THEATRE GOSSIP #530: A Fanny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.....

EDITION!!!

I heard a very fun rumor, many years ago, that straight Adam liked to give blowjobs to men at Yale. I mean, he said he enjoyed the experience. ;)

He was always very attractive, the best looking of our composers.

Adam is a total, compulsive pussy hound. (and drug addict)

Sorry.

yes he is. and he likes to give blowjobs to men.

Adam also got into trouble a while back on Twitter supporting Brett K. during the Supreme Court confirmation.

I’m surprised nobody talks about that more

I know Funny Girl is scheduled to close after the summer, but if they were to continue the run, is there ANYONE you can think of who could replace Lea and who would have at least some of that star power / draw? But, also, someone realistic. Lady Gaga is not going to be the third Fanny Brice on Broadway.

Kathie Lee?

New York, New York released a first listen to the original demo of the song 'New York, New York' recorded by John Kander and Fred Ebb:

R6, Laura Osnes in a dramatic Broadway comeback.

That nobody asked for, R9.

More like: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Roundabout....

With Sheldon H's passing, I went down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. I'm assuming some on here saw the 2004-06 revival of Fidler. How was it?

I was surprised to see Alfred Molina was cast as Tevye and that Rosie O'Friggin Donnell was a replacement Golde. And Barbara Barrie, Sheldon's sister-in-law, was fired during previews. Ouch! I feel like that... decidedly un-Jewish casting probably wouldn't happen today.

Julie Benko bootleg also feature the hot bearish Nicky standby. They're both great.

she's great, but I was surprised to find that Lea lived up to the hype and had a magnetism that Julie didn't quite have.

At least Julie seems to. be making the role her own, not doing a Streisand imitation.

To the poster who asked about David Turner's wealth, I think it comes from his family's business—pharmaceuticals??

R4 Sure, Jan. 🙄

R2 'I heard a fun rumor..." is the DL equivalent of Fox News' "Some people say..."

It usually means it's followed by unsubstantiated bullshit.

Julie Benko, lovely, is a competent Broadway performer.

Lea Michele, a bitch, is a star.

That’s the difference

West Side Story at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Music direction sounds plodding. And, apparently, Anita is a dyke in this production?

That wallpaper sure is busy!

Alfred Molina's If I Were a Rich man was hilariously bad. The set looked like a Checkhov play and it was, frankly, very...goyishe.

I saw Harvey and Andrea. Harvey was an enjoyable Tevye, if not one for the ages. I went backstage to wait for a friend and Andrea walked by me in her mink. I was struck how beautiful she was.

I saw the Molina production of Fiddler, only not with Molina, but with Harvey Fierstein who was surprisingly terrific. I am trying to remember who his Golde was. It definitely was not Rosie O'Donnell because I would never go see her in anything after suffering through her as Rizzo in Grease. I want to say it was Andrea Martin, but it also may have been an understudy.

I thought the production was quite good, but it was also the first time I'd ever seen Fiddler so I had nothing to compare it to. However, the show never screamed out to me as something I would inherently enjoy, so it must have been a decent enough production as they go. I remember over a decade later trying to watch the movie and turning it off, Topol was so fucking hammy.

[quote]The set looked like a Checkhov play

It was pretty cold and sterile.

I dunno. I think Harvey took too many liberties with Tevye.

Jonathan Banks IS Yevgeny Prigozhin!

All the Lyric Opera "musicals" come off as stiff and inhuman. They don't know what they're doing.

Lea out for both shows today.

The show sometimes goes on, if I feel like it.

Is that Broadway revival of CHESS with Lea a confirmed thing or is it still just an unsubstantiated rumor based on her Insta musings?

R31, I have no idea, but one thing I can guarantee is that if there is a Broadway revival of CHESS, Darren Criss will NOT be playing the American chess champ, as that concert performance proved he DOES NOT have the voice for the role.

R24, so you think Topol was "hammy" as Tevye in the FIDDLER movie, but you thought Fierstein was terrific in the role? Okay......

[quote]And, apparently, Anita is a dyke in this production?

Not surprising if you consider who directed that WSS :-)

Seems like Lea had a very good track record of attendance at FUNNY GIRL for the first few months, until she became fully confident that she was a big hit in the show and her "cancellation" had been pretty much forgotten. And then she started to call out more frequently.

I don't know if she's sick, but if she is (even if it's not Covid), this doesn't seem like the kind of role you can (or should) fight your way through. It's just non-stop. And you can't really fake songs like Parade when you've got a bad cold or flu or whatever. I know there's an old school mentality of never missing a show, no matter what, but shit happens.

Or maybe she's a cunt. I don't know her.

Two things can be true. Lea can be both the cuntiest cunt who ever cunted, and also doing her best with attendance

That's another reason why Julie has been such a blessing to this production. She's gotten so much positive publicity and word of mouth I can imagine audience members sticking around when they find out Lea is MIA. They know they're in good hands.

What about J. Harrison Ghee as Fanny? And Alex Newell as Nick?

That WSS clip from the Lyric is utter shite.

So, Prima Facie recouped. Introducing the latest fad on Broadway. Bring a star in, in a questionable vehicle for a limited run, charge exorbitant prices for shitty seats, knowing their fans will flock to the theatre, close the show at a profit, then move on to the next moneymaking scheme. They'll close Sweeney Todd in January, they'll charge obscene prices for a 2 man musical, with Josh and Andrew, that was really funny off-off Broadway, but will cost 10 times the price it was back at Second Stage uptown, then close at a profit in January. Fuck these greedy assholes. Guttenberg will flop. Next up, $250 seats for Days Of Wine And Roses for a limited run with Kelli and Brian.

R41, Atlantic already was pretty close to that off Broadway. My $162 tickets would have been $250 if they included a signed Playbill. I’ve been going to Broadway for 20 years and I can’t even tell someone what to expect to pay for tickets. Phantom closed with a top ticket at $999!

[quote] so you think Topol was "hammy" as Tevye in the FIDDLER movie, but you thought Fierstein was terrific in the role? Okay......

I totally understand your skepticism, but Harvey was actually quite restrained in the role the night I saw him, meaning he was Tevye hammy, not Harvey hammy, and it worked. And I saw Topol in the FILM version of Fiddler, not the stage version. And yes, he was super fucking hammy for film. I may have felt differently if I saw the same performance onstage but for me, it didn't work on film. He's chewing the scenery and talking to the camera, yet everything around him looks and feels super realistic. It didn't mesh for me.

[quote]He's chewing the scenery and talking to the camera, yet everything around him looks and feels super realistic. It didn't mesh for me.

Put the blame on Jewison.

[quote]Put the blame on Jewison.

I put the blame on Lucy Mame.

Resisted seeing Sidney Brustein but decided i wanted to see Miriam Silverman. So $50 got me 7th row Center. But Silverman wasn't in it. Her replacement was just ok,but you could see how the role stopped the show with a better actress.

Was it the role that Alice Ghostley won her Tony for, r46?

[quote]They'll close Sweeney Todd in January, they'll charge obscene prices for a 2 man musical, with Josh and Andrew, that was really funny off-off Broadway, but will cost 10 times the price it was back at Second Stage uptown, then close at a profit in January. Fuck these greedy assholes. Guttenberg will flop.

You seem to be contradicting yourself just a tiny bit.....

[quote]I saw Topol in the FILM version of Fiddler, not the stage version. And yes, he was super fucking hammy for film.

Sorry, I just don't see it. I don't love Topol's performance in the film, but I would never describe it as "hammy." If anything, I would say parts of it are maybe a bit too slow and restrained. One can only imagine how you would have reacted to Zero Mostel's performance if he had done the film.

R47. Yes.

And Frances Sternhagen was nominated on the same role.

Ghee and Borle both out of SLIH tonite.

Frances & Hal '72

Sex in the City with Barney Miller! The mind reels…

[quote] He's chewing the scenery and talking to the camera

R43 That sounds like how George Burns would have played Tevye in a TV version.

How have I lived so long and yet never seen this before?

r55 - have you seen the Barbara Cook tribute at the Kennedy Center Honors. I've never gotten the adoration for Cook. She's so bland, but the tribute they did for her was fabulous.

The waspy Fiddler of 2003 *was*not*good.* And it was worse with Harvey (yes, I saw him and Andrea Martin, having seen Alfred Molina and Randy Graff).

So, did Harvey play Tevye long enough that Andrea Martin left and was replaced by Rosie O'Donnell as Golde?

[quote]I've never gotten the adoration for Cook.

Which Broadway sopranos do you like, r56?

R58 - yes, Harvey did it for the full second year of the run.

r58 - Yes.

Cook was one of the most authentic, direct, and honest performers I have ever seen. Her voice was something unique, but her commitment to emotional truth distinguished her from all the others. If only such blandness were more common.

[quote]have you seen the Barbara Cook tribute at the Kennedy Center Honors. I've never gotten the adoration for Cook.

Your loss.

Well said, and she was also a lovely, generous human being.

Are Barbara Cook and Kelli O’Hara comparable?

AlKelli's had a more consistent Broadway career. I don't think she'll attain legendary status like Barbara did, but Cook was Golden age and they are *all* legends.

Cook’s talents were more clear in her solo career, after she had gained some painful life experiences. She was very good in roles. But if I could choose between seeing her Amalia or her Sondheim show, there’s no question that I would choose the Sondheim.

O’Hara shows a lot of the same strengths, but usually when inhabiting a role. I laughed at her casting in Bridges, but her opening number was a direct line to the heart. And when she sang Almost Real, which is similar musically, she shattered that direct line into a million pieces.

I can’t speak to her Anna, as I only saw the broadcast. She was out not once but twice when I tried to see her!

Also, Cook kept most of her voice for a very long time. Patti's has held up well.

R56 Yes, I have seen that.....it's my favorite KCH ever, of course. But I am inclined to agree with you re Ms. Cook herself.

PS But I also agree with

[quote] Cook’s talents were more clear in her solo career, after she had gained some painful life experiences.

The only singer/actress that came close to Cook was Rebecca Luker. Marin Mazzie was close.

FUCK THE CRITICS! Saw "The Doctor" tonight. Riveting, extraordinary experience.

I saw the doctor last week. He ordered tests.

[quote]I've never gotten the adoration for Cook. She's so bland, but the tribute they did for her was fabulous.

You must be one of those fools who describe EVERY musical theater soprano as "bland." Anyone who has heard Barbara Cook's recordings of "Glitter and Be Gay," "Dear Friend," and "Goodnight, My Someone" (to name only three) and would describe her as "bland" is a true idiot and beneath contempt.

Did anyone like Miss Saigon? I was in middle school when I discovered the cast recording and I think I was a freshman in high school when I saw the national tour (either in LA or Orange County) in the mid/late 90s. I'd recently seen Les Mis and while I think Les Mis may have a slightly stronger score, I found Miss Saigon infinitely more engaging in the theatre. And, no, not just because of the infamous helicopter. Les Mis tried to cram way too much of that massive novel into one night's entertainment. It was so ovestuffed that it just felt like one was going through a checklist. Miss Saigon, by contrast, felt so much more focused. It helped to have a very strong actress as Kim. I wish I could remember who played Kim in the tour when I saw her, but she was fantastic.

I'll take Miss Saigon over Les Miz any day.

Yes it's BAD that show's succeed and return a bit to their investors. It's BAD! It's BAD!

The Light in the Piazza at Encores is a triumph. I didn't expect it to be as great as it was, what a delight.

[quote]I'd recently seen Les Mis and while I think Les Mis may have a slightly stronger score, I found Miss Saigon infinitely more engaging in the theatre.

IMHO, the score of MISS SAIGON is near total garbage, whereas LES MIS at least has four or five great songs.

I certainly appreciated Barbara Cook more after I heard Sutton Foster bray her way through The Music Man.

Do you think it could transfer to Broadway, R78? I think Ruthie could be a big draw if they advertise correctly.

Ruthie could be a big draw based on what?

Interpretive dance, Rose

Maybe Ruthie can draw the pony that kicked her daughter in the head.

Milky White to play The Pony.

King Kong for Fabrizio

[quote]Do you think it could transfer to Broadway, R78?

Your guess is as good as mine, but I hope they find a way to at least record it. I wanna listen to Ruthie and the girl who played Clara sing those songs again.

Wait. Aren't there rumbling about a possible Floyd Collins at LCT and a Day of Wine & Roses transfer, too? That feels like too much Adam G for one season.

Those chorus kids at r89 were probably no more than 25 years old!

And they said I looked too old in PICNIC?!

Yea, but those nips look 18!🥵

[quote]Ruthie could be a big draw based on what?

Her massive, pendulous honkers.

[quote]Do you think it could transfer to Broadway, [R78]?

[quote]Your guess is as good as mine,

Exactly. R81 must be one of those individuals who ALWAYS asks this question at the Encores! talkbacks.

Creepy seeing Bill Cosby cozying up to the Clintons in that K&E Tribute clip.

He was an honoree…they all sit next to the President’s box… blame the Kennedy Center.

I was at the matinee of "Light In The Piazza' yesterday, and Ruthie was a force of nature. Blew the roof off the joint. However, I saw "Sweeney Todd" last week and there was nothing in her understudy's performance that convinced me, though the Beggar Woman is a significant character in Act 2, anyone could have been nominated for a Tony for that role, even Ruthie. Fuck, Glennie could play it and not get nominated.

r96 - I found Ruthie's Sweeney nomination odd as well.

It was nice of J. Harrison to show up to sing in Times Square yesterday, considering he hasn't bothered to show up for most of his performances since the Tony Awards. Just like Audra in Ragtime, and Patti in Company. Fuck these useless, unprofessional divas.

I AM NON-BINARY! Rules do not apply to moi.

Wicked released their July schedule on IG over the weekend. Apparently they are doing 14 shows in a row and the woke mob is not having it. One Chicken Little screeched out, "The injuries this will cause will go on for months and months!"

When did working 3 1/2 hours a day for half the week and 7 hours 2-3 times a week (with a long break in between) all of a sudden become worse than being on a chain gang? Yeah, 14 shows in a row is a little grueling, but you're being paid handsomely and maybe think back to the time you used to waitress for 12 hours shifts for shit pay. People live to whine about shit. That being said, most of the whiners aren't even Broadway actors. They're just constantly in search of something to be outraged about.

As to Ruthie's Tony nom, the Tony nominators are 35 or so individuals, some with a tenuous connection to Broadway perhaps, but not a bloc in any sense of the word. The nominators don't even discuss the possible nominees before they vote. There's no discussion, no campaigning amongst themselves. So, I guess enough of them simply felt she was deserving.

Who do you naysayers think should have gotten Ruthie's nom instead?

But, "deserving", why?

No one deserved a fucking thing this season, so who cares if Ruthie got a nomination.

A silly exaggeration, R103. There was strong work in musical revivals and in new and revival plays this season. New musicals were dreadful, yes.

What’s really silly is an understudy and then seeing the main performer in another role, and deciding the main performer didn’t deserve an award for a performance r96 didn’t even see. I

She gave a good performance and has given other excellent performances. I wouldn’t have nominated her for this performance alone (which I saw), but it was a more truthful performance than the one that won. There was a lot of buzz about her performance, and Merle Louise won a Drama Desk for the role in the original. Which I didn’t see, but I may as well extrapolate!

While we're on the subject of Ruthie—I saw Here Lies Love this past week, and I think she was a key ingredient as to why it worked so well at The Public.

Does it suck in other words?

I have no idea about Ruthie in Sweeney, but there's no question that she walked away with King and I in a supporting role. But then, it was as if everything that happened in the show was seen through her character's eyes.

There seems to be very little buzz about HERE LIES LOVE. It's already on TDF (where they cannot assure you if you'll be sitting or standing!) and at the TKTS booth

Can you imagine if after all the millions they've spent, no one wants to see it?

Everyone is part time these days.

You would be hard pressed to find someone who does 8 shows a week for an extended period of time.

[quote]I found Ruthie's Sweeney nomination odd as well.

I think she did, too, judging from the expression on her face when the camera focused on her as the Tony nominees in her category were announced. I read her expression as, "I'm as surprised as anyone that I was nominated for this part."

Ruthie clearly has had a triumph with The Light in the Piazza. Will it move?

I got an email from The Public hawking tickets for "Here Lies Love." It's tough to open a show in June.

Behind a paywall, but there's a quite good article in the LA Times about the closure of the Taper.

Key excerpt:

…“Taper shows lose the most money,” Pressman said in an interview with The Times. “That’s always been true. But right now they’re costing us twice as much as they would have before. And the Ahmanson is bringing in less than half of what it did. Donations are down. Ultimately, we just can’t afford to continue to lose a million dollars a show at the Taper. We had to pause.”…

It’s a pause, for now. 23-24 season cancelled.

R115 some of the comments are very interesting.

Aside from the usual "go woke go broke" jerks, there's some interesting comments that basically say - woke in and of itself can't be the sole draw, that a theater can tell a story like that but it also has to be a compelling, well assembled narrative.....which I think is a fair discussion point.

R116 yes, sorry, pause is what I meant to say. They apparently cancelled the whole next season, which was planned and programmed by the departing artistic team, to give the Taper time to fundraise and do a push campaign, and give the new AD a chance to program his own first season.

12ftLadder works for LATimes articles. Just paste the link and read the full article.

More

I'm going tol London next week. I have tickets for THE METHOD AND THE CUE and am considering OKLAHOMA! and CRAZY FOR YOU but also the new BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN musical (with Lucas Hedges!). Has anybody seen it? I know exactly what I'm getting with the other two but BROKEBACK seems a bit risky ... or is there something else in London I should try to see (that's available).

My understand is that BROKEBACK is not a musical, it's a play with music.

Just For Us’ Broadway Review: Comic Alex Edelman Stands Up To Bigots – And Gets The Last Laugh:

Did anyone see the original?

Did this version include a belly dancer and hot shirtless sailors?

Fuck that noise, r124.

Oooo, I hope the musical of Brokeback Mountain comes over here. Like, maybe at the James? And who will be casted in it? I hope they get good casting agents for it. I can’t wait to listen to the soundtrack when it gets dropped!

J. Harrison Ghee sucks.

[quote] And who will be casted in it?

It's CAST. Who will be cast in the role?

[quote]My understand is that BROKEBACK is not a musical, it's a play with music.

So--no freewheeling patio number?

[quote]I'm going tol London next week. I have tickets for THE METHOD AND THE CUE and am considering OKLAHOMA! and CRAZY FOR YOU but also the new BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN musical (with Lucas Hedges!). Has anybody seen it? I know exactly what I'm getting with the other two but BROKEBACK seems a bit risky ... or is there something else in London I should try to see (that's available).

What about "Guys and Dolls"?

R121, you MUST see GUYS & DOLLS!

Friends who saw Brokeback said it put them to sleep and Lucas Hedges and Mike Faist aren't sexy enough or butch enough for the gayness to be a surprise.

I am seeing "Brokeback M" on Thursday, I will report back. But yes, play with music.

[quote]and Mike Faist aren't sexy enough or butch enough for the gayness to be a surprise.

I can't imagine that particular plot point being a surprise to anyone anymore.

My question is why those two actors were cast?

Neither one ooze sexuality and neither one read as homosexual or heterosexual really.

I feel like both groups of fans lose because they aren’t out, gay men, but then they also aren’t heartthrobs for girls either.

Charles McNulty remains clueless. This is the man who gave "Almost Famous" a rave, and "Diana" a pass, both of which were total Broadway turds. Reading that interview with the CTG leaders, he's smug and thinks he has insights and answers they don't. And he has a Ph.D in criticism? Are fucking kidding me? What is that supposed to be?

Oh r129 you poor thing

If you hate McNulty, this was a classic. Glenda Jackson made mincemeat out of him.

The encounter seems far from "disastrous." She was honest, direct, and a bit cranky. Misleading headline at best.

“Play with music.” Is that like INDECENT, or is more music implied?

Or is it like my show queen friend said patronizingly to me about that Danner-Williams-etc. FOLLIES, “Sondheim cast actors, not singers.”

[quote]Lucas Hedges and Mike Faist aren't sexy enough or butch enough for the gayness to be a surprise.

[quote]I can't imagine that particular plot point being a surprise to anyone anymore.

That's not the point, R135. Even if you know the plot, the story wouldn't work if either or both of the guys seems anything less than 100 percent straight before they get together.

I worked with McNulty when he was at The Public. He was a joke there too...

R128 how else do you think he gets parts?

r100- Depending on the role you have, those 3 hours can be extremely taxing on the voice and body. And you're not just working those 3 hours. Your entire day is built around being ready for those 3 hours. And Broadway actors (unless you're a star) are not paid handsomely. At an upscale restaurant, you can make more waiting tables.

LOL R127! Well done. A perfect post.

R129- You must be new here.

Yes, since you complained about "casted" but not about "soundtrack" I'm afraid we'll have to take away your posting privileges.

McNulty is indeed a feckless idiot.

Tina “Woke” Landau directed that piece of shit Transparent musical at the Taper, which got the worst reviews of all time. Talk about out with a whimper…

oy vey

It's not black enough, it's too black

Jesus Christ, what a gob on her! I thought it was Venom.

Clearly Kim isn't interested in working in the industry ever again.

so in trying to avoid or correct the implications of an all black workers chorus, they swapped out some black performers for white. who knows what triggered that awareness. Oh, just noticed all the workers are black, that's not what we meant to say and it offends black people but we also can't fix it because then we're discriminating. should they have [italic] added [/italic] two white workers? what were they supposed to do?

Adding two white workers makes more sense if that’s truly the issue. Seems like this solved, though, by examining her contract.

[quote]That's not the point, R135. Even if you know the plot, the story wouldn't work if either or both of the guys seems anything less than 100 percent straight before they get together.

Obviously. Perhaps "surprise" wasn't the word you were looking for.

[quote]The complaint next alleges that director Rachel Chavkin got involved, “indicat[ing] to her staff that she had hired a white woman to replace Moore because she sought to avoid an all-black Workers Chorus.” It also alleges another actor, Khaila Wilcoxon, was excluded from performing in the Workers Chorus for that same reason.

Poor Rachel Chavkin. She seems to always get in the middle of these Broadway race wars. Remember the NATASHA, PIERRE debacle?

Anyway, it should be noted that the Workers Chorus was not initially all black. One of the original members of the chorus was Timothy Hughes, who as far as I know is not black, although I suppose it's possible that he has some black blood in him.

Reports are good from last night's Transport Group benefit concert of NINE, but does anyone else feel, like me, that it's very weird for the artistic director of a theater company to keep producing "benefits" for that company when it barely seems to exist anymore? )They produced a total of two shows last year, one of which was a one-man show, and the other was a co-production with another theater company.)

"Poor Rachel Chavkin."

Really, R156?

Rachel Chavkin, is hardly poor. She is extremely wealthy and about a decade ago announced to a number of people that she was no longer going to feel guilty about her wealth.

She is one of the many trust fund directors who were able to develop their skills because they could subsidize their own careers.

Don’t be an insufferable pedant r158. You know damn well r156 meant poor not [italic] poor [/italic] .

Thanks, R159. I do think it's highly unfortunate that Rachel Chavkin has somehow become involved in charges of racism on THREE different shows, even though the shows she has helmed have been some of the most ethnically diverse ever and certainly have included LOTS of black people.

First full week for Here Lies Love brought in $515,690 at 83% capacity with an average ticket price of $106.05. Hopefully for them, there's nowhere to go but up!

Sorry, it brought in $642,151.

I hate to say it but when you do a Broadway show with an ethnically diverse cast, it does seem to inevitably lead to unrest and scandal. There are suddenly "unwritten rules" that come into question.

R159, I think you missed the point. It was probably too subtle.

Rachel Chavkin is very wealthy and has no trouble flaunting her privilege. That is why she keeps stepping in it.

Her shows usually have diverse casts, but she is so out of touch and insensitive that people still feel like shit working with her.

Right, 163, And since virtually every Broadway show must now have an ethnically diverse cast -- except shows like PRIMA FACIE -- there's a whole lotta unrest going on. Very sad.

R156-If Hughes has black blood in him, it's by infusion.

Who is Bernadette dating? David Korins? Was listening to an interview with Carol and she briefly touched upon the night she was presented the Sondheim award and described being at her table with her husband, plus some other guests including "Bernadette and her beau."

Was just reading the Hamilton Original Cast Recording has been certified Diamond for 10 million equivalent album sales? That's wild.

R163 and R165 go woke, go broke.

When will Broadway ever learn?

Oh, for heaven's sake, R169, why not just say, "Those troublesome negroes!" and get it over with?

[quote] Was just reading the Hamilton Original Cast Recording has been certified Diamond for 10 million equivalent album sales? That's wild.

Maybe 1/40 of those were actual sales.

R164 God, that is the stupidest post for awhile. Money equals racist. Black performers need some type of special treatment.

Broadway Box Office Continues Summer Climb: Attendance Up Nearly 20% Over Last June:

Broadway stars came together for Broadway Bares 2023 "Pleasure Park":

In the Glenda Jackson interview, I don't understand what she means by "the riff weren't actively dug out" in the following quote:

I followed up by asking how she got on with Deborah Warner. “We strongly disagreed about things,” Jackson said. “I still feel that there were parts of the play [King Lear] where the riff weren’t actively dug out, but there you go.”

I think she means they disagreed and there were parts of the production where that disagreement remained unresolved (and perhaps lacking in clarity).

So I was looking at photos of this new "lesbian" adaptation of DIAL M FOR MURDER at Bay Street Theater with Mamie Gummer and Erich Bergen, on Broadwayworld.com, yet Erich doesn't appear in any of the photos. What's up with that? This new adaptation seems to happening at several regional theaters.

Plus, every sale of a physical copy of Hamilton counts twice since it's a double album.

What are the new musicals this season?: Harmony, The Notebook, and....?

Back to the Future & Here Lies Love

[quote] “I still feel that there were parts of the play [King Lear] where the riff weren’t actively dug out, but there you go.”

So maybe she said "rift" but McNulty misheard her and transcribed it as "riff," or maybe it was a typo or an editing error?

Saw "Back to the Future" in London. It's about a car...

I thought it was about 2 1/2 hours.

Any news on The Who's Tommy in Chicago?

Erich Bergen is a lesbian? Who knew?

[quote]Any news on The Who's Tommy in Chicago?

He's a Roxie for the ages.

You can probably bet on Wine and Roses coming in via some deluded. producers.

[quote]You can probably bet on Wine and Roses coming in via some deluded. producers.

As others have said, it would make perfect sense for a limited Broadway run as part of the season at one of the institutional theaters with a subscriber base. Under those circumstances, it might at least recoup and, of course, the show and everyone involved in it would be eligible for Tony Awards. Obviously, those theaters have to present a certain number of shows anyway, and DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES is ready to go and is not a particularly large or lavish show, plus it already has a buzz about it and two name performers in the leads.

SUFFS will be on Broadway in the Spring. Revised and shorter.

SUFFS was awful.

SUFFS was in SUFFerable.

Days of Wine and Roses must open on Broadway in the late spring. Otherwise it will hemorrhage money until the Tonys or simply close in the dead of winter long before the Tonys.

To each his own. I loved it.

If Floyd Collins played the Beaumont, would it be considered a new musical?

Also, isn't that hack Mayer bringing his musical Cast Away to Broadway after D.C.?

[quote] If Floyd Collins played the Beaumont, would it be considered a new musical?

It shouldn't, since the Tony committee decided a while back to change the rule to make it a NY premiere, not a Broadway premiere. Yet just this last season they allowed Between Riverside & Crazy to compete for Best Play instead of Best Play revival, even though it had been produced twice Off-Broadway in 2014 and 2015 at prominent Off-broadway venues.

[quote]Days of Wine and Roses must open on Broadway in the late spring. Otherwise it will hemorrhage money until the Tonys or simply close in the dead of winter long before the Tonys.

That might happen if it opened as a commercial production on Broadway, but again, not if it were presented as part of the season by the Roundabout, MTC, Lincoln Center, or Second Stage. A friend of mine thought of an entirely plausible scenario: Since CAMELOT has set a closing date for September, LCT could put DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES into the Beaumont for a limited run before they mount FLOYD COLLINS at the same theater, so that would be two Guettels back to back.

Kimberly Akimbo will probably close in January, so Days Of Wine and Roses could move into the Booth by March and then close the week after the Tonys.

How about Light In The Piazza at the Longacre for 16 weeks?

[quote]two Guettels back to back

Pics please.

Here's the problem with Suffs -- Taub doesn't have enough writing experience and show experience under her belt to write the sophisticated needs of SUFFs. You can say what you want about Miranda, but by the time he wrote HAMILTON, he had learned the lessons you need to learn. Taub has written some fun songs; but the score needed for this show is beyond her reach at this point. She should put it in the drawer and move on.

[quote] How about Light In The Piazza at the Longacre for 16 weeks?

How about the two shows in rep?

Dial M for Mamie

When. did any. show starring Kelli O'Hara or Brian. D'Arcy James become a box office draw because of their. names?

Days of Wine and Roses would be swallowed by the Beaumont. It’s two people singing. However, if they really feel the need to prove the lack of artistic and commercial appeal, the best move would be a subscription based run in the Mitzi Newhouse. It might feel like a hit before it transferred to empty Broadway houses.

Unlikely, since Lincoln Ctr Theater chose not to produce it in the first place!

[quote]Days of Wine and Roses would be swallowed by the Beaumont. It’s two people singing. However, if they really feel the need to prove the lack of artistic and commercial appeal, the best move would be a subscription based run in the Mitzi Newhouse. It might feel like a hit before it transferred to empty Broadway houses.

Transferring to the Newhouse would make no sense because the show would still not be eligible for Tony Awards, and that would presumably be a major factor in any transfer. I don't think the show would necessarily be "swallowed up" in the Beaumont as long as it was well directed with everything important played downstage. And although the show is mostly those two characters singing, with a little bit of singing also from their daughter, there is an ensemble of six other actors playing various parts.

All of that said, if it's true that LCT chose not to produce DAYS in the first place -- which I did not know -- then I suppose none of this is going to happen.

Suffs is going to bomb worse than the revival of 1776.

Is that really true about LCT passing on a new Guettel show after all these years of waiting for him to write one??

I find that hard to believe, especially as it would have been perfect programming for the Newhouse (which IMHO is in desperate need for some decent programming). If so, Andre, hang it up now.

That new musical that Hackel Mayer is directing is called Swept Away, not Cast Away.

Where is Erich Bergen in those photos at r201? Or is that him with ****SPOILER ALERT**** heavy prosthetics and a cap strangling Miss Mamie?

Mamie puts bums in seats!

[quote]Mamie puts bums in seats!

How rude. We call them "unhoused" now.

Oh, look. Someone else who never wants to work on Broadway again

Word has just come that CAMELOT is closing July 23, rather than in September as previously announced. So we'll see what's next at the Beaumont, and when. I can't imagine they'd open anything there in the middle of the summer, and I have no idea when they were planning on FLOYD COLLINS opening.

If Guettel. works at his usual pace and is. retinkering FC, an early fall opening doesn't seem likely.

r214, what makes you think Guettel hasn't been tinkering with Floyd Collins for the last 25 years?

Or is Erich Bergen actress “Rosa Gilmore”???

Oh r212 try to keep up

I guess not. Sorry Rosa

[quoteWord has just come that CAMELOT is closing July 23, rather than in September as previously announced.

I guess that's because it stinks.

Alex Edelman is so annoying.

Here's a link for "Camelot" closing:

That’s not Erich B strangling Mamie. He plays the husband, but Margot kills her attacker, the husband can”t be killed.

I’m glad Camelot bombed.

Into the Woods proved you can do a show with the score the same, the book the same, and just focus on a story well told, and be a success.

Not everything asks to be “reimagined” and “modernized” and “updated”

Watching Alex Edelman on Morning Joe right now. Never seen him before, he looks like he could be any age between 25 and 45. Kind of cute.

Is his new Broadway show JUST FOR US selling?

[quote]I’m glad Camelot bombed.

Me too, and I hopes it puts a stop to Aaron Sorking rewriting other people's famous works, but I fear the financial (not artistic) success of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD may get him a few more jobs of that sort.

Will they do a special matinee where Burnap and Donica perform in the nude?

"Here Lies Love" should maybe utilize the musicians they are now paying, because the prerecorded music sounds dull and flat in the Broadway.

[quote]Will they do a special matinee where Burnap and Donica perform in the nude?

Or will they at least do a special matinee in which Burnap and Donica perform together in the same show, which apparently has been happening less and less frequently lately? Sad how some people seem to lose interest in showing up when their Tony Award hopes are dashed.

R228-You mean like Neil Patrick Harris in "Assassins" after he wasn't nominated? He was out that same night the nominations were announced. And then made a habit of it. This shit has been going on for years.

I really hate that. No one has any loyalty or work ethic anymore. I understand that Covid is still a real thing and can take people out of a show for a week or so, but this kind of thing has been going on since well before Covid. With ticket prices in the ridiculous range, it's even more of an affront to audiences to call out of a show if you're a lead or largely featured. The only reason I would buy a ticket to see this production of Camelot would be to see Donica and Burnap and I would be furious if either or both were out.

I worked for a year on the LCT production of The Heiress with Cherry Jones. The woman played that role for nearly 11 months and never missed a performance. That is taking your craft (and your responsibility) seriously. I have never forgotten her work ethic and it's been something that has influenced my own. (No, I'm not an actor.)

-You mean like Neil Patrick Harris in "Assassins" after he wasn't nominated? He was out that same night the nominations were announced. And then made a habit of it. This shit has been going on for years.

Or like NPH's partner, David Burtka, who sunk even lower than that. Soon after he was largely ignored by the critics for his performance in IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU, and after the show was poorly reviewed in general, he literally quit in the middle of the run and presumably went back home to bake stuff, or whatever he mostly does there between attempts to continue his acting career.

Camelot, good riddance. And may it never come back again.

[quote]I’m glad Camelot bombed.

"Let's take a musical that has a wonderful score but a problematic book and make the book even worse by removing all of the fantasy elements and focusing instead on social justice,"

Camelot was never a good show. It was a beloved one because of its timing and the cultural moment that followed. The songs have been admired, but even the authors thought the whole thing was a mess. Enough, let's leave it to history and the occasional concert version. It's timed out.

So, apparently Kelli O'Hara is committed to returning to THE HOURS at the Met in the late spring. Which would mean she'd be unable to perform Days of Wine & Roses in the late spring on Broadway. Or would they hire another actress of name to fill in on Broadway for those few weeks Kelli would be gone?

Elena Shaddow is subbing for Kelli for a few upcoming performances so she would be a likely temporary replacement on Broadway.

She also did the original run of Bridges of Madison County in Williamstown while O’Hara was pregnant. She was decent, but Kelli gave one of the finest performances I’ve seen. If the writers had realized the obvious truth that the audience only cares about Robert and Francesca, they might have had more success.

I saw "Brokeback Mountain" in London. Faist was out and his us was fine. But what a dreck, boring play (with accidental music and one or two interpolated mini songs). It just drags and drags and drags. There is no spark, no action... They also have the old Enis Del Mar sleeping on a bed as we enter the theatre and he never leaves the stage, meandering around. The blocking is atrocious, and the acting is meh. Just watch the movie. DOA.

[quote]with accidental music

Such is the state of the theatre these days.

I just finished Harvey Fierstein’s very entertaining autobiography. Fascinating fact I never knew is when Harvey writes: “Still, I was haunted by the memories of Gene Barry, who owed the resurgence of his career to La Cage, but still refused to share a backstage elevator with the drag performers, fearing he’d contract AIDS.”

R239. incidental music, but accidental is a perfect mistake to describe that show.

What's with Eric Ulloa? It doesn't seem like he's actually done much yet he's speaking at the tdf anniversary, on the Playbill pride float . . .

Why do I have to hear so much about someone so irrelevant?

Ben Platt did every show of DEH during Tony voter season. That ended on a Thursday. He then missed every show that weekend. Friday, both Saturday shows, and Sunday’s matinee. The thousands of people who paid to see him were stuck with his understudy.

Ben Platt is an asshole and DESERVES Noah Galvin.

Accidental music or incidental music? What’s accidental music?

So a bunch of shows seem to be concerned, if not outright panicked about sales this weekend. They are having a flash sale, at least on TodayTix. at funny girl, Ramin, Jared, and Tovah are scheduled to be out. I’m thinking it’s not worth it even at a reduced price

Didn't Adam Guettel and Jim Caruso date years ago?

[quote] So a bunch of shows seem to be concerned, if not outright panicked about sales this weekend.

July 4th is always a bad weekend for theater. You can usually see any show at a discount (if not free with a papering service). People are now hyper-sensitive to theater's financial instability in general.

R244 it’s incidental to a shitty show

What about incidental music with lots of accidentals? Some transition music senselessly written in the key of F with lots of F#13 chords in it.

The entire score of the prom sounded accidental

R246-No, you're confusing him with Erich Bergen.

Every cow eats grass.

The Prom was ass.

Wow, I don't remember that from Harvey's book (though I have heard the story several times over the years and it's embellished).

I'm surprised you found a story from Harvey that didn't begin with, end and consist solely of Harvey.

[quote]The Prom was ass.

I like ass.

I liked DAYS OF WINE & ROSES at the Atlantic, particularly the two lead performances, and some of the score. Some lovely moments.

I cannot find any confirmation (or for that matter, speculation outside of DL) that the Atlantic Theatre (or anyone else) is moving the production to Bway. Not sure why some here are acting like this is a foregone conclusion. It's a difficult subject with an unresolved ending and not exactly a crowd-pleaser. Much as I admired it, it's not exactly box office.

R256, lots of shows with difficult subject matter and/or limited appeal have moved to Broadway for various reasons, including Tony Award eligibility. And as I've said repeatedly, DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES would make perfect sense for a limited run as part of the season for one of the institutional theaters with a subscription base, though I do agree it would seem to be unlikely for a commercial Broadway production outside of that sort of situation.

In other news, Mandy P continues to be less lovable and popular than he imagines himself to be....

Gideon Grody-Patinkin? Oy.

Now this is an ambitious project...

A Lana role for Kelli?

Will they make the Claudette/Lana character a pancake tycoon, per the original? Or a dubiously talented stage star, like the Sirk version?

The real lead is the African-American mother. This could be a dream role for a mature actress with a voice.

I'm sorry, Mama...

[quote]The real lead is the African-American mother. This could be a dream role for a mature actress with a voice.

It'll be Billy Porter.

Will it be Tonya Pinkins last rage of insanity before she retires?

Goodspeed presented a musical Imitation of life decades ago with Beth Fowler.

Jaqualine Kowabunga

Little Charlie Stemp is starring in "Crazy for You" in London, directed by Susan Stroman.

Looking at those photos of Crazy for You - why does it look too small for the stage and so underpopulated? Why do William Ivey Long's costumes look like the Ricky's Costume Store versions of his original designs, with such cheap-looking fabrics?

[quote]You can usually see any show at a discount (if not free with a papering service).

I've been thinking about joining a papering service again. Haven't been a part of one in years. I'm sure they're as hit-and-miss as ever but maybe summertime is a good time to get luckier than most.

R270 Do you have to pay to join? How do they work?

I just listened to seven different recordings of "The Music That Makes Me Dance." Was delighted to find versions from Mimi Hines, Judy Garland, Nancy Wilson, all just splendid. Marilyn Michaels ok until she pushes at the end. Johnny Mathis! (And Lea and Barbra).

I don't care if somebody thought it didn't "work" for the movie. It's a glorious song and they shoiuld have left it in.

Re: Papering Services

They are not worth it if you are only looking for Broadway tickets. Broadway shows are using them less and less. If you like a mix of off, off-off, music and dance with the occasional Broadway show, they are definitely worth it.

R272, one of the greatest songs, and much better than "My Man."

Is TOMMY (sorry, "THE WHO'S TOMMY") coming back to Broadway?

I remember the 90s original. Loved the music and the ensemble, but I didn't love the show. I sorta hate to ask, but do young theatregoers know/care about The Who? I know the insane 70s movie has a cult following, but is that enough?

I could maybe be persuaded to go see Tommy again if McAnuff was back at the helm (though I don't know what he could do to improve upon the original production), but it really is a show that was helped mightily by the production team and cast. I've seen a few productions of the show since Broadway and have always come away disappointed. I saw the original three times and thought it should have run much longer than it did.

Regarding "The Music That Makes Me Dance," I don't believe anyone honestly felt the song "didn't work" for the movie, I think they were just determined to get "My Man" in there, and there really was not room for both of them at the very end of the movie, which is the only slot where either of them would work. As I'm sure everyone knows, Jule Styne was VERY unhappy that "My Man" was interpolated for the movie (also "I'd Rather Be Blue" and "Second Hand Rose"), but he didn't have enough power to prevent it.

The huge problem with the original Broadway production of THE WHO'S TOMMY was that Pete Townshend rewrote the ending of the piece so that it made no sense whatsoever. There were also some other unfortunate rewrites, though none as damaging as the weird new ending.

Was the "they" who was determined to get "My Man" into the film Fran Stark by any chance?

Has Erich Bergin ever officially come out as gay or bi?

[Quote] And as I've said repeatedly

Then STFU r257

R280-Only in Hell's Kitchen bars.

[quote]Has Erich Bergin ever officially come out as gay or bi?

I am told that this has not happened, but I know for a fact that he very aggressively pursued a male friend of mine.

I think the feeling was you had to put some of Brice's famous hits into the film for the mass audience. Brice was still a figure a lot of the audience would know--she was about as far back in time as the early 80s are from us. Imagine a musical about Teddy Pendergrass, Chrissie Hynde, or Andy Gibb. Today, it would feel perverse not to include songs they were identified with. But in twenty years, they will be more forgotten and people will ask why Love Is (Thicker Than Water) was added for the film.

Enough about Brice, I want more BERGIN! On second thought…

[quote] Today, it would feel perverse not to include songs they were identified with.

We don't call that perverse, we just call it lazy.

I noticed there's no credit for Book on the Here Lies Love website. Is the show entirely sung-through?

r287

how dare they

Les Miz also won a best book Tony

R287 it is not sung-through, and it would be a great tragedy to not credit the book writer for moments of poetic brilliance like "get on your feet!" and "let's hear it from the back, where everyone's got an amazing view!"

A show that is sung through can still have a book

Thank you, R291. I feel seen and heard.

Some of you need a better understanding what a book writer/librettist does.

Honest question:

If a show like JC Superstar or Les MIz is sung thru, what does the librettist do that the lyricist hasn't already done? Or do those shows not have librettists?

R293, I am a little surprised that you can't figure out the answer to your own question, but: For shows like SUPERSTAR or LES MIZ, the librettist is both the lyricist and the "book" writer. Same for sung-through grand operas like TOSCA, LA TRAVIATA, FAUST, etc., etc. ad infinitum.

What about Sweeney, r294?

Not R294, but Hugh Wheeler wrote book-only for SWEENEY, with Sondheim doing lyrics and music. His book is a loose adaptation of an existent play by Christopher Bond.

His other credits include A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and the 70s revised CANDIDE. He won TONY Awards for Best Book for all three.

Pretty remarkable. I think he's the best of Sondheim's collaborators, frankly.

TS Eliot won a posthumous Best Book Tony for CATS, which was basically his decades-old poems about unrelated, anthropomorphic felines set to music by ALW.

The show has no plot.

CATS is more of a revue than a proper musical.

Is this deader than dead? Haven't heard a peep

If Barbra was as much in control of the FG film as was reported, maybe she insisted on My Man?

R299--I think Amy S-P has the talent to pull off a movie musical like GYPSY. Certainly, the visual flair--that was her strongest suit through MRS. MAISEL.

I just wonder if people feel "done" with GYPSY--onscreen, onstage, in general. I know I am.

^ throughout, not through

Even without dialogue, a musical needs structure, flow, an act break, and other things that are Labouré might do

R296 - I agree. The book of A Little Night Music is pretty perfect and the ideal marriage with Sondheim's music and lyrics. So many quotable lines...

[quote]And this is MY daughter.

[quote]The smile for the fools was particularly broad tonight...

[quote]What about Sweeney, [R294]?

I am baffled as to why you need to ask me a question for which the answer can be so easily found through Google or other methods.

I know the answer, r305. It was a rhetorical question.

R299, Amy Sherman-Palladino is totally focusing her energy on a new Amazon series called Etoile, ser in both the Paris and NYC ballet worlds. It will co-star Luke Kirby and Camille Cottin as rival ballet company administrators. I think by the time she gets around to Gypsy that Toni Collette will be the perfect age for Madam Rose.

The connection between three queer Broadway talents, a Tony-winning revival, & the lynching of Leo Frank:

Closing tomorrow: Fat Ham, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, Prima Facie and Leopoldstadt.

Went to see Hamlet at the Delacorte tonight. Well, at least it didn’t rain. And the costumes were nice. But otherwise what a fucking disaster. John Simon would have had a field day with this. Most of the main Black actors had little or zero command of the language. Ato Blankson-Wood was woefully uncharismatic. The Ophelia iwas deeply embarrassing. The Claudius was horrendous. Even Lorraine Toussaint, who I’ve liked from other work, was completely out of her depth with Gertrude and it’s not even a particularly difficult role. Kenny Leon does laughably bad shit like have projections of Hamlet’s dead father “speak” through Hamlet and there’s even a possessed car. As in possessed by the soul of Hamlet’s dead dad. My Father the Car, anybody? And he no doubt directed the poor actor playing Osric to be highly reminiscent of a mincing queen out of a 1970s sitcom. Absolutely abysmal. And this is the last production at the Delacorte before summer 2025?

Kenny Leon is a bad director. Period.

Shame Fat Ham didn't do better business. Was my favorite play of the year.

R311 Bad scripts, bad directors!

R310, I still remember Lorraine Toussaint's Marianna in Measure for Measure at Lincoln Center. And a friend raved about her in Midsummer at the Guthrie.

She is good with Shakespeare, so this is really disappointing.

But what was even the point of your rhetorical question, R306? Hugh Wheeler is credited as the book writer for SWEENEY TODD, because he wrote the spoken dialogue in the show (of which there is a fair amount) and also surely worked very closely with Sondheim in structuring the piece. But in cases like EVITA or SUPERSTAR, there is no spoken dialogue and Tim Rice wrote all the lyrics, so he is the librettist, which effectively means he's both the lyricist and book writer.

Fess up. Who here has actually been to the Museum of Broadway?

It's an anonymous board, peoples.

What flavor milkshake comes with their cheese burger and fries?

Gee, I wonder if William Ivey Long was invited to that photo shoot of the CHICAGO costumes at the Museum of Broadway?

Frankly, I'd much rather see an exhibit of the Patricia Zipprodt costumes from the original Broadway production of CHICAGO.

Are Kenny Leon and Robert Harris the only Black directors available? There have to be more talented professionals than those two.

Excuse me?

I love how Bebe shows up at any milestone or event for Chicago. She clearly loves the show and everyone involved.

Not to be cynical, or discounting genuine affection/pride, but since Gwen and Ann are dead and Nicole isn't famous, you could make the argument that Bebe is the most prominent carrier of the Fosse flame.

^ well it sure ain't Wayne Cilento.

At least Michael Bennett has me

I just read that ASPECTS OF LOVE in London has posted an early closing notice. Between that and the epic failure of BAD CINDERELLA on Broadway, not to mention the tremendous debacle that was the CATS film, it has NOT been a good several years for Andrew Lloyd Webber. And, based on many accounts of his behavior as well as several of his own very public statements about various matters, all of this couldn't have happened to a more deserving fellow.

[quote[I just read that ASPECTS OF LOVE in London has posted an early closing notice. Between that and the epic failure of BAD CINDERELLA on Broadway, not to mention the tremendous debacle that was the CATS film, it has NOT been a good several years for Andrew Lloyd Webber.

I also lost my son to cancer, asshole!

[quote]I just read that ASPECTS OF LOVE in London has posted an early closing notice. Between that and the epic failure of BAD CINDERELLA on Broadway, not to mention the tremendous debacle that was the CATS film, it has NOT been a good several years for Andrew Lloyd Webber.

I also lost my son to cancer, asshole!

Did that bear repeating?

We got what you were trying to do, asshole!

Too bad about Aspects. I was hoping for a new recording.

Aaron Tveit stepped in as Christian in MR on Broadway last night. It was announced on social media 2 hrs before the performance.

And the fan went wild!

DL fave Robbie Fairchild announced publicly a boyfriend for the first time on Instagram and did so on his ex’s Ashley Day’s birthday, whose breakup was legendarily awful.

That is a level of cunt not seen since the great Arthur Laurents.

Long love the new Cunt Robbie Fairchild

Would love to see Robbie's cunt. And Max's for that matter.

The only cast member missing from Saturday night's performance of Some Like It Hot was the actress who plays Sugar, and her understudy is ten times better. Made it a whole different show.

I used to think that HAIR had no book and was sung through, until I was hired as its musical director. Surprise! It most definitely does have a book!

Understandable, R335. People read things like, "there's no book in HAIR" in reviews in the Times and other sources and trust it to be gospel truth.

The sad reality is that generations of readers (and theatre fans) derive most of their knowledge of theatre history from the handful of uneducated, self-important hacks called theatre critics. No credentials required.

Unless, of course, they're diehard nerds like us, who have educated ourselves.

There's no plot in HAIR.

The movie version of "Hair" finally gave it a plot.

Exactly. The stage version of HAIR definitely has a book but not really a plot. It's mostly a succession of unrelated scenes or sketches, almost like a revue, with only the very slight thread of a plot concerning Claude being drafted and eventually going into the Army.

R336, get over yourself. You've got a lot of nerve claiming yourself and other "theater nerds" to be superior in knowledge to theatre critics in general.

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

R330, Was Aaron just bored?

Hair has more of a plot than Cats does

What was so awful about the Fairchild-Day breakup? I know it happened practically overnight. And whatever happened to Ashley Day?

She's writing her memoirs, Day by Day

Robbie’s will be Ashley, My Dear, I Don’t Give a Damn.

R322 Fuck you!

[quote]What was so awful about the Fairchild-Day breakup? I know it happened practically overnight. And whatever happened to Ashley Day?

He moved to the U.S. and is now happily engaged to another actor whose name I can't recall.

Has the identity of the twink Stephen Schwartz was blowing who dislodged his hairpiece ever been revealed?

He’s engaged to Adam Kaplan.

The Adam Kaplan with the too - thin lips?

A friend of mine who follows such things told me that Ashley Day is already married (to another man).

Is Robbie still selling flowers for a living or has he returned to performing?

[quote]He’s engaged to Adam Kaplan.

Ah, yes. My mistake, I thought I was told they are already married, but I believe that's incorrect.

Adam Kaplan who replaced Corey Cott who replaced Jeremy Jordan in NEWSIES? That Adam Kaplan??

Adam was only the understudy and never replaced Cory in Newsies, but yes that Adam.

IBDB lists Adam as a Jack Kelly replacement in NEWSIES, r355. But, whatever.....

R356, He looks so young and pure.

Counting the days down until the Twiggy musical, CLOSE UP!

Counting down the days until the Roy Orbison musical, IN DREAMS!

Lena Hall. 🤮

[quote]JAJ's dangling dong

Où est le dong?

Me no have upper lip.

Poor Twiggy looks like a corpse in a wig in that photo at R358.

Not sure which photo you're referring to of the two, r363, but the one of the woman playing Twiggy? She looks way too old.

R364 I meant Twiggy herself (didn't pay close attention to the actress playing her)

Fashion Forecast

DL fave Stephanie Block did an Instagram story yesterday complaining that LA audiences aren’t clapping for her during Into the Woods and seats aren’t selling…so that’s good.

They should have asked Sara B and NPH to do the LA run. The tour cast is dull.

R367, Didn’t Laura Benanti vent on social media when she felt she wasn’t receiving sufficient applause after her musical numbers in She Loves Me?

I think people are badly misjudging the appeal of ITW and also Sweeney if it goes on tour.

R370, Into the Woods has always been one of my least favorite Sondheim shows.

Without Sara Bareilles, it's pointless.

R371, it's said to be his most performed show, done at schools, regionals, etc because of the broad appeal. Without a star name, why does someone pay over $100 to see something they saw at the Rotary Club last month.

INTO THE WOODS, Jr. (i.e., Act I) is very popular with middle schools. There are always annual productions.

R367, did Block remove that IG post? Not seeing it.

[Quote] Didn’t Laura Benanti vent on social media when she felt she wasn’t receiving sufficient applause after her musical numbers in She Loves Me?

How could she tell from Holm?

^home damn ir

it damn it

Well, r378...you tried.

R375 they were Instagram stories that delete after 24hrs. I think she did that on purpose.

Gets the word out, but is gone after a day in case the reaction soured

R376, I never said a word.

Timotay Chalamet tagged Manhattan Theatre Club in an Instagram story, and there's a role that fits him in "Prayer for the French Republic."

Do he and josh Harmon have the same annoying agent

I saw Prayer for the French Republic and though I vaguely remember a young man or two in it, those roles are not worth Timotay's time. It's the women that get the best lines and scenes.

I really hope MTC doesn't recast it with stars. So unfair. The cast was excellent, even those two young men I can't quite remember.

Michael Musto reports that the 3 finalists for the Eddie Redmayne CABARET that's coming to Broadway are: Micaela Diamond, Adrienne Warren and Cristin Milioti. I vote for #1.

Saw it in London because we had a free night and were able to get 1/2 price tix. I didn't think I needed to see another CABARET. I saw the original in 1967 3 times as a precocious kid, as well as the Mendes version, but this was a spectacular production. Eddie had already left but it was all about the entire in the round/not quite immersive concept. So many surprises. So theatrical and moving. I wonder what theater will get the makeover?

R385, I vote for #3.

Yikes. After all the great Sallys in the Mendes’ Cabaret, plus Jessie Buckley in London. these three options only sound like great casting if you look at their resumes and ignore their actual performances. It’s a shame they are transferring Redmayne but not Mueller.

I know we always joke about Betty Buckley not working on Broadway since 1998, but she would actually be fun in the Lotte Lenya role.

Why not Maude Aptow for Broadway? She's the current West End Sally.

Is Mandy P only an Oscar away from being an EGOT? Did he and Patti win a grammy for Evita?

If Mandy agrees to go full frontal in "Yentl II" he'll get that Oscar!

Maude only got the gig because daddy promised to produce Rebecca Frecknall’s stupid-ass film.

Of those three, I'd rather see Milioti get the role. She's a conniving cunt, but she's very talented.

[quote]Is Mandy P only an Oscar away from being an EGOT? Did he and Patti win a grammy for Evita?

It's only been in the last 10 years or so that principal soloists were included among those who receive a statue for Best Musical Theater Album, so no he did not. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice did.

[quote]It’s a shame they are transferring Redmayne but not Mueller.

I think you mean Redmayne but not Buckley.

Cynthia Erivo for Sally, and they padlock her nose ring to the floor mike for Cabaret

Thanks, r395. Only caught it after I posted it, but it’s a telling error.

Lea Michelle for Cabaret because chess is never gonna happen

r398

I kinda like that idea

Ali Stroker for Sally because why not you narrowminded bigots

Lea Michele is better than the others, but is still as uptight as them. Sally needs to have anarchy in her bones. Neither she nor any of these women can let down their guard.

R400, I was going to suggest that. Totally agree.

Tony winner Alex Newell for Fraulein Kost!

Can Elle Fanning hold a tune? She's fantastic in Hulu's 'The Great', is adept at comedy and drama and does a pretty flawless British accent in that show. And....

(SPOILER ALERT)

...in the final scene of the season 3 finale she cuts her hair and even looks a bit Sally B.

Laura Osnes for Sally

Osnes says her defamation lawsuit has been settled and she understands her Broadway career is over. She also compares herself to Jesus.

R406, Nonsense. She’ll be back on Broadway.

R407, I say this will certainty. She will never be back on Broadway.

R408, Broadway loves a comeback. Not only will Laura Osnes return, so will Karen Olivo.

Side Show!

No one will work with Laura Osnes. I say she returns to Broadway after Liza comes back.

R411, Aaron Tveit would, Jeremy Jordan would, Santino Fontana would, Corey Cott would, etc.

R412, not one of those publicly supported her and if she were announced, I don't think any of those would ante up. She's associated with a lot of things now, none of them commercial. But thanks for playing Laura. Isn't your call for your circus act just about ready?

R413 'woke' won't last long.

For example, many actors/creatives who were blacklisted during the 1950s got work again after McCarthyism (the cancel culture of its time) ran its course by the early '60s.

[quote]Osnes says her defamation lawsuit has been settled and she understands her Broadway career is over

Do you have a link for that, r406? All I can find is something from Chris Peterson, which I can't seem to link to.

That said, I agree with r408. Osnes will never return to Broadway.

[quote]Osnes says her defamation lawsuit has been settled and she understands her Broadway career is over.

What a hill to die on, I hope it was worth it, you right-wing nutbag.

[quote]R406, Nonsense. She’ll be back on Broadway.

In "Nunsense"!

Time heals everything, R413.

You’re either very naive or not very intelligent.

R414 wow! What happened with Laura Osnes is nothing compared to McCarthyism of the 50s.

Laura works with homosexuals for years and proudly tweets about supporting political candidates that strip said homosexuals of their rights and protections. Just as the Supreme Court did on Friday. The Covid vaccine brough-haha was the final straw, but it wasn’t everything.

People are entitled to their political beliefs, it’s a free country, but don’t spend a career that is full of a group of people and then publicly express support for those that cause harm to them…then be surprised when the people you worked with don’t want to work with you.

[Quote] brough-haha

Ough dear

R419, No Broadway performer ever said they would not work with Laura Osnes.

R409 . . .

O. J. Simpson and Kevin Spacey in a woke revival of The Odd Couple.

Hugh Jackman publicly defended his and wife Deb’s close friendship with Jared and Ivanka Kushner.

I didn’t see where his relationship with them hurt The Music Man ticket sales.

Is Laura basically in the same boat career-wise with Chad Kimball? Isn’t he also unlikely to ever return to Broadway?

With or without his. issues, is Chad in. great demand anywhere?

By the time things calm down (if they ever do), Laura and Chad will have aged out of ingenue roles.

[quote]Isn’t he also unlikely to ever return to Broadway?

Why would any producer ever hire a non-star who has sued his previous producers?

WTF with the Sweeney Todd album. They’ve dropped four or five tracks one at a time. Now what are they doing?

After all his problems in Memphis, Chad was damn lucky to get the gig in Come From Away. But after his behavior of the past three years, his career is all but done. He should make friends with Candace Cameron-Bure real quick.

[Quote] After all his problems in Memphis, Chad was damn lucky to get the gig in Come From Away.

Same producers, too, so maybe he wasn’t a problem despite your rumors

Chad has an inner homosexual who comes out when he's fucked up, so, pretty much all the time.

[quote] Same producers, too, so maybe he wasn’t a problem despite your rumors

Ummm... he got fired from Memphis, Mrs. Kimball.

And the same director and producers hired him for CFA, which he did for three years. All I’m saying is that these things are usually more nuanced or less interesting than we think they are.

Casting is a numbers game. Supply far outstrips demand, always has, always will.

Why would anyone ever need or choose to work with problematic Laura O or Chad K types, when there are 200 others just like them around the corner? Despite their talents, neither of them sells tickets or fills theatres based on their name. Everyone is replaceable.

Remember the Ivo Van Hove WEST SIDE STORY, with the sexual harasser playing Bernardo? That was only 3 years ago, but I sincerely doubt you will see that situation recur, given the terrible PR that ensued. (It's also Amar Ramasar's last Bway credit. WEHT?)

Re: Hugh Jackman--the man appears to be Teflon. Anyone else with such a strong Trumpian association would have been toast by now. But rightly or wrongly, Jackman still sells tickets. And profit is ultimately a greater force than "problematic," at least sometimes.

But Kimball has his gay alter ego. You can’t say the same thing about Jackman, right? Right? Hello?

CHESS in rehearsal at the MUNY!

Never waste a hot afternoon....

Billy Porter IS Sally Bowles!

R434, I would hardly place Laura Osnes in the “problematic” column.

It isn't all that nuanced *or* interesting, r433. Chad Kimball had a beautiful voice. They gave him a second chance with Come From Away, and it turned out to be a mistake. He was lucky to get it, and he blew it.

CFA was an unusually tight-knit cast, but Kimball does not play well with others. That is not a fireable offense, in and of itself, but he wasn't fired. His contract was not renewed.

There's a world of difference between the two. He didn't have a leg to stand on with his lawsuit. It happens all of the time. Many members of the A Chorus Line revival did not have their contracts renewed. No reason has to be given.

Osnes is a slightly different situation, but she won't be returning either. Too much drama and craziness, plus...she's not all that good. She can't dance to save her life and isn't much of an actor. She does have a lovely voice, but as r434 says, her type is a dime a dozen.

Why hire crazy?

R439, Laura Osnes will definitely be back on Broadway and it’s just stupid to think that she won’t.

Refusing a questionable injection on the advice of her obstetrician makes one crazy and problematic?

You obviously have an issue with her, which says more about you.

R440, there is SO much more to the Osnes story, as others have pointed out. Don't be ridiculous.

R440 do your research! When gay fans used to confront her on social media and ask how she could possibly support these awful republicans…she responded that there is more to voting for Republican than worrying about gay rights.

As the courts take your rights away because of these politicians, would you happily work with someone who not only voted for these guys, but also defended doing so?

I know I’m corporate America, people have to work with all types of people including MAGA, but Broadway is a community.

Actually, r440, I've worked with Osnes more than once and I found her to be perfectly pleasant. Her beliefs, on the other hand, do make her seem a little crazy (I never used the term "problematic"). She has more than once compared herself to Jesus in terms of how she has been persecuted, which is a little odd, don't you think?

Any producer would think twice about hiring someone who would mount such a frivolous lawsuit. Who needs that?

She did an interview with another Christian performer when she first started her defamation suit that was chock-full of crazy. I'll try to find that for you.

The fact that you speak in absolutes, refer to a vaccines that saved lives as "a questionable injection", and presume to know the mind of a complete stranger speaks volumes about you.

Kimball may have also been given a second chance because he supposedly got help for his substance issues (and I am not revealing anything Kimball hasn't himself said publicly). Chad can be very persuasive and puppy dog eyed, and if you've had good experiences with him, you may be willing to give him a second chance. The issues that led to his dismissal from Memphis were not the same as the issues that led to his contract not being renewed in Come From Away. The guy is a mess and not worth the bother.

[quote]She did an interview with another Christian performer when she first started her defamation suit that was chock-full of crazy. I'll try to find that for you.

Here it is. The other religious nut is Clifton Duncan, someone else who used to have a career but no longer does, for obvious reasons. Chock full of crazy, indeed!

Osnes has always been a mediocrity, never anyone special. Her never returning to Broadway is something J’ll never lose sleep over.

An actress lost out on a Broadway career because her actions showed she was indifferent to the safety of her co-workers.

But she thinks reporting that she was fired instead of withdrew somehow damaged her reputation?

Laura Osnes has a reality show to thank for her career. America voted her into a revival of Grease -- not much accounting for taste in America in general. All things considered she's had a longer career/life than most reality TV contestants. Just be thankful and fuck off to Branson already.

Fuck you all. I adore Chad. he is dreamy.

R448, She has two Tony nominations for Best Actress in a Musical, among other awards.

Laura was excellent in South Pacific. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much but she made a pretty terrific Nellie.

[quote]She has more than once compared herself to Jesus in terms of how she has been persecuted, which is a little odd, don't you think?

Actually, it's pretty typical of fundamentalist religious nutbags like Laura Osnes.

Oh for fuck’s sake enough about her. A zillion posts most of them saying she’s not worth talking about

R445 Clifton Duncan is not a religious nut. If you listen to the podcast he describes himself as a “liberal atheist.”

Caption this (incorrectly)

Liza looks gorgeous in that pic.

Curlsh.

[quote][R445] Clifton Duncan is not a religious nut. If you listen to the podcast he describes himself as a “liberal atheist.”—Where’d you pull that out of?

From me, I expect, r454 (I'm r443]. Mea culpa. I remembered the interview some months ago and mistakenly thought it was two Christians sitting around talking. Instead, it was two actors talking about being "cancelled". Duncan also calls himself a "liberal, pot smoking, pro-choice liberal".

Tell me truly, though - did anything that Clifton Duncan said in that interview strike you as "liberal", r454? Watch this and tell me he's a liberal.

So is NY NY about to post a closing notice or not?

This amazingly talented woman should not be silenced.

[Quote] This amazingly talented woman should not be silenced.

But you should be, r480. Let it go

R451-Give Chad enough coke and alcohol and he's a pretty terrific nellie too.

[quote]I remembered the interview some months ago and mistakenly thought it was two Christians sitting around talking. Instead, it was two actors talking about being "cancelled". Duncan also calls himself a "liberal, pot smoking, pro-choice liberal".

Thanks, but then can you remind us why Clifton Duncan says he was "canceled?" I don't remember, and I don't want to wade through that podcast again.

FOLLIES

Do we know if Lainie Kazan still shops at Gelson's?

And Wanamaker's, Sak's and Klein's.

Howard McGillin appears for several short clips in the new Rock Hudson biography. Apparently he played his son on television, and Hudson‘s unwillingness to reveal his gay side because of the Hollywood system delayed Howard’s exit from the closet.

Worth a watch for those of you willing to take a break from watching Laura Osnes interviews

"Sak's"? Oh, dear.

It's not wrong to refer to yourself as Jesus if the sandal fits.

Someone on ATC is reporting that Andrew Burnap just missed another performance of CAMELOT, this after he and Jordan Donica had reportedly have had several absences over the past several weeks. Are these absences pre-scheduled as vacation days or whatever? Is the problem that the performers are ill and/or can't handle the roles? Or is it just that they're so disappointed by the awful reviews, the lack of Tony Awards, and small audiences that they can't be bothered to show up for eight a week?

I suspect. a little bit of all of the above.

R470, it's hard for me to imagine that either Arthur or Lancelot is that taxing a part in any sense. We're not talking Eliza Doolittle or Eva Perón, for God's sake.

I'm guessing that part of the issue is that no one's buying tickets to see either of them, so the pressure never to miss isn't particularly great. But it's sad.

Maybe it's because of the crappy air outside, R470? That must be playing havoc with everyone's singing.

The crappy air outside shouldn't be a big problem if you only have very limited exposure to it, and it's easy to achieve that if you wear a mask whenever you go out and also try to go immediately from one air-conditioned to space to an air-conditioned car to another air-conditioned space. I don't think it's too much to ask someone who gets paid big bucks to perform for a living to be extra careful for a few days at a time when the air quality is horrendous.

But it's summer and I have to lay naked in the grass!

R470, How would you feel if some fat chick stole your Tony?

You’ll get over it, honey.

At least you didn’t lose to a freaking TinMan in a supporting part!

[quote]Or is it just that they're so disappointed by the awful reviews, the lack of Tony Awards, and small audiences that they can't be bothered to show up for eight a week?

Not to mention the early closing notice.

Anyone know if Julie Andrews has seen the Camelot revival?

The night I saw CAMELOT - it was a Friday night in the weeks leading up to the Tonys - Burnap didn't come back after intermission. I wonder what was up? It was really tough to make the adjustment to the understudy.

I wonder if Burnap is a prima donna? (Primo uomo?)

Oh, fuck no.

I did enjoy a spa day with a mani/pedi and then an evening performance of SHUCKED, however.

r474, you can't really think the path to better health for a performer/singer is spending the entire day in air conditioning, can you? That recycled air is terrible for your lungs and respiratory tracts. But I realize that means there's no great solution.

[quote][R474], you can't really think the path to better health for a performer/singer is spending the entire day in air conditioning, can you? That recycled air is terrible for your lungs and respiratory tracts. But I realize that means there's no great solution.

Not to mention, r483, that theaters bring in *outside* air. What worked for Covid doesn't work for smoke. On the worst smoke days in NYC, there were photos inside of theaters showing haze - when no hazers were on. Some shows cancelled.

CITY ON FIRE!

[quote]Not to mention, [R483], that theaters bring in *outside* air. What worked for Covid doesn't work for smoke. On the worst smoke days in NYC, there were photos inside of theaters showing haze - when no hazers were on. Some shows cancelled.

All forms of air conditioning bring in air from outside, but it's cooled and filtered. I assumed the process would have cleaned the air of smoke, but maybe I'm wrong about that. I will say that, when I kept my windows entirely shut and the air conditioning on at all times during those horrible air quality days recently, I didn't notice any smoke residue in my apartment.

And Soo has only missed one performance.

Julie Andrews was in the audience at ST recently. Posed for pics with Groban afterwards. She's looking very Victor and less Victoria these days.

Posed. with AA too.

[quote]Not to mention, [[R483]], that theaters bring in *outside* air. What worked for Covid doesn't work for smoke. On the worst smoke days in NYC, there were photos inside of theaters showing haze - when no hazers were on. Some shows cancelled.

[quote]All forms of air conditioning bring in air from outside, but it's cooled and filtered. I assumed the process would have cleaned the air of smoke, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

You're either wrong about that or it wasn't filtered enough, r487. Smoke was getting into the theaters.

The point being is that r474 doesn't have a clear grasp on how much the smoke affects some individuals. The effects are not as easy to avoid as they imagine.

Given last week's numbers, can NY NY be long for this world?

wow bad week for almost everyone

Hopefully for Here Lies Love, people are just waiting until Lea Salonga goes into the show.

Back to the Future—over $1,000,000 for just 4 performances.

[quote]I certainly appreciated Barbara Cook more after I heard Sutton Foster bray her way through The Music Man.

You mean these golden tones?

I saw Back to the Future in London. When the young George sang the rhyme 'myopia/utopia/hopin' ya while peeping on the young Loraine, I audibly groaned. The family of five in from Manchester in the row in front of me were not amused. Sondheim it ain't.

I was too busy having my quim eaten.

Sutton sounds like Lucy Ricardo at her worst.

[quote] I was too busy having my quim eaten.

By whom, dear? Carol is too old and Rachel wouldn't give you the time of day 28 years ago.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1933, "Shady Lady" opened at the Shubert Theater.

r501 - Miss Christie's first Broadway credit...

R500, I nicknamed my naughty bits “Egregious”.

My Fair Labia!

[quote]THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1933, "Shady Lady" opened at the Shubert Theater.

Some of us still have our Playbills!

Give a listen to Audrey Christie singing "At the Roxy Music Hall" from Rodgers & Hart's I MARRIED AN ANGEL.

They don't make soubrettes like that any more.

Audrey Christie played Mrs. Upson in LucyMAME.

She was also a replacement Vera in MAME, r507.

*

Wow, Sutton’s voice really goes splatt on that last note.

Sue Brett? Cute.

Regarding Broadway grosses lately, it's either feast or famine.

Hadestown continues to impress.

DL fave Billy Porter is single (and we hope, ready to mingle), kids!

So, apparently, Eddie Izzard is doing a one-person production of Hamlet in NY in 2024? Sigh. I used to love Eddie's standup -- especially Dress to Kill. But, in recent years, from getting into politics, to the weird obsession with running multiple marathons in a single month s/he's (Eddie goes by "Suzy" now personally, still goes by "Eddie" professionally and has said they're okay with multiple pronouns) become really.... self-important. And, no, it's got nothing to do with their choice to fully come out as trans. If Eddie wants to have tits and go by Suzy, fine by me.

I was curious about how TSX Broadway is coming along. Supposedly the hotel will be open by December and the rest of the place (including the Palace) will be open in the first quarter of 2024. Wonder what will play the Palace?

Izzard's one-person GREAT EXPECTATIONS was not all that great, based on the reviews and the word-of-mouth.

I was a fan back in the day but now I find Izzard mostly exhausting.

Izzard has always been overrated trash.

She was also a replacement Vera in MAME, R507.

Audrey Christie also played the original Vera's mother on an episode of "Maude."

[Quote] Izzard has always been overrated trash.

What an asinine shallow useless comment

Audrey Christie also played Natalie Wood's mother in Splendor in the Grass and Lynn Loring's mother on the TV series Fair Exchange. She was a trouper!

You probably all know this already, but Audrey Christie in her later career played two non-singing roles in two big movie adaptations of Broadway musicals, CAROUSEL and THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN.

Billy Porter's husband finally got tired of tending to the world's biggest narcissist? What a shocker.

Anyone in/around Manhattan today should check this out.

Two memorable quotes from WW on ATC, the first one regarding THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY:

[quote]'Bridges' is not a perfect show (and I wonder if it should've been a two-hander), but at least JRB won for his beautiful, soaring score.

No, it would not have worked AT ALL as a two-hander, because it's vital that the audience sees how much Francesca loves her husband and children, and also how much she has become a part of the community.

[quote]And I enjoyed 'If/Then' more than most folks and loved James Snyder's solo, 'Hey, Kid'; he should've been up for Best Featured Actor.

How hilariously typical of him to pick out the one solo sung by a cute guy in a featured role, when Idina Menzel sang about 50 percent of that score.

I couldn't put up with Porter for more than 6 minutes.

I'm no Wayman Wong fan, R525, but I thought the same while watching the show on Broadway. The very successful film version was largely a 2-hander, and the musical's least successful songs are those not sung by the 2 leads. (I also wondered whether casting so sympathetic a performer as Hunter Foster as Francesca's husband was counterproductive.)

R527, that show's most successful song is "Another Life," sung by a supporting (but barely existing) character.

"Another Life" is a gorgeous song, but hardly successful in terms of its contribution to the show. It's a fabulous cabaret number.

[quote]Audrey Christie also played Natalie Wood's mother in Splendor in the Grass

My Will's copy of that video was missing some letters.

Lea Salonga stepped into Here Lies Love last night and will be in tonite. Her official start date is Tuesday.

Just listened to Sutton in the clip above......glad I hadn't had breakfast yet.

[quote] What an asinine shallow useless comment

And then you went and topped it.

Kayla Pecchioni - is she really the superior Sugar?

[quote]I'm no Wayman Wong fan, [R525], but I thought the same while watching the show on Broadway. The very successful film version was largely a 2-hander, and the musical's least successful songs are those not sung by the 2 leads. (I also wondered whether casting so sympathetic a performer as Hunter Foster as Francesca's husband was counterproductive.)

I understand why it might occur to someone that BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY would be better as a two-hander, but I'm sticking to my opinion that its really important for us to see how much Francesca loves her family and how deeply woven into the community she is, all of which helps greatly to explain the choice she makes in the end. Also, even with brilliant performers like Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale (or Kate Baldiwin and Aaron Lazar), I think it would become a little wearing for the audience to see and hear ONLY them for two hours, not to mention very taxing for the performers if they had no break at all. Yes, I know, I DO, I DO, but that's a very different, much lighter sort of show.

[quote] I DO, I DO, but that's a very different, much lighter sort of show.

Charm shows aren't easy to pull off. Particularly a two-hander. You need star power.

I seem to remember that Bridges suffered because there was absolutely no heat between. the. two leads. Kelli was no. one's idea of an earthy Italian sexpot.

[quote]You probably all know this already, but Audrey Christie in her later career played two non-singing roles in two big movie adaptations of Broadway musicals, CAROUSEL and THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN.

Three movie adaptations of big Broadway musicals if you include LUCY/MAME!

I think it’s interesting that nobody has announced the rest of the Company tour cast, Funny Girl your cast, The Wiz tour Dorothy, or the cast of the new Sondheim show in the fall.

Are they waiting for Shelley Long to sign a contract?

Shelley is gonna be in ALL OF THEM?

Company is going to tour? Did someone not lose enough money on the 1776 tour?

Sondheim shows are all going to fail on the road. ITW is bombing and ST will go the same route. Let's not even talk about Company, which is fine since no one else in America will.

[quote]ITW is bombing and ST will go the same route.

I'm very surprised about ITW, because we keep hearing how popular the show is in amateur productions, especially the junior version. Also, now both SWEENEY and ITW have movie versions, and though neither of those was a smash hit at the box office, shows with movie versions tend to be far more popular in revival than shows without. Which is why I wouldn't be at all surprised if COMPANY does not do well on the road.

Not everyone call pull off earthy Italian sexpot.

[quote] Also, now both SWEENEY and ITW have movie versions, and though neither of those was a smash hit at the box office,

ITW did $128m in North America and $208m WW.

But the thing about ITW is that because it's now performed in every college, high school and community theater, a touring production with NO NAMES is not gonna sell any tickets. Everyone; has already seen some non-star version (and the film for that matter).

The every idea of Kelli O'Hara as an earthy Italian is laughable.

[quote]But the thing about ITW is that because it's now performed in every college, high school and community theater, a touring production with NO NAMES is not gonna sell any tickets. Everyone; has already seen some non-star version (and the film for that matter).

Well, that's a very good point. I do remember that the Encores! version of ITW was a huge hit when it first transferred to Broadway, but then the audience dropped off very sharply after a few months, and It probably was not a coincidence that his happened when Sara Bareilles left the cast.

That Into the Woods, which I saw both on Broadway and on tour, was one of the most successful productions I’ve seen despite the uninspired sets and costumes. Nearly every review of the tour said the same. Likely, it made money since the operating costs were low.

Did anyone criticizing Kelli O’Hara in Bridges actually see her? I scoffed at her casting, and saw the show without her in Williamstown. But it was one of the best performances I have ever seen on Broadway.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1939, "Yokel Boy" opened at the Majestic Theatre.

Did ..... Oscar always play a 7 perf week or did they cut back from 8 to give Sean a break.

Judy Canova, r550, Buddy Ebsen *and* Dixie Dunbar!

From Yokel Boy...

[quote]Who could ask for anything more?

A specialty number from Magdalena Montezuma?

I did see BRIDGES and thought KO was her usual ice princess self.

Kelli O'Hara is exceptional in DAYS OF WINE & ROSES. And so is Brian DJ.

A beautifully sung, fully realized performance. O'Hara is actually 47, playing a character 15-20 years younger, but she looks gorgeous in her period costumes and the age discrepancy is of no importance.

[quote]Did ..... Oscar always play a 7 perf week or did they cut back from 8 to give Sean a break.

Seven a week from the beginning, I believe.

[quote]I did see BRIDGES and thought KO was her usual ice princess self.

R555: I'm sure that, in describing Kelli O'Hara as an "ice princess" on stage, you think you are demonstrating a level of taste and discernment far superior to that of the general public and everyone else on this board, but in actuality, quite the opposite is the case.

Worst thread ever?

Excellent quality boot of Oscar in circulation.

I can’t imagine Wine n Roses will transfer. It’s wall to wall BLEAK.

So I couldn't help but hear model Mimi referred to tonight as him.

Hmmmmm........

Ooops. Meant that for the Project Runway thread.

R562. Wrong thread BUT I HEARD THAT, TOO!

R558 -- thank you. The disdain for Kelli O'Hara on this board is laughable.

R565, There’s a lot of that going around.

Blame it on Benanti.

[quote]A specialty number from Magdalena Montezuma?

She was so mean!

[quote]Blame it on Benanti.

Or maybe the bossa nova.

Kelli O'Hara has had so many opportunities to become a "name' and she has not. After starring in how many Broadway shows, she has never managed to become a name that sells tickets.

She is not bad. But she does not excite anyone. Even Audra Ann MacDonald sells tickets for Christ's sake.

That said, O'Hara shines in what could have been a ho-hum role in Gilded Age. So maybe she is like Cynthia Nixon--and actress who is good but never exciting onstage, but excells on television.

I think Kelli is wrong voice Sally. If she had a belt like Marin Mazzie I think she would have been a bigger star

You are all talking like stage performers drive the box office in 2023. Marin Mazzie did not do nearly as much as Kelli O’Hara and Audra’s name didn’t do much for Frankie & Johnny or Ohio State Murders. Kelli has led four major revivals, created two major roles in new Broadway musicals, and has seven Tony nominations with one win. By any measure but the yardstick of the irredeemably bitter, that is a lot of success.

Laura Osnes is the poor man’s Kelli O’Hara.

[quote]Audra Ann MacDonald sells tickets for Christ's sake

Under his eye.

As usual, DL twists itself into a pretzel to dismiss Kelli O'Hara.

She's originated leading roles in 4 Broadway musicals (SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, DRACULA, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA and THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY) and 3 more Off-Broadway (MY LIFE WITH ALBERTINE, FAR FROM HEAVEN and DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES), with cast albums of 6 of the 7. (Include NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, and that's 5 B'way musicals with 7 cast albums.)

She has 7 Tony nominations -- 6 of them as Leading Actress in a Musical -- with 1 win.

She's also played leads in 3 operas at the Met and sung Barber's KNOXVILLE: SUMMER OF 1915 with the New York Philharmonic.

Name another actress of her generation who can match that record.

Only here would a woman with such a record be consistently shrugged off as a boring performer whom no one likes. Yeah, right -- that's how she keeps getting these high-profile gigs and rave reviews.

No one here has to like her. But to pretend that no one else does, or to dismiss those of us that do, is just silly.

Kelli in Kiss Me Kate absolutely "sold tickets." Perhaps not Josh Groban or even Patti LuPone but definitely a strong factor n the good ticket sales of this show from the beginning.

Kelli O'Hara can be a brilliant singer and still boring. I have no disdain for her, but never find her thrilling. Or memorable.

“Name another actress of her generation who can match that record.”

Try harder…

Kelli is good. And she is easy to work with. But no one ever says, I gotta see Kelli in XXX.

Audra sells ticket for musicals. People talk about Ashford in Sweeney Todd. Then there is LuPone etc.

But I never heard anyone say, "I gotta see Kelli OHara before she leaves this show" I have never heard much comment about her performances at all till she took a minor role on Gilded Age.

If she were a color she would be beige. If she were a taste she would be water.

There are lot of beige clothes in stores. Water is served in every restaurant. . Kelli O'Hara played leads in 5 Broadway production.

R579 needs to get some friends with better taste, or at least learn to speak for him/herself. "No one ever says" -- I know plenty of people who do. "I never heard anyone say" -- I have. (And "Audra sells ticket [sic] for musicals"? Evidence, please? I see no long-running musical hits among her Broadway credits after RAGTIME.)

R578, Audra is amazing in her own right, no question. But look at the specific points of comparison I offered. Audra's originated only 2 leading roles in B'way musicals (unless you want to bump SHUFFLE ALONG and/or LADY DAY into that category), and only 4 of her many Tony nominations have been for Leading Anything. (Isn't it surprising that someone who's advocated so strongly for new musical theater writers on her records has only brought ONE of those writers' shows to Broadway?) Opera-wise, she has only 2 credits with major opera houses to my knowledge, neither of them recent.

My point isn't that Kelli is "better" than Audra -- they're both extraordinary, unrivaled, really, on their own terms. It's rather that writing her off as a bland nothing of a performer is absurd -- and ignores her incredible achievements.

And yet, r580, Kelli is indeed bland.

Just compare her vocal performances to those of Barbara Cook in her Broadway leading lady days: Cunegonde in Candide, Marian in The Music Man, Amalia in She Loves Me, Magnolia in Show Boat, Dolly Talbo in The Grass Harp (that one alone!). Now there was blonde ingenue/leading lady with a truly distinctive recognizable voice who was never bland.

Isn't it funny. When Kelli was out of Days Of Wine And Roses 2 weeks ago, it suddenly appeared on TDF. Keep telling yourselves she's just average.

I didn't realize until I saw The Light in the Piazza at Encores that the reason the original production didn't land for me was due to O'Hara's performance as Clara. She didn't ever seem youthful or truly childish, which—after seeing the astonishing performance by Anna Zavelson—I now realize is essential for the role and for the show. O'Hara and Clark almost came across as sisters.

I've liked her a lot in other roles.

R581 summons another useless argument -- "not as good as Barbara Cook." Barbara Cook was the greatest soprano in Broadway history. So you're either Barbara Cook or you're bland? Please. Just this past weekend I heard O'Hara in DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, tossing off Guettel's intricate vocal lines and soaring above the staff effortlessly, while also deeply inhabiting a character worlds apart from anything Cook ever ventured. (To be clear, I worship Cook. But O'Hara's carved out her own special niche as far as I'm concerned.)

It's interesting, R583 -- I can't really speak to O'Hara's performance as Clara, because I didn't see her do it (though she's thrilling on the album). But the authors went "youthful"/"truly childish" the first time 'round, when PIAZZA premièred in Seattle, by having Celia Keenan-Bolger in the part (with O'Hara as Franca). All agreed that -- gifted as CK-B undoubtedly is -- this was a misstep. But the Encores! casting seems to have reverted to that original notion, which worked for you and from the critics whose reviews I've read. (A friend who saw it disagreed, but that's show business.)

Wakemewhenit'sover.

You're in for a very l-o-n-g nap, r585.

What if I dyed my hair blonde?

All this bickering had me looking at Kelli's Wiki and, damn, what an extraordinary career. For those who DON'T think she's bland, any favorites from her benefit/concert staging/limited run event performances? I wish I'd seen some of these...

She Loves Me benefit concert for Roundabout's 20th anniversary

Bells Are Ringing at Encores

My Fair Lady with NY Phil

Carousel with NY Phil (this one I saw, and thought she was magnificent; how did she give a performance that felt perfectly calibrated for the concert hall AND the camera simultaneously?)

Brigadoon at Encores

BELLS ARE RING was one of the few missteps in Kelli's career, IMHO. She is not that kind of comedian.

R589, Kelli is no Faith Prince.

All ITW tours must have stars!

Faith is no Judy Holliday.

Why did Ken Howard leave Seesaw after less than four months on Broadway, when John Gavin replaced him?

Let’s face it! The only Broadway draw lately is Tovah Feldshuh and her Rose’s Turn panties!

R594, Well, there was Jesse Williams’ dick.

First midnight!

Has someone started a new thread? Can we call it "American Theatre Circles the Drain" Edition?

Oh, good, one more track from the Sweeney Todd album. You’re pissing me off

Oh, why not?

R597 - me, too. That said, this Sweeney production seems to have done a lot right in the marketing of the production, so I'll defer to them on what's best. Seems like they're getting a ton of social engagement still.

Sayonara!

There's always two women...