THEATRE GOSSIP #403 - "Clap Your Hands For The The Hot Honey Rag" Edition.

Thanks, OP!

The line dance is so fabulous.

There's already a #403.

Mother fucking Muriel. Fucking search.

OK. so as per when this happens, fill the other one first, then this one.

Sorry.

Someone started the other #403 well before #402 was full, because it was paywalled. Bad practice.

R5 Povo bastard.

Excuse me? I'm a long-time subscriber. Why was that directed at me?

No, sorry, I meant people who won't spend the two bucks so start threads before they are needed because they are cheap. Kisses.

Andrew Rannells calls the "Hamilton" original cast album a soundtrack. Sic'em girls.

[Quote] Someone started the other #403 well before #402 was full, because it was paywalled. Bad practice.

It's also bad practice to spam the thread which causes it to become paywalled in the first place...

Jesus Christ it's a fucking $1.50 a month.

It wouldn't be an issue if some people would let the thread proceed normally (ebb and flow) rather that overposting. However well intentioned, bumping the thread with yet another YouTube clip that fails to generate discussion, keeps the thread paywalled and crawling along.

[quote]However well intentioned, bumping the thread with yet another YouTube clip that fails to generate discussion, keeps the thread paywalled and crawling along.

Why does doing that keep the thread paywalled? Are you saying that the posting of YouTube links is the problem, especially when they're private links to bootlegs?

There are plenty of other threads getting paywalled without people posting YT links. It'd be helpful if Muriel would ever deign to tell us her policies.

That isn't a policy, r14.

That isn't true, r12.

Jan Blair's Rose...

Muriel has the website set up to detect trolling/spamming. If the ratios of posts to posters is off, the thread gets paywalled. I'm not making this up.

Well, that's to bad. I pay my two bucks a month and I'm gonna post what I wanna WHEN I wanna.

[Quote] Are you saying that the posting of YouTube links is the problem, especially when they're private links to bootlegs?

No. Youtube or links has nothing to do with. I mentioned them because the poster (not the NT Live sharer) is responsible for the theatre threads getting paywalled. He thinks he's bumping the thread and geting it going again, when actually he's getting the thread paywalled because he is behind too many of the posts in a short time.

In short: If you post something and it doesn't spur comment, let the thread rest. Don't try to help it along by posting again such that the last X number of posts are all from you.

[Quote] Well, that's to bad. I pay my two bucks a month and I'm gonna post what I wanna WHEN I wanna

I'm sure you will. And you'll have the thread mostly to yourself. Enjoy, luv.

OP never could cut it as a dancer because he can’t count.

Too bad John isn't playing Ben.

Angie's Ship....

WHET James Grissom and his taking down of the American Theatre?

He was taken down r25.

Don't fuck with Daryl Roth. Not if you want to live.

Angela Lansbury will turn 95 on Friday.

Same Time, Next Year with Alec Baldwin and Julianne Moore.

Love Noel - The Songs and Letters of Noel Coward.

I live in NYC, and have seen CHICAGO four times, and until now had no idea Rumer Willis had appeared in the show. How was she? Anybody see her?

I took My Little World Away with Susannah York.

r28 - I sent her a bottle of Jean Nate...

Judge for yourself, r31...

I like Rumer Willis a lot. I thought she was terrific in Hello Again. But this number out of context doesn't work at all.

More...

The tragedy of Rumer Willis: not good looking enough to be a marquee theatre name, not freakish enough to be a circus freak. Just unfortunate looking.

Rumer's saving grace: she's the daughter of Demi and Bruce, so we have to look at her despite the fact that she's ugly and without any discernible talent.

[quote]R28 - I sent her a bottle of Jean Nate...

As a matter of fact, I sent her a telegram myself.

Oh, good grief! Cheno. oh God.

See. she's had a little " work done" over the pandemic.

Bangs, Kristy Dawn...

r27 = Jordan

Vicki!

I think she acquitted herself pretty well.

Not the best "mover", but her sultry voice is actually quite nice!

It's more of a Velma voice.

[quote]Same Time, Next Year with Alec Baldwin and Julianne Moore.

Sorry, but I don't want to ruin the wonderful memories of having seen it with Gary Collins and Sue Ane Langdon at the Sacramento Music Circus.

Liz Smith and Kaye Ballard were my favourite interpreters.

To our beloved NT Live poster: Might you have the National's Twelfth Night (with Oliver Chris and Tamsin Greig) and/or the Globe Twelfth Night (with Mark Rylance)? Ta very much!

That SAME TIME NEXT YEAR is not worth your time, now or next year.

[quote] Same Time, Next Year with Alec Baldwin and Julianne Moore.

Do they do it as Jack Donaghy and Nancy Donovan with Boston accents?

R48 Sure. It is very good. Act One.

R48 Act two.

I'd like to watch that for Rylance, but I really hate Shakespeare.

Could the kind and generous soul who posted Gypsy in the previous thread please repost? I tried the link but it just kept giving me an error message. Thanks in advance.

That error message is for your own good.

BAJOUR!

Turn off link previews, r54.

Is there a copy of Jerusalem, as long as we are posting links?

[quote]I'd like to watch that for Rylance, but I really hate Shakespeare.

Hah and I'd like to watch that for Shakespeare but I really hate Rylance.

Well, my goodness, r21, isn't this thread just JUMPING along?

Sorry r60, but it is kinda hard to generate excitement about a currently comatose art form.

How many jerky bootlegs can one person possibly enjoy?

Has the Kyle Dean Massey-Taylor Frey BJ video been discussed here yet?

What's to discuss. Taylor can handle it.

R54 Turn off link previews in your settings, love.

Leonard Bernstein - Cocksucker.

Hold On To Me darling with mark Ruffalo.

I was watching Cavett the other evening. He opened with Hinton and Dulé who were in L.A. with the Tap-Dance Kid tour. Hinton talked about being a in Dancin' and getting a call for Sophisticated Ladies. But he didn't know how to tap. So he made a somewhat frantic call and Gwen told him to come over and she'd work with him. I was astounded. He didn't know how to tap before Sophisticated Ladies???

Long Past Glory by Len Deighton.

R62 The unzipping video is more interesting, because that isn't Taylor unzipping him. So they play around. I mean, hardly a shock, but KDM does try to put up this image that he's all old world traditional.

Thanks R54, problem solved.

So was the unzipper the one who leaked the video?

R71 Nah, they're still talking to him on social media. The person who leaked it said that Taylor or Kyle sent it to him because they were trying to convince him to have a threesome.

Don't Kyle and Taylor both get acting gigs in Hollywood? The must have been rolling.

R73 Nothing particularly amazing, neither is working constantly, they seem to take large gaps between projects. They do seem to have sugar daddies in Palm Springs, which helps, I'm sure.

I'm having a massive brain cramp. Can someone remind me how to download our NT Live poster's videos to my Mac? I've done it before and now have completely forgotten. TIA!

Someone posted this gem in the Duets thread. Features Miss Merman while she was starring in Gypsy, and also shows her going from Perry Como's studio to the Imperial Theater.

Tony nominations announced at 12 noon tomorrow.

Slave Play!

Some asshole fundraiser from the Geffen Playhouse called me at the crack of ass this morning. I managed a nasty- "It's Over"- before hanging up on him.

Lehman Trilogy!

No. It never opened.

[quote]Has the Kyle Dean Massey-Taylor Frey BJ video been discussed here yet?

Where is this available?

r82 Your local Blockbuster.

R78, I don't really think it's in the bag for Slave Play. I think The Inheritance could very well take it as well.

Oh....so THAT's what the Mirror number needed. Tommy Tune in drag...

Has the fact that Kyle Dean Massey is apparently uncut been discussed? What a boner killer.

Why would more dick be a boner killer!?

But, R84, it's " woke" Broadway, and all of the dilettante critics went on endlessly about the revolutionary significance of the play. White liberal guilt assures a win.

That "Follies" number at r85 is fantastic. It's simple and not full of that hammy acting. This is a production from Chicago? I bet it was great.

I just posted in another thread that a rare, complete, original First Folio edition of Shakespeare's plays sold at Christie's New York yesterday for $10 million. I hadn't realized that most of the surviving 235 copies are incomplete.

[quote] I just posted in another thread that a rare, complete, original First Folio edition of Shakespeare's plays sold at Christie's New York yesterday for $10 million.

Just imagine what a first edition of Slave Play is going to fetch in 500 years!

They can roll it up and use it to play " Fetch" with their dogs.

r62 and r69 please help out the rest of us. These are lonely times.

Playbill on status of shows that just opened or were to open.

Any of you Brits familiar with Rob Houchen? I've just come to really like his voice.

As Marius.

Titanic.

They both have lovely voices r95, really beautiful.

But what an awkward video.

R98 In fairness it was both a rehearsal and done for a documentary, so likely deliberately blocked that way to get the shots the director wanted. Here's some of the finished product

Not bad at all. My favorite rendition of "Maria" is Julian Ovenden and BBC Proms Orchestra. It helps that he is very handsome.

Thank you r99! He is a powerhouse.

Julian Ovenden's delivery is so affected.

Shame he’s short. That totally undercut (pardon my pun) his authority as Captain Von Trapp in the ITV live Sound of Music.

Thanks, Coronavirus!

The Tony nominations are just embarrassing. 70% of those nominees wouldn't even be there if not for COVID shortening the season.

What's shocking is all those extra nominations and The Inheritance still came up short in terms of acting nominees. If you're going to nominate six actors and nominate Andrew Burnap, you have to nominate either Samuel Levine or Kyle Harris. Both were equal to, if not better than him.

But Ian Barford gets a nomination for Linda Vista, which no one saw.

And Bess Wohl gets a nomination for Grand Horizons in order to fill out a category? That play was pure shit.

Dolores Gray got a win for "Carnival in Flanders," which only ran for 6 performances.

Your point?

[Quote] Ian Barford gets a nomination for Linda Vista, which no one saw.

[Quote] Dolores Gray got a WIN for "Carnival in Flanders," which only ran for 6 performances.

That Kyle Soller is not nominated is really an egregious omission. Say what you want about The Inheritance, but he was very good.

The Paradise Suite with Carroll Baker and Ian Holm.

Fun Home.

Isn't Kyle Soller an adopted Brit? TPTB probably don't want to invest in him as he'll return to Blighty.

Broadway Treasures - Volume 2.

Kind of shitty that The Lightning Thief was completely snubbed, especially with all of the filler noms given to Jagged Little Pill. TLT was the only new musical eligible for Best Score. Nominating Chris McCarrell with Tveit would've been the tactful and least awkward thing to do.

Kyle Soller and Samuel Levine both should have been in the mix. Cut Ian Barford and Blair Underwood.

Why didn't they just eliminate Best Score completely? Five nominations for incidental music is just ridiculous.

R93 Here you go

Whores of Babylon!

So what's the likelihood that the voters decide to vote against Aaron Tveit?

It's sort of silly that the Tonys are being given out this year, in the first place

Kyle Soller was born in the US, he studied at RADA and stayed; but he is a US citizen (married to a Brit, I think). He also won the Olivier for his role and, here, not even a nomination???? What a joke, given some of the candidates. I wonder if the DL Fav (ex Taylor Swift) Hiddleston might win.

The nominations.

Nah, they'll give it to Jake.

Here is Andrew Scott doing Sea Wall.

Didn't Elena Roger get an Olivier nominaton for EVITA? She wasn't well received here, just as "The Inheritance" wasn't.

Sturridge or Hiddleston ought to win over Gyllenhaal. Both gave stronger performances.

Slave Play!!!!! If it doesn't win, Broadway is racist.

Elaine & New Haven

Andrew Scott's "Sea Wall" is well worth your half hour or so. I've watched it a couple of times, and it is a brilliantly understated performance (which makes it all the more moving). I believe it was written for him, and it's hard for me to imagine anyone else doing it. (Although it will live on for years in college and local theatre productions.)

Does he ask for you to come inside his sea walls?

Taylor should win a Tony for best cocksucking. He's very talented. And cute.

r131 As he is a homosexualist, he very well may.

Hey they finally found a way that Aaron Tveit can win a Tony!

R134 60% of Tony voters have to approve it first.

^ Well, shit, imagine if he loses against himself...

I thought Broadway was so racist, it needed to be burned down?

At least that's what the Puerto Rican guy whose shows win all the top awards pulling down a million bucks a week was whining about....poor guy.

thanks r118. How did word of this get out?

R138 Someone posted them out of nowhere on LPSG telling the story I posted at R72. They got banned pretty quickly (which in itself is bullshit because neither were on the Do Not Post List) so there wasn't a chance to ask more, or ask for more.

Wayman Wong will get Aaron a Tony if he has to make one out of papier miche and hand it to him personally.

[Quote] How did word of this get out?

Why do you ask?

Wayman Wong, never right and always Wong.

Joe Allen has reopened. It's been totally redesigned with an outdoor seating area and can only seat 25% capacity.

Paper Miche. Oh, dear.

R139 are we sure this is Kyle Dean? The body just seems a little chunkier than Kyle Dean´s and we do not see his face at all so ... maybe it was Taylor sucking someone else while KD recorded it?

It's ok, Kyle Dean. You'll still get Hallmark movie auditions.

[quote]The body just seems a little chunkier

It's almost like there's a pandemic which meant he couldn't get to the gym as often or something.

Yes, it's him. There's a mark on his torso, compare to IG photos.

Why is Tveit the only nominee in Best Actor in a Musical? There were no other musicals that opened before the lockdown in March?

Jagged Little Pill, The Lightning Thief, Moulin Rouge and Tina were the only eligible musicals. And they clearly hated the Lightning Thief.

How was the guy playing Ike Turner? I'm just going by the movie here, but it would seem that would be a Best Actor contender.

They could have easily moved Daniel J. Watts, who plays Ike on Broadway, into the lead category. The actor who created the role in "Tina" in London won for Best Actor Musical, not Supporting.

I have tried to link two articles from the LA Times in the past two days about theater and I can't. Are we now no longer allowed to link from there? Anyway, Charles McNulty wrote a scathing piece about how tone deaf the ATW was to do announce the nominees, especially at a time when Broadway was teetering on destruction.

Awful pithy flipbook.

R151 But where was his name on the poster?!

Not a fun week to be Chris McCarrell

Sorry, Wayman, "papier" is correct.

Oh dear, indeed.

Perhaps Wayman was more concerned with the "miche" r156.

Could Miche! be the new Bajour?!

No

MicheFest!

Please don't mention Waymon Wong here ever again. Or anywhere. He has ATC and that's enough.

Sam Levine wasn't that great in The Inheritance. Don't know if it was down to him but the role was too opaque. I didn't engage with him at all.

Kyle Soller won an Olivier for The Inheritance because his entire theatrical career has happened in the West End and he was previously nominated. His work was well known to Olivier voters. I could see where Tony voters would be underwhelmed by his performance in The Inheritance - again, perhaps not down to him, but it was a very one-note role.

I'm glad to see Andrew Burnap get nominated - he was the standout.

The Inheritance may have been influenced by Howard's End but it was really just a pretentious version of Valley of The Dolls. And way too long.

The Tony nominators were dicks. The awards are for the [italic]best of the year[/italic], so leaving out Lightning Thief in semi-vacant categories because you didn't like it is an asshole move. If the lead actor was the [italic]only[/italic] other lead actor in a musical, he gets nominated because he is, by definition, one of the best of the year.

r11...are u getting a special discount or playing favorites? I pay $1.99 ;-)

The Best Man with Morgan Freeman.

Sam Levine was the standout in that show.

Endgame with Cummings and radcliffe.

Curtains.

Slave Play!

How Weird Were the Tony Nods?

WaPo thought they were weird, too:

Tveit "almost certain" to win says NY Post:

What a brave prediction.

Burnap was absolutely the standout in THE INHERITANCE. I love Jake but I hope Andrew wins.

r165 Why isn't John Malkovich in the opening credits? I was sure that was him but he wasn't listed until the end credits.

We all agree that Andrew Burnap was the standout in The Inheritance so how did Kyle Soller win The Olivier?

That hairstyle on Aaron (or anyone) is dreadful.

R176 By appearing in other British plays and being nominated for the Olivier before "The Inheritance".

R177 It's much more untangled below the belt.

How humiliating if Tveit doesn't get the 60%

R180, Especially since he was the only Next to Normal cast member not nominated and he was again not nominated for Catch Me If You Can, while fellow cast member Norbert Leo Butz won.

If I was Tveit, I'd say- Thanks, I appreciate it, but I'd rather win an award fair and square. I wouldn't be Julie Andrews cunty about it, just humble and thankful while saying no. Not only would it get him even more press, he'd be guaranteed a Tony the next thing he does.

R182 but he is not alone in his decision. Moulin Rouge will be able to advertise one more Tony win.

If it even comes back. Or if Tveit does.

I think most people would just assume it's the voters being cunty over not being given a choice. I do think there's a good chance of that happening too.

I'm assuming Rudin is plotting some kind of revenge over WSS being ruled ineligible.

[quote]are u getting a special discount or playing favorites? I pay $1.99 ;-)

Ha! Numerically Dyslexic, honest, that's why I paid the whole $20 bucks for the year.

[quote]How humiliating if Tveit doesn't get the 60%

This is why I'm pretty sure they will give it to him. To make him the sole nominee and then deny him the award would basically be insulting him for no good reason.

Truth be told, I agree with R182 -- if I was Tveit, I'd politely decline and say thanks but I'll wait for another year.

I’ll accept it for him if he doesn’t want it!

Why wasn't Karen Olivo's understudy nominated?

Not one but two understudies have gone on for Karen in "MR."

And she still can't dance, peoples.

TWO performers are needed to fill a Karen sized hole in the cast? TALENT!

So wait Burnap just came out? How is that possible?

How short IS he?

From his twitter:

hi hello yes queer man right here and though it’s taken a bit of time and heartache to come fully into this, i’m pretty fucking stoked to be living proudly, outwardly as my FULL SELF. #NationalComingOutDay Red heart

Did he appear in the London production as well?

R195 So, he came out as queer...

Are you worried he likes the pole and the hole?

Did Cheyenne Jackson dance in his Broadway shows?

Yes, Burnap was in the London production.

Ugh, just what the world needs.... another "queer."

Lol, he came out because he was told in no uncertain terms that he would never have a career as a leading man in Hollywood and he’d better start making the best of it.

i did a little searching. apparently he claimed to be "sexually fluid" in an interview this past winter during the Bway run. But it was one of those "I'm sexually fluid without ever having touched another man" proclamations.

The Tony Awards hate Rudin, they’ll go out of their way to annoy him.

Scott Rudin is a bitch that should have been metooed several years ago, along with a lot of Broadway. Fuck him. And fuck that piece of shit WSS revival that sucked. Fortunately, it won’t survive.

And the Tony for Best Play goes to......................... Slave Play.

[quote]Scott Rudin is a bitch that should have been metooed several years ago

Details?

Details? Start with this one. The man has no soul.

Don’t kid yourselves. The Tony cut off was one day before West Side Story opened because Rudin wanted it that way.

[quote]Don’t kid yourselves. The Tony cut off was one day before West Side Story opened because Rudin wanted it that way.

That makes no sense to me, why he would want that. Can you explain your theory?

Because he thinks he’s going to revive it and get all the glory. Except no one cares.

Red.

What The Butler Saw.

Albion.

From aurora spiderwoman: Songs cut from WSS.

"From a 2007 Library of Congress salute to "West Side Story," musical material for the original production ultimately cut or altered: "My Greatest Day" (early version of prologue); "Like Everybody Else" aka "Kids Ain't" (cut song for Anybodys, 5:32); "Mix" (for the rumble, 10:30); the discarded "bull fight" lyric for "I Feel Pretty," 12:05; "This Turf Is Ours" (alternate for "Jet Song," 12:59); "A Boy Like That" (early trio version with Tony, 14:00). Singers in this event: Stephen Paul Cramer, Eleasha Gamble, James Gardiner, Will Gartshore, and Tracy Lynn Olivera"

Valens has been our lockdown savior. I want to give him a big wet one alone for the Rock Follies series (on another thread).

The cut songs from West Side Story posted by R215 are fascinating. I'd love to know how many of these early songs have Bernstein lyrics.

[quote]Because he thinks he’s going to revive it and get all the glory. Except no one cares.

I assume you're talking about Rudin and WSS, and that still makes no sense to me as to why he wouldn't want Tony noms now, in a much thinner field than usual.

West Side Story would have been the only revival, so they would have probably eliminated the category anyway, unless they did a Tveit.

Probably cause he can't sell any tickets for shows that are sure to be performed, and by the time the show would start up again the Tony nominations or wins would be old news and last season.

Yes. He's probably thinking of the touring possibilities as well.

[quote] The cut songs from West Side Story posted by [R215] are fascinating. I'd love to know how many of these early songs have Bernstein lyrics.

They really are fascinating. Artsier and less structured. If I had to guess, I’d say that "Greatest Day" song was the only one written before Sondheim came in. What a weird song; it sounds like something someone wrote after eating a giant hash brownie.

There's a good recording of Kids Ain't (one of the cut WSS songs) on one of Bruce Kimmel's Lost in Boston albums

Based on that leaked photo, he should just have Isaac Powell do the rest of the run in the nude.

what r220 said

I love those Lost in Boston discs. Fine singers and good arrangements. There are some real lost treasures there.

Totally agree, r226.

It's a shame he got Christine Baranski to record one of Dolores Gray's numbers in "Sherry!" when Dolores Gray was still around and had been performing.

At least if WSS had opened, Tveit and Isaac could wrestle for the Tony

[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.]

r215, the last song (with the lyric "only once in your life") was Bernstein's. Sondheim has mentioned it on more than one occasion as an example of Bernstein's "purple prose." I think "Like Everybody Else" is Sondheim's, as well as the first one that begins with "how long does it take to get to the moon."

[quote]Did Cheyenne Jackson dance in his Broadway shows?

Better! He roller skated. Whoopi loved it so much she filled in for Jackie Hoffman who was on vacation. I got to stay after the show and meet Whoopi.

Cheyenne has no pizazz.

He had some pretty sexy moves in All Shook Up.

Is it possible he's had some health problems? He's so stiff in that clip. Even moving left and right, he was like one of those DWTS stars contestants that goes out early.

Cheyenne Jackson was originally in The Book Of Mormon, but when he blabbed to the press about the workshop, Rudin canned him.

Cheynne Jackson as a teenager/early 20s?

R229, I saw the WSS revival and felt it was absolutely terrible; however, I thought Isaac Powell was fantastic as Tony and would have been very deserving of a nomination and possibly even a win. Too bad the show was deemed ineligible this year.

From the performances I've seen, Isaac seems a very ingratiating performer.

R236 What did he say?

Powell was a dynamite Tony. Great acting and perfect vocals. Way better than Tveit’s adequate performance

This is perfectly awful.

Powell is too fey for Tony, the co-founder and co-leader of a rough NYC street gang. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a convincing Tony. Richard Beymer was totally miscast in the film. Even Matt Cavanaugh seemed too soft and emasculated for the part in the last revival. Tony should be masculine and rough around the edges.

Ya mean like this?

I think of someone in the vein of Marlon Brando in A STREETCAR NAMEC DESIRE, but a recently reformed brute.

It has been alleged that Anson Consort is a sex offender. Will that do?

[quote]West Side Story would have been the only revival, so they would have probably eliminated the category anyway, unless they did a Tveit.

Yes, but there would still have been lots of eligible nominees among the actors, designers, etc.

[quote]Probably cause he can't sell any tickets for shows that are sure to be performed, and by the time the show would start up again the Tony nominations or wins would be old news and last season.

But, ummm.....for obvious reasons, it would still be better to have received several Tony noms and possibly some wins for the show than NO noms or wins, even if they couldn't capitalize on it though ticket sales (because the show is not running due to the pandemic). The only reason it would make sense for Rudin NOT to want any Tony noms (or wins) for WSS now would be if he thought the same production will reopen somewhere down the line and could be eligible then, which sadly seems very unlikely.

Believe it or not, the studio's and the producers' first choice for Tony was Elvis. (Think the young Elvis of Jailhouse Rock, not later bloated Elvis). Col. Parker, however, wouldn't consider having Elvis play a juvenile delinquent street gang member at that point in his carefully groomed career and never told Elvis about the offer. When Elvis found out about it after the film opened, it was one of the few times he got angry with the Colonel.

Warren Beatty, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Redford, Anthony Perkins and several others were considered for Tony, including Russ Tamblyn, but everybody either turned the part down or was eliminated for some reason or other. They basically settled for Beymer after they couldn't get any of their first choices.

[quote] Powell is too fey for Tony

r243 that is what I was afraid of before seeing the show-but in performance he was masculine, edgy and horny. He wasn't a brute but he was manly and sexy AF. And possibly the best sung Tony I've ever heard. I was totally converted. (And then the full nude pic here was just icing on the cake, although he wasn't iced the way Wes was.)

[quote]The only reason it would make sense for Rudin NOT to want any Tony noms (or wins) for WSS now would be if he thought the same production will reopen somewhere down the line and could be eligible then, which sadly seems very unlikely.

And then it would be competing with The Music Man.

R243, it is equally rare to see a good Romeo, which is as wet a role as Tony. Juliet and Mercutio are the roles you want to play in the original. In WSS Maria and Riff are better roles than Tony, and Anita is better than Riff.

The fact that Tony has to be a reformed thug who can sing and dance makes it that much harder to cast. Patrick Swayze might have managed it, but obviously not when the WSS film was made.

This seems worth reposting from the earlier 403

Nice dick.

Fabulous bush.

[quote]And then it would be competing with The Music Man.

Exactly. So I REALLY wonder why that other poster thinks Rudin "didn't want" WSS to be eligible for nominations this year.

[quote]Nice dick. Fabulous bush.

And a beautiful body and face. Too bad about the ridiculous tattoo.

Corey Cott was a great Tony in the Chicago WSS production that ran a year or so ago.

There have been some really good Tonys in recent production of WSS: Isaac Powell, Corey Cott, Jeremy Jordan, Austin Colby, Gregory Maheu. One of the most interesting performances was Skylar Astin in an extraordinary 2015 production that was produced by Carnegie Hall but presented at the Knockdown Center, a restored factory in Queens. Astin was a somewhat quirky choice, but that fact gave the part a little more character than usual.

R255-I think that's a scar from the time a drunk Wesley couldn't find Isaac's hole and bit him a new one.

Jeremy Jordan was too squat and short for Tony. Physically he’s a Riff. Tony should be tall and lean.

R259 = Addison DeWitt.

Jeremy Jordan is 5'10". He is taller than Marlon Brando was.

[quote]Too bad about the ridiculous tattoo.

One tiny, insignificant tat bothers you?

Loneliness becomes you.

Anthony Perkins would have been able to sing Tony had he been cast in the 1961 movies since he had starred on-stage in Frank Loesser's musical "Greenwillow" and had a lovely singing voice. But maybe by then he had made such an impact as creepy Norman Bates, the producers didn't want him? You never know, since although he had played boys-next-door in things like "The Matchmaker" and "Friendly Persuasion", Norman Bates really changed how people saw Perkins ever after.

I don't get all the build-up about Jeremy Jordan. I saw him in "Bonnie and Clyde" and one of the other guys on stage had a much better singing voice than him.

Even Tab Hunter would've been better than Richard Beymer.

Beymour had someone with pull behind him since he was also in "Diary of Anne Frank" and a couple of other big pictures at the time.

Beymer, that is

Bobby Darin and Burt Reynolds also auditioned for Tony in the movie.

"Even Tab Hunter would've been better than Richard Beymer."

Which would have fit Bernstein's vision of Tony as Polish and blonde.

Black Watch.

Tarry Town.

The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me.

to me, Zoom theater is just one extended Tik Tok.

And I don't watch those, either.

Derek Klena for Tony

R273 They are doing my head in. I have many more I could post, but they are just, mostly, awful.

After I posted that, i realized it might be taken as a criticism of you, valens, and I totally did not mean it that way, so my apologies if i offended you. It's great of you to post so much for us.

I will say I did see one very good zoom theater piece and that was Donja Love's One in Two. But it was also the original cast who had just done it a few months ago and they were able to use their knowledge and experience of the show and having worked together to make it a great watch.

R275 Ha, no, I do believe I am fine BWHAHAAHAH X

In a stunningly stupid move, Rudin offered discount tickets to West Side Story just before everything started shutting down.

Gwen in Damn Yankees...

That's great, especially the extended views of Gwen dancing "Two Lost Souls".

I know this is a hackneyed DL topic but today's leading actors and actresses sure are boring. Jeremy Jordan, Aaron Tveit, Corey Cott all give vanilla a bad name. Powell might be a bit more interesting plus he looks yummy naked but they're all generic

They don't sell tickets either. Well, maybe Wayman Wong (and he probably gets them for free to report on).

I would love to see Cheyenne play Harold Hill but he might bring a little too much sexy for that role.

But wouldn't that be great to see? A sexy slightly predatory Harold Hill seducing Marion the librarian?

I'd pay to see that.

Go to 26:00 to see Cheyenne with Sutton Foster in Into The Woods.

Nice to see Cheyenne still posting on DL.

R262, Isaac Powell's tatt is neither tiny nor significant, and I think it mars a beautiful body. Anyway, that's my opinion. Why did you react so violently to it? You're probably riddled with tatts -- which, by the way, can be a sign of self-loathing, or sometimes insecurity on the part of people who feel they're not interesting enough without inking themselves up.

I'm not Cheyenne 284 but I AM just as sexy

R286 Is your dick as small?

Who pays Wayman for anything?

I like Jeremy Jordan, whilst he does scowl act a little too much, his voice makes me hard.

[quote]I like Jeremy Jordan, whilst he does scowl act a little too much, his voice makes me hard.

Whilst?

As small as Cheyenne's dick? I don't know about his dick.

Depends what you like. Mine's a little longer than avg but tuna can thick.

[quote]I know this is a hackneyed DL topic but today's leading actors and actresses sure are boring. Jeremy Jordan, Aaron Tveit, Corey Cott all give vanilla a bad name.

I don't think many people agree with you about Jordan and Cott.

[quote]Isaac Powell's tatt is neither tiny nor significant,

Sorry, I meant to type "neither tiny nor insignificant."

[quote]Who pays Wayman for anything?

I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone has been paying him as a theater reporter for a long time now.

There's nothing wrong with Isaac's tattoo, and it's in a place that isn't readily revealed (unless you're taking naked selfies).

Wow, you're nuts r285.

.

[quote]And you're projection is showing.

Oh, dear.

Legs Diamond

Peter Allen has all the smarm of a male Liza Minnelli, but without any of her charisma.

She is barely watchable and he is just competely grating.

[quote]There's nothing wrong with Isaac's tattoo, and it's in a place that isn't readily revealed (unless you're taking naked selfies).

It's all over one of his legs, and would have to be covered by makeup if he did a show in which his legs needed to be bare and it would be inappropriate for him to have an ugly tattoo. For that reason, actors who get tattoos are foolish, in my opinion.

R297. Or 1/10 of her talent (at the height of her powers, which was probably around 1972).

I can't watch Liza Minnelli. She sounds like Judy Garland without a soul.

No sincerity. No humor. No ability to act a song. Basically everything that was extraordinary in her mother is completely missing in her.

^ Do your lips move when you talk shit?

Was it not Liza Minnelli of whom Clive James said, "She cannot even walk downstairs sincerely" ?

Thank you, R301. That clip demonstrates exactly what I meant in R300.

^ Ha, fuck you ya slag.

Where are Isaac’s balls

Maye sings Gray.

Anyone here see the 2003 NY City Opera Night Music. Aurora Spiderwoman posted a series of clips from the show -- all involving Anna Kendrick. Someone in the comments rather astutely noted that this was first time they'd seen a Fredricka who was cunning as mother and grandmother. Claire Bloom doesn't seem quite right at Mdme A. For one thing, she looks MUCH younger than she was at the time (early 70s, I believe.) Juliette Stevenson looks quite good as Desiree, though it's hard to tell if she has all the... earthiness the role requires. There's so little of Jeremy Irons shown here, it's hard to make much of his performance.

I saw the LA Opera 'transfer' of this production and it was sublime. Better than most Broadway shows I've seen. That cast was nearly perfect....

Victor Garber as Fredrick, Judith Ivey as Desiree, Laura Benanti as Anne, Marc Kudsich as Carl-Magnus, Michele Pawk as, Danny Gurwin as Henrik, Zoe Caldwell as Mdme Armfeldt and a young Kristen Bell as Fredrika. That plus a 50-piece LA Opera orchestra conducted by John DeMain.

Sorry, only have the 1990 Lincoln Center production.

Judith Ivey as someone with sex appeal?

R309 - I would not have expected her to be a great Desiree, but she truly was. Warm, earthy, funny, charming.

Some clips from that 2004 LA Opera production

[quote]I can't watch Liza Minnelli. She sounds like Judy Garland without a soul.

also without pitch.....

[quote] It's all over one of his legs, and would have to be covered by makeup if he did a show in which his legs needed to be bare and it would be inappropriate for him to have an ugly tattoo.

It's not on his leg, it's on his hip. It's highly unlikely he'd be doing any roles where he'd be walking around with his dick hanging out, and if he was, that tattoo is a small, thin circle and would take five minutes to cover with makeup.

We get it, you hate tattoos. Shut up about it already.

Holy shit, Patti is amazing here. It's a shame that she doesn't sing that final solo that she performs on the cast recording. Was that something she only did at certain performances? Regardless, she 's on fire here.

I prefer the dancers.

I watched What The Constitution means To me. Is it better on stage? She seemed very wired and nervous and very shouty in the filmed version.

I think the shrill and quite annoying tattoo phobe must have stroked out since he hasn't come back with a "clever" rebuttal about his hatred of that TINY hip tattoo.

Good.

Dissing Liza outright, flagrantly as if she is a Rumer Willis is a new low, so congrats cunts. Those of us who can recognize true talent have this. There is nothing more to be said.

[quote] It's all over one of his legs, and would have to be covered by makeup if he did a show in which his legs needed to be bare and it would be inappropriate for him to have an ugly tattoo.

I don’t see any tattoos on his legs, just that weird circle thing on his hip.

[quote] Anyone here see the 2003 NY City Opera Night Music

I did. The production, in general, played much better on television than it did in that barn of a house. Jeremy Irons was novel; occasionally quite funny and utterly unmusical. You’ve never seen a conductor wave his arms around so much trying to keep an actor on the beat. "Now" was especially terrifying.

I have to admit I hate tattoos, particularly on actors. It makes me crazy. However, when I first saw that photo of Isaac, I thought, "What a classy subtle tattoo. And in a place where he rarely would have to cover it."

R291, thick like the height of a tuna can? Or thick like the diameter of a tuna can?

[quote]I watched What The Constitution means To me. Is it better on stage? She seemed very wired and nervous and very shouty in the filmed version.

The show was wildly over-rated by the critics, presumably because a woman created and starred in it, and her politics are courant. After all that ridiculous hype, it was a big disappointment. And yes, she was strident and shouty through the whole thing on stage as well. I can't even imagine what the filmed version is like.

R201 is right. I reject this self-loathing sellout as a member of the GAY community.

Liza does nicely with this balLAHD....

^ That little number went on the auction block...

However you feel about Liza's voice, as far as I know, she never had pitch problems. I really hate it when people who have no idea what they're talking about claim that someone has pitch problems, as if to try to prove that they are superior and can hear something the rest of us humans can't.

SpyMonkeys' Moby Dick.

Little Eyolf with Diana Rigg and Anthony Hopkins.

The Entertainer with Michael Gambon and Billie Whitelaw.

I was today years old when I found out Michael Gambon is gay. Is interesting how many of the top, (and knighted) British actors are family.

Michael Gambon is gay? What about his two wives and three children?

They're probably gay as well.

...I was today years old when I found out Michael Gambon is straight.

r309=Julia Duffy

[quote]I have to admit I hate tattoos, particularly on actors. It makes me crazy. However, when I first saw that photo of Isaac, I thought, "What a classy subtle tattoo. And in a place where he rarely would have to cover it."

Totally agree with you on this. It's like with women who have a tiny tattoo on their ankle or wrist. Nothing as tragic as Ben Affleck's or Chris Evans's "body art."

Back to the poster who claims his dock is as thick as a tuna can ... I believe that’s called a deformity.

Coming 2021 to a bookstore near you...'Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero' by you know who.

Const works better on Amazon because it was never actually a play, and on Amazon it can just be what(ever) it is - more like a one woman show

A one women shouting polemic.

[quote] Michael Gambon is gay? What about his two wives and three children?

Someone should tell them

[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.]

How long before the one-woman show, r337?

TV movie in which she plays herself?

R341 My father's other family were middle-class, and we were kept out of sight, hidden from view...

Not Without My Husband: The Amanda Kloots Story

Gwen, Dinah, and Ingemar...

I thought r337 was joking but no, that's the actual title.

R168 Thank You!

I smell something rotten around here...I think it's the Tuna Can Cock.

That tuna can cock is going to give me nightmares tonight.

R329 Eternally grateful for your generous postings and not to be greedy here, but...Do you happen to have any filmed/telecast Ayckbourn plays back there in your stockpile?

By Jeeves?

R352 I was hoping to finally find some that have never been available commercially. Absurd Person Singular, Absent Friends, Relatively Speaking, Bedroom Farce, Just Between Ourselves, Time & Time Again.

R353 Were they filmed or broadcast at the time?

Do you happen to have Greater Tuna Can Cock? Or my favorite, A Tuna Can Cock Christmas?

Is tuna chicken or fish?

I am a can of tuna...

R353 All broadcast on British TV. Absurd Person Singular (1985), Absent Friends (1985) , Relatively Speaking (1967 & 1969 & 1990), Bedroom Farce (1980), Just Between Ourselves (1978), Time & Time Again (1974 & 1976).

As far as I can make out, the 1969 Relatively Speaking was on BBC Play of the Month, Absent Friends on Theatre Night, Just Between Ourselves on The Sunday Drama. All the rest seem to be one offs.

Sorry, that last post was meant for R354.

Has the Coward play with Peter O'Toole and Honor Blackman ever shown up on the internet?

R358 Coolio, shall keep an eye out. So much has been discovered this year you may have a chance.

And for now, Parlour Song.

Under The Greenwood Tree.

SpyMonkey present Oedipussy.

Does anyone have Tuna Can Cock's number? I have a feeling we might be a good match.

Henry Goodman as Max Bialystok. IMO, he’s ten times the actor Nathan Lane is and he has a perfectly fine voice. But he lacks that sweaty, bombastic explosiveness that Lane has. You kinda see why he was fired. Talk about a hard role to cast.

Goodman was genuinely frightening in the Donmar production of Assassins. He gave one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen in a musical.

Is that available anywhere r366?

Would love to see it.

R367 No. Most Sondheim has been filmed now, but not Assassins'.

Signature Theater in Virginia did a really good production of Assassins not long ago. Great cast and solid staging.

I saw that production of Assassins, too, r366. He was brilliant. He won the Olivier for that, didn’t he?

R370 Yes, Goodman won an Olivier for "Assassins." R365 's is an excellent comment, but was it really worth firing Henry Goodman if the best they could do for a replacement was his understudy?

Didn't they replace him with Nathan Lane? Oh no wait, that was Richard Dreyfuss they replaced with Lane. Fun role to cast.

R372 Correct--A reluctant Nathan Lane was paid a fortune to open the show in London when Richard Dreyfuss proved utterly incapable.

They should have gotten Larry David.

They did r374

It seems Edith O'Hara of 13th Street Rep fame died (age 103). Mother of Jill and Jenny O'Hara.

As contraire. Assassins was indeed filmed and it was the original Sam Mendes Donmar Warehouse production. It was shown on TV just like the original Mendes Cabaret was around the same time. I know because I have it on VHS. Unfortunately, the copy I have is of middling quality due to age and the loss of fidelity due to the PAL to NTSC transfer, but I can confirm that it does indeed exist. Perhaps some of the sleuths here can search it out?

What's Jill O'Hara's story? Why did she leave the industry, mostly?

R361 Had forgotten how fucking hot Andrew Lincoln was. And is a solid actor. Had forgotten that, as well. Hopefully he will go back to the stage now, and not just retire on those big Walking Dead bucks.

R377 Wow. If you have any notion to share it, that would be very cool. So many people have rare stuff but don't know how to work the technology. I had no idea that was broadcast, eeeeek, will now become my Moby Dick.

The Donmar CABARET was announced for DVD release more than once. If Kander opposed its release (he hated Horrocks, reportedly), I wonder why it was scheduled a couple of times.

This one?

Indeed, R380 (are you valens? The post is unsigned). I will investigate transferring my vhs to dvd and uploading that, but I surmise there will be even further generation loss, no? Also, on the topic of Moby Dick, I believe Cameron Mackintosh’s legendary (?) campy musical version from the early 90s was professionally filmed, as well.

Yes is me. I have out a call out for Assassin's so may turn up. Some people get weird about sharing

R377 A pro-shot telecast of the Donmar Warehouse London premiere of "Assassins" never happened and does not exist. There is a 1990s video from a Manchester "Assassins," and that video has sometimes been mistaken for a video of the Donmar production. But as an earlier poster stated, "Assassins" has never had any kind of a telecast or a commercially released video. Nor have I ever come across a boot of the Donmar "Assassins."

There are boots of all the New York productions of "Assassins," including the 1991 Off-Broadway world premiere, the Broadway revival, a reunion concert for the Broadway revival cast, and the Encores! production.

As for telecasts of Donmar musical productions, Mendes' "Cabaret" was followed by a '96 telecast of Mendes' "Company" with Adrian Lester. But no "Assassins."

Is there a boot of the Manchester Library FOLLIES?

R386 Yes. I've never seen it, but I've seen it offered for sale on more than one list.

Is Our Rose in that boot?

Is there any tape of cate blanchett or jessica lange in their stage productions of streetcar?

Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin in "Streetcar" was made into a 1995 TV movie. Not bad, and it's the only filmed version that provides the full original, unexpurgated script.

Cate Blanchett's "Streetcar" was preserved at the Brooklyn Academy of Music by the Lincoln Center Library's Theatre on Film and Tape collection. There's also a BAM boot which is being kept private. Cate was fascinating in this.

It's her forte. Blanchett basically played the same role in the Oscar-winning BLUE JASMINE several years later.

I liked What The Constitution Means To Me. It was very powerful. Highly recommended. You bitches are crazy.

Absolutely r392. The debate at the end was one of the best things I have seen in years.

R385 Thanks for sharing so much.

Heidi Schreck's face as she watched the young girl debate was one of the most moving things I have seen in a long time.

Have the videos posted on YouTube by Valens been taken down?

A Phyllis who knew to wear green...

R396 Yes, free at last.

Looks like it, doesn't it, r396?

[quote]I liked What The Constitution Means To Me. It was very powerful. Highly recommended. You bitches are crazy.

It was fine for what it was, but as I said, it was ridiculously over-hyped as some theatrical miracle.

Valens YT account has indeed been terminated.

I’m in mourning this morning. Oh well.

I'm surprised it took this long. The theatre threads have always been monitored by industry people.

Are you a Vera or a Mame, r401?

R397 - Phyllis' boys look like they're in a Carnival Cruise production of Chicago.

There's a lot of crap on the Kimmel albums, too. Especially when "Guy Haines" sings. Plus, Kimmel is almost as big an asshole as Ken Mandelbaum.

Wow, Juliet Stevenson is really good in that Night Music.

American Tap.

Devastated to learn of the loss of Valens's YouTube channel but forever grateful for all that he has given. If you are here Valens, thank you!

^ ha, right above you, honey.

Who is Valens and what did s/he post?

Hadrian.

R410 - same question. I'm familiar with Aurora Spiderwoman (whose real identity is known on here, I believe), but not Valens.

I knew I should have downloaded Black Watch while I had the chance.

First rule of Valens Club: Do not ask about Valens Club.

There's going to be a new Susan Stroman smash hit! I can't wait for the Sexual Harassment dream ballet.

Oh good GOD. That sounds like such a... terrible idea. But, what do I know? I'm always genuinely perplexed by Diane Warren's massive success.

R413 here you go.

I kind of feel bad for Diane Warren. She's been nominated for the Oscar 11 times since 1987 and has yet to win. Heck, she's been nominated for the past 3 years in a row and five times total in the 2010s.

I guess she missed her heyday and it looking for something to cap her career.

*misses

Marge Champion has died at 101.

Of special interest to DL: She was in the 2001 Roundabout revival of "Follies."

I was stupid and saved the Valens links for watching later on and now they're all gone. I'd like to cunt punch whoever reported him.

I suspect YouTube detects channels entirely made up of movie length content and once they investigate...

R422 Christ, I'm not dead. I'm just going to be posting new shit, which is how I started. But, of course, as always, shall do requests.

Six takedown notices in an hour...somebody went for the kill.

[Quote] Six takedown notices in an hour...somebody went for the kill.

Was this just on YouTube or Google Drive as well?

[quote] Christ, I'm not dead.

No one said you were. Jeez. I'm on your side.

R425 YT, from six different companies. But no more chitty chat, moving on...

[quote] Plus, Kimmel is almost as big an asshole as Ken Mandelbaum.

Bigger.

Patti's streamed concert this Saturday.

Oops

What if...?

Has anyone heard anything about the sleazy photographer at Playbill? Probably best to avoid using names, but taking advantage of new actors, leaking their nudes, etc.

"The Prom" trailer:

Marge, Debbie and Helen...

May the Deity of Your Choice bless you and keep you, Valens. We are all on your side.

Of all the musicals out there, desperate to find a producer, let alone a production, let alone a first-class production, how did The Prom rate all this attention? As a piece of writing, it’s not even a journeyman effort.

Valens, you have made my quarantine bearable. Thank you for being so generous.

The Prom is one of the biggest pieces of shit in the last few years. Predictable and formulaic; a total waste of talent.

[quote]Of all the musicals out there, desperate to find a producer, let alone a production, let alone a first-class production, how did The Prom rate all this attention? As a piece of writing, it’s not even a journeyman effort.

In your highly questionable opinion.

[quote]The Prom is one of the biggest pieces of shit in the last few years. Predictable and formulaic; a total waste of talent.

Really? I think one one of the great strengths of the show is that it's NOT predictable and formulaic. What happens in the plot of the show is certainly not what I expected going in. Did you actually see the show? If so, it seems you weren't paying attention, or only did so selectively -- like a former friend of mine who told me his reaction to the show was, "I really don't like how they portrayed all of the townspeople as intolerant conservatives and all of the New York theater people as good, enlightened liberals." To which I replied, "What show did YOU see?"

American Utopia is beautiful.

The Prom is one of the most enjoyable musicals of the past decade and it's just right for Ryan Murphy. The trailer looked surprisingly good, so I expect this to be at least fairly tolerable at worst. Although, James Corden makes me want to jump into traffic and I'm worried for Meryl's more belty moments. I think Nicole Kidman will be the real surprise here. I think it'll fit her vocal range much better than her last two musicals.

Who are The Prom trolls?

Anna Kendrick as Fredrika in the New York City Opera's 2003 revival of "A Little Night Music." The cast included Juliet Stevenson (Desiree), Jeremy Irons (Fredrik), Claire Bloom (Madame Armfeldt), and Kristin Huxhold (Anne).

Clips from the 2004 Los Angeles Opera production of "A Little Night Music," Laura Benanti as Anne and Kristen Bell as Fredrika. The cast was headed by Victor Garber, Judith Ivey, Zoe Caldwell, Marc Kudisch, Michele Pawk, Danny Gurwin annd Jessica Boevers. The staging and physical production originated at New York City Opera.

Clips...

You Prom freaks didn't know that the lesbians would be together celebrating, the townspeople would become open-minded, the Broadway stars wouldn't learn to fit in with the bumpkins on their journey to self-realization? Happy ending, happy ending? You didn't predict this after the first ten minutes?

^ WOULD learn.........

It looks like The Prom the movie might be better than The Prom the show. Did they write any new songs? Cut any?

For what it's worth, Ryan Murphy has been quoted as saying the movie is 75% faithful to the show.

[quote]You Prom freaks didn't know that the lesbians would be together celebrating, the townspeople would become open-minded, the Broadway stars wouldn't learn to fit in with the bumpkins on their journey to self-realization? Happy ending, happy ending? You didn't predict this after the first ten minutes?

First of all, of course not all of the townspeople suddenly learn to become open-minded. And anyway, the main point is that a lot of what happens BEFORE we get to the ending of the story is unexpected. So you REALLY are not the smarter-than-everyone-else, know-it-all you think you are.

443 / 444 - we know. Both those clips were posted earlier in this very thread.

The Prom is about as bad as a case of musical Covid...

I assume that r446 was surprised that Harold Hill wound up with Marian Paroo.

I don't know anything about the prom. Just read the synopsis on Wikipedia. Frankly, it sounds hokey and preachy. Also, there's a character named Angie Dickinson? But it's not THE Angie Dickinson. And the main character is called Dee Dee Allen, which is very similar to the famed film editor Dede Allen (e.g., Bonnie and Clyde, Dog Day Afternoon, Reds).

Famed outside Film Editor Weekly?

Wasn't Barry Glickman one of Dorothy Zbornak's high school crushes who turned out to be gay? I think he was mentioned in the episode where Rose loses her job.

Have you all picked up your Laura Benanti el pee?

I went to college with one of the writers of The Prom. Success has never been so undeserved.

R458 How do you mean?

He was a nasty asshole who thought he was better than everyone.

I also happen to think his scores are for shit, but that's subjective.

R457 Jesus wept.

Laura told me she's singing about you here, r461.

[quote]The Prom is about as bad as a case of musical Covid...

How witty. Or should I say, half-witty.

Is that a reference to Jeff?

[quote]I don't know anything about the prom. Just read the synopsis on Wikipedia. Frankly, it sounds hokey and preachy.

Frankly, it's foolish to judge a show as "hokey and preachy" based on a synopsis. The truth is that, in creating THE PROM, the writers went out of their way to make sure it would NOT be hokey and preachy, and they succeeded beautifully. Except in the eyes of some people who sat through it and somehow saw another show in which all of the New York theater people are portrayed as flawless, selfless, sincere crusaders for social justice, and all of the townspeople in Indiana depicted as ignorant, bigoted yahoos. This IS NOT the case -- and that is not a matter of opinion, it's a factual statement based on the show's book and songs as written.

The writing just isn't very good. There's that.

[quote]The writing just isn't very good. There's that.

You're entitled to your opinion that the writing of THE PROM isn't very good. I was reacting to the opinion that the show is "hokey and preachy," an opinion which, in my opinion, is simply not supported by the actual writing of the show.

I enjoyed THE PROM. Was it the best thing on Broadway in the past decade? Certainly not. Does it have a soaring score that will no doubt live forever in our hearts and minds? Not a chance.

The score is serviceable. The staging was clever and the cast was very good, much better than the material, but of course neither cast nor staging will make it to the movie so that's a moot point. However . . . the show was a lot of fun, moved along at a steady pace and most importantly, it reaches its target audience with a clear message about embracing diversity, with an emphasis on LGBT acceptance.

This may not sound like much, but let me tell you, my 13 year old niece, clearly the target audience for this show, and all her friends are really into the score (without having seen the show) and clearly picking up on its message. Other friends have shared similar stories about their teenage kids, even those growing up in conservative environments or communities where gay people are mostly invisible. So in the final analysis, if the show is fun and manages to deliver a message of inclusion and acceptance to young audiences while making you laugh, is it a cardinal sin not to be the best musical ever? Must every show be a Follies or a Gypsy to merit a TV movie?

[quote]Must every show be a Follies

Well, of course.

Light fun musicals are great r468. And good ones, I'd venture to say, are harder to create than serious shows. Like them or not personally, I have great respect for shows like [italic]Hairspray[/italic], [italic]Dirty Rotten Scoundrels[/italic], and [italic]City of Angels[/italic]. But clunky below-grade-B-sitcom writing and barely-jingle-caliber songwriting is heartbreaking onstage.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was hilarious! Saw it with John Lithgow, Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Renee Scott and then with Jonathan Pryce, Rachel York and NLB. Loved it both times.

By comparison, The Prom sounds like a first draft of a college skit

"The score is serviceable."

And that's the high standard of Broadway scores today. Not one measure of distinctive music. The form has been dead for years. Covid will bury it.

What was the final box score of performances when Benanti went into "My Fair Lady"? Did she do 5 shows a week? 4?

I find Jeremy Jordan lacking in charisma. His voice is stunning, but why his looks, so utterly vanilla, cause people to squeal with arousal is beyond me.

Oddly with Cheyenne Jackson, he's utterly stunning, but his voice and presence are utterly forgettable.

R457 - can't listen to this right now, on a Zoom call, but, LORD, that cover image is so unfortunate. Whoever the photographer is should just... quit. Not to mention the stylist. Is she wearing... a bathing suit? That position she's seated in looks so awkward. And, God, they did her such a disservice up top, too. She's not a model, but she's an attractive woman. They've made her look terrible -- emphasizing a boxy shape on her face -- terrible lighting/makeup/composition.

Benanti should've titled her album "Melania Sings!"

There are many stars in all media who, without their physical beauty or sex appeal, are mediocre, forgettable and merely competent, as far as talent goes. That's just how it is.

R466 I said it SOUNDS hokey and preachy based on the synopsis. Of course, I can't judge a show fairly without having seen it. Incidentally, you seem too defensive and invested in this show.

Or maybe r466 just saw the show r479.

My thirteen year old dog, Helenesque loved The Prom, and that is good enough for me.

I'd envision something more along the lines of *MELANIA Live at the Copa!*, r477.

"Of course, I can't judge a show fairly without having seen it."

He said, judging it.

R483 I said I can't judge a show fairly without having seen it. 'Fairly' is the keyword. However, it is possible to have an inkling based on a summary, but it is not a fair assessment, as I said. Why is that hard to grasp?

I just watched The Belle of Amherst, the one woman play about Emily Dickenson, on Prime.

Forgot how good it was

R485 The one with Julie Harris?

That photo of Benanti makes no sense. Did they remove her leg and move it across the cover?

r482 "Melania! Live from the Ljubljana Ramada Inn!"

I miss Valens and his goodies.

[quote]That photo of Benanti makes no sense. Did they remove her leg and move it across the cover?

I didn't know her talents included being a contortionist, which is what she looks like in that photo.

I have that one, r488. All you really hear are the busboys.

I've spoken to three Tony voters who say they're so disgusted by the nominations, they will not vote for Aaron Tveit. Is it possible he could go down in history as losing a one-horse Tony race?

[quote]I find Jeremy Jordan lacking in charisma. His voice is stunning, but why his looks, so utterly vanilla, cause people to squeal with arousal is beyond me.

Funny how different people see things so differently. Whether you feel Jeremy Jordan is gorgeous or the opposite, I don't understand how anyone could describe his looks as "vanilla." (Andrew Burnap is someone whose looks could very accurately be described as "vanilla.") And I don't think it's Jeremy's looks that "cause people to squeal" so much as it is his voice, and also the charisma you say he lacks.

[quote]Oddly with Cheyenne Jackson, he's utterly stunning, but his voice and presence are utterly forgettable.

I don't agree, but anyway, what would be "odd" about that?

NYCB has announced the cancellation of its winter and spring seasons. Earliest reopening next September, like The Met and unofficially Broadway. No Nutcracker for Christmas. No link but it's on the evening news here in NYC.

I said it SOUNDS hokey and preachy based on the synopsis. Of course, I can't judge a show fairly without having seen it.

Okay, but why even begin to judge the show, or how hokey and preachy you think it "sounds," based on a synopsis? That's not what synopses are meant for.

Incidentally, you seem too defensive and invested in this show.

[quote]Not "defensive" or "invested," as I have no involvement or vested interest in the show. I just disagree with you, but I suppose it's foolish for me to argue the show's merits with someone who HASN'T SEEN IT.

[quote]However, it is possible to have an inkling based on a summary, but it is not a fair assessment, as I said.

The only thing one can and should glean from a synopsis of a show is a general idea of its subject matter and plot. There's no way a synopsis can give you any idea of how "preachy" or "hokey" a show is. End of story.

R486, yes and she’s fantastic

Sorry about the formatting screw-up, let me try that again:

[quote]I said it SOUNDS hokey and preachy based on the synopsis. Of course, I can't judge a show fairly without having seen it.

Okay, but why even begin to judge the show, or how hokey and preachy you think it "sounds," based on a synopsis? That's not what synopses are meant for.

[quote]Incidentally, you seem too defensive and invested in this show.

Not "defensive" or "invested," as I have no involvement or vested interest in the show. I just disagree with you, but I suppose it's foolish for me to argue the show's merits with someone who HASN'T SEEN IT.

[quote] However, it is possible to have an inkling based on a summary, but it is not a fair assessment, as I said.

The only thing one can and should hope to glean from a synopsis of a show is a general idea of its subject matter and plot. There's no way a synopsis can give you any idea of how "preachy" or "hokey" a show is. End of story.

THE PROM fits perfectly in the category oft uttered by the late Nicholas Martin: "It's a musical that would have closed out of town in the 50s.."

Can we talk about THE PROM?

The actors are revolting! Seems some of them aren't too happy about Equity asking them to pay their dues, and they've been reposting this image

If you think the actors are revolting, you should see their agents.

For absolutely no reason...

[quote]'m familiar with Aurora Spiderwoman (whose real identity is known on here, I believe)

The only "identity" I've heard for Aurora Spiderwoman is Ken Mandelbaum, which makes no sense, because Mandelbaum is notoriously stingy and not generous at all with his videos. He likes to have all the toys himself, and he doesn't like sharing them.

Exactly, R503. I’m sure at the bottom of his elementary school report card there was WILL NOT SHARE WITH OTHERS in big black letters.

R503 But he only share bits. he has whole shows and just let little dribs and drabs out, as he sees fit. So totally mental as fuck.

The Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In The Universe.

I'm not a huge Lily Tomlin fan, especially her own comedy material. I was dragged to the 2001 revival of Signs by a friend who had comp tickets and I was blown away by how good it was and how amazing she was. So glad I went. I have a feeling though, that like Sandra Bernhard's Without You I'm Nothing, the material loses a lot in its translation to film.

I have also heard on good authority that Aurora Spiderwoman is KM. And yes, as the other poster noted, generally speaking he only posts little clips of things, not entire shows. An exception was that full video of the TV version of THE FANTASTICKS in color, but I guess he was less territorial about that because it was a TV production, not a bootleg vid of a Broadway show.

R508 Did you see WYIN on stage? I adored the double album of the show, but the film did lose that live quality. But then, she knew to turn it into something different, as any stage production is its own beast. One person shows are a magical beast.

[quote] Did you see WYIN on stage? I adored the double album of the show, but the film did lose that live quality. But then, she knew to turn it into something different, as any stage production is its own beast. One person shows are a magical beast.

I did, twice. It opened about six months after I moved to NYC and I'm so happy I was in the city to see it. I fucking loved it. And I wore out my cassette. And I went to see the movie at the Quad on opening day, first show. I am a huge Sandy fan. I'm not sure what I was expecting with the movie and I applaud the idea of trying something different, but (IMO) it sure didn't work.

R510 I so loved it, Sandy in the show hit a perfect 'name dropping whilst inventing shit while really adoring pop culture and knowing it' that just worked. I would KILL to hear the message the reviewer left her...

R508 - I might be in the minority here, but I like that he only posts individual numbers or clips. It feels more like a curated playlist than a massive archive. His channel's like the MTV (old school MTV) of Broadway bootlegs.

Assuming it is him, if everyone knows he's a bootlegger - even if he does keep them to himself - is he banned from attending new shows?

R513 yes the story was that Mandelbaum was caught video-recording a show and was banned from Broadway forever. I have no idea how that ban could actually be enforced, though. Allegedly Mandelbaum would hire two guys to sit on either side of him so the people in the same row couldn’t see him recording. I used to see him in the lobby during intermission at Encores, and he always had two twinks with him.

Because of Mr. Mandelbaum, we have Not Since Carrie...

Mandelbaum also got s guy from Malaysia to record shows from him in London. The kid got caught and the authorities actually did an investigation and found out he wasn’t attending classes. He was put on a plane back to Malaysia and was banned from returning to the UK.

Hey, everyone! Mary's been cast in FOLLIES!

I was in the Baking Show thread but thought I was in this one.

I read the comment:

"Laura has a serious case of Resting Bitch Face."

I thought they meant Laura Benanti and said, wow, that is true, I never noticed before.

Now I think Benanti does have RBF but Laura on the Baking Show does not.

Like Miss Stanwyck, Miss Benanti has...a severe beauty.

Severe?

I'm just quoting Capra on Stanwyck, r520. I think it's apt.

Olivier Award results:

Best new play - Leopoldstadt

Best new musical - Dear Evan Hansen

Best new comedy - Emilia

Best revival - Cyrano De Bergerac

Best musical revival - Fiddler On The Roof

Best director - Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell (Death Of A Salesman)

Best actor - Andrew Scott (Present Laughter)

Best actress - Sharon D. Clarke (Death Of A Salesman)

Best supporting actor - Adrian Scarborough (Leopoldstadt)

Best supporting actress - Indira Varma (Present Laughter)

Best actor in a musical - Sam Tutty (Dear Evan Hansen)

Best actress in a musical - Miriam-Teak Lee (& Juliet)

Best supporting actor in a musical - David Bedella (& Juliet)

Best supporting actress in a musical - Cassidy Janson (& Juliet)

Best family show - The Worst Witch at Vaudeville Theatre

Best set design - Bob Crowley for Mary Poppins

Best lighting - Paule Constable (The Ocean At The End Of The Lane at National Theatre)

Best new dance production - Ingoma

Best new opera production - Billy Budd

Best costume design - Joanna Scotcher (Emilia)

Best sound design - Emma Laxton (Emilia)

Best theatre choreographer - Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear (Mary Poppins)

Best original score - Dear Evan Hansen (Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Orchestration by Alex Lacamoire)

Outstanding achievement in dance: Sara Baras for her choreography and performance in Ballet Flamenco - Sombras at Sadler's Wells

Outstanding achievement in opera - The Children's Ensemble for their performance in Noye's Fludde

Outstanding achievement in affiliate theatre - Baby Reindeer at Bush Theatre

Special award - Don Black

I hadn't heard anything about the Death of a Salesman production, but why did Marianne Elliott, arguably, one of the most successful theatre directors of our time need a co-director?

R523 This production had the Lomans as black, and Cromwell is mixed-race, which I imagine played a part in it. Cromwell was also the associate director for both Company and Angels in America, so I'd guess it's also about Elliott giving a leg up to someone she liked.

I may be well behind the times, but is there a new production of MARY POPPINS?

The Brits are so cringingly self-congrarulatory in the area of race.

The Brits are so cringingly self-congratulatory about everything...

No, R525. This is mostly a revival of the original staging. There are admittedly some minor revisions to the design and to the choreography compared to the original London staging, but I don't think they're anything major or specifically new for this revival - as I understand these are changes that were incorporated into subsequent international productions and tours since 2005.

Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear won the Oliver for the SAME choreography for the SAME production in 2005. Crowley was also nominated back then for his designs. Fuck knows why they were even allowed to be nominated again fifteen years later, not to mention win the award. Nothing makes London theatre look as parochial as the Oliviers succeed in doing.

Sharon D. Clarke deserves every award going for everything that she does. She's an incredible, incredibly talent, and I really do hope she gets to come back to Broadway to open Caroline, or Change. But that production of Death of a Salesman was an overwrought, leaden shouty mess.

Remember, the Oliviers are awarded by the Society of London Theatre - which is basically the West End version of the Broadway League - but with no Theatre Wing equivalent to balance out the power of the producers/theatre owners body. To come up with the list of nominees, four panels are put together with various experts - one for dance, opera, affiliate and theatre. For the first three, the same panels vote on the winner.

But for theatre, they only come up with a long list, which is then whittled down by SOLT members to a shortlist, which is then voted on by SOLT members and the theatre panellists. Oh, and the panellists are all chosen by the chief executive of SOLT. In other words, it's a stitch up to ensure the producers and owners always stay happy, and none of them are going to want to piss off Cameron and Disney.

I'm guessing this thread has been paywalled, so is there really any point waiting for the next 70 posts to be filled up before starting another?

Not that I'd start it, I'm not dealing with the petty bitching about a title. But if some masochist wants to put themselves through that - there's not much point waiting.

Well, at least ONE Broadway star has found work.

Wow, that sounds horrible r531.

So pretty much standard fare for the Food Network.

Eight small New York theaters sue Cuomo:

[quote]In the lawsuit, the theaters argue that pandemic restrictions have been enforced arbitrarily, noting that bowling alleys, casinos, catering halls, gyms and shopping malls have been allowed to reopen, as have schools, colleges and “Saturday Night Live.” They ask a court to overturn the executive orders barring theaters from holding performances.

I would say that, arguably, there is at least some merit in the lawsuit described in the article at R533. Unfortunately, one of the people behind the suit is one of the most highly disrespected figures in the NY theater community, and deservedly so. IMHO, the suit is severely tainted by that fact, and by that person's motivations.

For absolutely no reason...

The future of Theater - Circle Jerk.

Lady Windermere's Fan - with Jennifer Saunders.

Act One.

Lady Windermere's Fan - Act two.

R534 For those of us out of the loop - who?

Can you imagine anyone risking Covid to watch Drew Droege?

They mention SNL in the article but SNL is getting around the restrictions by paying each audience member $150 for being there. So they ‘cast’ their audience. That’s commercial television, I doubt these theaters can afford the same work around.

Interesting, R541! I didn't realize SNL was doing that.

When Bway re-opens, will we all be treated to a slew of juke-box musicals that have no originality whatsoever and were created solely for tourist dollars?

You mean like we were before the pandemic, R543?

Here's an article about it R542

This American Life had a section on the pit at Phantom. You'd think a reporter for a podcast would have better diction.

That picture of Chenoweth makes me weep. She could have been a true musical theater legend. She has made every bad choice in the business since leaving WICKED. She could have been a Merman, or at least a Mary Martin. Instead, bad choices has lead her to be Brett Somers.

Oh come now. She's a one-trick pony with none of the appeal of Merman or Martin.

r458

Matt or Chad? I’m guessing Chad is the jerky one.

Anybody know if there's a video of the recent MFL/Lincoln Center revival anywhere online? I'd love to see Ambrose but will take Benanti if I must (beggars can't be choosers).

Correct, R549

R550 We don't go for booze and handbags here.

Pia! Pia! Pia!

OMG, Pia is even worse than I could have imagined.

If you do see that MFL on video, you'll see one of the great performances I've seen in a decade—Harry Hadden Paton. Not so much in previews, but later on he was perfection.

He was fantastic. The fact that Shalhoub won the Tony over him (and didn't even sing) was a travesty.

I wasn't expecting much from Pia, but she was so much worse than I expected. Normally one would have to attend a high school play to see such amateurish indicating.

[quote] Chenoweth could have been a Merman, or at least a Mary Martin.

How? What recent Bway shows could she have been in that would have made her a legend? Yet another jukebox musical?

Plus, Bway doesn't make national stars any more. She made the right choice to go to Hollywood where the exposure and money are much higher. She seems to have a lock on major quirky roles.

[quote] Plus, Bway doesn't make national stars any more.

Oh?

Ming Cho Lee has died.

R559, Audra isn't really a national star. Much of the fame she has is because of her Private Practice appearances.

Miranda has been able to parlay his Bway success into celebrity, but that's a freak occurrence. If he had just stayed within the bounds of Bway, he would be forgotten unless his next musical is a mega hit too.

He's moved on to actin in high profile movies so that will keep his name in the spotlight

Assistant scenic designer on Whoop-up, r560!

Hamilton was his GWTW, r561. Hopefully his next work won't be a DITS.

R561 - I think we're probably going to get into semantics and personal perspectives, but I think it's fair to say that Audra is probably as big a Broadway star as you could be in the current age. Yes, she's done TV and some film and plenty of concert work, but she is known first and foremost as a Broadway star.

R555 - Harry Hadden Paton was out of MFL the night I saw it. I wasn't that disappointed, because I was there primarily to see Benanti play her dream role. As happy as I was for her, Benanti left me so cold. Between the questionable "accents" and the fact that I never saw her journey (yes, I know, THAT cliche term,) but there was no evolution in her portrayal the night I saw her, I was surprised to find she didn't make much of an impression beyond her obviously lovely singing. HHP's understudy, however, was fantastic. The first time I'd seen a Higgins that didn't make me miss the inimitable Rex Harrison. I THINK the understudy was Clarke Thorell, but I didn't keep my Playbill.

Benanti finally got her dream role but only managed to show up a few times a week to play it.

Audra tells a funny story at her concerts.

Oprah has a luncheon each years for famous black women. The names of all incredible attendees are called out at the start. Mary J. Blige was calling out some names: "Audra McDonald! Audra McDonald?? Who the hell is that?"

Audra has won 3 Tonys by that time.

She's not known by most out of NYC.

I agree that Audra is just about the biggest theater star there can be in the present day. She would be even bigger if she worked more often and didn't miss so many shows, for whatever reasons. As for working more often, I highly doubt that's going to happen now that she has a very young child.

Laura Benanti was an Eliza for the ages. A glorious, glorious performance.

This is a hill on which I would gladly die.

If you say so, R566.

Do you think small off off broadway theatres like Theatre for the New City will survive Covid? Manhattan Rep is a shithole but I suspect the narcissistic owners will find a way to keep it going.

Audra is a big star, except for the fact that she's never been in, you know, a hit.

Sure she has. Lady Day was a hit. Carousel was a hit. Master Class was a hit.

Lady Day wasn't a hit. She played supporting roles in the others. What I meant is that she has never led a musical to glory.

Lady Day was indeed a hit. It was initially to run for 10 weeks and extended several times, running for seven months.

Somebody posted the link to Patti LuPone concert (Live From the West Side) on all that chat.

What happened with the Drama Book Shop? It was announced late last year it'd open in spring of this year, and of course I'm sure events impacted that, but their social media has been silent since the self-congratulatory announcement (complete with photos of LMM and Kail looking over blueprints, natch) last year.

[quote]Sure she has. Lady Day was a hit. Carousel was a hit. Master Class was a hit.

PORGY AND BESS, though an appalling desecration of that masterwork, would have been a hit if Audra had been willing and able to do eight a week. But that was never going to happen.

[quote]What happened with the Drama Book Shop? It was announced late last year it'd open in spring of this year, and of course I'm sure events impacted that, but their social media has been silent since the self-congratulatory announcement (complete with photos of LMM and Kail looking over blueprints, natch) last year.

I believe somebody recently posted photos of the shop in its new location. I'll try to find out more details.

I watched the Patti concert. Her voice is still in remarkable shape for a woman well into her 70s. But, I had to keep skipping ahead. I can't really do Patti without an orchestra. She's just too 'big' for a solo piano or cabaret style concert. Also, why was she wearing a shirt that looked like something Rosie O'Donnell created in her crafting room?

Possibly because Rosie O'Donnell created it in her crafting room?

Before Betty Ramsey and Evelyn Bigsby, there was...Cynthia Harcourt.

Patti's fine. She sends her love.

Ms. Benati is joining another tv series where she will drive the crew insane and quit after a season....the stories are legendary.

r569, that was Patti LaBelle singing at the concert in Australia, not Audra.

All black people do not look alike!

Oh, they fucking do!

R582 I would like to hear those stories

The craziest story I ever heard about Laura is that she took a dump in a stairwell during a performance of ITW. In her Cinderella gown.

One generally doesn't think about Cinderella taking a dump, in a stairwell or anywhere else.

Really? Sounds Grimm to me.

...in a stew...in the goo...

She spread pitch on the stairs...

The Patti video has been taken down. I knew it would be, so I watched it as soon as it was posted here. Thanks to whoever posted it.

Laura hit me in the head with a fondue pot.

But was she skilled working Steven Pasquale’s cock?

Hopefully she didn't shit on that in the stairwell at Into the Woods (or anywhere else).

Bajour!

Well, the scat troll made it to the Theatre Gossip threads. Ah, 2020...

Yes, R583, we're all racist hicks out here in Australia.

That's why I spend time on a Broadway gossip thread, because I can't recognise a six-time Tony winner when she's standing in front of me.

Do we have a new thread yet?

r597, That's Aretha Franklin, not Audra.

New thread here