Theatre Gossip #290 (A): Someone Else's Story Edition

[quote]There is no reason for Dolly to mention her maiden name except to underline that she is not Jewish.

I never interpreted it that way, even if it's what the intent was. Of course, I was born forty years after that pre-WWII era, but I always thought she was just proud of her Irish roots. The Irish, Italians, Jews - they all have a strong "community" feel to their backgrounds, and I just thought that was why they mention it.

I guess it could also be to underline Dolly's independent nature, that she did/married exactly whom she wanted, despite what would have probably been objections from her Irish family.

Chess: How can a show with so many great individual songs be such a piece of shit?

[quote]How come in the revival of Hello Dolly, Barnaby was directed to be so nellie? At one point, in the Harmonia Gardens, he lays down and goes into a fetal position.

Have you seen it recently? I would guess Charlie Stemp isn't playing it nellie at all.

Just popping in to wish my mates well!

Dear Gertie. She was much older than anyone would have guessed, you know.

Now you'll have to excuse me, I've got Larry Olivier tied up in bed.

[quote] Have you seen it recently? I would guess Charlie Stemp isn't playing it nellie at all.

Charlie Stemp created the word "nellie". Everytime, he and Minnie Fay starting twisting their shoulders, I just wanted to scream out, "Gurl!!"

[quote]Chess: How can a show with so many great individual songs be such a piece of shit?

I don't know. How does that happen?

[quote]The Irish, Italians, Jews - they all have a strong "community" feel to their backgrounds, and I just thought that was why they mention it.

I think also, the quick scene where Dolly goes back to Ephraim's business and the old Irish lady walks by and says, "Dolly, you haven't been back here in ages, my daughter got married, etc..." I think that scene is there to strengthen the community feel and what Dolly had before.

Oh, is Charlie a gay boy? Someone must know after his rapid rise in the UK.

[quote]Chess: How can a show with so many great individual songs be such a piece of shit?

Sometimes a show just doesn't come together, no matter how good the source material.

I love the way they play a slow version of "I Put My Hand In" to underscore that scene with Mrs. Rose. Or - are they still doing that? That's how it's scored in the original, don't know what they're doing in this revival.

[quote]Oh, is Charlie a gay boy? Someone must know after his rapid rise in the UK.

He makes Chris Colfer look butch.

After seeing this Hello Dolly revival, I realized how useless the characters of Ambrose and Ermengarde are. The characters should have been cut out of town.

Then I would have a whole verse of "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" to myself! I like your thinking, r13.

Charlie Stemp dancing in almost nothing as part of the chorus of "West End Bares." I think this is pre-Half a Sixpence, so he wasn't a star yet.

He doesn't seem especially nellie here - or is he just butching it up for the interview?

In Victor Garber's Playbill bio, he doesn't mention that he was in the Godspell movie. Is Miss Thang trying to hide her real age? Because she rolls out every other musical "Music Man" "Annie" "Cinderella" "Glee" "Me & My Shadows: The Judy Garland Story."

How old is Garber now? 78 or 79?

Looking forward to Reba starring in a revival of Funny Girl.

Reba IS Coco!

Reba in SKYSCRAPER!

Reba *is* Norma Desmond *in* Sunset Boulevard with Jack Black as Joe Gillis and Jackie Mason as Max.

I always assumed Wilder gave Dolly Irish and Jewish surnames was to underline her magnanimity and liberal nature.

I'm watching Eartha on Cavett. They've decided not to disclose how she makes her entrance in Timbuktu.

I always assumed Wilder gave Dolly Irish and Jewish surnames because those were the only two ethnic groups that went to the theater.

r25, you're half right.

I'm totally right. The Germans went to cabarets, the Italians went to the opera and the Swedes went to all those weird existential movies.

Then Laugh-In came on with Miss Channing as guest. They did a clown number.

So the Dolly tour is playing short stands everywhere. Bette is clearly not participating, even for LA.

How long before the Skivvies get Charlie Stemp up there, singing his heart out in a skimpy pair of briefs?

[quote]Jerry Zaks is extremely particular in his direction to actors telling them exactly how to do things but he is generally spot on. Though I haven't seen this production.

I have seen the production and thought Zaks did an exemplary job. It’s really a top-notch production, and a nice respite from all those tired touring companies Channing led in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

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Oh lovely. Matt's found the cut & paste functions again.

Bernadette is making more than Victor. Wage disparity!!!!!

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r73 Well, it's not called "Hello, Horace!" is it?

Good question, R286. Ask it here:

I bet Victor can afford it seeing that he’s had such a long TV career

But we persisted.

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Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Use them in the order in which they are started NO FUCKING MATTER WHAT.

Ask your questions here. Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

What is happening with Chess at the London Colliseum? Ones in a few weeks and still no cast!

Opens not ones!

Who is in it, r338? I’ve only heard about the DC concert

The real question is why anyone anywhere keeps trying to make CHESS work

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Fuck your troll threads.

Nobody is in it yet!! That’s the problem! This the musical they do each year. It was the Sunset with Glenn Close 2 years ago, that eventually came to Broadway.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

[quote]Don’t let Matt the Loon win.

You already lost. You will always lose because you're a loser projecting your loserhood onto winners.

LOL at Matt thinking he’s anything but a loser piece of shit!

Is it safe over here now?

Is there a way to point the Datalounge moderators to this thread and 290 so that they can see the Loon’s unhinged and destructive behavior? If a lot of us can do this, maybe then DL will finally ban him.

I sure wish Ramon hadn’t ruined his body with those tattoos.

^Ramin

[quote]In Victor Garber's Playbill bio, he doesn't mention that he was in the Godspell movie. Is Miss Thang trying to hide her real age?

I saw him a production of "The Soldier's Tale" at Long Wharf in either 1975 when he was a fetching lad.

Wiki says born 1949 (68 y o) which sounds about right

I searched the Datalounge site on my desktop computer, and I can't find any way to contact them to complain about the Loon. The only recourse seems to be to tag him as a freak or ignore him...neither of which works because he keeps popping up again when I do that. Any computer nerds here know how to get in touch with the site administrator?

my strategy is to hit "ignore" as fast as loon changes his cookies, works rather well in keeping threads on track

Imagine spending your time trying to sink Datalounge threads. Not just a Loon, but a pathetic Loon with no life. Why does it persist?

mental illness

boom...ditty...

Replying so I can put this in my watched list, because when I blocked the loon the initial post went away.

Heh, Jackie Hoffman’s tweeting from the To Wong Foo reading.

Why do producers keep hiring her? She just will ultimately complain about everything

Her tweets aren't actually very funny. They gave her designer water rather than coffee. The stage manager wouldn't get her coffee for her. There's an amazing amount of talent in the room.

There, you're caught up.

Has anyone seen the To Wong Foo reading? What about the Crazy for You reading?

Whoopi for Dolly?

Andrew Garfield is open to any and all impulses

[quote]Whoopi for Dolly?

No, no and no. Maybe they will consider her for Horace.

Well, she played Pseudolus in Forum, so why not Horace?

Andrew Garfield hates Mondays? AND loves lasagna?

Loving lasagna doesn’t sound very gay. Too many carbs. On the other hand he’s a beanpole, so maybe he can eat anything.

Nathan Lane is coming up shortly on Colbert.

Has nathan ever come anyway other than short?

Did the Loon drop dead?

I hope.

[quote]Did the Loon drop dead?

The Home finally forced him to take his pills.

Or maybe Clarice Starling finally tracked down the Loon and put him out of all our misery.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

OP is the one with the mental health problems, hypocritically refusing to wait his fucking turn.

Will no one rid us of these meddlesome loons?

I'm not the one who needs getting rid of, asshole. OP is for thinking he needs to hog all the threads. This thread's existence is motivated by hate. Mine was out of actual interest in what roles Reba McEntire is right for. We all know it's because I'm Jewish.

I hope Whoopi holds out for MAME......

Another Broadway thread, ruined. DataLounge is for shit allowing these fools to bore the rest of us to death.

“Fucking mental health problems”?

From the dull-witted loon, who calls others “ableist” when they point out his mental health issues?

I guess “I know you are but what am I?” trumps all his other muddled logic.

What is “Soft Power”?

It’s coming into the Ahmanson in LA for five weeks in May/June.

“A contemporary comedy explodes into a musical fantasia in the first collaboration between two of America’s great theatre artists: Tony Award® winners David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly, Flower Drum Song) and Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home). Soft Power rewinds our recent political history and plays it back through a Chinese lens: a future, beloved East-meets-West musical. A Chinese executive visiting America finds himself falling in love with a good-hearted U.S. leader, as the power balance between their two countries shifts following the 2016 election. As original as it is topical, Soft Power overflows with the romance, laughter, and cultural confusions of the golden age of Broadway. Hwang and Tesori have created one of the most eagerly anticipated new works of the year.”

Could be interesting, could be shit.

Nothing is interesting me that's coming to LA this year. Should I go see Candide this week? I fear that Grammer and Ebersole may be a bit long in the tooth for Candide and Cunegonde......still......

Candide has about ten minutes of brilliance in the Overture, opening sequence and Glitter & Be Gay. But the rest is shit

The interesting LA theatre right now is small stuff: Pirates in Pasadena, Occupant at the Marshall, and the Lenny Bruce one man show in NoHo.

Oh no r430, really? Damn. Not even worth it for Ebersole?

She plays “The Old Lady”, probably one of the most thankless roles in musical theater

I thought Patti did quite well by it r432.....

So did June Gable. She was hilarious.

Is the book still the usual mess?

Which book? Aren’t there a dozen different versions at this point?

I don't wanna rag on Mrs. Gavin because...well....ya know. Howevuh, how did Miss Smith make not really dancing LOOK like dancing and Connie....well.....just....doesn't?

R437, was that the one where Judy Kaye played Sally?

How bout Charlie Stemp. Any dirt?

Not sure r438, but I believe so.

Charlie's doing fashion shoots!

He’s also doing Scott Rudin!

I will ask again, IS THERE NO WAY TO GET DL TO BAN THIS DESPICABLE TROLL? Anyone who knows, please help.

Once and for all, r443, no, there is no way to get the troll banned.

RIP Jan Maxwell

My "ignore poster" button is certainly getting a workout!

My right hand is certainly getting a workout when I go over photos from this shoot!

Stemp looks like Eddie Redmayne. That look never ages well.

No, but while its in its full bloom, it’s choice.

I believe the proper term is "cherce" r 449.

Choice or cherce, Charlie Stemp is it right now. In another couple of years it will start to fade, however.

This is Charlie's future

Whatever his looks, Stemp will hopefully grow into a kinder and more humble human being than Crawford.

R453 = Marianne McAndrew

I asked a legitimate question on the other thread, so I will post gossip speculation here:

When will Jon Groff and Murray Bartlet take their romance out of the closet? Are they currently travelling tgether in Australia, now that MB closed and Mindhunter hasn't begun filming?

A Helen/Neely moment?

[quote]Whatever his looks, Stemp will hopefully grow into a kinder and more humble human being than Crawford.

Michael or Joan?

Temperamentally speaking, they’re pretty much the same.

I had no idea Michael Crawford was an asshole.

Discussion continues here

Seeing as "Someone Else's Story" is part of the subject title, anybody see Chess in DC last week, with DL fave Raul Esparza?

I didn't.

Charlie Stemp is cute, but I just can't get past The Hair. He would look so much better with a man's haircut. That curly mop in front just looks foolish.

Also -- I just downloaded and listened to the OCR of "The Band's Visit." It is so much better than I expected it to be. Although there are no songs that are going to have a life after the show closes -- I can't imagine a cabaret singer singing Omar Sharif, the alleged best song in a set -- it is evocative and lovely. My father was Syrian, and, although I never listened to it, he would often have Arabic music playing in his car. The score is very evocative of that, but not slavishly so. It has just enough of the elements to get the point across, but not so much as it would sound foreign to western ears. I did not care to see the play before hearing the score, but now I do.

I'm sitting here trying to remember why Ginger's MAME recording has never seen the light of day.

To go with above....

Rehearsing MAME: Presenting Miss Ginger Rogers.......presenting!!!

Saw "Kings" this weekend. Oh dear fucking god. A 14th-rate TV script.

Ginger never recorded Mame, r464. That’s an urban myth.

You can see her and the cast do the title number, though, on a clip on YouTube. It’s from a Royal Variety Performance.

Ya know what we need? A "new" Ina Claire......

[quote]Charlie Stemp is cute, but I just can't get past The Hair. He would look so much better with a man's haircut. That curly mop in front just looks foolish.

It actually works for him onstage. I saw Dolly and he looks much better from a distance than he does up close. The hair makes him look boyish onstage.

[quote]Presenting Miss Ginger Rogers.......presenting!!!

She could always throw her legs in the air higher than any of us ... and wider.

R461, I saw "Chess" yesterday. An announcement was made just before it began that Raul had a throat infection but had "graciously" agreed to perform. He was hoarse at times but did pretty well, considering. The show was three hours long. It felt three hours long. It was a semi-staged concert version, but some of the staging was effective. The new book doesn't begin to solve the show's book problems. But all four principals (Raul, Ramin Karimloo, Kareb Olivo and Ruthie Ann Miles} were excellent.

^^^Er, Karen Olivo. ^^^

I call her Carob Olivo.

I'll be interested to see if Raul can make a successful comeback on Broadway.

Scott J. Campbell of Beautiful, Jersey Boys, and American Idiot has died of suicide. Handsome and talented, but had been struggling for a while.

How very sad. What was his story? His twitter has a tweet from November apologising for how he'd been the previous months. Was he tweeting out wild comments? He had some project called "Only Truth". He wasn't another Christine Ebersole, was he?

Raul has not sung publicly in years and when he finally does he has a throat infection? Man up, toots. How unprofessional. Take care of your instrument.

[quote]Raul has not sung publicly in years and when he finally does he has a throat infection?

Sucking cock will do that to you.

In fairness to Raul, it feels like everyone in NYC is sick with a bronchial thing right now. 'Course he’s in DC, so....

[quote]Scott J. Campbell of Beautiful, Jersey Boys, and American Idiot has died of suicide. Handsome and talented, but had been struggling for a while.

Those bitches over on BWW won't say what he struggled with. Was it depression or substance abuse or something else? I'm just wondering what drives a person to do that.

His own Twitter mentions mental health struggles. Was he going semi Amanda Bynes or what?

R482 depression. He'd just been through a divorce, had some issues with someone on the team of Beautiful, and was making these unhinged social media videos about being targeted by the government, tweeting trump directly. Seemed like his life was unravelling and he couldn't get it back on track.

Harvey Weinstein type issues?

r483, is there any evidence that he was being targeted by the government? Or was that a paranoia problem. Poor guy.

He was doing drugs with a hooker live on Twitter? What does that mean? Posting vids to Twitter?

R484 no. R485 bipolar paranoia. R486 yes.

So what was he claiming about Beautiful?

[quote]Ya know what we need? A "new" Ina Claire......

I'd settle for a new Ina Ray Hutton.

Oh yes, r489, a new Ina Ray if you please!

I want a new Betty Hutton.

Wow, that Scott Campbell had a hot body, which he showed off on his Instagram.

In fairness to Raul, it seems like everyone in NYC is sucking cock right now.

Rehearsals for CHESS were in NYC weren’t they?

Yes, r494.

what is the link to Campbell's twitter?

HERE

Aren't we overdue for a revival of "Our American Cousin?"

R484, to be clear: Scott was sexually harassed by a guy on the production team at Beautiful. He went to the producers, and they released Scott from his contract. Scumbags.

I know this is DL, but I didn't want rumours starting and people thinking he was in the wrong. Scott was straight, made that clear, and _________ crossed a line. When that happened, he did what one is supposed to do in that situation, and the producers circled up and turfed him out. Many of the performers he approached for support at the time wouldn't publicly speak out about it, and that's when he started doing crazy social media attacks, burning bridges left right and centre.

actually he had a history of mental illness as well.

But thats terrible if its true R499.

Fuck the Times for dragging their heels.

When did they let him go R499?

I one to the Beautiful credits, the production team, and one name (as a potential sexual harasser) leapt out at me. But then a second did - and so did a third. That production team was rife with men who might have been abusing their power.

But Scott did do the role for two years - that's a long time. Did he have trouble finding work after that?

He was erratic and had fits where he would have to call and apologize later.

Manic.

That auditions link has someone who claimed to be an escort who had been hired by Scott from backpage. Said escort thrn hired Scott to personal train her(?). WTF?

Scott Ellis is now directing episodes of Homeland. Maybe he will move on from theater, causing the entire theatrical world to breathe a sigh of relief.

^^^Oops, my mistake. He actually did an episode of Divorce, not Homeland. I watched both last night and got the director credits confused. And looking at IMDB I see that he has done lots of TV, including A Christmas Story-Live and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Keep us posted on his resume.

Is this the holding room until someone starts a new theater thread?

I'm surprised "someone" hasn't already started one, if you know what I mean.

Paul Blake is just vile

Who are the gay higher ups at Beautiful besides Blake? Didn't think there were any others.

Does anyone have anything else on what happened with Scott?

Wouldnt it be amazing if THIS is what forced the Times expose'?!

What are the chances?? But MANY people knew if what R499 said is true which I believe it might be!

And the climate has changed since then.

THREAD CLOSED IN 3....2....1......

R491 We already have one. Her name is Seth Rudetsky.

one of the 2 major Bway sites has deleted its Scott thread after censoring posters info about what happened.

This after their last years major WARNING "about the power of words" and beginning to severely censor the site

Like the NYTimes, Bway protects its own!

Its up to you, DL!

Cool your jets, r512, this thread still has plenty of replies to go.

R511, my post is the truth. You may have noticed that his death hasn't been carried by a single theatre news site. Nothing on the Beautiful or Jersey Boys twitter or fb page. Nothing from any prominent Broadway performers or creatives and their silence speaks volumes. Aside from his mental state, Scott was popular and loved by many of us, and it's so damn sad to see that fear is keeping people's mouth shut. When and if this supposed NY Times article ever comes out, I hope that Scott's story is more than a footnote.

I think it's a little too soon to throw conspiracy theories about the coverage of Campbell's passing, r516.

"Fear is keeping peoples' mouth shut"??? Hardly. It's been all over Twitter. What would you expect on the Jersey Boys or Beautiful website? Especially Jersey Boys. That show has been running forever, and dozens and dozens of guys have cycled through it. He was a small part of that chain.

Nor are you privy to how his family is handling it - or how they're handling any particular press. It just suits your thesis that there's some big conspiracy on Broadway to not talk about sex abuse. Sounds kind of loony to me.

Does anyone know if they dimmed the lights for Jan Maxwell?

So, how did he kill himself?

Appearing in Beautiful night after night

R518, One theater is dimming its lights tonight.

Sorry R517, but R516 sounds anything BUT "loony"

And I believe him.

Thank you R516 for sharing that painful truth.

Ive spoken to others who had intimate dealings with him and they believe your version as well.

I hope they hold The Times to the fire.

Shame.

Very sad.

Moving to Broadway.

Disney piece is up at WSJ

Why is only one theatre dimming their lights for Jan? Are they only reserving the honor for celebrities now? That bums me out.

Uh, oh, Frozen. You in danger, gurl.

So the Broadway expose was written quite sometime ago, I know people who claimed to have read it.

It was stalled and people here said that DiBlassio and the Broadway moguls conspired to shut it down because it would ruin Broadway.

And now Frozen starts performances tomorrow and Schumaker is accused by the WSJ of sexual harrassment?

What the f is going on?

This is very interesting. I would never have guessed Josh Strickland had a manager.

[quote] Mr. Schumacher made no secret in the office of his attraction to Josh Strickland, who played the title role in Disney’s 2006 stage version of “Tarzan,” said employees. He boasted that he had gone “naked tanning” with the former “American Idol” contestant and discussed his interest in helping to fit the star’s loincloth, said former employees who heard him. Mr. Strickland said in a statement provided by his manager that, while he did go to a tanning session with Mr. Schumacher to develop the look for the Tarzan character, “at no point did I ever feel uncomfortable” and that “any suggestion of nudity…is completely untrue.”

Can someone post the text for those of us without a WSJ subscription?

Can some eldergay explain why anyone cares about the lighting procedures connected to people who will never know the difference one way or the other

After 30 years at Walt Disney Co. DIS +0.17% , Tom Schumacher has become one of the most powerful and complicated people on Broadway as he established his employer as a dominant force in American theater.

He reaches a new apex this Thursday when the “Frozen” musical, which he produced, begins playing on Broadway. The $50 million-plus show is a critical part of Disney’s plans to turn the hit animated movie into a long-lasting cultural touchstone, in the lucrative footsteps of “The Lion King.” The show’s debut comes just two months after he was elected chairman of the Broadway League, the industry organization that puts on the Tony Awards, confirming his royal status on the Great White Way.

Few executives last as long as Mr. Schumacher has at a major entertainment company, let alone reach new heights after three decades. People who have worked with him say he is demanding and intelligent, with a strong sense of what he wants and the ability to work with creative talent to achieve it. Though others at Disney thought her theater work was too avant-garde for a Disney property, Mr. Schumacher championed Julie Taymor to direct 1997’s “Lion King” musical. It is now the highest-grossing stage show ever.

Another side of his success as a creative executive has been a harsh demeanor and tendency to cross the boundaries of appropriate workplace behavior, people who have worked with him said. Mr. Schumacher has offended numerous employees over the years with explicit language and behavior, including comments about subordinates’ sexual attractiveness, discussions about pornography and walking through the office in a bathrobe while boasting he had nothing on underneath, according to people who said they witnessed the episodes.

A person close to Mr. Schumacher said he denied all the incidents in this article, each of which was independently described to The Wall Street Journal by at least two eyewitnesses.

Mr. Schumacher has “at times acknowledged using inappropriate language, expressed regret, and committed to being more mindful and adhering to company policies going forward,” the person close to him added.

A Disney spokeswoman said that “complaints are thoroughly investigated and appropriate action is taken” at the company.

There are other pigs in Schumacher’s circle: birds of a feather after all. Ask a certain Tony-losing scribe about Jennifer Hershey and him on top of a desk as Yale undergrads. He’ll regale you backstage at a mega-hit show whether you want him to OR NOT.

Disney’s continued faith in Mr. Schumacher demonstrates the tensions at entertainment companies attempting to balance typical standards of corporate behavior with the looser rules of creative environments. Broadway in particular is a small community with its own norms and strictures, people who work there said, and Mr. Schumacher appears to have benefited from his role as a bridge between it and a family-friendly media giant.

His division of around 100 people consistently makes profits of between $100 million and $150 million, people familiar with its finances said, and it gives the company a presence in live entertainment that no other studio can boast, from Broadway and London’s West End to world-wide tours, ice shows and school musicals.

Mr. Schumacher, 60, runs the business with broad autonomy. His boss, the straitlaced Disney studios Chairman Alan Horn, and Chief Executive Robert Iger rarely visit the theatrical offices 2,800 miles away from corporate headquarters near Los Angeles, employees said.

Mr. Schumacher sometimes has acted like a throwback to the past when issues raised by the #MeToo movement were decades away, people who have worked with him said. Mr. Schumacher seemed to view his ribald comments as comedic. One person who discussed the issue with him said the Disney Theatrical president, who is gay, defended himself by saying a straight executive wouldn’t face the same scrutiny.

Mr. Schumacher joined Disney in 1988, part of a wave of executives from the theater world who took over its feature animation business during the 1990s. Bawdy talk that was common backstage made its way into the previously conservative offices of Disney animation, people who worked there said. Mr. Schumacher, however, at times crossed lines in ways that employees found inappropriate.

Disney’s continued faith in Mr. Schumacher demonstrates the tensions at entertainment companies attempting to balance typical standards of corporate behavior with the looser rules of creative environments. Broadway in particular is a small community with its own norms and strictures, people who work there said, and Mr. Schumacher appears to have benefited from his role as a bridge between it and a family-friendly media giant.

His division of around 100 people consistently makes profits of between $100 million and $150 million, people familiar with its finances said, and it gives the company a presence in live entertainment that no other studio can boast, from Broadway and London’s West End to world-wide tours, ice shows and school musicals.

Mr. Schumacher, 60, runs the business with broad autonomy. His boss, the straitlaced Disney studios Chairman Alan Horn, and Chief Executive Robert Iger rarely visit the theatrical offices 2,800 miles away from corporate headquarters near Los Angeles, employees said.

Mr. Schumacher sometimes has acted like a throwback to the past when issues raised by the #MeToo movement were decades away, people who have worked with him said. Mr. Schumacher seemed to view his ribald comments as comedic. One person who discussed the issue with him said the Disney Theatrical president, who is gay, defended himself by saying a straight executive wouldn’t face the same scrutiny.

Mr. Schumacher joined Disney in 1988, part of a wave of executives from the theater world who took over its feature animation business during the 1990s. Bawdy talk that was common backstage made its way into the previously conservative offices of Disney animation, people who worked there said. Mr. Schumacher, however, at times crossed lines in ways that employees found inappropriate.

Bruce Williams, who worked in the story-development department overseen by Mr. Schumacher, said he accused his then-boss of sexual harassment.

As the two worked closely together and socialized, Mr. Schumacher took a sexual interest in the subordinate, Mr. Williams recalled in an interview. At first flattered, Mr. Williams said he became uncomfortable with what he described as “salacious and inappropriate” remarks, including evaluations of how he looked while climbing a ladder and “compliments on my ass.”

Five former Disney employees said they were aware of Mr. Williams’s complaints about Mr. Schumacher’s behavior.

Mr. Williams brought his concerns to two superiors in 1994, he said. Soon after, he recalled, a human-resources representative told him, “We’ve spoken to Tom and he apologizes,” adding, “this time I think he’s heard us.”

To separate the two men, Disney moved Mr. Williams “to the gulag,” he said—a nearly empty floor in another building where he had no work to do.

In 1995, Mr. Williams decided to leave Disney. Now 60 and working as an usher in a Minneapolis theater, he said he has struggled with depression, which he attributes in part to his experience with Mr. Schumacher and subsequent treatment by Disney. “I never felt the same about a workplace again,” he said.

A Disney spokeswoman said the company had no record of a complaint by Mr. Williams.

In the ensuing years, Mr. Schumacher’s career prospered. He worked on films such as “The Lion King” and “Pocahontas” and helped forge Disney’s relationship with Pixar Animation Studios. In 1999, he became president of feature animation.

Around the same time, Mr. Schumacher started overseeing Disney’s nascent theatrical business, which primarily adapts animated movies for the stage.

Among people who worked with him then, Mr. Schumacher was divisive. “Tom is one of the smartest producers I ever worked with and very savvy in navigating the world of Disney,” said Stuart Oaken, who worked at Disney Theatrical from 1994 through 2004.

Michelle Mindlin, who worked in animation and theatrical from 1994 through 2003, is one of several former colleagues who said Mr. Schumacher made clear who was part of his inner circle and who was not. “If he liked you, you were treated well, but if he didn’t, he could be very unkind,” she said

In 2003, Mr. Schumacher left his job in animation after several flops and moved to New York to oversee the theatrical division full-time. His workplace behavior seemed to become more frequently inappropriate, colleagues said.

Several people recalled a day in the mid-2000s when Mr. Schumacher arrived at the office in wet clothes following a rainstorm and changed into a bathrobe. While walking around, he told employees he had nothing on underneath, these people said.

Mr. Schumacher made no secret in the office of his attraction to Josh Strickland, who played the title role in Disney’s 2006 stage version of “Tarzan,” said employees. He boasted that he had gone “naked tanning” with the former “American Idol” contestant and discussed his interest in helping to fit the star’s loincloth, said former employees who heard him.

Mr. Strickland said in a statement provided by his manager that, while he did go to a tanning session with Mr. Schumacher to develop the look for the Tarzan character, “at no point did I ever feel uncomfortable” and that “any suggestion of nudity…is completely untrue.”

Mr. Schumacher made jokes about the sexual prowess of black men after a former assistant of his, Jane Buchanan, brought her biracial son into the office, witnesses said. Ms. Buchanan is white.

That allegation was among a number made by Ms. Buchanan against Mr. Schumacher soon after she was dismissed around 2006, said people with knowledge of her case. Following a human-resources investigation, Ms. Buchanan left with severance and a nondisclosure agreement, these people said.

Reached for comment, Ms. Buchanan said, “Regretfully, I can not talk about anything that happened during my time at Disney Theatrical.”

Mr. Schumacher has continued to use sexual language in the past two or three years, according to colleagues, including discussing his erections.

His talent and drawbacks as a leader will be put to the test as he is front and center with “Frozen.” Its four years of development have been bumpy, including what Mr. Schumacher described as a “painful” decision in 2016 to switch directors during development.

The show’s budget is huge by Broadway standards, and resellers are offering tickets for more than $2,000.

The biggest chunk of Disney Theatrical’s annual profits still come from the 21-year-old “The Lion King,” currently playing in six countries, people familiar with the company’s finances said. Disney is hoping Mr. Schumacher will take “Frozen” to a similar level of success.

[quote] Can some eldergay explain why anyone cares about the lighting procedures connected to people who will never know the difference one way or the other

I'm not an eldergay, but I think some people are annoyed that more widely known people who ALSO did some stage work (Carrie Fischer, Debbie Reynolds, Joan Rivers) were honored BUT someone who made their career and livelihood on stage (Jan Maxwell) was overlooked. The examples I named were also remembered in the comedy, film and television communities; whereas the only place Jan would be remembered is in the Broadway community. It seems like another moment where the Broadway community is taking their fan base for granted. Another example would be that Jan Maxwell would likely never be asked to present at the Tony Awards, but some random sports star or soap star is.

R538, and they wonder, clutching their pearls and gasping in sanctimonious horror, WHY WE LEAVE THEM.

Wow. You seem like a real gem.

The lights should only be dimmed for Tony WINNERS.

and why wasnt that article in the glorious New York Times??????

R521 posted an older article. Both the Music Box and the Samuel J. Friedman have joined with the Marquis to dim their lights. That’s as of a couple of days ago, there may be more that have joined now, too.

Nobody’s irreplaceable. Fire Schumacher’s ass.

[quote]I know people who claimed to have read it.

And I know people who claimed to have been in the emergency room when Richard Gere has the gerbil removed, but it doesn’t mean it happened.

And everyone on this thread saw the original production of Follies.

Interestingly and ironically the NYT piece did/does NOT cover any shenanigans at Disney Theatricals...

well at least here theres an open discussion.

Where the fuck is the NYTimes?? Absolute fuckwads.

Its EVERYWHERE but there???

Theyre just making themselves look complicit!

You sound obsessed and more than a little unhinged, r548.

I urge you to get mental health help.

And I urge you to stop with the social work and stay on topic. Are you a girl R549? Then I understand.

We've been talking about The Times silencing that article and now 4 hours in to this release-across the world and not a WORD from our hometown paper???

Now I believe those who said they read the article and it was shelved.

and lets see if the NYT gets attacked like NBC for not releasing Ronans article

r533, your post confuses me. Jennifer Hershey was not an undergrad at Yale, she was a grad at the Drama School. Was she fucking an undergrad or a playwrighting major ("scribe") at the Drama School on a table? I was there then so might actually figure out who you mean from your clues if you can just get them straight.

know why it’s all going to come out? Because Broadway doesn’t pay enough in dollars or perks for a while community of artists to be loyal. If moviestars will speak out against Harvey Weinstein, you better bet the smaller Broadway fish are gonna FRY.

Is Disney taking any action against Shumaker? So far, it doesn't sound like it.

If the directors and/or choreographers of Summer, Pretty Woman and Frozen are exposed to be sexual harassers without any accusations of rape, what is the expected outcome?

The last thing Michael Grandage has ever been is a sexual harasser. Can't speak for the others.

And what if they’re NOT exposed because they haven’t done anything, r555? How will you get your kicks then?

BroadwayWorld has the Campbell "story" now.

Santino Fontana has found time in his busy schedule to replace Gavin Creel as Cornelius for a few weeks. Poor Gavin is having back surgery.

Santino Fontana is a perfect choice to replace Creel. Bland replacing bland.

We're going into the next day and still not a peep from the Times. Its gone to Europe and back and nothing by THE paper that covers Broadway.

"How much magic can the Cursed Child make on Broadway?"

Yeah, keep feeding us fairytales.

At least it has a responsibility to report ALL the news, no?

I have lost so much respect for them right now and cant wait till they have to defend themselves for remaining silent.

I’d like to find time in my busy schedule to swing on Santino’s sizemeat.

It just occurred to me the title of this thread COMPLETELY describes The Time's thought on this Tom Schumaker story:

"Theatre Gossip #290 (A): Someone Else's Story Edition"

Jesus, you are fucking OBSESSED with the New York Times and its supposed failings!

WHY???

[quote]At least it has a responsibility to report ALL the news, no?

No, actually, they don't. Is this still about that guy's suicide? Because he wasn't a known Broadway name. They're not beholden to publish every death that comes along that's connected to the industry.

The Times has done plenty of reporting in the past - including their big exposes on the problems with Spider-Man - which have shown them not to be afraid of offending "big Broadway money."

Variety has picked up the Schumacher story - does that satisfy your bizarre jollies?

Let's just accuse EVERYONE of harassment, shut down the entertainment industry, and spend the rest of our lives watching Fox News. At this rate, that is where we are headed.

Yes, if the obsessed freakies get their way - the ones who think everything is a conspiracy to keep people from finding out about the dark underbelly of Broadway.

The Schumacher story is getting quite a bit of traction now. The Daily News and several of the London papers are reporting on it.

The Times people have landed!

It is the most prestigious paper on the planet. Disney is the biggest corporation in entertainment.

And they have proven that they are protecting each other.

There is NO OTHER EXCUSE for them to not say a THING!

No excuse except complicity and protecting the power of Disney.

You ask why I am obsessed?? Why the fuck are YOU guys supporting this selective journalism?

THAT'S the question. Not why some of us want fair across the board reporting.

What, its good enough for Hollywood but not your Broadway ??

And no ones still talking about the suicide R564. Keep up.

And YES they DO have a responsibility to report ALL the news. Even if it casts them and theirs in shadow.

You dont think there's a "dark underbelly of Broadway" R567?

Time to grow up. And have Broadway do what Hollywoods done and start cleaning up its act.

This is the first big breaking story attacking such huge players of BOTH Broadway and Hollywood.

And youre acting like WE'RE obsessed when THE major New York paper wont report a word!!

Looks like YOU'RE obsessed with keeping it under wraps.

Get these fuckin Times PR people off this thread.

The WSJnl article is a big nothing --- so Schumacher was nicer to some employees than others and could be mean on occasion. WOW --- if THAT is major news, then the world really is sunk. And he arrived for work claiming to be wearing nothing underneath? Whom exactly is that traumatising????? In a previous era and generation such a person would be admired as "a character," rightly or wrongly, but amidst our New Puritanism everyone has to behave as if they were cloned from a 1950s sitcom. Yuck.

Did you not read the article R570 where he harassed and then removed Bruce Williams because he wouldnt give in to his advances and then had no work? You miss that part? I'm sure it wasnt a big "nothing" for him!

And R564-

to dare compare the Times willingness to do exposes on SPIDERMAN'S backstage creative troubles with their willingness to the same regarding hard hitting sexual molestation charges from a major executive of America's biggest entertainment corporation -and a major contributor-shows us where you live.

And just who sent you.

The Pro-Times loon smells of gin and rapist.

The Anti-Times Loon is THE Loon. Matt the Fatt is back to tarnish the thread where he left off.

No one on DL is as disgusting and mentally ill as Matt, and that's saying something.

He speaks in "We." There is no "we" where you're concerned Matt. Everyone on this site despises you by now.

And we all know what your anti-Disney fervor is about.

What are you going to do when the Times runs their recap of the WSJ story, Matt? How will you cope when you can't bitch about them? Back to Poppins? Back to your right-wing Trump-loving garbage?

[quote]And YES they DO have a responsibility to report ALL the news. Even if it casts them and theirs in shadow.

I tend agree with your first point. Hasn't anyone seen THE POST? But how would publishing the story now cast anyone at the TIMES in shadow? Do you mean because they've supposedly sat on the story for a while? I'm sure they could defend their reasons for doing so. There's speculation that at least part of the reason why the TIMES has not published a story on this subject is that most or all of their quotes were from alleged victims who chose to remain anonymous.

Well, this has certainly turned into a fun thread.

Why did legendary Broadway photog Bruce Glikas part ways with Broadway.com? He was basically the most popular face associated with that site, the on-camera talent are tragic!

Who is Matt?

[quote] Who is Matt?

Some crazy poster that annoys people or something. I think both sides are crazy.

New thread, a little early...

Quite a bit early, R580.

someone on the new thread requested it, so here goes:

Bajour

Bajour!

Broadway transfers, Bravo! Bravo!

It has now reached Australia and INDIA but not a word from The New York Times just as Frozen begins first previews.

Unreal in its transparency.

I am not Matt nor a loon.

And anyone who doesnt have BIG questions as to why has their agenda.

Mine is TRUTH at any cost.

At ANY cost.

Even to the showbiz gods.

Who the fuck are you protecting? We're not talking about consensus here regarding what constitutes sexual harassment.

JUST FUCKING REPORTING THE NEWS, MS. NYTIMES!

Three Tony nominated message board FAVORITES contributed to the NYT piece and we ABSOLUTELY on record, so it’s a complete crock for someone to say the expose doesn’t have proper ammo, it’s potential to derail at least TWO MAJOR upcoming MUSICALS is too powerful to print.

THANK YOU R586--

And for all you supporting the Times and calling the rest of us loons, what have you to say??!!

NOTHING!!

Now go back to The Times.

Mission NOT accomplished!

The DL is one of the few places brave enough to ask these questions.

Matt's using two browsers again.

and you are on the same browser. I am not Matt but if thats how you discount my voice thats on you. Maybe you could try using your OWN!

Your obsession with this issue seems a bit unhealthy R589.

Unhinged even.

Hence the accusations that you resemble the unhealthy, unhinged Matt.

you are the unhinged on. Have you even SEEN how this very topic has taken off on the new thread? GO THE FUCK BACK TO DISNEY.

THE ADULTS ARE NOW HOLDING COURT!

And by the way, as far as calling us unhinged, to talk about Follies forever might be by some to border on unhinged but to me is mere passion.

You should try some.

The NYTimes holding back on a story that has gone WORLDWIDE might be a place to start and deserving of MANY MANY posts.

Wake the fuck up and grow a pair.

What are your thoughts on Mary Poppins, R592?

Doctor Jazz.

R592 needs a spoonful of sugar to help its medicine go down.

[quote]Have you even SEEN how this very topic has taken off on the new thread?

It's taken off because you've hijacked the thread, Matt, with it. No one else gives a shit.

Goodtime Charlie

Visions and Voices, r597!

I Remember Mama

I always love a Liv Ullman musical!

try again R596---check who's posting. Not a "Matt" in the bunch. And by the way, I never saw Bed Knobs and Broomsticks and have warm feelings of nostalgia for Marry Poppins. Especially this

Into the Light

now come join the adults talk about BIG news and what theyre not reporting in The Times over at the new thread