Theatre Gossip #571 Sherie Rene Went Green Edition

Well there is a ticket I WON’T be buying!

Shark, jump!

Will Swept Away get swept away?

Swept Away is yet another show that I have no clue who the audience will be.

Any word on "The Big Gay Jamboree"? The premise certainly sounds interesting.

Nicholas Christopher is an Orin, not a Seymour.

A travesty of a leading lady.

Mia is back tonite

Why is Stereophonic closing when it's bringing in so much money? Has it recouped? If it hasn't, why shut it down when there theatergoers who still haven't seen it?

It just announced another extension

Get your tickets!

Watch Adam Lambert and Auli'i Cravalho Make First Entrances in Cabaret:

I predict Cabaret closes in January .

Barring any upcoming extension or closure announcements, the theaters that will need tenants for the winter or spring of '25 are the Booth, Circle, Golden, Jones and Lyceum.

CABARET ain't goin' nowhere, r13. Check out our grosses.

Is that George Clooney play really happening this season? Do they have a theater?

I was a background actor on Glee in the Sardi’s scene with Patti LuPone. I got to overhear a delicious conversation she was having with Ryan Murphy. He gushed “Oh my god, David and I just loved you so much in Gypsy. We’re so sorry we never got the chance to ser you in Women on the Verge!” Patti replied “Yeah, well, we suffered a lousy leading lady on that one.” Murphy looked confused and said “I don’t know who that was” and Patti responded “EXACTLY.” Pause. And then Patti said “ And she wasn’t even a latina.” And I thought to myself “Gee, Patti, you’re not a latina and you won a fucking Tony Award for playing Eva Peron.”

More gossip like r17, please!!!

[quote]CABARET ain't goin' nowhere, [R13]. Check out our grosses.

That's too bad , if true, because this piece of theatrical garbage should have been confined to landfill shortly after opening. Or better, of course, should never have seen the light of day to begin with.

[quote]Patti replied “Yeah, well, we suffered a lousy leading lady on that one.” Murphy looked confused and said “I don’t know who that was” and Patti responded “EXACTLY.” Pause. And then Patti said “ And she wasn’t even a latina.” And I thought to myself “Gee, Patti, you’re not a latina and you won a fucking Tony Award for playing Eva Peron.”

Yes, and of course, Patti was ALSO in WOMEN ON THE VERGE....as a non-Latina. Did she even realize what she was saying to Ryan Murphy? I'm sure not.

Typical of a narcissist like Patti. She only sees things from her own selfish perspective, and rules that apply to others DO NOT apply to her.

Grosses don’t mean a lot with high expenses and a high capitalization to repay. Especially if those grosses aren’t that amazing even before your marquee star leaves the show Watch for the pre-show cast to disappear, which would be an act of mercy for all parties.

Interesting thought, R21, that they would try to cut costs at CABARET by cutting the pre-show. I wonder how the public would react to that? Don't get me wrong, I thought the pre-show was bullshit, but the producers have been marketing it as some sort of stunning, creative element of this production.

R17 have you read Here’s to the Ladies? It’s the follow up book to Nothing Like a Dame. Sherie goes on record (as does Mary Beth Peil) about LuPone being mean to her during that show.

[quote]the producers have been marketing it as some sort of stunning, creative element of this production

An extremely expensive stunning, creative element of this production.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 2001, "Urinetown" opened at the Henry Miller's Theatre.

Take that look off your face, r15. We'll keep an eye on [italic] your [/italic] grosses with the new leads. Not wishing you ill, but replacements can change a show's forecast pretty quick

R25, that is crazy to remember that Urinetown started its Broadway run just before 9/11. Even more crazy that it became a hit. The original production was one of the funniest, weirdest shows I’ve ever seen.

R27. I was lucky to see it twice on Broadway. It was heaven and that original cast. One of the funniest musicals I have ever seen.

Mary Beth Piel, in HERE’S TO THE LADIES: -- Danny Burstein was outside. I could hear Patti singing some of Sherie René Scott's music. I said, “What happened?” Danny looked at me and said, “Patti had some ideas.” -- I remember just sort of watching how both Yazbek and Bart — it's not that she was dictating things or telling them what to do, but they were checking with her, sometimes in obvious ways, sometimes in more passive-aggressive ways. -- [Sherie] never felt listened to or heard from early on. -- And then, little by little, we all start to feel not heard. -- Bart knows that I do hold him accountable. For the mood in the room , for allowing that rift between Patti and Sherie to happen . . . He saw it happen, he watched it happen, and Sherie was the most vulnerable one. -- I learned to love Sherie. I tried to love Patti. I would watch her sit with some of the kids in the wings when Sherie was onstage and she would be saying not good things about Sherie’s performance . . . It was like she was enlisting the kids to agree with her. I didn’t ever get to know Patti and kind of stayed out of her way. -- The production would always have been in trouble, but with Patti’s support, and had Sherie been supported by the director, she would have soared, I have no doubt.

Mary Beth Piel, in HERE’S TO THE LADIES: [reposted, hopefully with better formatting]

-- Danny Burstein was outside. I could hear Patti singing some of Sherie René Scott's music. I said, “What happened?” Danny looked at me and said, “Patti had some ideas.”

-- I remember just sort of watching how both Yazbek and Bart — it's not that she was dictating things or telling them what to do, but they were checking with her, sometimes in obvious ways, sometimes in more passive-aggressive ways.

-- [Sherie] never felt listened to or heard from early on.

-- And then, little by little, we all start to feel not heard.

-- Bart knows that I do hold him accountable. For the mood in the room, for allowing that rift between Patti and Sherie to happen . . . He saw it happen, he watched it happen, and Sherie was the most vulnerable one.

-- I learned to love Sherie. I tried to love Patti. I would watch her sit with some of the kids in the wings when Sherie was onstage and she would be saying not good things about Sherie’s performance . . . It was like she was enlisting the kids to agree with her. I didn’t ever get to know Patti and kind of stayed out of her way.

-- The production would always have been in trouble, but with Patti’s support, and had Sherie been supported by the director, she would have soared, I have no doubt.

R30 what is so strange is by all accounts, Patti got along with everyone in Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, Company, War Paint and even Sunset (except ALW). She famously feuded with casts of Anything Goes and Noises Off.

I guess it depends on which way she wakes up that day

I thought Patti loved her Anything Goes experience... what were the feuds?

Don't forget Evita.

R32, I think Patti had an issue with Linda Hart.

For those considering seeing SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED at BAM, I regret to inform you that the title should be ENTERTAINMENT NOT GUARANTEED.

Not a disaster. Just MEH. Way too long, with too many songs, and no real thought on how to convert the film story into a stage play. It was a show with the occasional charming bit, so the audience wanted to like it but kept getting let down.

And why is this at BAM? Anyone know?

I’d love to be backstage for a n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶m̶a̶r̶e̶ show starring Patti, Betty Buckley, and Linda Lavin.

Maybe “Mornings at Seven”? Though a musical would of course be better!

Add some songs to "Waiting in the Wings," R36.

R34, I have a friend who was in the ensemble of Anything Goes.

He was standing backstage with Patti while Linda Hart (who was Patti’s understudy) was doing her big number “Buddy, Beware”.

Patti’s eyes started glowing and she growled, “Somebody get me a machete…”

Shades of Terri Klausner.

LuPone has also been very vocal about her loathing for both Topol and Paul Sorvino during THE BAKER'S WIFE and of course her detestation of Bill Smitrovich during LIFE GOES ON.

....and, in her own memoir, she was very clear of her loathing of a great many people she worked with in her career, not to mention her disrespect for Hal Prince.

The list of people Patti didn’t hate is shorter:

Joe Locke Aubrey Plaza Laura Benanti Boyd Gaines Howard McGillen Christine Ebersole Mandy Patinkin Rosalie Craig Katrina Lenk

Is that it?

Is the story about the Anything Goes dancers taking a step back and leaving Patti to do the dance break alone true or apocryphal?

Her ex-lover Kevin Kline? “Umm, we’re not enemies!" - Patti, 2018

[quote]r41 The list of people Patti didn’t hate is shorter: Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza, Laura Benanti, Boyd Gaines, Howard McGillen, Christine Ebersole, Mandy Patinkin, Rosalie Craig, Katrina Lenk… Is that it?

You know what? Fuck you, Marsha. Just [italic]fuck you.[/italic]

You did that deliberately. And I’m under a lot of stress right now. As you know.

Within the next year, we're going to hear ALL about the horror stories from Agatha All Along and/or The Roommate.

Lots of seats left for Cabaret tonight. So far, the new cast isn’t setting the box office on fire. The $699 top ticket also seems to have disappeared.

Producers still seem deeply committed to this model. Charge ridiculous prices for good seats, offload the unsold tickets as rush, and then wonder why sales are down 20 percent.

Cabaret is one of my favorite musicals and I saw the Roundabout revival and revival revival about 15 times. It was a great production and they kept it going with mostly excellent replacements. I have zero interest in this production. It looks and sounds like it would give me a headache. Even the original casting of Redmayne and Rankin was meh.

R47, I agree about the Mendes version. I saw the final preview and remember how surprising and fresh it felt. It upended that season, when Ragtime was expected to be the runaway hit.

My motto is that hating a show is easier than actually liking one, but is a cheap negative high. So I tried to question how deeply I hated the current revival. Neuwirth may be the best Schneider I’ve seen, even though they literally levitate her in the middle of her big song. Rankin would have been a great Sally if she didn’t substitute screaming for acting. The theater is disorienting in an interesting way, but I left just wanting the cast to throw out the costumes and staging and do the Mendes or Prince version on that stage.

The depth of frustration I felt had a lot to do with the true greatness of the Mendes version. It’s a shame that people mimicked that version and just tried to go farther with depracity and violence. Maybe this version will at least loosen up directors for different interpretations.

[quote]I agree about the Mendes version. I saw the final preview and remember how surprising and fresh it felt. I

Obviously, a lot of people agree(d) with you, but to me, that production was the first BIG step down the road to ridiculously exaggerated weirdness and depravity that has led to the current debacle. Beginning with the first image of Cumming as the Emcee in a leather coat, which was done merely for shock value even though it makes no sense at all for that character to be wearing something like that as a costume, and rolling downhill from there.

[quote]Rankin would have been a great Sally if she didn’t substitute screaming for acting.

I agree with you there, and I guess we'll never know how much of that "interpretation" was her decision and/or the director's.

R41 And Mia Farrow.....

***hisses***

For now......

R49, I’m curious if there is an interpretation of Cabaret that you like? I saw the Prince revival and, while I think the sets and staging are perfect, the show felt very flat. This happens a lot with Fiddler as well.

The Mendes version certainly had some anomalies that could bother people who are bothered by that sort of thing, but it felt fresh from beginning to end. The revival (of that revival) still had a lot of life in it.

^r48!

Saw The Hills of California. Everything you heard about the accents is true. It's not a sound design issue, at least not where we sat (Mezz row E). I was really struggling to catch every word and feel like I got around 80%.

R51, Iove the original Broadway interpretation of CABARET (based on what I can tell from the cast album and some TV clips), and also the movie, even though it was a somewhat different animal. I agree that the Prince revival was very flat. That production proved that the show definitely needed some sort of new approach to make it seem fresh again, I just think the Mendes/Marshall version went way too far in terms of vulgarity.

If I chose to go back to The Hills Of California, I'd get the headphones. But The play isn't that good that it needs to be seen twice.

All of the "teenaged" daughters in the 1950s scenes of Hills of California look to be the same age and they all look too old. The mother must have been very busy around 1939.

R54, I think we might agree for the most part. In my book, the acting choices in the Roundabout (over many casts) were stronger than the staging (which I also liked but didn’t see as the selling point).

However, I’ve seen productions that make Mendes’ version seem tame. Literal concentration camps, beatings, and edgier sexuality and drug use. The current one does that in spades. And somehow decides that the Emcee is an Aryan puppeteer, Sally is a raging victim, and a black Cliff charms Ernst the Nazi.

Bebe Neuwirth really is the only one to come out of this current production unscathed. She’s the best I’ve seen in the role.

I was shocked though how non-existent her ass is!

[quote]r58 = I was shocked though how non-existent her ass is!

You're shocked that Bebe danced her ass off?

Patti Lupone is unfortunately unmedicated. A high dosage of Lexapro would do her wonders. Though will still won’t understand what she’s singing.

Bernie's clearly had work done

What the heck is going on with Romeo & Juliet? Hasn't even premiered and they are already offering massive discounts their tickets. Is it not expected to do well?

And why would you extend a show's run if tickets aren't selling well?

Every show is offering discounts until the election...Broadway is always down in a presidential election year. Always.

So McNeal is doing only 7 shows a week? I love how the Hollywood stars have the power to make reasonable performance schedules.

What was Madeline Kahn like in On The Twentieth Century? I saw Judy Kaye in LA and although she was good and sang well, she had no star presence. The audio recordings of Kahn are pretty bad but were her performances really that bad? Was she on cocaine? The gossip was the crew also hated her but John Callum defended her against Prince.

Who are these people?

Carole Shelley was the best Schneider

Fuck you.

R45 have we heard all the Mattress stories yet?

Speaking of mattress, I have a ticket I can no longer use. I’m going that day to see Sherie Rene instead.

[quote]And somehow decides that the Emcee is an Aryan puppeteer, Sally is a raging victim, and a black Cliff charms Ernst the Nazi.

The casting of Cliff with a black actor in this role may have been the single moment when "color-blind casting" inarguably jumped the shark and reached the absolute nadir of nonsense. Or maybe it was the casting of THE NOTEBOOK. Probably a tie.

[Quote] I guess we'll never know how much of that "interpretation" was her decision and/or the director's.

Early clips from London had a different actress and the same screaming

A little attention for the under-appreciated and intact Chris Stack.

Chris Stack is the most beautiful actor currently appearing on Broadway, cut or uncut.

How do you know he's uncut?

Those pictures just show his butt.

Maybe his butt is uncut?

Chris Stack is from the Midwest (i.e. Illinois) which has the highest circumcision rates in the country.

The lowest are in the ultra-liberal West Coast.

So Sherie Rene makes her long-awaited return to Little Shop? What's that about...I thought she did well in the divorce because of the recording company...

Larry Luckinbill and Tony Roberts tie for the worst Herr Schultz.

Anybody here going to attend the Broadway Flea Market today?

I thought the reference to the "intact Chris Stack" might have meant that he will be continuing in STEREOPHONIC, whereas some of the other actors are leaving. If so, poor phrasing.

r76/r78/r82, it was mentioned in that link that he's uncut because he did a frontal nude scene in a play, if you had read it. I also saw the play referred to, and he is indeed uncut.

Stack is the hottest actor in Stereophonic and is a lot more appealing than his oversexed castmate Eli Gelb.

I don't need any more fleas.

I think Sherie has a close relationship with Michael Mayer. He directed her in Everyday Rapture so he probably reached out to her.

There was a rumor that she was approached to replace Block in Into the Woods, had it kept going.

Saw Bryan Batt at the Broadway Flea Market today. I’m digging his grey hair.

[Quote] So Sherie Rene makes her long-awaited return to Little Shop? What's that about...I thought she did well in the divorce because of the recording company...

Name some other roles in recent years she’d could have done.

R88 Bobbie in Company

Replacement Witch or Wife in Into the Woods

Jagged Little Pill (she loves singing rock music)

Replacement Jenna in Waitress

The mom in the Tommy revival (full circle moment as Tommy was her Broadway debut)

Chess (any recent production)

[quote]r89 = Bobbie in Company

A 50 year old Bobbie???

R90 well there is a 57 year old Audrey now…so…

Two completely different roles/shows, r91. If Bobbie still isn't married by 50...well...

Antonio Banderas played Bobby at 61. He got good reviews and sounds great on the recording. They framed it as a flashback.

R93 you mean the whole time I could have played Bobbie as a flashback?!??

[quote]Antonio Banderas played Bobby at 61. He got good reviews and sounds great on the recording. They framed it as a flashback.

They wouldn't have done such with Sherie Rene, r93.

Alyssa Milano is missing performances of Chicago already? Geez. She just took over last Monday.

She would have been a brilliant Galinda, better than Cheno...

[quote]She would have been a brilliant Galinda, better than Cheno...

Kristin put the Billie Burke in Glinda, it's her role.

R96 I know a good standby!

Gypsy will return with music unheard since the Merman original. The Overture sounds wonderful but doesn't slay during the burlesque music, which is how I judge the overtures.

Maybe the actual show orchestra will learn to slay during the rehearsal period, which hasn’t started yet.

Tony Roberts is a terrible actor and about as exciting as week-old white rice.

R101 I think Jule Styne said it depends on the chops of the trumpet player. You either got it or you don't.

Sure, R102, Tony Roberts has never been good in the 50+years he's been acting. Fuck outta here.

Do we know this is the actual player for the show? The cast hasn’t even been announced and rehearsals haven’t started.

The orchestra sounds fantastic.

He hasn’t, R104. He’s as dull as dishwater.

Joy Woods is out of Ragtime at City Center, supposedly because she’s going to be Audra’s Louise. Joaquina Kalukango is replacing her in Ragtime.

Not at all, R107.

The trumpet bit in the overture for Patti’s production was great although it did sound like it was having a nervous breakdown.

R110 if you played nightly for LuPone, wouldn’t you?

Broadway To Dim Lights For James Earl Jones:

Miss Mazeppa doesn't even show up until act 2 - couldn't she sit it for the trumpet part?

Just got a huge discount email for "Elephants...." What's taking the Imperial in the spring?

Lin-Manuel Miranda To Lead Second Company Of Broadway’s ‘All In: Comedy About Love’ With Appearances By Aidy Bryant, Jimmy Fallon, David Cross & Others:

Tony Awards Returning To Radio City Music Hall, Sets 2025 Date:

Since I won’t be nominated…I really don’t care

R64: Don't forget he still gets paid as if it were 8 shows a week.

Matt Koplik said the best recorded Gypsy overture on record is the Tyne Daly version.

So they're restoring Gypsy's original score -- are they putting Momma's Talkin' Soft back in? (No need for Nice She Ain't; Tomorrow's Mother's Day; Who Needs Him?; or the awful Smile, Girls, and although I do like Three Wishes for Christmas it's a long damn show.)

R120, per the article, they're restoring the orchestrations and underscoring etc. so the show will "create a Gypsy that hasn't been heard since 1959." So I doubt any cut songs will be reinstated.

What I find more interesting is whether or not this means Audra will be singing the score in Ethel Merman's original keys.

What is with those actors at r115 that they can't commit to at least 6 months? Are they really so in demand?

Mary and Ethel would be horrified.

Neither Mary nor Ethel was beating off film and television offers with a stick, R122. But you knew that.

Isn’t this the most anti-climatic casting ever?

Remember Paul Giamatti and Keke Palmer?

Now it’s Danny Burstein and Joy Woods

They really are banking on Audra…who doesn’t sell tickets.

Yet, she will probably win Tony #7

Zzzzzzzz

What’s left to be “big revealed”? The three strippers, Tulsa, Baby June and Baby Louise? Will Audra have a name standby? Or will one of the strippers understudy her?

Yeah, who will be Audra's standby because you know she'll be going on ALOT.

Contemporary actors are now either doing extremely limited engagements or refusing to do 8 shows a week. Ironic because James Earl Jones NEVER missed a show.

I love Audra, but there's no way she's doing GYPSY 8 shows a week after they open...Didn't she end up going down to 5 for PORGY?

R128 4 in some cases

Leslie Uggams IS Thursday night Rose!

Beanie is available, as is Billy Porter

Billy Porter is an Electra, not Rose.

R132

Once I was a Shleppa

Now I’m Non binary Mazzepa

With a golden penis intact!

[quote]Isn’t this the most anti-climatic casting ever?

Oh, dear.

r133, as they say, don’t quit your day job.

The relevant comparison would be Lady Day. Did she miss any performances for that? My guess is that they will have to cancel any shows she misses, since this production is marketed solely around her.

Incidentally, Sondheim was extremely critical of Merman’s insistence to go on when she was sick. She damaged her voice and they had to lower the keys for the remainder of the run.

I’m sorry but Sondheim was wrong r136. If I drove all the way to New York or took a train in 1959/1960 to see Ethel Merman in Gypsy, I would rather hear the key a bit lower than see a no name because she was out.

[quote]What I find more interesting is whether or not this means Audra will be singing the score in Ethel Merman's original keys.

I think that's an entirely separate issue, but we shall see.

[quote]The relevant comparison would be Lady Day. Did she miss any performances for that? My guess is that they will have to cancel any shows she misses, since this production is marketed solely around her.

Actually, that's not the relevant comparison, because in LADY DAY, Audra sang in a completely different voice that apparently was less taxing for her than her natural voice. Because she has been unable or unwilling to keep to a schedule of eight performances a week when singing any show in her normal voice, whether it be RAGTIME or PORGY AND BESS or whatever.

Of course, at this point, I'm sure the producers are not focusing on what exactly is going to happen when Audra starts to miss performances, which according to her history should begin to happen not long after the opening.

[quote]They really are banking on Audra…who doesn’t sell tickets.

I'm not her biggest fan, but I have to disagree with you there. She definitely does sell tickets, at least in a musical. That's why it wreaks such havoc when she starts missing performance. PORGY AND BESS turned into a real debacle because of that, though of course that production was cursed from the beginning.

[quote]R127 Contemporary actors are now either doing extremely limited engagements or refusing to do 8 shows a week. [bold]Ironic because James Earl Jones NEVER missed a show.[/bold]

And then he died.

Who would be an Audra standby that wouldn't have everyone asking for a refund?

Marsha, script-in-hand.

Won't it have to be a woman of color?

[quote]R143 Marsha, script-in-hand.

a new 1-woman show.

R142. LaChanze.

Fantasia. I'm serious.

[quote]Won't it have to be a woman of color?

Lea Salonga?

[quote] PORGY AND BESS turned into a real debacle because of that, though of course that production was cursed from the beginning.

I assume you mean “THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS,” which omitted my name. So yes, I cursed that production. Along with my good pal, Steve Sondheim.

Joy Woods is officially Louise.

What a a mess.

Was Keke Palmer always an internet pipe dream, or were the producers actually pursuing her?

I thought Joy Woods was stiff and gawky in The Notebook, but that will work for Louise. Unless you really hate the interracial casting, this cast is solid so far.

Audra was out from CAROUSEL when I saw it.

Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy and Lindsay Mendez need to do a show together ASAP!

Broadway Veteran Adrian Bailey Passes Away at 67:

I find it a little weird that BWW posted Bailey's obituary, as there has been no official announcement yet. I have heard through private channels that he did die (on his birthday, no less), but for BWW to post it before his family did is a little fucked up.

I'm not talking about you, r155. I was actually coming here to post the same thing. BWW ought not to have posted this without citing a source, imo.

Linda Lavin could standby for Audra.

[quote]Won't it have to be a woman of color?

J-Lo?

BWW does a lot of things poorly, but yes, an obit -- even a perfunctory, very short one like theirs for Bailey -- should not be posted without SOME source being acknowledged.

J-Hud?

J-Hol?

Brutal box office week last week. Election years blow. Looks like Back to the Future and Elephants may be gone in January.

& Juliet is probably nearing the end of its line, too.

Hadestown and Suffs will probably be taken off life support as well.

Cabaret down 600K. Yikes

Broadway Box Office:

Which critic would you revive via AI, DL?

[quote]He was one of the most feared and revered British art critics of his generation — and now, nearly a decade after his death, Brian Sewell could be about to wield his pen once more.

[quote]Deadline understands that London’s historic Evening Standard newspaper has been making plans to revive its former writer using artificial intelligence.

[quote]Two sources said AI Sewell has been assigned to review The National Gallery’s new Vincent van Gogh exhibition, titled Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers.

[quote]Adam Lambert and Auli’I Cravalho began their star turns in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, taking over from original cast members Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin. A $640,719 drop in grosses (to $1,033,318) can be at least partially attributed to significant press tickets and other comps for the week.

Is this accurate? Has the production been giving press comps for reviews of the new leads? I haven't read any reviews of them yet. And at any rate, press comps would account for only a very tiny fraction of the grosses.

Speaking of AI (and mirror images) gone wrong, have we all seen Apartment 7A's take on mid '60s George Abbott Way?

Here We Are will have its UK premiere next spring at the National Theatee. Tracie Bennett and Denis O’Hare will repeat their roles and Rory Kinnear will also be in the cast.

Gypsy‘s “You Gotta Get A Gimmick” strippers Tessie Tura, Miss Mazeppa and Miss Electra will be played by Lesli Margherita, Lili Thomas and Mylinda Hull, respectively.

How dreary.

R170 the whole cast sucks. I blame George C Wolfe.

At a $1 million gross, CABARET lost money last week.

[quote][R170] the whole cast sucks. I blame George C Wolfe.

Absolutely no one ( except families and friends) will buy a ticket to see anyone not named Audra, so it doesn't matter.

Audra doesn't always sell tickets

Nobody wanted to see her naked.

Have they announced Tulsa yet?

Has anyone checked ticket availability? I just looked at a random Tuesday in December, and the orchestra looks to be about 2/3 sold. They want $371 for row S in the Orchestra and $176 for side mezzanine. They can eat my ass.

R176 no and the suspense is killing me.

With none of the strippers being cast with a Black actress, I’m guessing Audra will have a standby who doesn’t have an ensemble track - like Bernadette did.

I’m more interested to see who that is than who gets cast as Tulsa.

Nene Leakes IS Standby Rose

Luann de Lesseps IS vacation cover Mazeppa!

Who do you think turned them down before they ended up with Adam Lambert

R182. At least one Jonas brother

[quote]Audra doesn't always sell tickets

She does sell tickets when she is starring in musicals. The problem is her attendance record is quite poor, although, for whatever reasons, that hasn't prevented her from winning SIX Tony Awards.

If she misses performances, they’re going to have a problem. People are paying a premium to see her.

If you got great seats and paid $350 each, an understudy or standby is not a fair substitution. A refund isn’t really either. When Patti called out of Company for norovirus, we got our money back but had to pay more for equivalent seats because of dynamic pricing. If Gypsy is a hit, those $350 tickets will be a bargain.

Who am I kidding? I’m going to see her in this no matter what.

Did Audra really sell out SHUFFLE ALONG and MARIE CHRISTINE? Other than PORGY & BESS I'm kinda blanking on what her big hit musicals were since CAROUSEL.

No one's posting about the announcement of the new Guys & Dolls movie directed by Rob Marshall??

Let the casting begin!

Never mind. Just saw the thread.

‘Ghost Of John McCain’ Off Broadway Review:

R156, no worries as I totally understood the point of what you were saying. According to THR, Adrian's brother verified his passing, saying he died on the day before his birthday:

Thanks for that link, r190. It's the first official announcement that I've seen.

I did several shows with Adrian, going back to the early 80s. We reconnected after his horrific accident.

Such a very sweet man. I'm glad that he is no longer suffering.

I know the role and I'm always available

And cheap

And easy.

Lots of G&D casting ideas over at ATC.

Lindsay Mendez Welcomes Second Baby:

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1979, "Evita" opened at the Broadway Theatre.

Actually Lindsay's understudy gave birth...

Christopher Ashley Named Artistic Director Of Roundabout Theatre Company:

Tori Spelling REVEALS she would do Broadway!

"Spelling said that she will keep dancing and that, even though she has said no to Broadway "so many times," she is open to the idea moving forward thinks she would say "yes" if asked. Watch the video at ET!"

Matinee Rose Matinee Mia Matinee Audrey Matinee Norma Matinee Sally Matinee Mattress Matinee Morrible Matinee Boop Matinee Marilyn

I see Roxie Hart in Tori's future.

That photo of Chris ("Crashley") Ashley is actually quite flattering.

Unsurprisingly, I've seen no excitement about this announcement anywhere on social media or the theatre boards. Look out for lots of crappy Joe di Pietro adaptations in the future.

R202, I was going to say that.

[quote] That photo of Chris ("Crashley") Ashley is actually quite flattering.

That's putting it mildly, considering what be really looks like.

r192 Noooo, take scary daddy instead

Ghost of John McCain sounds utterly lame. The Princeton-educated composer/lyricist should aim higher.

I'd see Ghost of John McCain just for Jason Tam, r207.

You want theatre gossip? I'm shocked I'm not reading anything here (or at ATC) about the new scandal concerning David Adjmi possibly stealing scenes from an old memoir by the sound engineer who Eli Gelb plays in Stereophonic, who was the original sound engineer for Fleetwood Mac. Apparently, he recently went to see Stereophonic with his lawyers.

There have been very recent articles (which I haven't yet read) about this in The New Yorker and Vulture (sorry not to link).

From the New Yorker article:

[quote]In Act I, the Christine McVie character asks Grover for feedback on a take; he suggests that she have a listen in the booth, and she snaps, “You start paying attention to the tempo and the key and the instruments and give us a little fucking help.” “Straight outta the book,” Caillat grunted. (Page 76: “We want you guys to start paying attention to tempos and keys and tuning and other important things and help us out here.”) Later in the play, the Buckingham character tells Grover to tape over a take, because he thinks he can redo it better; when he suddenly decides he wants the earlier take and realizes it’s been erased, he yells, “Are you a fucking idiot?”—then lunges at Grover and chokes him. Caillat recounts the same thing in his book, when Buckingham was recording the guitar solo for “You Make Loving Fun.” (Page 264: “ ‘You’re an idiot!’ Lindsey screamed at me, his hands tightening around my throat.”) Then there were odd details that repeated odd details in “Making Rumours.” Grover has a crush on the studio’s front-office girl, as Caillat did. The John McVie character gives a boozy monologue about Sausalito’s “houseboat wars,” which Caillat describes in the book. A character mentions seeing Tony Orlando out drinking in L.A., as Caillat did—not exactly a name you’d pluck from the air. Before some takes, Grover says, “Wheels up,” which was Caillat’s studio catchphrase. (“We had airline seats in the control room,” he explained.) “I do believe in coincidence, but not that much,” Shapiro said at intermission. Presented, last week, with Caillat’s reactions to the show, Adjmi, the playwright, responded, “When writing Stereophonic I drew from multiple sources—including autobiographical details from my own life—to create a deeply personal work of fiction. Any similarities to Ken Caillat’s excellent book are unintentional.” Caillat said that he had watched the play in a daze. “I feel like kind of a numbnuts,” he said. “But, yeah, now I feel ripped off!”

[quote]I'm shocked I'm not reading anything here (or at ATC) about the new scandal concerning David Adjmi possibly stealing scenes from an old memoir by the sound engineer who Eli Gelb plays in Stereophonic, who was the original sound engineer for Fleetwood Mac.

Just wanted to point out that, about 10 years ago, Adjmi was sued (unsuccessfully) for copyright infringement by the producers of THREE'S COMPANY for his play 3C. So some people might say, based on these two incidents, that the originality of his plays is questionable.

[quote]You want theatre gossip? I'm shocked I'm not reading anything here (or at ATC) about the new scandal concerning David Adjmi possibly stealing scenes from an old memoir by the sound engineer who Eli Gelb plays in Stereophonic, who was the original sound engineer for Fleetwood Mac. Apparently, he recently went to see Stereophonic with his lawyers. There have been very recent articles (which I haven't yet read) about this in The New Yorker and Vulture (sorry not to link).

I haven't read the articles you mention, r209, but there is much talk behind the scenes on Broadway.

While 3C was firmly grounded in parody, STEREOPHONIC seems to contain out-and-out instances of plagiarism.

I loved 3C and liked STEREOPHONIC, so I'm no hater. But i think DA is in a bit of trouble.

If this is true, wouldn't Adjmi know he'd be found out? And ... has the Tony committee ever rescinded an award?

R214 they fucking should and FINALLY award my Anything Goes performance!

The things that Adjmi stole from the memoir are impossible to say were just a coincidence, but they also aren't even key to what made the play so good. What in the world was he thinking?

Adding to the whole tapestry is his public accusation last year that Doug Wright and Sean Hayes basically stole his Oscar Levant play.

[quote]Adding to the whole tapestry is his public accusation last year that Doug Wright and Sean Hayes basically stole his Oscar Levant play.

I don't believe he accused them of stealing his play. He called them out for commissioning him to write a play about Oscar Wilde, then rejecting the one he came up with and going to someone else to write another version, which they ultimately deemed acceptable and produced.

My mistake, R217. I should have refreshed myself on the details. Apologies.

Oscar Wilde? Oscar Levant, dear r217.

Sorry, 219. I was obviously not paying close attention while typing. I know that play was about Oscar Levant, not Oscar Wilde -- two VERY different people.

In his Carnegie Hall debut last night Oscar Wilde left his contemporaries and his conductor far behind.

Both Oscars were great raconteurs. Can't say that about many men today.

What am I? Chopped liver?

Isn't it time for a revival of Moose Murders? Tori Spelling would knock that out of the park.

R224. The author of The Moose Murders lives in my town and helped start a community theatre. He supposed to be a very nice person—I enjoyed his book about The Moose Murders.

[quote]He is supposed to be a very nice person—I enjoyed his book about The Moose Murders.

The same is true of Robes Kossez, the guy who wrote ME JACK, YOU JILL. Everyone said he was a sweetheart. After the show flopped, he returned to his day job as a salesman for Altman's.

Doug Wright was entirely blameless and Adjmi was a sleaze suggesting otherwise. Karma, David?

The Adjmi issue regarding the Oscar Levant play wasn't just that they rejected his play, but that they held the rights and wouldn't give it back to Adjmi.

And at the time Doug Wright was heading The Dramatists Guild. (maybe he still is?)

Doug Wright also took over and wrote an underwhelming play starring the underwhelming Sean Hayes.

[quote]Doug Wright was entirely blameless and Adjmi was a sleaze suggesting otherwise. Karma, David?

Hi Doug Wright's agent!

I hope we someday get to see David Adjmi's Levant play with Brandon Uranowitz as Oscar. He'd be perfect (unlike like others I could name even if they were given an undeserved Tony).

How many Dataloungers were cast in this "Senior Guys and Dolls" production?

R232. They're doing RENT next.

I saw their "Senior Follies," and, my dear, I'm still here.

Hey!

God this thread is dead.

What do you expect with a TRAVESTY of a leading lady in the OP?

Any Casey Likes gossip? Who's had him?

That doesn’t appear to be plagiarism. It’s using factual events in a fictional story, which is done every day / everywhere. It might not be “fair” to the person who lived those scenes, but that doesn’t necessarily rise to a legal cause of action.

If that engineer has a claim, then so does every member of Fleetwood Mac (or their estate). Nothing doing …

Andrew Scott Heading To Off Broadway With West End Solo Hit ‘Vanya’:

I saw the National Theatre recording of this show. It was tiring. It will sell, because he's a star, but it didn't move me at all. One man shows with multiple characters... bleh.

Are any of you at Sunset Boulevard tomorrow? Anticipating a backlash. Can't wait!

So, Patti LuPone will be performing her "A Life in Notes" show at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Friday, October 4.

Hmm. Most people who are cast in starring or major roles in Broadway shows do not have other, pre-scheduled performance commitments that will cause them to take a Friday night off from the Broadway show three weeks after it opens. But then there's Patti, who apparently always tries to have it all. (P.S. I checked the schedule, and they are not adding a performance on another day that week, so there will only be seven that week.)

I suspect that Broadway will just have to shoulder through that Friday night, r244.

Or perhaps she had a prior commitment that she chose to honor at a likely struggling nonprofit . and that the Broadway producers were aware of.

Do you need a hankie, r244?

Why don't they just put ol' Marsha on in her place?

Got my catalog for the upcoming season at La Mirada. In addition to the already discussed Jason-Alexander-IS-Tevye, we have:

- Frozen

- Waitress

- The Play Goes Wrong

- Legally Blonde

- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (yes, the movie) featuring Barry Bostwick. ("In person!")

- Tribute shows for Elvis, Abba, ELO, Michael Jackson, Lenny Bruce, Disco, The Police

- Grease and Moana sing-alongs

- "A Toast to Steve & Eydie" featuring their son and Debbie Gravitte

- John Rubinstein as Eisenhower in "This Piece of Ground"

"The Journals of Adam and Eve" with Hal Linden and DL fave Sally Struthers

- Concerts f rom Brian Stokes Mitchell, John Tesh, and Steve Tyrell

I, too, watched Vanya on National Theatre at Home. Some lovely moments, and just as many puzzling ones. (Why is there a swing on the set? Or that short staircase to nowhere?) I wish Scott had found ways to vocally differentiate the characters (there are physical ones -- playing with a ball, fiddling with a necklace or a dish towel). More than a few times I was unsure who was talking. An interesting experiment -- and inexpensive: one actor, minimal set -- but largely pointless in the end, except as an actor's exercise.

John Rubinstein as Eisenhower in "This Piece of Ground"

Have to agree with the two upthread posters on Andrew Scott's VANYA and I saw him live in London.

As I'm a fan it was thrilling fun to see him onstage. He's sexy and vivacious and in the moment in a relatively intimate setting (or maybe I had a really good seat) but - his performance? He doesn't differentiate much as each character (well, he does use a questionable Irish accent for the old nanny Marina) and ultimately, it's not exactly the bravura evening one might expect of this sort of one man show. And I think if you don't know the play well, you'd be utterly lost.

R244. The Roommate also canceled the evening performance on the 3rd and it looks like Patti will be back in time for the matinee on the 5th. Whatever. At least they cancelled the performances and aren't throwing in an understudy or Marsha with the script.

Audra standby could be someone in similar age range who works a lot in NY, like Nikki Renee Daniels, Amber Iman (previous Audra understudy) , or LaChanze. Fantasia would really surprise me given her mainly non-theater career.

Hills of California: The American audience seems to be having problems hearing the accents. I read the play and think it is only interesting in the 2nd and 3rd acts. Lots of "my kids are gonna be stars" talk

r250, your description of the one-man Vanya as an acting exercise with barely distinguishable characters was what I was afraid of.

[quote]Audra standby could be someone in similar age range who works a lot in NY, like Nikki Renee Daniels, Amber Iman (previous Audra understudy) , or LaChanze.

Or Billy Porter.

Any early word on Our Town?

R256 I saw it preview night. I've never seen it before so was really curious. I knew next to nothing, but I had enjoyed Skin of Our Teeth at LCT.

We all got a small reprint of the Playbill cover since a few photos were slightly misaligned. We also got a paperback of the actual play. Director Kenny Leon was looking over the crowd outside and then walking the aisles, chatting with people.

The actual play started with the cast saying/singing prayers, I caught some Yiddish, English, and other languages. I liked it overall, especially the young couple. Some audience members were on stage in something similar to jury boxes on the side but I forgot all about them and there didn't seem to be any participation or acknowledgement. Weirdest thing was a mix of modern clothes and mainly early 20th century clothes.

I like the story and how it handled the passage of time. It moved quickly and there was some tears in the audience towards the end. It was funnier than I thought it would be.

I tend to get bored with most dramas since so many revolve around people gathering to argue about a dying/dead parent. It was a relief to see something pleasant, relatable, and I would recommend it, especially if you want a quicker paced drama with no intermission. Whole cast worked well together and there is some brief modern songs throughout. It didn't bug me too much, but could bother someone who wants a traditional treatment. Which is valid, too.

If you enjoyed any version of Skin of Our Teeth, you may like this.

R256

Emily dies, and stays dead! What a concept.

Richard Thomas should be the Stage Manager. I can't stand Jim Parsons and would never see anything he's in. And I love Our Town.

SOOT and OT are utterly different. Please.

It's hard to ruin OUR TOWN.

Let's see what happens.

R259 he’s been excellent on stage before. The jury’s out for this show.

Random thought- Sara Porkalob gave a good performance in that 1776. I bet we’d be seeing her in other stuff had she not been so irresponsible and hurtful that she she have disappeared herself. She does deserve it.

R263. She could have been matinee Rose!

I am reading a book called Murder at the Adelphi. It's by an actor who was a member of the ensemble in the original London cast of Sunset Boulevard. Little interesting bits and pieces. As a person with no exposure to the world of theatre, he (I think inadvertently) paints a picture of a horrible life. The rehearsal experience sounds like a nightmare of tedium, imprecision, contradiction and change.

Tidbits so far: an actress sat with no bottoms on, plucking her pubic hair while holding a conversation with him. Kevin Anderson didn't like being undressed on stage for the Lady's Paying. Patti was a changeable character, but generally well liked by the cast. There was tension between her and ALW from very early on. Lloyd Webber barely speaks to anybody - some debate about whether he's a jerk or get a therapist level shy. At the opening night party at the Savoy, one room was booked for the VIPs, the rest of the company and everybody got sat in a separate room. John Barrowman, who took over as Joe after the Patti purge cast change, liked to flash his dick, and once jogged around naked past the dressing rooms. The set was a total nightmare... always malfunctioning, a disaster to build, and contributed to the most of the delays that made them push the opening back.

He writes that DL fav Betty Buckley's contract "contains a special clause. It stipulates that the show can't begin until she is "emotionally prepared" and gives the stage manager her permission for us to go ahead." She apparently was often late past the half hour call.

Why do you suppose the book is called Murder at the Adelphi, r265? Isn't that misleading? Who is the author?

[quote]Sara Porkalob gave a good performance in that 1776.

But no better than good, I would say. "Adequate" might be a better word to describe her performance, I thought there was nothing special about it over and above the fact that the role itself it so well written.

Of course, in my opinion, the whole concept of performing 1776 with only women (and people who identify as women) was pointless and ruinous. And apparently I wasn't alone in my opinion, because I'm told there were TONS of empty seats throughout the run, despite lots of discounts being available.

R266, I have no idea and I don't think he says. The cover is an illustration of Joe's body in the pool. The author is Peter Gale.

I saw Our Town last night and it wasn't as moving as I remembered.

I don't know if it was because the Doctor’s family was anachronistically AA but I guess we'd best get used to it.

I got more choked up at the curtain call, when the two main families took their bows in their family unit, reunited again.

It's a work in progress, but I think they should manipulate/milk the emotions more in act three. We come for a good cry and they better deliver!

Patti's beef with ALW started when she asked if she could sing the two big songs at a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. He turned her down as he'd promised Streisand she had first dibs. Then, as she was leaving to go to London, he announced that he had hired Glenn to head the LA production. I have to agree that it was a pretty big slap in the face to do that to your star before she had even gone into rehearsals.

Your time chronicle is all wrong r270. Glenn was announced once she had already opened the show in London to middling notices.

"The Roommate" cancelled today. Patti has taken ill.

R265. I had no idea that book existed. Just ordered a copy from Amazon. Thank you!

No, sorry, r271, I actually knew Patti at the time. It was literally the day she left for London.

R272. I have a feeling the understudy is there for last minute emergencies like if one of them gets sick during a performance.

You’re incorrect r274. Glenn was announced for LA after the London production opened. 100%.

[quote]I actually knew Patti at the time

What did she order?

For the asshole at r276: The London opening, with Trevor Nunn directing, was set for June 29, 1993, at the Adelphi Theatre (home for eight years to Me and My Girl). John Napier was hired to design the stunning sets, namely Norma Desmond’s rising mansion, where the bulk of the musical would take place, and Anthony Powell would design the costumes. In May 1993 the London cast assembled for the first time, just after an announcement was made that Glenn Close would open the American premiere production in Los Angeles six months after the London opening.

Glenn was announced for Broadway after London had opened.

[quote]In May 1993 the London cast assembled for the first time, just after an announcement was made that Glenn Close would open the American premiere production in Los Angeles six months after the London opening.

[quote]Glenn was announced for Broadway after London had opened.

Right, I believe both of the above things are true.

Then someone needs to write better. The common understanding of “first time” does not = opening night.

R281, do you still not get it? One person is saying that Glenn Close was announced FOR THE AMERICAN PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF SUNSET BLVD. IN LOS ANGELES just before the London cast assembled for the first time to begin rehearsals, while the other person is saying that Close was not announced FOR BROADWAY until after the London production had opened.

I hope my use of all caps is enough to get through to you.

As we continue to argue this important topic, let us all keep in mind that none of this even happened in this millennium.

[quote]As we continue to argue this important topic, let us all keep in mind that none of this even happened in this millennium.

So, r284? Is theatrical history limited to this millennium?

Sophocles was a hack!

It is odd, r285, what you deem to be "theatrical history."

Webber and Lupone are Broadway legends whether you like it or not, r287.

R288 Broadway legends who are unknowns outside New York.

That might be news to the West End, R289.

I'm curious R289, what constitutes a Broadway legend known outside New York, in your estimation?

When you find yourself double-posting, it's time to log off, r290/r291

Sorry to jump ahead 30 years, but Jeanine Tesori just said on all things considered that the opera she has just opened (which got panned) is probably her last opera. She also described a moment of musical education from her childhood as a real “ring of keys“ moment, as if that’s a real turn of phrase. I’m sorry, but is that an expression – or is she actually quoting her own musical as if it’s in the vernacular?

We now return you to the history channel

And the whole SUNSET BLVD. affair involving ALW, LuPone, and Close was certainly one of the most juicy, dramatic theater news stories in many years, so I don't see any problem with it still being brought up occasionally.

Sorry, R292, did I stump you?

r295 I'm not that poster, but they clearly got to you

Tammy Blanchard and Joy Woods are both Audreys and Louises.

Patti writes in her biography hearing the news from Liz Smith's column and trashing her London dressing room AFTER THE SHOW HAD OPENED. If she had been told this information before rehearsals started, she would have turned around and gone home.

And the dressing room would have been saved!

R296, I am gotten to not infrequently by the vast number of petty misanthropes who should be in therapy rather than here, such as yourself. Am I'm happy to say it, you waste.

R291, since you didn't get the signature, the statement was directed to Lupone as said by Stephen Sondheim.

This lays out the timeline. LuPone opens in London in ’93, finds out about competing LA production. Then, in ‘94 she finds out she will not go to Broadway while still doing the role on the West End. So much drama for a really terribly written, unsatisfying show.

Walk away??? She hasn't stopped bitching about it since the day it happened.

The problem is a couple of people here talk about it more than she does.

[quote]r294 the whole SUNSET BLVD. affair involving ALW, LuPone, and Close was certainly one of the most juicy, dramatic theater news stories in many years

Another capricious act by a capricious man.

Isn't it possible that Patti was told about Glenn starring in the LA production months before it was formally and officially announced?

Was the planning of an LA production of SUNSET such a big secret until the Glenn casting was announced?

Who did Patti think was going to star in it? Loni Zoe Ackerman??

Was Kevin Anderson offered the role on Broadway opposite Close or did she insist on Alan Blandbell.

R293 It’s definitely not a part of mainstream vernacular but I don’t see an issue with a composer casually referencing the most well-known song from one of their most-successful and Tony-winning works in an interview. How many people who have no reference point for Fun Home are bothering to listen to a long-form Tesori interview?

There are plenty of composers out there who love sniffing their own farts and she may be one of them, but this complaint feels like a reach.

We'd never criticize Jerry Herman if he spoke about opening a new window in his life.

Glenn starring in LA wasn’t a surprise to anyone. It was announced and running. It was Glenn coming to New York and LA closing that were the shockers. I believe it was The New York Times that said the show was better with Glenn.

[Quote] Ms. Close's triumph seems certain to complicate the question of who'll be playing Norma if the $10 million show comes to Broadway next fall. Though Ms. LuPone is under contract to play the role in New York, there's bound to be pressure now to bring in the star of the Los Angeles company.

Really? How hard is it to understand. It was announced that Glenn Close would do the LA Production before Patti left to do the London production. It wasn't about it being Glenn Close, it was that Patti was to star in the musical, and never got her moment, because ALW undercut her by announcing another production before the London production had opened. Patti had it in her contract to do the Broadway production but after the London Production opened and the American reviews were not good (the London critics loved her) and then 6 months later, Glenn got great reviews (based on the changes they made with Patti being the guinea pig) ALW offered Broadway to Glenn. Patti sued and now she has an ALW Memorial Pool.

Sorry., I meant announced for NY.

[quote]the London critics loved her

Always a red flag

Now, now, r305... you have to also post this caption with that...

[quote]Faye Dunaway, either before she was fired from Sunset Boulevard or asking for her change back at CVS.

That’s Zooey Deschenel

Where is Dee Hoty?

Good question.

On the extremely popular TV show Gogglebox on Friday night there was a funny duscussion among the civilian participants about John Barrowman. The 56 year okd had claimed he’d been “canceled” because the press had reported he was partial to laying his dick on people’s shoulders. He was then shown as a celebrity contestant on a show called SAS. And it didn’t go well for him,

Yikes! Is that Elon (or Leon) Musk at R318?

Whisperkook.

^^ Oops. Wrong thread. ^^

R318 yikes. That whole article was bad. He’s the gay, cancelled version of Jill Zarin

Sunset Blvd. Last night, first preview (a friend had an extra ticket at the last minute). I was not prepared by how great the whole production is. Spoiler: The credits sequence made me jump out of my seat. NS is phenomenal, truly a fantastic musical performance. They have taken the crazy elements, dialed them up a notch and go from there. But it works. I am sure that there will be many haters but it is one astounding piece of work, re-imagined for the best. It will be an expensive ticket but I might have to splurge. It is very, very good. If you are on the fence (I certainly was), go.

R323, where did you sit? Where do you recommend sitting?

Everything is pretty much played front and center. I think the whole theatre should be fine for this. I was front mezz.

R323 I saw it in London and LOVED it! I was there when RJA was there and he seemed less enchanted by the whole thing. I understand it. If you were a gay man in the 90s and went through Patti, Betty, Glenn and Elaine…this would be a huge shock.

As a younger person, who didn’t see any of those women, I loved this!

Who is RJA?

I know I'll kick myself when I find out.

Tell the stage manager I am not emotionally prepared for this thread.

I'll join you at the places call.

R326, it made me appreciate how top heavy and unwieldy the original version was. Stripped down, with the right talent, it's a terrific show. Not perfect - the NYE is a bit silly - but I'll never forget this revival.

Richard Jay Alexander?

Can't they wipe the blood off Norma and Joe before the curtain call. Ew.

R316, Dee Hoty has been battling cancer. She was quite ill, but is doing well now. 🙏🏻

Thank you for the update. Wishing her the best

R330 yes

Old and out of the loop, but could someone spoil the reason they are covered with blood at the end?

I know he's dead, but I would have thought floating in the pool would clean him up a bit and I have no idea why she is bloody, bloody Norma.

It was murder, Wilder wrote. Catch a thief, and all the jazz.

I'm not sure he still winds up in the pool. It's just Lloyd's take on the violence. Staging-wise, the whole thing is a departure from the film and musical.

I'd say without spoiling the direction to the actors and how they play it makes sense of the graphic violence. I was a bit shocked at the rawness, but it's real.

I was at the first preview too, and it was PACKED with fans and family members and production people. I thought it was interesting production of a lousy show.

You thought that the first preview might play to an empty house?!

Patti Lu....uncut!

Cute little red halter top number.

Deadline reviews ‘The Hills Of California’:

NYT:

Most NY critics are so blinded by anything from London on Broadway. Read Sara Holdren at Vulture if you want the truth.

R252 How does Andrew Scott do a "questionable Irish accent"?

He's Irish. Born in Dublin.

His Danish accent in Hamlet had a bit of Wexford to it.

Enhh…

Hell’s Kitchen cancelled two performances this past week due to cast illness. The grosses should be interesting this week.

Roommate cancelled performances too.

How could they tell, R272?

r346, Scott is playing an old Russian nanny. The choice of accent is questionable.

Is the COVID causing the cancellations?

‘Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil’ Musical Announces 2025 Broadway Debut:

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1933, "As Thousands Cheer" opened at the Music Box Theatre.

Why do you always post Deadline reviews, of all the media, Greg Evans is nobody.

R355, As Thousands Cheer featured one of Irving Berlin's catchiest melodies (and great lyrics), Heat Wave.

Don't forget...

Do you think Fosse could have done more conventional, family style projects later in his life? The sexual content was so heavy from Pippin on. Could he have brought something to the movie of Mame (without Lucy) or Hello Dolly that had less of an Adults Only edge?

Seeing that the great Gavin Creel has passed away. I heard he was sick just last week. RIP to one of the greats.

Just awful news. So young, so talented. Wonderful performer. I'm frankly in shock.

OMG, that's so shocking. What a great talent plus he just seemed like a really nice and sweet person. RIP.

Diagnosed in July, didn’t make it to October. This is crushing. I first saw him in the much troubled Sondheim musical Bounce. He didn’t appear until the second act, when it was clear the show was not delivering. But that voice, on one of the better songs in the show, made you hopeful. What a tragic loss.

[quote]Diagnosed in July, didn’t make it to October. This is crushing.

If I was diagnosed with cancer, I would want to die as quickly as possible.

r364 I'll get right on that.

See that you do.

Nice obit in the Times:

I gasped at this news. So so sad.

Alex Temple-Ward was his partner; I know he was with Jon Groff many years ago. He mentioned a long-term relationship ended during the pandemic, does anyone know who that was?

There were many posters here who would not stop discussing Gavin’s bathing habits. Literally every single time he was mentioned. Probably the same people who are now posting their thoughts and prayers.

I do remember that Gavin had some apparently serious health problems during the run of HELLO, DOLLY! that caused him to miss multiple performance of that show -- back problems, if I recall correctly. I wonder if his death was related to that at all? Whatever, so tragic and such a great loss of a sweet human being and a great talent.

The only show I saw Gavin in was Hello, Dolly! He was marvelous, such a perfect voice for classic showtunes.

I'm heartbroken at this news, and frau-y as it is I'll say FUCK cancer.

Years ago John Barrowman got kicked out of Equinox Sports Club for having sex in the jacuzzi.

And he's been showing everyone his big dick for YEARS. Of course he was going to end up canceled.

The Gavin Creel news is so, so sad.

Such a talented man. Much beloved on and off stage, and rightly so.

48. Damn.

My FB pages are filled with tributes to Gavin, one after the other, scrolling down, by those that knew and loved him and those that admired him from afar.

Julie Halston posted something to the effect: "I can't, I just can't re Gavin...

After about 40 responses a retired stage manager friend of mine wrote: "What's the news?"

WHY CAN"T PEOPLE READ THREADS?!?!?

r375 They read, they were just being a cunt.

Gavin had back surgery during the Bernadette run of Hello Dolly. He had to take a couple of months off, Santino Fontana want into the show to cover his absence.

I have to imagine this is what eldergays felt in the 80s when beloved gay men were dying in their prime.

Its horrible

NYT reviews "McNeal":

Deadline:

Variety:

[quote]Why do you always post Deadline reviews, of all the media, Greg Evans is nobody.

No reason other than Deadline's reviews are always the first ones that hit my email inbox.

“Timely. but turgid.”

Eek.

How is it that LCT, a company that must have access to the finest new plays in the world, can produce a play that so clearly was unworthy on first read? Has Andre Bishop just given up?

Or if they feel some obligation to the playwright, why not at best, produce this stinker on one of their smaller stages?

Also. does RDJ really have no one in his life to advise him on what play to do?

The huge downturn in quality at Lincoln Center Theater over the past several years is shocking, to say the least. I suppose there were several contributing factors.

From the Variety review:

[quote]Running at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, set designers Michael Yeargan and Jake Barton, lighting designer Donald Holder, sound engineers Justin Ellington and Beth Lake and the digital effects by AGBO (and projections by Barton) work together to create a genuinely immersive experience

There was a time, not too long ago, when such a grammatically offensive sentence would not have been published in a major media outlet. But, apparently, those days are gone.

Ayad Akhtar had a strong hit at Lincoln Center with "Disgraced".

Sounds like his sophomore play wasn't that hot.

Ken Page, dead at 70.

Travesty he was never nominated for a Tony

Olivier-Winning ‘Operation Mincemeat’ Musical Comedy Arrives On Broadway In February:

More love for Ken Page. I remember seeing him in Ain't Misbehavin when I was 17. RIP

Aw, Ken. Just saw him in a movie a few weeks ago. He was wonderful. RIP.

In Dreamgirls the movie, he played the club manager. He sort of name drops Holiday (ostensibly Billie but since it was DG, obviously Jennifer) and then after Glover says "do it for old times", he says sadly "they're gone". But seeing him in the club cheering for Effie was one of those special moments.

We now just need winter or spring tenants for the Booth, Circle in the Square, the Jones, and the Lyceum. I guess we'll know soon enough about where Good Night, and Good Luck and Glengarry Glen Ross will play, or if Oh, Mary! gets another extension.

TV Alert: The late, great Marian Seldes in a highly-emotional episode of "The Rifleman" on MeTV today at 3pm EST.

How could Ken Page only be 70? That would mean when he did Ain't Misbehavin' he was only 24.

I prefer her Perry Mason episode.

Saw a few things...

SUNSET BLVD:

The score sounds stunning -- no, really -- stunning with a full, beautifully played orchestra, killer vocals from everyone in the cast and a uniquely amplified sound design that feels like you're in a cinema.

The British cast members who joined Nicole are uniformly excellent and justify their import.

The lighting, video effects etc. are visually arresting, though they lose their novelty by the last third.

Nicole sings the HELL out of the score. Her vocal power and character are undeniable. When she has some... stillness to her performance and his allowed to trust the material, she is VERY compelling.

Too often, though, the director has the cast -- especially Nicole -- doing some weird on stage behavior and movements that seem to be deliberately designed to take us out of the story and feel anachronistic to the characters. Like... doing well known dance moves from the 90s (like the Running Man!), knowingly winking right at the camera, oddly preening about the stage as though they're a kid acting out a scene in front of their bedroom mirror and even seeing Norma knee Joe in the crotch.... just a few examples. If they calm that silliness down, they'd have one hell of a production on their hands.

CABARET:

Adam Lambert is great! Didn't know what to expect from him, but he is an appropriately seductive and, then, terrifying Emcee -- sung very well, of course. The new Sally is great. She may be a little younger than what you're used to, but it really doesn't work against the character. Bebe is... I mean... I love the woman... but her voice is completely gone and the accent is iffy and at the end of the day, you never feel like she fully imbues the character. The Cliff is very fine, too. The pre-show is way overhyped by the production. You're fine arriving a few minutes before curtain.

THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA:

Not as strong a play as The Ferryman, but still VERY good. It's more of a memory play and about the fault lines and ties that bind and divide families. But it's beautifully directed by Sam Mendes and features brilliant performances from the imported British cast. The four female leads playing the adult sisters (and their mother) are fantastic. Darkly funny and quite emotional. Highly recommended. Also... don't know what people are complaining about. If you actually LISTEN, the accents are NOT difficult to pick up on and to understand.

Cabaret box office in new cast’s second week dipped under a million for the first time. Not looking good.

[quote] It's more of a memory play and about the fault lines and ties that bind and divide families.

Innovative!

I saw the last Broadway preview of Ain't Misbehavin', a treasured memory, and Ken Page nearly stole the show several times (hell, the whole cast did, singly and together). Another sad loss of a fantastic performer. And he had one of my favorite lines in the film version of Torch Song Trilogy: "Hello? I'm another person in the world" (it was his delivery).

In the revival of Misbehavin', Ken gives Nell a little butt fuck around 1:10.

R399 - no, it's not particularly innovative. I don't know that I need every night in the theatre to be a revolution, though. It's a very satisfying experience because of Mendes' pretty masterful direction, the rich production values and some pretty sublime performances from the four leads.

R400, Ken had MANY memorable lines in Torch Song Trilogy. The best scenes were of the three of them (incl Charles Pierce) hanging out together.

Wow, Hamilton at 90% two weeks in a row.

I go to NY the last week of October

Here is my show list:

1) Bernadette Peters at Carnegie Hall - Monday evening

2) The Roomate - Tuesday evening

3) Little shop of horrors- SRS fan here. Wednesday Matinee

4) Oh Mary- Wednesday 5pm

5) Hillary Clinton at Carnegie Hall - Wednesday evening

6) Ragtime at City Center - Thursday evening

Yes, I’m aware this is the gayest gay who ever gayed agenda.

I disliked "Hills of California". It is way too long and not that interesting. All the male characters are disposable. They just add running time. And We all know what will happen once the American producer comes in. I thought it was boring, perfect for a BBC five-episode series but not ideal for theatre. However, Laura Donnelly is perfection as the mother. I am surprised that people complained so much about the smoking on stage. There is not that much and the Broadhurst is very large.

R405, that sounds like a packed week. I miss doing that. I lived in NYC for many years before moving out to Los Angeles. After I moved, I would make sure to come back to NYC a couple times a year (at least) for a theater extravaganza. I would pack every open slot with a show. Those were the days! I hope you have a terrific time.

r405 - sounds like a fun week! Be sure to report back on your experiences!

You might want a back-up plan for Tuesday: they're dropping like flies here.

Can we PLEASE get a top-drawer revival of Ain't Misbehavin'? It has only been revived in New York once, and that was in '88-'89. It cannot be that hard to put together, although I do wonder where they'd find five performers who can effortlessly do that period style. (Watching the press reel at R401 I didn't see a single gumdrop mic or mic of any sort. So nice to see -- or not see.)

I saw that revival and it was fantastic. One of the first shows I ever saw on Broadway. A friend of a friend had gotten standing room. It was so great to see the original cast.

Broadway box office:

The Outsiders is the breakout musical hit of the season. Angelina Jolie must be so proud.

Oh, Mary! is the breakout play of the season. Who would have thought that it would be a bigger hit than McNeal?

Wicked continues to be the #1 highest-grossing show this year.

‘Water For Elephants’ Musical Sets Broadway Closing:

In several decades of theater going, there are only a handful of productions I consider perfect. Te original AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' was one of them.

CABARET is in big trouble. They are now barely breaking even, and they spent $30 million trying to make a Broadway "sleep no more" dinner theater with the production. Too bad the production just sucks, which most of the critics pointed out.

[quote]Too often, though, the director has the cast -- especially Nicole -- doing some weird on stage behavior and movements that seem to be deliberately designed to take us out of the story and feel anachronistic to the characters.

100%, R397. The New Year's Eve direction does just what you say. His weird, self-indulgent calls are the difference between a 9/10 and a 10/10. The shame of it is, the bad calls were so unnecessary. I also think the diction could be improved on both Scherzinger and Francis. I know, I know but I hate sloppy singing.

Liza is joining the producing team for "Drag: The Musical." And some DL-ers thought she was living out her sad last days! DL wouldn't let me link the article from Playbill.

here you go r418

If Liza is producing and flying to Paris, what is holding up the Kennedy Center Honors now? What would happen if she's chosen then dies before the ceremony?

The Roommate is back tonite with Mia and Patti!

This line gave me pause: "It's so brilliant that I had to join as a producer! Join me at every performance. Yes, EVERY PERFORMANCE!"

r417 - have you seen it on Broadway? I was at the first preview and I don't recall any diction issues with any of the leads. But perhaps they were worse in London? The sound design was fantastic, too, so I could hear them perfectly whether they were belting to the rafters or quietly whispering.

And, yeah, the New Year's Eve scene was especially egregious with the anachronistic movements, facial expressions and tone. It seems so many British directors love to UNDERLINE everything in a musical. So unnecessary, because, without all that "funny business", Jamie Lloyd has one hell of a production on his hands.

I would love to see a revival of Smokey Joe's Café

"Ain't Misbehavin'" - Oct. 18-Nov. 3, Musical Theatre West, Long Beach

[quote]And, yeah, the New Year's Eve scene was especially egregious with the anachronistic movements, facial expressions and tone.

I don't understand these criticisms about "anachronistic movements." I haven't seen this production yet, but from what I've seen in clips and photos, it seems clear that there is no attempt at all to be accurate to the period circa 1950 in terms of the production and costume design. So, can those of you who are bothered by "anachronistic movements" please explain why, under the circumstances?

I can’t stand Scherzinger’s braying.

R426 - at the end of the day, while I believe there have minor updates to the book (and one song cut from the score), it is still ostensibly about a silent film star trying to make a comeback in the mid 20th C. Yes, there's no scenery. And, yes, the costumes are neutral/modern, but the subject matter / music / lyrics remain the same. So, when you see Norma Desmond doing oh-no-you-didn't finger snaps to the camera, or see her doing Running Man choreography from the early 90s it's still jarring and totally takes you out of the story.

NYT reviews "Yellow Face":

r352 Well, the poster wrote: " (well, he does use a questionable Irish accent for the old nanny Marina)" so, we'll blame them for unclear language.

I loved "Yellow Face," a great play and a great cast.

[quote]I would love to see a revival of Smokey Joe's Café

Are you feeling nostalgic for the jukebox musicals of yesteryear?

r428

what song is cut?

“The Lady’s Paying”

Does Gabriel Kahane come from money?

I was told years ago from a good friend who worked with him on FEBRUARY HOUSE that he does, but yet in his shows at Playwrights Horizons right now, he is definitely trying to give starving artist vibes, and I'm wondering now how truly performative that all is.

Fleetwood Mac producer sues makers of Broadway hit 'Stereophonic'

Specifically, R436, the producer is suing Adjmi. It's the second time he's been in legal trouble, accused again of appropriating another intellectual property.

Thanks, R428, I still don't get it. If the costumes (and, from what I can see in photos, the production design) are "neutral/modern," it seems to me that all of that is already completely incongruous with a story about a silent film star trying to make a comeback circa 1950, and I don't understand why modern-day, "anachronistic" movements would take you any further out of the story. Funny how, when it comes to things like this, certain people are bothered tremendously by some elements of a production but not others.

Broadway Theaters to Dim Lights in Honor of Adrian Bailey:

[quote]His weird, self-indulgent calls are the difference between a 9/10 and a 10/10.

I saw the show last night, and I agree with that assessment entirely. I thought it was a thrilling night of theater, as someone who found "Sunset Boulevard" a huge bore in my one prior exposure to it (Glenn Close 2017 revival).

I didn't find the "anachronistic" movements/moments at all out of place for Scherzinger—they somehow worked for her (and the production's) conception of the character. I did find them cloying and overly cutesy when deployed by the ensemble, however. I hope Jamie Lloyd pulls them back, because they were at times pretty egregious. But if the ensemble was the same way in London, I suppose that won't happen.

Still loved the show and am planning on seeing it again, which I didn't expect to want to do.

Sarah Snook Sets Spring Broadway Debut With ‘The Picture Of Dorian Gray’:

I always kind of liked this show.

R440. I saw the show in London twice and I do not think they have touched any of the Movements/Moments of NS. I saw the first preview and it felt a complete repetition of her London performance. Actually, I could not detect any changes at all (except the walk outside that now it is done with most of the company, and the monkey)

The theatre is in an enormous post-modern phase right now in which audiences are constantly being asked to leave their preconceptions behind and believe, among other things, that BIPOC actors can play traditionally cast white characters and historically set shows can be performed in highly stylized non-period settings and costuming.

I think I'm finally understanding the meaning of the phrase "post-modern" which essentially means: We're doing it this way because we like it this way; don't over-analyze it.

Obviously, you can go with that or not. But I don't see this trend changing anytime soon. Most younger audiences clearly have no problem with it.

R439-Will Tom Schumacher be honoring his memory while the lights dim?

I'm surprised Disney did pay off the family to say he isn't dead

DIDN'T?^

Spoiler Hills of California's original ending had Joan dumping her baby on the family and backing out. Seems very in character for a flaky wannabe singer. Very curious how a new ending can change things up.

Sunset Blvd preview: It had a lot of weird and distracting choreography and fog effects. I laughed unintentionally and have enjoyed stripped down concert versions of it in the past. But the audience was loving it, including Todrick Hall. We had one standing ovation but I think American critics are going to hate the look of it, stonefaced marching choreography, and Nicole's over the top CHOICES.

The production seemed like a parody of reinventing an old property, at times. John Simon would have a field day ripping it up.

"Should Betty and Joe sing 'Too Much in Love' as if they're realizing their attraction?" "Nah, better have them look sour with weird ensemble choreography in the background!"

R438 - That's fine if you don't get it. You should see the production and judge for yourself. The anachronism is not just about period-appropriateness but about tone. Just picture, for a moment, Norma Desmond doing the RUNNING MAN and Pop-and-Lock movements, literally KNEEING a man in the groin, at times standing in a weirdly aggressive squatted position and, when she's angry, pounding her chest like an angry gangster might and when feeling sassy doing literal finger snaps as if she's in a mid 2000s girl group. It's not just about the time period, it's about these feeling totally at odds with how Norma Desmond carries herself and sees herself as this glamorous, ultra feminine screen siren. There are three things that make this frustrating: (1). Nicole is given much more of this ridiculous physical business than any of the other actors so it stands out most egregiously for her, (2). It injects this weirdly goofy undercurrent that totally undermines the otherwise boldly dramatic production, (3). It undermines Nicole's very fine performance (when she's allowed to just play Norma without all these add-ons.)

This isn't reason enough not to see the production, because it has so much else going for it, but it's a shame to see such idiocy indulged.

Also, for the record, please don't assosciate me with the Klan Granny at R444. I have ZERO problem with actors of color playing roles that were originally cast with white actors.

Klan Granny, r449?

I made no judgments on anything. Merely describing what I see as a major trend in current theatre.

R450 / R444 - if your intent was not to COMPLAIN about greater diversity in casting, then I apologize for reaching that conclusion. DL is so full of reactionary, older white folks complaining about the brown folks encroaching on their cultural sacred cows, that I, perhaps unfairly, assumed you were doing the same. If not, my apologies.

Apology accepted, r451.

If anything, I'm more in the camp for change.

Anyone who uses that ridiculous phrase "klan granny" (a stupid DL template term that started with criticism of Meghan Markle on other threads) isn't to be taken seriously. It's used for anyone who weighs in, in any way or form, on cultural trends regarding race and the intent is to shut down conversation. It's so silly.

[quote]DL is so full of reactionary, older white folks complaining about the brown folks encroaching on their cultural sacred cows

No it isn't, r451. There's only a couple of posters doing that trolling.

R454 - that would be comforting, but, unfortunately, I feel like it's more than "a few". It may be a loud minority, but I don't think it's just 4 or 5 of them.

So is Mia pulling shit, or Patti Lu?

R456. Patti was sick. It happens. And they're not young so it hits harder. The powers that be choose to cancel instead of putting an understudy on. Hopefully, the show will get back on track and finish out the run.

r455 Yes, there are plenty and even more who raise no objection to people posting that racist shit. It seems it's only ever when someone calls out the racists that these posters then decide to object, claiming it's 'clogging up the thread' or something similar.

Saw it this afternoon. They were both great, but the show is nothing special. I liked the first half more than the second. But, boy, Mia's charisma just is astonishing. I felt the same wasy when I saw her 10 years ago in Love Letters.

[quote] I liked the first half more than the second.

Maybe because the first half is, for the most part, a fun if very light comedy, whereas the second half is nonsensical BS. Especially when the playwright tries to give us some SERIOUS DRAMA.

[quote]but I don't think it's just 4 or 5 of them.

Trust me, r455, it is.

[quote]But, boy, Mia's charisma just is astonishing

Some people are luminous, r459..

R405, are you gay?

[quote]The theatre is in an enormous post-modern phase right now in which audiences are constantly being asked to leave their preconceptions behind and believe, among other things, that BIPOC actors can play traditionally cast white characters and historically set shows can be performed in highly stylized non-period settings and costuming.

Willing suspension of disbelief, I think they used to call it.

The Elizabethans used to watch Roman history dramas with actors dressed in 17th century clothing in an outdoor theatre with little to no set and they didn't complain.

THE ROOMMATE is struggling to sell tickets because of the poor reviews, and they've already burned through all the gays who wish to see the Divaslite.

Patti moaned that doing musicals was exhausting and too much work at her age. Well, it looks like doing plays is too exhausting for her, too.

[quote]DL is so full of reactionary, older white folks complaining about the brown folks encroaching on their cultural sacred cows

The virtuous are so entertaining.

Accidentally.

Agreed on The Roommate. Saw it last week. Patti was giving a stronger performance than some of the comments would suggest. She's a more nuanced actress than I think she sometimes gets credit for. And, yes, Mia is utterly charming. Putting the acrimony between her and her former husband aside, if you were charmed by Mia in all those Woody Allen films, I think you'd enjoy The Roommate, too. It's VERY slight, but quite entertaining and probably the perfect length. I think I saw the last performance before they had these additional Covid cancelations. I believe they had to cancel because both Patti and the main understudy tested positive.

[quote]THE ROOMMATE is struggling to sell tickets because of the poor reviews, and they've already burned through all the gays who wish to see the Divaslite.

PLUS, lots of performances are being canceled for one reason or another, which must certainly be killing whatever momentum the show would have had at the box office.

[quote]Agreed on The Roommate.

"Agreed" with whom? Obviously not with several people who are posting negatively here.

[quote]Saw it last week. Patti was giving a stronger performance than some of the comments would suggest. She's a more nuanced actress than I think she sometimes gets credit for.

I would say she used to be a nuanced actress, but now she make lots of very obvious choices. I thought much of her work in The Roommate was quite poor.

All those unpredictable cancellations would certainly discourage long range ticket buyers (also known as tourists).

This is not looking good. The Roomate apparently cancelled its tomorrow evening and Friday performances.

Does LuPone have the COVID?

R472. Patti has a prior commitment so tickets were never on sale for those performances.

I don't want to be that guy, but seeing a black family at the center of Our Town when the rest of the cast was basically white, did involve a certain suspension of disbelief for New Hampshire circa 1901.

And yet here you are being that guy,

R468, for the last fucking time, Woody Allen and Mia Farrow were NEVER married. Soon-Yi Previn was never her biological daughter either. What are you, a gullible millennial sucked in by the Farrow family when they hijacked the #metoo movement - which was about sexual harassment and abuse against grown women in the workplace - to air their grievances over Mia’s unproven, vengeful decades-old allegations against Allen which had been dismissed at the time when experts in child development deemed that her child had been coached. It is actually Mia’s brother, John, who is the convicted paedophile in the family and since paedophilia is usually part of a cycle of abuse, it seems the Farrow family would know more about it than Woody Allen ever would. Maybe her two adopted children who committed suicide in her care knew something about it as well.

But yes, I agree. She is very good in Woody Allen’s films. Just watched Hannah and Her Sisters again last week.

You're welcome...

[quote]r475 seeing a black family at the center of Our Town when the rest of the cast was basically white, did involve a certain suspension of disbelief for New Hampshire circa 1901

It appears you survived the exertion.

[quote]I don't want to be that guy, but seeing a black family at the center of Our Town when the rest of the cast was basically white, did involve a certain suspension of disbelief for New Hampshire circa 1901.

Or, rather, a complete suspension of disbelief, since just about every other line of dialogue in the play pinpoints the action as taking place very specifically in New Hampshire circa 1901. A time and place where an interracial marriage would be pretty much unheard of. And if by some extremely unusual chance it DID happen, you can bet that it would be the subject of much discussion among all the characters, rather than not mentioned.at all -- which, of course, it isn't, because the playwright didn't write it that way.

If casting is meant to be color blind, meaning literally that color is not seen or not meant to be seen in a production, and is not making any point regarding race, then a suspension of disbelief is easy. When it's an interracial production where race is meant to be seen, and issues (say, for instance, even obliquely by its presence, interracial marriage in NH in 1901) are underlying and create barriers of plausibility based on, oh, history, I see little point. Our Town is a play that's not about race in 1901 NH but humanity.

Btw, I should stress I haven't seen it, just going by what I'm reading here. I would never see another play with Jim Parsons.

I don't care about logical reality or historical accuracy (unless a play specifically bills itself as a historiography) when I go to the theatre, I simply want to feel emotionally moved. A moving play can suspend my disbelief indefinitely. After all, human nature is remarkably consistent regardless of time, space, race, or any other factor: what is playwrighting and directing if it isn't an exploration of human nature?

Obviously anyone is entitled to dislike the current revival of Our Town (which looks quite bad), but this discussion about race is becoming both repetitive and reductive.

It seems to me that often race is inserted into plays and then people complain that race is mentioned. Either it's not meant to be seen or the production is trying to make a point, in which case it's fair game.

Time to stop, you two.

Don't tell anyone what they can comment on, R485. Fuck off.

[quote] PLUS, lots of performances are being canceled for one reason or another, which must certainly be killing whatever momentum the show would have had at the box office.

SO what the hell is going on here? All these canceled performances and the (from what I hear) very strong actress employed as the standby has never gone on? They are paying her 3k a week just to not go on when needed?

The latest story going around regarding last week's cancellations is both Patti and the standby tested positive for covid.

[quote]The latest story going around regarding last week's cancellations is both Patti and the standby tested positive for covid.

Were they fucking?

Race aside, I wish that the new production of our town had been a bit more manipulative and emotional; I really wanted a catharsis by the end.

[quote]If casting is meant to be color blind, meaning literally that color is not seen or not meant to be seen in a production, and is not making any point regarding race, then a suspension of disbelief is easy.

But many of use can't quite wrap our minds around casting in which "color is not meant to be seen," and for that matter, some actors of color have stated that they want no part in casting in which their race/color "is not meant to be seen." Also, it seems that some of the people who create these productions are extremely unclear as to whether color "is not meant to be seen" or, conversely, characters traditionally played by white actors are now supposed to be read as Black (or Latino, or Asian, or whatever) because they are now being played by POC.

[quote]When it's an interracial production where race is meant to be seen, and issues (say, for instance, even obliquely by its presence, interracial marriage in NH in 1901) are underlying and create barriers of plausibility based on, oh, history, I see little point. Our Town is a play that's not about race in 1901 NH but humanity.

Our Town is not "about race," but tragically, race can't be separated from the history of our country. Wilder wrote a play which, despite the fact that it was meant to be performed without sets or props, is extremely realistic in its depiction of characters in a very specific time and place. A time and place when an interracial marriage would almost certainly never have happened or, IF it did, everyone would be commenting on it, rather than not mentioning it at all.

Just be honest, r491, that *you* refuse to suspend belief.

That's exactly what Thornton Wilder was going for. Manipulative.

[quote]That's exactly what Thornton Wilder was going for. Manipulative.

All playwrights are manipulative to some extent, r493. It's part of their job.

Yes, Patti had Covid.

r491, imagine yourself as a person of color. You were born in America, as were your parents and your grandparents and even your great-grandparents. You've gone to schools where plays like Our Town, and the plays of Noel Coward, Chekhov, Ibsen and Shakespeare have been taught to you and all your classmates. You've attended plays of the classic theater all your adult life.

But some jerk on DL can't seem to see you as a person who has every right to perform in those plays as they do.

How do you answer yourself?

And worse, r496, these classic plays - especially Our Town - are supposed to be universal and transcend race and gender. People like r491 show that it was just lip service.

Sure, R492. As if I'm the only person, or even in the vast minority of people, who can't (or don't want to) suspend disbelief in that way.

OF COURSE, it goes without saying that you and other people who use this flawed argument would never for a single moment accept white actors (or Asian actors, or Latino actors) as any of the family members in A RAISIN IN THE SUN. Nor should you be expected to accept that, because it would be ridiculous. But that example alone proves that this argument has NOTHING to do with "willing suspension of disbelief," no matter how much you may insist that it is.

So if you're going to argue for non-traditional or color-blind casting (or whatever else you want to call it), please be honest about the real reasons why you feel it's necessary -- namely, the tragic unfairness of the fact that people of color were largely excluded or severely underrepresented in the theater until fairly recently . Because if you stick to the real reasons, I'm sure many/most people, myself included, would agree with you.

[quote]So if you're going to argue for non-traditional or color-blind casting (or whatever else you want to call it), please be honest about the real reasons why you feel it's necessary -- namely, the tragic unfairness of the fact that people of color were largely excluded or severely underrepresented in the theater until fairly recently

LoL, r498, nobody has said that *isn't* the reason. It's a valid reason. What other reasoning are you talking about?

Sean Astin To Make Broadway Debut As Santa In ‘Elf The Musical’ Revival:

New York DLers: Hurry and get your tickets for this stupendous event!

Sean Astin looks just like his mom, that makes me strangely happy.

[quote]Sean Astin looks just like his mom

Then he should be playing Morrible.

I have mixed feelings about color blind casting. It worked for me in Uncle Vanya because the black actor who played the doctor was the most dynamic actor on the stage. I saw a drama about a status obsessed English family in the 1920s. One of the sisters was played by a black actress. Everytime she showed up, she threw me out of the play. I think the creative types will have to determine when It works and when it doesn’t.

[quote]R480 a complete suspension of disbelief, since just about every other line of dialogue in the play pinpoints the action as taking place very specifically in New Hampshire circa 1901

Since we now live in the 21st Century, I wonder how you managed the shocking time travel!

It’s almost as if the theater seats should have seatbelts and crash helmets!

Are people somehow unaware that the entirety of the theatrical space is illusory?

Exactly!

Uncle Vanya is not about the white experience. Nether are Hedda Gabler, The Matchmaker or even Blithe Spirit and Private Lives. Certainly, none of Shakespeare. A Raisin the Sun is about the Black experience. A play about the Ku Klux Klan is about a certain white experience and should not have Black actors playing white characters.

Try hard to see people as people, no matter their color. Try harder. You can do it.

[quote]Everytime she showed up, she threw me out of the play.

As she threw you out, I hope she also slapped you!

And deleted you from her contacts!

I’m the audience, I count on professionals to make good casting choices. If a play sucks I pass on seeing it. And if it flops, I haven’t lost a dime.

A play needs to work on its own logic, but doesn’t have to have any connection to reality

[quote]Uncle Vanya is not about the white experience. Nether are Hedda Gabler, The Matchmaker or even Blithe Spirit and Private Lives. Certainly, none of Shakespeare. A Raisin the Sun is about the Black experience. A play about the Ku Klux Klan is about a certain white experience and should not have Black actors playing white characters.

But there are countless older plays (and musicals) that are "not about the white experience" yet make no sense when POC are cast in certain roles, because historically those people/characters would never have been POC. One of the most ridiculous examples of this in recent memory, but not the only one, has been the casting of Black actors in the role of Cliff in the current production of CABARET. As if a a Black man would ever in a million years have been taken up by a Nazi as his best friend and confidante. Considering the way Nazis actually viewed people of color, to cast a Black actor in that role makes a mockery of one of the most tragic periods in world history. Another ridiculous, related example was the casting of women, whether of color or not, in that godawful revisal of 1776. And so on, and so on.

A RAISIN IN THE SUN is about the Black experience based on actual history. Countless other plays are about the white experience based on history. So IF willing suspension of disbelief is expected when POC are cast as white character, it should be expected in the other direction. My opinion is that it should be be expected in either direction, and yours is that it should be expected in only one.

What a silly hill to die on, r513.

[quote]Just about every other line of dialogue in the play pinpoints the action as taking place very specifically in New Hampshire circa 1901

Since we now live in the 21st Century, I wonder how you managed the shocking time travel!

I don't feel I need to have lived in 1901. I am of the opinion that I can learn about history by reading about it, but maybe you don't agree with that.

r513, can you not simply see people as people?

What you have is a pathetically limited imagination.

He's old, r516. Change is scary.

He also doesn’t understand theater. He confuses it with documentaries

This insistence that theater has to reflect reality (or, more specifically, his reality) is bizarre and anti-theater

The whole art form is lost to him

I predict Whoopi misses at least 30 percent of her shows.

[quote]What a silly hill to die on, R513

Sometimes you just gotta take a death as a win.

Can Whoopi move in a way that "Easy Street" requires?

Cheap shot, R517. And kind of ugly.

I can't wait to see that production of A RAISIN IN THE SUN with the Younger family cast with whites, blacks, latinos, and asians. Shouldn't be a problem...

[quote]Cheap shot, [R517]. And kind of ugly.

LoL, r522, I'd venture to guess that I'm older.

Jesus Fucking Christ on a God Damned Ritz Cracker. Can we just start a separate theatre thread for the elderly, race-obsessed, pedants? I assume it's just 4 or 5 of you, but you're a God damned stuck record. The world is changing. You don't want it to change. We get it. Every touch of melanin is a threat to your very existence. How WILL we go on if a brown person is let anywhere near Thorton Wilder? Somehow the rest of us are coping, so, please, just start a separate thread to discuss your obsession with race.

Can you stop treating "the elderly" like a monolith, you fucking -ist, -ism, narrow minded cunt? You're near worthless.

[quote]I assume it's just 4 or 5 of you

In this case it's *one*, r535.

^Oops r525

Every time I resist my better judgement and jump into one of these back and forth arguments about nothing, even if it's just one post, I always wind up regretting it, R525.

The fucking Poppins Loon was more bearable than this shit.

We're about at the stage where the racist loon will compare casting black people to casting an old person as a young character.

We've already had the inevitable suggestion that colorblind casting should mean that white actors can be cast in "A Raisin in the Sun." That one comes up every fucking time in these tiresome debates.

Look at diversity casting from actors perspective. Actors of color now have new opportunities with more diverse productions being produced plus they're being considered seriously for traditional 'white' roles that they never would have felt comfortable auditioning for five years ago. Wonderful. Terrific. Good for them. Now what happens to white actors who are losing roles they're right for and would never be considered for shows that are normally cast with black, Asian and Latino actors. Are casting decisions being made based on talent or are creative teams checking boxes.

Can we get back to...

[quote]Now what happens to white actors

They still get the overwhelming majority of roles. Did you have such concerns about the career prospects of black actors in the past? I suspect not.

Well...I tried.

Only had to block four of you.

You'll be restored once you settle down. Maybe.

Is Adjmi gonna have his Tony rescinded?

I wish. That play is the most overrated thing to come along since August: Osage County.

Compared to what that's been undeserrvedly underrated, R538? It was the best play on Broadway this year. It was certainly better than the plays it was nominated against for the Tonys, regardless of this lawsuit.

R508, pray tell, what IS a play about "the white experience"? I'm gathering from your example that they are only plays in which white people exploit people of color. Nothing racist about that claim, no siree.

r540, the point is that the "white experience" barely exists because there is no collective "white experience" unless it pertains to white people in contrast to people of color.

Yeah, I get it. It's a racist point.

Well, add two more.

Start a thread and skirmish there, assholes, your sniping is no longer about theatre, it's about yourselves and you've both fucking lost the plot. Neither' of you is gonna win this, neither of you is listening to the other and neither of you are actually as interesting as you think.

I won't post on the subject any more, R543, but it IS about theatre. Broadway is tanking, not because of colorblind casting only but because of the whole Woke project (plus the ridiculous prices). The people who ARE going are dumbasses who give everything a standing ovation, thus demonstrating they have no criteria for and/or interest in excellence. Interestingly, the West End is doing better than ever post-Covid. It has embraced diversity too, but not as a cult.

That's me out.

Will it get the job done?

[quote]Is Adjmi gonna have his Tony rescinded?

It's an interesting case, because the lines and plot points he is alleged to have stolen are supposed to be things that actually happened during the Fleetwood Mac recording sessions for RUMOURS, as reported in the memoir that was written by their engineer/producer. So would the use of material like that, rather than fictional material created by someone else, be viewed differently in a plagiarism lawsuit? Is the problem simply that Adjmi didn't credit the memoir, even if he wouldn't have had to pay to use that material?

R544 Broadway is tanking because musical theater is completely and utterly cringey.

If I were a Broadway “performer” I’d be too embarrassed to look at myself in the mirror…or I’d jump from a high elevation. I wouldn’t wait for the C to get me.

Broadway To Dim Lights For Gavin Creel:

[quote]the lines and plot points he is alleged to have stolen are supposed to be things that actually happened during the Fleetwood Mac recording sessions for RUMOURS, as reported in the memoir

Some of the things he took from the memoir—like one the band members spotting Tony Orlando while at dinner—are so specific yet so inconsequential that it's hard to figure out why he even put them into the play. It's going to be interesting to see how the case unfolds.

R548 key word missing…. “Select” Broadway theatre's.

Mind you they ALL dimmed for Robin Williams.

What is with the fucking Broadway League???? Dim ALL the fucking lights for Gavin Creel!

And how do they select which theatres will dim their lights? Only the ones Creel acted in?

I don't suppose Gavin minds either way.

R552: from the article, which you plainly did not read before firing up your umbrage:

Once a date for the light-dimming has been determined, one theater from every theater owner on Broadway will participate in the traditional tribute, with 11 venues to include the Circle in the Square, Helen Hayes, Marquis, New Amsterdam, Samuel J. Friedman, Shubert, Stephen Sondheim, St. James, Studio 54, Todd Haimes, and Vivian Beaumont theaters.

The League’s Committee of Theatre Owners determines the specific plans for the light dimming tributes. While the committee deliberations are not made public, the number of Broadway venues participating in light dimmings is generally viewed as reflecting the honoree’s influence, career span and even how recent a Broadway career has been.

Earlier this week, the League announced that select theaters would dim their lights on October 17 for the actor Adrian Bailey, who died September 22. Bailey, who appeared in 15 Broadway productions, retired from performing in 2008 following a devastating onstage accident.

Deadline has reached out to the League regarding the partial dimming plans for Creel and Bailey.

I was not umbraged, only curious. But you're correct, I did not read the statement, so thanks for sharing.

Sorry, R55, I read that "And" at the start of "And how do they...." as kind of umbragey.

Sorry, R555, not R55.

Not exactly gossip, but how about Dean Jones wearing tighty-whities in Company? It's an image I've never seen before.

[quote]key word missing…. “Select” Broadway theatre's.

What SHOULD be missing is the apostrophe.

Oh, dear.

R558 Steve Sondheim had it written in his contract that this scene had to have that costume choice

Petition for all marquees to dim their lights for Gavin Creel:

With all due respect (which is [italic] none [/italic] ), to r486, I repeat what I said before.

[quote] Time to stop, you two.

Here’s a Betty Buckley performance for the ages. See at 5:10 and other places in the show.

As a former Miss Ft. Worth who failed to get the Miss Texas crown, dear Betty was reduced to being part of the “troup” at the 1967 pageant—where Miss America 1968 Dede Barnes (Kansas) was crowned.

Well now, at least we're back to some Theatre Gossip relevance, r563.

That opening number is so twee it makes Franz Lehar's music sound interesting. I think I love it.

Skip to 20:40 for Joan Crawford hawking Pepsi!

R562: and I'll repeat: GO. FUCK. YOURSELF.

Betty is introduced at :40. Oh how the mighty fall!

Shouldn’t the lights be dimmed for Ken Page? Or is he just forgotten?

I'm sure this is going to be unpopular, but ENOUGH with the dimming of the lights on Broadway. Pretty soon we'll be dimming them every fucking night. ENOUGH!

How about an annual dimming ceremony, say, the night before the Tony Awards?

R568 Agree. He was an actual legend.

Megan '88

I look forward to watching R475 get chucked from the Barrymore when he stands up and loudly denounces the production as a lie since we clearly are not in fact in New Hampshire in 1901.

Nor Northern California in either 1985 or 1955.

And we weren't in the Weissmann Theatre...

Oops, it was '89...

R573 haha I already saw it. And I survived.

I just wish it was more of a tear-jerker.

Ken Page and Gavin Creel actually had comparable careers in some respects.

Both appeared in about a half-dozen Broadway productions (Page in 5 or 6 . . . Creel in 8). In both cases, 2 of those appearances were as replacements. Both Broadway careers spanned about 20 years.

As already noted, however, Page (sadly, even unjustly) had no Tony nominations, while Creel had 3, winning the last one. And Page hadn't appeared on Broadway in over 24 years -- I'm pretty sure that most of his stage ventures for some time now had been restricted to his native St. Louis -- while Creel of course was there much more recently.

None of this is to say that Creel *deserves* the dimming more than Page. But it's hardly surprising that he's getting more attention at the moment.

Muriel, please permanently ban the white supremacists and the race obsessed pedants. PLEEEAASSE?

Lots of the posts in these threads are not actual "gossip," and that certainly applies to some of my posts. But here's some real gossip: According to a very reliable source, the female lead of HELL'S KITCHEN, who won a Tony Award for her role, has on SEVEN occasions left the show at some point DURING THE PERFORMANCE. And on at least one occasion when this happened recently, no understudy or standby or cover was available to step in, for some reason, so the audience was sent home and all of that money had to be refunded. Just to be clear, we are talking about the performer who plays the leading role, modeled after Alicia Keys -- NOT the veteran who plays her piano teacher, who also won a Tony for her performance.

R580 - Alright! Now THAT'S some tasty gossip. Surprised we haven't heard about this earlier if this has happened SEVEN times. Are there rumors as to what's going on? Trying to perform through illness and losing her voice or something less.... forgivable? Full disclosure, I haven't seen Hell's Kitchen, and I know some theatre performances can't be "excerpted" well, but I found her so underwhelming and uncharismatic on the Tony Awards. Was genuinely surprised about the acclaim for her performance.

I have a slightly silly complaint about the Hell's Kitchen cast album. It's two CDs, 30 songs total. The first is 24 songs, featuring all of act one and most of act two. Wouldn't it make slightly more sense to divide it 15-15, i.e. between the two acts?

What's a CD?

What’s a second act?

How could mgmt let that happen 2 or 3 times, let alone 7 times. Hire a standby already.

r580 Why not just say Maleah Joi Moon?

She doesn't do Wednesday matinees either. There are two understudies listed on the website for her role, so them cancelling performances is a puzzler

[quote]r50 Mind you they ALL dimmed for Robin Williams.

… that huge Broadway star …

Ken Page originated roled. Gavin Creel mostly appeared in revivals.

Creel seems like he was a lovely guy, but were the performances really that great?

Creel originated "Jimmy" in Thoroughly Modern Millie and received a Tony nomination for his first Broadway show.

Ken Page's impact was huge in two landmark shows: "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Cats" -- the original Broadway Old Deuteronomy. The should dim some lights.

If all of that is true, it really begs the question why do the producers put up with it? Just because she won the Tony? And if she’s now causing them to lose money by having to issue refunds, then it truly makes zero sense why they would continue to condone such behavior.

Okay: Maleah Joi Moon.

R586, the person who told me about the show that was cancelled mid-performance because no one else was available to step in had no idea why that happened, so I can only guess that both of the understudies were absent due to illness.

[quote]Hire a standby already.

They feel they have the role covered, and in fact, someone has stepped in for MJM mid-performance on several other occasions. Don't know what happened with the one performance that was canceled after it started.

R592-She's an amateur and a diva-in-waiting. Her attitude backstage hasn't exactly won her Miss Congeniality.

I don’t mean to start any rumors… but it sounds like the behavior of a drug addict to me!

I could do it! I never miss a performance! Too bad I'm dead...

[quote]She's an amateur and a diva-in-waiting. Her attitude backstage hasn't exactly won her Miss Congeniality.

As a friend of mine said, "She'll probably never work again. On second thought....she won a Tony and she's young and hot, so she'll probably get hired for TV or movies, where they don't care about people not being to do eight shows a week."

See also: Lindsay Mendez.

Closing this thead out ....

Bajour!