened and closed rapidly in 1969?

O/T - I'm watching Saturday morning cartoons. Bugs looks fetching in Empire garb...

That Broadway baby...

[quote]Please, DL, for God’s STFU about Follies!!

Yeah, that'll happen.

R153, Julie Andrews surgery was for nodes on her vocal cords, not cosmetic surgery like Joan Rivers had.

Beg to differ, r157...

"Ms. Rivers, who was known for her brassy wit and slashing style, went to Yorkville Endoscopy, on East 93rd Street, on Aug. 28, 2014, complaining of a hoarse voice and sore throat. The clinic is one of a growing number of outpatient surgery centers that have been licensed by the state to replace hospital operating rooms for minor procedures.

Ms. Rivers was to undergo a laryngoscopy, an examination of her voice box and vocal cords, and an endoscopy, which involves looking at the upper digestive system and is performed under anesthesia, according to a report by the New York City medical examiner’s office, which investigated the death."

R154 They still have Saturday morning cartoons? I thought those ended in the 1990s?

R158, you are right. Joan Rivers had so much cosmetic surgery, I falsely assumed she died from it. I knew someone who did die from cosmetic surgery.

[quote]They still have Saturday morning cartoons? I thought those ended in the 1990s?

And they still have Saturday morning cartoons with Bugs Bunny?

R133 See her on a Monday

I started watching them about a month ago, r159. One hour of Popeye/Betty Boop, one hour of Tom & Jerry, then one hour of Looney Tunes.

Yeah, Covid has been fucking awful for everybody.

I've always been fond of the Little Me overture...

[quote]And they still have Saturday morning cartoons with Bugs Bunny?

MeTV has an hour of cartoons every weekday.

Yes, r165, with those wonderful Ralph Burns orchestrations!

I miss amazing Broadway orchestrations. What was the last great one? Ragtime?

Zoom Spring Awakening.

Burns’ orchestrations for the film version of Mame were really quite wonderful. I particularly liked them for the opening and for the new song “Loving You.”

R169 After watching the intro to that (and absolutely no more) I googled one of the actors to try and work out if these were actual actors or what, and found this self-penned description:

[quote]KD Stevens is a bright, eclectic Brooklynite who is an out and proud, all-around actor with a metallic pop tenor voice

Some people deserve to be totally fucked.

I remember before I saw my first Broadway show at age 19, I had assumed that the stage would be the size of a football field and each production was equipped with a full-size orchestra.

R171 How do you mean?

R171 The adult does a very heavy German accent, for some reason.

R173 Well I don't mean the good way, though I doubt that was a possibility anyway for our "eclectic Brooklynite"

R174 Ha, maybe I should've stuck with it. At least Andy fucking Mientus isn't in this version.

I did see FUN CITY! Joan Rivers, Gabriel Dell, Rose Marie, and Paul Ford! It was not a good play, and Joan was not good in it; Dell and Rose Marie were great fun. Paul Ford was unwell, perhaps dying, and it showed.

Zoom Meet Me In St Louis.

Thanks, R176!

R168 - The most recent Broadway revival of On The Town, with a full orchestra of 30 musicians, sounded sublime. Did Bernstein do his own orchestrations? Were those used in that revival? If so, they still sounded stunningly bold and fresh. But, I guess that was part of Bernstein's genius.

Beyond orchestrations or musical direction, GOD, that On The Town score is glorious. I actually think it's even better than West Side Story. I think perhaps the fact that the material is more lightweight and nowhere nearly as "important" as West Side Story's leaves it a distant second in the Bernstein theatre canon.

When I saw that revival, the theatre was actually packed. Presumably, many of the audience members were tourists or casual theatregoers who wouldn't have been familiar with most of the Bernstein score. When that orchestra played, when those beautiful dancers danced, you could literally feel the energy in the room change. You could sense the audience leaning in, absorbing that thrilling, gorgeous sound that's so rarely found on Broadway these days.

I wish we had just ONE active theatre composer with Bernstein's genius. But, that's probably never happening again. The musical theatre doesn't seem to attract genius. Instead, it's the home of over-the-hill pop songwriters whose relevance has waned.

Or composers like Adam Guettel and Jason Robert Brown who wouldn’t know a memorable melody if it kicked them in the ass.

They do deserve to be kicked in the ass.

R180- I think that might be a bit unfair. I think Guettel and Brown are both talented. Both have written some really beautiful songs. But, for me, I find them wildly inconsistent. Even within one single score. My problem with them is more that they can't sustain it... even over the course of one score... not that they don't have any potential.

Sorry, I signed off as R181, I'm actually the poster at R179 being a big MARY! over On the Town

Agree about ON THE TOWN and that glorious revival of a few years ago. I saw it several times and always loved it though once in the balcony where the huge theater did it no favors. But from the orchestra and front mezzanine, sublime!

Let's bring back ANNIE with this cast...

And the DL question: Was Reid Shelton gay?

Shelton was rumored to have frequented buddy boots in the Times Square district between shows. Hopefully not in full make up.

Buddy BOOTHS, heh heh.

Heard on TV tonight that the costume industry has lost $27 million this past year due to the shutdown. That's devastating.

And Paul Huntley has retired from the wig racket.

R188 people still got dressed up for Halloween last October, even if they couldn't throw/attend parties. Saw lots of people dressing up on social media.

But they probably weren't hiring William Ivey Long to dress them.

I just watched Derek DelGaudio's IN & OF ITSELF on Hulu. THIS is the show that all of New York was breathlessly cooing about for the better part of a year? This isn't theatre. It's like... watching a motivational speaker who happens to know magic. Are people really THIS easily manipulated? The way he meanders through the theatre all evening with this (oooooh!) mysterious sense of unexplained (how convenient) sense of grief is so cloying and cheap. The anecdotes from his life are just "there" with practically no dramatic tension or true emotional resonance. And all those Pinter-esque pauses throughout? Jesus. I guess he thought that made his rather lifeless anecdotes more weighty.

And that last part when he's walking through the audience staring deeply into each audience member's eyes while (presumably, someone backstage is whispering their identities into a hidden ear piece) was SO cheesy.

I get that identity and the need to "be seen" for who you are is an emotional topic, but I feel like I just intruded on some weird combination of a snakeoil guru's cult recruitment meeting, the TED talk of a self-inflated motivational speaker and a magic show.

So today is Denise Gough's birthday. Anyone have first- or second-hand reliable tea about how impossible she was during [italic]Angels[/italic] either in UK or US? Word was, it was rough.

Hm, I think that Angels revival is better left behind and forgotten, Denise Gough and all.

Marianne Elliot (ANGELS IN AMERICA), IMHO, is wildly overrated as a director.

I wonder if her COMPANY, about to begin previews when Covid struck, will make it back to Broadway? I saw it in London, and while it was a fun event, it was seriously flawed in so many ways.

I asked for potentially fun dish about a misbehaving actor not your All That Chat critiques of the show or the director. Just trying to have some fun on a rainy Sunday.

R192, I actually enjoyed In & Of Itself on Hulu because it was something pretty unique. I honestly had never heard of it although I keep with theatre.

WTF are you so invested in non-entity Denise Gough's backstage behavior, r193?

Do you think Aaron Tveit farts? I think he's so beautiful. I can't imagine him doing anything as base as that.

Cunt, Denise Gough’s behavior was talked about ad nauseum when she was here in NY. NO ONE CARES.

r197, me too! After seeing the stream, I asked an actor friend how we had never heard of it during its 551 performances. I enjoyed it for what it was and think I would have loved it live.

She was great in that thing she did at St. Ann’s Warehouse a few years ago, though.

No idea if this is true, but I remember reading that the reason why Russell Tovey didn’t come over with the production of Angels is because he despised Gough.

Denise hit me in the head with a fondue pot.

A new song from ALW’s Cinderella called “I Know I Have a Heart (Because You Broke It)” was premiered on Elaine Paige’s Sunday BBC radio show. Oy. It’s awful. One lyric goes “I was not a hard one to convince, girls like me could end up with a prince.” Elaine said ALW claims he wrote the melody on a flight to LA. It should have been left in the barf bag

Don't forget Michael John LaChiusa as another one who steers away from a melody. Actually, David Yazbek knows how to write a good song and a melody. "Here I Am" from "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is a very entertaining one and was a great entrance for Sherie Rene Scott.

[quote]I wonder if her COMPANY, about to begin previews when Covid struck, will make it back to Broadway? I saw it in London, and while it was a fun event, it was seriously flawed in so many ways.

It had already begun previews when Covid struck. I saw one of them. It had some bright moments but also had a serious flaw working against it. Katrina Lenk was miscast as Bobbi, and her singing was meh. I realize it was an early preview. Perhaps she would have improved.

Speaking of Sherie Rene Scott...WTF? What happened to her? Did she leave the business? Her narcissism is legendary, in a business filled with legendary narcissists.

[quote]People still got dressed up for Halloween last October, even if they couldn't throw/attend parties. Saw lots of people dressing up on social media.

This has got to rank as one of the stupidest, most pointless comments ever to be found on DL. And that is really saying something.

[quote]Marianne Elliot (ANGELS IN AMERICA), IMHO, is wildly overrated as a director.

The push for gender equity in positions of authority in the theater, including directing, has given opportunities to some talented people, but M.E. does not seem to be a good example of that.

[quote]Or composers like Adam Guettel and Jason Robert Brown who wouldn’t know a memorable melody if it kicked them in the ass.

I don't think those composers should be insulted simply because you have no comprehension of or ability to identify a "memorable melody."

R208

Details please!

Ask Tom Kitt r210...

Scott was excellent in "Aida" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" but terribly miscast in "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown".

[quote]Speaking of Sherie Rene Scott...WTF? What happened to her? Did she leave the business? Her narcissism is legendary, in a business filled with legendary narcissists.

She had a semi-success with that prison show Off-Broadway, but it was controversial. I made a point of avoiding it, as it sounded insufferable. I think she got to write an article or two for The New York Times, not sure what that was all about. Apparently, she had an extremely bitter breakup and divorce from her really-nice-guy husband, Kurt Deutsch. And, of course, Patti LuPone HATES Sherie -- but, then again, PL has publicly badmouthed a long list of people she has worked with :-)

Patti does like Mandy, though. But, of course, Mandy has quite a list of folks who can't stand/won't work with him as well.

How could Katrina Lenk have been "miscast" as Bobbi in COMPANY? What are the requirements of that role that she doesn't possess? She's a very attractive young-middle aged woman with a more-than-pleasant singing voice and a lovely stage presence.

Surely, she was badly directed by ME.

But she was NOT miscast.

R215 have seen clips of Lunk, and her performance on the last Lincoln Center New Years Concert, and she stinks.

R195 going by these comments it seems likely

[Quote]Literally having experienced two roofs falling in on theaters, the new Company fortuitously secured pandemic insurance! “So depending on how long it lasts, like you, we’ll start again,” Elliott says.

Plus I've seen on social media one of the cast saying she's kept in touch and her saying she's been looking at the designs and might change some things etc

Oh, right, how could I leave out LaChiusa? Between him, Guettel and Brown there isn’t a distinctive melody between them.

R209 Insufferable, is that you?

[quote]Oh, right, how could I leave out LaChiusa? Between him, Guettel and Brown there isn’t a distinctive melody between them.

Or, your ears are impervious to songs with anything more complicated than very simplistic, traditional-style melodies. If you had been around at the time, you probably would have been one of those who criticized composers like Stravinsky, Bernstein, and even Sondheim for "lack of melody."

R219, yes, it's me! Sorry to see you haven't disappeared forever :-( If my briefly quoting and responding to three comments in one post is too much for you, then you're even more of an angry mess than I imagined.

Sir Noel's 70th...

I thought Denise Gough was terrible in Angels. Flat, completely unbelivable and radiating an energy like she would rather be anywhere else.

Gertie sells bonds and a bit o'beefcake...

[quote]How could Katrina Lenk have been "miscast" as Bobbi in COMPANY? What are the requirements of that role that she doesn't possess? She's a very attractive young-middle aged woman with a more-than-pleasant singing voice and a lovely stage presence. Surely, she was badly directed by ME. But she was NOT miscast.

Did you see the performance? I did. And yet you're telling me she wasn't miscast. Do I need to explain what "miscast" means?

Isn't that shirtless guy in that clip Joe Louis?

I saw a preview of COMPANY with Lenk. The problem was she was WAY behind the rest of the cast. They were all giving full, polished performances that landed well. Lenk was still trying to figure it all out -- that was clear. She's also sort of an internal/mystical presence actor. I think she will find it, but even then, I think it will be a much argued over performance -- especially on Datalounge.

The waltz that pops up a few times in Last 5 Years has a gorgeous melody.

[quote]it will be a much argued over performance -- especially on Datalounge.

Where we argue interminably about the proper method of draining pasta.

[quote]Where we argue interminably about the proper method of draining pasta.

There is no proper method for draining pasta! Pasta should never be drained! You must life it from the water with tongs!

[quote] This has got to rank as one of the stupidest, most pointless comments ever to be found on DL.

[quote] you have no comprehension of or ability to identify a "memorable melody."

[quote] your ears are impervious to songs with anything more complicated than very simplistic, traditional-style melodies

Yes r220, you're right. [italic]I'm[/italic] the angry mess.

Maybe she wasn't miscast, just not very good in the role. There!

Julie & Georgio

R230, I get angry at expressions of sheer stupidity, such as some fool trying to counter the accurate statement that the costume industry is in dire straits due to the pandemic with the idiotic comment that "people still got dressed up in costumes for Halloween," or someone else making the beyond-moronic pronouncement that composers like Adam Guettel and Jason Robert Brown can't write melodies. You, on the other hand, get angry at me for calling out such idiocy. See the difference? I thought not.

Fuck off, R233. I’m far from alone in my OPINION that LaChiusa, Brown and Guettel write scores that are flat and unmelodic.

R234, of course you're not alone in that opinion. There are lots of people with tin ears in this world. To start with LaChiusa, it is true that his earlier scores were shy on traditional, pleasing melodies, but his more recent recent ones are full of melody, if you'd care to give them a listen. As for JRB, I really doubt that SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD and THE LAST FIVE YEARS would have become so popular if people didn't think they had lots of good tunes in them. And as for Guettel, if you can listen to "How Glory Goes" from FLOYD COLLINS or the title song or the opening number or "La Passeggiata" or at least half of the rest of the songs in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA and describe that score as "flat and unmelodic," I suppose you are more to be pitied than censured. But I think you should be censured as well, for broadcasting your opinions in such disrespectful, nasty language.

Imagine relying on 'they're popular' as some kind of evidence of musical quality.

I think Sondheim’s Passion gave LaChiusa, Brown and Guettel the justification that they, too, could compose scores which were atonal, flat and repetitive. I guess they discounted the fact that Passion was a flop.

[quote]I think Sondheim’s Passion gave LaChiusa, Brown and Guettel the justification that they, too, could compose scores which were atonal, flat and repetitive.

And here, folks, is the crux of the problem -- people using words like "atonal" when they obviously have no freaking idea what those words mean.

Those who discredit Gough as an actress clearly did not see People, Places, and Things. She was stone cold brilliant in that play.

You can be a cunt and still be a great actress.

And you can give one good performance in something and still be a shit actress everywhere else.

You can be a great actress and never win a fucking Oscar

And you can be a shitty actress and win two.

One can never be over appreciated.

Audra and Glenn have nine Tonys between them. That's at least six awards that could have gone to more deserving actresses.

All of Glenn's were deserved. Someone else, not all...

God, no. She was horrible in Death and the Maiden. Glenn won two of her three Tonys because of lack of competition. The only won she got legitimately was for The Real Thing. In 92, the competition was anemic at best. The person who won ALL the awards for Best Actress in a Play that year was Laura Esterman in Marvin's Room, but because that was Off Broadway, she wasn't eligible for a Tony. They scraped the bottom of the barrel for four nominees, including Stockard Channing and Judith Ivey in two flops that everyone hated and hated them in. Jane Alexander was the best of the four in the revival of The Visit (and gave the only good performance of all four women), but no one nominated that year deserved to win.

And when Glenn won for Sunset Boulevard, she was one person shy of being Aaron Tveit. She literally had no competition. It didn't matter that she couldn't sing a note and bordered on Carol Burnett parody half the time, she had rescued ALW's baby from the clutches of Patti Lupone and had to be rewarded.

I love Glenn on film, but I find her excruciating to watch onstage.

Did anything questionable go on in 1995 to ensure Glenn/Sunset got nominated, as opposed to them just refusing to award those categories that year? Or was it just enough that they didn't want to embarrass the celebrity on Broadway?

Well, I remember that Sunset had a lot riding on it. It was not the huge smash that everyone anticipated it to be. Not that it was in danger of closing anytime soon, but it was far from a Cats or Phantom or Saigon, which is what it was expected to be. Score, book and Leading Actress in a Musical should have been done away with completely. Had there not been the hoped for juggernaut of Sunset written by the man who was considered (arguably) the savior of Broadway and who could be petty enough to deny NYC his next behemoth hit (little did we know there would never be one), then that's what would have happened- those three categories would have been cut and Luker might have been put into the Featured Actress category. But ALW and Sunset needed to be able to claim as many Tonys as possible to keep tickets selling. It still didn't work.

I suppose I would call that something questionable.

Death and the Maiden was a mess. All three actors were miscast.

[quote] The only won she got legitimately was for The Real Thing.

This was supposed to read "the only WIN" (as opposed to "the only ONE").

Death and the Maiden in London was literally breathtaking. I think I saw Geraldine FitzGerald who replace Juliet Stevenson. Broadway was entirely different under mike Nichols.

Sorry Geraldine James not Geraldine FitzGerald

[quote] Sorry Geraldine James not Geraldine FitzGerald

Geraldine James played the maiden. Geraldine Fitzgerald played Death.

Penelope Wilton played Paulina in the original DATM. Anyone see that? She rocks.

I can't get over how much Andrea McArdle looked like a female version of Ricky Schroder at that age.

[quote] Burns’ orchestrations for the film version of Mame were really quite wonderful. I particularly liked them for the opening and for the new song “Loving You.”

I wonder if that was a factor in why he was an orchestrator for [italic]They're Playing Our Song[/italic].

Burns' worst work was the movie version of [italic]A Chorus Line[/italic]. The synthesizers really aged more than the waka-chika guitars of the Jonathan Tunick originals in less time. The OBC gives me goosebumps at the finale. At that same point in the movie, I felt … nothing. Some, but not all, of his [italic]Annie[/italic] arrangements I actually like better than the Philip J. Lang originals, and he did the [italic]Mame[/italic] Broadway arrangements, too.

The 1980s and 1990s really were the take-what-you-can-get era of movie musicals, weren't they?

R257 All That Jazz, and Ralph, are side eyeing you alot.

Lol perfect sequel to these posts Glenn could not even swing a supporting award from the HFPA over zoom in the pandemic year

[quote] eyeing you alot

Oh, dear.

[quote] Burns' worst work was the movie version of A Chorus Line. The synthesizers really aged more than the waka-chika guitars of the Jonathan Tunick originals in less time. The OBC gives me goosebumps at the finale. At that same point in the movie, I felt … nothing.

Oddly, the last 40 bars or so of "One" on Broadway were orchestrated by ... Ralph Burns.

A lot of orchestrators had a hand in the Chorus Line orchestrations. Tunick did "I Hope I Get It," "At the Ballet," "Nothing" and "What I Did for Love." Hershy Kay did "And...," "Sing" and the rest of "One." Billy Byers did "I Can Do That." Phil Lang did "Dance: 10; Looks: 3." Most of the Montage is by Larry Wilcox, with 40 bars by Byers. "The Music and the Mirror" is Byers, with the dance section by Harold Wheeler. The "What I Did for Love" chart on the cast recording and for the first two years on Broadway is by Tunick, but that version was replaced in 1977 with a different version by Dick Hazard. Tunick reorchestrated it for the 2006 revival.

Really interesting stuff r261. Wow, they really got the best of the best: Kay, Byers, Lang, Byers, Wheeler. Are there other examples of shows with that many orchestrators on board? And are there [italic]any[/italic] female orchestrators at all?

Why/how does that happen when there are several orchestrators? Does one orchestrator have a reputation for doing a certain kind of number? Are they all hired onto a project from the very beginning or does each one come on when it's realized that they're not giving the composer what they're looking for?

That info is from Steven Suskin's book, The Sound of Broadway Music: A Book of Orchestrators and Orchestrations. If you are interested in this, it's a great read. Lots of shows had multiple orchestrators - as shows were trying out, new songs being written on the road, an orchestrator might have moved on to another show and had to farm out other numbers.

Suskin tells a particularly heartbreaking story about Hershy Kay. Unbeknownst to everyone, Kay had suffered a stroke, but was completing the orchestrations for Barnum. The orchestra reading was "disastrous," with everything reportedly sounding like "Turkey in the Straw." The show was beginning previews in New York in a few weeks, and emergency calls went out to every orchestrator in town. Orchestrations were completed by Michael Gibson, Larry Fallon, Phil Lang, Jim Tyler and Sid Ramin, replacing almost all of Kay's work, but with Kay receiving sole credit.

Wow that book is nearly 700 pages!

[quote] And are there any female orchestrators at all?

There's not a whole lot of them, but two that I thought of are dance arrangers Trude Rittmann (One Touch of Venus, Carousel, The King & I, The Sound of Music, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Finian's Rainbow, Fanny, Peter Pan, My Fair Lady and Camelot, among others), and Genevieve Pitot (High Button Shoes, Kiss Me Kate, Can-Can, Call Me Madam, Li'l Abner and Destry Rides Again, among others). More recently, Jeanine Tesori did some dance arrangements on a few shows, and Liz Swados used to do it all.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1979, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" opened at the Uris Theatre.

Shubert Organization to begin expansion of Broadway’s Cort Theatre:

I attended Sweeney's opening night, and while its impact was undeniable, that audience didn't quite know what to do with it. I doubt many people that night realized the kind of longevity it would have, nor of its real quality. I know I didn't, although I loved it and saw the original about nine times.

There's this YT video (audio, actually) that purports to be of opening night.

R252-The reason the Broadway production was so different was Mike Nichols had to make everything he directed "funny". He frequently ignored "ugly" and made it all palatable, i.e., "The Real Thing" and "Hurlyburly" are two glaring examples. The revivals didn't remotely resemble the Nichols productions and were much darker.

I'm about 3/4 through the Nichols biography, and I recommend it, but the more it goes on, you do get a sense he really was awful in many, many ways. I was really surprised to read all the coke and crack use. Thought he was smarter than that. But God, what a career, and he really gave so many their first break.

Totally agree with your assessment, r272.

I loved the bio but it does wear the reader down in the last 1/3 with the detailing of the many questionable projects Nichols took on, rarely successfully.

And though I don't question Nichols' genius and sense of humor, which reasonably could go a long way, the numerous affairs (and marriages) he achieved with gorgeous women with absolutely no real hair on his head and body does boggle the mind. I wondered at what point in dating that was revealed to the ladies.

What on earth is the point of all that construction to the Cort theater? It's a horrible space and rarely has a hit. I don't think building that eyesore next to it is going to help.

Dance arranger is a different job than orchestrator. Dance arrangements are usually worked out on the piano with the choreographer and dancers during dance rehearsals. They then still have to be orchestrated.

With revivals, do choreographers build from the existing arrangements or succeed in creating new ones for their choreography?

[quote] What on earth is the point of all that construction to the Cort theater? It's a horrible space and rarely has a hit. I don't think building that eyesore next to it is going to help.

Like the Shubert Organization did with the Belasco and the Longacre before it, you take a theatre that is a liability and turn it into a theatre a producer would want to book. The addition helps with the cramped public spaces in that theatre, including inadequate and non-ADA compliant rest rooms, plus a proper lounge, additional dressing room space and a rehearsal room. With over 1100 seats and great sight-lines in the mezzanine and balcony, it is one of the better two balcony houses. In its original florid color scheme, it's quite a gorgeous house. (In the 60s and 70s, the Shubert Org regrettably painted all of their theatres in a sort of oatmeal-colored beige and baby diaper brown for easier maintenance. They have been restoring the houses one by one). I believe it is also the only remaining Broadway theatre designed by Thomas Lamb. It also will have a huge hotel next to it, which will improve street traffic. In spite of some of the clunkers that have played there, it has also has had some excellent shows. I think the renovation and expansion will really help make it a desirable theatre.

Anybody know if Covid sunk the church using the Mark Hellinger?

[quote] Like the Shubert Organization did with the Belasco and the Longacre before it, you take a theatre that is a liability and turn it into a theatre a producer would want to book.

I haven't been to the Longacre in ages, but I was just at the Belasco in 2019 for Network. I didn't see anything had been done to it.

I've been attending Broadway theater for almost all the 21 years I've lived in New York and have yet to set foot in the Cort or the Marquis. I'm sure I'll eventually get to them someday.

I've done four shows at the Cort and it's a terrible theater.

[quote]I haven't been to the Longacre in ages, but I was just at the Belasco in 2019 for Network. I didn't see anything had been done to it.

You're joking, right? When was the last time you were at the Belasco before your 2019 visit? And, more importantly, when was your first visit there?

Let's see if this works. The Belasco pre-renovation...

And post-renovation, from a similar vantage point.

All this fuss about dreary, contemporary "prestige" scores that start out promisingly with tantalizing musical ideas, then quickly lose steam in illogical, meandering tunes that go nowhere and soon outstay their welcome. No dramatic, musical or emotional payoff for audiences to hold onto. Nearly all of them critical and commercial duds.

seen whoopsie lately? she lethargic...on oxy? man she is weird

Every modern Bway composer tries to hard to be Sondheim

Anyone else think Sunset Blvd was the funnest musical ever made????

[quote]Anybody know if Covid sunk the church using the Mark Hellinger?

Oh, dear.

Tony Awards Voting Starts Now. And It’s Going to Be Weird:

[quote]Every modern Bway composer tries to hard to be Sondheim

Umm, that statement might have been somewhat accurate about 25 or 30 years ago. You should get out more.

Does anyone know whatever became of the theater industry's offer to the Biden administration to use Broadway theaters and other live performance venues for COVID vaccinations? (They said theater personnel could help coordinate because of their experience with dealing with large crowds.) I think sporting stadiums are being used but never heard anything about theaters.

R292, I have no specific answer to your question, but now the Javits Center is being used as a vaccination site, and that place is so massive that is must surpass in size all of the Broadway theaters combined.

There are some idiots on this thread that don't know what "atonal" music is...

Also, many people like and love the scores to The Wild Party and The Light in the Piazza and Floyd Collins....none of which contain "atonal music".

We're not all required to like the same things but when idiots go over the top to say stupid shit like "no one likes this!" then that's just stupid. They need to go back to listening to their Disney "soundtracks" for the nine thousandth time.

[quote] You're joking, right? When was the last time you were at the Belasco before your 2019 visit? And, more importantly, when was your first visit there?

So they changed the lighting?

Isn't the singing in "The Piano Lesson" from MUSIC MAN atonal singing? That's what a lot of Sondheim's scores sound like.

[quote]The Past Tense Troll

I just bet you are.

[quote] So they changed the lighting?

I guess you are just being obstinate. Here's what they did as a part of a $14.5 million renovation: the lower boxes that were snapped off in 1975 for The Rocky Horror Show were recreated. The Everett Shinn murals on the orchestra level that had been painted over were restored. The theatre's distinctive Tiffany lamps on the mezzanine and balcony overhangs - which were either lost or stolen at some point - were recreated. All of the Tiffany glass fixtures that are seen in the boxes were carefully taken out and repaired as they were crumbling. The glass medallions in the ceiling were repaired and relit and the years of grime that had dulled the ceiling's vibrant red color was restored. The separate entrance for the balcony was changed so that you can access the balcony from the main entrance,. A lower lobby with expansive bathrooms was created, as well as a bar space. And yes, the theatre was relit by Ken Billington. David Belasco was a pioneer of stage lighting technology and the atmosphere in that theatre was carefully calibrated. The theatre now has a glow about it when you attend a show there that it didn't have previously.

I feel it's up there with the New Amsterdam as one of the greatest salvage jobs for a Broadway theatre. Also, since the renovation, it is almost always booked, instead of sometimes languishing empty for years at a time.

That's wonderful news, R189. Paul Huntley seemed to do every fucking wig on Broadway and they were usually ridiculous. They rarely looked like anything but wigs, even on characters who were not supposed to be wearing wigs. The hair styles were always too voluminous. Way too much hair and far too much 'style' to each of them.

Good-bye, Paul. You did gorgeous wigs, but almost always better suited to fashion shoots. Not for theater.

Wasn't The Belasco Theatre originally designed for Harry Houdini? I worked there a couple of times pre-renovation and remember its vast backstage and basement and XL elevators, which were apparently all created for Houdini's elephants that would appear in his magic act.

There is a unique 30-foot trap space under the stage at the Belasco. Reportedly, Houdini would make elephants "disappear" at the theatre with the elephants dropped into a pool of water.

And supposedly some peepholes from which Belasco could see chorus girls

sunset booolavard.....sunset booooolavard

the sweetestsound i iver heard

maria !!! maria !!! maria desmond?

R294, go jump in the nearest greasefire bitch.

You have no fucking clue what any of us listens to.

R291 I think it finally hit most of the composers that most of Sondheim's shows didn't make money, in fact most lost money.

[quote]Also, many people like and love the scores to The Wild Party and The Light in the Piazza and Floyd Collins.

And many people wipe their asses with Bounce sheets but that doesn't make them toilet paper.

[quote] Anyone else think Sunset Blvd was the funnest musical ever made????

R288, are you four fucking years old? Funnest? You have conclusively proved Henry Higgins right about the English language decades after Rex Harrison shouted his last "damn, damn, damn, damn!"

[quote] Along with being gay-friendly, take into consideration the city's crime stats. Might be best to move outside the US.

Why bother when they'll still take your taxes for 10 years after you renounce your citizenship?

Fine, go ahead and leave, that way when the GOP takes over it won't be your fault because you weren't here to stop them. Come to think of it, that would make it your fault.

Sorry, my browser accidentally shifted between threads somehow.

I was right.

r291, For the last decade, we've had jukebox musicals so no Bway composers needed!

Amy Klobuchar, John Cornyn Urge White House to Use Venues as Vaccination Sites:

I love Cole Escola. He's just so silly.

This thread needs a great big cuddle. Come on, boys. Let us all hug, and sing...

[quote]Wasn't The Belasco Theatre originally designed for Harry Houdini? I worked there a couple of times pre-renovation and remember its vast backstage and basement and XL elevators, which were apparently all created for Houdini's elephants that would appear in his magic act.

The perfect place for Chrissy Metz to make her stage debut! What role would you suggest for her? Catherine Sloper? Tracy Turnblad? Audrey II?

[quote]So, they changed the lighting?

That's right, R295. The Belasco had a multi-million dollar renovation, and all you noticed was that they "changed the lighting." Are you blind, or a troll, or an asshole, or all three?.

[quote]Isn't the singing in "The Piano Lesson" from MUSIC MAN atonal singing? That's what a lot of Sondheim's scores sound like.

No. Yet another flaming asshole.

Oh give it a rest

I meant r315 but it applies to you r326 too

R316

Has a woman ever played Edna in Hairspray? It would have been a good role for Roseann circa 2003.

[quote] That's right, [R295]. The Belasco had a multi-million dollar renovation, and all you noticed was that they "changed the lighting." Are you blind, or a troll, or an asshole, or all three?.

At least I'm not a MARY! like some people.

[quote]Has a woman ever played Edna in Hairspray? It would have been a good role for Roseann circa 2003.

Apparently you never heard Roseanne sing the national anthem.

Roseanne played the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz musical in NYC, but I don't know how many songs the character has.

[quote]Roseanne played the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz musical in NYC, but I don't know how many songs the character has.

Margaret Hamilton had this song when she played Madame Armfeldt in "A Little Night Music."

Roseanne was a non-singing Wicked Witch.

R320, early in the Hairspray run there was talk of Lainie Kazan possibly taking over as Edna. I've never been sure if she was seriously considered or just cocktail chatter.

Speakin' of Lainie, I watched the zoom interview with Lainie and Michelle Lee that was linked a thread or two back. Both ladies mentioned being asked to replace Tyne Daly when she was having vocal trouble out of town during Gypsy. Michelle's Knots Landing filming schedule kept her from accepting, and Lainie lamented that she originally told the producers she'd think about it and by the time she decided to accept, Tyne had received rave reviews in Florida and that was the end of that.

Another casting problem that I've recently heard about was the trouble finding a Drowsy Chaperone for The Drowsy Chaperone. Beth Leavel was not always the absolute slam dunk in what she herself says was a very underwritten role in the beginning and the creatives felt they needed a name for the role. They went to LA and had meetings with every "woman of a certain age" including Eartha Kitt (WOW!) and Joan Van Ark (hmmm? ok). Anybody know who else might have been on that list? Jo Anne Worley ended up playing the Georgia Engel track, but I think she'd've been marvelous as the Chaperone.

Michele Lee would have been great.

She would have been fine, r327, but she wouldn't have been a particularly distinctive Rose.

I still wish I had seen JoAnne Worley as Rose on the straw hat circuit. Someone of note (can’t remember who) said she was the best Rose he’d ever seen (and he’d seen the major ones, IIRC).

A bit o'Patti...

Her Dolly was supposed to be good, as well, r329.

R315. Just what we need—another revival of The Heiress (I do think it’s an excellent play and the revival with Cherry Jones was superb, but I skipped the Jessica Chastain one). They could use the original novel’s title, “Washington Square”—and Chrissy could play the title role.

She sews neatly.

R331 - what a fascinating find! Both for the "early" pre-TCM Robert Osborne and for the unusual story of two major productions playing at the same time.

According to the article, attendance will be capped at either 33% or a maximum of 100 people indoors.

Well, that ain’t gonna work financially.

Hah, R328, not as Rose, the Beth Leavel role in The Drowsy Chaperone.

How was I to know that, r336?

Did anyone see Worley in Wicked?

Worley was Channing's standby the first year of Dolly's standby the first year of its run. She left when her contract was up because she never got to go on.

Meanwhile, a preview for the 5 pm CBS news here in New York just said "select" Broadway theaters are going to be allowed to reopen. Has anybody heard anything about that?

I love her, but good god Elaine Stritch could BRAY!

I hadn't heard that, R339, though I wonder if it has to do with the ventilation system in each theater. Perhaps some are more up-to-grade than others?

I don’t see what Broadway shows can open and run on only 100 people per performance.

I thought there was some contractual requirement that Edna Turnblad had to be played by a man.

Yeah, I was talking to a friend who is in a Bway show that will def be coming back and she said- that does not pertain to Broadway, and we are not coming back that soon.

Entertainment venues can reopen April 2 at 33%, max 100 people inside, 200 people outside. At least it's a start but I don't think Wicked will make its nut with 100 people.

Doesn't the Gershwin Theatre seat over 200o people? They could have 700 at Wicked. I guess they'd make about $4000-4500/performance.

No, r346. 33% of capacity but not to exceed 100 people indoors.

Joanne Worley covered Rose when Jana Robbins went on during Tyne Daly’s vacation. I wonder why they didn’t just let Joanne fill in instead of Jana.

I love Broadway and have missed it terribly but will not set foot in a theater until after I've been vaccinated.

R349 - not to mention, what happened to thinking about others. Vaccination largely prevents severe illness from the virus, but it has not yet been proven that it prevents transmission to other people. I love theatre, music, the performing arts as much as any practicing homosexual, but let's be responsible. We'll be able to open up more widely later this year or early next year.

[quote]I love theatre, music, the performing arts as much as any practicing homosexual

If you still have to practice, your are obviously missing the point.

Wouldn’t smaller off and off off broadway theatres be able to open safely first. Easier to control and used to playing to half empty houses

Thanks for the Dad(dy?) joke, R351

In all seriousness......has anyone seen or participated in a production of Tobacco Road? Is it ever performed?/ thx in advance

I don't know, but Worley's certainly a bigger name.

Yeah, I don’t relish the thought of having to sit in a theatre wearing a mask, I’ll wait.

Broadway has officially said it won’t be part of this partial opening. And the mentions of the Broadway theatres soon are for these pop up events

Was Skylight with Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy ever filmed?

Maybe they should test the waters with a revival of Slave Play. Surely that won't attract more than 5% capacity per week.

Didn’t African Americans make up about 5% of Slave Plays audience?

R359 And that's even with the free tickets JOH guilts people like Seth Meyers into funding

Why Seth Meyers?

R362 when he was a guest on Seth's show he basically guilted Seth into buying a bunch of tickets to be given away because no-one actually wanted to buy tickets to see Slave Play.

Oh, and also, on his second appearance he pretty much outright said him not winning the Tony would be racism:

[quote]He told Meyers he can’t believe his play is nominated for so many Tonys and that he’s waiting for someone to tell him that — and I quote — “all the Tonys are going to David Mamet this year … We really loved that Breitbart interview he gave this year.” The man clearly has a way with words.

Why the fuck would anyone have Jeremy O. Harris on a national talk show? Doesn't Seth have to worry about ratings?

R358, Skylight was on the NT-Live program. I saw it in a cinema. I have a vague recollection our favorite poster has a copy, but I could be wrong.

[italic]And[/italic] after Seth very graciously agreed to buy tickets for 10 strangers, Harris was tacky enough to guilt him into buying [italic]premium[/italic] tickets for them. Ungracious, hateful and horrible.

And dressed like a clown

Was Skylight with Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy ever filmed?

They tried to film the Broadway production, but Bill Nighy kept eating the camera.

Skylight - Act One.

Act Two - quality not the best, like the play.

I thought both Daddy and Slave Play were shit; two plays that weren't half as clever as they pretended to be.

But I really admire Harris for having been able to cultivate such a prominent public persona, from two moderate successes. He's branching into television, bringing other people with him, and he's been incredibly vocal and using his fame as the Broadway playwright du jour to draw attention to what the government can do to support the arts both now, and as we come out of the pandemic. He is doing good, important and valuable work.

I just wish he was a better playwright. Or rather, I wish that the better playwrights could also become media darlings.

R372, I love your post. Very well said.

Valens, do you have a downloadable version of the National's recent Twelfth Night? (Not my most favorite production of it, but there was a lot in it I did like.) Thanks heaps!

The one with the girl playing Malvolio....

Twelfth Night - Act One.

Act Two

Is the Brian Bedford IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST on YouTube somewhere?

Thanks for the 12th Night post! (It's the Orsino -- Oliver Chris -- I wanted to see again. Also, this is one of the few productions that makes Belch and Aguecheek funny.)

Oliver is so good in the Midsummer's Night Dream.

^ The afore mentioned AMND.

I cannot tell you how many times I've watched the end of Act One of that production of Dream. It is utterly joyful (and hilarious).

Looks like this was sent to Tony voters--

I love Longtime Companion.

Wow, I do not remember that scene being lit so poorly. It was shot really badly, as well. And it does not work out of context at all.

Ugh - I hated that unearned and manipulative scene.

The only thing that clip reminds me of is how much I fucking loathed The Inheritance.

All the current accusations of racial insensitivity at the Golden Globes at the same time that Tony voting is happening is likely to help Slave Play’s chances, I’m sorry to say. I would much rather see The Sound Inside win.

[quote] But I really admire Harris for having been able to cultivate such a prominent public persona, from two moderate successes. He's branching into television, bringing other people with him, and he's been incredibly vocal and using his fame as the Broadway playwright du jour to draw attention to what the government can do to support the arts both now, and as we come out of the pandemic. He is doing good, important and valuable work.

You're giving him way too much credit. It's because he's black and nothing more. The Inheritance was a mammoth production with a press juggernaut behind it. Did anyone invite Matthew Lopez to be on a late night talk show?

I remember back in the movie "For Pete's Sake", Barbra Streisand is talking to her black maid, who in turn tells Babs that she has a Latin maid herself. By that, Lopez should win over the black guy since he's even more of a repressed minority from way back.

R389. I love that you quoted For Pete’s Sake. I think that movie deserves a thread of its own.

For those of us who haven’t seen The Inheritance can someone explain what the fuck is happening. I’m guessing someone has just died and he’s meeting men he’s had anonymous sex with but didn’t know their names and they’ve all died. Am i close?

Not even close. If you're not a troll, I'll explain.

Thanks! I’m not a troll and I’d love to know what that scene is all about.

In defense of R296, I wish DL's armchair musicologists would retire calling every score they dislike as "atonal." Atonality refers to the Serialist school developed mostly by Arnold Schoenberg; It only takes basic musical education to realize that atonal music has never reached the Broadway stage. If a score is grounded in Western harmony—as every Broadway score I know of is—it is "tonal."

Guettel's "Piazza" songs are tonal as they utilise harmonies that have existed for centuries: To call that score atonal only illustrates your musical illiteracy.

R394 Thanks for posting that!

Also: Skylight is such a nothing play. I don't get the love for it. People with nothing better to do?

AND, for all you Jeremy O. Harris Fans, you can also enjoy his FASHION DESIGNS!!!!

[quote]For its inaugural collaboration, SSENSE WORKS joins forces with American playwright and polymath Jeremy O. Harris

Genuine question: why does he get so much praise, when his work is simply not that good? I know some people will say race, but there are more talented black people out there who don't get the kind of attention and praise he does. Does he just have a great publicist, or am I missing something? Also, who's funding him, because judging from his social media he's living a life well beyond the means of the mediocre playwright he is.

For a costume designer it must really suck to suddenly realize you have spent your entire budget but forgot to buy shoes.

For r393: Eric, a young gay New Yorker, starts a relationship with a wealthy older man, Henry, who owns a beautiful estate in upstate NY. Henry's late lover Walter (who befriended Eric before he died) used the home for years as a refuge for men dying of AIDS-related diseases. When Eric is taken to the house for the first time, he contemplates the enormity of the loss of so many young men. As he does so, the ghosts of many of the departed appear to greet him, one by one. The stage direction reads: "The house is filled with ghosts."

As staged by Stephen Daldry, it was an overwhelmingly moving sequence. (And yes, I know about Longtime Companion. Didn't matter a bit to my reaction to the scene.)

Was it like the ghost scene in Ruddigore where all the ancestors portraits come to life as ghosts and step down out of their frames to become the male chorus?

It was a good ending the play hadn't really earned up until then. However it [italic]must[/italic] beat [italic]Slave Play[/italic] which was bad and (somehow) even more self-indulgent.

No, r400.

R399. Thank you so much.

When SLAVE PLAY loses, the shit will hit the fan, and there will be all kinds of accusations against the voters and the process. No one will talk about the plays themselves, or that Slave Play got decidedly mixed reviews, and barely sold tickets. For many of us, the slave play experience was exactly what it was: a grad school experiment that succeeded and failed on that sort of academic scale. But it never touched down to truth...

Tonywatch: Aaron Tveit rides a roller coaster of a year:

Aaron Tveit rides what

"Skylight is such a nothing play."

Untrue. The title is the central metaphor of the entire play. The original 1996 production fully realized the metaphor in its brilliant set design.

To add to r399's very good synopsis of the finale of the first part of The Inheritance, what made the scene somehow wildly effective and emotional were the scores of young men entering onto the set who we hadn't seen before in the long evening, Their very decided anonymity gave the moment an uncanny power.

I know...."Mary!" But. nevertheless, true, at least for me.

All that said, and as much as I loved The Inheritance (saw it twice in London but not in NY), I'm betting on Slave Play and Jeremy Harris winning the Tony. There's simply too much white guilt at this moment in time on Broadway. And though Slave Play was extremely flawed, there was admittedly an audacity to it and to Robert O'Hara's staging and some of the performances that was pretty unforgettable.

Were the actors who entered at the end understudies who don’t appear in the play or uncredited actors who only appeared in that scene?

I think there was a handout with their names you got on the way out

For the hell of it, just gave [italic]Romance Romance[/italic] a listen again. And while it may not be a masterpiece, it is a bit of a gem...and both its music and lyrics are [italic]miles[/italic] above a lot of new scores have sounded like ([italic]Prom[/italic], I'm talking to you). The old-style first part is way better than the "modern" second act, but even those songs are better than any ersatz-pop we've gotten in later years ([italic]Prom[/italic], I'm talking to you again). Lyrics are smart, they fit the music, clever, sweet little internal rhymes, and catchy tunes. Those songwriters never came back, did they? (Although the lyricist also did [italic]Olympus on My Mind[/italic], which was also clever and fun.

Scott was divine. I want a revival of Three Guys naked From The Waist Down. I really liked that score.

While Alison Fraser was very good indeed in "The Secret Garden", a reviewer said her performance in "Romance/Romance" had the most annoying habits of Bernadette Peters and Angela Lansbury on display, and I rather had to agree. "R/R" was ok otherwise.

Can someone give me a synopsis of Slave Play and why it was so audacious?

For The Inheritance finale, the understudies were used onstage, but I think there were only about 4 or 5 of them so the large group of young men were filled in with rotating local college students from NYC drama depts. and acting schools. I would guess that there at least 40 men on stage each performance. And I would assume that Equity gave the Inheritance producers some kind of affordable dispensation for their salaries.

R/R

[quote]Genuine question: why does he get so much praise, when his work is simply not that good? I know some people will say race, but there are more talented black people out there who don't get the kind of attention and praise he does. Does he just have a great publicist, or am I missing something?

I think the praise and notoriety that Harris have received are largely about race, since SLAVE PLAY came along right at the height of the BLM movement and everything else that went along with that. But also, it certainly helped that the play is mostly about sex as well as race, and is chock full of sexual situations, including one of the most graphic simulations of sexual intercourse that I've ever seen on stage. Given the powerful combination of those two things, plus the fact that Harris does seem to be much more enamored of publicity than some other writers, his notoriety is not at all surprising. And some people would say that the praise he has received is more about the notoriety, the subject matter, and the envelope pushing of his play than its actual quality.

A Midsummers Night Dream - Globe production

Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory - Andre De Shields.

I have a hard time seeing a play that features a very long and graphic scene of rape, along with another of a man being penetrated by a dildo against his will will win a Tony award.

and what, pray tell, are the most annoying habits of Angela Lansbury. (Answer carefully here, r413, you may not be among friends right now.)

Jesse Green jizzed more times reviewing [italic]Slave Play[/italic] than in his entire life, cumulatively, up to that point.

More importantly, is Slave Play TONAL or ATONAL?

Slave Play tugs at white liberals' guilt, which they soothe with a white savior complex. Plain and simple.

I enjoyed Romance Romance - it's quite a good chamber musical

I hope The Inheritance wins the Tony. It wasn't perfect but it was effective and I think Matthew Lopez is a real talent.

Fuck you r423.

It's a goddamn coup de theatre!

R399 and R408 describe what made that final scene in Part of The Inheritance so moving. I don't think it can really be captured on film. I'm not an easy cryer and I had tears streaming down my face by the end of that scene -- I heard audible sobs throughout the audience at the performance I attended which was probably 50% gay men and 50% straight couples. It was simple, but so effective.

I feel like that Inheritance clip actually hurt the show's chances because of how it was shot. Big mistake.

Speaking of Andre, it was announced today he's playing King Lear in St. Louis this summer. Road trip!

Andre who?

I meant to post about Oliver Chris when he was being discussed upthread that he was hilarious in The NT's capture of One Man, Two Guv'nors that was available for viewing again several months ago (I had never seen it before). He begins as such a boring straight tool in the play and comes completely and foolishly undone that he stole the show for me anyway from James Corden.

And Chris was also a brilliant Prince William in King Charles III on Broadway. He's a young actor with great range. He looks insanely tall -maybe 6'5"?

Oliver in 'One Man...'

Apparently Sondheim is planning on tinkering with the lyrics to Getting Married Today, replacing hepatitis with coronavirus, somehow. Given how clunky his other adjustments were, I'd rather he didn't.

'Hepatitis' and 'coronavirus' don't have the same number of syllables.

Will Amanda Kloots take over the role?

R436 Be unusual to see Amy performed with a huge smile

R436 - MARRY ME!

Tomorrow I'll be floating in the Hudson with my husband's leg- I'm not well, so I'm not getting married.

Give til it hurts, cause I'm not getting married.

I'm on The Talk so I'm not getting married.

Well, maybe Zach Braff, but I'm not getting married today!

R439 - LOL!!!

[quote] along with another of a man being penetrated by a dildo

Does the actor actually get penetrated by the dildo? Is it Broadway's first dildo-fucking?

That black actor in Slave Play who got penetrated by the dildo was extremely hot though I can't remember his name now. Why have we never talked about him in all these discussions of the play?

Because we'd rather talk about how bad the play is.

Anyone who thinks Inheritance is beating Slave Play is fucking DELUSIONAL. Jeremy Harris is part of the current zeitgeist. There is a huge push toward inclusion right now after the summer of BLM. Inheritance was widely derided, is gone and best forgotten. It is not winning anything.

[quote][R399] and [R408] describe what made that final scene in Part of The Inheritance so moving. I don't think it can really be captured on film.

That scene might be very effective on film if it were filmed and directed well, in a different way than it was effective in the theater. But of course, one thing they could never recreate as it happened in the theater is the completely unexpected thrill of having ALL of those actors whom we had never seen before suddenly show up at the end of Part One.

[quote]That black actor in Slave Play who got penetrated by the dildo was extremely hot though I can't remember his name now. Why have we never talked about him in all these discussions of the play?

That actor is indeed gorgeous (see link), and I also thought his character was one of the best written in the play.

[quote]'Hepatitis' and 'coronavirus' don't have the same number of syllables.

Umm, I think that might be quite easily addressed by cutting out a syllable somewhere else in the line. Instead of "Look I didn't want to have to tell you but I may be coming down with hepatitis," maybe it could be "Look I didn't want to have to tell you but I think I may have caught coronavirus." It took me about 10 seconds to think of that as one option.

I loved the INHERITANCE and couldn’t understand the N.Y. critics’ dislike for it, not even making the NYT’s Must See List.

How ironic that it it the front runner for Best Play because the season was cut short

Yes, Slave Play has all the hype, but in whispers all over the place, no one actually respects the play. The Inheritance, whatever its minor flaws, was a brilliantly written play.

I"m just hoping they returns to showing scenes from the plays on the Tony Awards and we get to see the dildo!

[quote]Inheritance was widely derided, is gone and best forgotten. It is not winning anything.

The reviews were mixed as I recall. Also, I think it will certainly win Tonys for its supporting performances (Lois Smith in particular).

It's not the front-runner r446. Unfortunately, r444 is right about that.

Why does he have a dildo shoved up his ass?

Why not?

Whatever the respective merits and demerits of SLAVE PLAY and THE INHERITANCE, the current BLM/SJW climate is such that SLAVE PLAY will unquestionably be given the Tony for Best Play, because a win by THE INHERITANCE would result in angst and protests such as none of us can even imagine. It's a very sad state of affairs when an award is given to anyone or anything for the wrong reasons, but that's where we are now. SLAVE PLAY would win even if THE INHERITANCE had been a far greater critical and financial success, but the fact that it wasn't will at least make the Tony to SLAVE PLAY seem arguably justifiable by normal standards.

[quote]Why does he have a dildo shoved up his ass?

He needed new content for his OnlyFans.

Slave Play will do so well while touring and in schools!

R455, in fairness, I tend to doubt that THE INHERITANCE is good fodder for touring or school productions either.....

It's possible "Slave Play" will be performed in the future as much as "Borstal Boy" or some other forgotten Tony winners.

Before Oliver Chris gets too lost in the thread, do we know any gossip about him? I know nothing about his personal life, but I seem to remember him being linked to Rachael Stirling (Dame Diana Rigg's daughter) at some point. And, huh, a quick Google search confirms that they were engaged for five years, and she broke it off. That's all I got -- call me, Oliver!

It's a shame that there is no pro shooting of The Inheritance. (Guess they could still gather the cast for such a project,0 Did Lincoln Center get a crack at it?

Why can’t Netflix scoop up The Inheritance and make it a miniseries?

[quote] Why can’t Netflix scoop up The Inheritance and make it a miniseries?

Because there isn’t a role for Emma Roberts.

As I remember, the actor enjoyed getting the dildo up his ass. And I did. too.

I couldn't vote for Slave Play. The last scene justified rape.

[quote]because a win by THE INHERITANCE would result in angst and protests such as none of us can even imagine.

This is a joke, right? You can't seriously believe there would be protests in the streets if "Inheritance" wins and "Slave Play" doesn't. This is the Tonys. No one beyond the most devoted fans of theater and Broadway will care in the least. Hell, most people probably don't even know who the nominees are.

Also, people seem to forget that neither play was written by a white person. Matthew Lopez is not white, so it would be difficult for anyone to scream racism if he wins over JOH. Plus how many Puerto Rican playwrights have we seen win the best play Tony? He would potentially be making history, so there would be little wriggle room for complaining by SJWs.

Not to mention, the Tonys has a much better history of recognizing diverse talent than other awards shows so... all-in-all ... I think they're less "problematic" than others.

R464, I certainly don't think there SHOULD be protests if THE INHERITANCE were to win over SLAVE PLAY. But I'm pretty sure there would be -- not protests "in the streets," which is not what I meant, but I think the outrage in the press and on social media would be great, at least in some quarters.

The interesting thing is there's a substantial number of black people who hate Slave Play. The fraus at Lipstick Alley detest it and absolutely hate JOH. And then there's this...

[quote]As I remember, the actor enjoyed getting the dildo up his ass. And I did. too.

Wait. You got a dildo shoved up your ass as an audience member at The Slave Play?

It wasn’t a dildo. It was J0H. He thought you were a Tony voter

Is this thread paywalled again?

That sounds like something for the Wooster Group. A revival of The Trojan Women but the audence all get dildoes shoved up their asses by ushers dressed as Greek soldiers

The Inheritance is simply not well-written. Slave Play had its issues, too, but I’m voting for it.

[quote]Slave Play had its issues, too,

Tell us more about things not being well-written.

[quote] The Inheritance is simply not well-written. Slave Play had its issues, too, but I’m voting for it.

If you think Slave Play was a better written play than The Inheritance, you should resign as a voter immediately.

The first and third acts were at least interesting and provocative But OMG, that second act of slave play that was written and acted like a four hour SNL sketch… painful amateurish and b-a-d.

Folks, I think we should agree, the truth is that SLAVE PLAY and THE INHERITANCE each have some excellent writing as well as some major flaws. In my opinion, THE INHERITANCE had issues in terms of focus and structure, and as for SLAVE PLAY, I think that sequence with the sex therapists would have been great if about half or two thirds of it had been cut, but as written, it's ridiculously and pretentiously overlong.

R470 Seems likely. New thread?

No.Pay the two bucks.

R478 The fact that I'm posting shows you I already do, dumb fuck.

You seem nice.

I was right.

Love you, Valens! Just wanted to get that out there.

Just posted on YouTube

Terrific UK documentary, from 1980, on the original West End production of SWEENEY TODD. Includes rehearsal footage (featuring Hal Prince), scenes from the actual production (starring Denis Quilley and Sheila Hancock), and Sondheim discussing at length the adaptation, various songs, and motifs.

Brilliantly constructed & edited. Although it is an hour and a half long, the time just flew by. I could have easily watched another hour or more.

R483 It's truly astonishing how much they gave away on a programme broadcast just 24 days after opening night. Given the mixed reviews and then so much being shown on television, it's hardly a wonder it closed after four and a half months.

I do love the Pirelli whining about having his part cut down, and how he wouldn't have auditioned if he knew that was going to happen, and then the next day trying to do a Costanza and act like it never happened. Also amuses me how Todd's victims during Johanna barely look old enough to need to shave.

It's kind of surprising to me that Sweeney wasn't more successful in the UK. I mean, I know it's "heavy" subject matter, but it's not like it isn't also wildly entertaining and, at times, very funny. Not to mention that incredible score. You'd think it would do even better in the UK than in the US.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was an element of resistance to the idea of Americans doing a 'British' story, though as the documentary details the original story was actually French. Or maybe the idea that musical theatre wasn't meant to be serious still lingered in the West End - They're Playing Our Song was the big hit of that season.

R484 The actor seen complaining about his "Sweeney" role being cut down was John Aron. Obviously Hal did not hold this against him, as Aron became the original Ubaldo PIangi in the West End/Hal Prince "Phantom of the Opera" in '86. As the "Phantom" London cast recording is the only complete English-language cast recording of "Phantom," Aron will always be heard as Piangi.

R485 The London critics and audiences missed the boat on the original London production of "Sweeney" in 1980. But "Sweeney" has had numerous London revivals, including the highly acclaimed National Theater production (Julia McKenzie, with two Sweeneys); Royal Opera House Covent Garden (Thomas Allen and Felicity Palmer, much less well-received and disliked by Sondheim); the John Doyle version, which played in London without stars then came to Broadway with Patti; and the pie-shop version that Sondheim loved and which had a long run off-Broadway.

[quote]Julia McKenzie, with two Sweeneys

The slut.

What about the Imelda-Michael Ball one, r487. Didn't that do well?

[quote]They're Playing Our Song was the big hit of that season.

OMG the return of They’re Playing Our Song? That show is like a cockroach that you just can’t kill.

More importantly, did Imelda bray like she did in Gypsy, Follies and Virginia Woolf?

R489 You beat me to it--I realized I'd forgotten to mention the Ball-Staunton version and was just about to add another comment. And that's still to leave out several other small-scale London "Sweeney" revivals.

What idiot started another theatre thread already? Whoever it was stupidly numbered it 412, when it will really be 414 when the time comes. And it's already been f&f'd out. Best to leave it that way and ignore it.

Let's find out who the asshole is and shame them.

R488 Yes, the Royal National Theater production played two different NT auditoriums, and Sweeney changed from Alun Armstrong to none other than the original 1980 London Sweeney, Denis Quilley.

Christ, and the stupidest title. Who the fuck is Oliver Chris again? I've already forgotten the conversation about him.

R493 Fucking drongo. The Colour Purple at Home.

Jagged Live In NYC.

Doyle’s started at water mill. Isn’t that regional? Did it go to London?

Imelda does Sweeney.

R498, is that the Bway production or the one done for an online audience?

The Curve production, same group that did Sunset last month.

the name of the Imelda clip is Todd Brays. What are the chances....

I just watched the clip of Staunton and Ball. They weren't bad, and Imelda didn't scream as though she were trying to get the attention of a 737 flying above her on a deserted island, but they left me cold. Maybe I've just seen that number too many times?

Thoughts?

[Doyle’s started at water mill. Isn’t that regional? Did it go to London?]

Yes, I saw Doyle's "Sweeney" in London, New Ambassadors Theatre.

R495 And in the NT production Quilley played Judge Turpin before taking over as Sweeney

It's a shame there's no video of that production, I'd love to see more of Julia and Armstrong, I love their A Little Priest

And a BBC Radio recording of the NT version after Quilley had taken over as Todd

Quilley seems really really good on the original London segments. Real Greek tragedy stuff that seems to serve the show very well

[quote] It's a shame there's no video of that production

Yes indeed, but at least there's a BBC broadcast of the NT production, with Armstrong. It must be on YT. Can't believe the NT production didn't get an official CD, especially as the original 1980 London "Sweeney" was not recorded (there's an excellent closing-night soundboard tape). But unless I'm forgetting something, the only commercially-released London cast of "Sweeney Todd" is the Ball-Staunton, and that's just a single CD and therefore not the complete score.

Whoops, got that wrong--it's Quilley on the broadcast, so he did finally get a chance to record the role.

I believe the reason why you don't hear much about the London run of John Doyle's "Sweeney" is because its leads were Karen Mann and Paul Hegarty; I don't think they were big names then or now. Doyle got LuPone (who had already played Lovett in concert) and Cerveris for NY.

I saw the Ball/Staunton SWEENEY in London and thought that they -- indeed, the whole production -- was excellent.

It had been "updated" to the 1930s, which had little effect on the musical as a whole. I suppose the 30s setting helped make the production a bit more realistic and grounded (for lack of a better word). Staunton's Lovett, for example, did not have the demented Pekingese quality of others and so was ultimately a more believable character. And Ball was truly frightening as Sweeney. He appeared so normal and relatable without the wigs and Victorian trappings.

I actually saw that London Sweeney in July of 1980. I was on my way back from an overseas assignment in Rome (my very first time in Europe) and stopped in London (first time there) for three days. I HAD to go to theater (sorry--theatRE) and it was cool to see it in the city in which it was set. I don't remember much about it except that when I went to buy my tickets, I had no idea what "stalls" referred to. I thought I was going to have to stand up like a horse for the entire show.

Anyway, I must have enjoyed it, because I saw it again later that year with Angela Lansbury and George Hearn when the tour was in DC (where I was living at the time.)

Michael Ball hit on me when I was a teenager playing for the Broadway Show League in 1990. He was in Aspects of Love and I was on another team. He was straddling being a porker back then and I remember people saying he wore a girdle under his costume because he had to appear shirtless. I was also dating someone from another show (who probably wouldn't have cared if I fucked every chorus boy on 45th street) and I wasn't interested in anyone else.

R503 I just uploaded it now darl.

McKenzie's Lovett was a high for me in a lifetime of theatre going. She was astounding.

Michael Ball wore "a girdle under his costume because he had to appear shirtless."

Does this make sense to anyone?

[quote]I remember people saying he wore a girdle under his costume because he had to appear shirtless

In which case wouldn't the girdle have been visible?

R514 you made me remember why I used to like these threads. Gossip!!!

Eldergays, did any of you see Liza during her brief stint in Chicago? Must have been fun!

Is there any video out there of Fosse's original choreography for All That Jazz?

[quote] In which case wouldn't the girdle have been visible?

Sorry, I'll explain further, and remember, I said this was a rumor, so I have no idea if it's true. I never saw the show, but as it was described to me, his pants were high waisted and the girdle was to help tighten his love handles.

Here's what Aspects and Ball looked like on Broadway

I saw Liza in CHICAGO and it was quite the event. As you know, she was one of the biggest stars in entertainment then, an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy winner and a huge concert draw. It was as if Barbra had decided to step into SWEENEY TODD (imagine!) for a few weeks. So the atmosphere was electric, and LIZA made a meal of it. It was a great era for Broadway: CHICAGO, CHORUS LINE, PACIFIC OVERTURES, THE WIZ, BUBBLING BROWN SUGAR, MACK AND MABEL, plus TRAVESTIES, EQUUS, etc etc. Liza was the cherry on the cake.

I also saw Liza in CHICAGO (twice!) and yes, it was a HUGE event. And it was at a time in Broadway history when it was still possible to score good tickets without much waiting or $$$$.

IIRC, the most interesting tidbit was Fosse changed the staging of "I Am My Own Best Friend" from a duet (with Gwen and Chita) to a solo for Liza. So as the number began, Chita (on a stage wagon) was pulled offstage.

R525 - Interesting! I wonder how Cheets felt about losing her half of that duet!

R523 - God, Aspects of Love seems like such a bore. I can't stand when a character sings ABOUT love. It's so cloying and unnatural. It's crazy to me that musical theatre songs were still chart hits in the UK in the 90s, though. Just read that Love Changes Everything reached #2 in the UK and charted for several weeks. Seems unimaginable now. My parents actually took me to see the show in the West End when I was very young -- probably far too young for the material. I think I was 8. The only thing I really remember was all the loud singing -- especially from Michael Ball. In fact, I recall my mother turning to me after he sang one song especially bombastically to say "See, THAT'S why he's called Michael BALL."

At least it isn't a movie.

Gambit!

[quote]IIRC, the most interesting tidbit was Fosse changed the staging of "I Am My Own Best Friend" from a duet (with Gwen and Chita) to a solo for Liza. So as the number began, Chita (on a stage wagon) was pulled offstage.

But isn't it true that "My Own Best Friend" was originally planned as a solo for Roxie, and it was only turned into a duet because Gwen's voice was in such poor shape at the time and she never could have handled it as a solo? That's what I've heard/read, and the story certainly makes sense. When you think about it, Velma is probably not the sort of character who would express that emotion in that way.

[quote]Gambit!

Looks more like Mary Tyler Moore than Shirley MacLaine.

Looks more like Doris than...

Wow, those clips from Aspects of Love blew me away. Sad that Kevin Colson and Ann Crumb are both gone now (within the last couple of years). Whatever happened to Kathleen Rowe McAllen? She had a decent voice.

An Assassins reunion and talk

Apparently Equity's health insurance stopped covering PrEP during the pandemic. Any complaining chorus boys should be reminded they shouldn't be fucking around during lockdown anyway.

I saw Sarah Brightman in Aspects and she was lovely. Rumor at the time was she wanted the part from the beginning but ALW said no. He finally relented and let her replace Crumb on broadway. Another rumor was a Prince Edward used to discretely fly into NYC to spend time with Ball who was his lover at the time.

I remember Ball's shirtless scenes on Broadway. He wasn't exactly fat, just very flabby. The shirtlessness was really merciless and unnecessary.

Now I'm sorry I didn't let him take me home so I could describe the flab in detail to you bitches.

I won't take the time to try to look it up now, but I pretty clearly remember that Frank Rich's review of ASPECTS OF LOVE said something like, "Michael Ball removes his shirt for no conceivable artistic or aesthetic reason."

R538 I took the time, and I'm glad I did, it's hilarious, right from the start:

[quote]Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer who is second to none when writing musicals about cats, roller-skating trains and falling chandeliers, has made an earnest but bizarre career decision in 'Aspects of Love,' his new show at the Broadhurst. He has written a musical about people.

[quote]The women, named Rose and Giulietta, have a quickie affair of their own along the way, to the extent that anything in 'Aspects of Love' can be described as quick.

[quote]...and who is further handicapped by unflattering costumes (by Maria Bjornson) that, in Giulietta's case, announce her Lesbian Tendencies with every pantsuit.

[quote]Mr. Ball bares his chest for no worthwhile esthetic or prurient reason, but not to the point of dismantling the chest mike from which emanates his entire personality.

WE SEE YOU WHITE UNNECESSARY SHIRTLESSNESS!

The only way Equity would allow Sarah Brightman to star in Phantom in NYC was if ALW agreed to cast an American in the lead of his next musical. That’s how Ann Crumb ended up in Aspects of Love in London, and then on Broadway. ALW really wanted Brightman to originate the role. I saw the show on Broadway, and it was a crashing bore. Some pretty melodies, though. Those clips really show how awful the show was.

That Frank Rich review of Aspects at R539 is hilarious. Rich wrote some of the best ever pans of bad shows.

If you're gonna write a pan, at least have fun with it, right? Are there other fun, bitchy pans out there y'all recall?

The crown on bitchy belongs, of course, to John Simon, who bordered (and often wallowed) in cruelty, especially about performers' appearance. No denying he was a very skilled insulter. I just tried quickly to find any site with "highlights" of his writing, but only found the attached. You can probably find others, or folks can chime in here.

Also agreed that Rich could write a bad review as well as he could write a good review, and (as we've talked about here [italic]ad infinitum[/italic]) Brantley couldn't touch him in either direction.

I can't stand how this thread constantly celebrates awful people. I knew John Simon and he was a first class entitled prick.

Here's a good John Simon zinger, not in print, but during a luncheon. I was at a table with him and someone brought up that Glenn Close would be starring in a TV movie of South Pacific. John responded, "Who's she playing - Lieutenant Cable?"

...and Phyllis Newman will have to do as Stella.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1975, "The Rocky Horror Show" opened at the Belasco Theatre.

Stephen Sondheim Reveals He's Fully Vaccinated Against Covid During "Assassins" Reunion:

Dr. Fauci Says He Wants to See HAMILTON Again Post-Pandemic:

Where Is Hollywood When Broadway Needs It?

Has Broadway ever done anything for Hollywood, except disparage & make fun of it?

The more I see of the original London Into the Woods the more questions I have. In this clip, mainly about who did the hair.

Also, the rake of that stage looks like it's just begging to end a career or two.

Am I being obtuse?

In that damning NY Times article by Laura Collins-Hughes, what does she expect billionaire Broadway producers (Scott Rudin, Daryl Roth, et. al.) and former Broadway actors who are now movie stars (Meryl, Glenn, Hugh, ??) to do to help save NY theatre during Covid times? I mean, other than donating money somewhere.....

I believe she uses ALW as an example of someone who has stepped up for the London Theatre, but what has he really accomplished there during the crisis?

R554 Lloyd Webber was constantly popping up on the news over here pushing the government not to forget about theatres, and pushing for a plan to reopen. Some of it was massively dishonest - for example, he mentioned how South Korean theatres were reopening and using some kind of anti-bacterial misting treatment, whilst skipping the fact SK has a highly impressive test and trace capability, which the UK does not.

As for what he's achieved (beyond 'awareness') - well that's hard to say. Would the UK government had provided the financial support (which came along with a requirement to publicly thank the government for it) it is without someone like ALW lobbying for it? Hard to say, but given the chumocratic way in which the current government works, I probably would give him some credit, though of course it's self-serving on his part.

Of course, if the government had ordered venues to close, rather than just setting the kind of conditions where they were forced to close themselves, they would've gotten insurance payouts and wouldn't be so reliant on government support.

I do think have a couple of figureheads to go out there and represent Broadway in the media and to lobby in Washington wouldn't be a bad thing. Though, like with ALW, I can't quantify how much it would help, I'm sure it would and it certainly wouldn't hurt.

R536, John Simon didn’t refer to Ball as the Pillsbury Doughboy for nothing. When he removed his shirt in Aspects of Love me and my fellow queens in the audience gasped. Besides his pasty white flab he had manboobs! I remember thinking for chrissakes couldn’t he have hit the gym in London before coming to NY instead of the nearest Greggs for sausage rolls?

In that Sweeney clip, Ball looks like he ate every one of the Chrissy Metz pies Lovett had in stock.

Loved Michael Ball in ASPECTS, but the shirtless scene did him no favors. Among the Broadway chorus boys at the time, he was referred to as Butter Ball.

This pandemic has made me realize that I’m just fine not going to tons of theatre (so much of it being crap anyway).

Me too and I work on the business and have to go

I think by the time everyone feels safe, most people will have realized they can happily do without mediocre expensive theater.

Moulin Rouge, I'm looking at you!

These are the only semi-shirtless pics of Michael Ball in Aspects that I could find. He doesn’t look fat at all.

[quote]These are the only semi-shirtless pics of Michael Ball in Aspects that I could find. He doesn’t look fat at all.

Well, there's fat, and then there's DL fat.

. And then there is Michael Ball fat.

And then there's Chow Yun Fat

There you go trying to sell your meat again r565.

Here's a doozy from Simon's review of THE ACT:

"I always thought Miss Minnelli's face deserving—of first prize in the beagle category. Less aphoristically speaking, it is a face going of in three directions simultaneously; the nose always en route to becoming a trunk, blubber lips unable to resist the pull of gravity, and a chin trying its damnedest to withdraw into the neck, apparently to avoid responsibility for what goes on above it. It is, like any face, one that could be redeemed by genuine talent, but Miss Minnelli has only brashness, pathos, and energy."

Charm boy.

Did John Simon not own a mirror?

UGH. That's just ugly, R567. And I am NOT referring to Liza's face. Yeah, there's a difference between a delicious biting pan and unnecessarily vicious attacks on actor's looks.

John Simon seemed like such a miserable man.

Another of his, as reported by Carrie Nye:

[quote]Homosexuals in the theater! I can't wait until AIDS gets all of them!

Of course there'd be DLers to celebrate someone like that

The only contribution ALW has made during the pandemic is to finally reveal to the rest of the world his blind narcissism and limitless ego. He accomplished nothing of substance, made a lot of foolish statements that were void of any real scientific knowledge, and did it all to save and plug his truly miserable Cinderella musical. (Remember "Andrew Lloyd Webber's WIZARD OF OZ"?). Anyone who has worked with him or his "company" -- an insane revolving door of yes men -- knows that he's one of those types who everyone has given up on trying to give guidance, help or a reasonable counter opinion. Every stupid idea he has is fully embraced, and he looks more delusional as they pile up. His need for public attention and a spotlight during all this has been sad to watch. And while, I'm ranting, how do I get my money back on "Steven Ward"?

So this thread sent me down another inevitable Wikipedia rabbit hole. This time on ALW. It was interesting to read that in 1971, MCA was investigating and shutting down dozens of unauthorized productions of Jesus Christ Superstar across North America. And, from the description, this wasn't just a case of rogue community theatres. These must have been large, professional (but, somehow, unauthorized) productions because the Wiki article includes productions at the Las Vegas Hilton as well as one with the Detroit Symphony!

Okay, forgive the double-post, but there are more Wikipedia goodies. Apparently, Shostakovich attended the original West End production of Jesus Christ Superstar and praised the composition and the orchestrations -- especially the seamless blending of traditional rock band and orchestra. I have to agree with Dimitri on that last part. The original 70s productions (and film) are the only ones that get the Superstar 'sound' right. Later productions sounds so.... tinny and soulless. It really needs that authentic 70s rock sound to work.

Also, Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA starred as Mary in the Swedish premiere!

R571, thank you. ALW's response to the pandemic has definitely demonstrated and clarified once and for all that he is a horrid, despicable POS. Absolutely shocking that this Laura Collins-Hughes person at The New York Times recently hailed him as a "leader" among theatrical giants during the pandemic.

ALW's a Tory. What would you expect?

LCT is streaming the original production of VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE on 3/18.... for free!

R576, Covid has shown me how I hate watching theatre on my computer screen

R576, It seems to say you have to be an LCT member

[quote]It seems to say you have to be an LCT member

I think it's saying you have to be a subscriber to Broadway on Demand.

It says neither.

March 12, 2020: The Night the City Sighed to Sleep:

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1959, "A Raisin in the Sun" opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

Liza Minnelli’s 75th Birthday Party Will "Give You Goosebumps," Producer Promises:

[quote]It seems to say you have to be an LCT member

It's free but you have to register on the LCT website (through Broadway on Demand), presumably to expand its mailing list.

r583, they lost me at Frank DiLella.

ALW has made a documentary about his "success" opening theatres...

[quote]It's free but you have to register on the LCT website (through Broadway on Demand)

The website linked at R576 gives 3 options when registering: LCT Member, LincTix Member, and LCT Patron. The 4th option is N/A -- which returns a message saying you can't actually choose N/A.

Do we think any other shows are going to announce they've closed or is that it? I can't see any reason why they'd hold out on announcing closure, and surely casts and crew need to be given enough time to prep for auditions for new shows if their previous show has closed?

Is there an official (or even unofficial) list of shows that were open or about to open a year ago which states which are definitely not returning?

I’m deeply touched that many of you chose to ignore those bitches who cast aspersions against the title I chose for this thread. And now, as it’s approaching the magic moment, I’m so proud and delighted to declare...

BAJOUR, BITCHES!

R589 Mean Girls, Frozen, Hangmen and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. I suppose you could technically include Beetlejuice in that list (though I do wonder if they might try again at finding another theatre).

[quote] I’m deeply touched that many of you chose to ignore those bitches who cast aspersions against the title I chose for this thread. And now, as it’s approaching the magic moment, I’m so proud and delighted to declare...

OP, you suck donkey dick. Anyone who didn't comment was simply too embarrassed for you.

Did Mrs. Doubtfire throw the tea towel in? Or do they expect to reopen?

What about West Side Story?

Since Diana was filmed by Netflix I guess It won't reopen?

Will Chicago just stay closed? There sure won't be many foreign tourists around.

Looked up the quote cute and talented Tobias in the Sweeney doc at r483. Michael Staniforth. Seems has was a children’s show celebrity. Died young of AIDS

quite cute not quite cute

"Whoop-Up!"

R593 At the time the Netflix deal was announced they said they still planned to open, but who knows.

Chicago is an interesting one, as I've heard people say the theatre is in a terrible state and the only reason Chicago still runs is because the Weisslers get a great deal, because Shubert know they're gonna have to spend a lot of money once Chicago closes. More than a year without use can't have helped the condition of the Ambassador all that much. Assuming that's all true, of course.

Better start a new thread, people!

I still can’t dance, people’s!

Or use apostrophes correctly.