Theatre Gossip #574: The "Real Women Have Spring Openings" Edition

Previous thread.

Michael Mayer is a shit director. Why does he continue to get work?

D'oh! Forgot to capitalize THEATRE GOSSIP.

There’s a lot to enjoy in Swept Away. At least until the main course is served.

Why isn't Criterion in the title OP???

I’m at Little Shop of Horrors. Sherie Rene is brilliant as Audrey, even if she’s a little “mature” for the role.

The new Seymour is a cutie too. Is he straight???

Thanks to the person in the previous thread who shared those beautiful color pictures of the Ziegfeld theater.

What are the 4 Broadway shows that have run longer than 21 years?

Phantom of the Opera

The Lion King

Chicago

Wicked

Are there any current shows that will join this group?

Book of Mormon is almost at 15. Why, I don't know, or understand...my guess is, the Mormons are going.

Aladdin is at 10, despite not being that great but it's a family show. Until another hit family show pops up, it'll hang in there.

Hamilton has made it 9 years and it's not going anywhere for awhile...my guess is, it will make it to at least 12. Maybe 15 if they start stunt casting.

You'll know Hamilton is getting desperate when they announce "For A Limited Time Only, JINKX MONSOON is GEORGINA THE THIRD!!!!"

I hate WICKED.......just so you know.

Imagine being at Suffs next Wednesday and Harris loses.

[quote]Imagine being at Suffs next Wednesday and Harris loses.

LoL, r12, not going to happen.

Which: Harris loses, Suffs does a show or Wednesday happens?

Harris isn't going to lose, r14.

R15 (Knocking wood!!!)

It's after the election we have to worry about, r16.

[quote]I hate WICKED.......just so you know.

I enjoyed WICKED.......just so [italic]you[/italic] know.

Regardless of what you or I think, women and girls love WICKED and, if they didn't fuck it up, the film makers were pre-destined to have an enormous hit. It sounds like they will.

If Wicked can capture some of that Barbie the Movie magic, it will do well.

But, Wicked has things going against it...it's a musical and a lot of people hate people bursting into song. And, as much as feminist fans of Barbie will hate the idea, part of the universal huge success of Barbie was because of Ryan Gosling. He was hilarious and he made it ok for men to go see the movie. Wicked doesn't have strong male characters.

Wicked will need a HUGE female audience and one that will go more than once to go see it.

[quote]it's a musical and a lot of people hate people bursting into song

LoL, r19...it's Wicked. It's going to do just fine.

[quote]But, Wicked has things going against it...it's a musical and a lot of people hate people bursting into song.

It's a fantasy, though, so nothing is real. I think an audience is then more open to busting into song. I mean, not Cats obviously, but the decision to digitize the assholes really killed the vibe.

Shrugs. Lots of sure fire things haven't been the hit folks thought they would be. It will open well, that's for sure....but, it'll be a huge gender divide that weekend with all the dudes going to Gladiator II and all the chicks going to Wicked. It won't be like Barbenheimer because dudes won't be seeing Wicked and not that many gals are going to Glad II.

What will be really fun will be the outrage when Wicked doesn't get many Oscar noms and all the fangirls have a fit.

Imagine being at Suffs when Harris WINS! Fixed it for you.

R19, I got three words for you-The Greatest Showman. That film was a phenomenon at the box office worldwide. Mainly because an awful lot of people went to it several times.

I just read that for the Dutch release (on December 4th) Gaia Aikman, who played the title role in Aida a few years aho and is now starring in a musical called 40-45 (about the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands), will dub the role of Elphaba. Vajen van den Bosch, who is currently starring in the Dutch premiere of Frozen, will dub the role of Glinda. Out gay performer Freek Bartels (he did The Normal Heart and will be in Sister Act over there) will dub the role of Fiyero.

Going back to the last thread, and the comment about Signature. Here's what's really going on in all the regionals -- after covid, and the WSYWAT hysteria, a lot of experienced producers, craftspeople and administrators decided they didn't want to deal with the nonsense and walked away, and a new group entered. For the most part, they've destroyed the subscription base, created mediocre work, and made it all about their own egos. The audiences are walking away in droves, and it's only going to get worse. You've read the lists of theaters that are closing -- believe me, there's many, many more barely hanging on. It's horrifying.

All because of male courtesans in Sondheim musicals!!!

[quote]R11 I hate WICKED.......just so you know.

Did I tell you all about the tacky lunch I had in author Gregory Maguire‘s home?

R25 - do you have ANY data or even anecdotal evidence to support that claim? I think expecting to find one, single "silver bullet" answer for the trouble that many regional theatres find themselves in is probably a fool's errand. I have no doubt that some of what you say may be true, but I doubt it's THE reason for this. The theatre doesn't operate in a vacuum and is subject to the whims and ebbs and flows of general consumer behavior, too. Yes, I do agree that Covid was the biggest impact because it shifted consumer behavior in so many ways. You see that today in the concert industry where only the BIGGEST touring acts truly sell out their tours early in the on-sale process. Consumers are just buying a lot more last-minute tickets and that doesn't serve subscription models well.

The regional theater model was in trouble prior to the pandemic. Covid just drove a stake through it's heart.

R27, you never told me.

I'm not r25 but I don't think that poster said anything about the problem was due to one, single "silver bullet" answer and in fact talks about several different factors.

Do we think Jeremy Jordan is leaving Gatsby for Floyd Collins?

Theater was in trouble pre Covid. The cost of making theater was going up and the audience kept dwindling. Every generation is less inclined to sit and enjoy live theater. And, now the Millennials/Gen Z just don't have the patience for it...they don't like anything they can't control with a joystick or a screen.

I think also most kids are not interested in or curious about seeing much that doesn't somehow reflect their own (very limited) experience. The internet, with the touch of a button, seemingly making all available, has destroyed culture.

And who can afford it?

WSYWAT means what?

Yes, Jordan is doing Floyd C.

WSYWAT = We See You White American Theater - it was a manifesto purported to explain the positions of non-white creatives that called out behaviors and trends. The intentions were good but, like most things from the left, went too far and undermined itself with ideological purity testing of various stripes.

[quote]Yes, Jordan is doing Floyd C.

That sounds like very good casting to me, certainly far better casting than Jordan as Gatsby. Ironic that THE GREAT GATSBY is apparently a hit largely because of him when he's SO wrong for the part. Then again, the entire musical is a bastardization of the novel, so maybe the epic miscasting of the leading role and several of the others is no big deal in that sense.

Things that will never not come back and bites the left in the ass.. defund the police, let’s trans kids and I guess WSYWAT for regional theaters. Since older white audiences make up the majority of theatre goers why go out of your way to insult them?

And bite…

Fitzgerald's novels really don't "sing," his characters tend to ruminate and self-destruct. They don't make the kind of linear character progression that motivates and justifies singing.

I think sung through lets you tell darker stories more easily. Bursting into song is feel good material.

The irony of WSYWAT is that it was eventually revealed that it was written "anonymously" by three women, 2 of whom were not BIPOC. There were no Black people involved in its writing. When that came out, the SHIT HIT THE FAN.

R44 - oh, interesting! Any articles or social posts about this? Would love to read more about it!

Ya want sung through, r43, I'll give ya sung through...

Nicole is never going to make it 6 months in the role of Norma even if she is doing only 6 performances a week. She is giving 100%. As opposed to Sara Porkypie.

[quote] The intentions were good but, like most things from the left, went too far and undermined itself with ideological purity testing of various stripes.

Frankly, the intentions weren’t that good.

R47 She did it in London, and she is doing 7 performances usually. She only took a weekend off in London but she never missed one single performance. I truly do not get how she does it. Audra does not have that stamina either....

r33 Because, of course, just twenty years or so ago theatres were absolutely jam-packed with young people.

Haven't seen this production, but Norma is not a vocal heavy part. Two big songs, and then a couple of others.

[quote]Wicked will need a HUGE female audience and one that will go more than once to go see it.

I wonder where they'll get one of them?

R51, it’s an emotionally draining performance. I didn’t like the production, and recognized her effort and talent more than loved them. But what she does would be a lot to deliver 8 times a week.

Nicole is a powerhouse and she looks like she's in peak condition and takes very good care of herself. She'll make it.

Ragtime trailer for Encores

[quote]Haven't seen this production, but Norma is not a vocal heavy part. Two big songs, and then a couple of others.

Stamina was required in the original to go up and down that staircase in those heavy gowns.

More "Othello" cast members announced:

Nice to see Burnap getting quality roles.

^^^He's certainly far better cast as Cassio in OTHELLO than as King Arthur in CAMELOT. That casting turned out to be unfortunate for everyone concerned.

That revival of “Camelot” turned out to be unfortunate for all concerned, especially including the audiences.

I’m truly speechless but I’ll try.

Monday night the Wicked Broadway family had the immense honor to witness an advanced screening of the @wickedmovie . And I cannot say it loud enough—it is perfection. This film is magnificent in every way.

The love poured into this movie is palpable and the word that keeps repeating over and over in my head is “honoring”. This film is 100% its own piece of art, while simultaneously honoring and celebrating the work that is done 8 times a week at the Gershwin, on tour, and internationally. You can feel within this film the immense desire to honor the original work created nearly 22 years ago, while still creating a new and beautiful adaptation. It was made with care and it is stunning in every single way.

From the very first opening shot I knew what @jonmchu has created would leave us all breathless. And it did. How lucky we are that this legacy was entrusted to his masterful vision. Jon, you are remarkable.

And these women— quite frankly, I don’t think anyone is ready for the absolute revelation of @arianagrande as Glinda and @cynthiaerivo as Elphaba. These women filled my heart to capacity and my eyes with tears over and over again as they embodied these beloved characters we all know and love. And don’t get me started on @jbayleaf. The man IS Fiyero and I’m in love.

To watch it all alongside the original Broadway cast and creatives, the current Broadway cast and crew, our amazing producers Marc and David, Stephen Schwartz, Gregory Maguire, Telsey Casting, the phenomenal @steoremus—who has music supervised on Wicked Broadway for the past 24 years and now on this incredible movie 😱, and countless others that make the magic of Wicked endure (including Mama Glinda herself: @kchenoweth) was an out of body experience and a feeling I will never forget.

I need to see the movie 500 more times and somehow that won’t be enough. I hope you have your tickets for November 22nd. You can try to prepare, but you won’t be ready.

R61, MARY! Tee hee.

Calm down, R61

*

Thank you for that report, R61. I don't mind you gushing - I'm just jealous!

[quote]r61 … the word that keeps repeating over and over in my head is “honoring”. This film is 100% its own piece of art, while simultaneously honoring and celebrating [italic]the work that is done 8 times a week at the Gershwin, on tour, and internationally. [/italic]

At first I thought this comment would be about L. Frank Baum’s books, or the MGM movie.

How foolish of me!

Effusive lady outside the Gershwin Theatre at R64 for Wednesday Matinee Rose in Audra’s Gypsy!

You still have those to enjoy, R66. In fact, 'Wicked' itself is an homage to those very things while being an artistic departure, but of course you knew that? Go see the Lloyd Webber 'Wizard' if you want to stick with the canonical version.

Lynn Stairmaster lives within R61!

I do think this film will make an absolute fortune overseas because a certain amount of people will not only watch the OV (original version in English) they will watch the version where both the dialogue and songs are dubbed in their native tongue (this doesn’t happen often with live action musicals, it pretty much only happene in animation).

[quote]I don't mind you gushing - I'm just jealous!

Correcting myself: "[bold]envious[/bold]", not "jealous".

As I stated, R60.

[quote]Go see the Lloyd Webber 'Wizard' if you want to stick with the canonical version.

Umm, if anyone wants to stick with the "canonical version," there are far better options than the Lloyd Webber version.

R61, why didn't you just link to Instagram post instead of making us all think you're an überfrau?

Someone in the previous thread wanted to bitch about I Love My Wife. While certainly not a classic musical by any means, I remember it being quite enjoyable; it's the musical equivalent of what used to be called a boulevard play, a show that goes down easy. I don't remember any of the score except Hey There, Good Times and Ev'rybody Today Is Turning On, both snappy little toe-tappers.

People today want more than their toes snapped and tapped, r74.

I Love My Wife is filled with catchy, hummable tunes…if you like that sort of thing.

R74. Lovers on Christmas Eve is my favorite.

My dog is still howling at the Erivo commercials for Target.

R50 No, audiences were jampacked with people over 50 going to the theater. In the 20 years since then, a huge chunk of them died.

r79 Which was exactly my point. You tried to blame the lack of young theatre audiences on younger generations being addicted to screens and having no attention span, despite that audience having never existed in any large amount.

But of course, if older people don't go to the theatre, it's because it's too expensive, or the productions don't appeal to them. If younger people don't go, it must be because they're stupid.

R80 I don't believe I said anything about them being stupid. But, yeah...they ARE addicted to screens and they DON'T have very good long term attention spans. I mean, they all have ADHD!

I love Andrew Burnap but he is not a Cassio. Jake Gyllenhaal is a Cassio. But Jake's playing Iago. He's no Iago. And Denzel is waaaaaayyyyyy too old to be playing Othello opposite those two men, even miscast as they are.

Denzel is of the belief that he's 35 and/or that he can believably pass for 35. Also, that he's a beloved theater actor.

He is sadly mistaken on all counts.

Denzel's name sells tickets so producers let him play whatever he wants to play.

Anyone going to see Mrs Harris at 54 Below?

Mel warbles...

I honestly don't give a shit about Denzel's age in Othello. The man is a fine actor and one of the biggest movie stars of the late 20th / early 21st century. He could just be counting his hundreds of millions and occasionally doing another film, but again and again, he comes back to the theatre -- putting a massive spotlight on the art form, selling oodles of tickets and, undoubtedly, reaching new audiences every time he appears.

^Denzel's115 year old mom.

r87 makes sense. r88 makes noise.

Denzel's kid proved he couldn't act in both the stage and film versions of "The Piano Lesson." Another B'way flop.

But I do wonder why Denzel waited so long to play Othello? He appeared as Brutus in Julius Caesar on Broadway in 2004/05.

I think we've learned no one is interested in older guy star stock Shakespeare on Broadway....

Both directed by the reprehensible Sam Gold ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Not that Kenny Leon is any sort of theatrical genius.

Denzel is very busy advising younger actors to not play gay roles or at the very least, never kiss a dude on screen because the homo germs will destroy you.

Kenny Leon is an also ran.

Denzel's JULIUS CAESAR reviews weren't that hot, if memory serves. Here's Brantley at the time -- if you read through his usual star-fucking, it's pretty clear that even he wasn't too impressed:

"As the most important passenger on Daniel Sullivan’s fast, bumpy ride of a production, Mr. Washington does not embarrass himself, as leading citizens of Hollywood have been known to do on Broadway. But even brilliantined in the glow of his inescapable fame, he can’t help getting lost amid the wandering, mismatched crowd and the heavy topical artillery that have been assembled here. This is regrettable, since Mr. Washington would appear in many ways an inspired choice for Brutus . . . In several shining sequences, Mr. Washington more than justifies his presence in this production, although it’s telling that such moments usually occur during monologues, which require little or no interaction with others. In the second-act soliloquy in which Brutus considers the planned assassination of the tyrant Caesar (William Sadler), Mr. Washington is suffused with the uneasiness of a good man struggling against instinct. He has the self-questioning timber and tired, open face of someone long battered by doubt. The same quality is surprisingly and affectingly carried over into the speech Brutus makes to the frightened mob after Caesar has been slain . . . But in the moment-to-moment dialogue and action that are the bulk of the play, this Brutus seems plagued less by moral and philosophical uncertainty than by actorly insecurity. Mr. Washington’s voice becomes rushed and soft, sometimes to the point of inaudibility. And even when other characters are looking to the mighty Brutus for guidance amid chaos, Mr. Washington looks more apologetic than anything else."

Denzel will be playing Stanley Kowalski next season.

Leslie Uggams as Blanche?

Is there any audio of Mandy Gonzalez's Norma out there yet?

Yes R99 There was a clip of the "As if" note in the Insta of Broadwayaddict account. I cannot find it anymore.

Denzel / MAME!

Death Becomes Her, Hell's Kitchen, and The Outsiders have been announced as Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade performers. Plus Idina Menzel and Lea Salonga.

[quote] Nicole is never going to make it 6 months in the role of Norma even if she is doing only 6 performances a week. She is giving 100%.

Good. I'm seeing her next week--hopefully before her vocal cords blow out

R64, That's hilarious. she's a robot

[quote]Someone in the previous thread wanted to bitch about I Love My Wife. While certainly not a classic musical by any means, I remember it being quite enjoyable; it's the musical equivalent of what used to be called a boulevard play, a show that goes down easy. I don't remember any of the score except Hey There, Good Times and Ev'rybody Today Is Turning On, both snappy little toe-tappers.

There are several other really good songs in the show, including the title tune and "Love Revolution." Also "Someone Wonderful I Missed" and "Lovers on Christmas Eve."

[quote]I love Andrew Burnap but he is not a Cassio. Jake Gyllenhaal is a Cassio.

Why is Andrew Burnap not a Cassio? It's not a difficult role, or a lengthy one. To me, the primary requirements for the part are that the actor be young and good looking enough to arouse Othello's jealousy.

Between the election and daylight savings times, next week's grosses will be way down...Except of WICKED benefitting mightily from the enormous film hype

R90, you've already seen the movie version of THE PIANO LESSON? How did you manage that?

[quote] Why is Andrew Burnap not a Cassio?

Because he can't command a $500 orchestra ticket like Jake can

Okay dolls I was in New York for a week, here is my show reviews!

1) Bernadette Peters at Carnegie Hall. I’m a Bernadette Queen, so this was fabulous. Yes, her voice isn’t what it was…but she delivered and sang a beautiful version of Anyone Can Whistle as an encore. She also signed every program and took every photo for fans. Class act!

2) The Roommate. Mia was great, I was shocked by how low her voice is these days. Lupone was good in a lesser role. Neither star stage doored, but the play was fine for what it was.

3) Once Upon a Mattress. I see why this was a Carol Burnett vehicle. It could easily have been a Carol Burnett show sketch. Sutton was good, but it’s very broad.

4) Little Shop of Horrors. Major Sherie Rene Scott fanboy, and she delivered!! All stars stage doored afterword and were lovely. Great show!

5) Oh Mary! This was a huge treat. Cole was amazing in this role. Conrad is sexy and his husband is a lucky man. I really enjoyed this and it’s exiting watching Cole in their element!

6) Hillary Clinton at Carnegie Hall- yes, I’m a Hillary person. I know some people hate her but this was a thrill. She was funny and warm and I wish more people saw that side of her.

7) Ragtime at City Center. The best show since Into the Woods. Really felt like the crown jewel. All the leads were amazing and it was the best sung production I have seen in a LONG time. If this transfers…GO!

Here's some possible huge gossip, I say "possible" because nothing is confirmed: A couple of months ago, we heard/read something about some sort of scandal at THE OUTSIDERS. Much more recently, we've read/heard that the male lead was returning to the show after a month's leave, although I don't remember any official announcement that he was taking a hiatus in the first place, or why. Now a friend of mine tells me they've heard two different versions of the reason for the hiatus, neither of which I'm comfortable with sharing here because, as I noted, nothing is confirmed. Would anyone with more knowledge of this situation care to weigh in?

[quote]The Roommate. Mia was great, I was shocked by how low her voice is these days.

Her voice didn't sound "low" to me at all, still kind of breathy and higher pitched, almost like a little-girl voice. Maybe she had a cold for the performance you attended?

R109, maybe you're joking (feebly), but of course, Burnap alone does not need to have the name to sell tickets at huge prices, since there are two huge stars in the leads for this production. Burnap is a Tony Award winner playing a minor role in the play. I imagine he's doing it primarily for the prestige of the production.

R112 that could very well be! I guess my point of reference is her woody Allen movies from the 80s and that was 40 years ago, so that’s also not fair of me. God knows Goldie Hawn is the standard bearer of a different voice, 40 years later

^^^Ha, I see what you mean. But in Goldie's case, I'm sure part of it was that she was at least partly affecting a "ditzy-blonde" voice for the parts she played back then, even including her role in the movie of BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE.

So the new production of PHANTOM that will be touring North America (and surely coming to Broadway at some point) is being billed as "revitalized." I guess that's French for "downsized."

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Stage Musical In The Works:

Rachel Zegler and Jack Antonoff performed 'Man of the House' from "Romeo + Juliet" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert:

Idina Menses

To answer your question, r106, I'll ask you a question: Do you really believe Andrew Burnap could arouse Denzel Washington's jealousy?

Cassio should be young and Burnap is young. But he should also be macho, a ladies' man, a sexual animal. I'm not sure Burnap, in the company of Washington and Gyllenhaal, can believably deliver those qualities. And I say all that as a fan of Burnap, but he's just miscast here.

Patti LuPone Just Can’t Wait To See That “Lumbering” Musical ‘Sunset Blvd.’, She Tells ‘The View’:

r111 What exactly is the gossip meant to be in your post? Seems to me you specifically excluded the part that would actually be gossip because it "isn't confirmed" - which is the entire point of gossip.

R122, sorry if that's frustrating, but I don't like to spread unconfirmed gossip. Not even in a situation where I can do so anonymously, as here. I was just wondering if anyone else might have some solid information on the reason why, according to my source, the male lead of THE OUTSIDERS was put on leave for a full month not long after the show opened. In which case, of course, it would be fact rather than gossip.

I've used that word to describe it myself.

R123 So basically you know nothing but want to know something so you're phishing.

^^^No. As I explained clearly, I have heard two conflicting versions of the reason why the male lead of THE OUTSIDERS was out of the show for a full month. Since neither version is confirmed, and since the stories are conflicting, that would indicate that at least one of them is false, which is why I declined to give details of what I had heard. Do you get it now, or do you not have enough brain cells to understand?

Yes, we get it. You're a prissy puss who doesn't want to gossip on a gossip thread on a gossip website but you're hoping someone else will do the work for you.

[quote]I declined to give details of what I had heard

So, you're an asshole.

I saw James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer in Othello decades ago. I remember little about it other than Plummer was mesmerizing. An excellent, more recent production is the National Theatre's from 2013 with Adrian Lester and Rory Kinnear (and Jonathan Bailey as Cassio). The three hours flew by. You can stream it on National Theatre At Home.

[quote]You're hoping someone else will do the work for you

As I clarified above, I was thinking maybe someone who posts here might have SOLID information, rather than just rumors, as to why the male lead of THE OUTSIDERS was sidelined for a month. If not, so be it.

R127 and R128, it seems clear that you would not hesitate to spread very toxic gossip, even if you had no confirmation whatsoever. I, on the other hand, draw the line at doing so, and if you think that makes me "prissy" or an "asshole," you're entitled to that opinion. But there are lots of words I can think of for people like you two, who WOULD spread such unconfirmed gossip without the slightest qualm. Bottom line: To hell with both of you.

LuPone on The View.

[quote] So the new production of PHANTOM that will be touring North America (and surely coming to Broadway at some point) is being billed as "revitalized." I guess that's French for "downsized."

As pretty much everyone predicted when Phantom closed on Bway.

^^^Yes, indeed, this is just official confirmation.

Mandy's first WOL and AIWNSG were posted to YouTube. I had trouble finding again but I went into my history and there they were. I copied in case they're taken down. She sounds amazing and gives us mEEEEEE instead of MAY.

[quote] But there are lots of words I can think of for people like you two, who WOULD spread such unconfirmed gossip without the slightest qualm.

Does your criticism also extend to your friend, who, you told us in r111, was also spreading unconfirmed gossip?

[quote] I, on the other hand, draw the line at doing so, and if you think that makes me "prissy" or an "asshole," you're entitled to that opinion.

R130 has stated her boundaries.

Albeit they are stupid ones, r136.

r111 / r123 / r126 / r130: You're a useless shit-stirrer who resorts to insulting anyone who calls you out on your bullshit. Be gone.

I love that some think Burnap is miscast as Cassio when the show won't open for 4 months.

[quote]r139 = I love that some think Burnap is miscast as Cassio when the show won't open for 4 months.

We were right about Beanie.

There are those of us who have read Othello, r139.

And seen a few stellar productions of it.

And seen Andrew Burnap onstage a few times.

Can we get back to the gossip? How has "Maybe Happy Endings" survived? They stopped the load-in because of a lack of money, and then barely got to previews, and they have no money for advertising other than the relentless social media around Darren who is being awfully game considering what a shitshow it is. What's the scoop? Are they out of cash yet? Preview numbers have been dismal.

I'm not so sure about Molly Osbourne as Desdemona. The few YT clips I've seen have been completely underwhelming. Of course, they couldn't find an American for the part.

I would be surprised if Maybe Happy Ending makes it past early January.

Surprisingly I’ve only heard good things about it.

Maybe Happy Ending seems like a chamber musical...one that will do well regionally but not so much commercially/on Broadway. If people have to pay $300 for a ticket to a musical, they want more than 4 actors.

[quote]Does your criticism also extend to your friend, who, you told us in [R111], was also spreading unconfirmed gossip?

Not really, because that friend told me what they had heard one-one-one in an informal conversation, which is quite different from spreading unsubstantiated gossip in an online forum. Surely you can see the huge difference?

R138, for the last time, I was just posting to see if anyone who posts here had any hard information on the real reason why the lead of THE OUTSIDERS was out of the show for a month. So unless you can explain for us all what's wrong with that, please shut the fuck up.

[Quote] for the last time

If only.

Will Swept Away make it to January and February?

Yeah I heard Mia and Patti don’t stagedoor. While Mia at least waves and asks fans what they thought of the show, Patti doesn’t do shit.

[quote]Patti doesn’t do shit.

She knows Mia is the draw.

At $300 a ticket, I’m thrilled when a show flops. Producers need that kick in face so they can face reality and stop being greedy fucks.

It blew my mind when I found out that the average salary of Bway goers is $260k!

R110 - sounds like a fabulous trip! Thanks for the capsule reviews.

[quote]Mandy's first WOL and AIWNSG were posted to YouTube. I had trouble finding again but I went into my history and there they were. I copied in case they're taken down. She sounds amazing and gives us mEEEEEE instead of MAY.

R134 - sounds like those might be "unlisted" YT links, meaning they won't show up if you search for them by name, but if you have the direct URL, you can view them. If that's the case, could you post the links here? Would love to hear Mandy.

I'm watching Denzel on the Graham Norton show and he looks about 80.

I found Mandy/Norma with a pretty quick Youtube search, I doubt it'll stay up for long though.

Denzel plays every role exactly the same, with the same sense of gravitas like he’s always doing something important.

I can already envision what his Otello will be like

Broadway Sets Light Dimming Date For Dame Maggie Smith:

[quote]R155 I found Mandy/Norma with a pretty quick Youtube search

That’s Mandy Patinkin?

[Quote] That’s Mandy Patinkin?

Here we go again.

Thanks, R155. Mandy sounds good! I wonder how her performance differs from Nicole's. Like... does she do all the schtick/pantomiming (which, presumably, was what Jamie Lloyd directed.)

Ugh! All those Star Search prolonged notes and audiences bursting into applause and whooping it up mid-song so they can congratulate themselves for being part of the experience. No thanks.

Star Search. Some of y'all really be dating yourselves with these references.

Whether161 and r162 finish their spat, whatever you call these vocal tactics, it’s manipulative and gimmicky. David Thaxton tried it in the Greatest Star the night I saw it. He got his midsong applause, which was the point. But he cracked on the next note.

[quote]Denzel plays every role exactly the same, with the same sense of gravitas like he’s always doing something important.

I disagree. His ICEMAN COMETH was very different from his FENCES, and both were very different from his Shakespeare roles. I do think he has limitations as an actor, but what you wrote here isn't accurate.

I do hope the director has cast a black Emilia (who is, after all, Iago's wife) to make points about Iago (and in turn Emilia's employer, Desdemona), and not from colorblind casting. I know you guys hate discussion about colorblind casting, but this play is surely where a line gets drawn. It is not feasible to pretend Iago hasn't noticed his wife is the same color as the guy he speaks about so disgustingly, so it is fair to ask the director to show us how it all fits together in Iago's mind.

Julianna Margulies is on Monday's Today, followed by Adam Lambert on Tuesday. Nicole Scherzinger is on Monday's Kelly and Mark. Ethan Slater is on Monday's Jennifer Hudson. Thursday's Watch What Happens Live has Mia Farrow & Patti LuPone, who are also on Friday's Drew Barrymore. Juliana Margulies, plus Megan Hilty, is on Friday's Kelly Clarkson.

Thanks, R164. I saw Washington in FENCES, ICEMAN and A RAISIN IN THE SUN, and whatever else I'd say, his ability to hold the stage and create a distinct character was never in doubt on each occasion. (RAISIN in particular surprised me -- far too old for the part on paper [a friend quipped that his sister would have to be "Beneath Much Younger"], he pulled it off live by dint of tremendous energy and charm.)

R165, I agree 100 percent. I also think it's important that NO character other than Othello be played by a black actor, to make the play's point about racism and to firmly position Othello as "other."

R168, there are people who always have said that Othello isn't black. Not an argument, just an observation and that goes back since the play was written.

^^^But those people are incorrect, so why bother to mention what they think?

^^^Because if you're having a discussion about race, it becomes relevant.

[quote]I can already envision what his Otello will be like

He's doing opera now?

[quote]Thursday's Watch What Happens Live has Mia Farrow & Patti LuPone

Should be fun. Thanks, Talk Show Troll / r166!

A friend told me a shocking heinous filthy story about Denzel, Washington, but I don’t feel comfortable sharing it. Does anybody else know about it and can give details?So there.

^^^I'm sure you feel very smug about making your point, but it's a truly idiotic one.

Goodness, Jonathan Bailey is baskety.

Yeah, all those producers who lost more than $30 million dollars last year on new musicals that bombed -- yeah, they're such greedy fucks. And all this crap about high ticket prices is total bullshit. You can easily get into most shows with a decent seat for less than $100. And in Manhattan, people spend $200 on an average meal for 2 without blinking. Things cost what they cost, and Broadway costs. Deal with it.

Not exactly true, r177, take a look at tickets for any flailing show on Broadway. Producers expect to charge $200 to $450 for unobstructed seats. They don’t sell them, and then offload them as rush or at TKTS. It’s not working, especially when the publicly reported average ticket price is $130 or less.

I’ve been going to Broadway for thirty years and saw far better shows than the mediocrity available now. Audiences know better. Deal with it.

Whenever DLers get on the topic of ticket prices, I always think of a variant of the "and such small portions" joke. "These shows are terrible. And so expensive! ... And next year's will be worse."

Hey r178 -- you defeat your own argument. GO TO THE FUCKING BOOTH!

R180, nice assumption. I don’t live in New York, so I need to plan ahead. The BOOTH is what is increasing prices for everyone.

[Quote] there are people who always have said that Othello isn't black. Not an argument, just an observation and that goes back since the play was written.

The play calls him a Moor, which is an Arab. I recall an article years ago that was desperately trying to show that a Moor could be Black African. That’s fine, but most Moors are not

With those prices, Broadway decided to go after the tourist audience and basically ignore the tradition NY/NJ family audience. This is reinforced with the screen-to-stage, jukebox musicals, and Hollywood-star driven vehicles we have a plethora of now.

Broadway is now the Las Vegas of the East. Most of it is utter junk to separate tourists from their money

Just saw Death Becomes Her...To my shock and amazement I think it's going to be a big hit. An authentically great time in the theater.

R192 he wasn’t Norman, nor Saxon. Get it?

R184, I’m sure Death Becomes Her will be a hit—silly fun done by great Beay actresses.

Nothing earth shattering, just entertainment.

In the end, who cares? Will people pay $300/ ticket for it?

[quote]"These shows are terrible. And so expensive! ..

That's not remotely equivalent to the joke that "The food is terrible...and such small portions." If you can't understand why, you have no sense of humor.

You missed the triple, dumb ass. For all of our bitching about lousy, expensive shows, we haven't found anything better to fill our time.

^^^R188, what are you talking about? First of all, precisely no one thinks ALL shows are lousy. And people have every right to bitch about the ones they DO think are lousy, especially considering the ticket prices.

[quote] And all this crap about high ticket prices is total bullshit. You can easily get into most shows with a decent seat for less than $100.

Prove it R177. And TKTS doesn't count. Show me any major Broadway show where you can get an unobstructed "decent" seat for less than $100. Rear Mezz and Rear Balcony don't qualify as "decent."

[quote] And TKTS doesn't count

Why doesn’t TKTS count?

“Prove to me you can get into a show for under $100 but don’t mention a service where people can see shows for under $100.”

I wonder if that rumor about Melissa McCarthy filling in for Cole Escola in Oh, Mary! will pan out.

[quote]Why doesn’t TKTS count?

Because most of the hit shows don't use TDF.

Mary is closing on Jan 19. Would they extend if McCarthy took over?

Isn't Oh Mary still selling well?

And, Cole Escola will be paying bills with Oh Mary royalties for years. A hit fluffy comedy with a small cast...every theater company on the planet will want to produce this.

Well, not the Christian colleges and "family friendly" community theaters.

The most recent rumor is that John Cameron Mitchell would be replacing Cole Escola.

They're trying too hard to sell Wicked, which makes me suspicious. All the hyperbole and endless press on it...it's smart to work on your marketing but the overkill seems a bit much for a show that's supposedly so beloved with a huge fanbase.

Also seems odd to already declare it a classic when they've only seen half of it

Is John Lloyd Young a gay?

[quote]The most recent rumor is that John Cameron Mitchell would be replacing Cole Escola.

That would surprise me, as I don't believe he's ever played that kind of over-the-top, uber-campy comedy. Hedwig was really nothing like that at all.

There is no such thing as a classic movie any more. There is simply so much entertainment that the world doesn’t agree that one specific film should be legendary

R203 brings up a very good point. What was the last film that is generally considered a true classic by consensus?

R202, you obviously never saw him on The Good Wife and The Good Fight. “Campy” doesn’t begin to describe his performances on those shows.

Does TDF count? Or the lottery?

[quote]What was the last film that is generally considered a true classic by consensus?

"Dawson's 50-Load Weekend."

Kecia Lewis dragging Patti on instagram

I just saw Kecia’s Instagram and looked at the comments.

I don’t think Patti realized what can of worms she was opening with what she did. I don’t know that she will be humble enough to publicly apologize but she is getting dragged in the comments as well by a lot of theatre artists and directors including Kenny Leon, La Chanze and others.

Yikes.

She should’ve said she wasn’t signing the Playbill because she’s not in that show and kept it at that.

Team Kecia.

I'm not getting it. Why did LuPone feel she had the authority to file a direct complaint with the theater because she felt Hell's Kitchen was too loud. She could have just left but her concept that the show had to be changed to go along with her comfort level seems very bizarre.

[quote]Hell's Kitchen, featuring music by Alicia Keys, ... neighbors The Booth Theatre where LuPone is currently starring in The Roommate.

She’s in the show next door r212 and the sound bleeds through. She’s in a quiet play and Hell’s Kitchen is like rock concert level. Her comment while signing playbills though was snarky and rude.

R213, ah understood. You see Patti, if you were a member of the Union, maybe things could have been worked out better for you.

Kate Shindle commented on Kecia’s post and I think a lot of that is sour grapes since LuPone shit all over Equity

[quote]Lewis urged LuPone to reflect on her actions and consider how they affect others in the Broadway community. "How do my actions or my words impact the artists, crews, and productions around me, especially those from underrepresented communities?" she asked.

That’s rich, considering this whole thing started because the words and actions of Ms. Lewis’ show were so loud they were disrupting the show next door!

Yes… let’s look at how we’re affecting others.

So many stupid comments from Kecia defenders. There is nothing racially tinged about asking for less volume blasting thru the wall into your straight play auditorium. Team Patti all the way.

Bass frequencies are incredibly hard to dampen. Those old Broadway theatres were never designed for heavily amplified instruments.

Excellent point, R219!

Unlike most Right wingers (aka 80% of Datalounge), I understand that microagressions are real and can come from people we consider Liberal. But... I honestly don't know if Kecia Lewis' characterization of Patti's behavior is accurate. It sounds like the initial request from Patti (and Mia, it seems) was handled well and their response of sending flowers to the crew seems classy and respectful to me. The slightly snarky comment she made when refusing to sign a Hell's Kitchen Playbill..? I mean... it's Patti. She's always going to speak off the cuff and expecting her to repress her Sicilianess when she's in her 70s is a bit silly.

Respectfully, Miss Lewis, I'm with Patti on this one.

The real issue here, which is now buried under ridiculous allegations of bullying and racism, is theatre owners making huge profits but not investing in their theatres and modernising them so they can handle the needs of modern productions. If they allow a show to move in with over-amplified sound it should only be common sense that they invest in a matching level of sound-proofing.

Oh for crying out loud, Kecia. Every other show with a rock/pop score is too damn loud. I left The Who's Tommy with a headache because it was so over-amplified, and what story is more navel-gazingly white than Tommy?

[Quote] I'm not getting it. Why did LuPone feel she had the authority to file a direct complaint with the theater because she felt Hell's Kitchen was too loud.

I presume the volume at Hells kitchen is bleeding through to the booth where Patti is doing the very quiet the roommate.

Does she complain to the fire dept. when a siren goes down the block? You can hear that in the Booth, too.

So many questions. Why send Patti to make the request, versus Manage-ment to Management? Why are flowers bullying? Why does Kecia have to make this all that public? Maybe they had asked in the past and nothing was done? Is it really racially based?

Would anyone’s behavior have been different if it were Tommi next-door?

Regarding Moors, this is the Encyclopedia Britannica:

[quote]From the Middle Ages to the 17th century, however, Europeans depicted Moors as being black, “swarthy,” or “tawny” in skin colour. (Othello, Shakespeare’s Moor of Venice, comes to mind in such a context.) Europeans designated Muslims of any other complexion as “white Moors,” despite the fact that the population in most parts of North Africa differs little in physical appearance from that of southern Europe (in Morocco, for example, red and blonde hair are relatively common).

This also explains the existence of "blackamoor" artefacts such as Princess Michael's brooch, of recent controversy.

All happy now?

Did a performer in the theater next to Tommy ever complain publicly of to the producers. No.

Audra McDonald just liked the post and commented with the applaud emoji.

She and LuPone have performed together and been friends for 25 years and then Audra likes a post that calls LuPone a racial micro aggressor, and bully?

With friends like Audra, LuPone doesn’t need enemies.

[quote] The real issue here, which is now buried under ridiculous allegations of bullying and racism, is theatre owners making huge profits but not investing in their theatres and modernising them so they can handle the needs of modern productions. If they allow a show to move in with over-amplified sound it should only be common sense that they invest in a matching level of sound-proofing.

This isn't a charge to level at the Shubert Organization. One by one, they have spent tens of millions renovating their theatres, generally restoring them to their original condition while adding modern improvements, like new and roomier lobby and bar spaces, seating, additional restrooms, elevators. They've pumped a lot of their money back into these buildings to ensure they all last another 100 years. I haven't seen anyone online complaining about sound from Hell's Kitchen being heard in the Booth where The Roommate is playing, so perhaps it's more a backstage issue, and Patti is exaggerating the situation, as per usual.

[quote]Oh for crying out loud, Kecia. Every other show with a rock/pop score is too damn loud. I left The Who's Tommy with a headache because it was so over-amplified, and what story is more navel-gazingly white than Tommy?

Thanks, I was just about to post that I'm quite sure Ms. LuPone would have had the same issues if TOMMY had been playing next door, and that's not a "predominantly Black show" by any stretch of the imagination. This is only one way in which overamplification of Broadway shows is a huge problem.

That said, of course it's typically immature, childish, and bitchy of LuPone to feel she needed to diss HELL'S KITCHEN to that fan who asked her to sign that Playbill.

R224 wins the "Stupidest Comment of This Thread" award.

She's dissed The Great Gatsby, Sunset Boulevard, and now Hell's Kitchen. What other currently-running show will Patti go after next? My money's on Death Becomes Her.

Great. So now there is divisiveness, team-claiming, and general rancor. Everyone has to take sides, because that is what we do on digital media. Kecia is the bully.

And R228 is first runner-up in the "Stupidest Comment of This Thread" award.

Uh, Kecia, look around. I wouldn't say any community is underrepresented on Broadway right now. Except maybe seniors like Patti and Mia.

I saw The Roommate in September and you definitely could hear sounds from next door during certain parts of the play. I’m reading comments from Hells Kitchen attendees who said the show is too damn loud.

Obviously the Hells Kitchen sound people were able to make the adjustments necessary to warrant Patti and Mia sending flowers to thank them for it. Now KL had to open a whole can of drama playing the race card. Just lovely.

Really wish Audra hadn’t applauded KL because I have tickets to Gypsy next month and really wish I could back out (can’t because I’m going with a very close friend and we were both looking forward to this.)

Oh jeez. In a month this dustup will be a dim memory

R238 - you rang?

Paul Wonterok of Broadway.com liked the post too. If I were Patti LuPone, I would never do another interview for Broadway.com that’s for sure.

r230 Sure, front of house where their customers can complain about the state of things. I'm talking backstage, and you only need to take a glance backstage at these places to know there's basically no modernisation done there at all.

Noise! In NYC? At a Broadway house! Me in Gott!

Patti hated Bring in the Noise, Bring in the Funk! based solely on the title. She’s consistent, always a pain in the ass—I’ll give her that.

The “noise” could be heard clearly during parts of The Roommate and apparently there was an easy fix to that because Patti (AND MIA) sent flowers to thank them for the adjustment. KL is stirring up trouble where there didn’t need to be any.

You hear noise in a Broadway house ALL the time. Deal with it.

That’s would be ironic, R233, as death would, in fact, become Pattil Luponey.

Considering LuPone is famous for stirring up trouble where there doesn't need to be any, this is super ironic.

How specifically dark or dusky Othello's skin isn't the point. But the idea that it's darker than the society he thrives in is. Therefore, for Emilia, Iago's wife to be cast with a woman of color, goes against Shakespeare's concept of Othello's conflict.

The Greeks had the right idea...

[quote] Therefore, for Emilia, Iago's wife to be cast with a woman of color, goes against Shakespeare's concept of Othello's conflict.

In today's Broadway, that would not be a factor.

And moor's the pity, r249.

Oh dear. This is like the Maggie Smith in Lettice & Lovage vs the Mahalia Jackson gospel musical Truly Blessed all over again. Can’t stage management just hang some thick black drapes to cushion the sound? See the Maggie Smith is Dead thread for the actual story complete with punch line.

Does anyone know if Patti went on in the Roommate today or did she call in sick?

She has a tendency to not show up when her press is bad

[quote]Considering LuPone is famous for stirring up trouble where there doesn't need to be any, this is super ironic.

Agreed, but she did contribute to the situation in this case by making that unnecessarily snarky remark to the person who asked her to sign the HELL'S KITHEN Playbill.

Patti will either be out sick for a long stretch OR we'll get a sudden announcement of the Roommate's closure in 3....2....

I doubt Patti gives a fuck. Kecia won't be getting flowers from her anytime soon.

Patti is always right

R256 = Patti LuPone

There's someone on the Broadway subReddit claiming they used to be in Phantom:

[quote]I was working on Phantom Of The Opera when she was in Company. The stage doors for the two theaters are about 5 feet apart. During this time she went on Watch What Happens Live and called Phantom the most overrated show on Broadway. A lot of us did find it unnecessarily rude and took it personally. Especially coming from someone who was sharing our alley every night. One of the performers in the show sent her an edible arrangement to the stage door that said “from your overrated neighbors at Phantom”. She sent back a box of Kleenex.

Patti's funny, got to give her that

And even most of the posts on Reddit are calling Lewis ridiculous

I don't care about the present dust-up, but . . . some of us are exhausted by Patti LuPone The Eternal Victim. She's forever wringing her hands about how mean Sondheim was to her . . . how Glenn Close NEVER reached out when she got LuPone's SUNSET role (did you reach out to your predecessors who were fired from THE BAKER'S WIFE, Patti?) . . . and on and on . . . but slings her opinions right and left with little regard for how others might feel.

"I'm Sicilian!" she'll shriek to account for/wave off her excesses, but she's not terribly interested in understanding how others might feel about her abrasive nature and "tell it like it is" cuntery.

I’m not exhausted by Patti. I’m exhausted by all the theatre fans who feel they must all have an opinion of Patti’s opinions.

Patti is the last of the great Divas. Let's enjoy her cuntiness while we can.

But help me to understand - Patti never made a public pronouncement about the sound levels at Hell's Kitchen being too loud, right? She (and perhaps Mia, too) contacted the management of HK and requested help and perhaps complained, and then they accommodated and lowered the levels. And she and Mia sent HK management a thank you note and flowers. Was this incident reported before Kecia Lewis posted on Insta about it?

How can Kecia possibly find fault with the way Pattu handled her complaint?

B262 Someone filmed a stage door interaction of Patti declining to sign a Hell's Kitchen Playbill (because why would she?) followed by an offhand comment that the show was too loud. Not some public proclamation, but a reaction after an arguably inappropriate request. That Kecia would use that moment to turn this into a public matter is pretty gross.

People are talking about me!

[quote]I’m not exhausted by Patti. I’m exhausted by all the theatre fans who feel they must all have an opinion of Patti’s opinions.

Your "logic" escapes me.

Fascinating watching Audra end a 25 year friendship with a single post. Guess Patti won't be going to see her GYPSY....

Kecia chose to handle her greviance quite publicly, knowing it would stir up so much. In what world is this not considered aggressive and demeaining and ugly. It's basically a Trump tactic.

I hope Patti says nothing. Unlikely, but I can hope.

Don't let the kitchen door smack your ass on the way out (to shoot a tv series), Kecia.

[quote]Kecia chose to handle her greviance quite publicly, knowing it would stir up so much. In what world is this not considered aggressive and demeaining and ugly.

And, in my opinion, it's despicable to charge anyone with racism unless it's 100 percent clear that the charge is valid, which is certainly not the case here. Incredibly far from it. I don't think anyone but Kecia believes racism was involved in any way, and I wouldn't be surprised if she herself doesn't believe it and just used that ugly charge to grab attention.

Is Kecia leaving Hell's Kitchen (a show I absolutely hated and it was ridiculously loud...)

Roommate just posted a thank-you to HK.

[Quote] We are grateful to everyone at 'Hell's Kitchen' for adjusting their cues to prevent sound bleed into our theater, which was affecting backstage, onstage and into the audience. On Broadway, these historic buildings were built long before the existence of modern amplification and sit side by side, playhouses sharing walls with musical houses. These kinds of sound accommodations from one show to another are not unusual and are always deeply appreciated. We're proud to share Shubert Alley with 'Hell's Kitchen' and wish our neighbors continued success. - The Producers of The Roommate

R266, if that's all it took to end a friendship with Patti, more people would have tried it. Sondheim did and it didn't take.

When has she been wrong?

Patti is frequently right (annoying theatergoers on their phones; noisy neighbors; Andrew Lloyd Webber IS an asshole; Equity IS kind of useless) but her bluntness doesn't play well with prissy pants people. And, yeah, she does overdo it and she's not always right (No, Patti, you didn't deserve the Tony over Joanna Gleason).

She's also far more interesting and talented than any other younger Broadway star. I mean, where is the next generation of Pattis and Bernies? It's all nice but rather bland types like Sutton Foster.

Sutton isn't bland if she's cast well.

At this point only Marsha Mason can broker a peace treaty between Patti and Kecia.

R275. In that case, I've never seen her cast well because she screams high school drama club.

r274 It isn't really her bluntness which annoys people but her thin skin. She runs her mouth - and yes she's often right - but any slight against her and she becomes a huge victim.

Like an average DL troll….

I think it’s spelled Ke$ia, dumb fucks.

Why does it take from Sept 27 to Nov 7 to get the lights dimmed for Maggie Smith?

[quote]It isn't really her bluntness which annoys people but her thin skin. She runs her mouth - and yes she's often right - but any slight against her and she becomes a huge victim.

Well, no. I think it's her bluntness AND her thin skin.

It used to be a given that people in show business -- and, for that matter, pretty much people working in pretty much any field except politics -- should not publicly badmouth their colleagues, because it's considered bad form and something that can come back and bite them in the butt. Used to be be only when people's behavior was truly beyond the pale that their colleagues would publicly call them on it, but now, not so much. And Patti is at one EXTREME end of the scale when it comes to complaining loudly and publicly about everything and always portraying herself as a victim.

and yet in this case, Patti handled it privately and Kecia handled it very publicly. I'm still not clear on why the thank-you flowers were bullying.

[quote]I'm still not clear on why the thank-you flowers were bullying.

Yes, that was very weird and completely unclear.

The creators make intentional choices, to mock the AI aesthetic.

Wrong thread

Who do you think you are? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE??? GET OUT!!! GET OUT!!!!!

How dare Equity allow people to post in the wrong thread

Gavin Creel Memorial Celebration And Broadway Light Dimming Events Set For December:

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1981, "Crimes of the Heart" opened at the John Golden Theatre.

This thread needs some Ruth Etting.

I was looking at Patti on WWHL and virtually every clip has her badmouthing someone or something. What a sour woman.

^^^It has become her schtick. I wonder if it has occurred to her that her antics rather than her performances are now what she's most famous for, and may be what she's most remembered for after she's gone.

You wanna be the one to tell Patti that someday she will be gone, r293?

Hatchet faced woman, the definition of.

Mandy will be on as Norma tonite along with a Joe understudy.

Do any DL have subscriptions on DL? Happy?

Gavin Creel seems like he was a nice guy—and beloved by his peers. But he always seemed…bland.

Don’t do it. Re-up month to month only. For your own sanity. I was a non-subscriber for the past month—it was nice. I just restarted only for the popcorn party coming soon (I hope!).

Saw Tammy Faye over the weekend. Not a dumpster fire, but forgettable, like cotton candy. I couldn't hum one note of music even with a gun to my head.

[quote]with a gun to my head

That can be arranged.

[quote]Gavin Creel seems like he was a nice guy—and beloved by his peers. But he always seemed…bland.

This statement proves that either (1) you have no taste, or (2) you have absolutely no idea what the word "bland" means. Or I suppose both of those things could be true.

So it’s a Mandy night at Sinset, and there are understudies on for Joe, Artie and DeMille. Is Joe always going to be out when Nicole is off?

A little harsh, R302. I get what they meant, though, I agree with you, Gavin was not 'bland'. I got to see him in Book of Mormon, She Loves Me and Into the Woods. Though I wasn't a HUGE fan of the Woods direction, I found him absolutely charming in each of those shows.

Anyone a regular subscriber to ENCORES? Any advice?

I'm thinking of subscribing this year

Is Patti fast becoming the Talullah Bankhead of our generation? More famous for the outrageous things she says and does than her drag queenish performances.

R304, I don't think I was hash at all. And I'm sure that if I asked R298 to define "bland," they would be unable to do so.

[quote]r306 = Is Patti fast becoming the Talullah Bankhead of our generation?

Yes, Patti is a bisexual alcoholic coke addict.

Broadway League Stepping Away From Light-Dimming Announcements After Recent Controversies:

Pussies.

Patti should do a reboot of Tallulah's "Lifeboat," where one by one all of her fellow passengers choose to jump back into the sea and face a certain death, rather than be trapped in close proximity to her toxic bellicosity.

Eight years ago I ran the Brooklyn half marathon before a two show day and yesterday was the NYC marathon and no one was talking about me and I think that was the most offensive thing I'd ever seen

When DL becomes nothing *but* pointless bitchery.

Erivo must have some talent to piss off so many bigots, so often, across so many threads. I’ll bet my spare change on her over any of you dessicated queens any day.

R314 - I'm one of the first ones to call out the Right Wing trolls on these threads and across Datalounge, but, in this case, not sure what you're referring to. If it's about Erivo's recently well publicized outrage that Wicked devotees created some fan art versions of the movie poster that more closely resemble the original show's key art, uhhh... let's be real... Erivo was overreacting and being ridiculously over dramatic. Multiple things can be true: Erivo can be terrifically talented (she is), the public can treat Black women appallingly (they frequently do.. to this day) AND Erivo herself can be insufferable (she frequently is.)

R303-Understudy for DeMille? All you see is the giant video of the back of his head! They have an understudy for that?

Okay so the Patti LuPone feud list is:

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Hal Prince

Anything Goes company, save Howard McGillen

Noises Off cast

Rebecca Caine

Sherie Rene Scott

The cast of Phantom of the Opera before it closed

Kecia Lewis and the cast of Hell’s Kitchen

Audra McDonald (she liked and commented on the post)

Betty Buckley and Bernadette Peters (she has trashed them both at some point)

Stephen Sondheim (for many years)

Arthur Laurents (for many years)

Bill Smitovich

Peter Gallagher

Glenn Close

Madonna

Trevor Nunn

Kim Kardashian

Joanna Gleason’s Tony win and Tin Man dress

Cell phones

Cameras

Pictures/video

Bootlegs

Audience members

Times Square

Donald Trump

Crowds

R283 Patti didn't handle it privately. That's how this whole thing started, she was filmed saying she wouldn't sign a Hell's Kitchen playbill because they are too loud.

Don't forget me, R317!

This is why Helen Lawson doesn't use social media.

But r318, it's not like Patti called a press conference to announce anything. She was out at her stage door faithfully signing autographs after her show and a "fan" shoved a Hell's Kitchen Playbill at her expecting her to sign it. I doubt she'd have signed any Playbill from a show she wasn't in. And someone filmed her.

Not that I'd normally be defending Patti who has a very inflated sense of herself.

I was bored so I read the comments on Keisha's instagram post. I was surprised to read so many pro Patti comments. And some people were not too pleased with Audra.

Someone asked me to sign a Hell’s Kitchen Playbill.

I said, but I’m not an actor nor do I work in the theater.

AITA?

[quote]she was filmed saying she wouldn't sign a Hell's Kitchen playbill because they are too loud.

Wrong, r318. She didn't sign because it wasn't her show.

Why would any producer hire Kecia after this? She just caused a shitstorm for her own ego, and caused havoc backstage and with the show and the authors. If she was sincere in her belief she'd been wronged, she would have dealt with Patti directly, not sent her list into the world.

Publicity stunt?

[quote]Why would any producer hire Kecia after this?

A social media shitstorm is, let's face it, a storm in a teacup. I think both Patti and Kecia will survive this onslaught of "concern trolling".

R325 While I think Kecia is in the wrong here and making a big deal out of nothing, she did just win a Tony and was the highlight (for me) of an otherwise forgettable show that is still a box-office hit. Obviously she’s not the main draw of the show but I would certainly go see her in whatever she does next after seeing her Hell’s Kitchen performance. This whole thing will have been forgotten about by the time she’s doing another show, especially if Patti doesn’t respond publicly and keep things going. So I don’t think it’ll have much of an impact on what future producers want to do with her, unless this is part of a pattern of behavior I’m unaware of, and even then the benefits would probably outweigh the risks.

I think Kecia should make an appearance on stage at The Roommate as the noisey next door neighbour.

[quote]But he always seemed…bland.

translation: he was white.

Well one thing is for certain. Matt Johnston is no Gary Morton.

Gary would have CERTAINLY talked Patti out of complaining about the noise and also got rid of the Booth theatre bitch of a bearing wall, and out a window where it OUGHT to be!

As difficult as Patti can be she's been married to the same guy for over 30 years and I've never heard of any drama involving her son. She must be doing something right.

Where are the chuldren?

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1987, "Into the Woods" opened at the Martin Beck Theatre.

I had a colleague who had Patti’s son as a student. I asked what he was like as a student and my colleague said, “She raised a nice, polite young man.”

NOTHING outweighs Kecia.

Dozens of Broadway Favorites Are Part of Stars in the House Election Day Vote-a-Thon November 5:

R335 the only downfall is he is straight. Barbra did it better!

R335, he is a delightful young man at that.

[quote]Why would any producer hire Kecia after this?

Why would anyone hire Cynthia Erivo after what she did to THE GREAT COMET? Why would anyone hire Tonya Pinkins after what she did in response to the NY Times review of the Public Theater production of A RAISIN IN THE SUN? Maybe we should ask ourselves, what do those two examples have in common with Kecia Lewis's recent actions?

After-thought to the above paragraph: Come to think of it, I'm not sure anyone HAS hired Pinkins since that RAISIN production :-)

There you go again. Bigots being bigoted..a DL staple.

^^^^No, rational human beings calling out others who stir shit for no reason and make despicable, unfounded charges of racism against people who DO NOT deserve it.

But it’s only Black women who get called for it by R340. Yeaahh, right. Fuck off, bigot.

****Because, in all three of the cases noted above, the women who stirred shit made BASELESS charges of racism. Of course, there have been cases of white performers needlessly stirring shit -- for example, Ms. LuPone herself on many occasions. But, offhand, I can't think of any of those incidents that included baseless charges of racism..

P.S. For the record, the artist not so affectionately known as "Poison Oak" also behaved very badly in terms of the GREAT COMET debacle, and he was/is not a woman.

Nope—sell it to someone else. Not in the market for your bullshit.

Get lost, troll. Nobody cares what you're in the market for.

The latest grosses are in, and I have so many questions.

What's it gonna take for them to finally close Chicago?

Early closing announcements for The Hills of California and Left on Tenth?

Could Tammy Faye close early and The Queen of Versailles make a last-minute opening at the Palace?

I believe I've read that THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES delayed its opening not primarily because the right theater wasn't available, but because the creatives realized the show needed more work.

I doubt Chicago will be going anywhere, they can always stunt cast and get the grosses back up. It’s just that this last run with Alyssa Milano was a bust. But it’s a comparatively cheap show to run and everyone’s already made a ton of money from it so the only way it would close is if the theatre forced it out (and even then it might just move elsewhere)

Didn’t Hills of California already add an extension week? Obviously that’ll be it but that makes an early closing unlikely. Unfortunate that it’s not doing well as I liked it more than many of the other plays on Broadway recently.

Queen of Versailles wanted to avoid the super-crowded Best Actress field this year and a Kristin/Idina comparison between their two new shows, so I think they’ll stick to a next season opening.

Hills of California announced the extension before the reviews, I believe. They were good but word of mouth is horrible. It must be losing a ton since it is a very large cast for a play.

[quote]I doubt Chicago will be going anywhere, they can always stunt cast and get the grosses back up. It’s just that this last run with Alyssa Milano was a bust.

Yes. For example, I believe I read the show was doing extremely well at the box office while Jinkx Monsoon was in it.

I guess Chicago is one of those shows that really depends on a name. That is admirable of the Versailes folks for sticking to their guns.

R352, it would be far more accurate to say that this production of CHICAGO really depends on a name at this point in its run. Which is certainly not surprising, since that run began 28 years ago.

Alyssa Milano has missed quite a few performances during her brief run. Those five Who's The Boss fans who bought tickets must have been so disappointed.

Swept Away not off to a great start. $357K last week. Critics will ultimately determine its shelf life.

[quote]R347 What's it gonna take for them to finally close Chicago?

Well, murder wasn’t enough…

"Queen of Versailles" and "Tammy Faye" are both about over-the-top women. Maybe they should take the best songs from each and combine them into a two-act show with different subjects.

When the last drop of Broadway juice is squeezed out of Chicago, it would be an ideal candidate for another few years at New World Stages with the band cut down to an octet or so and a slightly smaller cast. I continue to be surprised that Mamma Mia! doesn't come back there.

[quote]Didn’t Hills of California already add an extension week? Obviously that’ll be it but that makes an early closing unlikely. Unfortunate that it’s not doing well as I liked it more than many of the other plays on Broadway recently.

Same. Absolutely loved it. Honestly, I think the play has a terrible title.

Chicago is cheap to run. I've seen it a few times and each time it's highly satisfying.

It will outlive all of us.

Well, this is the Datalounge, r360. Outliving us will hardly be an achievement.

I'm surprised that a familiar and beloved title like OUR TOWN isn't doing better, with mostly rave reviews and a few well-known stars. Not that I'd ever pay to see it. The production photos look horrible.

Did I just answer my own question?

Lots of bad word of mouth about the indecipherable accents at Hills of California. I'm sure that doesn't help.

It's a really lovely production R362. It was worth the discounted ticket, and if they're not doing well, rush or TDF will soon appear. Maybe consider that.

Speaking of, what happened to the BroadwayForBrokePeople.com lady? It hasn't been updated in forever.

R362 I enjoyed this production of Our Town, but mostly because of how affecting Act 3 always is. Jim Parsons and most of the cast do a fine job but Katie Holmes is terribly miscast. It’s a perfectly good production of a great play but your mileage may vary. I don’t want to start up this debate for the umpteenth time but the “colorblind” casting did take away from the play because it raised an idea in the viewer’s head due to the setting that was then never addressed in any way. I was also able to get TDF tickets so I wasn’t paying typical prices, which does make it easier to judge something charitably.

They should have cast Jinxx Monsoon as Mrs Gibbs. That would have put butts in the seats!

[quote]because it raised an idea in the viewer’s head due to the setting that was then never addressed in any way.

"The" viewer, r365? You mean you.

A friend went to see it and she said the house was full.

Jinxx is more of a Mrs. Soames

[quote]I don’t want to start up this debate for the umpteenth time but the “colorblind” casting did take away from the play because it raised an idea in the viewer’s head due to the setting that was then never addressed in any way.

For someone who didn't want to start up this tiresome debate again you seemed quite happy to do so.

Yeah, I do not understand that one, R363. I'm not some linguistics expert. I've never been to the North of England. I had zero trouble understanding the cast of Hills of California. I saw it during previews. FWIW, I was with family -- one of them in his 80s and the other in her 50s. I'm in my 40s. None of us had any issues.

Does anyone know where that very brief video of Patti telling off the autograph hound with the Hell's Kitchen Playbill came from? Who filmed it? And how did it show up on Kecia Lewis' Instagram rant?

It could well be a deep fake “video”

Lots of up-and-coming stars like this Kecia woman are desperate to usurp her.

Well girls, on this night of anxiety, why don't we have some beautiful music?

The mostly excellent reviews for OUR TOWN are inexplicable, IMHO. I would not be surprised if word-of-mouth on the production is terrible. Contrary to what R364 wrote, it is not a "really lovely" production. Rather, it's epically confused. Of course, some of the play's power still comes through, but no thanks to the director or most of the actors.

Re the Patti enemies list, don’t forget Terri Klausner, the first Evita alternate. She was a dancer and aced “Buenos Aires” when Patti was falling on her ass in it in the LA tryout. Eventually, Patti had her fired about a year into the run in NY. Patti also hated Loni Ackerman, who opened the LA stand-alone company, and got raves (Loni was a dancer, too, and also aced Buenos Aires).

Patti despised Topol in The Baker’s Wife, though most of the cast also hated him (except for the two female cast members who were fucking him). She also hated Topol’s replacement, Paul Sorvino.

Boy, is the cast of Suffs fucked.

How so, r377?

Take a guess…

The Great Gatsby is coming to London. I wonder if Jeremy will reprise his role?

I feel bad for the cast of Ragtime.

How does Cassie sing “Back to Before” tonight with a straight face?

I’m a glutton for punishment. Suffs at 2, Ragtime at 7.30.

R382 I’m so sorry. They are amazing shows…but today is going to be tough.

r380 There's a Gatsby trailer being used online for the UK and it conspicuously omits any shots of JJ, except one image of him from behind.

[quote]it conspicuously omits any shots of JJ, except one image of him from behind.

Link, please.

Today I feel like Fraulein Schneider about to sing "So who cares, so what".

I am only hoping that I don't get to the point where I have to sing "What would you do?"

Marys!

I feel like Sally after Loveland.

[quote]Marys!

And don't you EVER forget it!

My richest friend moved his family to Paris a year ago, anticipating this.

[quote]Eventually, Patti had her fired about a year into the run in NY. Patti also hated Loni Ackerman, who opened the LA stand-alone company, and got raves (Loni was a dancer, too, and also aced Buenos Aires).

Loni ZOE Ackerman, R76!

I can't imagine anyone wanting to go see a Broadway (or off-Broadway) show right now. Seems utterly frivolous and unappealing. I feel sorry for actors who have to smile and perform.

I'll be curious to read the grosses in the coming weeks.

[quote]I feel sorry for actors who have to smile and perform.

They smile when they are low, r392.

I thought Terri left Evita to do Sophisticated Ladies.

I just got out of Suffs. It was emotional, but the actors held it together. The show is a little too musical theater 101 for my taste, but it was relevant and well performed.

Bette Midler did Hello Dolly because she wanted people to have a good time during the first Trump administration. It helped me - it may have been the last time I could relax with my Trumpster parents. My dad is now dead and my mom has early dementia. I’ll take the joy I can find.

How generous of Miss Midler, R395. Given ticket prices, however, it's easy to imagine that most of that comfort was being received by Trump voters.

Anyone seen "Swept Away" yet?

R397: I saw it at the Arena Stage in DC last year. Assuming there haven't been significant changes, here's what I thought:

The set was good.

Did anyone ever make a musical of LIFEBOAT?

John Gallagher isn't a kid anymore.

The score for THE LAST SHIP was better.

Hope I can get an Uber.