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THEATRE GOSSIP #412. Reba IS Sonia Walsk!

That’s the best I could come up with

by Anonymousreply 601February 24, 2021 9:55 PM

Sara Gettlefinger got married and looks very happy. Good for her.

by Anonymousreply 1February 7, 2021 11:38 PM

Link to prior?

by Anonymousreply 2February 8, 2021 12:02 AM

Well, OP, it *did* make me laugh.

by Anonymousreply 3February 8, 2021 12:05 AM

Link to #411

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by Anonymousreply 4February 8, 2021 12:06 AM

[quote]That’s the best I could come up with

Works for me! Thanks, OP.

by Anonymousreply 5February 8, 2021 12:11 AM

Reba would be wonderful in Gypsy or Anything Goes. She’d chew the scenery less than Bette did with her Rose. Reba is actually a pretty good actress, who plays off her costars and doesn’t try to showboat and take up all the oxygen like say Bette.

by Anonymousreply 6February 8, 2021 12:12 AM

She's neither a Rose nor a Reno.

by Anonymousreply 7February 8, 2021 12:16 AM

She could still play Annie

by Anonymousreply 8February 8, 2021 12:25 AM

Gettelfinger was wonderful in Grey Gardens which overall was much better off Broadway. I'm sure the producers forced them to make changes and get rid of her but it was all for the worse and it probably would have made out just the same financially if they had left it as it was.

by Anonymousreply 9February 8, 2021 12:29 AM

When after 5 years Sara posted a note on Facebook a few friends actually asked her where’s she’s been 😬. She’s very talented and I always wondered why she never played Roxie or Velma in Chicago.

by Anonymousreply 10February 8, 2021 12:32 AM

No way Reba could handle Gypsy.

by Anonymousreply 11February 8, 2021 12:44 AM

From the last thread:

What the hell happened to Matt Cavenaugh's jaw line? Living the married life in the Midwest has not been good for him.

by Anonymousreply 12February 8, 2021 12:48 AM

I think Matt Cavanaugh looks great. He’s still very handsome. Aging isn’t a bad thing. It’s better than the alternative.

by Anonymousreply 13February 8, 2021 12:50 AM

Laura Osnes.

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by Anonymousreply 14February 8, 2021 12:52 AM

A portrait in your attic, r13?

by Anonymousreply 15February 8, 2021 12:54 AM

Jesus, OP, you couldn't wait a couple hours for someone skilled to put up a new thread?

by Anonymousreply 16February 8, 2021 1:04 AM

[quote] People loved that show. I saw people crying from joy.

MARY! Who the fuck would cry from joy over that shit-tastic production? Cheap and lazy. And Midler was fucking awful. The laziest performance I've seen since Rosie O in Grease.

by Anonymousreply 17February 8, 2021 1:05 AM

What was stopping you, r16?

by Anonymousreply 18February 8, 2021 1:08 AM

I wasn't on DL in between the last thread closing and this one starting. Obviously.

by Anonymousreply 19February 8, 2021 1:12 AM

Ya snooze, ya lose.

by Anonymousreply 20February 8, 2021 1:15 AM

We ALL lose.

by Anonymousreply 21February 8, 2021 1:17 AM

You can't lose something you never had, r21.

by Anonymousreply 22February 8, 2021 1:30 AM

Maybe Reba could play Old Edie in Grey Gardens

by Anonymousreply 23February 8, 2021 1:33 AM

How about Mrs. Potts? Or Peter Allen's mother in The Boy From Oz?

by Anonymousreply 24February 8, 2021 1:41 AM

Why would she do those roles?

by Anonymousreply 25February 8, 2021 1:47 AM

Thou hast awakened the Reba stan.

by Anonymousreply 26February 8, 2021 2:12 AM

It's a (failed) joke, R25. The idea of putting Reba in more and more absurd roles.

by Anonymousreply 27February 8, 2021 2:13 AM

Lucy slut in Q

by Anonymousreply 28February 8, 2021 2:21 AM

I could actually see her as Gary Coleman in Q

by Anonymousreply 29February 8, 2021 2:40 AM

Wasn’t she being pursued for a Molly Brown revival?

by Anonymousreply 30February 8, 2021 2:43 AM

How about "Wildcat" revival?

by Anonymousreply 31February 8, 2021 2:53 AM

She must have had a not so great time in AGYG to never come back to Broadway. Either that or she's terrified that lightning wouldn't strike twice, because the Bway community has all but said she'd merely have to show up to win a Tony.

by Anonymousreply 32February 8, 2021 3:01 AM

Reba in Springtime for Hitler or a revival of Madeline Ashton’s Songbird.

by Anonymousreply 33February 8, 2021 3:09 AM

R32, 8 shows a week is tough. She has other stuff to do

by Anonymousreply 34February 8, 2021 3:13 AM

When she finished doing "Annie Get Your Gun" on Broadway, Reba was less interested in another Broadway show than in starring in a new TV movie version of "AGYG." It was supposed to happen, and I wonder why it never did.

by Anonymousreply 35February 8, 2021 3:19 AM

R35 she went from Broadway to that sitcom, which ran a long time, so by the time it was done the Broadway fire has flamed out.

It never will now, the “Indian” stuff is too “problematic”.

by Anonymousreply 36February 8, 2021 3:24 AM

R17 - I thought I was the only one. I really like Bette and adore Bernadette, and I guess I'm lucky I got to see them both in what is probably their final leading roles in Broadway musicals, but, yeah, I wish I was as swept away as so many others were. Maybe it's just Herman's shows in general. I could smell the mothballs.

by Anonymousreply 37February 8, 2021 3:47 AM

Christopher in On Golden Pond.

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by Anonymousreply 38February 8, 2021 4:42 AM

I’m surprised there have been no comments about the immersively staged Sunset Blvd with Ria Jones and super hot Danny Mac. I know it was only viewable in Europe, but that has now changed if you know where to look...

by Anonymousreply 39February 8, 2021 4:45 AM

[quote]Christopher in On Golden Pond.

With Julie Andrews. But no Charmian Carr as their daughter, unfortunately.

by Anonymousreply 40February 8, 2021 5:07 AM

R39 It is stupid. It is so fucking stupid. It is like she is channeling every actress who ever played Norma, at once. And the Max needs a bullet.

by Anonymousreply 41February 8, 2021 5:11 AM

I didn't see the HELLO DOLLY revival because I despise the show. And I'm not a major Midler fan. I like Bernie more, but still not enough for DOLLY.

Every other gay man I know saw it and seemed to adore it.

Has Encores done DEAR WORLD yet? It's high time.

by Anonymousreply 42February 8, 2021 5:13 AM

Musicals - The Greatest Show.

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by Anonymousreply 43February 8, 2021 5:14 AM

Christopher In Barrymore.

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by Anonymousreply 44February 8, 2021 5:31 AM

If anyone has a link to Miss Ria Jones in SB PLEASE SHARE! :)

by Anonymousreply 45February 8, 2021 6:04 AM

Valens, do you have Madge in Speed the Plow?

by Anonymousreply 46February 8, 2021 6:52 AM

Ewwww. No handbags.

R45 Hold caller

by Anonymousreply 47February 8, 2021 7:00 AM

I loved everything about the Leicester Curve Sunset except Ria Jones, who played the role like the wacky next door neighbor in an American sitcom. I was sort of astounded by how bad she was. But it almost didn't matter. The guy playing Joe was excellent and the idea of doing it throughout the entire theatre (onstage, backstage, in the house, up in the fly rails, etc.) was superb. Good for the LC!

by Anonymousreply 48February 8, 2021 9:27 AM

"Mad about the boy"

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by Anonymousreply 49February 8, 2021 2:16 PM

Sunset.

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by Anonymousreply 50February 8, 2021 4:27 PM

Valens! Thank you so much! You made a quarantined, snowbound eldergay very happy. xoxo

by Anonymousreply 51February 8, 2021 5:20 PM

That score for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is just so fucking bland. “You Will Be Found” on The Greatest Show last night, among other things, shed light on that even more.

by Anonymousreply 52February 8, 2021 5:47 PM

^ Ummmmmmm, YWBF is from Dear Evan Henson.

by Anonymousreply 53February 8, 2021 5:54 PM

Sorry that I keep posting these but after all these years I still love Patti’s Sunset arias

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by Anonymousreply 54February 8, 2021 5:57 PM

Someone put it again to youtube

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by Anonymousreply 55February 8, 2021 6:07 PM

Uhhhh, R53, I’m aware of that.

I should have made my point clearer. “You Will Be Found” coming on right after the song from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie only served to point out how fucking bland the Jamie song/score is. Say what you will about”You Will Be Found” but at least it has a distinct melody.

by Anonymousreply 56February 8, 2021 6:11 PM

R56 Ahhh, sorry. I thought the boy playing Jamie wasn't quite up to the song, either. I found the show kinda piss poor. Was it focused on Musical Theater, or songs from anywhere. I hate Greatest Showman. And Mamma Mia.

by Anonymousreply 57February 8, 2021 6:17 PM

Valens, songs from both films and theatre. Nicole Scherzinger sang “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman very well but still fucked a bit too much with the melody for my taste.

by Anonymousreply 58February 8, 2021 6:21 PM

When will we get to see the actual screen test?

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by Anonymousreply 59February 8, 2021 6:23 PM

R52, you would have had to be Madame Mertzola to divine the meaning you claimed.

by Anonymousreply 60February 8, 2021 6:23 PM

And Valens, I agree about ETAJ-it IS piss poor. Like, why is Jamie deserving of his being celebrated? Because he’s “fabulous” in some vague, nebulous way? I know it was based on a documentary about a real person but what did Jamie actually ACHIEVE apart from daring to wear flashy clothes in suburban England?

by Anonymousreply 61February 8, 2021 6:24 PM

Reba as Big Mama in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.

by Anonymousreply 62February 8, 2021 6:27 PM

R61 I thought one of the big mistakes was not actually showing his performance in drag at the club...why miss that opportunity. And the gay bashing after the rejection from Dad was just a smidge too much misery.

But loved this.

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by Anonymousreply 63February 8, 2021 6:38 PM

Is the rest of the show as good as this?^^^

by Anonymousreply 64February 8, 2021 7:02 PM

Joe Allen has died. How will this affect Restaurant Row?

by Anonymousreply 65February 8, 2021 7:03 PM

OMG, I looked at your post quickly, R65 and thought it said Joan Allen. I gasped.

I assumed Joe Allen was already dead.

by Anonymousreply 66February 8, 2021 7:10 PM

^ He fucked Stritchy.

by Anonymousreply 67February 8, 2021 7:42 PM

Poor quality but the cast is superb, Patricia Routledge, Prunelle Scales, Timothy West, Liz Smith, Joss Ackland etc.

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by Anonymousreply 68February 8, 2021 7:46 PM

[quote]He fucked Stritchy.

That could kill anyone.

by Anonymousreply 69February 8, 2021 7:49 PM

R64 Everybody's Talking Bout Jamie.

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by Anonymousreply 70February 8, 2021 7:53 PM

R68, thanks! I loved this production when I saw it in the West End many years ago.

by Anonymousreply 71February 8, 2021 8:35 PM

[quote]or she's terrified that lightning wouldn't strike twice

She did do the concert version of South Pacific with Brian Stokes Mitchell, and the critics were not nearly so fawning. She was not nearly as prepared as she should have been, and she got nailed for it. That's probably what put "paid" to her Broadway dreams.

by Anonymousreply 72February 8, 2021 9:12 PM

Encores should do Dear World, with all superstars as the three madwomen. Bernadette should be Gabrielle, with her little imaginary dog, Dickie, which would be a perfect in-joke since she loves animals. (Which is not to say that Bernadette couldn't be a fine Countess Aurelia if she wanted to). Audra for Constance.

by Anonymousreply 73February 8, 2021 9:20 PM

Stumbled on a show on YT from mid-October, Danny Burstein & Rebecca Luker. It was mostly, at first, people dropping in to say hello to Rebecca (like Carolee Carmello) as well as some just regular folks. Then the rest became a thing for raising money for ALS. Rebecca was in terrible shape by then - I had no idea, because she had just done another one a few weeks earlier. At that time, she was not as well as in June when she did the little mini-concert, but she was still okay-is. In this one in October - I'm surprised she managed to last two more months after it. That disease really ravaged her as quickly as it could.

by Anonymousreply 74February 8, 2021 9:24 PM

Both parts of the National Theater's Angels in America are streaming for rental on National Theater Home.

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by Anonymousreply 75February 8, 2021 9:31 PM

Wasn't it Jack Viertel and his dislike for Jerry Herman that kept ENCORES from doing any of his shows for so long? I was delighted when they finally did MACK AND MABEL (around the time of Vietel's departure), even if I found that production disappointing. Yes, DEAR WORLD, by all means, with Bernadette and whatever other divas they can get their hands on!

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by Anonymousreply 76February 8, 2021 9:38 PM

r72

I always thought that was a little unfair for those type of concerts... they have very little prep time but at the same time, Reba as Nellie was not as good a fit as Reba as Annie

by Anonymousreply 77February 8, 2021 9:44 PM

Reba as Buddy in Follies.

by Anonymousreply 78February 8, 2021 9:51 PM

[quote]Reba would be wonderful in Gypsy or Anything Goes. She’d chew the scenery less than Bette did with her Rose. Reba is actually a pretty good actress, who plays off her costars and doesn’t try to showboat and take up all the oxygen like say Bette.

Maybe you're joking. If not: I'm pretty positive that Reba is unable to speak in anything other than her native, extremely thick Oklahoma accent, which wold really not work for Rose in GYPSY, Reno in ANYTHING GOES, or the title role in HELLO, DOLLY! Her accent was even way too thick and countrified for SOUTH PACIFIC, and I agree with the poster above who guessed that Reba's poor performance in that concert, and her deservedly iffy reviews for it, may have soured her on more stage work.

by Anonymousreply 79February 8, 2021 9:56 PM

Ria Jones, the Norma in the Curve, Leicester's "Sunset Boulevard," was actually the first to sing the role; she was Norma at the first Sydmonton workshop in 1991, just the first act and still with lyrics by Amy Powers. Michael Ball was Joe.

After all the talk of a "Sunset" musical movie with Glenn and all the debate about the many stars who have played Norma on stage, I find it amusing that it's Ria Jones who winds up with the first-- and so far only-- pro-shot, full-length, official preservation. True, this isn't the full production that was intended, and true, it only streamed in the UK for a limited time. Still, for better or worse, Ria's Norma now lives on in a way that the other Normas don't.

by Anonymousreply 80February 8, 2021 10:07 PM

If Reba waited until SP rehearsals began to start learning her music and lines than she's a bigger fool than I imagined. As any Encores veteran knows, one comes into it already knowing the material (which is not to say they all do). In any case, Reba's a big enough name to have demanded a coach for1-2 weeks prior to rehearsals.

by Anonymousreply 81February 8, 2021 10:08 PM

R81, agreed. Maybe Reba got a little arrogant after she was so highly praised in AGYG and didn't put in the work necessary for SP. She did not sing the lyrics for "A Wonderful Guy" correctly during the performance, and I believe they had to fix it for the telecast by either going to a tape of the dress rehearsal or looping those lines or whatever.

by Anonymousreply 82February 8, 2021 10:15 PM

Reba took a week off from AGYG to shoot her tv pilot. When it was picked up she said buh bye to broadway for more money and a wider audience. Too bad. She might have ended up doing GASP an original musical!

by Anonymousreply 83February 8, 2021 10:18 PM

R80, good point. As others have said, it seems insane that the concert version with Glenn wasn't professionally captured, especially since there were no firm plans at that time for a full-blown movie version (and, of course, there still aren't). One might have thought ALW would have gladly foot the bill for such a capture, but I guess the fact that he didn't is further evidence that his behavior is often irrational, to say the least.

by Anonymousreply 84February 8, 2021 10:19 PM

R84 Absolutely. Ria Jones was Glenn's standby when the recent staged concert version premiered in London, and got to go on.

I was certain that when that "Sunset" concert happened and then transferred to NY that the raison d'etre was to finally get a taping with Glenn. But it seems that ALW and Glenn were holding out for an actual movie, one that I don't think we'll ever see.

by Anonymousreply 85February 8, 2021 10:25 PM

Ria doesn't have the face for it...

by Anonymousreply 86February 8, 2021 10:42 PM

Well, when that theatre museum thing was supposed to happen in Times Square they were supposed to shoot Glenn performing “Everything’s As If We Never Said Goodbye” for it but the project collapsed. They did manage to shoot Cristina Aguilera performing a number from Evita, though. I wonder if that will ever see the light of day.

by Anonymousreply 87February 8, 2021 10:44 PM

There are two bootlegs with Glenn in the broadway revival that are amazing. So at least we’ve got that.

by Anonymousreply 88February 8, 2021 11:14 PM

Thank you to the poster who posted the Lambs interview with Helen Gallagher in the last thread! I finally watched it and enjoyed it so much. What a great lady. I was lucky enough to see her in Nanette 3 times as well as the original Sweet Charity. Anyone who might still want to take a look, give her a chance to warm up which she does after a few minutes. I believe she was 92 when she did the interview. Hope she's doing well and staying healthy.

by Anonymousreply 89February 8, 2021 11:17 PM

I would so rather see a Broadway museum than the stupid Mme Tussauds. And I would assume with how popular Broadway has become with the flyovers that there would actually be a market for it. They could have a permanent collection and all sorts of temp things to get people to keep coming back. It makes no sense as to why they couldn't make it work.

by Anonymousreply 90February 8, 2021 11:43 PM

The person who gets the hololaser technology right to allow every stan to insert themselves into their favorite Broadway number is going to clean up.

by Anonymousreply 91February 9, 2021 12:14 AM

Thank you for posting [italic]Sunset[/italic]. The show seems less absurd, less like a ridiculous drag show, with a Norma in her early 50s. At least he's not fucking a dinosaur.

by Anonymousreply 92February 9, 2021 12:27 AM

r91 - Dibs on Lucy & Jessie!

by Anonymousreply 93February 9, 2021 12:34 AM

[quote] When it was picked up she said buh bye to broadway for more money and a wider audience.

Not to mention a MUCH lighter schedule.

by Anonymousreply 94February 9, 2021 12:54 AM

That Sheridan Smith cow doesn't have even an ounce of fucking talent. Was that just on tv today in the UK?

by Anonymousreply 95February 9, 2021 1:19 AM

What kind of accent does Sheridan Smith have? I find it sort of grating.

by Anonymousreply 96February 9, 2021 1:22 AM

And the most emotionless Effie I have seen and I've seen a lot. Snoozefest.

by Anonymousreply 97February 9, 2021 1:29 AM

Can we get back to the Kushner legacy problem? My opinion is that, in time, we will see that the definitive AIDS era play isn't "Angels" but "Normal Heart." It holds up much better dramatically.

by Anonymousreply 98February 9, 2021 1:41 AM

R97 What, the fuck was that about? Was a choice, but a bloody silly one.

by Anonymousreply 99February 9, 2021 1:42 AM

[quote] My opinion is that, in time, we will see that the definitive AIDS era play isn't "Angels" but "Normal Heart." It holds up much better dramatically.

I prefer “As Is” to both of them.

by Anonymousreply 100February 9, 2021 2:35 AM

I enjoyed Reba in that South Pacific concert telecast

by Anonymousreply 101February 9, 2021 3:07 AM

Another vote for "The Normal Heart."

by Anonymousreply 102February 9, 2021 3:46 AM

Reba would be marvelous in “The Normal Heart.”

by Anonymousreply 103February 9, 2021 4:36 AM

That Jamie musical is awful.

by Anonymousreply 104February 9, 2021 5:10 AM

I’d like Reba to be Mrs Anna when King & I gets its next revival.

by Anonymousreply 105February 9, 2021 5:13 AM

Are you guys talking about Reba McEntire, the country singer? I didn't know she did Broadway.

by Anonymousreply 106February 9, 2021 9:51 AM

Everybody's Talking About Reba

by Anonymousreply 107February 9, 2021 10:08 AM

The set is always moving in almost every production of The Normal Heart. But the play itself?

The level of self-adoring is too high. They always say, if you cry the audience won't. Maybe we should say "If you love yourself, the audiences won't."

by Anonymousreply 108February 9, 2021 11:29 AM

[quote]Joe Allen has died. How will this affect Restaurant Row?

[r66], as Bette Davis allegedly said when hearing of Joan Crawford's death:

[quote]"You should never say bad things about the dead, only good… Joan Crawford is dead. Good.”

Many will speak of Allen's kindnesses, and I'm sure that all of those stories are true - but he could be petty and elitist (also misogynistic, but that's another story). During the stagehand strike last decade, in an anti-union NY Times article, he said “I saw them picketing the other day on 44th Street and thought to myself, ‘That’s the hardest they’ve worked in years". From the same article:

[quote]Mr. Allen, fastidious in velvet, sat at a table passing on a story he had heard about the chief carpenter at the Belasco — or maybe it was the Minskoff — who was losing $8,000 a week because of the strike.

An outrageous and malicious lie, one that he had only "heard about" (he couldn't even decide what theater this carpenter made this insanely inflated weekly rate in), but he was willing to pass along that lie simply to garner himself some press. In sharp contrast, the proprietors of Angus' McIndoe's, Hourglass Tavern, Smiths, all 4 O'Lunney's establishments, as well as Becco, and practically every other restaurant in Times Square offered discounts to all theatrical union members, from usher to actor to musician to stagehand during the strike. The proprietress of Hourglass or her partner showed up at picket lines every morning for 19 days, bearing coffee and goodies that she had made herself in her restaurant.

Instead of showing support as his fellow restaurateurs did, Joe Allen had no problem pissing all over them publicly. Quite a feat for someone who was so famously "laconic".

Restaurant row will be fine without him, as will the restaurant that bears his name. My condolences to his family.

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by Anonymousreply 109February 9, 2021 12:04 PM

Met Helen Gallagher in the early 70s, introduced by a mutual friend. She couldn't have been frostier.

by Anonymousreply 110February 9, 2021 2:04 PM

I had a run-in with her in the mid '70s which could be described as *frosty*, as well, r110.

by Anonymousreply 111February 9, 2021 2:11 PM

ANGELS IN AMERICA is a remarkable play of ideas, some of which hold up. Others... less so.

But I lived in NYC during the AIDS epidemic, and it doesn't reflect my experience as a gay man. Or the lives of any gay men I know. It feels more imagined than lived. That's the problem I've always had with the play.

It's fine if other people cherish the play. But for LGBT people to think of it as "our story"--that's a problem for some of us.

by Anonymousreply 112February 9, 2021 2:38 PM

[quote] It feels more imagined than lived.

It's art, not documentary

by Anonymousreply 113February 9, 2021 2:42 PM

Well, maybe it's art, because its sure as hell not a very good play.

by Anonymousreply 114February 9, 2021 3:11 PM

Real is good. Interesting is better.

by Anonymousreply 115February 9, 2021 3:35 PM

Nice is different than good.

by Anonymousreply 116February 9, 2021 4:46 PM

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is a sentimental piece of shit with crap songs. Further proof the British public (including critics) often has shit for taste when it comes to musicals.

by Anonymousreply 117February 9, 2021 5:52 PM

Tony Kushner - Wrestling With Angels.

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by Anonymousreply 118February 9, 2021 5:56 PM

Different is nice, but it sure isn't pretty.

by Anonymousreply 119February 9, 2021 6:44 PM

I can't believe some people are taking ANGELS IN AMERICA literally. The subtitle is "A Gay Fantasia."

by Anonymousreply 120February 9, 2021 9:06 PM

The Guardian has a wonderful (and, of course, at times, funny) conversation with Vanessa Redgrave and Miriam Margolyes...

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by Anonymousreply 121February 9, 2021 9:29 PM

R120 - I'm not any of the prior posters. I love BOTH The Normal Heart and Angels in America. I think that prior poster might have simply been saying precisely because it is a fantasia, Angels is almost too big and lofty to be "our" play about gay men's experience with AIDS in the 80s because Angels is about so many different things all at once whereas Normal Heart is of course a more straightforward chronicle of the NY gay community's response to the pandemic.

by Anonymousreply 122February 9, 2021 9:32 PM

Oy! Excuse the run-on sentences. That's what I get for multi-tasking.

by Anonymousreply 123February 9, 2021 9:33 PM

I think Angels was important at the time because in 1993, more people were ready to see a show about the AIDS crisis than were in 1985 when both As Is and The Normal Heart were running. But I think all three plays are very different in what they say and what they achieve. Moreover, I don't think any one play about AIDS can encompass "our" story because there really is no one story for all of us. AIDS and HIV have been around for so long that the disease means different things to different people. If you want to talk about which is the "better" play, in terms of which is more well written or accessible, sure there can definitely be an opinion, but there is no one play that can encompass the AIDS experience for all of us.

by Anonymousreply 124February 9, 2021 9:43 PM

Love this, r21...

*

MM: They’re absolute nitwits! I’ve never been governed by such a crowd of corrupt incompetents in my life. I’m absolutely furious about it. And this whole Brexit thing is affecting our business, too. Musicians are not able to get jobs in Europe. It’s catastrophic. I want to grow old feeling optimistic and grateful, but it’s not happening. I am growing older, angry and disappointed. I’m getting further and further to the left. Usually, when you get older, you go further to the right.

*

VR: Well, make sure you keep a good diet, darling – keep the anger fuelled!

*

MM: My darling I have to lose weight. I’ve been trying to lose weight all my life. I’m still a rotund little Jew. That’s what I am. But, you know, I’m trying!

by Anonymousreply 125February 9, 2021 10:05 PM

^ r121

by Anonymousreply 126February 9, 2021 10:06 PM

The Normal Heart to me is too much in the theme of LARRY KRAMER is right and everyone else is wrong.

by Anonymousreply 127February 9, 2021 10:09 PM

Well, r127, I hate to tell you, but in that case, LARRY KRAMER was right.

by Anonymousreply 128February 9, 2021 10:12 PM

From watching that interview with Gallagher she comes across as the type who could be very frosty. Not at all filled with any kind of warmth except towards Ruby Keeler. I wish she had talked about Verdon, Lang and Van who are barely mentioned.

by Anonymousreply 129February 9, 2021 10:26 PM

Helen on Mike...so to speak.

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by Anonymousreply 130February 9, 2021 11:52 PM

Helen Gallagher was a shanty Irish cunt. And I should know!

by Anonymousreply 131February 9, 2021 11:58 PM

I always found Tales of the City the most accurate description of the impact of HIV on gay society. (The books, not the abortion of a musical).

by Anonymousreply 132February 10, 2021 12:01 AM

There was a musical of Tales of the City?? God, no

by Anonymousreply 133February 10, 2021 12:23 AM

With DL faves Wesley Taylor as Mouse and Betty Buckley as Madrigal.

by Anonymousreply 134February 10, 2021 12:28 AM

Yes, written by Jake Shears (and someone else, I forget who) and Jeff Whitty did the book. It premiered in SF and got meh reviews, and it was decided to abandon the project rather than fix what didn't work. I'm glad it flopped because Chipotle Ass was in it and I hate him.

by Anonymousreply 135February 10, 2021 12:29 AM

Chipotle Ass? Audra?

by Anonymousreply 136February 10, 2021 12:39 AM

Wes Tay Tay

by Anonymousreply 137February 10, 2021 1:02 AM

R136 Wes TayTay decided to bottom after eating Chipotle, with predictable results. I think this was when he was doing Cabaret in DC

by Anonymousreply 138February 10, 2021 1:03 AM

WHat I loved about the Normal Heart is that the arguments against Larry Kramer were as strong as his were. I think he's very honest about what an annoying man he is. It feels very self-aware.

by Anonymousreply 139February 10, 2021 1:41 AM

"For tonight's performance, the role of the Emcee will be played by Dirty Sanchez."

by Anonymousreply 140February 10, 2021 1:42 AM

All jokes aside, what was the general reception of Wesley Taylor's Emcee? Seems like a part he could play fairly well.

by Anonymousreply 141February 10, 2021 1:45 AM

I saw that Tales of the City musical when I was working in San Francisco.

Judy Kaye had replaced Betty Buckley as Madrigal, I think, before rehearsals began. Judy was very miscast, as was most everyone. I remember Pamela (Company) Myers being particularly awful though I can't remember who she played....I think several undistinguished minor characters. The show suffered from trying to cram too many plotlines into 2 & 1/2 hours and satirizing the 1970s as a big cartoon (something the TV series admirably avoided). Frantic staging by fraud director Jason Moore.

The material is simply not suited to a Broadway musical.

by Anonymousreply 142February 10, 2021 1:54 AM

I saw a very bad, miscast production of The Normal Heart and it didn’t destroy the power of the material. Larry Kramer was supposed to come to a performance but once he heard how bad it was he wisely stayed away.

by Anonymousreply 143February 10, 2021 2:05 AM

While I love Helen Gallagher, I'll admit she can seem frosty and dismissive, even in that interview in the last thread. But I love her simple honesty and forthrightness. She's very no-nonsense and clearly got over not becoming a big star. I think she genuinely seems puzzled about her celebrity and fans' curiosity about her professional past and thus isn't prepared to be so opinionated, either gushing or criticizing in detail, in a public situation. And give her break, she was 92 when she did that long filmed interview.

Nevertheless, I thought her comparisons of De Mille, Robbins, Abbott, Fosse, Donald Saddler and even Busby Berkeley and the kinds of performances they solicited out of her were interesting, if succinct. If you can still find the interview, I'd recommend watching it all the way through.

by Anonymousreply 144February 10, 2021 2:06 AM

Clips from the "Tales of the City" musical:

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by Anonymousreply 145February 10, 2021 2:43 AM

You know what director John Ford had to say about nice people, don't you?

No point of view

by Anonymousreply 146February 10, 2021 4:40 AM

It's an ambitious play, to be sure, and there's much to admire in it, but Angels in America sets up a premise (and promise) of messianic enlightenment it couldn't possibly begin to fulfill. So, for me, the play doesn't succeed, unlike, say Streetcar or Iceman or Salesman, all of which realize their potentialities, and then some.

by Anonymousreply 147February 10, 2021 4:47 AM

I met Helen Gallagher about 15 years ago. We had a meeting at her apartment in (near?) Lincoln Towers. She was charm-free and a rather a cunt.

by Anonymousreply 148February 10, 2021 5:06 AM

I loved "Angels in America." I saw both parts, each three and a half hours long, and they whizzed by for me (as opposed to plenty of shorter plays I've seen that were godawful and felt never-ending even though they were half the length of "Angels"). I also loved "The Normal Heart," the downtown production at the Public, the Broadway version, and the movie.

Both plays are fine works of art.

by Anonymousreply 149February 10, 2021 5:10 AM

R135/R138 how do you mean?

by Anonymousreply 150February 10, 2021 5:12 AM

I also saw the Tales of the City musical in San Francisco — a close friend was involved in the production. Wow it was just terrible. Was sorely lacking any charm we’ve come to associate with that property. It sucked hard.

by Anonymousreply 151February 10, 2021 5:52 AM

I cannot tell you how happy I was to NOT see the original song from The Prom movie on the Oscar shortlist today.

by Anonymousreply 152February 10, 2021 6:53 AM

He shit the bed r150.

And the sex partner.

by Anonymousreply 153February 10, 2021 8:41 AM

Well, for many people Angels in America DOES live up to its promise. It's a great work of art and a great play.

It's also a very difficult play to do. It has big themes and elevated language and complex characters and there's freakin' ANGELS in it. It's tough to direct and it's tough to get the right tone. And, you need exceptionally good actors with a very capable director to pull it off.

As for The Normal Heart, it's a terrific play but of the die hard "well made" genre". It needs a good cast obviously but this play isn't nearly as complex as AiA. A merely competent direction doesn't kill it whereas with Angels, a lousy or weak director will just ruin any chance of the material working like it's supposed to.

by Anonymousreply 154February 10, 2021 9:31 AM

Where is the musical adaptation of ANGELS? I know there was an opera at one point, but we desperately need a classic book musical for Broadway!

AMERICAN ANGELS: A MUSICAL FANTASIA!

"The Great Work Begins!" (The Angel and Ensemble)

"Priorities" (Prior and Louis)

"Nothing In My Way" (Roy and Joe)

"In My Church" (Harper, Prior, and Belize)

"(Please Direct Me To) The Mormon Visitor Center" (Hannah)

"Julius Sends His Regards" (Ethel Rosenberg, Roy)

"Trippin' To The Ozone" (Harper)

by Anonymousreply 155February 10, 2021 7:49 PM

As they say, don't quit your day job r155

by Anonymousreply 156February 10, 2021 8:09 PM

Helen Gallagher had been teaching musical theater for years down at HB Studio, when classes were especially inexpensive, so she must have been pretty generous to share her talents and experience with students for such a long time.

by Anonymousreply 157February 10, 2021 9:40 PM

Before HB, she used to teach in her apartment.

by Anonymousreply 158February 10, 2021 9:50 PM

Some very good people have taught at HB Studios over the years... along with some complete hacks. I agree that it's a bargain, relative to many theatre schools in NYC.

by Anonymousreply 159February 10, 2021 9:53 PM

Real live working actors teach at HB and it’s still a bargain. I took Mercedes Ruehl’s class and she’s an amazing teacher.

by Anonymousreply 160February 10, 2021 10:03 PM

I took acting class with Michael Beckett at HB years ago, who while he was a bit nuts with his middle-life crisis and too much worship of Marlon Brando, he was also brilliant. The rumor was that the casting of Ben Braddock in "The Graduate" came down to him and Dustin Hoffman, and well, we know how that turned out. But he taught a very useful and thorough technique when he was focusing on his girl groupies. Uta Hagen (of course), William Hickey, Sandy Dennis, Geraldine Page, Charles Nelson Reilly were among other famous names who taught there, and Austin Pendleton was among the more recent faculty.

by Anonymousreply 161February 10, 2021 10:29 PM

Gallagher spoke about teaching in that interview. The classes (which she may even still be teaching) were about how to put over a song, not dancing. She talked about how her students have kept her young and bring her to see current theater (interview was pre-covid) and how she prefers plays to musicals. I think she's been teaching since the mid-1960s when she had a career dry spell pre-Sweet Charity.

Ages ago (1972!) I was a neighbor and would see her at the D'agostinos on W 72nd St. examining the chopped beef and then tossing it back a la MTM.

by Anonymousreply 162February 10, 2021 10:38 PM

Never heard of Michael Beckett. Did he have any kind of a career in the theater?

by Anonymousreply 163February 10, 2021 10:39 PM

Gallagher recommended two of her acting students to play Mary Ryan, replacing Kate Mulgrew. Both were so bad that many fans suggested she might be a great actress but a not so great judge of acting talent.

by Anonymousreply 164February 10, 2021 10:47 PM

Wasn’t one of those Mary Ryans Nicolette Goulet, daughter of Robert? She was the final Mary, the one who was killed off. There were two other Marys after Mulgrew.

by Anonymousreply 165February 11, 2021 12:04 AM

Which one was the Maryest Mary?

by Anonymousreply 166February 11, 2021 2:57 AM

It wasn't Goulet, it was the two before her, Mary Carney and Kathleen Tolan. Carney wasn't too bad and if she came after Tolan, she might have stuck but she immediately follows Mulgrew. Tolan acted as if English were her second language and against Sarah Felder's fantastic Siobhan, she didn't have a chance.

I think after Carney and Tolan, the producers stopped listening to Gallagher's suggestions.

by Anonymousreply 167February 11, 2021 3:50 AM

I'm so immature. I always giggle at the "ate my candy, then would go" line in "Too Many Rings Around Rosie."

by Anonymousreply 168February 11, 2021 4:25 AM

Goddammit, why does this thread keep falling off my watched threads list?

by Anonymousreply 169February 11, 2021 9:18 AM

Not much worth watching r169.

by Anonymousreply 170February 11, 2021 11:08 AM

Whatever happened to Micah Stock?

by Anonymousreply 171February 11, 2021 3:45 PM

I'm still trying to process the idea Micah is straight.

by Anonymousreply 172February 11, 2021 4:36 PM

Would do him so bad.

by Anonymousreply 173February 11, 2021 5:58 PM

I’m still giggling at poor KDM catching his ex banging Josh Buscher’s hot ass and punching him.

by Anonymousreply 174February 11, 2021 6:05 PM

Micah Stock is straight? I could have sworn there was an extended conversation on here about him dating some other actor. Wasn't it Chris Perfetti?

by Anonymousreply 175February 11, 2021 6:06 PM

Yes, exactly. Who said Micah was straight?

by Anonymousreply 176February 11, 2021 8:13 PM

R172 did.

by Anonymousreply 177February 11, 2021 9:05 PM

Micah did full-frontal on some tv show a few years ago. Usually they do "Equus" or something like that first and get the on-stage nudity over with first before the other way around. Very cute though.

by Anonymousreply 178February 11, 2021 10:12 PM

Sorry, wrong thread!

by Anonymousreply 179February 11, 2021 10:16 PM

R178 it was TALES OF THE CITY.

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by Anonymousreply 180February 11, 2021 10:43 PM

R112, other than the supernatural elements Angels feels a lot more real than Normal Heart et al. Those plays were about privileged gay people with fancy jobs and money. Belieze, Joe, and even Prior had jobs and did activities that are a lot more common.

I always thought the characters in Angels were a lot closer to real people I knew than Normal Heart, As Is, and the William Finn musicals.

by Anonymousreply 181February 11, 2021 11:06 PM

As Is was less preachy and political and more human than Angels and Normal Heart. It’s a beautiful play.

by Anonymousreply 182February 11, 2021 11:21 PM

I think the only thing we can all agree on is that no one will ever agree about these plays. They all appeal to different people for different reasons and that's the way it should be.

by Anonymousreply 183February 11, 2021 11:23 PM

The Normal Heart's characters are all based very specifically on the men who Larry knew, the men who formed GMHC. One or two are lawyers but most of them are just regular guys with a typical 1970s working class ethic, hardly privileged and moneyed. Very similar actually to Prior, Louis and Joe. in Angels. I'm not really sure where you're coming from, r181.

by Anonymousreply 184February 11, 2021 11:44 PM

Damn, Micah has a big one. Perfetti is a lucky guy.

That being said, I liked Alex Brightman's nude scene on SMILF much better.

by Anonymousreply 185February 12, 2021 12:16 AM

Has there ever been much criticism of the fact that the most celebrated plays about AIDS are all mostly about white gay men? Perhaps it was because most of them were written by white gay playwrights. For all the heat it takes now, I guess "Rent" deserved a lot of praise for having more than one person of color in the cast and, of course, Kushner's Belize character in "Angels" was beautifully written (and acted), so there are exceptions.

by Anonymousreply 186February 12, 2021 12:34 AM

There is a Wikipedia page dedicated solely to the impact of "Falsettos" on the United States:

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by Anonymousreply 187February 12, 2021 12:49 AM

Hmmmm....not sure about that theory about AiA being about "real" people. They all spoke highly elevated language.

And, Prior was a trust fund kid....not super wealthy but enough to get by on.

As for the big AIDS plays being white-centric, I'm not sure that's anyone's "fault" other than the usual black artists and writers don't get the same opportunities as white artists and writers.

by Anonymousreply 188February 12, 2021 1:05 AM

[quote] Has there ever been much criticism of the fact that the most celebrated plays about AIDS are all mostly about white gay men? Perhaps it was because most of them were written by white gay playwrights. For all the heat it takes now, I guess "Rent" deserved a lot of praise for having more than one person of color in the cast and, of course, Kushner's Belize character in "Angels" was beautifully written (and acted), so there are exceptions.

But I think there's a reason for that and it's really hard to blame white playwrights or black playwrights. Gay black men felt very much outside of the early AIDS activism movements because many of them were more closeted or felt more shame about being gay because of their close family ties and religious upbringing. And the people working on the grassroots AIDS activism front were so overwhelmed with limited resources that the ability to reach out to a community that was too afraid or ashamed to ask for help was probably at the bottom of the list for them. I'm very much simplifying the issues so as not to write a dissertation, but it's understandable why AIDS plays, both major and minor, came from white playwrights for so long. Even Cheryl L. West, who was the first playwright to deal with AIDS in the black community in her play "Before it Hits Home" says she got a lot of criticism from the black community for writing the play and had a really hard time getting the play produced and to get black people to come and see it.

Thankfully that's not the case anymore. Granted there is still a much smaller number of AIDs themed plays dealing with minority communities, but you have people like Donja Love, Michael Jackson and even Billy Porter writing about the black AIDS experience.

by Anonymousreply 189February 12, 2021 1:06 AM

R187, I'd attribute that page's existence to the popularity of the revival (on tumblr anyway) and nothing more. If I asked any of my non-theatre going friends about the cultural impact of Falsettos I'd get blank stares. Comparing Falsettos to Angels or Normal Heart is like comparing Taylor Swift to Beethoven.

by Anonymousreply 190February 12, 2021 1:11 AM

"Has there ever been much criticism of the fact that the most celebrated plays about AIDS are all mostly about white gay men?"

The SJWs had not come of age yet, so there was no mandate to include POC ( read black) in every production.

by Anonymousreply 191February 12, 2021 1:15 AM

I worked on the original Bway production of Falsettos for a period of time and we regularly had people who came as a family, not knowing what the show was about, only to drag their kids out 15-20 min into the first act, screaming for their money back. So I suppose it had an impact on some younguns.

by Anonymousreply 192February 12, 2021 1:16 AM

What on earth did those families think it was about?

by Anonymousreply 193February 12, 2021 1:43 AM

That's what I'd like to know! But I was not allowed to argue with them, just give them a number to call to arrange a refund because the box office would be closed by the time they'd bluster out of the theater. In fact, the box office usually raced to finish up and close so they wouldn't have to deal with irate customers who thought they were seeing something completely different. They would slap the latecomer tickets into the hand of the ticket taker and hightail it out of there.

I do know that the show heavily marketed to families (which is both admirable and nuts) but how do you spend that much money and not know what you're buying a ticket to. But I can imagine the TKTS people totally lying to unsuspecting tourists.

by Anonymousreply 194February 12, 2021 1:47 AM

"I'm sorry, I'm all sold out for Guys and Dolls, but have you heard of this show where guys sing like women?"

by Anonymousreply 195February 12, 2021 2:16 AM

There’s a kid in Falsetto’s so parents assume it’s also a show for kids.

by Anonymousreply 196February 12, 2021 3:01 AM

Audiences are really stupid. I know a local LORT where the biggest number of complaints they ever got was over a production of Mamet's American Buffalo about the foul language.

If you're el sensitivo about "adult content" then why the fuck wouldn't you do some fucking research before going to see a show?

by Anonymousreply 197February 12, 2021 4:59 AM

R189, is Billy Hiv+? Don't want to start rumours if he isn't.

by Anonymousreply 198February 12, 2021 5:06 AM

R198 I've never heard he was HIV+.

A fame whore, yes.

by Anonymousreply 199February 12, 2021 5:14 AM

The Falsettos ad campaign included a Frank Rich quote (I think it was Rich) saying it was the "best family show on Broadway", or words to that effect.

by Anonymousreply 200February 12, 2021 9:49 AM

Yes, I remember it well. Rich wrote this love letter to Falsettos praising it as a family musical.

This was the summer of 1992, in the midst of the Bush - Clinton election. Probably around the time of the Dan Quayle/Murphy Brown thing. So ‘family values’ was a big topic in general.

I was 17 when I saw Falsettos, my best friend who was 16 and I went to NYC on our own for the day. Two kids from South Jersey, hard to believe they just let us hop on a bus and go. Anyway, in the midst of the election George H W Bush was speaking at the Marriott Marquis that day - cops, protesters everywhere, and then Falsettos. We were the only two people who stood at the stage door - long before it was really a thing - Chip Zien was the nicest guy stopped and talked to us for quite a bit.

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by Anonymousreply 201February 12, 2021 10:17 AM

Micah Stock is in the Netflix show Bonding ...

by Anonymousreply 202February 12, 2021 10:39 AM

So what's the conclusion: adorbs Micah gay or straight?

by Anonymousreply 203February 12, 2021 12:36 PM

R184, it is not the real-life people who appear on stage in The Normal Heart. They are characters based on real life people. Like many writers, Kramer does not quite get the voices and actions of characters outside his class exactly right.

Furthermore, he focuses on Ned and Felix, two well-to-do New Yorkers with glamorous jobs. I wonder if the play would have been less of a tract and more of a drama if he had let the two characters be ordinary.

by Anonymousreply 204February 12, 2021 12:41 PM

This isn't gossip, it's pedantry. And it's no fun to read.

Is Micah gay or straight?

by Anonymousreply 205February 12, 2021 1:32 PM

Speaking of Chip Zien -- he was on "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" as Skylar Astin's father a couple of weeks ago. They didn't give him a song, though.

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by Anonymousreply 206February 12, 2021 1:48 PM

Thanks for posting that R76, listening to the OCR of DEAR WORLD has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. 42 Street Moon did a scaled-down version in San Francisco about 20 years ago and I thought it was charming. I’d love to see Encores! do it.

I’d also like to live long enough to see another production of Herman’s THE GRAND TOUR, although I hated the original. I’ve always liked the score and when I saw it at the York I couldn’t remember why I disliked it so much in the first place, other than the show often seemed to come to a screeching halt for a big production number which seemed to exist only to please the Scarsdale Hadassah crowd.

by Anonymousreply 207February 12, 2021 2:03 PM

I saw THE GRAND TOUR on Broadway and remember absolutely nothing about it.

by Anonymousreply 208February 12, 2021 2:06 PM

I don't understand it being a guilty pleasure, r207. the score wasn't the problem.

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by Anonymousreply 209February 12, 2021 2:08 PM

[quote]Rich wrote this love letter to Falsettos praising it as a family musical.

Here's a thought: People should have READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW, rather than just going on the basis of a pull-quote from it that was featured in ads, before deciding to buy tickets to see the show with their kids -- especially if they are the kind of people who would tend to walk out of a show in a huff if it has content they don't like.

[quote]It is not the real-life people who appear on stage in The Normal Heart. They are characters based on real life people. Like many writers, Kramer does not quite get the voices and actions of characters outside his class exactly right. Furthermore, he focuses on Ned and Felix, two well-to-do New Yorkers with glamorous jobs. I wonder if the play would have been less of a tract and more of a drama if he had let the two characters be ordinary.

Why would more "ordinary" characters have made the story less of a "tract?" What does one thing have to do with the other? Completely separate issues, in my opinion.

by Anonymousreply 210February 12, 2021 3:42 PM

Watching right now:

*This Little Piggy Had a Ball*

Sharon Hackett, an actress in a play in which Ann has a small part, has been nominated for a Broadway Drama Guild Award as Most Promising Young Actress. Unable to attend, she asks Ann to accept for her should she win. Ann is thrilled to do it until...the bowling ball.

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by Anonymousreply 211February 12, 2021 4:15 PM

I don’t get why “One Extraordinary Thing” from The Grand Tour isn’t available to download in the US according to iTunes. Same goes for “Magic” from the OBC of Xanadu.

by Anonymousreply 212February 12, 2021 5:18 PM

What "glamorous" jobs do Ned and Felix have in THE NORMAL HEART? I've seen numerous productions of the play yet don't really remember. The set designs for all those productions were always appropriately minimal and never gave much of a hint of their apartments or the work places they occupied.

by Anonymousreply 213February 12, 2021 6:13 PM

Dear World AND DL fave Betty Lynn.

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by Anonymousreply 214February 12, 2021 6:15 PM

[quote]Dear World AND DL fave Betty Lynn.

I guess you had to be there.

by Anonymousreply 215February 12, 2021 6:41 PM

[quote] I don't understand it being a guilty pleasure, [R207]. the score wasn't the problem.

I guess I considered it a 'guilty pleasure' because, once I found DEAR WORLD at the local library, as teenage gayling in the 1970s I'd listen to it over and over again when I should've been doing homework, or chores, or whatever I was 'supposed' to be doing. When I should've been memorizing the periodic table of elements, I was too busy memorizing the lyrics to 'The Tea Party'.

by Anonymousreply 216February 12, 2021 6:55 PM

[quote] What "glamorous" jobs do Ned and Felix have in THE NORMAL HEART?

r213 it's specified and a plot point that Felix works for [italic]The New York Times[/italic]. Ned wants him to write about the new virus.

by Anonymousreply 217February 12, 2021 7:12 PM

Oh yeah, Maggie Haberman is so very glamorous.

by Anonymousreply 218February 12, 2021 7:14 PM

Felix covers Lifestyle and Fashion for the NYT.

by Anonymousreply 219February 12, 2021 7:23 PM

don't be contrarian r218. Not "glamorous" as in Vogue magazine, but writing for the Times is, relative to most jobs, glamorous.

by Anonymousreply 220February 12, 2021 8:09 PM

Beats writing for GRIT!

by Anonymousreply 221February 12, 2021 8:13 PM

I thought Betty still sounded pretty good there at R214 / 2013. Obviously, Jerry Herman wrote 'BIG' so it really looses its oomph without a full orchestra.

by Anonymousreply 222February 12, 2021 9:45 PM

[quote] it really looses its oomph

oh, dear

by Anonymousreply 223February 12, 2021 10:20 PM

[quote] [R189], is Billy Hiv+? Don't want to start rumours if he isn't.

Not that I know of. I've actually never even heard any rumors about him. But he definitely lived through a good portion of the AIDS crisis as an adult and likely saw a lot of people in his community affected by the disease.

by Anonymousreply 224February 12, 2021 10:55 PM

If there are rumors, they may be driven by his relatively skeletal look in recent years, but I think that's more just the aging process, we all probably have eldergays we all know who tend to get thinner as they age. I guess that's something for me to look forward. Unfortunately, the opposite has happened to me as I've entered my 40s! 🐷

by Anonymousreply 225February 12, 2021 11:03 PM

If you don't watch your figure, r225, nobody else will!

by Anonymousreply 226February 12, 2021 11:07 PM

Zendaya as Anna, I assume.

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by Anonymousreply 227February 13, 2021 12:36 AM

You really know you're ready to die when they start remaking The King and I and Some Like It Hot.

by Anonymousreply 228February 13, 2021 12:57 AM

So if Ned was a waiter and Felix was a checkout cashier The Normal Heart would be a better play?

by Anonymousreply 229February 13, 2021 12:58 AM

You have to admit that Dick Cavett had diverse guests. Tonight:

Stevie Wonder

Alain Delon

Elsa Lanchester

Tex Ritter

by Anonymousreply 230February 13, 2021 1:04 AM

Miss Lanchester just said her two favorite stage roles were Ariel at the Old Vic and Peter Pan at the Palladium (Laughton played Hook).

by Anonymousreply 231February 13, 2021 1:29 AM

Contrary to the The Hollywood Reporter story linked above, Brynner didn't win the Best Actor Tony for TKAI. He won for Featured Actor and then later won the Oscar for Leading in the film. He also won a special Tony in the mid 80s for playing the part over 4600 times.

Trivia: He played previews of TKAI with his own partially balding hair. It was costume designer Irene Sharaff who suggested it would be more effective if he shaved his head altogether bald. He took her suggestion and maintained it as signature look the rest of his life. But he wasn't really bald.

BTW, the current TPOS thread has been paywalled.

by Anonymousreply 232February 13, 2021 4:01 AM

Didn't they already remake THE KING AND in the late '90s. First, as an animated musical, and second, as a live-action film with Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fat.

by Anonymousreply 233February 13, 2021 4:07 AM

R232 The last thing that thread is is current.

by Anonymousreply 234February 13, 2021 4:15 AM

Yes, r233. There was also a 1972 CBS dramedy sitcom with Brynner and Samantha Eggar called Anna and the King but it lasted only half a season. There have been, of course so many Broadway, tour, regional and foreign revivals of the stage show.

Years ago France was famous for hating Broadway musicals. When the film of TKAI first played there, the musical numbers were cut.

by Anonymousreply 235February 13, 2021 4:36 AM

When Gertrude Lawrence died, she left a request for R&H to promote Brynner's name to the top of the theater's marquee. They did.

Brynner didn't take an extended vacation from the show until three years into the run, when he took several months off. He was replaced during that time by Alfred Drake, who had turned the part down initially. He played the part with hair.

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by Anonymousreply 236February 13, 2021 5:00 AM

And here is Brynner during previews, before he started shaving his head at Sharaff's suggestion. She was right.

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by Anonymousreply 237February 13, 2021 5:15 AM

Mary Martin had co-starred with Brynner in the late 40s in Lute Song, which had received mixed to favorable reviews but ran only a few months. He was still basically unknown when Martin told R&H they should audition him after Drake turned down the role.

by Anonymousreply 238February 13, 2021 5:58 AM

I haven't had such bad advise since my drama teacher told me I'd be perfect for the lead in 'The King & I.' So stupid here shaves her head and doesn't get the part.

by Anonymousreply 239February 13, 2021 7:30 AM

[quote]Brynner didn't take an extended vacation from the show until three years into the run, when he took several months off.

Not quite several months. Brynner left the show to Drake on April 6, 1953, and returned to the part on June 20th. Two months + two weeks. A *very* generous vacation package, which was not like the old skinflints R&H at all.

by Anonymousreply 240February 13, 2021 9:03 AM

R212, I just checked iTunes for The Grand Tour, and it's there in total, including "One Extraordinary Thing." (And I'm in the US)

By the way, I only found it by searching Joel Grey's name. It didn't come up under "The Grand Tour."

by Anonymousreply 241February 13, 2021 9:24 AM

Reba would be a fun Dolly Levi. Not to mention a lot more believable as someone "born Gallagher" than Midler, Streisand or even (yeah I know she wasn't Jewish) Merman.

by Anonymousreply 242February 13, 2021 9:52 AM

[quote]Miss Lanchester just said her two favorite stage roles were Ariel at the Old Vic

I think of her as more of an Ursula.

by Anonymousreply 243February 13, 2021 1:12 PM

If Alfred Drake was first offered the role of the King, I would assume there would have been more (and better) songs for the character than Is a Puzzlement. And I assume he would have commanded top billing with Gertie.

by Anonymousreply 244February 13, 2021 1:31 PM

[quote]Reba would be a fun Dolly Levi. Not to mention a lot more believable as someone "born Gallagher" than Midler, Streisand or even (yeah I know she wasn't Jewish) Merman.

The "nee Gallagher" line was dropped from the movie version. She's simply Dolly Levi.

by Anonymousreply 245February 13, 2021 4:00 PM

Anna won’t be Anne Hathaway. She’ll be British.

by Anonymousreply 246February 13, 2021 4:52 PM

What does "TPOS" stand for?

by Anonymousreply 247February 13, 2021 8:26 PM

[quote]What does "TPOS" stand for?

"They're Playing Our Song," a.k.a. That Piece of Shit from 1979.

by Anonymousreply 248February 13, 2021 8:36 PM

Anna Leonowens will probably be played by a mixed-race actress even though there is no evidence that she was. This theory was first proposed by a biographer over ten years ago simply because Anna's maternal grandmother is not known.

by Anonymousreply 249February 13, 2021 10:24 PM

Jesus, the King and I movie is perfect. Why not remake Carousel or Guys & Dolls, which both suck?

by Anonymousreply 250February 13, 2021 10:43 PM

Speaking of "Tales of The City" what's the latest with Jeff Whitty? Is he still going on social media and torturing Michael Mayer and the producers of "head over heels"? (Remember when Broadway had to pretend the Go-Gos really mattered? The promotional video of Jordan Roth introducing them and acting like they were the Beatles is a camp classic."). I heard he's living in the desert somewhere? Anyone know?

by Anonymousreply 251February 13, 2021 10:47 PM

R251, with the leading the question...

As you obviously know, he was just ranting on Facebook and posted perhaps the longest message I have ever seen. An epic tirade about how mistreated he was by his agent and the Head Over Heels producers and his life was ruined for years, etc. followed by a letter he wrote to Charles Isherwood when he had come to review it out of town. It would take at least 10 separate posts to share it all here and I have better things to do. That’s the gist.

by Anonymousreply 252February 13, 2021 10:52 PM

Speaking of Jordan Roth, WEHT? Social distancing must be killing him.

by Anonymousreply 253February 13, 2021 11:00 PM

R252 New shit. We saw all that at the time.

by Anonymousreply 254February 13, 2021 11:17 PM

I saw Head Over Heels. Other than Bonnie Milligan, it wasn't good...

by Anonymousreply 255February 13, 2021 11:21 PM

I'm not on Facebook r252, so I have no idea wtf you're talking about....

by Anonymousreply 256February 13, 2021 11:22 PM

R256 It is all over the internet. Adult yourself.

by Anonymousreply 257February 13, 2021 11:27 PM

Tallu

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by Anonymousreply 258February 13, 2021 11:50 PM

I feel horrible for that poor Ria Jones. Did she ever have talent? Why did Andrew let that happen?

by Anonymousreply 259February 13, 2021 11:50 PM

R259, Andrew is probably too busy over-orchestrating Cinderella; gotta have the brass section competing with the singers as much as possible.

by Anonymousreply 260February 14, 2021 1:12 AM

I mean, would ANY of us have been talking about Ria Jones had that Sunset Blvd production not just happened? I wouldn't feel too bad for her. Probably raised her profile more than anything else she was going to do at this stage in her career.

by Anonymousreply 261February 14, 2021 1:18 AM

Everything I've heard from ALW's "Cinderella" makes "Stephen Ward" sound like "Hamilton." He's really tired, which given his age, is totally understandable.

by Anonymousreply 262February 14, 2021 2:24 AM

And yet artists like Verdi wrote their masterpieces in their later years.

by Anonymousreply 263February 14, 2021 2:30 AM

Yes, ALW is comparable to Verdi. I see that. That makes great sense.

by Anonymousreply 264February 14, 2021 2:31 AM

Wasn’t ALW’s last hit Sunset Blvd over 20 years ago?

by Anonymousreply 265February 14, 2021 2:35 AM

No, r264, my post contrasted ALW to a great artist like Verdi, not compared him.

by Anonymousreply 266February 14, 2021 2:39 AM

I don't think you can really call Sunset Blvd a hit.

by Anonymousreply 267February 14, 2021 2:42 AM

ALW has made a career out of stealing from the likes of Verdi and Puccini, it's no wonder he's compared to the composers he shamelessly copied.

by Anonymousreply 268February 14, 2021 2:49 AM

I don't care much for ALW, but you start to deal with semantics when you say SB wasn't a hit. I'm not sure whether any of the major productions turned a profit, it was such an expensive show to run, but it was certainly a great crowd pleaser.

by Anonymousreply 269February 14, 2021 2:58 AM

SB was a great crowd-pleaser, there just weren't very big crowds who paid to see it.

by Anonymousreply 270February 14, 2021 3:02 AM

I think SB did better in regional theater. To use an old reference, that's like a movie not doing well at the box office but later finding an audience on home video.

by Anonymousreply 271February 14, 2021 3:18 AM

Shows ultimately turn a profit, or they don't. Unless you're Sondheim, that's pretty much the measure of a success.

I don't think SUNSET was ever profitable, in any production.

by Anonymousreply 272February 14, 2021 4:29 AM

[quote]Not quite several months. Brynner left the show to Drake on April 6, 1953, and returned to the part on June 20th. Two months + two weeks. A *very* generous vacation package, which was not like the old skinflints R&H at all.

After three years I would assume his original contract was over and some good time off was part of his contract negations to re-sign. Plus, if Alfred Drake had agreed to step in, I doubt R&H would have been terribly opposed. Byrnner had become a big name at that point and they were probably anxious to keep him.

But I wasn't there. I'm just guessing.

by Anonymousreply 273February 14, 2021 5:50 AM

I saw Stephen Ward. It was execrable.

by Anonymousreply 274February 14, 2021 6:23 AM

Wasn’t School of Rock a hit?

by Anonymousreply 275February 14, 2021 9:01 AM

I always forget that School Of Rock is an ALW show. And yes, it had a good run.

by Anonymousreply 276February 14, 2021 10:00 AM

It wasn’t a hit. Glenn was.

by Anonymousreply 277February 14, 2021 11:37 AM

For it about the shit that’s School of Rock

by Anonymousreply 278February 14, 2021 11:39 AM

[quote] I saw Stephen Ward. It was execrable.

What? You didn’t like the “Super Doppler Hula Hooper” song?

by Anonymousreply 279February 14, 2021 11:54 AM

Doesn’t Andrew just blatantly steal the Queen of the Night’s aria for School if Rock?

At least this time he stole something that was in the public domain.

by Anonymousreply 280February 14, 2021 11:56 AM

SB is absolutely raking in the royalties from high school productions...

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by Anonymousreply 281February 14, 2021 3:40 PM

I know school are doing it-but isn't it one of the strangest-imaginable shows for them? Older woman, gigolo, silent movies.

by Anonymousreply 282February 14, 2021 3:48 PM

I was being facetious, r282. It's right up there with...

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by Anonymousreply 283February 14, 2021 4:07 PM

Aw, I love high school productions. There's something endearing about them.

by Anonymousreply 284February 14, 2021 4:34 PM

Mine did Oh! Calcutta! and audiences loved it.

by Anonymousreply 285February 14, 2021 4:43 PM

Yes, r284, but shows that have to do with ageing and regrets aren't quite as effective.

by Anonymousreply 286February 14, 2021 4:54 PM

APPLAUSE Jr...

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by Anonymousreply 287February 14, 2021 4:59 PM

[quote]Mine did Oh! Calcutta! and audiences loved it.

Let me know when you find one that's doing "Naked Boys Singing."

by Anonymousreply 288February 14, 2021 5:31 PM

The only reason to see a high school production is to serve as an audience for the students so they can learn.

It’s like jury duty. It’s a social responsibility, and there’s no good complaining about it.

by Anonymousreply 289February 14, 2021 5:33 PM

The degree of fabulousness of high school musicals has always been entirely dependent on the gayness of high choral directors.

by Anonymousreply 290February 14, 2021 8:31 PM

[quote] the gayness of high choral directors

Do they get gayer as they get higher?

by Anonymousreply 291February 14, 2021 9:13 PM

My favorite all-time high school musical was a production I saw many years ago at Brooklyn Technical High School. It was a production of Fidler On The Roof with a heavy-set black student playing Tevye. He was terrific. He didn't play it with a Yiddish approach - he brought full-fledged black humor and delivery to the part. Imagine Redd Foxx, Eddie Murphy, or Kenan Thompson doing their schtick. And it worked! The audience seemed to love it too. I can imagine the backlash if it were done today.

by Anonymousreply 292February 14, 2021 10:04 PM

Re Sunset Boulevard: It has always irked me that they sing "Let's have lunch" because in the U.S. we say "Let's do lunch."

by Anonymousreply 293February 14, 2021 10:14 PM

Like this, r293? Around the 3:30 mark.

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by Anonymousreply 294February 14, 2021 10:21 PM

Hamilton High's Academy of Music in LA put on some incredible shows. Their Singing in the Rain was Broadway calibre. I remembered seeing Reeve Carney and saw Nikka Graff Lanzarone play Nicky in Sweet Charity. Most of the best performers, the leads, never became names or didn't pursue show business but were fantastic talents. The male leads in Singing in the Rain and Crazy For You were fantastic. Ironically, the guys were better than the girls, which is almost never the case in high school musicals.

by Anonymousreply 295February 14, 2021 10:32 PM

[quote]Do they get gayer as they get higher?

Don't we all?

by Anonymousreply 296February 14, 2021 10:38 PM

I've often wondered how some high schools get away with doing a show like Gypsy. Despite the fact that most high school students aren't going to have a clue how to play Rose, isn't it just a little bit skeezy to have an underage girl stripping in front of her teachers, parents, and peers? I know, I know - Gypsy doesn't really show much and might as well be wearing a bathing suit in most productions, but something does seem a little gross about it.

by Anonymousreply 297February 14, 2021 10:55 PM

My high school did Gypsy in '79. I was in the pit orchestra. They cut "Gimmick" and most of the strip sequence. She just walked across the stage and took off a glove for each segment. I remember there also being a ton of cuts in other songs (including “Rose's Turn"), not for content but presumably to make it easier for the actors.

by Anonymousreply 298February 14, 2021 11:06 PM

Those sort of cuts and changes usually violate your licensing contract. You're usually expected to perform the show as written unless you have special permission from the licensing agency and/or the copyright holders.

by Anonymousreply 299February 14, 2021 11:15 PM

Schools and community theaters do this kind of crap all the time. I was the teacher's pet during my 11th grade year of Catholic high school and she had me stay after school and cross out any "damn", "hell", or worse from every script for the musical we were doing that year.

They also say you can't record any performance, but they still do. That'll never change. Even most community theaters will record their shows and keep it in a vault and maybe play it at a cast party later.

by Anonymousreply 300February 14, 2021 11:19 PM

R299 The Junior versions licensed now are edited by the company. Into The Woods is just Act One, i believe.

by Anonymousreply 301February 14, 2021 11:46 PM

R294 Why was it changed? The UK had it right the first time with "Let's do lunch."

by Anonymousreply 302February 15, 2021 12:43 AM

^ they said let's do lunch in the Fifties?

by Anonymousreply 303February 15, 2021 12:52 AM

Junior year in my...distant...youth, we did The King & I and senior year, Sound of Music.

by Anonymousreply 304February 15, 2021 12:53 AM

Beauty and the Beast............high school

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by Anonymousreply 305February 15, 2021 12:56 AM

R301 For INTO THE WOODS Jr. they also changed the lyric "He was robbing me, raping me" to "He was robbing me, harassing me" or the like.

by Anonymousreply 306February 15, 2021 12:57 AM

Yes, r299. But sometimes shows are licensed in different versions and you are expected to perform whichever version you rented according to materials you are provided without changes. (For example, over the years AGYG has been made available in the original 1946 version, the 1966 Lincoln Center version and Bernadette's late 90s revival. I'm too lazy to check what's available now.)

And you are of course absolutely correct that schools and amateur groups frequently made unauthorized changes and it is rare for anything to be done. But very occasionally some productions make big changes and get their rights pulled.

by Anonymousreply 307February 15, 2021 1:00 AM

[quote]Re Sunset Boulevard: It has always irked me that they sing "Let's have lunch" because in the U.S. we say "Let's do lunch."

Perhaps not in 1950.

by Anonymousreply 308February 15, 2021 1:01 AM

^ Sorry, my post at r307 should have been addressed to r301, not r299.

by Anonymousreply 309February 15, 2021 1:02 AM

High school Titanic.

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by Anonymousreply 310February 15, 2021 1:09 AM

R309 So true. We tried to change OXfam when we did Noises Off and no fucking way would it be allowed.

by Anonymousreply 311February 15, 2021 1:13 AM

Years ago Billy Porter spent a year or a semester at a small college as artist in residence. He directed and starred in a student production of Company and played Bobby as an openly gay man. He had to get personal permission from Sondheim to do that. Sondheim granted permission because it was a short, limited run, noncommercial production and he and Porter were friends.

Likewise, years and years ago I saw a wonderful student production of Nine at NYU. They went back to early versions of the script before Tommy Tune became involved. It featured male and female characters and Liliane La Fleur was played as a drag queen. Of course they had to get special permission from Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston and in fact Kopit provided the early draft scripts they worked from.

by Anonymousreply 312February 15, 2021 1:27 AM

I believe the 90's revival version of Cabaret only recently became available to license. You usually just had to pick between the original or the 80's version.

One thing that's always been curious to me is Gypsy. I've been involved with and/or seen several productions of that show and the scripts they license are the original ones from the 50's and they've never made the revised ones available, but every production I saw or was involved in has used the full strip sequence in act 2 that Laurents added for the 70's revival. Is that acceptable since it's obvious Laurents wanted these scenes in there or could they get in trouble for using them?

Or how about with Follies? There are so many different versions of that script floating around and it seems like every production has different bits of dialogue here and there or they cut a line or move it somewhere else.

by Anonymousreply 313February 15, 2021 2:14 AM

I was impressed with this girl's Rose. Also, the kid playing Yonkers was pretty funny.

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by Anonymousreply 314February 15, 2021 2:21 AM

What's going on with these high school musicals that can afford full orchestras? Are they also just high school kids in the pit or are these just high schools in wealthy neighborhoods that can afford to hire a full orchestra?

by Anonymousreply 315February 15, 2021 2:28 AM

Any gossip on Patti and Robert LuPone? Whenever I see Robert mentioned in any interview with Patti, it's in relation to his performance in A Chorus Line and if Patti had any memories of seeing her brother in the show -- which, as I recall, she always responds to positively. But, you never seem to see him at any of her events, premieres etc. And, similarly, it doesn't seem like she ever was there to support him as A.D. of MCC Theatre. Is there some bad blood between them? You'd think siblings who work in the same industry in the same city would have had more interactions over the years.

by Anonymousreply 316February 15, 2021 2:31 AM

I highly recommend Mark Harris bio MIKE NICHOLS; A LIFE, especially to the eldergays here who will remember all of his output. It's chockful of dishy and informative details on every play and film Nichols directed. Seemingly hundreds of colleagues, former wives and (female) lovers from over the years are interviewed. He seemed to work with or know virtually everyone famous in the arts and politics from the second half of the 20th century. Really well-researched 650+ pages! It weighs a ton.

And in case you haven't heard, NIchols' supposed bisexuality and long affair with Richard Avedon are addressed in a long footnote in which Harris explains that he dug for information (I assume he means he asked a lot of NIchols' colleagues about it) but came up with nothing verifiable or substantial. And though Diane Sawyer was not interviewed, the book was done with her approval and, again supposedly, without any constrictions. Unfortunately, his 3 grown children were not interviewed either (by their choice) and they remain somewhat clouded in mystery as adults.

Anyway, buy it! It's worth it.

by Anonymousreply 317February 15, 2021 2:38 AM

[quote] One thing that's always been curious to me is Gypsy. I've been involved with and/or seen several productions of that show and the scripts they license are the original ones from the 50's and they've never made the revised ones available, but every production I saw or was involved in has used the full strip sequence in act 2 that Laurents added for the 70's revival.

Sincere question: Do you mean that the licensed script has the Christmas Tree and not the Garden of Eden strip?

by Anonymousreply 318February 15, 2021 2:43 AM

I went to a high school production of "Curtains" in a very Asian part of LA County; 80% of the cast was Asian.

by Anonymousreply 319February 15, 2021 2:48 AM

Ive said this before, but Joel Schumacher worked with Venice High School Drama. He essentially put up the money for their musicals. Their first was Little Shop of Horrors which had my neighbor's daughter as one of the trio. He was there working with them daily and led the standing ovations at all four performances. He was never unprofessional to any of the boys (and there were some very cute ones). He said in the press that he really wanted to do Dreamgirls after this because the young kids influenced how he wanted to do the beginning of the show. Of course, he never did it, but it was very cool of him to say it.

by Anonymousreply 320February 15, 2021 2:59 AM

So the Avedon biography that talks about his relationship with Nichols is lying? They were just good friends? Then why aren't people calling out the author and saying these guys never had a relationship and were not gay just as a matter of fact?

by Anonymousreply 321February 15, 2021 3:15 AM

The Avedon bio was written by a long time assistant of his, Norma Stevens. Harris maintains that her assertion was essentially hearsay and he could find no one else to confirm or deny it. At the end of that long footnote (p.115), Harris writes:

"I found none (no info). If I had, I would not have considered it to be embarrassing, scandalous, or necessary to suppress - nor was I ever asked to."

Avedon and Nichols did indeed have a long friendship and Harris covers it quite extensively. Avedon was something of a mentor to Nichols teaching him about all the finer (and more expensive) things in life.

by Anonymousreply 322February 15, 2021 3:25 AM

R316, I have always assumed that there must be some VERY bad blood between Patti and Robert LuPone, because they never seem to talk about each other or support each other's careers in terms of being photographed attending each other's shows, etc. It's just not normal for a brother and sister working in the same industry in the same city to behave that way unless they are totally or largely estranged. But of course I have no knowledge of the cause of the estrangement, and I can only speculate that it might have something to do with the fact that one of the siblings has become far more famous and successful than the other. Also might have something to do with the fact that Patti apparently has trouble getting along with people in general, so maybe that might extend to her own flesh and blood.

by Anonymousreply 323February 15, 2021 3:42 AM

R316, I've always assumed that there must be some VERY bad blood between Patti and Robert LuPone, because they never seem to talk about each other or support each other's careers in terms of being photographed attending each other's shows, etc. It's just not normal for a brother and sister working in the same small-world industry in the same city to behave that way unless they are totally or largely estranged. But of course I have no knowledge of the cause of the estrangement, so I can only speculate that it might have something to do with the fact that one of the siblings has become far more famous and successful than the other. Also might have something to do with the fact that Patti apparently has trouble getting along with people in general, so maybe that might extend to her own flesh and blood.

by Anonymousreply 324February 15, 2021 3:44 AM

Sorry for the double post, I got an error message the first time.

by Anonymousreply 325February 15, 2021 3:45 AM

He was robbing me/FISTING me

would scan better

by Anonymousreply 326February 15, 2021 4:14 AM

So I see Broadway's Maria now thinks she's an Instagram model. I'm sure she has a lovely voice given her Juilliard training and the fact that she was cast in the production with very little professional experience, and, I will always 100% support diverse and representational casting, but, how does one say this... she seems to have a lot of... inner beauty.

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by Anonymousreply 327February 15, 2021 5:04 AM

^ She has big tits.

by Anonymousreply 328February 15, 2021 7:07 AM

That Titanic video was from a Christian private school in West Palm Beach, Florida!

Maybe Barron Trump will be starring in their shows soon!

Also: the cast was quite good in that video (with some weaker actors obviously) and quite well sung though the direction was rather flat but....that's a hard show to get much life into.

I wish my high school had had an arts budget that big.

by Anonymousreply 329February 15, 2021 7:12 AM

What other high school can afford to do this publicity trailer?

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by Anonymousreply 330February 15, 2021 1:03 PM

"....that's a hard show to get much life into."

It's more a show about death, r329.

by Anonymousreply 331February 15, 2021 2:27 PM

r321, there are those who are crying BS to Harris and his assertion that Avedon and Nichols were not lovers. Andy Humm for one. I think the book suffers big time from no input from Sawyer and the kids. And I'm skeptical about the integrity of the book considering a cozy relationship, professional and personal , between Kushner/Harris and Nichols/Sawyer.

That being said, the book is a great read.

by Anonymousreply 332February 15, 2021 2:41 PM

Having worked on the live tv version of Grease I think a show that would help draw interest to Broadway would be to give School of Rock the same treatment. Do a live to tv version on the Warner Brothers lot. Kids playing and singing live would be phenomenal. The show has great energy and the kids are fun.

And before anybody starts getting their asshole all blown out, I'm not saying it's a masterpiece, I'm saying it would get families to watch and bring in young people. We need young people to be interested in Broadway if we want it to survive and with young people come parents.

With music programs long gone from most schools School of Rock is a perfect way to lure kids back to an interest in music.

by Anonymousreply 333February 15, 2021 4:10 PM

One more thing, I'd also have someone like Justin Timberlake play Ed Schneebly and maybe get Britney (or Mandy Moore, Christina?) to play Patti.

by Anonymousreply 334February 15, 2021 4:14 PM

I agree with SoR for a tv broadcast. It would be popular, except with the Follies crowd.

by Anonymousreply 335February 15, 2021 4:19 PM

Why are the Follies crowd such theater snobs?

by Anonymousreply 336February 15, 2021 4:20 PM

We aren't snobs, Judy @ r336... we're callous sophisticates.

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by Anonymousreply 337February 15, 2021 4:25 PM

I call you cunts 337.

by Anonymousreply 338February 15, 2021 4:28 PM

My high school did WSS and cast a teacher as Anita. That sucked because it’s a great role that should have gone to a student. They also brought in adult actors from the community to play all of the adult roles like Doc, Krupke, etc.

by Anonymousreply 339February 15, 2021 4:44 PM

I want to see a high school production of 70, GIRLS, 70!

by Anonymousreply 340February 15, 2021 4:48 PM

[quote] They also brought in adult actors from the community to play all of the adult roles like Doc, Krupke

that seems like a good idea and a good way to collaborate with adults while saving the significant parts for the students. The Anita casting on the other hand is unforgivable in a scholastic setting.

by Anonymousreply 341February 15, 2021 6:42 PM

r341 - Face it Laura, she gave the best audition.

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by Anonymousreply 342February 15, 2021 7:37 PM

[quote] We need young people to be interested in Broadway if we want it to survive and with young people come parents.

While I think SoR is a good idea for a TV broadcast, I'm really sick of this particular line of thinking. Yes we need to get young people interested in theater, but not by pandering to their shittiest tastes. We need to figure out how to make them think and be interested in better fare, otherwise we're just going to keep getting jukebox musicals and bad movies turned into shows. This is the party line they used a decade or so ago with books. Oh, the Twilight Series and the Hunger Games series are great because they get kids interested in reading. Sure, in reading crap. If you constantly feed someone refined sugar, they aren't going to develop a taste for organic vegetables. I understand tastes usually develop as one ages, but I'm not so sure that's really happening anymore. I'm kind of tired of every art form catering to the lowest common denominator first and foremost.

by Anonymousreply 343February 15, 2021 8:34 PM

Bravo, R343.

That’s exactly why I hope, when Broadway returns, that it won’t resume putting on crap like Mean Girls which cater to 15 year old girls. And yeah, I don’t want Wicked to return, either. Maybe a renaissance of sorts is on its way. Most likely it isn’t. But in the meantime it’s nice to have something to hope for.

by Anonymousreply 344February 15, 2021 8:46 PM

When I was 12, the first national companies I saw were Fiddler and Man of La Mancha. We went as a school group to Fiddler.

by Anonymousreply 345February 15, 2021 8:55 PM

When I worked for the National Actors Theater many moons ago, Tony Randall always did a matinee performance of each production that was strictly for high school students in low economic areas. On the one hand it was a nightmare because it was a zoo, but on the other hand, it exposed these kids to classic plays, and though they reacted to them in the most base and immature ways, yelling and hooting and displaying no manners whatsoever, they were very engaged. And the teachers cracked skulls if the kids got out of their seats during the show. There was no roaming the theater. You got your seat and you stayed in it until intermission and you got back in your seat before the curtain went up. I always loved those shows. Tony did a lot of things wrong with NAT, but this was one of things he was 100% right about.

by Anonymousreply 346February 15, 2021 9:16 PM

Love that, r346. I did several shows for NAT, too....wonder if we know each other?

I think what we have to realize is that with all the bad behavior of a thousand school kids, there are likely at least 20 or 30 who are rapt and inspired. And that's what counts. Most US regional theaters also do those free matinees for school kids , often from inner cities.

by Anonymousreply 347February 16, 2021 1:13 AM

[quote] Do you mean that the licensed script has the Christmas Tree and not the Garden of Eden strip?

I thought that the Christmas Tree was dropped after Broadway, & that the post Broadway tour (with Merman) used the new material.

by Anonymousreply 348February 16, 2021 1:22 AM

High School Bajour! High School Out of this World! High School Pipe Dream!

by Anonymousreply 349February 16, 2021 1:43 AM

High school Marat/Sade!

by Anonymousreply 350February 16, 2021 1:49 AM

Re Patti and Bobby LuPone, this Playbill article from 1998 addresses their estrangement, but says they’re close again. But who knows about now, since that 23 years ago,

Bobby has a brother, Bill, but there’s no mention of him from either one.

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by Anonymousreply 351February 16, 2021 2:07 AM

"That’s exactly why I hope, when Broadway returns, that it won’t resume putting on crap like Mean Girls which cater to 15 year old girls. And yeah, I don’t want Wicked to return, either. "

A production of Follies set in high school will bring the young people back to Broadway.

by Anonymousreply 352February 16, 2021 2:26 AM

I wonder if that Britney Spears jukebox-fairy tale musical is still a go. You can't deny she's back in the public eye.

by Anonymousreply 353February 16, 2021 2:32 AM

I believe that was called Merrily We Roll Along, r352. And it didn't bring them in back then.

by Anonymousreply 354February 16, 2021 2:39 AM

"Whoop-Up Jr."!

by Anonymousreply 355February 16, 2021 3:39 AM

Bingo, r343. To quote Alan Jay Lerner: Far more dangerous than all that, I think, is the constant and continuing cry, ‘We must attract the youth! Will the young people like it?’ Well, the theatre is not for the young, nor is it for the old. It’s not even for everybody. It’s for people who like the theatre, whatever their age. The people who go to be transported or amused or uplifted or enchanted on the highest possible level—the level that has made the theatre survive the ages.

by Anonymousreply 356February 16, 2021 3:44 AM

R351, thanks for that link. I don't know if I read that article when it was published, and if I did, I didn't remember it. I hope the LuPones are still close, no longer estranged, but if they are still close, one might think one would at least occasionally see photos of them together and/or mentions of each other in their interviews, etc.

by Anonymousreply 357February 16, 2021 3:54 AM

When I was 16 in the mid-'90s, I spent 9 months in a psychiatric hospital, where we put on a production of MAME for the parents/families. Needless to say, considering the setting, rehearsals were often a hassle. We often had kids drop out for petty reasons or were forced to resign if they misbehaved and dropped a level. In the end, the few of us remaining ended up playing multiple roles. It got confusing for us, I can only imagine how the audience full of family members must have thought watching. I cringe on reflection. And it was taped for some reason, so somewhere exists a videotape of this sad performance. LOL

by Anonymousreply 358February 16, 2021 3:55 AM

Also, we would speak our lines and when a song came up, someone would hit play on the tape player and we would lipsynch to the OBCR.

by Anonymousreply 359February 16, 2021 3:59 AM

r357 - yeah, it's possible their paths don't cross professionally, but, I agree, whether it was the original cause or something else, I get the impression the estrangement happened again (and, perhaps, lasted)

by Anonymousreply 360February 16, 2021 4:02 AM

[quote]R161 The rumor was that the casting of Ben Braddock in "The Graduate" came down to [Michael Beckett] and Dustin Hoffman

It was offered to Charles Grodin first, but he thought the salary was too low. (Which he later regretted.)

by Anonymousreply 361February 16, 2021 4:27 AM

R361 then he did THE GRADUATE knockoff THE HEARTBREAK KID, which I don't think did well at the box office.

by Anonymousreply 362February 16, 2021 5:14 AM

R358/r359’s story is terrifying.

Teens. Lip-synching. MAME. In a nuthouse. For parents.

I guess management’s job was to really [italic]break[/italic] them.

by Anonymousreply 363February 16, 2021 5:43 AM

[quote]Teens. Lip-synching. MAME. In a nuthouse. For parents

I'm taking notes as fast as I can.

by Anonymousreply 364February 16, 2021 7:07 AM

[quote] Love that, [R346]. I did several shows for NAT, too....wonder if we know each other? I think what we have to realize is that with all the bad behavior of a thousand school kids, there are likely at least 20 or 30 who are rapt and inspired. And that's what counts. Most US regional theaters also do those free matinees for school kids , often from inner cities.

Hmmm, it's very possible we do. And yes, I wasn't meaning to say that the bad behavior meant they weren't getting anything out of it. I think it's just that they didn't know how to act in a theater setting, which is why it was great that we didn't open those performances to the general public. (I do remember working at a few shows (non-NAT) where a high school group was brought in among the general population and it did not go over well for those audience members.) But the kids' comments were definitely showing they were engaged in at least the story if not the act of going to the theater. However, I think you're right that Tony likely reached maybe 3-5% of those students and got them curious about seeing more theater.

I can remember as a child, the first live performance I ever saw was a children's theater production of Mary Poppins. I was maybe 5, and it completely awed me. My parents were not theatergoers (and we lived in Florida, so there wasn't much opportunity to see live theater). The next show I saw was in elementary school- a friend's family had an extra ticket for the pre-Broadway production of Dreamcoat from 1982. Again, I was completely entranced. In high school, we were taken (as a school) to a production of The Glass Menagerie at the Coconut Grove Playhouse. And I remember going up to Jupiter to see a production of Orphans with Judd Nelson at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theater because I had made arrangements to interview him for my school paper. All of these experiences planted the seeds of love of theater in me so that by the time I got to New York as a teenager, I saw as much as I could and later went on to work in theater.

I also must say that the yearly broadcasts of The Tony Awards made me very curious about and interested in theater as a child. And this was back when they would do scenes from each of the nominated plays, as well as the musicals. The theater seemed to be a place to both learn from and get lost in. Alex Cohen may have foisted a bunch of Love Boat rejects on us every year doing medleys of long ago theater tunes, but he understood there was more to theater than crass commercialism, and when he stopped producing the awards show, much of that was lost.

I'm not so sure that, had I grown up 20 years later, I would have been as drawn to theater as I was then. Who in their right mind could get excited over The Cher Show or a Britney Spears musical (just to name a couple examples)? And I'm not saying Dreamcoat is high art (I saw the 93 revival on Broadway and couldn't believe I had actually liked the show as a kid), but at least I didn't feel marketed to when I saw it.

by Anonymousreply 365February 16, 2021 7:35 AM

Hmmmm....that could be a good topic for a thread.

"What were the first live theater shows you saw as a kid?"

My parents took me to a touring Disney thing in Omaha circa 1970 or so when I was 7 or 8. I don't think it was on ice, but it was done in a large arena. There was a big section of it devoted to Fantasia. Or, was the whole thing Fantasia? I do remember the dancing hippos...and, that scary part "Night on Bald Mountain".

And, I remember seeing the high school theater productions when I was in grade school. But, not much more than that. I lived in a small, rural town in the Midwest. Not tons of theater opportunities. Once I got to high school and could drive, we'd go to see local college shows and shows at Starlight in Kansas City in the summer. Oh, and the high school drama club took field trips; we went to see a road company of A Chorus Line in Omaha circa 1980.

by Anonymousreply 366February 16, 2021 8:30 AM

Side note: one of my favorite parts of any Tony Awards ceremony is when we get the classy Broadway ambassador (formerly Isabelle Stevenson, but it's also been people like Angela Lansbury, Neil Patrick Harris, Judith Light, even Julie Chen) doing the spiel about performances for youth, talkbacks and the importance of seeing a live show.

by Anonymousreply 367February 16, 2021 12:15 PM

r358/r359 was it a straight —> gay conversion camp? Did it work?

by Anonymousreply 368February 16, 2021 1:13 PM

Random question: I heard that the Kelli O “South Pacific” had two naked sailors running out of the shower just before the “Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” number.

True? Who? Pics?

by Anonymousreply 369February 16, 2021 1:38 PM

[quote]I do remember working at a few shows (non-NAT) where a high school group was brought in among the general population and it did not go over well for those audience members. But the kids' comments were definitely showing they were engaged in at least the story if not the act of going to the theater. However, I think you're right that Tony likely reached maybe 3-5% of those students and got them curious about seeing more theater.

Yes, it's great when theaters make shows accessible to young audiences -- but yes, at the risk of restating the obvious, it's best when they devote entire performances to kids, rather than inviting an entire class to a regular performance that also has adults in the audience. Those kids matinees can become VERY raucous, and the actors need to understand that as difficult as it may be for them to perform amid catcalls, whoops, and kids yelling things out during the show, it's hopefully worth it because at least some of the kids are very much engaged in the show anyway, and some of them may actually develop a love of theater through early exposure. I would advise, if possible, to give them a show that doesn't have any kissing or sexual content in it, because that can literally stop a show that's being performed for middle-schoolers or high schoolers :-)

[quote]I heard that the Kelli O “South Pacific” had two naked sailors running out of the shower just before the “Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” number.

Yeah, I've always been amazed that Bart Sher got away with that. I guess he had already become so successful and powerful at that point that no one questioned that bit, though it might not fly today in the #metoo era. I think I know who one of the naked guys was, but I'm not sure, so I won't name him.

by Anonymousreply 370February 16, 2021 3:30 PM

I picture it being Nurse Ratched's dream role, r363. I can't imagine who she would have cast as her Vera.

by Anonymousreply 371February 16, 2021 3:42 PM

I'm sure it was just an homage to Josh Logan, r369.

by Anonymousreply 372February 16, 2021 3:44 PM

Would those South Pacific butt scenes really be outlawed today? Jesus? Have we regressed back to the 1950s?

by Anonymousreply 373February 16, 2021 4:21 PM

r370, I don't get why you wouldn't name the actor who played the naked sailor? Was it illegal? Immoral? Humiliating? He probably LOVED the attention and being chosen to do it. Though knowing Bart Sher, I doubt it was a particularly sexy actor..

by Anonymousreply 374February 16, 2021 4:39 PM

I believe one of the naked sailors was Nick Mayo.

by Anonymousreply 375February 16, 2021 4:52 PM

Why is it bad to show a naked sailor on stage? Plenty of shows have nudity.

As for trying to attract the youth to theatre, it's a losing battle. They'll either be into the show or they won't. Trying to dumb things down won't help and might even feel more condescending. As a teenager, I loved all kinds of shows and very few of them were about people my age. I loved My Fair Lady and Sweeney Todd and Gypsy and so many of the classics. If it's a good story, it's a good story and it'll pull you in. Of course, with age, you start to pick up on many nuances you never got when you were younger which just proves how great these shows are. They make you feel different emotions depending on where you are in life. I'm sure Follies plays different to a 22 year old than it does to a 52 year old.

by Anonymousreply 376February 16, 2021 4:54 PM

Hold the Mayo!

by Anonymousreply 377February 16, 2021 4:55 PM

Played the same to me at 15 as it does now, r376.

by Anonymousreply 378February 16, 2021 4:57 PM

From Broadway thread #411:

Kushner could write about Trump by revisiting Joe Pitt. It would be interesting to see Joe see his ideals shredded by the MAGA. Of course, that depends on what happened to Joe after the 90s. I’d be curious to see it, as Kushner was harsher on Joe than Roy Cohn.

—Anonymous

reply 204

After I saw the brilliant original production of “Angels in America” at the Mark Taper Forum in L.A. in 1992, I wrote to author Kushner to thank him. I told him how his play affected me, especially since several details of the characters and events mirrored details of my own life, in exactly the same location and time period.

I most identified with the character of tormented, closeted Joe Pitt, and asked what became of him, since he disappears before play’s end. Since so many details of his life had been similar to mine, I even gave Kushner permission to later say he got divorced, came out, git sober, and moved to Kaua’i, where he became director of Malama Pono Kaua’i AIDS Project.

Curiously, Kushner actually wrote back, where, among other things, he said, “I don’t know what Joe does after PERESTROIKA ends, to tell you the truth - - I may write about that some day. I doubt that it’ll be anything as glorious as going to Hawaii. Spiritual healing is definitely in order for him, but I tend to subscribe to the slow-motion model of human change, and even though I believe he’s been changed mightily by the events in ANGELS, I suspect that Joe has a few years of great confusion, and probably many mistakes, before arriving at a better place.”

I also wonder how Joe reacted to the MAGA era. He was mired in the beginnings of it when last we saw him.

by Anonymousreply 379February 16, 2021 5:31 PM

Was that when Mayo was with Papi or had he moved on to publicist Michael Heartman who he's now married to?

by Anonymousreply 380February 16, 2021 6:44 PM

My first experience of theatre was in grade school when a touring children's theatre company came through my little W. Pennsylvania town. I think they staged fairy tales or something, but I have a very clear memory of a terrific lighting effect when one of the characters was turned into solid gold (it may have been my first gay gasp). I remember seeing the local high schools' musicals (Brigadoon; South Pacific; Hello, Dolly!; Guys and Dolls), but my first Broadway show (on Broadway) was the original production, if not the original cast, of 1776. (I may have gay gasped again at the final tableau.)

by Anonymousreply 381February 16, 2021 6:57 PM

Wasn't Mayo "discovered" by Joe Mantello? Or was that in between Papi and Hartman?

by Anonymousreply 382February 16, 2021 7:02 PM

Is anyone else here aware of this? I wasn't. A second film version of How to Succeed, a TV movie produced produced by Abe 8urrows in 1975.

Note Sammy Smith plays Twimble. He played that part in the OBC and in the 1967 film.

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by Anonymousreply 383February 16, 2021 7:05 PM

[quote]but I have a very clear memory of a terrific lighting effect when one of the characters was turned into solid gold (it may have been my first gay gasp).

If not, it was probably your first coup de theatre.

by Anonymousreply 384February 16, 2021 7:29 PM

r383 I never miss an Alan Bursky musical.

by Anonymousreply 385February 16, 2021 7:30 PM

[quote] Those kids matinees can become VERY raucous, and the actors need to understand that as difficult as it may be for them to perform amid catcalls, whoops, and kids yelling things out during the show, it's hopefully worth it because at least some of the kids are very much engaged in the show anyway, and some of them may actually develop a love of theater through early exposure. I would advise, if possible, to give them a show that doesn't have any kissing or sexual content in it, because that can literally stop a show that's being performed for middle-schoolers or high schoolers :-)

I can't speak for every actor, and I'm sure there are those who don't enjoy it, but I can say with some certainty that the companies at NAT got a lot of gratification from these performances. And we had to get up at the crack of ass (for a theater company) to put these shows on because they started at 10am or thereabouts. They weren't a regular 2pm matinee. So any grumbling by the company beforehand pretty much disappeared when they heard the response of the kids. Actors love to know that what they're doing is provoking a (positive) reaction, in any form, so the company may have been a little thrown off in their timing by the responses, but those responses absolutely fed them, and by the end of the performance, there was no more complaining about getting up early.

by Anonymousreply 386February 16, 2021 7:47 PM

R383 This sounds like a half-hour, non-musical TV pilot for a potential comedy series that never happened. IMDB indicates that it was aired in summer '75.

by Anonymousreply 387February 16, 2021 8:15 PM

R387, I just noticed IMDB gives it a 30 minute running time but it also describes it as a TV Movie. That's contradictory. IMDB also credits Frank Loesser with music and lyrics.

by Anonymousreply 388February 16, 2021 8:26 PM

Here's what Wikipedia says about that TV How to Succeed:

"Television adaptation The musical was adapted by Burrows for a television production starring Alan Bursky, Susan Blanchard and Larry Haines, directed by Burt Brinckerhoff. The production aired as an ABC Comedy Special on June 27, 1975."

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by Anonymousreply 389February 16, 2021 8:40 PM

Thanks for the HOW TO SUCCEED info. I had never, ever heard of this production. I am confused by the 30-minute running time, but maybe that's just an error.

by Anonymousreply 390February 16, 2021 9:31 PM

The TV production was a pilot for a potential sitcom. There were no songs. That's why it's a half hour.

by Anonymousreply 391February 16, 2021 9:32 PM

The first play I saw was Ten Little Indians. I was maybe 8. It was at this theater. Years later, I saw Sandy Dennis & Gary Merrill in Born Yesterday and Shelley in Gamma Rays there.

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by Anonymousreply 392February 16, 2021 10:05 PM

r292: Glad to hear that the casting worked. [italic]Fiddler[/italic] has always had a kind of universality about it, historically speaking. I personally think it's because it's the kind of story every culture experiences, especially in terms of the undercurrent of the relentless influence of the modern world clashing with the traditional values of the old days. As Joel Grey, who recently directed the brilliant Yiddish production, put it, "It works in so many languages -- and everyone thinks it's about them." I'm reminded of the story the late author, Joe Stein, told of seeing the show in Tokyo and being asked by an audience member, "Do they understand [italic]Fiddler[/italic] in America? It's so Japanese."

It also reminds me of racially charged casting I once wanted to do that would've been similar, likely more controversial, but probably would have shown new light on the work, especially in current times -- casting the Jews as black, and the Russians as white. (I'm often criticized by colleagues for wanting to make everything black, but if they want to cry "realism," nobody ever kvetched about how an all-black [italic]Hello, Dolly![/italic] was unrealistic; it was just accepted as a culture telling the story in their own terms visually. Same here.)

by Anonymousreply 393February 16, 2021 10:06 PM

[quote]The TV production was a pilot for a potential sitcom. There were no songs. That's why it's a half hour.

Thanks. I thought that's what it might be, but Frank Loesser is credited for the songs on imdb. Maybe they used one of the songs for the credits, and/or maybe some of the music as background scoring. Or maybe they just had to credit Loesser contractually even if they didn't use any of his music or lyrics.

by Anonymousreply 394February 16, 2021 10:11 PM

Oops, wrong thread. Anyway, r389... Polly Rowles as Miss Jones!

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by Anonymousreply 395February 16, 2021 10:15 PM

r343 While I understand where you are coming from I don't think you are being realistic about young audiences today. Some young people may be able to appreciate classic musical theater shows (whatever you think those are) but most will not. School of Rock is not a jukebox musical, it's an "original" rock musical in which the kids starring actually are highly proficient at the instruments they play. I think seeing other kids playing instruments and singing and dancing will inspire other kids.

I'm an elder gay, I grew up with music programs in school and funding for the arts, these things do not exist today and that is part of the reason content in music and the arts isn't up to the caliber we used to enjoy.

SOR is not a magic pill, no one show would be but it will inspire some young people to sing, dance, play music and maybe even be rebellious. The show IS about kids finding their passion and being willing to go against authority to be able to express themselves. I think that's the perfect thing for a young audience to see right about now, on live television.

by Anonymousreply 396February 16, 2021 11:53 PM

I saw that How To Succeed Pilot. I was 13. I had seen the original film and when I stumbled upon the pilot, recognized the material right away. It basically is the show from the opening through the mail room scene but with the music taken out and reduced to underscoring. I was hoping we'd get the next part the next week but it was never picked up or continued.

by Anonymousreply 397February 17, 2021 12:06 AM

I think the thing about School of Rock that might turn off older posters here is that it's a musical about kids today, regardless of the talent involved.

When I was a kid in the 1960s and first started attending Broadway shows, I was enthralled to see musicals that WEREN'T about me and the narrow world I endured. Hello Dolly!, Funny Girl, Fiddler on the Roof, Sweet Charity, Mame, Cabaret, The Apple Tree, and even lesser efforts like Baker Street, Golden Boy, Hallelujah, Baby!, and, of course, films of My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Thoroughly Modern Millie, etc..

You all get the idea, I'm sure. It was all about being transported into another world.

by Anonymousreply 398February 17, 2021 12:15 AM

Maybe you two eldergays need glasses. I didn't complain about SOR specifically, and even said I thought it was a good idea for a televised show. Nor did I put the blame squarely on jukebox musicals or claim SOR was a jukebox musical.

by Anonymousreply 399February 17, 2021 2:11 AM

R229, yes. It might have played less as a soap opera if the characters were more like recognizably real people placed in the real world instead of upscale fantasy figure.

You know, like Miller and Williams used to do it.

by Anonymousreply 400February 17, 2021 2:44 AM

Some almost terrifyingly powerful singing from Betty in "Song & Dance"

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by Anonymousreply 401February 17, 2021 3:14 AM

And some typically great singing by Miss Cook in a show seen by few:

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by Anonymousreply 402February 17, 2021 3:16 AM

I never miss an Arthur Hill musical. Or a Viveca Lindfors musical. "Something More!" had both.

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by Anonymousreply 403February 17, 2021 4:00 AM

Wow thanks for posting that R401. I didn’t recall La Buckley had taken over from Bernie. I loved that show when I was a gayling and listening to Betty song it just now was a real treat. Thank you! 🙏🏼

by Anonymousreply 404February 17, 2021 7:24 AM

R404 - I love both those ladies, but it's hard to pick who had the worst English accent.

by Anonymousreply 405February 17, 2021 7:26 AM

FUNNY [GOLDEN] GIRL!

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by Anonymousreply 406February 17, 2021 7:27 AM

R405 Too true, too true. ☺️

by Anonymousreply 407February 17, 2021 8:53 AM

R405/R407 🙄

One difference I noticed between Americans and British is that Americans are more forgiving when Brits attempt their accents. Americans are usually "Close enough" while Brits are often "That's not even close." Thus, an American could be right on the money, but a Brit would never give them their due.

by Anonymousreply 408February 17, 2021 6:51 PM

Broadway’s closure exposes its sway on the economic ecosystem.

PBS news

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by Anonymousreply 409February 17, 2021 8:11 PM

R402, apparently Vivica Lindfors in a musical was something no one wanted. She was fired early on in the tryout and replaced with Joan Copeland, who opened the show in NYC.

by Anonymousreply 410February 17, 2021 10:01 PM

There have been some excellent American accents by Brits & Aussies. Rachel Griffiths, so good that it's always a shock that she's not American. Nicole Kidman, though she was born in the US. Colin Firth. Andrew Scott. Michelle Dockery and Dan Stevens have both perfected theirs, but didn't have it right out of the gate. Michael Sheen does a good American. On the opposite side, of course, is Streep. Megan Dodds, the American actress who was one of the stepsisters in Ever After, did a spot-on Brit in one of the Poirot episodes. Renee Zellweger was praised for her Brit in the Bridget Jones movies. Oh, and Ben Schnetzer did a great Brit in Pride.

More interesting are non- native English speakers who attempt American accents. Isabel Adjani, for one, in Diabolique. Gael Garcia Bernal in The King. Connie Nielson. Diane Kruger.

by Anonymousreply 411February 17, 2021 10:25 PM

What did you expect? What did you *reasonably* expect?

by Anonymousreply 412February 17, 2021 10:31 PM

I'm no longer impressed by Brit actors scoring points (particularly with critics/the press) with their "flawless" American accents. Enough already.

Hire American talent for American productions. Particularly when most actors are struggling to survive in this pandemic.

by Anonymousreply 413February 17, 2021 10:39 PM

Kate Winslet is the queen of the perfect Aussie accent. Even the way she moves her mouth is right.

Nicole Kidman left the US at four, and certainly had no trace of an American accent when she began acting in Australia, but I take your point that having heard it so early might make it easier for her to adopt it again later. Mel Gibson, on the other hand, never sounded fully Australian: not even in his early stage work.

R408, many Brits still believe themselves to be Henry Higgins.

by Anonymousreply 414February 17, 2021 10:39 PM

Matthew McFadyen (Brit) and Sarah Snook (Aussie) have perfect American accents in Succession.

by Anonymousreply 415February 17, 2021 11:18 PM

Both of those Succession actors are great and totally convincing....but the idea that those roles couldn't have been EASILY filled by American actors is ludicrous.

by Anonymousreply 416February 18, 2021 12:09 AM

Elle Fanning does a superlative British accent in The Great.

by Anonymousreply 417February 18, 2021 1:28 AM

Elle Fanning doesn't do anything superlative.

by Anonymousreply 418February 18, 2021 2:21 AM

Nicolas Hoult’s backside is superlative in THE GREAT

by Anonymousreply 419February 18, 2021 5:29 AM

I can’t believe Hoult was that dorky kid who played opposite Hugh Grant in About a Boy. My how he blossomed.

by Anonymousreply 420February 18, 2021 1:54 PM

Catherine Zeta-Jones' American accent is pretty good, as is her "to the manor born" vs her "mumbles, Swansea" accent

by Anonymousreply 421February 18, 2021 3:59 PM

So I'm the guy who posted about Mark Harris' MIKE NICHOLS bio somewhere above, and while I'd still highly recommend it to any serious student of the modern theater and film history, the last third of the book is a bit of a slog as Mike keeps on taking on unworthy projects like REGARDING HENRY, WOLF and WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM and worthy projects that he fucked up like DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, THE DESIGNATED MOURNER and THE COUNTRY GIRL.

I was genuinely surprised by how many of his films were huge flops, if not critically then financially. He had more success on Broadway, commercially and critically, but was always chastised by critics like Kerr and Rich for not taking on better material.

Examples of his nasty glibness are not spared by Harris, and while a lot of it can be fascinating reading, it also eventually becomes relentless and tiresome. He was an incredibly complicated man, hopelessly depressed, no doubt about it, and it gets to the reader after a while.

by Anonymousreply 422February 18, 2021 8:50 PM

^ The closet drives them crazy

by Anonymousreply 423February 18, 2021 9:19 PM

[quote] Examples of his nasty glibness

Can you share a couple of the best?

by Anonymousreply 424February 18, 2021 9:40 PM

Tony Awards Nominees May Suffer Due To Delay In Voting:

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by Anonymousreply 425February 18, 2021 10:29 PM

Well, there's suffering...

by Anonymousreply 426February 18, 2021 10:39 PM

Where's the ubiquitous Darfur Orphan for comment?

by Anonymousreply 427February 19, 2021 12:53 AM

Stuffing his face at Sardis.

by Anonymousreply 428February 19, 2021 8:21 AM

Is that flop show where Barbara met Arthur Hill (who ruined her life)?

by Anonymousreply 429February 19, 2021 9:10 AM

Yes R429 that’s the one. I haven’t listened to the link yet. Is the score any good?

by Anonymousreply 430February 19, 2021 12:25 PM

No one will forget MY play. I've been called a genius, you know.

by Anonymousreply 431February 19, 2021 12:53 PM

I worked with Arthur Hill in the late 1970s. Handsome man, very sweet and respectful of his colleagues, though a rather dull actor.

by Anonymousreply 432February 19, 2021 1:26 PM

r430, on one listening it sounds like a score that is given a lot more quality then it deserves by Cook's singing.

by Anonymousreply 433February 19, 2021 2:07 PM

I read Cook's memoir, but I don't remember her writing about this...

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by Anonymousreply 434February 19, 2021 2:37 PM

Hill did a tv series back in the 70s. OWEN MARSHALL COUNSELOR AT LAW. Even as a kid I thought he was a big bore. Maybe he was better on stage.

by Anonymousreply 435February 19, 2021 3:57 PM

On his resume...

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by Anonymousreply 436February 19, 2021 4:05 PM

Liza Minnelli to Celebrate 75th Birthday With Star-Studded Streaming Party:

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by Anonymousreply 437February 19, 2021 4:10 PM

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1992, "Crazy For You" opened at the Shubert Theatre.

by Anonymousreply 438February 19, 2021 4:12 PM

Arthur Hill sounds great in the original cast recording of Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

by Anonymousreply 439February 19, 2021 5:55 PM

Does anyone know the current "state" of Liza? How is her health, her hips, etc...She's a survivor, that's for sure...

by Anonymousreply 440February 19, 2021 6:10 PM

Well R 440.....Please pony up 30 collars and get back to us.... I want a full report!

And DL......please give Seth and James StarsInTheHouse ideas on how to counterprogram on Liza's nights!

......especially after she stole their schtick to make a buck!

by Anonymousreply 441February 19, 2021 7:48 PM

I love Liza, but $30 for what seems like it’s just gonna be a bunch of pre-recorded video messages and no guarantee of Liza herself even appearing is not a very enticing proposition.

by Anonymousreply 442February 19, 2021 8:52 PM

New "Anyone Can Whistle" In Town

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by Anonymousreply 443February 19, 2021 9:24 PM

Does Seth have an onlyfans site or is he still trying to get work off that director he was dating?

by Anonymousreply 444February 19, 2021 9:27 PM

To correct something posted in the TPOS thread, which is paywalled, it wasn't Same Time Next Year where Morty Gottlieb payed back his investors opening night. It was Tribute with Jack Lemon. Morty sold the film right rights with Lemon starring as a package when the show was out of town, which allowed him to pay back his investors opening night.

The other poster described Morty as "classy." Well, I really liked Morty but he was the cheapest man I ever met His Fire Island studio co-op was furnished entirely with items he reclaimed from his neighbors trash. Don't get me wrong. I have no idea what he was like professionally (other than he would rarely read a script that had more than two characters and a unit set) but he was very sweet and likeable socially. But he was a very private man. I often suspected some pain underneath.

by Anonymousreply 445February 20, 2021 12:50 AM

^ Paid, not payed. Sorry.

by Anonymousreply 446February 20, 2021 12:58 AM

R445 Don't knock scavenging especially when it's people with money and people with money in resort towns.

Really nice shit in good shape gets tossed to the curb when they no longer need it.

by Anonymousreply 447February 20, 2021 1:09 AM

Watching Debbie on Dick Cavett. She was touring around in the Debbie Reynolds Show. She just demonstrated the difference between her Zsa Zsa and her Eva. She was explaining why she was buying the costumes at the studio auctions and apparently she was borrowing the money to do so. Also on the show: Pancho Gonzalez, Senator Fred Harris and Sly & the Family Stone.

by Anonymousreply 448February 20, 2021 1:29 AM

I wish Debbie had played Carlotta in the last Follies revival. I heard it was offered but she declined.

by Anonymousreply 449February 20, 2021 2:27 AM

I think that new recording of Anyone Can Whistle is a bore. It takes a lot of gall to record something & not release it for nearly 20 years.

by Anonymousreply 450February 20, 2021 3:08 AM

[quote][R445] Don't knock scavenging especially when it's people with money and people with money in resort towns. Really nice shit in good shape gets tossed to the curb when they no longer need it.

I read that as r445 not bashing scavengers in general, but rather commenting on Morty in particular, r447, and oh, hell, yes to scavenging. As a gayling, I paired with a buddy with a van and we worked the upper west side on garbage days. We each kept what we wanted, but our 1st stop was Second Hand Rose, who usually took everything for ready cash. If they didn't, then we went to vintage clothing shops, prop shops, even electronic stores (boomboxes. Remember those?). We made a small fortune.

I still own some Wedgewood china from those days, and some very fine silverware, including knives. No full sets, but we seldom need more than 2. I own a verified Louis Comfort Tiffany lamp (it was broken, yes, but seriously, wtf throws away stuff like this?). I also have a complete vintage morning suit, and many fine men's shirts. Lots of nice cufflinks and studs.

Just to keep this Broadway, I also scavenged a spiral staircase from a Broadway show that is now in my house, and lots of other furniture (Eames chair. Camel saddle. I also funneled a lot of other stuff destined to dumpsters to people who could use it. Waste not, want not.

Papermill Playhouse's Can Can cast was Kate Baldwin/La Mome Pistache, Michael Berresse/Hilaire Jussac, Jason Danieley/Judge Aristide Forestier, Greg Hildreth/Boris Adzinidzinadze, Michael Kostroff/Jean-Louis, Mark Price/Hercule), Justin (Squigs) Robertson/Etienne, and Megan Sikora/Claudine. Jason Danieley sword-fighting with Michael Berresse was a sight to see. A flawed show, to be sure, but a pity it never made it to Broadway, even if only for a minute.

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by Anonymousreply 451February 20, 2021 3:31 AM

[quote]I think that new recording of Anyone Can Whistle is a bore. It takes a lot of gall to record something & not release it for nearly 20 years.

And the oily, sniveling, loathsome producer, when asked point blank WHY it took so long to release the album, said something like, "The honest answer is that I simply became too busy with other projects." First of all, if that WERE the real reason, it would mark him as totally incompetent, because -- duh!!! -- one of the primary functions of a producer is to get the product out there in a timely manner. But anyway, I strongly suspect he's lying through his teeth, and the real reason is that the pathetic loser couldn't get enough money together to release the damn thing. So he let it stay in the can for MORE THAN 20 YEARS.

by Anonymousreply 452February 20, 2021 3:34 AM

You seem to be awfully angry about the release of a serviceable recording of a second-tier Sondheim score, R452.

by Anonymousreply 453February 20, 2021 3:52 AM

R453, just that a producer can get away with not releasing a recording for more than 20 years, then lie about the reason, and almost nobody calls him on it. I really don't care much about the recording itself, either way, even though some of the acolytes are treating is as a gift from God. (But I think that's largely because people are so starved for any new content during the pandemic.)

by Anonymousreply 454February 20, 2021 3:58 AM

Haven't there been a number of anticipated show recordings made over the years that never got released? I'm thinking right now of a complete recording of Victor Herbert's original Babes in Toyland conducted by John McGlinn that was known to exist but is now in some kind or 20 or 30 year limbo. Was there a McGlinn Naughty Marietta or am I confusing that with something else?

Anybody know anything else about any known to have been recorded shows in limbo?

by Anonymousreply 455February 20, 2021 4:49 AM

Back in the 1980s or 90s the Smithsonian announced a project to record a series of famous American operettas and musicals that had never had complete recordings. I know the that the first, Naughty Marietta, was completed because I have it on cassette in an elaborate box set and I'm pretty sure there was a vinyl release at the same time. But it has never been released on CD or for streaming and seems to have disappeared. It's a shame because it's the only complete recording with the original orchestrations and it's a total delight.

I've always assumed the financing dried up but have often wondered exactly what happened and whether anything else got recorded.

by Anonymousreply 456February 20, 2021 5:23 AM

R454 - okay. But, I still don't understand the outrage. What did the producer "get away with"? You're acting as though he swindled people or something. Anyway, if this is something you need to be upset about, so be it.

by Anonymousreply 457February 20, 2021 8:14 AM

Wait, someone is complaining about a smarmy cast album producer and it’s not me?

by Anonymousreply 458February 20, 2021 10:28 AM

Anyone else listening to the new podcast on the Sunset Blvd saga? It’s actually very good

by Anonymousreply 459February 20, 2021 12:35 PM

[Quote] I think that new recording of Anyone Can Whistle is a bore. It takes a lot of gall to record something & not release it for nearly 20 years.

There’s a good reason it took that long

by Anonymousreply 460February 20, 2021 12:36 PM

RELEASE NAUGHTY MARIETTA NOW!

by Anonymousreply 461February 20, 2021 12:39 PM

r459 have any useful information for us? What's the name of the podcast? What's good about it? You know, the kinds of things you learned were required when giving your 4th-grade book reports.

by Anonymousreply 462February 20, 2021 1:06 PM

It would be wonderful to have some good recordings of the Victor Herbert operettas. I'm not aware of any.

by Anonymousreply 463February 20, 2021 1:32 PM

I'd heard that there are recordings of several ENCORES productions that have never been released, mostly because of financing.

That's a shame. When ENCORES first started, they recorded and released CDs of many (but not all) of their productions. I used to collect them all.

by Anonymousreply 464February 20, 2021 2:03 PM

Can someone explain why original cast recordings are so expensive?

Not merely Broadway shows, where they have the musicians' union and contracts to contend with, but even off-Bway and off-off-Bway shows? One would think that digital technology means you could do a multi-track recording anywhere, over any time period. But I've now heard several theatremakers say that their shows had never been recorded because of the expense.

by Anonymousreply 465February 20, 2021 2:10 PM

[quote]Haven't there been a number of anticipated show recordings made over the years that never got released? I'm thinking right now of a complete recording of Victor Herbert's original Babes in Toyland conducted by John McGlinn that was known to exist but is now in some kind of 20 or 30 year limbo.

I think it's very unusual for a recording to actually be completed and then remain unreleased. The BABES IN TOYLAND you mentioned is a notable but rare example of that. Not sure what the specific problem was/is. Maybe McGlinn's death had something to do with it. But the producer of ANYONE CAN WHISTLE album is not dead..... Anyway, the entire BABES IN TOYLAND is available through YouTube, if you don't already know that. See link.

[quote]I still don't understand the outrage. What did the producer "get away with"? You're acting as though he swindled people or something.

I wouldn't say my level of outrage over this is equivalent to my feelings about Donald Trump or Rush Limbaugh or Ted Cruz, but I just hate it when someone behaves incompetently, then lies about what happened, and somehow gets a pass for all of that. Interesting that you seem to feel there's nothing wrong with a producer not being able to get it together to release an album until about 23 YEARS after it was begun and most of it was recorded, as long as he didn't "swindle" anyone. I sure hope you yourself are not a producer.

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by Anonymousreply 466February 20, 2021 3:18 PM

[quote]There’s a good reason it took that long .

Would love any solid info on that. One thing clear is that the reason the producer gave is BS.

[quote]I'd heard that there are recordings of several ENCORES productions that have never been released, mostly because of financing.

I don't think there were any cast albums recorded in a studio that haven't been released, but I seem to recall it was reported that, when City Center was renovated, they installed a system to make high-quality archival recordings of all the shows done thereafter, which they could then release when/if the rights were cleared and deals were worked out.

by Anonymousreply 467February 20, 2021 3:29 PM

So, there's a pandemic. There are no shows. We are bored and horny. We could talk about cast recordings of operettas, but that doesn't not help either malady. Who has sex stories or rumors or fantasies or sex questions about Broadway folk? Please.

by Anonymousreply 468February 20, 2021 3:39 PM

Didn't it take many years for the "One Touch Of Venus" with Mrs. McEnroe to be released? Was it good? It was pretty expensive to buy.

by Anonymousreply 469February 20, 2021 3:46 PM

Patty Smyth, r469?

by Anonymousreply 470February 20, 2021 3:51 PM

[quote]the "One Touch Of Venus" with Mrs. McEnroe

I don't get this, either. Melissa Errico did ONE TOUCH OF VENUS at Encores, and she was stunning. It was finally released in 2014.

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by Anonymousreply 471February 20, 2021 3:55 PM

Errico

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by Anonymousreply 472February 20, 2021 4:13 PM

[quote]Didn't it take many years for the "One Touch Of Venus" with Mrs. McEnroe to be released?

Yes. And, ummm, guess who produced it? I hope some of you are beginning to see my point.

by Anonymousreply 473February 20, 2021 4:22 PM

I see that at one point during DEATHTRAP's run, Robert Reed played Sidney. Did any eldergays catch a performance?

by Anonymousreply 474February 20, 2021 4:31 PM

Ohio Light Opera has recorded several Victor Herbert operettas, all available on Amazon and YouTube. Most are delightful, with many choice moments. I particularly like EILEEN.

by Anonymousreply 475February 20, 2021 4:33 PM

What Broadway needs now is a musical about Beyonce's life just like they did for Donna Summer, Carol King and Tina Turner.

by Anonymousreply 476February 20, 2021 4:46 PM

[quote]What Broadway needs now is a musical about Beyonce's life just like they did for Donna Summer, Carol King and Tina Turner.

I'd certainly put that at the top of my must-miss list.

by Anonymousreply 477February 20, 2021 4:47 PM

No but I did see Robert Reed nkd in Doubles. Very handsome and in great shape. Cliff Gorman looked pretty hot, too.

by Anonymousreply 478February 20, 2021 4:52 PM

Jay Records is famous for taking forever to release some of their recordings. I believe the label also has a complete Fiddler that hasn’t been released. Their complete recordings of shows are nice but sometimes a bit staid or weirdly cast. Cleo Laine’s daughter was a big dud as Charity in Jay’s complete Sweet Charity. I suspect the delayed release are because of money problems or maybe the owner of the label is disorganized or a perfectionist. Regardless, I can’t understand why anyone is getting worked up about the delays.

by Anonymousreply 479February 20, 2021 5:07 PM

The producer at JAY Records also famously used to lure the hot new guys on the scene in the West End with indulgent solo albums - John Barrowman, Sean MacDermott, Graham Buckley, Darren Day, etc.. The album photos/drawings for MacDermott’s alone have to be seen to be believed...

by Anonymousreply 480February 20, 2021 5:24 PM

A pretty girl...

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by Anonymousreply 481February 20, 2021 5:33 PM

R478 Can you describe the nudity in "Doubles" when you saw it? I missed the replacement cast. I saw John Cullum (I don't know if he was really nude, since there was some kind of obstruction when he was facing downstage at one point). Austin Pendleton was the only one full-frontal (I think Charles Repole replaced him -- how was he?); Tony Roberts had a big ass, and Ron Leibman was pretty hairy, though I had already seen his butt in "Where's Poppa?" movie. Robert Reed probably would have played Roberts' role. How did he look? I think the replacement cast also had Keir Dullea and Cliff Gorman.

by Anonymousreply 482February 20, 2021 5:34 PM

[quote]Jay Records is famous for taking forever to release some of their recordings.

Exactly. Here's what I should have written above: "I think it's very unusual for a recording to actually be completed and then remain unreleased -- unless we're talkind about Jay Records."

[quote]I suspect the delayed release are because of money problems or maybe the owner of the label is disorganized or a perfectionist. Regardless, I can’t understand why anyone is getting worked up about the delays.

Maybe if you were one of the artists involved, you might have a better understanding of why it's extremely annoying and frustrating, to say the least, to make a recording and then see 10 or 20 or more years pass before it's released because the producer can't get it together, no matter what the specific reasons for the huge delay. But even if you aren't involved at all and are just a consumer, I should think you'd be peeved to know that a complete recording of a show is sitting somewhere and can't be released due to money problems or disorganization or sheer incompetence or whatever.

by Anonymousreply 483February 20, 2021 5:41 PM

I assume it's difficult to finance a quality product for a limited consumer base.

by Anonymousreply 484February 20, 2021 5:44 PM

[quote]I assume it's difficult to finance a quality product for a limited consumer base.

Of course, but you shouldn't produce a recording (or anything else) if you don't have the money in place to release it in a timely manner. If you're the producer, it's up to you to figure that out, otherwise don't do it.

by Anonymousreply 485February 20, 2021 5:49 PM

Ms. Errico was fine in that clip from "One Touch Of Venus", but Janet Blair is really excellent in the abridged tv version from back in the 1950s -- and she's not using the book in her hands.

by Anonymousreply 486February 20, 2021 5:53 PM

There’s something quite poignant about hearing the new ACW for the first time twenty years after it was recorded, as neither Friedman nor McKenzie have those notes anymore. Barrowman on the other hand still does. (FWIW, I think it’s a wonderful recording.)

Towards the late 1990s, BBC Radio 2 staged a series of musicals as concerts (I remember that FOLLIES! was one of them) and these were also due to be released on CD. But none of them ever were.

by Anonymousreply 487February 20, 2021 6:05 PM

TODAY SHOW 1994 tribute to SHOW BOAT: Hal Prince, Lonette McKee, Michel Bell

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by Anonymousreply 488February 20, 2021 7:05 PM

I saw both casts in Doubles. The first cast consisted of a group of guys you’d never want to see naked. The second cast was much more attractive. Repole has a hot little body and was well hung for a shortie. Reed had a really nice ass and Gorman had a sexy chest. Dullea was a cutie but body was so so.

by Anonymousreply 489February 20, 2021 7:07 PM

R489 Thanks. Pendleton looked pretty happy to be naked though, but he wasn't who I would have chosen to see nude. Yeah, maybe Tony Roberts frontally (is he the friend Woody Allen supposedly said about the Allen had penis envy?). Repole looked like he was a cute hairy guy. Did Dullea turn down Noel Coward, since Coward came up with the zinger "Keir Dullea, gone tomorrow!"

by Anonymousreply 490February 20, 2021 7:12 PM

Was Repole the only full-frontal in the cast?

by Anonymousreply 491February 20, 2021 7:13 PM

I believe Keir Dullea has said that he didn't meet Coward until they met on the set of that movie they did together, and I think Coward had already made his quip by that point. Apparently it was just something he said to be witty, not to be nasty. So I don't think it was the result of a turn-down :-)

by Anonymousreply 492February 20, 2021 7:20 PM

Here's a poster from the play with the replacements. Note Repole is at the left and Dullea is 3rd from left, not aligning with their billing below. You may need to enlarge the photo.

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by Anonymousreply 493February 20, 2021 7:21 PM

Repole/Pendleton were the only full frontals.

by Anonymousreply 494February 20, 2021 7:34 PM

I remember very well seeing John Cullum full frontal, though it seemed more of an accidental view. I remember seeing Tony Perkins the same way, in ROMANTIC COMEDY. We were in the front all the way on the side and he came in holding a large portfolio covering him. But it was early in previews and he hadn't really mastered keeping himself covered, so...

by Anonymousreply 495February 20, 2021 8:11 PM

I don’t understand why ENCORES would have to deal with securing rights after a performance. Wouldn’t it be in the contracts that a recording might be released, so suck it?

by Anonymousreply 496February 20, 2021 8:18 PM

What were your impressions of the uncovered former Norman Bates?

by Anonymousreply 497February 20, 2021 8:18 PM

Perkins would have been a great Alan Strang in "Equus" if it had come along when he was the right age -- yes, I know he played the psychiatrist. He probably would have done it, too, since he hadn't any problem showing his backside in "Romantic Comedy".

by Anonymousreply 498February 20, 2021 8:20 PM

I saw a performance of "I Love My Wife" with a replacement cast with Tom Wopat (before "Dukes of Hazzard"), and I could swear his penis was hanging out from the front of his tighty whities for quite a while without him adjusting/hiding it.

by Anonymousreply 499February 20, 2021 8:22 PM

Since a poster mentioned an (unnamed) podcast about Sunset Blvd, are there any other theatre-related podcasts folks would recommend? Whether it's interviews ala the TV show Theater Talk or in-depth profiles of a particular part of theatre history etc. ?

by Anonymousreply 500February 20, 2021 8:39 PM

Hey, r489, it works for me.

by Anonymousreply 501February 20, 2021 8:56 PM

I read a bio on Perkins that mentioned how much he loved his body and flashing the audience at Romantic Comedy. And, for the record, he had a lovely body indeed.

by Anonymousreply 502February 20, 2021 9:07 PM

I would imagine Encores doesn't secure the recording rights before the production opens because it would cost more money contractually with the estate. And there's really no way of guessing beforehand if the production will be worth recording.

by Anonymousreply 503February 20, 2021 9:21 PM

Can't quite understand the fuss about the delayed release of ACW. You all are alive to hear it. Would your lives been improved immeasurably if you had it to listen to 20 years ago? Especially since many of you are calling it mediocre?

by Anonymousreply 504February 20, 2021 9:38 PM

The Sunset podcast is linked below.

I’ve not listened to it all, but it’s often fascinating and informative, if occasionally a little self-indulgent. The host attempts to weave his own memories or awareness of the show with its actual history, and while that doesn’t always succeed it’s never less than fun.

It’s like an accessible version of D A Miller’s ‘A Place for Us’.

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by Anonymousreply 505February 20, 2021 9:53 PM

[quote]I don’t understand why ENCORES would have to deal with securing rights after a performance. Wouldn’t it be in the contracts that a recording might be released, so suck it?

No, of course not. The rights to make a cast album are separate from the rights to mount a production, not to mention the contracts with the performers and musicians, etc. Why would you ever think it would be a package deal?

[quote]Can't quite understand the fuss about the delayed release of ACW.

Explained above. I can't understand why you can't understand that a producer who takes more than 20 years to release a recording should not be working as a record producer (and WOULD not be working as a record producer if he weren't working for himself).

by Anonymousreply 506February 20, 2021 10:24 PM

Sorry, r505, he lost me at "It was more than just a musical. It was a cultural juggernaut. The Hamilton if it’s time."

by Anonymousreply 507February 20, 2021 10:28 PM

[quote]Can't quite understand the fuss about the delayed release of ACW.

Something to talk about with the theaters all having been closed for almost a year, I guess.

by Anonymousreply 508February 20, 2021 10:36 PM

[quote]He lost me at "It was more than just a musical. It was a cultural juggernaut. The Hamilton if it’s time."

Seriously! SUNSET BLVD. wasn't even in the same universe as HAMILTON in terms of cultural significance OR box office success. Not to mention that a typo in the very brief promo copy for a podcast does not bode well for the podcast itself :-(

by Anonymousreply 509February 20, 2021 10:39 PM

He just loves and lives Sunset Blvd, but his walk through the history of that show is pretty interesting

by Anonymousreply 510February 20, 2021 11:35 PM

R500, check out Old Show Queens in YouTube. Very entertaining and interesting stories that two guys who worked in the theatre for many years tell

by Anonymousreply 511February 20, 2021 11:36 PM

Uh, SUNSET BLVD had absolutely NO cultural significance and little box office success.

by Anonymousreply 512February 21, 2021 12:19 AM

You can say that again, R512.

by Anonymousreply 513February 21, 2021 12:25 AM

[quote] Not to mention that a typo in the very brief promo copy for a podcast does not bode well for the podcast itself

Two typos

by Anonymousreply 514February 21, 2021 12:43 AM

Is Broadway Bob related to Sideshow Bob?

by Anonymousreply 515February 21, 2021 1:43 AM

No...

by Anonymousreply 516February 21, 2021 1:47 AM

R511 one of those guys is a sweetheart and one is a cunt

by Anonymousreply 517February 21, 2021 2:13 AM

One of them was borrowed and the other was blue.

by Anonymousreply 518February 21, 2021 2:54 AM

R505 A [italic]little[/italic] self-indulgent? I'm not seeing why we needed a description of his first apartment after college. Nor the description of his drag act. And there's way too many clips from shows, most of them totally unnecessary and are just there to pad the length.

by Anonymousreply 519February 21, 2021 3:33 AM

Cultural juggernaut? SUNSET BOULEVARD wasn't even the Margaret Hamilton of its time.

by Anonymousreply 520February 21, 2021 3:39 AM

Totally recommend this podcast too. Very well researched and lots a of juicy gossip from people who were three

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by Anonymousreply 521February 21, 2021 4:31 AM

R511 - agreed, though their episodes are far too short. Given the amount of shows those men have worked on or been connected with, they could easily have done 30 minute episodes.

by Anonymousreply 522February 21, 2021 5:41 AM

[quote]Wait, someone is complaining about a smarmy cast album producer and it’s not me?—Bruce Kimmel

This was exactly my first thought. r458. Kimmel is such a tool. Years ago, an off Broadway show crowd sourced a recording of their show. For a $10 donation, you got a CD. Kimmel bitched endlessly on BWW about how much time they used in the recording studio and how much the cast was paid.

I could never figure out what his problem was.

by Anonymousreply 523February 21, 2021 7:07 AM

A friend of mine once said, and it seems he's right, that ALL of these producers for small labels that do cast albums are awful people and/or incompetent in one way or another, seemingly with one major exception: Kurt Deutsch, which is maybe why he moved on to bigger things.

by Anonymousreply 524February 21, 2021 2:32 PM

The continued obsession with Sunset Boulevard both bores and fascinates me. People seem to want to tell the same stories of cruelty and meanness and Patti's anger over and over and over. There is no new information, but there's this constant clamor. Why?

by Anonymousreply 525February 21, 2021 4:32 PM

Because it's a big ol' drag show with a Judy-like tragic heroine and Patti as victim all rolled into one

by Anonymousreply 526February 21, 2021 4:43 PM

The podcast is good because it puts the whole Sunset Blvd story into one nice package, which is good for those of us who didn’t pay much attention (or were too young) when it actually happened

by Anonymousreply 527February 21, 2021 4:46 PM

You're right, r527, there already haven't been countless articles, podcasts, postings, books and chapters about all the Sunset saga. Thank God there's another podcast to guide the way...

Enough already...

by Anonymousreply 528February 21, 2021 5:03 PM

Kurt Deutsch was once a phenomenally handsome young actor. I once saw him in a play in which he had a nude scene....he did not disappoint.

by Anonymousreply 529February 21, 2021 5:05 PM

Speaking of Kurt Deutsch, whatever happened to Sheri Rene's career? Has she left the business?

by Anonymousreply 530February 21, 2021 5:06 PM

R525 A new production was released which many here watched so that sparked discussions here.

by Anonymousreply 531February 21, 2021 6:05 PM

[quote]Speaking of Kurt Deutsch, whatever happened to Sheri Rene's career? Has she left the business?

I'm surprised we haven't seen her lately, with all the opportunities out there for theater performers now.

by Anonymousreply 532February 21, 2021 6:12 PM

[quote]The continued obsession with Sunset Boulevard both bores and fascinates me. People seem to want to tell the same stories of cruelty and meanness and Patti's anger over and over and over. There is no new information, but there's this constant clamor. Why?

I agree with you, but my explanation is that it's rare for a well-known performer to be fired from a high-profile show business project by someone who is himself world famous. Some people live for that kind of high drama, so they keep rehashing it.

by Anonymousreply 533February 21, 2021 6:22 PM

How in the world can something both bore and fascinate?

by Anonymousreply 534February 21, 2021 6:48 PM

[quote]How in the world can something both bore and fascinate?

Ha! Actually, I understood that to mean the subject matter (LuPone's firing from SUNSET BLVD.) is boring but the phenomenon that everyone keeps rehashing it is is fascinating :-)

by Anonymousreply 535February 21, 2021 7:25 PM

You could also make the argument that Sunset represented ALW's last big moment in the sun. Yes, School of Rock was a hit and there was a good amount of interest in Love Never Dies, but I stand by what I say.

by Anonymousreply 536February 21, 2021 7:30 PM

The rest of us are gonna stand elsewhere r536.

by Anonymousreply 537February 21, 2021 7:58 PM

Anyone have any theories what went wrong with ALW’s career? Other than that Jeeves musical he was SO successful until Sunset. After that he had flop after flop. Was it Sarah fucking the musician from the Phantom pit that undid him?

by Anonymousreply 538February 21, 2021 8:02 PM

Kurt Deutsch is a sexy furball. So hairy that I got the vapors.

by Anonymousreply 539February 21, 2021 8:15 PM

R538, his talent is very limited, and he couldn't keep stealing melodies from other composers and getting away with it. Even SCHOOL OF ROCK has an embarrassing theft in it. Plus, although Tim Rice is not a great lyricist, he's far better than most of the people ALW has worked with since. On top of all that, ALW seems to be a vile, selfish, not very bright person who keeps saying and doing stupid, rash things, so all that on top of everything else probably hurt him as well.

by Anonymousreply 540February 21, 2021 8:19 PM

Who knows, R538. Hard to say that it's any one thing. It's probably a confluence of factors including age and changing tastes. I know School of Rock was a hit, but it was never marketed as an "ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER" show. The marketing was always about the kids, Alex Brightman and about the original film inspiration. And, that was probably smart.

by Anonymousreply 541February 21, 2021 8:20 PM

Does ALW finance his own shows now, though RUG, or does he still seek outside investors? If the latter, has to be slightly odd when asking others for money when everyone knows you could pay for it yourself. Mind you, I guess the same applies to many producers, like Mackintosh, Rudin, etc.

by Anonymousreply 542February 21, 2021 8:40 PM

Well, R542, it's unusual for an individual or his company to completely bankroll an entire production, even when they can afford to do so. There are lots of reasons why they would have investors. And look what happened when Rosie O'Donnell basically paid for all of TABOO.

by Anonymousreply 543February 21, 2021 8:44 PM

Speaking of John Yap & JAY Records, yes, One Touch of Venus was one of his "record it and wait many years" projects. In fact, when he recorded it, Kim Criswell played the second female lead, as she had done on the BBC broadcast of Venus, with Paige O'Hara in the lead. But for some reason, when Vicky Clark was briefly hot off her "Piazza" Tony win, Yap decided to have her rerecord all the vocals for the Molly character.

by Anonymousreply 544February 21, 2021 9:49 PM

[quote]Kurt Deutsch was once a phenomenally handsome young actor. I once saw him in a play in which he had a nude scene

How nude? Frontal or just backal?

by Anonymousreply 545February 21, 2021 9:53 PM

[quote]Speaking of John Yap & JAY Records, yes, One Touch of Venus was one of his "record it and wait many years" projects. In fact, when he recorded it, Kim Criswell played the second female lead, as she had done on the BBC broadcast of Venus, with Paige O'Hara in the lead. But for some reason, when Vicky Clark was briefly hot off her "Piazza" Tony win, Yap decided to have her rerecord all the vocals for the Molly character.

Thanks, R544, I didn't realize that. I wonder if Clark re-recorded all of her sections of the score with the orchestra, which would have been very expensive, or if they were able to remove Criswell's voice and just slip Clark's voice in there with the previously recorded orchestral tracks? As for J.A.Y., has he continued to mouth off lately? I wish he would just shut his yap.

[quote]Kurt Deutsch was once a phenomenally handsome young actor. I once saw him in a play in which he had a nude scene

Was it a Broadway show? It wasn't A FEW GOOD MEN, was it? (I don't remember if there's any nudity in that show, but I don't think so.) Was it that rock opera or rock musical Deutch did somewhere outside of New York? The title escapes me and I can't find it through Googling. Speaking of which, there seem to be very few Googlable photos of him when he was at the height of his beauty, but here's one.

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by Anonymousreply 546February 21, 2021 10:04 PM

Has anyone here watched "Broadway Profiles," the new weekly TV show hosted by Tamsen Fadal? I think it's being syndicated across the country, though I'm not 100% sure about that (I watch it here in NYC). Anyway, she squeezes a lot into one half-hour. This week she's already done about 4 or 5 different stories and the show is only at the halfway point. She really keeps it moving.

by Anonymousreply 547February 21, 2021 10:21 PM

IIRC the Kurt Deutsch nude scene was in a Douglas Carter Beane play called The Country Club in the early 2000s at Long Wharf in New Haven. Amanda Peet was also nude in the scene which was, as I remember it, full frontal for both but dimly lit. And yes, he was very hairy.

But I have to admit.....I may be losing it. Alan Tudyk was also in that play and maybe he did the nude scene? Maybe KD wasn't in it at all and I'm confused. Oy. Can't find any info online.

by Anonymousreply 548February 21, 2021 11:37 PM

[quote] But for some reason, when Vicky Clark was briefly hot off her "Piazza" Tony win, Yap decided to have her rerecord all the vocals for the Molly character.

Could it have anything to do with the fact that Victoria Clark is on the Board of Trustees of the Kurt Weill Foundation? Criswell sounds just fine on that "Venus" radio broadcast.

And Clark also got to star in Weill's "Lady in the Dark" for MasterVoices at City Center in 2019.

by Anonymousreply 549February 21, 2021 11:53 PM

ALW is the richest composer on earth, 2nd to Paul McCartney.

by Anonymousreply 550February 22, 2021 12:10 AM

Don’t cry for him, ALW?

by Anonymousreply 551February 22, 2021 12:39 AM

R546, Yap didn’t bring the orchestra back in. No need. Actors are in isolation booths during recording sessions, not in the same space as the orchestra. Easy to replace, even easier when it’s recorded digitally, as it was.

by Anonymousreply 552February 22, 2021 1:44 AM

[quote]Does ALW finance his own shows now, though RUG, or does he still seek outside investors?

Remember the sage advice from Bialystock:

The first rule of being a Broadway producer is "Never put your own money in the show."

And the second rule? "NEVER PUT YOUR OWN MONEY IN THE SHOW!"

by Anonymousreply 553February 22, 2021 1:52 AM

Don't tell that to The Weisslers, r 553. They ended up putting all their own money into CHICAGO.

I think that worked out pretty well for them....

by Anonymousreply 554February 22, 2021 2:19 AM

R540, as far as I know Tim Rice is effectively the "book" author as well as lyricist on his shows, since they're sung through. If that's the case, then he constructed the plays he co-wrote with Lloyd-Webber and he very much informed their tone. That has an importance beyond his role as lyricist.

Once he was gone, the structures got floppy and ALW's penchant for sentimentality and the Gothic got on top of them. There are no frou-frous in Tim Rice shows.

by Anonymousreply 555February 22, 2021 3:30 AM

R555, you nailed it.

[quote]Actors are in isolation booths during recording sessions, not in the same space as the orchestra.

I know that's the way it's always or almost always done now, but I thought maybe that wasn't the case when the ANYONE CAN WHISTLE recording was made MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO. I also wasn't sure if it would have been an isolation booth situation when the singers were recorded with a symphony-size orchestra.

by Anonymousreply 556February 22, 2021 4:29 AM

r553 And during the run of the show on Broadway, Nathan Lane added to the end of that ... " ... that would be TABOO!"

by Anonymousreply 557February 22, 2021 4:36 AM

I have a couple of orchestral CDs of ALW's early work that I like a lot, including one played by his brother Julian, who is a classical cellist. I know that many say that ALW's songs are derivative or outright steals from other composers, but he sure has written some gorgeous melodies, especially with his songs from Joseph, JCS, Evita, Phantom and Aspects. Can anyone who knows his later shows say if he still has the melodic gift? I only know the title song from Whistle Down the Wind, which I like a lot.

by Anonymousreply 558February 22, 2021 2:27 PM

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1983, Moose Murders opened and closed at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

by Anonymousreply 559February 22, 2021 4:34 PM

[quote]THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1983, Moose Murders opened and closed at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

Don't look at me. I got out while the getting was good.

by Anonymousreply 560February 22, 2021 4:40 PM

[quote] I know School of Rock was a hit, but it was never marketed as an "ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER" show.

Yes, in the advertising, Lloyd Webber was never mentioned

by Anonymousreply 561February 22, 2021 8:32 PM

It's hard to remember that at one point ALW was thought of as a rock composer. Now he seems content to be Ivor Novello.

by Anonymousreply 562February 22, 2021 8:49 PM

Those three "Cinderella" songs are just terrible. That show is going to be a trial.

by Anonymousreply 563February 22, 2021 9:30 PM

[quote]Now he seems content to be Ivor Novello.

Without the melodic invention.

by Anonymousreply 564February 22, 2021 11:29 PM

R557, iso booths have been around forever, even in the 40s. Most cast albums, originally, were recorded without using the booths, but by the end of the 1970s, they were pretty much standard for cast albums as well.

IIRC, the Cast album of Prince of Broadway was recorded the old fashioned way, with the actors up on a stage and not in iso booths.

by Anonymousreply 565February 22, 2021 11:46 PM

Movie theaters in nyc reopening March 5th at 25% capacity. Maybe some broadway shows will be able to reopen this summer after all.

by Anonymousreply 566February 23, 2021 2:44 AM

Plays first, I would imagine. Singing and instrument playing spread droplets too easily for musicals to be safe enough.

by Anonymousreply 567February 23, 2021 2:49 AM

Not only that, but it will have to be productions with a low nut, right? Otherwise, how many shows would be profitable at that percentage capacity? And even then, without tourists, they'll need to attract local audiences, so that could affect the type of productions they could bring back first as well. I don't see Broadway opening up again before early 2022. I imagine we'll see some new OnlyFans accounts by summer.

by Anonymousreply 568February 23, 2021 3:24 AM

I bought tickets to Woman in White thinking that, at worst, it could have good tunes, which Lloyd Webber’s usually good for. Wow, was I wrong

by Anonymousreply 569February 23, 2021 3:30 AM

r517 and now one of them just passed away... the nice one.

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by Anonymousreply 570February 23, 2021 11:55 AM

R570 Billy Rosenfirld (the other one) is a sweetheart. Did you have a bad experience with him? It’s because of him that we have cast recordings of When Pigs Fly and Whoop-De-Do. He’s even mentioned in the latter.

by Anonymousreply 571February 23, 2021 12:51 PM

^Oops, Rosenfield.

by Anonymousreply 572February 23, 2021 12:51 PM

Six West End theatres will reopen on May 17th.

Good luck with that.

by Anonymousreply 573February 23, 2021 1:58 PM

"Hamilton" Considers Stunt to Reopen Broadway Show on July 4th, 2021:

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 574February 23, 2021 2:09 PM

What fun! Paying $1000 for something that's free on Disney +, and sitting spread out in a large theatre.

ugh

by Anonymousreply 575February 23, 2021 3:38 PM

[quote]Everyone associated with the show must be vaccinated at least two months prior to the show performance

Oh, so not only are they price-gouging, but they potentially expect to be allowed to jump the vaccine queue too?

by Anonymousreply 576February 23, 2021 7:50 PM

Gotta start somewhere and the producers of Hamilton are willing to take a very big, expensive chance. Good for them. And, if they donate ticket sales to charity, even better.

by Anonymousreply 577February 24, 2021 2:24 AM

Hasnt everyone seen Hamilton by now?

by Anonymousreply 578February 24, 2021 3:27 AM

In normal times tourists make up about 2/3 of a Broadway audience. More for musicals than plays, of course. Until those tourists return, I wouldn't look for a lot of Broadway activity.

by Anonymousreply 579February 24, 2021 4:10 AM

I have not seen Hamilton. I refuse to pay the ticket prices for it, and when it was in Philly I tried the lottery for almost every performance but never won tickets. Once it came to Disney +, but interest in it was non-existent at that point and still is.

by Anonymousreply 580February 24, 2021 9:19 AM

R580, watch it , at least on Disney+. It's almost worth the hype.

by Anonymousreply 581February 24, 2021 12:25 PM

Thankfully I saw Hamilton just weeks after it opened on Bway, so didn't have to deal with massively high expectations or ticket prices.

It was pretty amazing.

by Anonymousreply 582February 24, 2021 12:26 PM

Complete Bway Revival of Follies (2011)

by Anonymousreply 583February 24, 2021 12:27 PM

Wow, thanks, R583! Now all us Follies queens can practice our Portuguese, too.

Here's the URL again in the usual link location in case anyone had trouble viewing it.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 584February 24, 2021 1:14 PM

I hate the mylar curtain. It just seems cheap and easy and really makes no sense.

by Anonymousreply 585February 24, 2021 4:25 PM

That 2011 revival basically had no sets.

by Anonymousreply 586February 24, 2021 5:52 PM

I can appreciate that the NT production had better sets and staging, I just preferred the US revival casting overall. And, musically (musicians, music direction, vocals) I thought it was far superior. My one regret in the LA transfer was that we got the entire cast except for Bernie who was replaced by Victoria Clark and her speech impediment.

by Anonymousreply 587February 24, 2021 6:01 PM

I have never understood the superlatives about Bernadette Peters and this Follies just reaffirmed my feelings.

by Anonymousreply 588February 24, 2021 6:10 PM

Victoria Clark was a much better Sally than Bernadette was.

Bernadette played Bernadette. Victoria played Sally.

by Anonymousreply 589February 24, 2021 6:14 PM

I heard that that when they ran the numbers for a Broadway transfer of the NT FOLLIES it was $20 million.

by Anonymousreply 590February 24, 2021 6:16 PM

FOLLIES is cheap at any cost.

by Anonymousreply 591February 24, 2021 6:20 PM

R590 Does anyone have any idea how numbers like this break down? Do theatres demand rent up front or something? Sets and costumes can't be that expensive.

by Anonymousreply 592February 24, 2021 6:41 PM

Oh God, after a reprieve of many weeks, we're back onto Follies.

by Anonymousreply 593February 24, 2021 8:21 PM

It was inevitable, R593, and ever will remain so.

by Anonymousreply 594February 24, 2021 8:30 PM

I’m a huge Bernadette fan but her last few broadway outings have been disappointing. I thought she was awful in Follies.

by Anonymousreply 595February 24, 2021 8:51 PM

Vicky Clark was fine in the LA Follies. I enjoyed Bernadette, though, although she was cast against type. And vocally, I don't think she's exercised her soprano high notes since "Star Tar" in Dames at Sea. She made it, but it wasn't the smooth sound that Dorothy Collins (or Barbara Cook) had. Loved Bernadette in Hello Dolly and Gypsy. The one thing I didn't care for was that thing at City Center, with the Sondheim songs. Bleahh.

by Anonymousreply 596February 24, 2021 9:34 PM

I agree about Bernadette but, to be fair, she was rudderless without a director in that execrable Follies. I think Victoria Clark is a smarter actress and figured things out on her own.

by Anonymousreply 597February 24, 2021 9:36 PM

Victoria Clark had the benefit of having already played Sally, in the excellent Encores version a couple of years before the LA production.

by Anonymousreply 598February 24, 2021 9:37 PM

[quote]I heard that that when they ran the numbers for a Broadway transfer of the NT FOLLIES it was $20 million.

Well they never would have made that back with Imelda Staunton & Janie Dee as their stars.

by Anonymousreply 599February 24, 2021 9:38 PM

They were going to have Imelda walk into the main branch of Bank of America and recite her lines from Gypsy, thereby driving everyone out of the building and in a three block radius, leaving them to raid the safe.

by Anonymousreply 600February 24, 2021 9:43 PM

Take a look at the video of NT Follies. There are alot of actors and a lot of costumes and a lot of set. The money is all there onstage.

by Anonymousreply 601February 24, 2021 9:55 PM
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