THEATRE GOSSIP #565: The Unbearable Hotness of Corey Stoll

Old thread:

Thank you for the new thread, OP!

What's next for DL Fave Corey Stoll? Anyone know?

Re Tina Benko from the last thread, she went on for the first time back in January with script in hand. The previous understudy left and Tina had just joined the company and had little to no rehearsal. I'm glad she got to go on again before the show closes. She's a fantastic actress and I have no doubt she was great.

And we're here!

And it's still Too Darn Hot!

"Too Darn Hot" performed with wild, all-out, frenetic dancing by the company of the show within a show in the alley behind the theater during intermission may get the audience cheering, but it makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE as something those people would be doing during their precious break offstage -- especially not if the weather is so exceptionally hot, which is the whole point of the song. The original conception of the number makes far more sense.

R3 - good to know. Well, I guess this was a her first 'proper' performance. Like I said, if I'd walked in off the street without any previous knowledge of the casting and had not seen any notices, I would never have known I was seeing an understudy/standby go on for the first time. I can see why she's hired. What a pro, what a talent.

Somebody in the other thread alluded to a weight gain Steph Block…am I missing something? I saw the pics of Kiss Me Kate and I don’t know that she is any heavier than she’s ever been.

Cole Porter didn't really get fully integrated musicals in the 1940s so some of the numbers in KMK are throwbacks to the older style of star turns and show stoppers that aren't necessarily related to making the whole show move forward.

Carrie: The Musical has finally been produced in The Netherlands.

True, R8. But I still think "Too Darn Hot" makes a lot more sense in the original context as compared to what that number has morphed into.

Everybody knows it works best as a tap number!

[quote]Cole Porter didn't really get fully integrated musicals in the 1940s

And yet he did, as early as 1935, with “Jubilee,” his show with Moss Hart.

Michael Berresse WAs stunningly sexy in "Too Darn Hot" in the Marin Mazzie/Brian stokes Mitchell KMK.

[quote]Michael Berresse WAs stunningly sexy in "Too Darn Hot" in the Marin Mazzie/Brian stokes Mitchell KMK.

Oh really, r13?

WHET Kathleen Marshall who choreographed Berresse's Too Darn Hot?

Berresse didn't do Too Darn Hot, r15. See r14.

Every time I see Too Darn Hot, I always think, If it's so darn hot why are you dancing? And why do you keep dancing? And dancing some more? Go sit in the shade! (Mind you, I can appreciate TDH as a dance number and showcase for the chorus and choreographer, but the number makes no sense. And, yes, I know musicals do not always make sense, but still)

[quote]but the number makes no sense

But Turkey Lurkey and Shipoopi do?

Exactly, R17. But that's NOT how the number was performed originally, as was pointed out earlier in this thread. If directors of revivals of the show wanted to make "Too Darn Hot" into a show stopping number for the entire dance ensemble, they could easily have presented it as a number in the show within the show. But I guess none of them were smart enough for that.

[quote]they could easily have presented it as a number in the show within the show

What does it have to do with Taming of the Shrew, r19?

R20, not all of the songs in the show within the show are closely wedded to the plot of TAMING OF THE SHREW.

[quote]not all of the songs in the show within the show are closely wedded to the plot of TAMING OF THE SHREW.

Which ones, r21?

I'll jump in and sing Tina Benko's praises as well. She was a marvelous Titania in Julie Taymor's MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at Theatre for a New Audience and was also excellent in Eureka Day. I was disappointed that she wasn't announced for the Broadway cast. She was also a spot-on Melania Trump-like Calpurnia, complete with accent, in the god-awful Julius Caesar that the Public did in Central Park.

How now, Calpurnia?

Whatever happened to keeping musical numbers in the context of the show?

In the show, Paul is Bill’s valet. He’s out in the theater alley taking a break. These chorus hoofers are also getting a breath of fresh air. Half of them should be standing around smoking cigarettes and gossiping.

Paul shows them a different way of dancing. Rather than their ballet training, Paul shows them how to dance jazz, which is isolating head, arms, legs. Jazz is more sultry and relies more on individuality. So any “Broadway style” dancing should not show up in this song.

What a direct explanation. Thank you.

"From This Moment On" wasn't added to KMK until the movie version, but I think it's permanent now.

Proof of how prudish things were in the '50s - in the film version of "Too Darn Hot," they had to change "according to the Kinsey report," to "according to the latest report."

But they were able to keep "a-dick-a-dick-a-dick ..."

[quote] What's next for DL Fave Corey Stoll? Anyone know?

Sitting on my face, I hope.

Carrie the Musical's time has come. There are more school and amateur productions of that show than there are of many, many other much more successful titles. 58 productions coming up listed on the Concord Theatricals map. At this point in the game, does that still go back to the original investors? Has it recouped decades later, as Sweeney Todd finally did with its movie sale?

R28 you must have a really round, fat face…

r30 Like a Campbell's Soup kid, bitch.

Corey Stoll is dreamy. BDF for days.

Apparently, Corey has a micropenis...

But I'd still do him!

I think Corey Stoll is a great actor, but I found him completely miscast in Appropriate. First off, who would believe he was named Beauregard or even Beau? Or that he was raised by a Southern racist? Or that he'd be stupid enough to think that his brother's girlfriend was a Native American? And that he'd call her an Indian? Supposedly, the character went to Yale (now that I'd believe of Corey Stoll).

But then, I found the whole play highly overrated.

Si, si. As written his character was too dumb to be realistic. And he didn’t elide anything beyond the bad text.

Let's not forget this scene. So much to take in with Corey as the bottom and Andrew Rannells as the TOP!

What is that from and why don't I know ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ the answer?

You can’t stand the truth!

R34 : Too true, his character seems perfectly intelligent and above the fray in act I of “Appropriate,” but by act II he’s s spluttering moron who abruptly has a crying jag on his wife’s shoulder. All the characters in the play are two-dimensional types rather than real people. They playwright has no idea who these people are or why they are the way they are, they simply act out all the time.

“From This Moment On” is not in the Bartlett Sher revival of “Kiss Me Kate,” which is rife with double entendre and sexual shenanigans in the plot and song lyrics. This passed for sophistication in 1948, and now it seems naively vulgar because it’s so un-PC. There is a song “I Am Ashamed,” sung by Lilli, which I assume is original, but which I don’t remember being in the two latest Broadway versions I’ve seen.

One wag I spoke to in London thinks the production is not strong enough to transfer and will mere tour the UK. But maybe good reviews and/or business will make a difference, but maybe not, especially after a recent weak revival at the Roundabout was a disappointment,

By the way, a producer type I spoke to recently said knowledgeably that “Guys and Dolls” will never transfer to NY because all the movers and managers on the stage floor who move the public around the action are essentially poorly paid interns who are rotated frequently, whereas in NY they would have to be professionals, professionally trained and paid union wages. And then there ‘s the cost of insurance in case there’s a fuck -up and an audience member trips or is otherwise injured. This would be so expensive that even if it was a hit, recouping the budget would be virtually impossible because of the high overhead.

[quote]There is a song “I Am Ashamed,” sung by Lilli, which I assume is original, but which I don’t remember being in the two latest Broadway versions I’ve seen.

You weren't paying attention, r39.

Tina Benko on for Sarah Paulson again today - both matinee and evening.

I was, R40, but that was so long ago . . .

[quote]And then there ‘s the cost of insurance in case there’s a fuck -up and an audience member trips or is otherwise injured.

Or an octogenarian actor falls off the stage and onto an audience member.

Whores!

Whoops, wrong thread.

Whores are always welcome here.

[quote]Too true, his character seems perfectly intelligent and above the fray in act I of “Appropriate,” but by act II he’s s spluttering moron who abruptly has a crying jag on his wife’s shoulder. All the characters in the play are two-dimensional types rather than real people. They playwright has no idea who these people are or why they are the way they are, they simply act out all the time.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Many people found APPROPRIATE entertaining because they like to watch members of an extended family screaming at and treating each other horribly on stage, but when you actually examine the text of the play, it's really not well written.

It's so darn hot, I feel the need for 20 fans a-turnin' ...

I’ve always picture a Too Darn Hot where they keep starting dance moves with twosomes and threesomes that peter out and melt into sexy slinking Fosse-like minimal moves because, well, it’s so darn hot. Or the lead dancer keeps being perky, and all the other dancers are too tired, but end up in a sort of bacchanal.

Wasn't there some version of KMK, maybe even the original Broadway production, in which Too Darn Hot was sung by a Big Black Lady playing the Wardrobe Mistress?

Hattie gets Another Openin', r50

Oh, you're right, r51, that the number I was thinking of. Thanks.

Maybe Sarah’s got the Covid? Holland Taylor posted today that it’s everywhere again and imploring others to wear masks on the subway and at the theater.

Saw Merrily finally tonight. Yes, Lindsay was in. All (well earned) jokes about her attendance aside, she was very good, as were Groff and, especially, Radcliffe. I was kind of expecting Radcliffe to be good-not-great -- being propped up a bit by the true musical theatre pros -- but he was fabulous. Getting that impish, sardonic quality of Charlie down perfectly. The show itself is... fine.

The original Paul, who introduced Too Darn Hot, was Lorenzo Fuller, a notable young black singer-dancer who was also one of Cole Porter’s fuck buddies.

About KMM. I might see it this week, but Fred looks like her Grandfather, not her lover.

Colorblind casting opens the door for a richer and more reflective portrayal of the human experience on Broadway stages. It allows directors to prioritize talent and focus on the essence of a character, rather than limiting themselves to actors of a specific race. This approach celebrates the universality of human emotions and stories, showcasing how individuals from diverse backgrounds can connect and navigate similar struggles and triumphs. Imagine a King Lear played by a Latina actress – her portrayal wouldn't diminish the core themes of the play, but rather offer a fresh perspective on familial bonds and the weight of power. Colorblind casting fosters a more inclusive theatre scene, not just for audiences, but for actors as well. It allows actors of color the opportunity to breathe life into a wider range of roles, shattering stereotypes and expanding their artistic horizons. This ultimately benefits the art form itself, by fostering a more nuanced and representative portrayal of the world we live in.

Thanks R48, always a pleasure to hear the songs from Whorehouse. How I wish we could get a great revival of that show…NOT directed by Rob Ashford!

I wonder if Jeff (Newsies) Calhoun has tried to get a Whorehouse revival going? He was an Aggie in the original production, and I think also assisted Tommy Tune on it.

R47: Sarah didn’t deserve to win for that one-note, screaming performance.

Just comparing Paulson's performance to that of Amy Morton as a similarly angry, frustrated screaming adult daughter in August; Osage County, she came up very short. I truly don't get the praise. Or the Tony Award.

We won’t see a Whorehouse revival in our lifetime. The “woke” will shut it down.

Best case scenario, an off-Broadway all male production with a drag queen playing Miss Mona.

We saw TITANIC on Friday night.

What a great score - tuneful, bouncy and hum-able; I think snobs who like atonal crap like DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES hate that about TITANIC. And no power ballads.

What a been a better score since TITANIC? I'll wait.

[quote]We saw TITANIC on Friday night. What a great score - tuneful, bouncy and hum-able

I know that’s what I look for in any ocean liner disaster musical I see.

R57, was that written by ChatGPT? It didn’t sound human generated.

R62. I may be able to squeeze Miss Mona into my schedule!

I'd love to see it, Jinkx.

[quote]Imagine a King Lear played by a Latina actress – her portrayal wouldn't diminish the core themes of the play, but rather offer a fresh perspective on familial bonds and the weight of power.

That's your perspective, R57. Others, including August Wilson, would say it's a far greater contribution to the theater to write and produce NEW plays and musicals about people of color (and strong women, and trans people, etc.), rather than rejiggering old shows that were never intended to be cast that way and don't make any sense when they are -- for example, the current "South Pacific" at Paper Mill Playhouse, with a black performer in the role of Lt. Cable.

R59, Jeff Calhoun is also in the WHOREHOUSE movie.

........

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[quote] the current "South Pacific" at Paper Mill Playhouse, with a black performer in the role of Lt. Cable.

Goodspeed, not Paper Mill.

Rob Ashford is busy in Chicago fucking up Jason Robert Brown's musical of "Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil".

Thanks, R73. Dumb mistake on my part.

[quote]Rob Ashford is busy in Chicago fucking up Jason Robert Brown's musical of "Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil".

Damn! I didn't realize he's directing that show. What a bright red flag that is.

I'm very surprised that anyone would hand him any new musical to direct, as opposed to a revival. Some of his revivals did well at the box office (because of start casting or whatever), even if his work on them was piss poor.

What exactly is the story of Rob Ashford and Charlie Williams?

R68 the two possibilities are not mutually exclusive—both work.

[quote]That's your perspective, [R57]. Others, including August Wilson, would say it's a far greater contribution to the theater to write and produce NEW plays and musicals about people of color (and strong women, and trans people, etc.), rather than rejiggering old shows that were never intended to be cast that way and don't make any sense when they are.

R68 Not to mention that colorblind casting is NOT one-size-fits-all.

Just because it works for some shows like INTO THE WOODS, which takes place in a magical fairyland where anything goes, does not mean it will work in plays set in a specific time and place like MY FAIR LADY (1913 London) or CAROUSEL (1870s Maine).

Even today Maine is around 95% white.

Wow, r79 genuinely suggesting minorities shouldn't even be allowed to be cast in certain shows.

R79 can go fuck himself six ways to Sunday

Kitara Ravache IS Miss Mona.

R39- De La Guarda had people pushing the crowd around and I believe they did well. Off Broadway at that.

That was well managed. No pushing

Erm, black people can still hate Asians or Polynesians. Haven’t you ever seen Do The Right Thing? Being black doesn’t mean you can’t be racist or homophobic or transphobic. Minorities are actually quite bad at synthesising their own experience into empathy for others. There is, in fact, a country made up of almost entirely immigrants…who currently hate immigrants. Most just like two or three generations removed from the immigrant experience.

I also heard that G&D won't transfer from London, but for a different reason—that there isn't a space on Broadway that can be reconfigured for this production. Of course, the reasons cited above could also be true. My info came from a friend who was told by Frank Loesser's daughter.

The Bridge Theatre is a great space for that staging, in every way. And moving it to a Broadway theatre, in Times Square, could make it seem really kitschy.

R78, both work in your opinion, but not in my opinion or that of August Wilson.

But that wasn’t the entirety of Wilson’s view, was it? No, it wasn’t.

[quote]Erm, black people can still hate Asians or Polynesians. Haven’t you ever seen Do The Right Thing? Being black doesn’t mean you can’t be racist or homophobic or transphobic.

Yes, BUT Lt. Cable in SOUTH PACIFIC is supposed to be from a rich Philadelphia mainline family, plus he's a marine officer as part of the racially segregated armed forces that existed during World War II. The character makes zero sense if he's not a lily white, upper class, blue-blood American. He even has a song about that, "My Girl Back Home," which was cut from the original production of SP but restored for the movie and for some recent stage revivals.

So, although what you wrote in your post is very true as far as it goes, it's completely beside the point of my post.

[quote]the current "South Pacific" at Paper Mill Playhouse, with a black performer in the role of Lt. Cable.

And this still manages to shock you? Do you ever actually go to the theater?

R81, considering that this particular piece of casting (actually at Goodspeed, not Paper Mill, my mistake) makes less than zero sense for that character in a story that's largely about racism......yes, it still shocks me. As it would shock you if you had any sensitivity as to what SOUTH PACIFIC is all about.

R57 It's not colorblind unless white people can be cast in black roles.

And I really don't want to see Show Boat with a black Magnolia and a white Joe.

[quote]yes, it still shocks me. As it would shock you if you had any sensitivity as to what SOUTH PACIFIC is all about.

So you're both racist and dumb? Got it.

R95, if you're so much smarter than I am, please explain to me as if a were an idiot how the character of Lt. Cable in SOUTH PACIFIC makes any sense whatsoever when played by a black performer. And please be sure that includes an explanation of how such casting works with the major plot point that Cable gives up the native girl he loves because there's no way he could ever marry her and take her back to his white bread, mainline family in Philadelphia.

R90 rehashing old threads…drop it we know the argument…

Will nothing shut you two up? Go get a room already.

Overheard in Times Square: “You know what I saw last night? A new play about Nancy Pelosi. It’s got Holland Taylor in it. Very good, only 90 minutes. It’s at the Mitze Gaynor Theater.”

Yes, R99. It’s called “N/A” and the characters are Nancy Pelosi and AOC.

At the Gaynor!

Sarah Brightman has not performed in SB for the past two weeks. I guess she read her reviews.

[quote]Sarah Brightman has not performed in SB for the past two weeks.

What? Really, r102?

R103 Her alternate mentioned on instagram that she just finished 15 Norma's in a row.

Well, there's obviously a story there...so where is it?

[quote]It’s called “N/A” and the characters are Nancy Pelosi and AOC.

Where does Mitzi Gaynor fit in?

This just got uploaded. It’s the cut title song from Enchanted. James Marsden is adorable and Adele Dazeem, well, here’s further proof why she was far more effective as a voice artist for Disney and not on camera talent.

I honestly feel a little bad for Sarah Brightman. She's had a massively successful post-Phantom concert / recording career that I don't think anyone could have predicted. Perhaps if ALW were a kinder man, he would have diplomatically convinced her not to take this on -- knowing her obvious limitations as an actress and singer.

N/A was fine. I wasn’t bored but I doubt I’ll remember it in 6 months.

I was worried that Holland Taylor was going to forget her lines though. 82 years old and all that dialogue in a 2 person play. She was great though. Very arthritic hands.

Saw the Welkin as well. Strange play but Sandra Oh was great.

Another rave for TITANIC. I gave up my membership (primo orchestra seats) a few years back when Lear took over, but have recently bought singles for everything but MATTRESS. I'm a Sutton-phobe.) Jelly was great and TITANIC was up there with the best. Gather some of the most phenomenal theatre voices the world, hire an enormous, splendid orchestra, and stage the whole thing with taste, economy, and intelligence, and you have a superb evening. Should be recorded.

Signature Theatre in Arlington VA did a pretty interestingly staged Titanic in 2016. Eric Schaeffer has/had many issues as a director beyond the harassment issues that brought him down, but that production had a fantastic physical production. Especially when the ship sank. It went to Korea, but Broadway plans seemed stalled even before the allegations against Schaeffer.

I’ve been listening to the OBC recording of Titanic since seeing the Encores production. It’s actually quite a beautiful score.

R110, I agree with you about the musical excellence of the Encores! TITANIC, but didn't you find that some of the acting was quite poor? I'm thinking particularly of Chuck Cooper -- I did not understand what he was trying to do with that characterization -- but also Brandon Uranowitz and some of the others.

I want to see a production of Titanic where the stage remains stationary and the audience seats move.

I felt for Uranowitz. It's such a two dimensional role. You get so tired of him halfway through the first act. I thought Cooper did as good a job as anyone could with the Captain. Brought a lot more to it than was there. And I know I'm in the minority, but I find Still a bore, no matter who is singing it. No offence to the great Kuhn and Zien.

Agreed about the role of Ismay. I thought what Cooper brought to the Captain was absolutely not what that role should be, and I usually love his performances.

I love Brandon Uranowitz. He was exceptional in LEOPOLDSTADT.

Who remembers this crazy TITANIC in water at the Serenbe Playhouse before it collapsed and went out of business?

I think the quibbles about Uranowitz and Cooper were just that . . . quibbles. I didn't think it was perfection, and Cooper's miscasting wasn't ruinous. But seeing him hug his children at the curtain call a(t least last night) made it all better. The telegraph scene for one, with Karmiloo and Alex Joseph Grayson was exquisite..

PS. I agree that "Still" is a mediocre song.

Did anyone know (of) this guy? I went to school with him and had no idea he’d left corporate America to become a Broadway producer. I also didn’t know he was gay if in fact, he was.

That Signature Theatre production of TITANIC that R111 mentioned was terrific. I thought that the set worked much better than Broadway.

[quote]I’ve been listening to the OBC recording of Titanic since seeing the Encores production. It’s actually quite a beautiful score.

I know that it won the Tony as best musical and ran for two years, but I've always thought that "Titanic" was a vastly underrated show. Much of the score is gorgeous. As he did with "1776," Peter Stone wrote a book that managed to hold your interest despite its foregone conclusion.

The original Titanic production, though it did ok at the box office and won Best Musical, really suffered from poor production values and a chaotic preview period. Some of it is referenced in David Loud’s excellent memoir, Facing the Music, because he was music directing Steel Pier (also in previews) across the street. Both shows suffered from not having an out of town tryout.

Strangely, Titanic retained the feel of a failure even though it ran two years and had a national tour. But much of the material is incredibly thrilling.

Has Lindsey had her baby yet? I assume she will be out of the show until it closes.

I largely agree with you about the TITANIC score, R122, but not about the book. In his day, Peter Stone was one of the greatest musical theater book writers and screenwriters of all time, but the work his did in the final stretch of his life and career was......not the best. And that definitely includes TITANIC and his rewrite of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN.

[quote]Strangely, Titanic retained the feel of a failure even though it ran two years and had a national tour.

Well, that's very much a matter of opinion, isn't it? Whereas I would say that, obviously, STEEL PIER definitely retained the feeling of a failure.

[quote]Has Lindsey had her baby yet? I assume she will be out of the show until it closes. h

Oh, yes, let's PLEASE get back to the topic of how many performances Lindsay is missing. I can't get enough of it!

R127, if you don't think a leading performer in a Broadway show having more than 70 unscheduled absences during the course of a seven-month run (so far) isn't worthy of continued discussion, what would YOU like to focus on that you consider more important?

It has gotten nothing but continued discussion, R128. And then some. And it's become tiresome.

I'm with you, r129.

[quote]It has gotten nothing but continued discussion, [R128]. And then some. And it's become tiresome.

But the reason R124 brought up the subject again is that they realize Mendez is now in the advanced stages of pregnancy, so they're naturally wondering if she's going to be out of the show through the closing. A very natural and reasonable question, not just rehashing of her many absences thus far.

So, R129 you and your friend at R130 can just please shut up.

[quote]they're naturally wondering

[quote]A very natural and reasonable question

Naturally.

Look, you can discuss whether Mendez will be out of the show due to her impending pregnancy until the cows come home, but... how do you expect anyone here to give you any kind of answer? The producers have never been transparent about her schedule in advance, so why would they start now with only a handful of remaining performances?

Mendez is WONDERFUL in the show, by the way, but you're unlikely to see a major production of Merrily again in many of our lifetimes, so if you're itching to see it (and can afford to), just go!

[quote]I want to see a production of Titanic where the stage remains stationary and the audience seats move.

Wasn't that the original London production of Cats?

R134. I sat in the section of seats that revolved at Cats and it was a trip! I remember signs posted in the theatre that said something like 'No one will be seated while the audience is in motion.'.

[quote]Look, you can discuss whether Mendez will be out of the show due to her impending pregnancy until the cows come home, but... how do you expect anyone here to give you any kind of answer? The producers have never been transparent about her schedule in advance, so why would they start now with only a handful of remaining performances?

You're absolutely right that the producers have never been transparent about her schedule and her absences, but it's not crazy to think that they might possibly begin to be more communicative (or, rather, to stop lying) about all of that now that Mendez is in a more advanced stage of pregnancy and the show is closing in a few weeks. Also, now that the Tony awards are over and Mendez did not win. True that it's very unlikely anyone here would be able to give an answer on that, but it's possible that someone might have inside information, and anyway, posters here often ask questions that can't be definitively answered.

I told you all Lindsay Mendez would never win. Lots of naysayers.

Some might say you were the naysayer, r137.

I was right, R138. You can call me whatever you want.

How about the MERRILY producers spend their energy hiring a really talented understudy/standby for Mendez - someone who comes closer to matching Mendez's TONY-nomination-worthy performance - than the mediocre understudy they now have? Given that Mendez will be missing a lot of performances because of her pregnancy, I'm sure some A/B-list performers would be willing to step in knowing that they would be on for many performances in a TONY-winning musical.

[quote]I was right, [R138]. You can call me whatever you want.

Believe me, r139...we do.

r140

If the producers weren't worried about that before, I doubt they are with less than 2 weeks left

R140. Call me!

Sadly, R142 has hit the nail on the head.

I know she's already quite large but she's not due until the Fall, October I think. Women can work in their second trimester without calling out.

Can't someone just start a Lindsay Mendez thread? Or is there nothing else to discuss?

Other women, R145. This one apparently couldn't, or wouldn't, keep to her work schedule even at the beginning of her first trimester.

Lindsey being out just means Jon and Dan can have more fuck sessions before or after the show.

Why would that be the case, r148?

Did she usually observe?

[quote]Can't someone just start a Lindsay Mendez thread? Or is there nothing else to discuss?

Oh, let's *do* discuss Beanie or Sara Porkalob.

Tonys Work Their Magic On Broadway:

Really happy that “Stereophonic” has a big advance sale and grossed over a million last week.

Astonishing that “The Great Gatsby” is making $1.3 mil. I guess Jeremy Jordan is a Broadway star. Where did his following come from? I remember liking him in “Smash,” but that was ages ago. If it didn’t have a $35 million set to pay off (per Patti Lupone in her Australian TV interview) it would probably make it’s money back and be a hit. What will this do to the rival version, which must have expected a fast close?

[quote]Lindsey being out just means Jon and Dan can have more fuck sessions before or after the show.

It's Lindsay with an A, not Lindsey with an E . . .

[quote] What will this do to the rival version, which must have expected a fast close?

Jordan Roth can save his $$$ for more couture dresses.

[quote]Astonishing that “The Great Gatsby” is making $1.3 mil. I guess Jeremy Jordan is a Broadway star. Where did his following come from? I remember liking him in “Smash,” but that was ages ago.

I have the same question, and I'm equally astonished as you are at this lousy show's success. The design elements are wonderful (they should be, for all that money), but most of the casting of the leads is way off, and the score is from hunger.

The stage door line was super long the 2 nights I walked past it to my hotel... It surprised me as well

I imagine most of the success of The Great Gatsby is it's a familiar romantic title that people (think they) know and there's the promise of extravagant and sumptuous sets and costumes, so buyers think they're getting their money's worth. The reliability factor when tickets are expensive.

I really don't think Jeremy has much to do with it. I'd bet when he takes a vacation it won't affect the box office.

And I think that other Gatsby would be wise to wait a few years before coming to Broadway, no matter how good it might be.

‘The Who’s Tommy’ Sets Broadway Closing Date:

Wait. Why is Patti LuPone the source on production costs of Gatsby?

I'm no fan of TOMMY, haven't seen it. But can't imagine why it didn't catch on when so much dreck continues to run.

[quote]I imagine most of the success of The Great Gatsby is it's a familiar romantic title that people (think they) know and there's the promise of extravagant and sumptuous sets and costumes, so buyers think they're getting their money's worth. The reliability factor when tickets are expensive. I really don't think Jeremy has much to do with it. I'd bet when he takes a vacation it won't affect the box office.

I agree with your first point, and I think that's a very astute analysis. I would also add that the mass audience just doesn't have good enough taste in music and lyrics to realize who horrible the GATSBY score is. But I don't agree with you about Jordan, we'll have to wait and see what happens when he takes a vacation.

WaPo puts the Gatsby cap at $25 million

Lots of people never miss a Scott Fitzgerald musical.

[quote]Wait. Why is Patti LuPone the source on production costs of Gatsby?

Is this your first day on Earth? Patti LuPone has never been shy about giving her opinion on anything, whether stated opinion makes sense or not.

What happened to the 2019 revival of Kiss Me, Kate? Was it is limited run or was it that bad that it only ran a few months?

[quote]What happened to the 2019 revival of Kiss Me, Kate?

First, it was a Roundabout production. The only decent shows they produce are the imports that have been successful elsewhere.

Roundabout’s model is to hire name actors and put them in roles they are not suited to.

Hence, Kelli O’Hara as Lilli in Kiss Me Kate. She was wrong for the role. Think Kristin Chenoweth as Evita level of wrongness.

I'm spacing on his last name but Will Whoever as Fred opposite Kelli was just as unsuitable for the material as she was. And directed By Scott Ellis.....need I say more?

That would be Will Chase. Formerly the love of Deb Messing.

It was Will Chase. She got a Tony nom, he didn’t. I saw his understudy, who was a good singer and handsome but also too young to know how to make the role work.

It certainly wasn’t the worst thing Roundabout has done, and I thought Kelli was fine, but it was mostly just a pleasant evening.

I see that near the end, Richard Kind acted opposite John Pankow as the two gangsters. I'll bet that was fun.

So I loved the production of CATS downtown at the Perelman Arts Center. The drag ball concept is inspired, and I especially enjoyed when the well-muscled cat stripped down to his jockstrap and walked the runway. I wonder what famously prudish T.S. Eliot would have thought of that! I just read Jesse Green's grudging sort-of-rave for the production, and I was stumped by the last sentences in his review: "But as happens occasionally, the right idea can transform the wrong material. If "Cats: The Jellicle Ball" has managed a Grizabella turn, reincarnating itself in fabulousness, do not expect an 18-year run or, pardon me, copycat productions. It's a lightning strike: not now and forever but now and once."

WTF does that mean? With the popularity of drag and public knowledge of drag balls due to shows like Pose, I could see this production being staged all over the world. It definitely will give Cats a new life. I guess Green thought he was being clever trashing the Cats tagline of "now and forever," but he just comes off like an asshole.

The whole drag thing has peaked hasn't it?

I’m surprised Andrew Lloyd Webber approved the drag ball concept. But then again, he’s like Sondheim and let’s his material be u$ed in the mo$t unde$irable way$.

Seems like drag queens have better things to do. Plus, aren’t they all actors? So it’s twice-removed; no cats, no drag queens.

Also, the longevity of the original productions was about sex for furries. Drag queens don’t hold the same appeal, at least for furries.

Do anyone Find out if Sarah brightman really missed two weeks of performances in Sunset?

^^^and Kelli wasn't the only one miscast in that awful KMK. Will Chase was also all wrong for the male lead. And the whole thing was badly directed.

P.S. It has always been pretty easy for Roundabout to save face when they produce a show, because virtually all of their productions are announced as "limited runs," even when a hard end date isn't given. So if the show is a hit, they can extend and convert to a production contract, and if the show is not a hit, they can just close at the end of the "limited run." But when a show is so bad and does so poorly at the box office that they barely make it through the limited run, then they're embarrassed -- for example, BYE BYE BIRDIE and THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE.

R175. Her alternate posted on Instagram that she just finished playing 12 Norma's in a row and she's on, again, this week (so far).

R177

Wonder what’s going on or is she taking notes from Lindsay?

Serious question, does someone like LM get paid when she calls out? Do they get sick days?

Interesting

With that voice of hers, she should to a remake of LucyMAME.

r175 In the thread about the production, someone linked to the article (paywalled so Archive link) which confirms it, with producers claiming she is recovering from a torn calf muscle. Also says no announcement is made until right before the curtain rises.

Other posters in that thread said other cast members have also skipped performances.

R180. Since Hunter Foster is directing, will Jen Cody play Desiree or Charlotte?

can you imagine the back and forth between Sarah and management?

" I don't care if we have Max von Mayerling push you around in a fucking wheelchair Sarah, ....you're going on tonight .......we're not losing any more money on this turkey..."

Well, she ain't playing Anne.

[quote]In the thread about the production, someone linked to the article (paywalled so Archive link) which confirms it, with producers claiming she is recovering from a torn calf muscle.

Sounds like the "broken foot" that felled Tommy Tune during BUSKER ALLEY and led to the closing of that show out of town.

R183

I assumed sally struthers would play Madame armfeldt

Back off Sally, you bitch.

If Sally Struthers was playing Madame Armfeldt, then it would make perfect sense to cast Cuddles Cody as Desiree.

I can't imagine any KMK production that is more than just a pleasant evening. Love the score, bored by the show.

Jennifer Holliday's I'm Still Here. She's more restrained than usual but the tempo is way too slow. I know she has her cadre of fanatics but I think this is horrible.

That Night Music is presumably the one that was in New Jersey. Kate Baldwin and her husband as Desiree/Fredrik, Michele Pawk and John Dossett’s son as Henrik. No liebesleiders.

[quote] No liebesleiders.

Then why bother?

I thought that was a thrilling take on I’m Still Here, managing to make feel personal and fresh without significantly changing the music. Far better than Baranski or Burnett. Yes, she is far from perfect on the lyrics and the backphrasing screws up some of the jokes, but that is a star turn from beginning to end. Sondheim would have loved it.

R194 because of the tempo Sondheim would have hated it.

He didn’t seem to mind when Elaine Stritch turned Liaisons into a 7 minute song.

[quote]Sounds like the "broken foot" that felled Tommy Tune during BUSKER ALLEY and led to the closing of that show out of town.

Let’s roll out some gossip from that show.

Tommy’s understudy was a fuck buddy of his, so he wasn’t entirely prepared. So at one performance, Tommy hobbled out on crutches and sang and acted while the understudy danced. 😂

But that show was a mess and they kept messing with it, scrapping scenes, writing new scenes. The title was changed three times!

[quote] That would be Will Chase. Formerly the love of Deb Messing.

And father of the abortion bloat baby.

r191 agree

[quote]He didn’t seem to mind when Elaine Stritch turned Liaisons into a 7 minute song.

He let Stritch replace because she kept calling him ten times a day and begging for work. Think about it, there were five other actresses that were more suitable for that role.

[quote]Jennifer Holliday's I'm Still Here. She's more restrained than usual but the tempo is way too slow. I know she has her cadre of fanatics but I think this is horrible.

Christ, that was bad. I’m Still Here isn’t a bump and grind song. Was this her audition for one of the strippers in Audra Gypsy?

And who orchestrated that? The piano is too intrusive with those runs.

Should be more like I’m Still Here But Barely. But there will always be dizzy queens that wildly applaud poor performances like fraus at a kindergarten dance recital.

R201

I was there and did not understand the rapturous applause… I thought it was mediocre at best … way too slow

I'm Still Here and I'm Not Goin'!

Jennifer stepped in when Miss Lake Dardanelle had a scheduling issue.

R201 Holy shit, that's it. Jennifer replaces Audra in Gypsy and then her fans will opine that her Rose's Turn is the greatest ever. Dl'ers can stop talking about Lindsay missing performances and refocus on Jennifer and we can remind everyone how bad her attendance was in Dreamgirls.

Never forget

"Yes, she is far from perfect on the lyrics and the backphrasing screws up some of the jokes, but that is a star turn from beginning to end. Sondheim would have loved it."

Not getting the lyrics right and screwing up his jokes would make Sondheim furious.

Considering that performers from Yvonne de Carlo to Elaine Stritch have repeatedly screwed up the lyrics, he’ll have to get over it. It’s the magic of live performance. Besides, he always loved and forgave stars excerpt for Patti LuPone.

I loved it. I think Sondheim would’ve loved to hear this sung with such vocal authority.

She screws up the lyric at the end doesn’t she? When she repeats the “black sable” line? But I loved it. For what I’m sure was an under-rehearsed concert performance, she delivered a moment. Plus, she was like 21 when she did Dreamgirls and has faced a lot of professional challenges and she is one of the most gracious and strongest allies we have - and she’s STILL HERE. And in great voice. Good for her.

The pace is so wrong. The whole point of the song is that even through all the hellish events of the last few years, it's sung with that devil-may-care sway.

Turning it into a church dirge is not anything positive. Though the queeny stans will undoubtedly declare that JH "ate and left no crumbs."

Let's get back to the OBC of Follies. Why did Sondheim allow Alexis Smith's Phyllis to pronounce Chagall as shi-GAL?

Sondheim probably didn’t notice because he was so disconsolate about the cuts that had to made to all the other songs to fit them on one album. Maybe Hal Prince’s worst mistake ever, awarding the Follies album to Capitol Records without requiring that it be a double album.

They seem to be selling tix to the upcoming GYPSY on Christmas Day. Aren't theaters usually dark on Christmas? I'm surprised family gal Audra would perform then.

R210, that hasn’t been true since Burnett’s concert performance in the mid-‘80s.

The whole point of the song is the power of a woman to persevere over decades of challenges through reinvention and choices made to benefit her own self-preservation. It’s about longevity not tempo.

Yours is a very superficial reading of the song, the performer and the performance.

R214 Your post defies logic, context and any history of the song.

Burnett's performance may have been a few beats slower, but it wasn't the slumbering tempo of Holliday's version.

This was done in a concert performance, where a number of songs were rendered with questionable choices: Beth Leavel's over-the-top Could I Leave You, Adriane Lenox's much-too-young Broadway Baby, A Lucy&Jessie without dancing, etc. Holiday's take was pure theatrics—out of place in a full production, but a tour de force here, and a real crowd-pleaser. If they were looking for verisimilitude,, why have such a gigantic backup chorus ?

It honestly didn’t feel as slow in person. It was one of the highlights of the night and the crowd was really with her all the way through.

Agreed that Christine Ebersole was exceptional perhaps giving one of the definitive renditions of “In Buddy’s Eyes.”

I still have PTSD from Carol Burnett's version of "I'm Still Here."

[quote]It honestly didn’t feel as slow in person.

It didn't feel slow to you, but it sure felt ludicrously slow to some of us. I would say that includes Holliday herself, who was definitely pushing ahead of the tempo in certain sections. I got the idea that she belatedly realized the tempo had been set way too slow, but by that point it was too late for her to do anything about it without stopping and starting over.

Christian Borle To Play Jim Bakker In Broadway’s ‘Tammy Faye’ Musical, Replacing Andrew Rannells:

[quote]I still have PTSD from Carol Burnett's version of "I'm Still Here."

What? You didn't like her comic bump on "I've gotten through Herbert and J. Edgar Hoo-woo-ver?"

Rumor has it that they wanted Carol for Hattie/Broadway Baby. She said it was "I'm Still Here" or nothing. So the wussies gave in and let her mess it up. It was a terrible decision, because this concert version was the first staging in NYC since the original, so there was a massive expectation that it would show off the score and draw interest in a Broadway revival. But because of Carol Burnett, we did not see a revival until the new millennium.

I still want to know what terrible thing happened to Carol in Bev Or Lee Hills.

"But because of Carol Burnett, we did not see a revival until the new millennium."

Oh, R221 -- you can't be serious. The '85 concert -- love it or hate it or anything in between -- was rapturously received both as a live event and as an album. It may well have played a role in the 1987 London revision's happening.

[quote] It may well have played a role in the 1987 London revision's happening.

Which did not spark any interest in a Broadway revival.

And what is the reasoning that Carol Burnett was responsible for stopping producers from bankrolling a show that costs a fortune, is difficult to pull off, and almost always loses money? Her single song was responsible for that?

[quote]And what is the reasoning that Carol Burnett was responsible for stopping producers from bankrolling a show that costs a fortune, is difficult to pull off, and almost always loses money? Her single song was responsible for that?

When Carol did that comic "Hoo-woo-ver" bump, you could hear the Widow Goldman say: "Jesus! Let's ice this turkey until we can find a generation that can sing it."

R221 is trying to be the gossip girl of his ward and talking complete nonsense. Within two years of the concert there was a fully-staged, no expense spared West End production from Cameron MacIntosh that was a financial disaster. That, more than anything, put the stake in the heart of a Broadway revival for about 25 years. When the whole USP of your show is “it costs a fortune and has never made money” you’re not exactly going to have investors lining up.

And also the whole point of the concert recording was to do justice to a score that had been poorly recorded and horribly edited. It was for posterity and to give life to a landmark show that had been poorly preserved and documented.

Lindsay Mendez must be so glad we’re talking about Follies again.

Mostly true, R227, except of course that the first Broadway revival came "only" 14 years after the London FOLLIES opened. (Cue the usual Datalounge idiocy about Blythe Danner's performance, which in fact was mostly glorious.)

Oh but the Paper Mill production wasn’t…expensive, was it?

I've long been a Carol in Follies naysayer, but somewhere there is a recorded interview with SS in which he praises her lavishly and indicates he was a longtime fan. So I suspect he gave his happy approval to her appearance.

[quote]Christian Borle To Play Jim Bakker In Broadway’s ‘Tammy Faye’ Musical, Replacing Andrew Rannells:

Kitara Ravache IS Jessica Hahn!

At least Carol didn't do her Tarzan yell.

[quote](Cue the usual Datalounge idiocy about Blythe Danner's performance, which in fact was mostly glorious.)

Not on the night *I* saw her, r228.

Tammy Faye Baker needs to be played by a woman of color!!

MARY!

ETHEL!

Carol Burnett was indeed miscast in FOLLIES, but so were several of the other leads and supporting players.

P.S. Another version of the "I'm Still Here" story I've heard is that the song was originally earmarked for Stritch until those involved realized she simply could not sing the high notes at the end of the song in a way that would have been remotely acceptable to the audience. And yes, I know she did the song years later in concert, which proved my point.

I wonder if Samuel D. Hunter's Little Bear Ridge Road will head to Braodway this season? Hunter is due for his Bway debut.

Wow, the Chicago Reader review is a rave.

The transfer of THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA to Broadway will include most of the original London cast. I'm really glad because I reluctantly saw the production on the West End (at the recommendation of a Broadway company manager who was visiting), and it was terrific. For those who don't know, it's a story about a Mama Rose-type character trying to get her daughters into show business. At one point, she's forced to make a Sophie's Choice decision that surprises and upsets the audience. The play takes place over 20+ years, and the outstanding actress Laura Donnelly plays both the hardened mother and her grown daughter. Donnelly is married to the author of the play, Jez Butterworth.

And, no, it does not take place in California.

THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA

I want to see this before Meryl Streep ruins the movie version.

Adam Lambert rumored to replace Eddie Redmayne in Cabaret.

Well, I saw The Hills of California in the West End and thought it was highly mediocre. The play and the production, with a very wanting female lead (in both her roles), even if the playwright wrote it for her. I'll be very curious to see how it's all received on Broadway.

Has Andrew Rannells fired his agent yet? Not necessarily a fan, but could he have been more perfect casting for smarmy Jim Bakker?

What could that recasting of Jim mean, do you think? Neither name sells tickets.

Christ, can we please have a moratorium on Samuel D. Hunter?

Though most have probably forgotten R159’s question I will answer it. Patti LuPone was interviewed by an Australian morning show in preparation for her concert appearance in Sydney, and in the course of the conversation mentioned that she was a Tony voter this year, and that after attending a performance of “The Great Gatsby,” she went out with a cast member who evidently told her how expensive the set was and LuPone talked about how idiotic it was to spend that kind of money on a set.

Whether she exaggerated the amount, who knows? Whether $25 or $35 million it’s too much for a fucking set.

Hunter's Broadway debut should have been for Case for the Existence of God.

I suspect Rannells’ agent got out over their skies in terms of negotiation? Rannells did do the Almeida production which couldn’t have paid much and for which he was Olivier-nominated so maybe he rightly expected a better pay day for the B’way production? You say he doesn’t sell tickets but his show with Josh Gad had a good run and that was definitely sold on their names. Plus he is perfect casting as a musical Jim Bakker, it could even be said he makes a very unsavoury character palatable.

It’s not like it was going to have a long run anyway and he was the only name, aside from Elton John, associated with it.

At least now we know Borle won't be Audra's Herbie.

r246 Well given the entire capitalisation was $25 million, the set alone clearly didn't cost that much. Cue shock at the idea that actors don't understand the business aspect of their own industry.

The 2024 Jimmy Awards on youtube

stream ends june 27

[quote]Well given the entire capitalisation was $25 million, the set alone clearly didn't cost that much. Cue shock at the idea that actors don't understand the business aspect of their own industry.

The cost of the GATSBY set that I had heard was $13 million, which of course is still beyond insane.

R248, when R244 wrote "What could that recasting of Jim mean, do you think? Neither name sells tickets," I assumed he was referring to Borle and the woman who's playing Tammy Faye, not to Borle and Rannells.

All roads lead back to Follies…

This is quite a lovely short film about a German production (not to be confused with the one a few years ago which was set in Dresden following reunification). It’s been in rep in Wiesbaden since October and closes tonight. It stars the fabulous Pia Douwes as Sally and yes, a Black gal (Andrea Baker) as Stella.

‘Boop! The Betty Boop Musical’ Sets 2025 Broadway Opening:

I wonder if there is drama between Andrew and Christian. They were close friends during Falsettos…but I can’t imagine Andrew being happy that Christian took the role after they producers wouldn’t pay him what he wanted

R256. I hope Christian at least sent him a note!

[quote] I can’t imagine Andrew being happy that Christian took the role after they producers wouldn’t pay him what he wanted

Why? No one said Borle got what Rannells asked for. Should Rannells expect the production to close because he wasn't paid what he felt he deserved?

Why would Rannells mind that Borle accepted a role for less money than he would? Perhaps Borle needs the money more than Rannells does.

Borle is not a good choice for Jim Bakker.

Evan Cabnet Named Artistic Director Of Broadway’s Second Stage, Taking Over For Departing Founder Carole Rothman:

Corey Cott, yes.

Corey Stoll, no thank you.

R258, Is this another Audrey vs. Julie?

Borle not a good choice for anything.

Many people, including Kevin Kline, feel that Christian Borle is a great musical theater comic actor. You're entitled to your opinion, R264, but you might want to consider that maybe you have no taste and no sense of humor.

Whatever else he's done, I saw Borle in both Little Me and Me and My Girl at dress rehearsal at Encores, and with not a whole lot of rehearsals, he was brilliant both times.

[quote]I can’t imagine Andrew being happy that Christian took the role after they producers wouldn’t pay him what he wanted

I nominate this statement as one of the stupidest ever posted on DL. Are there any other nominees, or should we just give R256 the prize?

P.S. Although I've very much enjoyed Andrew Rannells in parts that he has been well suited for, I think he's extremely limited in range as far as that goes, so although I have no idea what the deal was for TAMMY FAYE, I think maybe he should have taken it.

R267 would you be happy if you worked on a project for years and then the producers shit on you at the last minute, forcing you to walk away from a project that you put your time and energy in…only for a close friend to take role and the reap the rewards? (Press, fame, possible award win/nominaton)

I don’t think the statement was stupid. People are thin skinned and I’m sure this is awkward

There is also the possibility that Borle got a better deal. The producers may have been more desperate after Rannells walked.

[quote]R268, of course I understand Rannells' unhappiness, but obviously, someone was going to take over the role. Are you seriously suggesting that Borle shouldn't have done so because he and Rannells were friends? ' Also, I doubt you know enough details of this story to make the judgment that the producers "shit on" Rannells. Isn't it possible that his demands were out of line with his level of stardom?

So sorry, that should have been:

[quote]Would you be happy if you worked on a project for years and then the producers shit on you at the last minute, forcing you to walk away from a project that you put your time and energy in…only for a close friend to take role and the reap the rewards? (Press, fame, possible award win/nominaton)

[R268], of course I understand Rannells' unhappiness, but obviously, someone was going to take over the role. Are you seriously suggesting that Borle shouldn't have done so because he and Rannells were friends? ' Also, I doubt you know enough details of this story to make the judgment that the producers "shit on" Rannells. Isn't it possible that his demands were out of line with his level of stardom?

Could it be, that having performed the show in London, Rannells was unhappy with it there and also disappointed in rewrites and felt the show wasn't worth his time unless he got paid a lot? And was happy to walk away from it?

It looks like they've revised the alternate schedule at Cabaret and Marty Lauter is getting more dates as the Emcee.

Andrew Rannells has never received a dime for being the obscured figure in The Book of Mormon logo.

R272, of course, that's one of several possible scenarios.

R274, are you sure that's him?

R275, He has said it’s him in interviews. What can be seen of the face sure looks like him.

It ain't zombie Dixie Dunbar.

I think what can be seen of the face does not look like him. Also, to me, that image looks more like it's an illustration generated with a computer program rather than an actual photo. But if he has said it's him, I doubt he's lying.

How can anyone look at that image and not see Andrew Rannells?

[quote]Whether she exaggerated the amount, who knows? Whether $25 or $35 million it’s too much for a fucking set.

"The Great Gatsby" started at Papermill. The set was great but they can't spend that much so maybe they redid it for Broadway and was the cost for two theatres.

Is the other Gatsby rumored to come to NY? Does it need to?

[quote]How can anyone look at that image and not see Andrew Rannells?

The only part of the image that would be remotely identifiable as Rannells is the part of the face which we can see -- the lower part -- and I don't think that part of his face (or almost anyone else's) is very distinctive. Of course, it COULD be him, but I still think the image looks more like an drawn illustration or something generated with a graphics program than an actual photo.

The image at R274 is indeed Andrew. He was one of three actors who did the initial key art photography shoot for the show.

Even at Paper Mill GATSBY had the financial backing of a Korean billionaire and a small fortune was spent on the set there so it could be quickly moved into the Broadway Theatre.

Somebody needs to ask Miss Petty LuPone how much the set cost for Sunset Boulevard. That mansion didn’t rise and lower on a Poundland budget.

Am I mentioned in David Loud's memoir?

R285. I'd like to know how much it cost to repair her dressing room at SB after she destroyed it.

[quote]I'd like to know how much it cost to repair her dressing room at SB after she destroyed it.

It took two bloody days to scrub “Fuck Glenn Close” off the wall. Where that cow got that much spray paint is a mystery.

This is how I suspect Patti's dressing room looked like, except with G's pictures and movie posters. 😂

Does this help R282?

For years, the Nederlander had the original cast of Rent painted on the door. It was long after the original cast had left. I always wondered if they got any payment for their likeness being used after they left the show.

I really don't know why any of you would doubt it was Rannells in the MORMON ad. I mean, why wouldn't it be?

As to whether he gets royalties on it, I'd seriously doubt that, but I'm sure he was paid for a modeling session in costume before rehearsals even started.

Was anyone at little night music? First thoughts?

Next time Patti LuPone whines about how Glenn Close "never called her" after the SUNSET devastation, I'd love for the interviewer to ask her whether she called Carole Demas when she took over THE BAKER'S WIFE.

[quote]but I'm sure he was paid for a modeling session in costume before rehearsals even started.

Yes, rr92, and signed all of the rights away at the time.

r295, Rannells was in no position to even be offered those rights before MORMON opened. And if he had been a bigger expensive name, then they would have used a different actor as the model for the ad.

But knowing thirsty young actors I'm sure he was flattered just to be asked to pose back then.

I know, r296, but he would have had to sign a form saying so.

R95 wants to show how tolerant he is and would cast an asian performer as Nellie. Why do people who want to declare how non racist they are end up sounding so stupid?

[quote]I really don't know why any of you would doubt it was Rannells in the MORMON ad. I mean, why wouldn't it be?

It wouldn't at all be strange or unusual if it wasn't him in that image, as models are frequently used for such purposes. And especially in this case, when half of the person's face was not included in the ad, including his eyes, there was all the more reason to think they didn't use someone from the show.

Do you think that was Marissa Jaret Winokur's face in the HAIRSPRAY ad image that was used for all those years? And remember the promo image that was used for ROCKY, the musical? That was a ridiculous example of using models rather than actors from the show.

You appear to be an idiot, R299.

Seriously? You couldn’t just look at it and tell it was Rannells?

Cynthia Erivo and Ruthie Ann Miles stole the show. Jin Ha sang a gorgeous "Silly People". Shuler Hensley was a disaster. Ron Raines fucked up the lyrics to "You Must Meet My Wife". Marsha Mason was doing "The Royal Family". The score was magnificent. The lighting sucked. The End.

R298 is like a mad dog with a bone.

We get it. Nontraditional casting has ruined theater for all time. Now please shut up.

“But the Asian faces…! They trigger my racism and I…and I can’t enjoy the theatre the way it was meant to be enjoyed. BY WHITE PEOPLE!!”

Narrator: Even though it’s all an illusion.

[quote]Cynthia Erivo and Ruthie Ann Miles stole the show.

I’m surprised Cynthia agreed to play a maid. I guess a girl’s gotta eat. Maybe she’s worried Wicked will end her career like the Cats movie did to so many actors.

R302 - Wait. "Silly People"? Why do I have no recollection of this song? Is it telling that you didn't even mention Susan Graham?

Shuler Hensley? As what? Surely not Count Carl-Magnus.

[quote]I really don't know why any of you would doubt it was Rannells in the MORMON ad. I mean, why wouldn't it be?

It's just one tedious fuckwit. Anyone who's read this thread will be able to guess what other posts they're responsible for.

This is dancer Neil Haskell from "You Think You Can Dance?" and later "Hamilton" in all the "Godspell" artwork and he wasn't in the show.

[quote]Wait. "Silly People"? Why do I have no recollection of this song? Is it telling that you didn't even mention Susan Graham?

"Silly People" was cut from "A Little Night Music" before its Broadway opening.

The whole Rannells on the poster thing was letigated years ago when it opened in the West End.

That absolutely is Bebe Neuwirth in the Wicked poster. And it’s Lucy Lawless in the one for the West End production.

[quote]I’m surprised Cynthia agreed to play a maid.

Someone needs to redo "Everybody Ought To Have a Maid" into "Every Black Girl Has To Play a Maid."

[quote] It's just one tedious fuckwit. Anyone who's read this thread will be able to guess what other posts they're responsible for.

I’m guessing it’s the racist posts

R300, insults are the refuge of people like you who are unable to engage in rational, intellectual discussion of differences of opinion.

[quote]Seriously? You couldn’t just look at it and tell it was Rannells?

If we're talking about the most frequently used MORMON image, in which the top half of the face was cut off (including the eyes) -- no, I couldn't be sure it was Rannells. Neither would I have thought it couldn't be him, but as I've noted (and provided examples), models are frequently used for these purposes, ESPECIALLY when the face is not completely recognizable.

R313. BLACK JOBS!

Thanks, R309. That's yet another example of Broadway logo art using images of models or people not in the show. Which further explains why I thought the image in the MORMON art MIGHT not be Andrew Rannells (until I saw the version of that image that included his full face and head, rather than cutting off the top half of it). And I don't consider myself a "tedious fucktwit" for thinking it MIGHT not be him (until someone provided an image that proved it was).

R316 is posting from . . .

Well, at least r316 is getting loving excellence in senior care.

Alexis thought it was her. It wasn't.

I remember for the longest time people thought that the original Broadway logo NEWSIE was Jeremy Jordan.

It resembles him and he originated Jack Kelly on Broadway.

But he confirmed that it wasn't him, and I forget who it really is.

Man, this is going to be long summer of THEATRE GOSSIP if we're already reduced to discussing poster models for shows. Have the summer rep seasons started yet? I see the Oregon Shakespeare Theatre is doing an all-female, non-binary Coriolanus.

I wonder if Tunick's reorchestrated ALNM will be recorded. I'd love to hear it, although probably not with every singer in the current version. (Has Julian Ovenden ever played Fredrik?)

Anyone else find it odd that only Sutton Foster and Michael Urie have so far been announced for ONCE UPON A MATTRESS on Broadway, when the show starts performances on August 12 and I believe starts rehearsals about three weeks from now?

Perhaps it's been reimagined as a two-person show?

There’s a production of Tally’s Folly at the Dunes Arts Theatre in Michigan City, IN that Trish Hawkins might want to review for us.

R319, see my post at R315. You all can keep insulting me, but the FACT remains that I and several other posters have given examples of show art featuring images of people who weren't actually in the show, or which were generated by graphic programs or similar.

[quote]But he confirmed that it wasn't him, and I forget who it really is.

It's veteran character actor Charles Durning.

[quote]Alexis thought it was her. It wasn't.

She would now, wouldn't she?

Here's a question: when did Evita move from the black and white head of Evita to this?

I don't know, R330, but I think it's hilarious that the image you posted is identified as the "movie poster." Although I'm not sure if Patti Lu would find it funny, or if it would send her into a rage :-)

It's the size of a standard movie poster, r331. I don't think that's a size that Broadway shows ever use.

Okay, R332, but even if that's true, it's still not a movie poster.

I'm Still Queer...

Fred Landau = Brooklyn Boy

[quote] I think it's hilarious that the image you posted is identified as the "movie poster."

They're probably not familiar with the term showcard or windowcard and just use "movie poster" as a generic term.

Hey dolls! I just got tickets to see A Little Night Music in Maine with DL fave Kathleen Turner.

Is anyone else going?

It'standard movie poster size (27" X 40"), r336. Standard window card size is 14" X 22".

I never miss a Kathleen Turner musical.

R337. I'll be there!

Whose eyes were on the CATS poster?

Whose mask is on the Phantom poster?

[quote]Whose eyes were on the CATS poster?

Since they were yellow, I’d say someone with jaundice.

R337-Who's playing Frid? Jason Momoa? Pushing a dump truck?

This was me...

Why does horrible narcissist failed chorus boy Eric Ulloa have such Main Character Energy on his Instagram?

He "wrote" a "play" centering himself in the tragedy of Sandy Hook so he could profit off their tragedy.

He posts "LATIN EXCELLENCE" on his Instagram every time someone farts.

He keeps begging us to vote for Genocide Joe

[quote]He keeps begging us to vote for Genocide Joe

Go beg for attention somewhere else, r346.

The newsie on the NEWSIES poster was a combo image of Jeremy and cast member Kyle Coffman.

[quote]Whose eyes were on the CATS poster?

Rosemary's Baby.

I’m going to be in Ogunquit in August so will definitely see “the Kathleen Turner musical.” We saw Michael Urie in The DaVinci Code last summer and quite enjoyed it.

The sultry tones of...

So curious to hear other reports from this Night Music concert. Feels like such a missed opportunity with the bad casting.

R352 the peeps on Broadway world have said that Ruthie is amazing and Cynthia sings her one song well, but other than that it’s a total misfire

[quote]He keeps begging us to vote for Genocide Joe

Go fellate an IED.

I think that Kathleen Turner is a great choice for Mme Armfeldt. She knows how to play comedy . . . her strange mishmash of accents actually fits the character . . . and for once one could believe that this woman had been an accomplished courtesan. (Hermione Gingold? Margaret Hamilton? Barbara Bryne? Elaine Stritch? Please.)

Kathleen Turner looks like the most well fed Madame Armfeldt.

[quote]The peeps on Broadway world have said that Ruthie is amazing and Cynthia sings her one song well, but other than that it’s a total misfire

Not a total misfire. There were many other wonderful moments. Also quite a few bad ones, certainly more than there should have been in a concert at this level FOLLIES also had its rough moments and disappointments, but far fewer..

R357 - tell us more! What were your personal highlights?

R303's idea of non traditional casting would include James Corden as Dolly Levi. Now why don't you join the musical remake of The Human Centipede and have your mouth sewn to his anus after a dinner at the Golden Coral. This way the shit that you're full of comes from a questionably talented star while he sings I Got Plenty of Nothing.

Oh dear god shut the fuck up

Couldn't agree more, r360.

I don't block anyone on the DL, but r359 is testing that.

[quote] [R303]'s idea of non traditional casting would include James Corden as Dolly Levi

Please. James Corden’s unwatchable in anything

Harvey Fierstein as Dolly, however, I would pay good money to see

Harvey would make a marvelous Dolly. But who would be his Vandergelder?

R263, maybe Lea DeLaria or Murray Hill?

[quote] We saw Michael Urie in The DaVinci Code last summer and quite enjoyed it.

There's a gay character in The Da Vinci Code?

Sean Hayes

David Merrick said he wanted to cast Jack Benny as Dolly. Instead he signed Phyllis Diller because they wanted someone more masculine.

Corden is not to everyone's taste, but he was fantastic in One Man, Two Guvnors (a marathon of a role) and The History Boys.

Thanks, R368. And I still wish that the FORUM revival had happened instead of his talk show.

[quote]Harvey Fierstein as Dolly, however, I would pay good money to see

That makes one of us. I don't have to see him do it to know exactly how he'd do it. And to hear him croaking out those songs? No thanks.

WHET Memphis’ Montego Glover?

[quote] Harvey would make a marvelous Dolly. But who would be his Vandergelder?

Jane Lynch

Montego just showed up as one of the judges at this year's Jimmy Awards...

No nothing was good about the history boys! They turn to the audience and speak in the third person! It's lazy. Like James Corden that's how he got so fat.

[quote]No nothing was good about the history boys! They turn to the audience and speak in the third person! It's lazy.

They certainly didn't do that at all times throughout the show, there was also lots of dialogue among the characters. Also, many plays feature direct address to the audience.

Obscure question about "76 Trombones." I was just listening to the Hugh Jackman version (not on purpose -- it was on the SiriusXM Broadway channel) and I noticed that he pronounced "Creatore" like the English word "creator." The person being referenced (Giuseppe Creatore) was Italian, and presumably pronounced his surname, kree-uh-TORE-ay, but of course that wouldn't fit with the music. But every version I've heard before always pronounced it KREE-uh-tor. Obviously neither is correct -- unless one of them was an accepted American pronunciation of his name at the time.

Thoughts?

[quote]The person being referenced (Giuseppe Creatore) was Italian, and presumably pronounced his surname, kree-uh-TORE-ay, but of course that wouldn't fit with the music.

Not fitting with the music is not an issue, as the name is spoken as part of a section of dialogue in "76 Trombones," not sung. I'm surprised you made that error when you've obviously spent some time listening to and thinking about this.

P.S. I've always assumed the way Preston pronounced it, "KREE-uh-tor," was just an Americanized pronunciation of the Italian name. But the way Jackman pronounces it, to rhyme with the English word "creator," sounds really stupid.

[quote]you've obviously spent some time listening to and thinking about this

One of the saddest things I have ever read in my long, long, long, long life.

The Wikipedia article you linked to gives the pronunciation as " ˈkriːətɔːr ", which is probably what it was changed to when he became popular in America, and how Harold Hill would pronounce it. The abstract for the article at the link says the name was pronounced as either 'CREE-ah-tore' or as 'CREE-ah-tore-ay."

[r375] no a thoroughly lazy way to end a play is to have the characters break the fourth wall and narrate their demise

In 1902 father built a house

Once upon a time...

Thank you R380. It's also a lazy and cost-efficient way to wrap up a screenplay too.

…money was raised to build a tomb, a monument to Evita…and Evita’s body disappeared for seventeen years.

This play is called "Our Town." The day is May 7, 1901. The time is just before dawn.

(Clara’s orgasm)

A smart Harold Hill could use the Ialaine and watch the River city ladies swoon

Yes, it is Marisa Winokur and the Hairspray poster. Not a doubt

Italian

Robert Preston just made the role look so easy. Like Roz did with Auntie Mame. When the role fits like a glove, it fits like a glove.

R389

Was there lots of outcry when roz didn’t do the musical mame? Was she even considered?

[quote]Was there lots of outcry when roz didn’t do the musical mame?

No because she came out and said she didn’t eat yesterday’s stew. She had already played the role in an excellent movie version and wasn’t interested in doing it again.

It is said she was asked first, r390, and she turned it down saying "I don't eat yesterday's stew."

Not to mention, Roz was Oscar-nominated for that AUNTIE MAME movie.

She lost to Susan Hayward in I WANT TO LIVE!

For the musical movie version of Mame, was Roz even considered? I thought Lucille Ball moved fairly quickly to buy the movie rights. She had envisioned it as a vehicle for her and Viv. Poor Angela wasn’t even considered, but Lucy was at a performance one night taking notes from Angela’s performance.

Yesterday's stew just needs the right touch.

As my grandmother used to say, "Many foods take on added flavor when they're recooked."

Lucy never wanted Viv, she always wanted Bea. That's why Gene Saks got the gig after Cukor dropped out. I think Bea should have played Mame since she was arguably bigger than Lucy at the time because of Maude.

When they were trying to package the movie with Angela, they thought putting Bette Davis in as Vera and Carol Burnett in as Gooch would cover their bases with Angela's lack of BO appeal.

They needed a young Mame, maybe Ann-Margret and instead of Gooch, Madeline Kahn could have done Vera,

[quote]Yes, it is Marisa Winokur and the Hairspray poster. Not a doubt

Maybe you're joking, but anyone with eyes can see t's absolutely not her in that image.

[quote]I think Bea should have played Mame since she was arguably bigger than Lucy at the time because of Maude.

If that's how you honestly feel, we are all thankful that you were never in a position to make such decisions.

[quote]Was there lots of outcry when roz didn’t do the musical mame?

[quote]No because she came out and said she didn’t eat yesterday’s stew.

But she neglected to mention that she was also ridiculously too old for the role and could not remotely have sung that score at a quality level that wouldn't have sent audiences charging for the exits.

[quote]Lucy was at a performance one night taking notes from Angela’s performance.

Pity she never glanced at them again.

Besides being Bea's husband Gene Saks also directed the Broadway production of MAME. And he was a well-known, well-respected director of film (Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Cactus Flower, etc.) and stage (Half a Sixpence, Enter Laughing, A Thousand Clowns, etc.).

[quote]And he was a well-known, well-respected director of film

Until he did Mame, which not only bombed but became a symbol of bad.

^^Well-known, yes. But well-respected, not so much. At least for his films.

Interestingly if Mame had been

Angela Lansbury

Bea Arthur

Carol Burnett

As a TV film in 1972 it would have probably been a huge ratings success!

[quote]She lost to Susan Hayward in I WANT TO LIVE!

You're about to fly right on out of here, aren't you?

R399 is Lucy knocking over her backgammon set to get to her Ouija board.

Were Gene and Bea in a marriage of convenience?

Somehow I don't think that fucking Bea Arthur could ever be considered convenient.

r398 cast your eyes on this post and the comments, including the one from Winokur

Just like Stan with Dorothy, Gene Saks left Bea for a younger woman several years before GOLDEN GIRLS.

Unlike Stan, however, Saks remained married to his second wife until his death last decade.

R410, the person in the photo at the link you provided is obviously Marissa Jaret Winokur, but the half-face in the ad image we're discussing DOES NOT look like Winokur's face to me. So if the original image used for the half-face was captured in that photo shoot, they must have done a lot of processing to it before using it in the logo art.

Whatever.

Playgoers, I bid you welcome. The theater is a temple, and we are here to worship the gods of comedy and tragedy. Tonight I am pleased to announce a comedy. We shall employ every device we know in our desire to divert you.

[quote]The Wikipedia article you linked to gives the pronunciation as " ˈkriːətɔːr ", which is probably what it was changed to when he became popular in America, and how Harold Hill would pronounce it. The abstract for the article at the link says the name was pronounced as either 'CREE-ah-tore' or as 'CREE-ah-tore-ay."

I wonder if deliberately mispronouncing it as kree-AY-tor could have been an acting (or directing) choice to demonstrate Hill's lack of knowledge about music.

Broadway ads are often done in a photo shoot with the original lead but then photo-shopped a bit to look more generic in preparation for a long run with many different actors playing the role. All about making the show the star. Of course, I'm talking about a lead who is relatively new to Broadway, not an established star like a Hugh or Bette or Bernadette.

Was the Mamma Mia bride in the logo ever thought to be anyone famous? I always thought she looked like Geena Davis.

The latest episode of Freakonomics does a deep dive on the costs and economics behind Broadway shows, focusing on Stereophonic.

[quote]I wonder if deliberately mispronouncing it as kree-AY-tor could have been an acting (or directing) choice to demonstrate Hill's lack of knowledge about music.

If so, that was a really dumb choice, IMHO.

I’m just about to start reading Stephen Sondheim: A Life by Meryle Secrest. Any thoughts about this bio? Are there any other bios of Sondheim you’d recommend?

[quote]Was the Mamma Mia bride in the logo ever thought to be anyone famous? I always thought she looked like Geena Davis.

I always thought the same thing.

R419 - haven't read this one yet, but it's come highly recommended from a friend...

MikeR has started to dabble in Viagra and Cialis. I guess it's inevitable. Time waits for no one. But... God... when I think back on his virility and animal-like lust back in the early 2000s.... backstage on the davenport made of Corinthian leather in his dressing room at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. I remember one year he got particularly strong notices for How to Succeed and it just sent him over the moon. He had such... tremendous hip flexors. My chiropractor bill that month! Well... I probably shouldn't linger too long on all that or I'll have to increase my Lisinopril.

How nice, r422...how nice for us all.

Writer Daniel Okrent has been working on a Sondheim bio as part of the Jewish Lives series, whose books cover Jews from Herod to Irving Berlin to Streisand. Don't know when it's expected. And Brit writer David Benedict has been writing SS"s authorized bio; again, pub date unknown.

Secrest's work is pretty good in terms of its bio details and accomplishment, but since it came out in 1998 , it doesn't include a full 20+ years of his life. And she's pretty circumspect about his personal life. So it's a good place to start, but it will leave you wanting more.

The Mamma Mia! logo is based on a stock image captured by a French photographer, who had nothing at all to do with the show.

That’s not me!

A Chorus Line did a long shot so it’s hard to see likenesses. Michael Bennett assigned each character an original, definitive pose which they always returned to after a musical number.

Has anyone ever wondered what possessed the hyper-observant Al Hirschfeld to draw the marionette of Eliza Dolittle in a mini-skirt and high-heeled pumps? Did the producers push him into that image because they worried about a lack of sex appeal in MFL?

As a child, did anyone else think that GB Shaw was God?

Paul Rudnick did: “You got your idea of God from where most gay kids get it — the album cover of My Fair Lady. Original cast. It’s got this Hirschfeld caricature of George Bernard Shaw up in the clouds, manipulating Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews on strings, like marionettes. It was your parents’ album, you were little, you thought it was a picture of God. As, I believe, did Shaw.”

Julia Murney is Desiree opposite Kathleen Turner in the Maine A Little Night Music.

Is this good casting? I can’t decide

Horrible casting! Murney is about as sexy as.....Paul Rudnick.

[quote]That’s not me!

Well it sure as hell ain't that cunt Bonnie Franklin, either!

Is Meryle Secrest the one who started gossiping about Sondheim's sex life after he passed? I forget...

Donna really is one of the Broadway greats.

If only she didn't sing flat.

Secrest is now 94. Can't believe she'd be that interested in SS's sex life.

I have to say that I prefer Angela's version of "I Don't Want to Know" to Donna's, which strikes me as overwrought. She's trying a little too hard.

A lot of craftmanship and professionalism on view in those “Dear World” clips above, but you can see why the show wasn’t a hit and why the Encores! version didn’t even try to move to Broadway.

I saw Lansbury and she was perfection. Murphy pushes too hard, as she did in Dolly! , trying to find a wacky character instead of just being a joyful version of herself.

Murney's a good actress and used to be a wonderful singer. But I don't know that Désirée is an ideal fit -- among other things, I don't have a sense of her playing "period."

What a strange career she's had -- a big splash with the Lippa WILD PARTY, plus many appearances in various 1-night things in the years that followed, but only 2 Broadway shows: the disastrous LENNON and a stint in WICKED.

I know that she has made a lot of money as a voice-over artist, but still, it's a shame that she didn't get (or take) more Broadway exposure while she was still singing well.

Ronan Farrow sings:

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1985, "Singin' in the Rain" opened at the Gershwin Theatre.

Murnay can do period, but as someone said, she just doesn't have the sex appeal for Desiree. I'm happy to be proved wrong. As to Dear World, it's pretty bad, with some wonderful songs. The Encores version was just okay. The best version of "I Don't Want to Know" I ever heard was from Rita Gardner at an audition. When she belt the last note an octave higher, I nearly jumped out of my seat.

I think most of the problems of DEAR WORLD are inherent in the source material. Some of those old French plays had extremely weird sensibilities. I have seen one production of THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT, and I don't think that works, either -- at least, not for modern-day American audiences.

There's a reason those Giraudoux and Anouilh plays never get revived any more. That kind of continental whimsy has not aged well.

Julia Murney also lacks warmth. Desiree must be effortlessly warm and sensual.

[quote]There's a reason those Giraudoux and Anouilh plays never get revived any more. That kind of continental whimsy has not aged well.

Right, to put it mildly!

I agree about Giraudoux but I love many of the plays of Anouilh, if they're done well.

What's "continental whimsy"?

I love the casting of Nik Walker as Carl-Magnus and MIke McGowan as Frederik - he’s extremely sexy. I’ll be up in the area so I might go see it. Emily Skinner was a fabulous Desiree a couple of years back opposite Jason Danieley up in Barrington. She had a touch of Mae West but was great.

"Continental whimsy"?

Why, it's mimsy-wumsy sweetness without any kind of bite.

Yes, tht's what most Desirees lack—a touch of Mae West.

Well girls, I finally saw Merrily over the weekend. Lindsay was in which was nice, but why were we so worried about her winning the Tony? Mary is such an underwritten part, all she does is get drunk, pine after Frank, and be self deprecating. Katie Rose Clarke was lovely as Beth, I wish there was more focus on her and less on Gussie.

I'll also admit I'm a lech and loved seeing Groff's ass in those tight dress pants.

The tightest dress pants and best butt of the season belonged to Luke Thallon in Patriots.

R454 - interesting. I had an opposite reaction. I went in ready to dismiss Mendez given the debacle of her will-she-won't-she schedule, but found her enormously appealing -- in fact, I think her presence elevated the already excellent performances of Groff and Radcliffe. By contrast, I found most of the supporting cast shaky -- it's like Friedman directed the three leads with nuance and true character and then told the others... it's Broadway, so make it BROAD!

(Truth be told, although I thought all three leads earned their 'hype', the show itself is still second-tier Sondheim. I'd rate it dead last after all of his 70s, 80s and early 90s output)

Mary Flynn is an odd “leading lady” role.

She sings “Like It Was”

“Now You Know”

a few lines of “Not a Day Goes By”

And group numbers.

Not exactly EVITA

After hearing R441 's posting of Ronan Farrow singing, it's clear to me, at least, that he is NOT the offspring of Frank Sinatra.

Too Much Gussie!

I say, that's a bit harsh, what

I get Julia Murney and Judy McLane mixed up. They're both dreary.

Bartlett Sher has been announced to direct the new Dolly Parton musical on Broadway, which I think is a big mistake on two counts: (1) his track record with revivals has always been far better than with new musicals, and more important, (2) based on his productions of FIDDLER and CAMELOT, he seems to have lost whatever talent he once had.

R451... I too saw Barrington's ALNM. You're comment, "Emily Skinner was a fabulous Desiree a couple of years back opposite Jason Danieley up in Barrington. She had a touch of Mae West but was great."

Emily was not great - she had no European ennui, no savoir faire in her performance. She was way too "American" - kind of brassy and unsubtle. She was wonderful vocally though.

Jason Danielly? He went up on the lyrics in "You Must Meet My Wife." Emily covered beautifully.

And Barrington? Christ they skimp on the orchestra every freaking summer (except Cabaret - but that was, essentially, house band at the Kit Kat Club on stage). ALNM needs a large group of musicians. The score's lovely - it didn't get that at Barrintongton. And I saw La Cage this year (don't bother) and the orchestra was, once again, buried under the stage and amped into the audiorium - a-w-f-u-l.

I saw a few Barrington shows quite a few years back, but I stopped going partly because I thought most of them were amateurish and/or lacking in one way or another. I am glad their longtime artistic director is now gone, because I think she was a big part of the problem.

Well, this could be the final nail in the coffin for the Williamstown Theatre Festival: They're going to be presenting DRAGON MAMA, "part II of The Dragon Cycle," written by and starring Sara Porkalob.

One of the regional theatres I used to go to would usually do a musical each season. I saw their Guys & Dolls and Music Man, and there could not have been more than 10 musicians in the pit, maybe seven. Pitiful. (Same thing for their She Loves Me, but that's a small musical that can get away with a small band.) Oddly enough, their My Fair Lady with only two grand pianos worked the best because the score sounded so different -- except the pianos were placed dead center stage and all the action took place around them. Truly a mystery how the director thought that was a good idea. But, yeah, I get it -- musicians are expensive. Sigh...

Still wondering if Jonathan Tunick's lushly reorchestrated ALNM will be recorded. Would be nice if they did it at the Beaumont; the pit is big enough.

The AD at Barrington isn't gone yet. They pushed her out but she's still there directing -- and still terrorizing people from what I gather. I think things might improve when she finally does leave. I liked Emily - no she didn't have the European air to her but when I go to summer stock, I cut it some slack and try to enjoy it regardless of the production values. Jason was fine the night I went. Sierra Boggess was also a fine Charlotte (also very American, if you must know.) The rest of the cast was meh. I did summer stock once, I know the budget sizes and how short the rehearsal periods are. I don't compare it to Broadway and am just happy for something to do while out in the boondocks.

Emily and Karen Morrow exude all-American gumption. Annie Oakleys be they.

[quote]Still wondering if Jonathan Tunick's lushly reorchestrated ALNM will be recorded. Would be nice if they did it at the Beaumont; the pit is big enough.

Well, not big enough for 53 musicians, which I believe was what he reorchestrated for. But yes, of course, the Beaumont pit is certainly big enough to accommodate enough musicians to give that score its due.

[quote]The AD at Barrington isn't gone yet. They pushed her out but she's still there directing -- and still terrorizing people from what I gather.

Sorry to hear that. I still can't believe she survived there after that production of COMPANY she directed, years ago, from which she cut the song "Someone Is Waiting," resulting in a letter from Sondheim and/or his reps in which she and her company were instructed to reinstate the song immediately or close the show.

Since then, I've always considered her a lousy director, but this is the first I've heard that she also terrorizes people. If that's true, it's even harder to believe that she survived there so long and is still not out completely.

[quote]Murnay can do period, but as someone said, she just doesn't have the sex appeal for Desiree.

You mean compared to that sexpot Glynis Johns?

R470, Sondheim attended a performance of that Company production.

He sat a few rows away from me.

Try this, r471...

R472, presumably he attended after that idiot director was forced to reinstate the song.

R471/R473

R474, maybe Steve was in the house in Pittsfield to get a good look at Aaron Tviet. Aaron was downstage center in numerous scenes and he did strip down to his shorts. My big memory from that production was the stupid "Side by Side" choreography.

And as long as Barrington's being raked over the coals... did anyone see Ragtime? Woo-boy. Now that was not good.

BUT I enjoyed their Guys & Dolls and On the Town with the incredibly sexy Tony Yazbek (shirtless and hairy-chested for the dream ballet!) did transfer down to NYC. I didn't think Sweeney was terrible... folks got to see Harriet Harris as Mrs. Lovett.

R476, Steve posed with the Company cast.

That former AD of Barrington Stage lives in a mansion in the neighborhood so she ain't goin' nowhere. She's extremely popular with the board and rich donors.

I can't defend her talent, but she did bring that theater up by the bootstraps, from nothing 25 years ago, starting in a local high school often with Sondheim musicals and relatively challenging material, and the theatre has basically turned around the fortunes of the once dreadful Pittsfield (truly the armpit of Massachusetts) into something of a cool hip place. I mean it's still rather dreadful but much less so.

While Williamstown and the Berkshire Theatre Festival have been floundering and on the decline for years, Barrington Stage has become the pre-eminent theater of the Berkshires. She may be a bad director and she may yell at people, but she has been a very successful producer.

R478 speaks the truth... I don't know what happened to Williamstown over the past 20 years, but it's been going downhill for ages. Berkshire Theatre though - I haven't heard that they're "floundering" and am pleased to see that their musical this summer is Pipe Dream - not often produced.

A poster above says the former AD at Barrington was "pushed out," which is not true. She is now almost 80 and retired in 2022 from the daily grind of leading the company, by her choice. "Pushed out" and "terrorizing" sounds more like the situation that unfolded at Williamstown.

Didn't that AD have a child who was discussed here?

Whenever I see someone say the Berkshires I think of Dorinda Medley from the RHONY.

If anyone could whip a theatre festival into shape, it would be her!

My most vivid memory of Williamstown in its golden age is of Celeste Holm, during her run in Hay Fever, accosting everyone she came in contact with by shaking her can to collect money for Unicef. Whether the money ever went to Unicef, no one there that summer ever knew.

R480, I was repeating what someone I know who worked there until recently told me. I don't personally know her. But yes, her grit is to be admired and I will say, she was one of the first people to reopen their theater post-pandemic and all the studies have shown that those theaters are flourishing versus ones that waited until later. So perhaps the ex-employee was being too harsh.

Williamstown existed for so long with free labor from apprentices that they fell apart when they had to pay people. Not sure they ever figured out their business model post-pandemic when they couldn't work those young people 16 hours per day. And there were plenty of press stories about it being a toxic environment for sure.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1945, a revival of "As You Like It" opened at the President Theatre.

Impressive cast, r485!

The current issues at Williamstown go way beyond losing a free work force, AKA apprentices. Like any other regional/summer theater, they could hire a staff and pay them. But what they now lack is a solid vision that's in sync with what audiences in the Berkshires, both the locals and the tourists, want to see on their stages.

For whatever reason there are forces at WTF going against the previous 50 years of traditional classic theater and pushing for edgy "modern" nonsense, titles and actors no one has heard of.

Granted, traditional classic theater costs money (sets, costumes, large casts, a few star names) but it's what the audiences expect and want there.

And it doesn't have to be a huge expensive Cyrano de Bergerac. Start with a shorter season, just 2 productions, running 2-3 weeks, choose from Noel Coward, Tennessee Williams, Philip Barry, Oscar Wilde, Lillian Hellman, Ibsen, Molnar, Strindberg, Arthur Miller, William Inge, Chekhov, Thornton Wilder....fucking Aristophanes, et. al. with familiar stars like the old days.

R487 I concur.

[quote]Maybe Steve was in the house in Pittsfield to get a good look at Aaron Tviet.

No, we're talking about a much earlier Barrington Stage production of COMPANY. I highly doubt that "Someone is Waiting" was cut from the production that starred Aaron Tveit.

How tiresome.

Were the "Suffs" demonstrators protesting women's right to vote?

[quote]Broadway's Suffs Disrupted by Protesters

Obviously a vast right wing conspiracy.

R487, let'sarmchair quaterback Williamstown a bit... a season of two plays may work, but what's needed is one old and new show as well, so they get a lot of NY Times press. If the powers-that-be were smart, they would produce a chestnut and go all out... no special casting, no 21st centuries ideas tossed in. Just do a comedy, make people laugh. THEN do a modern or new show (like Motherfucker With the Hat?)... oooh, they're edgy, contemporary! If they toss in a short spoken-word fest, all the better.

but right now they've got Ms. 75% of 2022, Sarah Porkalob!!! Jesus Christ, really?

[quote] but right now they've got Ms. 75% of 2022, Sarah Porkalob!!! Jesus Christ, really?

You asked for modern or new, edgy, contemporary. You got it!

Anyone going to see Hadestown with the new group of replacements?

I am visiting NYC in October and wanted to know if the new cast is worth the ticket price.

[quote]You asked for modern or new, edgy, contemporary. You got it!

R494 see, that's the problem. None of us asked for that.

But the 'woke' powers that be insist on giving us what they think we need instead of what we want.

And they wonder why theater is struggling on Broadway and regionally?

If you want to have box office, with a three show season, two of them have to be what your subscriber base wants to see and then you can do what you want to do in the third slot. For a successful four show season, throw in something for the holidays.

Are there still 2 stages at WTF? They could do the 2 starry classic plays on the mainstage and the new edgy play with minimum design/tech at the smaller space (called the Nikos Stage back in my day).

Williamstown should do a starry production of You Can't Take It With You. That's always a crowd pleaser. Then maybe a starry drama like Mornings at Seven. Or dig out some lesser done plays from the not too distant past: The Sisters Rosensweig, Lettice & Lovage, Six Degrees of Separation.

Modern directors are taught to disdain those plays, R499, or they just see them as something that needs THEM to do a rewrite to enlighten those people from the clueless past who wrote them. The Ivy League schools with playwriting degrees don't teach their students that they need to have any regard for the audience having any kind of emotional experience. Their POV is that if the audience members don't get it, it's not the playwright's problem. It's the audience's fault for being too stupid to understand. Directors seldom know how to cast these old plays and they also rarely know how to teach actors how to play them properly so they really cook. The only thing they want from those plays is to cannibalize their enviable success for their own careers.

The difference between the first two and the latter three is that the first three are from the pre-TV era when the theatre was much closer to the center of American culture. Those two plays are beloved. You Can't Take It With You was one of the top plays done by high schools for decades, so almost everyone knew it.

Whereas the last three are not held with particular affection by any particular generation, and two of them have had flop Broadway revivals recently. Also, two of the latter three don't have film versions (though that didn't hurt Morning's at Seven which was a community theatre favorite).

[quote]Anyone going to see Hadestown with the new group of replacements?

Beanie Feldstein, Lindsay Mendez, Sara Porkalob and George Santos! More stars than there are in heaven!

Williamstown Theatre Presents: Imelda Staunton in Shirley Valentine. Staunton brings all the anger and rage to the story of a woman trapped in her servile existence causing her to flee from the patriarchal Great Britain.

Geez, r502, I never realized Shirley Valentine had such depth and angst.

[quote]But the 'woke' powers that be insist on giving us what they think we need instead of what we want.

It may be partly that it's "what they think we need," but I think a huge part of it is also that these theater administrators desperately want to be perceived as "woke." And also, in some cases they may get more grant money for "woke" programming than for a traditionally cast revival of YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU or THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER.

The Sisters Rosensweig didn't have a flop revival. That was The Heidi Chronicles. And man, was that a dud.

[quote]That was The Heidi Chronicles. And man, was that a dud.

The Heidi Chronicles was Wendy Wasserstein’s life in the 1980s. It’s probably better done as an off-Broadway show because it’s a bit of a dud.

It's hard to believe it won the Pulitzer. It's like the script for a formulaic TV movie, which it eventually became.

Well, most plays don't enter the classics pantheon. Will there be Broadway revivals of ART or God of Carnage or The Shadow Box or That Championship Season or...

I find it fascinating what an incredibly short shelf life Wendy Wasserstein's plays have had.

How many of these Best Play winners have been revived?

The NY Times loved Wasserstein, and by that I mean Frank Rich, even though he recused himself from reviewing her.

Wendy was a typical DL villain in that she got Terrence McNally to leave his gay lover to shack up with her for a few years in the late 80s. Some said he was freaked out by AIDs, some said he really loved her.

Very Berry Berenson behavior. That story also ended sadly for all involved.

R512, I thought I recognized her.

R508, do you mean ANOTHER revival of THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON? It came back 2011, with Brian Cox, Chris Noth, Jason Patric et al. 97 performances and out.

I'd love to see a revival of The Children's Hour but I'm probably in the minority. Shame the Keira Knightly, Elisabeth Moss, Ellen Burstyn, Carol Kane revival never transferred to NY after a successful run in London but Moss and Knightly had other commitments.

Arsenic and Old Lace with Harvey Fierstein and George Santos?

That would be Arsenic and Old Face.

[quote]How many of these Best Play winners have been revived?

We've already forgtten Jesse's schlongtastic performance in "Take Me Out"?

Who could ever forget? . . .

This new German production of A Chorus Line looks wunderbar.

Ich kann nicht schauspielern, Zach.

Wann bekomme ich Titten?

Sarah Paulson on SVU rerun on USA now

It's time for a revival of Tale of the Allergist's Wife, starring Jennifer Coolidge.

[quote]r523 = Sarah Paulson on SVU rerun on USA now

The one where Ice-T is the undercover "thug" who helps her "escape"?

I had to laugh when I saw that the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is currently doing an all-female, non-binary Coriolanus. Who asked for that? Do the OSF execs ever look at who comes to their shows? It's largely middle-aged white people and school groups. They did Julius Caesar a few season ago with a woman playing Julius (how they resisted calling it Julia Caesar I'll never know). She was fine, but the regendering brought absolutely nothing new to the play.

OSF also damn near shut down last year, due to a $10M shortfall.

524 = Charles Busch.

That German "A Chorus Line" is all Greek to me.

R524 - I love Charles Busch in his drag persona, but as a 'regular' playwright, he wasn't much of a writer. I was excited about Tale of the Allergist's Wife and remember thinking it already felt stale, sitcomy and dated before the performance had even ended.

[quote]but as a 'regular' playwright, he wasn't much of a writer

I think Psycho Beach Party will hold up better than Allergist's Wife.

[quote]I'd love to see a revival of The Children's Hour but I'm probably in the minority.

That play is beyond dated. It's fossilized. By the time the 1961 movie version was made, time had already passed it by.

How long before Disney Theatricals starts hiring "edgy" directors like Jamie Lloyd and Robert O'Hara to rethink Beauty and the Beast, Aidia, Mary Poppins and Newsies?

I'm serious.

We defy augury, R533.

R533, I gather Ivo van Hove is lined up to direct an upcoming Broadway production of Song of the South. “Zip a Dee Doo Dah” will be performed by Billy Porter and Andre de Shields wearing jockstraps.

Once upon a time...

Elton John & Tim Rice’s AIDA - winner of 4 Tony Awards, including Best Score and Best Actress In A Musical - will be “re-imagined” by original cast member Schele Williams as director for the new production. The original trio of leads will be hard to beat, but curious to see what’s up!

R515, that Children’s Hour revival was good but the play was creaky. Knightley acquitted herself well. Also, Tobias Menzies.

Does anyone remember? What went wrong with the Glenn Close/John Lithgow production of A Deiicate Balance? That didn’t last long.

Was Glenn more “up with people” than a “one tall woman”? I guess she did play Sunny von Bulow in a coma too.

R533, I’d love to see Jamie Lloyd’s Newsies - stripped down newsboys in black bikini bottoms…

Bravo R536! The appropriate post to a theatre thread on The Fourth. I love 1776... got to see the Encores! production years ago, the Saturday matineee. William Daniels was in the house! He joined the cast onstage for the post-perf Q&A.

What a great/memorable afternoon.

Absolutely everything was wrong with that DELICATE BALANCE revival. It was like the director had no clue what the play was about. Perfectly good cast floundering around the stage. Lithgow better than Close. Whoever created Glenn's costumes? Omg.

More on that production, please! Thank you.

With A Delicate Balance, many people still had fond memories of the 90s production with Rosemary Harris, George Grizzard and Elaine Stritch. It’s not that great of a play that it needed to be revived a decade later.

R544 that Close/Lithgow revival was during the 2014-2015 Broadway season.

[quote]Close/Lithgow revival was during the 2014-2015 Broadway season.

Oh, you are right! My how time flies.

Even though it was two decades later, it still isn’t a good enough play to be revived.

I’ve seen two great productions of A Delicate Balance in the West End, the Eileen Atkins/Maggie Smith one and Penelope Wilton/Imelda Staunton at the Almeida. I think it’s a great play, fascinating even, and given the text didn’t think it was that hard to get right. Probably suits the British sensibility better.

I agree, r547. I only saw it once, in a semi-professional production, but it made a really strong impact. Virginia Woolf is one of my favorite plays, but Albee wrote many other great works.

I think the Close/Lithgow Delicate Balance was a limited run.

[quote]I think the Close/Lithgow Delicate Balance was a limited run.

Not limited enough.

How come Meryl Streep is "our" generation's greatest actress but she hasn't been on Broadway since 1977? Several years ago, she did Shakespeare in the Park's The Seagull, but why has she stayed away from a Broadway show for so long?

I always thought maybe the reason why Meryl stayed away from the theater for so long was that she was raising her children, though I'm not sure if she ever stated that. But (a) doing film after film can't have left her with much time to spend with her children, and (2) anyway, that hasn't been an issue for quite a few years, as all of her children are now adults.

P.S. She did also do MOTHER COURAGE at the Delacorte. Those shows in the park usually only run less than two months each, and maybe a big part of the issue is that Meryl didn't want to commit the necessary commitment of six months at least to a Broadway show

Is Libby Appel still stinking things up at OSF or did they can her ass?

I'd forgotten that Pam MacKinnon directed that Glenn Close "Delicate Balance" - she's very hit or miss. And so...odd looking.

I really hope Pam is a DLer and logged in this morning to see she FINALLY had a post, and it was about her being a bad director and ugly looking.

And Pam also directed the Heidi Chronicles revival (and the Tracy Letts-Amy Morton revival of Virginia Woolf).

My friend was the understudy for the daughter character in that production of A Delicate Balance. I don’t remember her saying much of anything about it, but I can ask her.

I’m suddenly obsessed with the idea of Olivia Colman doing “The Killing of Sister George” with Carey Mulligan as Childie.

The direction was indeed the problem with the Close/Lithgow DELICATE BALANCE. Lindsay Duncan took Claire waaaaay down, which was . . . a choice. Martha Plimpton stomped around the stage and belted her lines to the balcony. And Bob Balaban and Claire Higgins were allowed to play Harry and Edna as if they arrived from outer space.

I thought that Close was terrific, actually -- perfect casting, though of course Rosemary Harris was greater still. Lithgow to me was coasting on technique and mannerisms.

The DELICATE BALANCE that I always wanted would have had William Hurt as Tobias and Sigourney Weaver in either female lead. I also think that Kevin Kline could have been an interesting Tobias. Stockard Channing could have pulled off either female lead too, once upon a time.

Most of Streep's films she stayed close to home. When she was shooting 'One True Thing: where she played a dying woman, she filmed in Jersey and flew home in a helicopter every night.

R471 Glynis Johns was sexy when she was young. She played that sexy mermaid, Miranda, twice on film. Google Images is your friend. Or old age, in my case.

I am no fan of Elaine Stritch, but she was robbed of the Tony for A Delicate Balance. But I think she was put into Leading Actress category and competing against Rosemary, Zoe Caldwell and Carol Burnett. I wonder if she would have won if they bumped her down to Supporting? Master Class swept the women's categories that year - Zoe and Audra won.

R553: Libby is long gone from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Bill Rauch (now directing the reimagined "ballroom" Cats) ran the place pretty well for awhile. Then he left for NYC, and brutal wildfires, the pandemic and wokism left OSF circling the drain. I hope it manages to grab a lifesaver. I've seen many excellent productions there (and, sure, some stinkers), both Shakespeare, other classics (who knew there was a Belle's Strategem to go with The Beaux Strategem?) and modern works. It was a great place to see Shakespeare plays that are never done, like Henry VIII and King John, in the afternoon and the Marx Bros. at night. (My friends and I *still* talk about their productions of Animal Crackers and The Cocoanuts.)

Very good profile, with clips from A Delicate Balance.

Thanks R562 = I ju553st kind of wondered where she and all of her relatives ended up.

[quote] I am no fan of Elaine Stritch, but she was robbed of the Tony for A Delicate Balance. But I think she was put into Leading Actress category and competing against Rosemary, Zoe Caldwell and Carol Burnett. I wonder if she would have won if they bumped her down to Supporting? Master Class swept the women's categories that year - Zoe and Audra won.

Stritch would have easily won if she was in featured and not lead. It was a performance for the ages. Audra's Tony for Master Class was the biggest joke of her many joke Tonys.

I thought the young actress who played the chubby student getting critiqued by Zoe (Maria Callas) Caldwell gave a far more varied (and comically entertaining) performance than Audra in that original production of Master Class. Of course, she got absolutely no recognition for it and now I can't even remember her name.

Jinkx Monsoon doing Somewhere That's Green. This is fucking horrible. You could hear a far superior rendition in any high school production.

What do you hate so much about Jinkx's "Somewhere That Green?" I think it's quite good vocally, my only objections are to some of the tempo choices and the pauses. And also the fact that he does sound like a man when he speaks.

I also found it to be really terrible. Unconvincing emotions that were manufactured rather than experienced, strange vocal production that didn’t fit the material, and facial expressions that approach mugging and blow past it into caricature. The only thing I found redeeming was that it made predecessor Tammy Blanchard’s performance seem comparatively decent.

[quote]And also the fact that he does sound like a man when he speaks.

*and* sings

Has anyone seen or heard Sarah Hyland?

Doesn't matter if Jinkx is right or wrong for a role because she sells alot of tickets. She's back in Chicago and I hope they're paying her a fortune because it sells out when she's in it.

The chubby girl in Master Class was Karen Kay Cody, whom I worked with in Seattle theater back in the 80s before she went to NYC.

It looks like she switched to teaching at some point. She's 66 now.

66??!? A DL [italic] toddler [/italic] !

Doesn’t Imelda’s Hello Dolly start previews tomorrow?

They’re now running an ad saying it’s the cast at the sitzprobe, but the orchestra you hear is the same clip from the movie they’ve been using.

Sitzprobe...*shiver*

[quote]Doesn’t Imelda’s Hello Dolly start previews tomorrow?

A Dolly for the Keir Starmer era.

Just as Dolly wanted to take Horace's money and spend it, Keir wants to take your money and spend it.

What Hello Dolly number is this supposed to be?

For as much braying as Imelda will be doing, they oughta change the title to Hello, Donkey.

[quote]What Hello Dolly number is this supposed to be?

Put on Your Sunday Clothes - British style

I think she's very suited to the role.

Agreed, R558. Sigourney Weaver would be a great Agnes in A Delicate Balance. Maybe Allison Janney could do Claire.

[quote]Doesn't matter if Jinkx is right or wrong for a role because she sells alot of tickets. She's back in Chicago and I hope they're paying her a fortune because it sells out when she's in it.

Although I don't think Jinx's "Somewhere That's Green" sounded so bad, I suppose we can all agree that she's much better casting as Mary Sunshine than as Audrey, for very obvious reasons.

R579, I'm thinking maybe it's "Put on Your Sunday Clothes," with Ambrose and Ermengarde.

Jinkx is cast as Matron, not Mary Sunshine.

[quote]she sells alot of tickets

Oh, dear.

At least Imelda doing Dolly keeps her out of the new Downton Abbey movie.

[quote]Jinkx is cast as Matron, not Mary Sunshine.

Sorry, my mistake. But do think Jinkx makes more sense as the Matron than as Audrey. She probably WOULD be better cast as Mary Sunshine, but I'm assuming she hasn't been because she lacks the vocal range up top.

That's not all she lacks "up top."

Single White Female: The Musical. Who's in with me? Guaranteed Tony.

Sorry, I'm already investing in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.

[quote]Single White Female: The Musical. Who's in with me? Guaranteed Tony.

Audra McDonald.

I still say we need to test the Sutton Fosters of tomorrow and do The Patty Duke Show, the musical.

Sondheim toyed with doing a musical where sitcom characters converged and it turned into Into The Woods. So would an I Love Lucy musical succeed?

Imagine it ... after nearly a half-century, Linda Lavin finally plays Alice as she was meant to be played, as a musical comedy lead.

As Motor Mouth Mabel says, "Lets wrap this sucker up!"

Step aside, Miss Buttercup!

In the immortal words of Chita Rivera ...

BAJOUR!