Theater Gossip #346 - 'The Jonathan Bailey Wins All The Olivier Awards' Edition

How did those blessed people who spoke of Raye's faster tempos in Hello Dolly not realize that it is the RECORDING that is fast, and that the tempos were slower in performance.

The choreography could not be done at that speed and the slight higher pitch should have been the tip-off.

A review of "Diana."

He looks like Adam Rothenberg.

Broadway.com says "Nashville" is being made into a musical. At first I thought, Whoa, that movie's going to be tough to get on stage and make a lick of sense, but, silly me, it's "the beloved TV series Nashville" that's being musicalized.

Funny. I also saw that "Nashbville" headline on the Playbill website and also assumed it was the Altman movie, and I had the same thought: How are they going to make a coherent book out of that movie?

Anyone who wonders how well Diller sang should check out the Ben Bagley HAROLD ARLEN REVISITED. She has a lovely voice if not exactly a threat to Streisand.

I saw Company in London and I knew Bailey from Broadchurch. He was simply amazing. At first I thought he was a bit twink-y, but his performance of "Not Getting Married Today" was revelatory. He was terrified of the commitment and with all the craziness around him (hysterically funny as well), he absolutley nailed it. A thoroughly engaging performance by Richard Fleeshman who is also nominated alongside Bailey. Oh, man, the bedroom scene! Entire cast and production is excellent.

I live this man. So handsome and talented. Was incredibly funny in the Phoebe Waller-Bridge show, Crashing. And musically talented too.

R1, What higher pitch? Martha sounds absolutely normal, not the least bit higher.

I remember being surprised when I went to see a Broadway show after hearing the cast recording first and realizing how much faster the tempos are on the recording as opposed to the live show. I've seen that at a lot of shows now. I guess it's to give the recording a little bit more spunk and feel more like a live experience since we can't see what's going on.

On the other hand, I was surprised by how full of life the last revival of Hello, Dolly was live as opposed to the sterile and dull cast recording.

Mel Torme thought Martha Raye was an incredibly underrated singer.

A lot of the older recordings sped up the tempo a bit due to the fact they were originally produced on vinyl and the run time was limited. I remember reading an interview with one of the original cast of March of the Falsettos (I forget who specifically) and they mentioned the faster tempo on the recording due to the timing limitations vinyl presented.

Richard Fleeshman is in a tight pair of blue briefs was worth the price of admission to Company Holy God does he have an amazing body.

Richard Fleeshman's abs . . .

Is Ruthie Ann winning?

r15 YES

is Patti going to be ok?

Ohmygod, the density.

The Martha Raye Hello Dolly recording was a bootleg. It was not at a faster tempo by choice. It was not released on vinyl.

It is being played at a faster speed than it was recorded at. Hence the higher pitch and faster speed.

I have to agree about Mr. Fleeshman. I have seen Company three times. There are always gasps in the audience. What a body! And his performance is perfect.

R18 is right, the Martha Raye recording (which is in circulation, btw) was probably recorded on reel to reel tape. Tape is very suceptiable to the elements and temperature cause the tape to shrink or expand, leading to playback that sounds either sped up or slowed down.

This video gives a good idea of what can happen. Notice how "Betty Boop" Gwen Verdon sounds compared the way she sounds on the cast recording.

From the last thread:

[quote]Diller was all over TV variety shows in the '60s and '70s, as a comedian, not a comedian who sings. Unlike Martha Raye, Diller was never known as a vocalist, dipshit.

You are the "dipshit.". Over the years, there have been many performers who became famous for doing one particular thing really well (drama, comedy, dancing, singing) but also had talents in other areas that they didn't often or almost never got to display. So why you assumed that Diller "surely" must have been a "limited singer" is beyond me. I couldn't immediately find much evidence of her singing talent on YouTube, but in the song linked to below, even though it's a comedy number, there are a few sections where it's clear that she had a very good singing voice. But I guess you probably can't hear that.

Girls, girls, you're both dipshits. Now go to your corners and calm down.

[QUOTE]how much faster the tempos are on the recording as opposed to the live show

With Evita being the exception

That's some pretty intense competition with Patti vs. Ruthie in supporting and a best actress in a musical that any of those four could win (still a shame for either Rosalie or Sharon to have to lose)

It seems that all of London loves Patti these days, but Ruthie has a major sympathy/affection edge. Maybe they will both win.

I saw KISS ME, KATE. Where did all the humor go? Scott Ellis has vacuumed every ounce of funny out of the show. Spoilers ahead:

The SHREW scenes are all played on fast-forward. Especially Will Chase's three songs ("Wive it Wealthily", "Special Face" and "Life That Late") that you have no idea what he's talking about. His speed-through of the monologue before "Life That Late" felt like Will Chase had no idea what he was talking about.

The gangsters are mush-mouthed and generic. By the time they do "Brush Up Your Shakespeare", the audience was perplexed. I've seen many productions of KISS ME, KATE over the past forty years. And the gangsters always stop the show. Not this time. Is it possible that current Broadway audiences don't know the titles of Shakespeare's plays anymore?

And they've SJWed the script. Instead of singing "I Am Afraid That Women Are So Simple", she sings about "people" and about "lovers" instead of "husbands". They also cut his line about "I've oft stuck a pig before" to something unfunny. The character of Harrison Howell used to be just be a boob, but now he's Republican! "From This Moment On" feels shoe-horned in, and the emphasis is on the "monkey wonkey" verse lyrics, and the main melody is rushed through.

The whole show is over-choreographed, so you have no idea where to focus. Movement, movement, movement distracting from the Cole Porter. Why does Lois need to be climbing ladders during "Always True"? Why is "Tom Dick or Harry" vulgar?

I liked the wine-stomping dance and "Too Darn Hot", though. The set is terrific (although the "We Open In Venice" set is too frantic). There's still a week before opening. Maybe some of the humor can be directed back in to the production?

Is My Fair Lady with Benanti worth seeing? It doesn't seem like folks are much enthused.....

How do they deal with all the un-PC lyrics in Brush Up (kick her right in the Coriolanus etc.)?

Did Amanda Green make all of those changes?

Anyone see Buckley in Hello Dolly? Can she still sing?

[quote]How did those blessed people who spoke of Raye's faster tempos in Hello Dolly not realize that it is the RECORDING that is fast,

She doesn’t sound sped up as recordings do in that circumstance. And it’s I Put My Hand In, not one of the big dance numbers, so it wouldn’t have affected the musical staging much.

And whether she is or isn’t, she’s still fucking with the melody. Not once does she sing it as written, and what she’s doing isn’t as good as what Jerry Herman wrote. Herman says she was thoroughly unpleasant to him when he came to the show (he was in the hospital on her opening night and didn’t get there till a couple of weeks later). And she’s the idiot who let that queen marry her and steal all her money, and told her daughter she wished she had never given birth to her (and then proudly repeated it to People Magazine). A nasty piece of work.

[quote]The character of Harrison Howell used to be just be a boob, but now he's Republican!

Well, Republicans and boobs are the same thing.

That change was made for the previous revival.

Broadway’s fucked. London is fucked. The Olivier for supporting musical actress is fucked. Revivals with shoe-horned SJW themes are fucked.

I also thought the Kiss Me Kate revival was terrible. I've never seen anyone not get laughs on "I Hate Me" before. (Though her voice sounded beautiful throughout.) And that "Tom Dick and Harry" number was offensive. No subtlety. And poor Corbin Bleu looked like part of the ensemble. His big number was made into a group number and he always seemed to be blocked with the other two guys.

^^^I Hate MEN! Damn.

Here’s a little more of Phyllis Diller singing. Decent voice, more than up to the demands of “Dolly,” but not really a singer.

R31

THE 7TH MR. MARTHA RAYE

By Stephanie Mansfield

December 30, 1994

The Widow Raye is in a kittenish mood.

"What becomes a legend's husband the most," he vamps, slithering on the carpet of his Washington hotel suite wrapped in an ebony opera-length mink coat over a leopard-print blazer, camping it up like a 46-year-old Catskills hairdresser turned Vegas lounge lizard turned seventh husband of the recently deceased septuagenarian comedian Martha Raye.

His eyes are pale violet ("I have Elizabeth Taylor eyes") and he appears to be wearing eyeliner.

Ohh boyhhh!

In the annals of May-December marriages, stranger unions have occurred, especially in Hollywood, where men not unlike the fame-obsessed, pinkie-ringed, liposuctioned bisexual Mark Harris have been known to prey on older, wealthy divas with equal parts devotion and disdain.

For a monthly allowance, they blow-dry what's left of the diva's hair, do the shopping and cooking, remind the diva on a daily basis what a fabulous star she still is, and every so often are invited to share the diva's bed, although sexual performance is secondary to slavish attention and the will to gossip. They also are expected to listen patiently while the star drones on about Sammy Goldwyn or Hedda Hopper or the Brown Derby, often late into the night over several bottles of wine. In return, the young men -- usually frustrated performers -- bask in the fading glow of the spotlight, desperately cranking up the publicity machine like a teenager trying to push-start a '57 Chevy.

Diller was supposed to be a very accomplished pianist, so her musicality should not be surprising.

Here's Phyllis singing a ballad. I could easily hear her doing a very moving and lovely "Before the Parade Passes By" based on this. Plus she used to do comedy duets with Bob Hope on his variety shows, with Dean Martin, etc. Another talent of Phyllis was that she was supposed to have been a terrific concert-level pianist. Talented lady, and she seemed like a real sweetheart.

[quote]But I guess you probably can't hear that.

Not everyone has your "highly trained professional" ear.

Will Fleeshman cross the pond, or will they stick Charlie Williams in the role?

I will never forget seeing Mark Harris and Martha Raye on atlk show years ago. She looked completely out of it, and someone asked him why he wanted to marry an old lady. In his very pronounced Long Island accent he brayed, "OLD LADY? OLD LADY? MAWTHA RAYE IS UH LEGEND IN HUH OWN TOIME!"

There's an album on iTunes called Martha Raye Swings, which shows what a fine jazz singer she was. When a song pops up on shuffle, I often don't recognize her voice right away.

r39 Estelle PARSON? Oh, dear. (Not you -- the album cover.)

If/when Company does transfer to Broadway, I'd hope Fleeshman comes with it (he did Ghost on Bway). Charlie Williams is cute and all and an excellent dancer, but has he ever had more than one or two lines? He's a dancer, a dancer who when he speaks Gucci bags litter the stage, and April/Andy has that long butterfly monologue. That said, I'd be more concerned that Sutton Foster will play Bobbie. Which, no.

R30: Buckley is not really singing in Dolly! Warbling would be more like it. Her vibrato has become as wide as the Hudson. I noticed that after a month-plus run in SF, the Dolly tour starts shorter runs in Vegas, Denver, Mpls, etc. That big physical production has got to cost a lot to haul around every six or seven days.

[quote]Broadway’s fucked. London is fucked. The Olivier for supporting musical actress is fucked. Revivals with shoe-horned SJW themes are fucked.

Yeah. I’m all for inclusion, but when it introduces new unfortunate implications in trying to get rid of the old ones, then that’s what people have a problem with. You know it when you see it.

Very disappointed in Kiss Me Kate. So sad.

R47, I'm sick and tired of seeing the banner ads for it on every web page I access.

R42, I read your post as Mark HAMILL!!!! LOL!!!

Instead of Mark Harris.

[quote]You are insufferable

And you, R40, aren't self-aware enough to realize you have no ear for singing ability. Thanks to R39 for providing evidence of how good Phyllis Diller's singing voice was. There are some pitch problems in that recording, but I believe it was fairly late in her life, and I know she sounded even better when she was younger -- and certainly in the mid 1960s, when she did DOLLY! For the rest of you in this thread (not R40), I wish I could find that clip of her singing "Before the Parade Passes By." I know it's out there somewhere.

Just block the moron at R40, R51. Total idiot. Not worth even addressing.

DL faves Raul Esparza, Chad Kimball and Anthony Rapp did a reading of a new musical this past weekend. Anyone know what it is?

Someone hired Anthony Rapp?

Nor mine, r54.

I have something to Cher and Boy will you be surprised because this person is gay gay gay: Which Broadway denizen has diarrhea of the mouth and damages reputations wherever he can? Like telling impartial parties he used to bang Jujamcyn’s Jennifer Hershey on top of the desks asfter class at Yale Drama? I guess only she’s know for sure. Someone wanna ASK HER?? Good luck with those Tony nominations!

Who the hell are you, r56?

Probably someone who’s talking to RONAN.

Aidan Turner and Patti LuPone, but not together. R7 I saw it when it opened and loved it totally. I went there to see Patti but the entire cast and production are first rate. So funny and for the first time there is a structure. Broadway must get it. LuPone has said she will do it if certain members of London cast will be there, too. No, she didn’t mention who they are.

Has anyone seen "White Noise," the new Suzan-Lori Parks play at the Public? I'm going tomorrow night. Just read that it's over 3 hours long.

I think Patti's been fairly clear that she wants Rosalie Craig to transfer. She's strongly suggested that she wouldn't do the show without Rosalie.

Patti should play Bobbi when it transfers. She can easily pass as 35 and who wouldn’t enjoy watching her having her pussy eaten out by a male flight attendant?

Martha Raye was "entertaining" the troops in South Vietnam in 1968 and 1968. She wore an officers uniform, and took the job seriously. I saw her several times near Saigon and also near combat zone. Mary Martin regretted going to Vietnam because there were too many solders protecting her (per LBJ, a fellow Texan).

Martha Raye was mostly on her own

bump

Martha was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her military service. She's buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Are shows at The National, Donmar, Almeida, Young & Old Vic, Royal Court, etc. eligible for Oliviers or only West End productions?

If Patti doesn't transfer with the show, it'd be delicious is Glenn Close signed on to play Joanne. She might not have the ideal voice for Norma, but god knows she could sing Joanne.

r64=moron

I actually wrote some scholarly work on Martha Raye (as strange as that may sound). Her private life was a mess, but at her height she was a great singer, had a fine figure, and more than held her own as a farceuse with Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux--one of the great comic film performances.

Anyone see DL fav LMM in 'Camelot'?

Betty Lynn has been posting alot on FB and instagram. Pics of her icing her knees at and at the doctors office. She looks like she's aged 10 years since the tour started and she's missed a fair number of performances. Wondering how much longer she can stick it out.

[quote]So funny and for the first time there is a structure.

What do you mean by that? I'm sure the basic "structure" of COMPANY is the same in the current London production (which sounds godawful) as it has been in every other production?

R70 Uh, "DL fave LMM" is an oxymoron (by a DL moron) -- unless you're being sarcastic and catty, then you're just a typical snarky DLer.

R72, The wonderful Company production that played the Barrington in the Berkshires in 2017 starring Aaron Tveit should have advanced to Broadway. Sondheim saw it and loved it.

[quote]There are some pitch problems in that recording, but I believe it was fairly late in her life,

The Ben Bagley CD? It was in the early 1970s, so within a couple of years of her gig in “Dolly,” which she played from Dec 26, 1969, till Ethel Merman took over at the end of March, 1970.

Everything I’ve ever read about Diller as Dolly has indicated she did one of the best acting jobs with the part, Not rely no on her public persona at all. I’ve never read anything about her singing. Richard Deacon was her Horace, and poor Danny Lockin was Barnaby, even as he was appearing in the then just-released film version.

[quote]I actually wrote some scholarly work on Martha Raye (as strange as that may sound). Her private life was a mess, but at her height she was a great singer, had a fine figure

Pity about the face.

[quote]Martha Raye was "entertaining" the troops in South Vietnam in 1968 and 1968

Wow! In both 1968 AND 1968?

[quote]I have something to Cher

This makes me want to Gaga.

This is the complete Oliviers eligibility list.

Why wasn't the Judy Kuhn Fiddler revival eligible?

Martha Raye and Red Skelton being raunchy. There's no way this aired. "A tongue like that and all he wants to do is hump . . .".

It's a rehearsal, r81 - you can tell by what she's wearing, plus the director says something midway through from the control booth.

R56, your "blind" item isn't very understandable. Do you mean a Broadway type who is known for being gay in the extreme is also a big gossip and is telling everyone that he used to fuck Jennifer Hershey back at Yale?

Is this supposed to be Jordan Roth?

Sondheim hasn’t known what’s “good” for 25 years, R74.

Richard Fleeshman from Company shirtless and as a young soap actor

How kind you are, r84. I think it's more accurate to say that Sondheim will say almost anything to avoid hurting the feelings of a performer or cast, so his effusive praise has to be taken with a grain of salt.

a kind but not very favorable review of Martha Raye in the Times '67, they say she's just not a natural fit for the role

James Lapine and Jennifer Hershey were fuck buddies at Yale back in the 1970s but it sure wasn't any kind of a secret.

R82, Thank you Captain Obvious.

R86, I sat a few seats away from him the night he came to see it and he appeared quite pleased throughout the performance.

That new London recording of COMPANY is more off than on. The orchestrations strip most of the tension and weight from the score. It all sounds a little Maltby and Shire with the gimmicky goosed up ‘moments’ and leisurely continuity. There should be a law that Jonathan Tunick’s stuff never be tampered with, punishable by six months in jail for the first offense.

The compressed sounding recording doesn’t help.

I'm happy to hear it, r90, and I didn't intend in my comment to suggest that he hadn't, or that his praise was insincere; I was responding to a gratuitous poster who was questioning Sondheim's judgment about his own work.

[quote] [R56], your "blind" item isn't very understandable. Do you mean a Broadway type who is known for being gay in the extreme is also a big gossip and is telling everyone that he used to fuck Jennifer Hershey back at Yale? Is this supposed to be Jordan Roth?

It sounds like R56 is referring to Rick Elice. Book writer for Cher and Jersey Boys and a MFA from Yale Drama School.

Why does anyone care who fucked Jennifer Hershey in grad school?

Speaking of Sondheim, does anyone have knowledge re the status of his authorized biography? It was announced for 2017 but as far as I can tell his biographer seems to spend most of his day on Twitter.

What's this about fucking Barbara Hershey?

I read that as James Lapine and Jennifer Holliday fucking. Oof.

I wish you hadn't posted that, r97. I was about to eat lunch.

Jennifer Hershey was the name of my middle-school science teacher (ca. 1970). Probably not the same person?

R5 Yes

I think Sondheim is smart for allowing productions to try new things with his work and change the orchestrations, lyrics, genders, librettos, etc. It's his way of staying relevant and growing with the times. Maybe some of them work and some of them don't, but at least he gives it a shot, I admire that about him.

I do think he tends to be a little too much of a yes man at times, though. It seems like he finds every performance definitive these days. I remember him ranting and raving about Imelda Staunton in Gypsy and how her "Everything's Coming Up Roses" was like hearing it for the first time. I mean, it was great, Steve, but she didn't do anything I hadn't seen before. If anything her "Rose's Turn" was the one that was unlike any performance of that I'd seen before. That long pause before "Mama's gotta let go" was definitely new.

^^What r101 said. I think it's possible that his praise (or overpraise) of new productions or performances may be because he's so open to change. Or it may be because he does seem to have a real aversion to hurting anyone's feelings--maybe as a result of that Richard Rodgers brouhaha a hundred years ago. He's said at various times that he won't comment on any living writer's work for that reason.

[quote]Sondheim will say almost anything to avoid hurting the feelings of a performer or cast

Fuck you.

So he would rather let them make Bobby in [italic]Company[/italic] a woman instead of an openly gay man.

In all fairness, all Steve said to Betty was that he didn't like what she did with the arrangements of his songs, which is valid. He didn't say "don't ever sing my songs again, you untalented fucking cunt." He told her the truth. I believe Arthur Laurents was the one who flat out told her that time that she had no idea how to play Rose in Gypsy and that she'd never play the role past the Papermill Playhouse. Once again, he definitely wasn't wrong, but he had a lot less tact and humanity than Steve.

[quote]He didn't say "don't ever sing my songs again, you untalented fucking cunt.

But that’s what he was thinking.

Well, he probably was thinking that. I can kinda see where Steve wouldn't be a big Betty fan. She's a fairly one-note actress. She always just seems sad or depressed. She's not funny or joyful or lusty or sexy or terribly alive in any of her performances. She still seems like such a proper Texas lady. I remember hearing a story from Nancy Allen who starred with her in Carrie that she was appalled when she found out how De Palma would be shooting the opening credits sequence in the locker room with all the girls nude. She tried to stage a walkout and demand that no one participate because it wasn't proper. I could see her being kind prudish that way.

Thanks for the Jonathan Bailey clips - made me go searching for more Last Five Years clips and found this. I'd not seen it before.

Sondheim was under no obligation to recast Company as a gay man's love story. Maybe the creative team (was this the Pittsburgh production that Billy Porter was associated with?) didn't make a persuasive case. Sondheim has said that it was Marianne Elliott's presentation to him (along with a workshop video) and his high regard for her other work that made him willing to consider the change.

[quote] "From This Moment On" feels shoe-horned in,

Because it is shoe-horned in. It's not from the original production of "Kiss Me, Kate" and was added as a big dance number for the movie version, and then used in subsequent stage revivals. It was written for Porter's 1950 musical "Out of This World" but later dropped from the show.

R7 He needs to wear glasses but he's too scared of being photographed in them.

What's Susan Stroman up to these days? It is time for a Contact revival?

Didn't Stro do the Hal Prince retrospective? I think she was originally attached, but I didn't keep track.

She’s doing MARIE, STILL DANCING, the new and tragically titled Ahrens & Flaherty musical.

To respond to someone in the last thread:

[quote]must comment on an earlier post about coming back to see a musical a year or two after it's opened.

[quote]Every single one I've checked back on, so many from No No Nanette to A Chorus Line to Wicked to Aladdin, has never lived up to the original performance. Inevitably, they all become sloppy and screeching . The actors start playing to the audiences and lose any sense of drama and timing. The stage managers and resident directors who watch the show regularly are too close to it to see how it's devolving.

I have a Time re-review of the original production of How to Succeed published a year or so after the show opened talking about the production and how much it had improved. I am paraphrasing because it would take me hours to dig the album out of where my old cast albums are buried, where it is stuck in the sleeve, but I'm sure it opens with "Sometimes long runs in musicals are like long runs in stockings." But then goes on to explain that how much HTS has improved, being so much meaner, nastier and funnier than the original.

I saw the 2nd or 3rd national tour of the original, which was indeed, mean, nasty and extraordinarily funny, and I hated both the Broderick and Ashford revivals, which just didn't get it. And that tour had the original Fosse musical staging and choreography. Disregard the credits (it's a long story), Fosse choreographed everything in the original except The Treasure Hunt.

Stro did Prince of Broadway, r113. It wasn't very good.

Stro hasn't had a hit in decades.

[quote]Every single one I've checked back on, so many from No No Nanette to A Chorus Line to Wicked to Aladdin, has never lived up to the original performance.

The original replacement cast of ACL really did suck. Only the final cast approached the quality of the original and thank God it's preserved on a great bootleg. I saw most of the replacement casts over the years. It's a hard show to get right. The only other great cast I saw other than the original and final was the Baayork Lee tour that played Papermill right after 9/11.

[quote]"Sometimes long runs in musicals are like long runs in stockings." But then goes on to explain that how much HTS has improved, being so much meaner, nastier and funnier than the original.

Much like how much the original Chicago improved when Reinking and Nemetz replaced Verdon and Rivera in the original Chicago.

And then it closed.

r116 I saw the clips of You've Got Possibilities from either the sitzprobe or the press day and it looked dire. Linda Lavin may be limited as a performer, but man could she nail a character song.

R118-because she hasn't had an original idea in decades. "Scottsboro Boys" came close.

What is Kyle Dean Massey up to?

[quote]Much like how much the original Chicago improved when Reinking and Nemetz replaced Verdon and Rivera in the original Chicago.

Sigh. No, it didn't, except perhaps to you. Chita was outstanding. Gwen was excellent, but not at the height of her powers, as she had been in the 50s and as late as Charity in 1966. If Fosse had been able to get "Chicago" up within a couple of years of Charity, it would have still caught Gwen in her prime. Reinking was very good, but not as good as she had been in Goodtime Charley. And Nemetz was also good, but decidedly lacking in real star quality, which is probably why her career has substantially consisted of standing by/understudying. Her one real moment to shine on her own was introducing "It's An Art" in Working (unless you count singing a couple of songs from "Flora, the Red Menace" on a CBS morning show in the 1970s).

[quote] I saw the clips of You've Got Possibilities from either the sitzprobe or the press day and it looked dire. Linda Lavin may be limited as a performer, but man could she nail a character song.

Same thing happened with the Encores! Superman. Alli Mauzy couldn't put the song over with the sparkle that Lavin had. (Although she did okay with "Ooh, Do You Love You.")

Lavin.

Saw the NT Follies again last night as it’s back for a 2nd season - it is better than ever! Joanna Riding as Sally is amazing and Janie Dee’s Phyllis is so brittle, she’s terrific. Traci Bennett ups her game as Carlotta and the entire staging has been revised for maximum effect. It was extraordinary.

Please start another Bway sex thread. Please?

Can someone explain how "You've Got Possibilities" fits into the show?

I saw Betty Buckley in SF. She's good as Dolly, not great. She's at times both tentative and a steamroller. The voice is in good shape and she lands the comedy better than I was lead to believe. The whole production is basically the revival and it's a fun evening in the theater. I'd say it's a safe bet she stays out her contract.

Speaking of Superman, were is Edward Watts ? He was the title role in the Encores! production and was the only decent thing in Scandalous!

"You've Got Possibilities" is the number that escaped and survived Superman.

It is like a breakout hit without having been an actual hit...

So Fleeshman is "straight", right?

No. He's not "Chad Kimball".

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Susan stroman should do a show with Rosie O’

Ro and Stro

Sing and dance to Old Man Joe!

And what's become of Kathleen Marshall? She hasn't directed a show in NY in years. She used to direct fairly regularly at the Roundabout and Encores.

R128 "You've Got Possibilities" is a seduction song. Lavin played Sydney, secretary to The Daily Planet's (theatre?) columnist Max Menken (Jack Cassidy.) Tired of waiting around for Max, she momentarily sets her eye on Clark Kent. As she tries to seduce him through the song, she also almost exposes his Superman costume when she unbuttons his shirt, etc. That's pretty much it, but it was pretty great.

I wonder why the creators of the Superman musical felt they needed to invent another female lead in Sydney when they had Lois Lane in the show anyway. Is Lois Lane a decent role?

R138, the writers of the Superman show, who went on to write the first Christopher Reeve Superman movie, came up with a pretty lame story about a newly created character, Daily Planet columnist Max Menken, who has a crush on Lois Lane and is jealous of Superman. For whatever reason, the producers or the creative team only obtained the rights to two DC Comics characters: Superman/Clark Kent (he only counts as one character) and Lois Lane. Everyone else was newly created. When they tried to rewrite the show about a decade ago, they went with a whole new book by Roberto Aguire-Sakasa (or whatever his name is) and added all sorts of other DC Comics characters, including Perry White and Lex Luthor. They also added a few new songs, which I believe came from Strouse's trunk. They did a reading of the new show in NYC and announced a new production in Dallas. I think the Dallas show ended up happening, but DC stopped them from doing any more, claiming that it was a whole new show, not a revival. The producers fought DC and lost. And that was the end of the revised Superman musical. When Encores did the show after that, they toned down some of the offensive plot involving the Chinese villains, but otherwise they did the original show.

I've often wondering how Linda Lavin is so definitive and winning singing You've Got Possibilities and so lousy every other time I've seen/heard her sing. Did she have a musical director holding a knife to her throat before she went on telling her to not fuck it up or something? After seeing/hearing her do that, you would have thought she'd go on to become one the premiere musical comedy beltresses of her time. When she replaced Tyne Daly in Gypsy, her casting seemed ideal and exciting and she was so dull and, even worse, screechy in the role. I can never figure out if she actually has talent but needs a strong director/musical director or if she just got lucky once.

I'm so thrilled to hear that the NT Follies is better than ever. Riding seems better suited to Sally than Staunton. I assume they brought the keys back up for her. Have they tweaked Loveland at all?

I love the score to "Superman". Lois has some very nice songs as does Clark/Superman, but the best songs are the ones given to Lavin and Cassidy's characters. The show has one of the best orchestrations of any musical -- I went to Encores specifically to hear it played with a full orchestra, and on the level it was very good. Watts was very good, Mauzey kind of cute, and the rest of the cast not particularly memorable.

I love hottie Ed Watts, worked with him in the regions, and his lack of a NY career is one of the big mysteries of Broadway IMHO.

Richard Fleeshman has a jaw-droppingly perfect body but he looks like a Ken doll in his undies in Company. There's something very surreal about it that's not really sexy, oddly enough, especially in combination with his childlike (if hilarious) take on his character..

Give me Jonny Bailey any day. Or night.

Why on earth didn't they stick to the LITTLE DANCER title rather than going with the awful MARIE, STILL DANCING. Glad they brought back Tiler Peck from the workshops. She's been thriving since Bobby left her. She also has a hot new bf.

Richard Fleeshman is totally straight (and adorable) and owns a home with the equally striking Celinde Schoenmaker, who was in PHANTOM and is coming up in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. I've seen COMPANY four times and his body gets better each time (he also changes his underwear -- which is good to know. Different colours, too!) Johnny Bailey now talk-sings his big number presumably so as to save his voice: doesn't matter - he has the supporting actor Olivier sewn up. (Sophie Thompson won an Olivier for the same role in the Adrian Lester one in the mid-'90s.)

Yes, R126, has the NT fixed the Loveland introduction and sets? That was the only flub in that stellar production (and, granted, a pretty big one).

I'm interested to hear if Loveland has been updated, too. I was madly in love with that production besides that. Then again, the rest of it was so brilliant that even Loveland couldn't let me down too much. I had no idea Follies could be so moving.

Loveland now contains the best Losing My Mind you are likely to hear in our lifetime. Joanna Riding is UNBELIEVABLE !!! go ! go ! go !

The thing amazing about Lavin's Possibilities is that it's both incredibly well sung and full of life. She's not overplaying her hand, but she turns each and every verse into something new and exciting. The way she holds back on the "not going to bite... yet" is brilliant comedy that every other actress has over acted into an arch aside. It's baffling that she could turn that song into something unforgettable and yet is so often dull and lousy.

I hope someone at least ends up doing an audience audio recording of the new Follies. I'd love to see how it's changed. I assume they won't re-film it.

Richard Fleeshman is ridiculously hot and actually quite talented, not unlike DL Fave Billy Magnussen... his newly posted Instagram story shows he is certainly upping his gym commitment. Deserves to be a big star (and not just because he's sexy).

Did anyone bootleg the production of Superman with Chayenne Jackson? I'd be interested to watch that....

...is that the Ali Mauzy production too?

We were spared Cheyenne in NY in "Superman". Watts played him very well.

Will Swenson was the mainly lackluster Max Mencken (the Jack Cassidy part which was top-bllled in the original).

Perry White was also in the original show. They had an actor who played him (listed in the program) but he only has a handful of lines. I think Strouse played him when Mufti did it years ago. DC’s restrictions had to do specifically with keeping Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang, and Lex Luthor out of the musical, although I don’t know why, exactly. The authors came up with a different evil scientist in Dr. Sedgwick,

The thing that was gained with Sydney, specifically, is that she was interested in Clark, rather than Superman. Lana Lang was always a rival with Lois for Superman’s affections. Oddly, Linda Lavin, who got rave reviews, didn’t get a Tony nomination, while Patricia Marand (Lois), Jack Cassidy, and Michael O’Sullivan (Sedgwick) did.

Can someone explain what the hell this show is?

r157 Whatever it is, it is no Starmites!

I think it's "Be More Chill" but for the life of me I couldn't tell you what it's about.

The Dallas SUPERMAN was in 2010, and former DL fave Matt Cavenaugh played Superman/Clark Kent. The rewrite took place in 1939 (the year after Superman started), which got rid of the fun mid-60s pop “bounce” of the score. Cavenaugh wore the original version of the “S” rather than the big iconic one. In that version, Max Mencken was the evil scientist, more in the mold of Lex Luthor but with hair, Sydney was the Planet gossip columnist obsessed with finding out Superman’s secret identity, and there was a third female character, Mencken’s assistant who turns whistle-blower at the end.

Cavenaugh’s wife Jenny Powers, who played Lois at Encores, played Sydney in Dallas, and Patrick Cassidy played the rewritten version of his father’s role, Max. There was a black Lois Lane, Zakiya Young, and another former DL fave, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, played “Torchy,” a cub reporter who was clearly a stand-in for Jimmy Olsen.

Matt Cavenaugh with his retro “S” and ever-promising bulge.

Yikes! Those costumes at r161 are hideous.

Is that Michael Urie's hot husband Ryan Spahn in the Liberty commercials with the emu?

A book was published in 2018 called LITTLE DANCER AGED FOURTEEN:The True Story Behind Degas' Masterpiece. Perhaps that accounts for the change of title.

Will Be More Chill be a strong contender for Best Musical Tony in this very weak year? Based on out of town reviews, it sure seems stronger than Beetlejuice and Tootsie and even The Prom and Hadestown. I'm not going to even include King Kong.

How depressing just typing those titles! Is anyone writing for adults any more?

Re: Phyllis Diller as a singer. Totie Fields had a fantastic singing voice. She could have done Dolly, and probably Rose.

I believe the OOT reviews for BMC were less than stellar. The Times was certainly underwhelmed.

And, yes, it is depressing. But as an adult, you can choose not to see any of them.

Totie was a very talented singer.

I never miss a Totie Fields musical

[quote]Will Be More Chill be a strong contender for Best Musical Tony in this very weak year? Based on out of town reviews, it sure seems stronger than Beetlejuice and Tootsie and even The Prom and Hadestown. I'm not going to even include King Kong.

If "King Kong" gets anywhere near the Best Musical category, they should just pack up the Tonys and go home. That would be complete inanity.

Totie had a leg up on most other female vocalists of her time.

R169 Now Brett Sommers, she had a lot of chuzpah. I've been watching some of those old "Match Game" shows from the 70s, and besides her usual diva antics alongside usually Charles Nelson Reilly, she would sometimes sing. One of the those times, she did an Ethel Merman imitation, in front of Ethel Merman, who was a celebrity guest down below next to Richard Dawson. It wasn't a bad Merman imitation, and Brett seemed to have a pretty good voice, but to do some of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" in part right in front of the Merm was kind of tacky (which Brett could be a times) and also very gutsy. She tended to trash Jack Klugman during and after their divorce, come to think of it, but isn't he the connection that actually got her the "Match Game" gig? I had only known of her from playing Klugman's character Oscar Madison's ex-wife Blanche on a few episodes of "The Odd Couple". Did Brett do some musicals in regionals or stock?

R160, Fun Fact: Matt's wife, Jenny Powers, is the granddaughter of Dave Powers, who was JFK's right hand man/wingman throughout his entire political career.

In 2007 Cheyenne did a concert version of Superman in NY.

R172, Ethel had it bad for Jack during the Gypsy out of town previews. She was known to call his hotel room and invite him over to her room late at night, but she was unsuccessful.

Ethel would often tell friends that she found Gene Rayburn attractive, which is one reason why she appeared on The Match Game.

Predictions:

BE MORE CHILL is utterly critic proof. I anticipate mixed (if not downright "chilly") reviews when it opens. Doesn't matter. It's already box office gold to the youngsters, thanks to the original YA book, Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube.

In old NYC, it would have run off-Bway forever, where it belongs. But because it's sure to be a hit on Bway, it will get Tony noms for sure.

I haven't seen it, but based on the book and the score, DLers will HATE it. And hate its success even more.

[quote]Based on out of town reviews, it sure seems stronger than Beetlejuice and Tootsie

The reviews for Tootsie in Chicago were very good. The take from Chicago DLers wasn't as rosy, but the media reviews were great.

Who wants to put money on the KING KONG ape-bot being in the opening number of this year's TONY telecast?

[quote]Totie was a very talented singer

Totie Fields was the choice of all the creatives for the lead in "Minnie's Boys." But Groucho had the final say, and he wanted a movie star, so Shelley Winters it was. I can imagine that someone with Totie's performing confidence (especially with her voice) and sparkle might've been able to get that show a longer run, possibly even a year.

BMC looks like this generation's [italic]Starlight Express[/italic].

If Totie Fields had a fantastic singing voice, that final "Meeeee!" would have been killer, but it was a letdown. She certainly could have sung in a musical, though.

Totie would have killed it as Mama Morton.

[quote]Who wants to put money on the KING KONG ape-bot being in the opening number of this year's TONY telecast?

The only way that could happen would be either if the awards took place at the Broadway Theatre, or if they taped a number at the theatre to run during the show. There's no moving that machinery for a single performance (plus, how could they rehearse it? It would be such a major production just to get it moved, they'd have to cancel a couple of performances).

[quote}I love hottie Ed Watts, worked with him in the regions, and his lack of a NY career is one of the big mysteries of Broadway IMHO.

R143, he is a sweet person, great looking, and very talented, so I think it just comes down to the fact that very few roles in new musicals are written for his type. I'm really glad he's doing THE MUSIC MAN at Goodspeed, and that it hasn't become a rule that Harold Hill MUST henceforth be cast ONLY with men of color.

[quote]Richard Fleeshman is ridiculously hot and actually quite talented, not unlike DL Fave Billy Magnussen... his newly posted Instagram story shows he is certainly upping his gym commitment. Deserves to be a big star (and not just because he's sexy).

I'll take your word for his talent, but it sure wasn't obvious in GHOST THE MUSICAL. (Admittedly awful material.)

Damn, R161, that ill-fitting costume somehow manages to make Matt Cavenaugh look not-hot as Superman. Epic fail.

I could be totally wrong, but I have a funny feeling BE MORE CHILL might be something of a flop. Combination of hubris on the part of the creatives and producers, bad casting in several roles, and some production issues. Also, one of their big drawing cards, the "Michael in the Bathroom" guy, has been out on vocal rest, and if he starts missing a lot of perfs or has to drop out, that is going to be really bad news for them.

[quote]I'm really glad he's doing THE MUSIC MAN at Goodspeed, and that it hasn't become a rule that Harold Hill MUST henceforth be cast ONLY with men of color.

Why on earth would one production of The Music Man in DC have set a precedent for Harold Hill only being cast with men of color?

Theater career in NY vs. Regional. Not sure why some really talented people just can't get casted in NY, including some veterans. One of my favorites, David Elder, stopped appearing on Broadway at his career peak, although he has been getting really interesting work in the regional theaters.

R185 called it.

Posters like R184 expose their own race-bating time and time again on these theatre threads. Little comments like that with no basis in reality, that aren't funny, insightful, or worthy of discussion here.

I thought Be More Chill is setting house records at the Lyceum. They don't seem to be hurting for ticket sales. There have been no TDF or even discount codes to get it through previews. I see a good 2-3 year run, akin to Mean Girls.

Be More Chill will be trashed critically and not receive a Tony nom for Best Musical.

How is Kong still running? It’s got to be losing more than a half a million a week at this point. Outside of Disney, who has pockets that deep?

Wow, Kong really is doing terribly. Only Choir Boy is doing as badly - but the rest of Broadway is no great shakes, either. The only shows playing at or above capacity are Hamilton, Network, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Reviews for Be More Chill are not exactly a secret. It was reviewed by most outlets for the Off Broadway run, with mixed reviews from the major critics, and more positive from the outliers. It set a house record for a seven performance week in its first week (which was probably made up mostly of the show's fan base), but its grosses have dropped in weeks two and three - sort of behaving the opposite of how a hit behaves.

Kong should host the Tonys.

Also why is Rebecca Luker no longer in No Longer Little Dancer ...

Has Ed Watts ever played Billy Flynn? Matt Cavanaugh wasn't buff enough to play Superman. Yes, the costume is ill fitting but there's not much for it to cling to.

R195, et al, I think the concept of the Cavanaugh production was to go back to the 1930s, including using only materials that existed in the 1930s. That is the only reason for the costuming that clearly does not utilize spandex or a similar modern stretch fabric. Scroll down the link to the early Superman costumes.

DL Broadway fave Sherie Renee Scott and Norbert Leo Butz are performing together at 54 Below in April!

I get what you're saying r196, but I truly doubt any production would intentionally want their Superman to look bad in his costume. And the Lois Lane costume looks equally pathetic. It's all very unflattering.

r185 Stratford did it too last year, and the Times got all excited. "In other words, Mr. Herbert is not asked to play a white Harold Hill but, since he is black, a black one. Everything from Ms. Feore’s choreography to the spectacular dance music arrangements supports that. But even with minimal underlining, the change in “The Music Man” filters down through the story, bringing out different flavors. How Americans treat outsiders is one of the themes that becomes more prominent: not just in Hill’s story but in that of Tommy Djilas, the local bad boy usually played as an “ethnic” white but performed here by the terrific dancer Devon Michael Brown, who is black."

Edward Watts had the build AND the bulge to play Superman. He was really terrific in what was one of Encores' best shows.

For all the posters enquiring about the NT Follies (couldn't tag all of you): It's the staging that's changed. So, re: Loveland, though the scenery is pretty much the same, the staging is improved. The one big change is Joanna Riding as Sally and, as one poster said above, her Losing My Mind is pretty much definitive. Imelda wasn't bad as Sally but she wasn't definitive and though Riding doesn't have Imelda's manic intensity, she makes her seem like a real person rather than a theatrical mountain someone is trying to climb. (And kudos to her for swallowing pills in between phrases of Losing My Mind.) She is heartbreaking. Young Sally looks a little plump standing next to Riding, which makes Riding look like one of those drawn, gaunt older women who have lost more weight than is good for them through sheer stress and anxiety.

The so-called “race card” has gained an unlimited line of credit this week. So has the Jew card and the gay card.

I know it's been talked about, but it's good to get a current reading: Cranston or Daniels. Who gets the Tony?

And the only Bernie I want to hear about is the one who was in [italic]Annie, Anastasia[/italic], and [italic]Animaniacs[/italic] along with those ice cream commercials. Hey, at least they paid the bills.

Cranston. Mockingbird may be selling well, but it seems to have failed to become the watercooler show of the season. It's one of the quietest hits I've seen in a while.

Didn't mean to post yet, but yeah, otherwise the Loveland scenery is the same. It seems like Janie Dee as Phyllis is doing more dancing in her number. Previously it was like she stepped aside and Young Phyllis took the spotlight but now Dee seems more fully integrated into the number. I'm just relying on my memory though, these are just my impressions. I preferred Phillip Quast as Ben - he was better vocally, a better actor and had charm to spare - but the new Ben is fine, he looks a bit like Robert Stack and is realistically cast as a politico and author. He didn't nail Live, Laugh, Love they way Quast did - where Ben really seemed like someone who had lost the plot - but it's a minor quibble. Young Ben is cast to look a bit like one of the Kennedys and seems very much related to his older character. It's really the further integration of the ghosts and the duality of the piece in the refined staging that just make it that much more powerful. And Dee's Could I Leave You really just sets the standard. Her brittleness really drives the show now - when everything is falling apart, there's always Phyllis.

I hope to see it again before it closes in May.

Mockingbird is theater that’s good for you, like medicine. And it’s a total snore. A barrel of monkeys it ain’t.

Ed Watts is a lovely man but as vanilla as vanilla can be. That’s why he’s not a star.

[quote] (And kudos to her for swallowing pills in between phrases of Losing My Mind.)

How subtle.

R186, the past tense of "cast" is "cast."

I think it'd be hard to play Sally as manic as Staunton did. She nearly gave me hives.

R138 In the musical Lois Lane was a fairly straight part. Sydney was the traditional second-couple soubrette a la Ado Annie or Gladys in Pajama Game, etc. etc.

[quote]Why on earth would one production of The Music Man in DC have set a precedent for Harold Hill only being cast with men of color?

Umm, because it wasn't the only recent MAJOR production with Harold played by a man of color. Here is a link to info on the other one. And since these are the two most recent, major productions that I know of, I feared than a new precedent had been established where the role MUST be played by a man of color, which of course would be discrimination based on race.

Agreed, r211.

[Quote] I feared than a new precedent had been established where the role MUST be played by a man of color

I wish you feared appearing a fool.

r213 I just said that

[quote]Reviews for Be More Chill are not exactly a secret. It was reviewed by most outlets for the Off Broadway run, with mixed reviews from the major critics, and more positive from the outliers. It set a house record for a seven performance week in its first week (which was probably made up mostly of the show's fan base), but its grosses have dropped in weeks two and three - sort of behaving the opposite of how a hit behaves.

Thanks, interesting if true.

Totiie Fields was a real pioneer, and I'm glad folks are remembering her. She was among the only women stand up comics to be seen on tv, besides Phyllis Diller, Joan Rivers and more rarely, Moms Mabley. They were all wonderful and unique.

R213 sounds bright, attentive, and like a fun theatre date.

Totie, that is

It was a symptom of the times, but in all of those ladies' comedy acts, the humor was moistly all based on how pathetic and undesirable they made themselves out to be.

Agree that Totie Fields would have been a wonderful Dolly Levi. Did she ever do it in stock, or wherever?

I saw him in Company in the West End last year and he was a show-stopper with "Getting Married Today" probably the most difficult and physically-demanding number in the show. He was terrific.

Richard Fleeshman was also very good but seeing him in his pants and then simulating eating out the lead actress was a tad distracting!

Was Totie Fields any relation to Tootie, who was played by Kim Fields?

Wouldn't Totie have been too short at 4' 11" to play Dolly?

R223, Is his head buried in her crotch underneath a blanket?

[quote]Mockingbird is theater that’s good for you, like medicine. And it’s a total snore. A barrel of monkeys it ain’t.

The movie was not boring. What went wrong?

[quote]Wouldn't Totie have been too short at 4' 11" to play Dolly?

Judy Garland was only 4' 11". I don't think that would have stopped anyone from casting her as Dolly or Mame, had she been up to it.

A big joke on the Merv Griffin show was that Totie was the same size as everyone else sitting down but when she stood up, she was suddenly way shorter because her legs were so short. Irony.

How much of Mockingbird can we blame on Sorkin & Sher? 50-50, one worse than the other?

R226 Yes and she was writhing under the sheet and he poked his head up (she nodded that she had cum) and he punches the air in triumph!

How subtle

What’s next, a musical version of [italic]Lawrence of Arabia[/italic]?

Lawrence of her labia!

I'm glad those days are over, R221!

Daniels was never a threat to Cranston for the Tony. No one ever could be. Cranston has had the Tony on lockdown since the first preview.

Or, r229, it may be because she'd had one of her legs amputated because of diabetes. Or was it both?

Mmmmmmm

Is Cranston winning the Tony for Network on Broadway this year?

Totie had one leg amputated and lost a tremendous amount of weight. In the supreme irony, her own friends said that once she became thin, she lost her comedic voice.

Mockingbird is selling better than Network. Network sold 107 percent last week, Mockingbird sold 115%.

I haven't seen Mockingbird, and I'm sure it's fine, but honestly it's like castor oil--you take it because it's good for you, not because it's a fun time. I think that may partially explain its numbers.

Saturday and Sunday’s previews of “Gary” were canceled at the almost last minute today (March 9)

Is is just trouble replacing Andrea Martin - or something else?

Be More Chill is awful. Terrible score, juvenile performances. Another musical about another whiny white boy who goes to extremes to become popular.

For me, Sorkin is the villain of MOCKINGBIRD. His adaptation is too much Sorkin, too little Lee.

Thanks to the poster above raving about the orchestrations of SUPERMAN. Eddie Sauter was a genius—1776, THE APPLE TREE, etc,

The Cheyenne SUPERMAN was pretty good, and he was terrific. Casting Lea Delaria as the villain was a mistake.

[quote] Casting Lea Delaria as the villain was a mistake.

Really? I would think that she would bring the right kind of comic book villainy to the role

I always felt like having Superman's big bad be an influential columnist would have gone over better a decade earlier. Remember, that was the era when the effects of comic book violence were being debated.

I agree about Ed Watts. Very talented and very nice. Have worked with him as well.

Totie after the weight loss. She looks terrific.

There are currently two ongoing Theatre Gossip threads, this one and an older one at numbered 243. Why is anyone upset that the older one features a lot of classic clips of Old Broadway from Sullivan and other sources? I'm so grateful for them.

R252 What? Upset by what?

Who’s upset? I love the clips.

I’d also love some real sex dirt though, too.

A well known clip but deserves to be seen again. Totie destroys Kiss' Gene Simmons with one line.

Puzzled why [title of show] was chosen for the Actors Fund event. Was it just because everyone was available?

Harvey Fierstein was born to play Totie Fields

No, Totie could really sing. Harvey sings with sand paper and aluminum trim.

The title of show event was only announced about a month or so ago, which is much less lead time than these kind of things usually have. I assume that the title of show actors approached the actors fund, not the other way around, but I could be wrong about that.

Yes, apparently the Actors Fund tried to do a non-anniversary concert of Dance of The Vampires, then they tried a reunion of Scandalous, then finally Glory Days. They settled for title of show after they promised Hunter Bell they'd do it if he stopped calling their offices and tying up the lines.

Is anyone going to Broadway Backwards tomorrow night?

Are they going to sing “Food Glorious, Food”?

All that talk and concern of LMM playing Arthur in the Camelot concert but it's come and gone with barely any notice, here or anywhere.

And we're all still alive?! How did that happen? I thought it was supposed to be the end of the world as we know it.

R263 I did ask but really, hardly like anyone here is going to see the twat murder Camelot

In the red carpet photos for Camelot, I noticed LMM is wearing a gray hoodie with a suit jacket, which looks idiotic. Is that an “in” look now?

Someone on one of the boards said that LMM played Arthur like LMM himself. What a stunner! They made the usual excuses for him, but it doesn't sound like it was a particularly outstanding effort. But to have to hear him do all those book scenes -- I mean, much better actors have a hard time with them...

In a word, R266, YES. This is an "in" look nowadays.

I'm not advocating it: I find it kind of ridiculous. But the hipster bros all love their hoodies layered under a jacket.

He could have been wearing a beanie. Thank god for little favors.

Knights of the Round Table Jenn Colella, Jason Danieley, and Bonnie Milligan gather for a photo.

Director Bartlett Sher, in perpetual need of a haircut.

Sponge Bob and friend.

[quote]Are they going to sing “Food Glorious, Food”?

Yes, and they're flying me in to do a solo.

[quote]All that talk and concern of LMM playing Arthur in the Camelot concert but it's come and gone with barely any notice, here or anywhere.

Maybe because the least expensive tickets weres $2,500, and generally speaking, people with that kind of money don't tend to post on chat boards or elsewhere?

LMM had a guest-star role on Brooklyn Nine-Nine this week, too. Apparently, he's a fan of the show and tweeted Waaahhh... when it was canceled by Fox. I'm a fan of the show, too. When's my guest-star spot?

R265, Is Jason dating?

Damn, Colella's arms.

[quote]I'm a fan of the show, too. When's my guest-star spot?

Do you have any talent worth displaying, r274?

Jason Danieley looks like he’s aged ten years in that picture.

R277 Well LMM has fuck all and he is doing fine

I find LMM wildly unattractive—in ev’ry way.

R280 Watch 'Mary Poppins Returns', any doubt about his lack of talent will evaporate

LMM mercifully disappeared from social media for about a week, and then came back with a vengeance after Camelot, blabbing about how many million PMs he had to answer and didn't we all miss him?

[quote]Jason Danieley looks like he’s aged ten years in that picture.

Well, c'mon. He’s had a rough year. I think it’s great that he still forging ahead.

He probably has aged ten years. It's not easy being caretaker while someone you love dies a pretty horrible death.

Yes, r278 should be ashamed.

Jason won't be single for long. Unattached straight men in his age group are prime targets.

Married couple next door to me, wife died of cancer at 53, husband remarried 6 months later to an old high school girlfriend.

Josh Bergasse. Married to a woman, but gay?

Tootsie's reviews in Chicago were pretty mixed, but they did a good job posting Chris Jones' screaming "The Producers AGAIN!" rave all over the place. What they successfully buried was the other Chicago Tribune critic who panned it. It will be interesting to see if it also divides New York critics.

I saw Tootsie. I kept farting.

Maybe Jason will decide he needs to be faithful to the memory of the only woman he loved, and switch to men for the foreseeable future. He's got a very nice dick.

Ginge.....

She looks like Milton Berle in drag in the preview picture.

Ginge....again.

Martha Raye was my favorite “There’s nuthin in this bag but a mirror and a dildo!”

White characters can be played by any ethnicity, but preferably an actor of color. Characters of color can never be played by white actors.

Ginger sounds good doing "Hello, Dolly." I do know someone who was friends with Channing. He said that Channing had been a real bitch to the "kids" in the chorus while they were rehearsing with her to take over.

Sorry, Channing wasn't a bitch, Channing told him that ROGERS was a bitch to the kids in the chorus.

Comment on ATC re the new Kiss Me Kate: "I am kind of tired but I just wanted to post that I was utterly enchanted by the new revival this afternoon. Kelli O’Hara’s approach to Lilli is different than Marin Mazzie’s years ago but her singing was gorgeous today and I don’t think she is miscast as some have suggested. Will Chase has never been better. Stephanie Styles and Corbin Bleu are delightful and perfectly matched as Lois and Bill. I enjoyed all the choreography but particularly the Tom, Dick or Harry number. The new orchestrations by Larry Hochman are lovely. There is a rewrite of the lyric for Kate’s song at the end and there is also a new end to the show that is magic."

So we've already heard about the lyric change to "I Am Ashamed" (that People are so simple, now). What is this "magic" new end to the show? If it involves Will Chase and Corbin Bleu fucking while the cast applauds, I'm all for it.

Why would you do that, r295? Why would you bring that up, especially when no one is currently talking about it, just to race bait and stir things up again?

You should be ashamed of yourself.

Race bait? No. What I wrote is true and if you disagree then you have some serious problems.

A MAME nightmare.....

r297: I've heard that as well. Ginger was a STAR and didn't want any of the kids to forget it.

If I recall right, Celeste Holm also had (or at least came in with) attitude when she was playing Mame.

R303. Celeste Holm had that attitude whenever she was breathing!

Negative reviews rolling in for Be More Chill...

Broadway theater mavens: Has there ever been a year which has produced more universally unworthy, crappy musicals than this year?

Be More Chill creatives and producers seem to have internalized all the worst of the Merrily characters...

R298 the show usually ends at the end of the show within the show, but this production added Lilli and Fred leaving the theatre at the end of the run arm-in-arm.

The original Lois.....

Even the name of that show reeks of douchebaggery, R307.

This is what is referred to as......

Dolores sounds great, though the song itself isn't that good.

The merits of Lucy’s performance as Mame may be debatable but one must admit that title number is extraordinary and thrilling.

Of course it is, R313, because Lucy doesn't actually sing during it.

I luv Lucy!

In just a matter of months, Aaron Tveit will be the toast of Broadway.

Why, will he be turning tricks again?

That full skirt look is not flattering to poor Dolores.

r307's single line of text has more wit than the whole of Be More Chill.

That Lisa Kirk clip is the worst version of "Limehouse Blues" I've ever heard. Fun to see her dance, though. She was proud of being a trained dancer, though she almost never got to use it in shows (Mack & Mabel being an exception).

In just a matter of months, Aaron Tveit will be toast on Broadway.

A toast to toast!

Chill reviews better than expected. NY Mag is a rave and she's smart

They aren't really better than expected. Where are you getting this from?

Avocado toast??

maybe from reading the reviews, r324.

R326 I read the reviews. They aren't very good.

precisely, r326. I think it sounds like hell but the reviews from 'stodgy' critics are generally better than I think people expected for something this 'young' Yes r327 they aren't very good but they don't trash it except for Ben as much as could have been expected

Reviewers are, of course, afraid to appear, old and un-hip, so even the negative reviews are laced with: "I didn't like this but the kids will love it." But unlike other young audience shows like Dear Evan Hansen and Mean Girls, I don't think BMC is going to sell much to anyone over 21.

It's not such a bad thing to have a show or two that appeals to young audiences--as long as there are multiple shows for a more sophisticated audience. Developing an interest in theater among kids is a smart goal.

Except what are the shows for a more sophisticated audience? I mean, among the musicals??

Everything's relative, r331. I'll admit there's not a bumper crop, but the St Ann's Oklahoma, MFL, KMK at least appeal to adult audiences. It just seems to me that ideally Broadway ought to have a variety to appeal to all audiences. Maybe part of the problem is that the critics/reviewers are instrumental in shutting down shows that might find an audience if left alone for a bit.

Lois/Bianca is a dance role, r320.....

"Developing an interest in theater among kids is a smart goal."

But not by introducing them to mediocre shows.

Celeste Holm used to appear in public and at parties with a tin donation can badgering people to donate "50 cents for Unicef". I recall an Opening Night party for "Hay Fever" up in Williamstown and anyone who approached her had to donate money before she would grace them with her wisdom. It was nauseating. I mean, couldn't she afford to send her laundry out to be cleaned? Did she need change that badly?

Celeste's "Bosom".....

As a kid the first shows I discovered were West Side Story, Music Man, and Oklahoma. I loved them. It was the ‘80s. I didn’t totally get them but there was plenty there for a 10-year-old to get, and my love has only deepened as I’ve aged and learned what the shows were really about. Fiddler, South Pacific, Mame - I didn’t need dumbed-down crap to draw me in, the great writers were able to speak to lots of different people in different ways through their work.

I know we’re in a way different era now but I can’t imagine that BMC and Mean Girls and Title Of Show are going to inspire lifelong theatre lovers, they’re a fad of the moment. No one is going to listen to The Prom twenty five years later and find new layers of things they never considered. I discovered Follies when I was 15 and loved it on a purely surface level - ghost story about a crumbling theatre with half-Sondheim and half-“regular” showtunes. Now every time I see it I get something totally different out of it.

What shows of this era will endure like that for people?

Wicked, Rose, Wicked.

I agree with you, r338; I grew up seeing the same shows and always got something out of them (an appreciation for good show music, if nothing else), but times clearly have changed. Not sure there's anything to be done about it. There are no Sondheims waiting in the wings--Guettel writes wonderful stuff every 10-20 years, and please don't cite LMM or Pasek/Paul.

The first shows I attended were Man of La Mancha, Fiddler, Applause and 1776.

My first shows included MFL, Li'l Abner, Gypsy, Bye Bye Birdie, Wildcat, Camelot and the Fantasticks.

You may not like TITLE OF SHOW, but it’s hardly aimed at children or teens.

True enough. And....?

I'm not even 30 and I remember growing up with My Fair Lady, The King and I, Gypsy, Camelot, etc. and I "understood" them. Maybe not all the nuances, but I understood them. Same with movies. I loved movies like 9 to 5 and Terms of Endearment. These aren't children's movies, but they were still relatable. There were some lines and exchanges I didn't fully understand until later in life, but the basics of the story still spoke to me. I don't know why everything has to be dumbed down for children and teens these days. I remember feeling like it started happening what the stupid Teletubbies show went on the air. I was still in elementary school, but I thought I was too sophisticated for such crap. All I remember thinking was "what is this show about? What are the stakes? Where's the intrigue? What will kids learn from this?" The answer is: Nothing.

It seems like people don't like big conflicts in media these days, because it might lead to a character exhibiting "problematic" behavior and we should all be nice and kind to one another at all costs. You're not going to see a Follies where all the characters are pretty much awful people doing awful, selfish things for 2 hrs.

^^which is pretty funny, r344, considering that hardly anyone is nice or kind in real life. But I see your point. This also explains why the slap was eliminated from Carousel. Ridic.

Yep. There's no room for moral ambiguity anymore, because it makes us ask the tough questions. We want heroes and villains - no in between. Only TV still seems to be embracing the anti-hero a la Breaking Bad.

It's very sad, because theatre used to be the place where we were free to ask these hard questions, but it's gotten so safe and bland. Even the actors in musical theatre today are bland and inoffensive. They sing a bit, dance a bit, and act a bit, but none of them really stand out from the pack. If they were to stage A Chorus Line today, the ending where all these fabulous, unique performers blend in would come as no big shock since that's what they've been doing the entire night.

"but it’s hardly aimed at children or teens."

Or discerning adults.

" Only TV still seems to be embracing the anti-hero a la Breaking Bad."

The irony being that ___ (substitute your adjectives here) television(and movies) are largely accountable for the de-evolution of the theatrical arts, reducing a populist art to a mainstream one and lowering the common denominator.

My memory of Celeste Holm is of her sitting in a dirty corner of the Pennsylvania Hotel at the Big Apple Comic Con some years back with her Golden Globe on her table. It looked like a participation trophy. It was very sad. Had her sign my "All About Eve" DVD though.

Celeste also seemed to be a bit of a homophobe. I sat behind her in the theater once and when the two male characters kissed, she made sounds of disgust.

I think TV has the luxury of more variety. Don't like the childish bullshit on channel 48? Switch to the period drama on channel 49. Don't like that? Switch to the crime drama on channel 87. There's something for everyone. Throw Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon into the mix and there's an embarrassment of riches. In fact, it's hard for me to decide what to watch on any given night.

The theatre and movies have a lot of work to do. Think about the kinds of movies that were made even in the 90's. You had your big action blockbusters, but you also had smaller films about real human beings. They didn't cost much to make and they almost always at least turned a tiny profit. I'm not sure when it became "well, it's just going to make us 20 mil on a 5 mil budget, so it's not worth our time. Let's spend 400 mil and make 1 billion on this comic book shit."

So does Jason Tam get a Tony for GMC?

R349, well that's rich considering I'm sure her performance in Cinderella helped shape many children into the fabulous gays that they would, one day, become.

Our Brooksie appears to be losing weight. Guess Casey Nicholaw's manic choreography is good for something.

Yikes! The sharp singing made my filling vibrate.

[quote]Had her sign my "All About Eve" DVD though.

I'm surprised she signed it. Usually Celeste would bristle when an interviewer asked her about AAE. She once responded, "I've made other movies, you know! I just played Aunt Polly in 'Tom Sawyer'!"

Edie Adams was a much younger and sassier fairy godmother in the original TV production.

[quote]My first shows included MFL, Li'l Abner, Gypsy, Bye Bye Birdie, Wildcat, Camelot and the Fantasticks.

Did you miss seeing "The Black Crook"?

She was so much more talented than her sisters Edith and Editha, r357!

So they managed to stay on pitch for the live broadcast but the later videotaped productions screeches?

yes, r358; I had the mumps.

[quote]A lot of the older recordings sped up the tempo a bit due to the fact they were originally produced on vinyl and the run time was limited.

I always found it interesting what was cut on cast recordings to save time. Sometimes just bits and pieces like in "A Chorus Line" and sometimes whole songs.

[quote]Lois/Bianca is a dance role,

Not really. Ann Miller was the one who turned it into a dance role. Then the Mazzie/Stokes revival followed suit, and so does the current one, apparently. But it wasn’t written that way. Just watch Julie Wilson in the TV version. Some light musical staging, for both Always True to You and Tom Dick & Harry, is all Lisa K had to contend with originally, though she actually had the dancing chops to have done a real dance job with it a la Ann Miller.

The current Bianca Stephanie Styles is not really a dancer. She played the Audrey Hepburn role in the ill-fated Roman Holiday musical.

I can well remember Celeste Holm insisting on shoulder pads in her chiton when she played Athena in The Greeks at Williamstown.

Your signature, r365, just made me lol......

Indeed, r365!

That's her, R367! That's the woman who slapped Dick Cavett up in Williamstown!!!!!!

[quote]Did you miss seeing "The Black Crook"?

It wasn't at the half-price booth so I couldn't go.

[quote]shoulder pads in her chiton

"Chiton" is the perfect word for Celeste's outfit, since she shit on shows left and right.

But was Celeste's chiton Doric or Ionic?

[quote]Did you miss seeing "The Black Crook"? / It wasn't at the half-price booth so I couldn't go.

Too bad. Supposedly the effects were spectacular. I was hoping to hear more about them. It was five and a half hours long. so I hoped it didn't follow this new trend of running without an intermission.

It's pronounced khitōn, r370.

[quote]There's no room for moral ambiguity anymore, because it makes us ask the tough questions. We want heroes and villains - no in between. Only TV still seems to be embracing the anti-hero a la Breaking Bad.

There may be some truth in this, but please don't exaggerate the situation. Moral ambiguity is by no means absent from the theater today. A lot of plays have morally ambiguous characters, and also quite a few musicals. Just look at DEAR EVAN HANSEN, for heaven's sake. I don't think the popularity of that show has been hurt by the moral ambiguity of the title character.

I've been to enough Broadway message boards and Tumblr/Twitter accounts that have had a field day with Dear Evan Hansen's "problematic" lead character. Some of them are bone chilling in their stance that it's unacceptable to have a character so morally ambiguous or "not nice". I truly hope these are just a small fraction of people out there (most people I know, whether they love the show or not, don't mind that the lead is a bit of a monster) and that this idea doesn't continue to spread. My God, have they ever seen Follies or Gypsy...or anything with conflict?

[quote]it's unacceptable to have a character so morally ambiguous or "not nice".

God, I hate that kind of character.

Me too.

BMC is utter shite but I would bet anything the Tony committee wants to reward it for bringing screeching teens to the theater.

I suspect the Best Musical nominees will be Hadestown, Jagged Little Pill, Tootsie and the last slot could be Ain’t Too Proud, BMC or Beetlejuice.

[quote]Celeste Holm used to appear in public and at parties with a tin donation can badgering people to donate "50 cents for Unicef". I recall an Opening Night party for "Hay Fever" up in Williamstown and anyone who approached her had to donate money before she would grace them with her wisdom. It was nauseating. I mean, couldn't she afford to send her laundry out to be cleaned? Did she need change that badly?

Wow. I wonder why Jackie never used that trick while she was On Assistance.

Where is the Bway sex thread?

I'd think Salazar is more likely than Tam to get Featured if BMC gets anything ...

Kong, Kong, Kong .............. Best performance by an Actor in a Musical.

JLP isn't opening until the Fall....??? My predictions for Best Musical: Hadestown (will win), Tootsie, The Prom, Ain't Too Proud (or Beetlejuice depending on reviews).

Hadestown ain’t winning. It’s gonna be Tootsie.

Theater... gossip? This thread is more like Theater Thoughts.

Who saw Celeste in THE UTTER GLORY OF MORRISSEY HALL?

I did! I never miss a Taina Elg musical.

The Loon has ruined most people's desire to discuss theatre on these threads. Has Matt even ever seen a show on Broadway? I think he's probably on several watchlists and has limited freedom to fly.

Please not Tootsie

Let's hear it for Taina!

Taina was wonderful as Guido's Mother in the original "Nine".

It must have been nice having that theatre all to yourself, R386.

[quote]Where is the Bway sex thread?

In your fevered imagination.

R380, Same place as the missing Can You Ever Forgive Me? thread?

Who wants a thread like that?

R387 is right. The scourge of Matt amd his insanity and racism have really hurtthe theatre threads.

Jackman IS Harold Hill

HAH! I knew it! (well, I wanted it to be true, anyway)

[quote]BroadwayWorld has learned that Hugh Jackman will return to Broadway, starring as Harold Hill in a revival of The Music Man!

Did Broadway World learn this by reading DL theater threads?

That would be very funny.

Hugh's Twitter account.

Who's directing and who's playing Marian?

And who's producing? Please, not Scott Rudin!

Broadway Backwards highlight for me - Big Spender with Fosse choreography. Low point was the finale, Louder Than Words. And Len forgetting the lyrics to Ladies Who Lunch (but I love hime)

I found that on a sub tweet of Laura Osnes that referred to him as her white knight - so I am assuming she is playing Marian.

and the thread on that actress with the apartment and the Stitch pillow that was in the paper of record, R393

R295, may I present you with a recent production of THE KING & I in Commack, NY. I think I see maybe two POC in the cast. The rest of the cast look caucasian.

As long as Jack O'Brien, Casey Nicholaw, and Jerry Zaks keep their fucking hands Off "The Music Man", we should be good.

ACT ONE "Where You Are" ("Kiss of the Spiderwoman") - Gavin Creel, Andrew Rannells & Ensemble "I'd Give It All For You" ("Songs for a New World") - Caitlin Kinnunen & Isabelle McCalla "What More Can I Say?" ("Falsettos") - Caissie Levy "All I Need Is the Girl" ("Gypsy") - Robyn Hurder with Alexandra Silber, restaged by Tony Yazbeck based on the Jerome Robbins choreography "Pretty Lady" ("Pacific Overtures") - Lilli Cooper, Nicole Vanessa Ortiz & Teal Wicks "The Ladies Who Lunch" ("Company") - Len Cariou "I Met a Girl" ("Bells Are Ringing") - Bonnie Milligan with Debra Monk & Ensemble "Totally Fucked" ("Spring Awakening") - Alice Ripley with Lauren Gemelli & Janelle Lutz, & Heather Lea Blair & Tiffan Borelli "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan" ("The Little Show") - Kathleen Turner "A Lot of Livin' To Do" ("Bye Bye Birdie") - Ariana DeBose with Jordan Betscher, Olivia Cece, Christina Kotsopoulos & Alicia Newcom ACT TWO "Big Spender" ("Sweet Charity") - Clyde Alves, Nathan Lee Graham & Ensemble, restaged by Mimi Quillin based on the Bob Fosse choreography "She Cries" ("Songs for a New World") - Ana Villafane "I Feel Pretty" ("West Side Story") - Andrew Keenan-Bolder with Casey Garvin, Brian Martin & Alex Ringler, & Nicholas Cunningham & Janelle Lutz "The Way of Love" ("The Cher Show") - Jarrod Spector "I Still Get Jealous" ("High Button Shoes") - Donna McKechnie & Bebe Neuwirth, restaged by Stephen Reed based on the Jerome Robbins choregraphy "Getting Married Today" ("Company") - Darren Criss with Ward Billeisen, Michael James Scott & Ensemble "Louder Than Words" ("Tick, Tick...BOOM!") - Jenn Colella & Broadway Inspirational Voices

How many of these songs have appeared in previous editions of Broadway Backwards?

Yes, Rudin is producing Music Man, as previously reported here.

"I think I see maybe two POC in the cast. The rest of the cast look caucasian. "

Yeah, so? Did you sit all day at the auditions praying to the deity of your choice that performers of requisite talent and multi-ethnicity walked through the door?

To anyone who went to Broadway Backwards, how was Darren Criss's Getting Married Today? There's not much of a melody (but there is one!) so he shouldn't have needed his usual AutoTune. Nice to see Ward B is still working. Lovely man.

I am waiting for the outrage that Harold Hill is being played by a white man after Norm Lewis' stint in DC. You know the backlash is coming.

And Scott Ellis can keep his mitts off The Music Man as well.

Is Shoshana Bean really going to sell tickets at Waitress? Why not just give the role to the standby who's been playing it on and off during the run.

Waitress seems to be getting by from sheer word of mouth. I think the show is the star in this case. It's kinda refreshing actually.

The Darren Criss number was actually very good.

[quote]I am waiting for the outrage that Harold Hill is being played by a white man after Norm Lewis' stint in DC. You know the backlash is coming.

Do hold your breath while waiting.

Will Rosie be reprising her role from the DC production? Or will she be too busy with her 'Funny Girl' revival?

Whatever happened to Rosie's Big Gay Broadway Cruises?

Rosie will have a lot of time on her hands now that "SMILF" has been shitcanned.

I usually find Rosie objectionable, but I saw her in the KC Music Man and she was just fine--and not at all hammy.

Rosie’s projects always go right down the shitter.

R421 She so loves Broadway though, even after what it did to her

my memory must be going. what did broadway do to rosie?

R423 Hated Taboo. Of course with good reason, I am trying to be supportive of her love

Do not mention Rosie's name anywhere near Raul Esparza.

Taina Elg was also good in the national tour of IRMA LA DOUCE.

I can't believe I forgot Taboo. Thanks, r424

R425 HA, does it trigger him?

Untalented talk show hosts have no business working on Broadway.

A friend of mine stage doored Raul during Company. While signing my friend's PLAYBILL, he asked Raul if Rosie had seen the production, to which he replied, "Nah, Rosie hates Sondheim.".

Gee, and Sondheim speaks so warmly of her.

Sondheim spoke very highly of TABOO in a long BWW interview in 2010:

PC: Rosie O'Donnell just told me how much your complimentary words about TABOO meant to her.

SS: Oh, how nice!

PC: She said that comment meant everything to her and got her through some very tough times.

SS: Oh, my God. I didn't even know she did that [show].

PC: She said when she read your words on it in Time Magazine that that meant everything to her when she was going through the lawsuit and turbulent times with the musical.

SS: Oh, my gosh. That's how she knows!

PC: She was really moved by it.

SS: Oh, I meant it! I meant it.

PC: You liked TABOO? It's a great score, I think.

SS: Yeah, I really liked it.

good lord.

Aw. Sondheim seems like a really nice guy. I always just want to hug him every time I see him.

I always loved watching him teach people his songs. He really does seem like those teachers you loved so much as a kid who'd never talk down to you and believed in you. I know he's said before that he thinks of teaching as a sacred profession and you can really tell. He doesn't seem one prone to scream and yell.

[quote]I am waiting for the outrage that Harold Hill is being played by a white man after Norm Lewis' stint in DC. You know the backlash is coming.

You are completely full of shit, and we know you're just trying to stir up the race thing. Harold Hill has been played by a variety of ethnicities over the last 62 years, but especially, and mostly, white guys, including the immortal Robert Preston who created it. So there is no reason at all that there would be outrage that a 62-year-old show created by a white man would be played by a white man now just because it was just played by a black man in a one-week CONCERT in DC. Especially when said white man is a SUPERSTAR with a phenomenal box office track record on Broadway. Stop trying this shit here. It's not wanted, and you're sick.

That list of Broadway Backwards songs is really uninspiring. But what's the other one, the one that does the same thing? It's usually about the same time as Broadway Backwards. Is there any words on that one?

Darrin Criss would actually be good casting for Jamie if Jonathan Bailey doesn't come over with "Company" if and when it moves.

Didn't Raul Esparza do Rose's Turn at one of these miscast things back in the day? I'd have liked to have seen that.

The shitty, pretentious, sanctimonious, and repetitive nature of modern theatre is why people don’t want to gossip about it.

R287 and R295 have nothing of value to offer DL or the real world.

"Miscast" -- is that the event where male performers sing songs written for women and vice versa? That always seems like it would be fun. Do the straight men change the lyrics to say "she" instead of "he" or do they have to do it as originally written?

Sondheim saw TABOO on closing night. We sat in the same row.

Raul's over the Rosie kerfuffle. He's far more bitter about losing to DHP and who could blame him, really.

Miscast is an opportunity for queeny chorus boys to have their shot at things like Cell Block Tango and Hey, Big Spender.

My favorite Broadway Backwards so far (but I haven’t seen Darren Criss’ “Getting Married Today” yet, so that may change.)

[quote] Raul's over the Rosie kerfuffle. He's far more bitter about losing to DHP and who could blame him, really.

R441. That hawk-nosed, baggy-eyed scenery chewer really needs to get over it. He didn't deserve the Tony. DHP gave a far more nuanced and meaningful and in-depth performance than Raul did. Raul's Bobby was atrocious. One of the worst in fact, complete with his trademark overwrought overacting and goat vibrato.

[quote]Darrin Criss would actually be good casting for Jamie if Jonathan Bailey doesn't come over with "Company" if and when it moves.

What?!? Oh wow. I hadn’t thought about that. I mean, I guess if they wanted me to do it, sure. But it never really occurred to me.

Raul has stated in interviews that he did not resent DHP winning the Tony for Curtains and called him "a great guy".

I just saw Company in London last weekend, and it (and Rosalie Craig) completely wiped the floor with Doyle and Raul’s chilly, gimmicky Broadway revival.

The definitive "Bobby" . . .

Raul's Bobby was...too precious.

R423, the remark was a take on an old Bette Midler joke. "She loves nature in spite of what it did to her".

R443, I always loved that clip. Two great, totally uninhibited performers at their best.

I saw Company in London and I loved most of it. I thought some of the book changes were clunky. The post-Ladies Who Lunch scene was so awkward and ruined the build-up to Being Alive. Also the direction was pretty gimmicky. The Alice In Wonderland moments added nothing to the show but runtime, and I'm sick of Marianne Elliott's florescent square sets.

R444 is either DHP's agent or one of Raul's bitter cast-offs. No one is still sincerely hailing Curtains 10 years later. Jonathan Groff or Gavin Lee would have been better choices than DHP.

Well, what do you expect him to say, r446? That he's a miserable cheating SOB who should be tortured over hot coals for how he destroyed Raul's life? It's a public interview, of COURSE he's going to say nice things.

I disliked the Doyle COMPANY intensely, largely for reasons unrelated to Raul. But I agree with R452 about CURTAINS. I'd literally forgotten that show even existed.

Gary is phenomenal. It's not as perfect as Ferryman, but it really hits heights that haven't been seen on Broadway since... the Boeing Boeing revival?

Do we think all three actors will get Tony noms?

DHP won for his acting in Curtains, not because the show was so great. He brought it all to a role without much substance whereas Raul's Bobby was a total cringefest. A powerful role in a fantastic show and Raul did not do the character justice or give him depth.

"Do we think all three actors will get Tony noms?"

How are we to know? If it's so "phenomenal," can't you at least mention something about the theme and subject matter of the work or its literary merits or its production or the performances or how it "hits the heights," rather than focusing on what silly prizes it might win?

Is everyone excited about the Britney Spears musical "Once Upon A One More Time"?

When Raul lost, it seemed like he was constantly on Broadway and would win at some point. During that period, he appeared in seven Broadway shows in 10 years. But he hasn’t been back since Leap of Faith closed in May 2012.

I thought DHP and Esparza were both Tony worthy but I would have voted for DHP. He brought this easy charm to the part that hid a lot of the flaws in his show. I did not love the John Doyle Comapny in general. Too many so-so actors because they had to be able to play instruments.

A few years ago, I visited someone backstage. Raul and Danny Burstein were there too, and they both joked about their Tony losses. It was funny. They're like the Glenn Close's of the Tonys.

Sorry, R406, Zaks is directing Music Man.

[quote]Too many so-so actors because they had to be able to play instruments.

Oh, speaking of that, what is Raul's ex fuck-buddy, Fred Rose, up to? They were hot and heavy for about five minutes.

Miscast is on April 1 this year, and this is the announced cast so far: (For once they have a better lineup than Broadway Backwards did this year)

ANNALEIGH ASHFORD

STEPHANIE J. BLOCK

GAVIN CREEL

ANDY KARL

BETH LEAVEL

TAYLOR LOUDERMAN

JENNIFER NETTLES

KELLI O’HARA

KAREN OLIVO

ORFEH

BILLY PORTER

KATE ROCKWELL

BARRETT WILBERT WEED

Broadway Backwards and Miscast do many of the same songs over again. They seldom dig for fresh, older material.

Last I looked, the remaining tix to Miscast were ridiculously $$$.

I've had colonoscopies with more humor than Doyle's Company

R453 is DHP a cheating SOB??

Everyone in Doyle's COMPANY was costumed in black, even Amy as a bride.

Richard Fleeshman in the London production of Company is STRAIGHT???? Talk about a purse falling out of someone's mouth.

Great body, though.

Taina Elg was terrific in a touring production of Zorba as a frail and vulnerable Madame Hortense. Her HAPPY BIRTHDAY was sad and wonderful.

How's that meth addict doing at UTA?

R464

Fresh 'older' material?

I myself am fresh older material.

r464: Yes. The problem with these shows is they will mostly do songs people readily know in the straight versions to 'get' the gay ones. And most of todays Broadway audiences are unfamiliar with shows from the '30s to '60s. Can you imagine Raul for instance singing "One Man Aint Quite Enough" from HOUSE OF FLOWERS?

Playbill announcement of "The Music Man" doesn't mention Laura Osnes or any other casting. October 2020.

Obviously, Rudin hasn't seen the shipwreck Zaks has created over at the Mitzi Newhouse.

Hugh Jackman AND Laura Osnes? Sounds like An Evening with Dry Toast.

OR perhaps, Cloying: Live on Stage!

We're talking October 2020. A lot can change by then, and Osnes hasn't been announced anywhere except here.

And on her Twitter account.

I didn't mind the Doyle "Company" as I had recently seen the Kennedy Center production which was the worst "Company" I'd ever seen, so this seemed great in comparison, and for the most part, I liked Raul in it. (except for the completely over the top Being Alive, which was horrifying.) But otherwise he came off charming and smart and interesting, as opposed to John Barrowman who came off as a stupid superficial frat boy. Of course, the rest of the Raul "Company" was not very good, but neither was the DC cast. (Well, DC did have Alice Ripley who was fascinating in her insanity.)

Sutton is Marian. Bank on it. You read it here first.

Or Rebecca Ferguson lip synching to the chick who sang “Never Enough” for her in The Greatest Showman.

I loved the Never Enough scene in Greatest Showman. I had no idea the actress was lip syncing and the song was my favorite in the movie!

Sutton's not a soprano. She can't sing Marian. Unfortunately, she probably WILL be our next Mama Rose, though. Ugh.

What makes you say that, R485?

They will change the key for Sutton. It's all set. You read it here. She does "My White Knight" in concert and its thrilling.

I've never found Sutton to be "thrilling" at anything. Competent, yes.

Maybe Norm Lewis will play Marian?

Jessie Mueller for Marian.

She was really lovely in the KC production.

Billy Porter for Marian.

I wonder if Jessie Mueller and her reps knew about this upcoming revival and I wonder if she/they thought it would help/hurt her to be cast in the revival if she did the KC production?

I feel like fortyish Kelli O’Hara would work best opposite Jackman, as opposed to the much younger seeming Mueller or Osnes.

Totally agree about Kelli! Finally, here's a role she's perfect for and she doesn't get cast.

Interesting question, r493. If she and her team thought about it at all, I'd guess they thought this would be a good showcase for her. And it was.

Kelli O'Hara would be lovely, too. Not seeing Osnes. I like her well enough, but she really does have an ingenue quality that isn't right for Marian.

I would venture Audra would be the prime candidate for the next Rose... and, with a good director (George C. Wolfe or Marianne Elliott?) it could be something special.

Lots of yawning about this Music Man revival on ATC and BWW for FWIW.

And I get it. I already feel like I've seen it. There'll be no element of surprise on any level here.

Marian is supposed to have a kid brother, not some freak sibling 30 years younger.

And a younger Marian could still give her White Knight children. Making her a barren middle aged spinster is just depressing.

Marian has to be sadder but wiser, not just sad.

Watching a Marian play opposite a man who could be her father would much more depressing to a contemporary audience than watching a Marian who would realistically require IVF to have babies in a cottage somewhere in the state of Iowa.

Having an older Marian would give rise to the theory that she might be Winthrop's real Mom, not Mrs. Paroo, who is covering up a potential scandal.

Jeez, doesn't everybody already think that?

I googled Taina Elg to find out when she died , and she's still alive at 89!

r498: I haven't looked but thats surprising. Have Hugh's stalkers given up on him? THE MUSIC MAN has never been a favorite show of mine.

Jessie Mueller will be 38 by the time this new MUSIC MAN happens, so fortyish herself. I hope she gets it.

Taina Elg for Marian!

Has Rose ever been sung soprano in a major production of Gypsy?

If Winthrop is actually Marian's son, rather than her brother, then who is his father?

Kate Baldwin as Marian. She's 44 and Irish!

But she'll be 46 when this opens, almost 47. TOO OLD!

Actually, Kate Baldwin for Mrs. Paroo! It's time for a new "take" on the Widder Paroo. Make her a hot and sexy MILF, so we can believe that she had a child just ten years earlier. Maybe Mrs. Paroo is doing Tommy Djilas on the side.

Patti Murin for Matinee Marian!

R409 The guy Mr. Madison who gave Marian all the books in the library and who nearly everything in the town is named after.

I meant R509 for the above.

I love Audra, but I don't think I want to hear Rose sung in head voice. And please, don't link that awful video of her singing Rainbow High from Evita to prove that she can belt. She's not really belting in that clip and it sounds all wrong.

Now, if you wanted to suggest her as Sally in Follies, that'd be interesting.

Audra as Rose would be kinda odd. It'd be like Kelli O'Hara or Julie Andrews playing Rose. It just seems like a bad idea. That role would lose a lot of bite if it was sung in head voice instead of chest voice.

Prediction: Music Man will start first preview with at $40 million advance, topping Ms. Midler.

It's not just the head voice. All three of the singer-actors listed by r517 lack that hard-bitten, rough around the edges, ballsy quality that Madame Rose needs.

[quote]beloved musical theatre actress, missing from the Broadway stage in recent years, is expected to be announced to play Marian Paroo

Who does that describe? Surely not Laura Osnes.

Oh, surely not Bernadette?

It's me!

Marin!

NO MORE AUDRA. How did she get so far when during Ragtime all her live performances, she sang off key!

I would have loved to have seen Marin Maxie do Marion when she was in her 20s-30s. She would have had a real spirit, not just been a blank-faced ingenue.

Mazzie not Maxie.

Is Marian considered to be a great part by female performers? I would think Sutton Foster would be at the state in her career where she would be co-equal lead. This is THE HUGH JACKMAN SHOW AND OH YEAH THERE ARE SOME OTHER PEOPLE IN IT. And the script reflects that as well. The show is about The Music Man. It’s not really about Marian.

I vote for Jessie Mueller

John Palermo for Marian!

I’m all for Jessie Mueller too, but she hasn’t been “absent from Broadway stages for a while” per the BWW clue.

Missing from the Broadway stage for a while? Toni Collette? LOL!

Although, if we're talking Gypsy revivals in the near future, she'd be my pick for Rose. Or Mame. Or honestly anything. I love her.

Toni Collette for Hot Pants Widder Paroo! She vamps Hugh while he’s wooing her daughter!

Nikki Renee Daniels posted a video singing My White Knight today on Twitter. Any shot? She has a fantastic voice.

Idina.

My god, I just loved Keith. I'm really shocked by all the hate here.

Is it true Sondheim left Be More Chill at intermission?

Is that a serious question, r536?

Yeah. I read it on BWW. Someone said Sondheim was at the show and left at intermission.

OOOOPS. That was intended for the 6 Feet Under thread.

But don't all you theatre queens agree Keith was awfully sexy and a great bf for David?

It is Sutton Foster headed to that library.

And the sex thread is gone because a certain actor was outed as poz, I'll bet.

KC would sing the shit out of it

So do you all think Laura Osnes was just sending Hugh a big wish on Twitter?

Audra was miscast in Moon for the Misbegotten at Williamstown. She would be wrong also for a role written for Ethel Merman.

Sierra Boggess?

Anika Noni Rose?

Laura Osnes doesn't seem like Scott Rudin's kind of gal.

I've heard Sondheim leaves a lot of shows at intermission these days. He is 88 :(

R469 Richard Fleeshman sounds much more butch with his normal British accent.

If he's leaving shows early, I hope it's to go home and work on the Bunuel show.

Well, he made it all the way through The Prom.

He left "People, Places and Things" at intermission.

No way it's going to be Laura Osnes. She's painfully dull.

Someone upthread said it best, "an evening with dry toast". How thrilling. Sondheim is better than me. I wouldn't even go see those shows. Not if you paid me. HELL NO.

It’s Barbara Cook. She’s been dead for two years, so she’s rested, refreshed, and singing better than she did in her 20s!

Laura Osnes was a reality star!!

^^She sure was. And has all the talent of one.

KC

Do you mean Chenoweth?

She did the role already and it wasn't as good as you would expect.

Chita for Marian!

Three of the guests on the Ed Sullivan Show that just started:

Myron Cohen

Jacques d'Amboise & Allegra Kent

Vanilla Fudge

How does everyone know what shoes Sondheim does/doesn't walk out on?

Can you imagine sitting in your seat waiting for the show to start and the person who's suddenly filing into the row from the opposite side is Stephen Sondheim? How could you ever concentrate on the show knowing he's sitting RIGHT THERE next to you? Talk about a theater experience to remember.

Quick, someone name the next theater thread after Sondheim's shoes.

[quote]The show is about The Music Man. It’s not really about Marian.

Not exactly true. Both characters undergo tremendous change during the course of the show, and each of them causes the change in the other, which is a very interesting situation. And I think Marian is an exceptionally strong female character. Plus, Marian has as much to sing as Harold does, including three really great solos: "Goodnight, My Someone," "My White Night," and "Till There Was You" (yes, the last one becomes a duet at the very end in the show version, but it's still basically a solo).

Oh God, Music Man? I mean why do they bring back that fossil with plot, songs, and choreography when there are so many more singers and groups that haven't been the subject of a musical, and so many teen movies that haven't been made into one?

Nikki R Daniels is a terrible actress. Just watch her on old episodes of The Good Wife. She was fine (no more or less than that) in Mormon, but won the Tony on that show's wave. It should have gone to Benanti or LuPone for Women on the Verge.

Let's bring in the young people. Cardi B for Marian.

Nikki Renee Daniels and Nikki M. James (Tony winner for Mormon) are two different people.

R566 You're right. I'm a dope.

Bring back Rebecca Luker for Marian -- she could probably still do it better than some of these mentioned. Btw, it got Barbara Cook a supporting Tony, though you never know how the current Tony committee would classify the role.

Nikki Renee seemed to be very well received as Nabalungi and did it longer than anyone else.

Prediction: Music Man will be the biggest seller in Broadway history and still somehow earn a 5% profit.

Luker got nominated for Leading/Principal in the last revival.

An intriguing idea: Cast Audra as Rose, with daughters who can both pass for white. Makes her look more like a manager, and adds a deep frisson to Louise’s later alienation. (Not that Louise needs any more reasons for that...)

Of course, if it’s done as a realistic period piece, this would be impossible. But who does that anymore?

As a side note: a friend of mine was in San Francisco recently, where he attended a friend’s birthday party, and made the acquaintance of Sandra Church, wthout knowing who she was beforehand. I filled him in. (Envy has many faces. Ah well...)

Sandra Church actually pops up at quite a few social events in SF, especially theater. She does NOT like to be introduced as "the original Gypsy!" though. Or asked about Merman.

Megan Hilty as Marian? She fits the clues.

[quote]Maybe Norm Lewis will play Marian?

I'd love to be Norm's white knight.

[quote]Everyone in Doyle's COMPANY was costumed in black, even Amy as a bride.

Why is that a problem?

You're right, Hilty does sort of fit the clues. Although the Hollywood Reporter story says "A leading New York stage star who has been absent from Broadway for the last few years is believed to be on board to play Marian and will be confirmed in the coming weeks" while I think BWW said "beloved" stage star rather than "leading." Is Megan Hilty either "leading" or "beloved"? David Hyde Pierce was a legitimate star in his own right, with his own Tony win, when he was announced as Bette's costar. So it feels like Rudin might be angling for a name a little more potent than Megan Hilty to be Jackman's co-star. But who would that be?

I wonder if Jackman will do all eight shows, or if they'll have a lesser star on tap to do Tuesday evenings or something, like Donna Murphy did for Bette.

Raul Esparza is Matinee Harold!

r577, so you're suggesting that David Hyde Pierce will be Marian? I guess he is age and gender orientation appropriate for Jackman, if I didn't screw up the the correct way of saying it.

DHP will be Marian to Donna Murphy's Harold Hill?

Gary is the hot mess to end all hot messes. I predict it will close in previews.

THR reviews "Fosse/Verdon":

Be More Chill is not for young people; it’s for anyone with no taste or intelligence.

Marian will be Emmy Rossum

Telly Leung as Marcellus Washburn, you heard it here first.

Emmy Rossum is not "a leading New York stage star who has been absent from Broadway for the last few years." In fact, the only thing she's ever done in NY is a one-night benefit ten years ago.

Omg the blind is so obviously Sutton do people here have nothing better to do

Well, you're here r588, why don't you tell us?

Big and brassy Sutton for demure Marian?

How old is the Marian character supposed to be?

Re: the 6FU freak. How addled and senior does one have to be to post on a wrong thread here?

Someone above said Kate Baldwin is too old for Marian. Sutton is approximately the same age (her TV role notwithstanding).

Annaleigh Ashford would be an interesting, quirky choice. 33, not conventionally pretty. Would bring a touch of humor to the role.

Funny, r593, I never thought of Ashford and I think she might be very good indeed.

What about Kristen Bell?

Winthrop can't read any older than 10 so Marian could be 28 tops, but even that's stretching reality.

Maybe this version will have a hot teen Winthrop, to bring in the DEH and Mean Girls crowd.

Yes, because a hot teen singing Gary, Indiana is just the ticket.

Will the producers hire Amanda Green to update the lyrics?

Maybe they'll insert a gay kiss for Harold Hill to please Hugh's Oz worshippers.

Nikki Renee Daniels is all over Twitter singing The Music Man score.