THEATRE GOSSIP #470 - The R1 is going to hate any title edition

Drama Desk winners

Drama league and drama desk are two different things.

Which one is more woke?

R2, kind of like The Judean People's Front and the People's Front of Judea.

So far next season, we've got the Neil Diamond musical, the Camelot and 1776 revivals, Kimberly Akimbo, KPOP and Some Like It Hot. Uh, quite the mixed bag.

So, is there gonna be any future with Suffs? Or is it gonna quietly slink away to its resting place?

How about a Greer Garson musical? (That would have been a better thread title, sorry to say). What's R1?

Epic fail, OP. Monkey pox should be in the title.

OP, I am going to give you a thumbs up for your title and instead shit on the stupid R1 for not knowing the difference between the Drama Desk and Drama League Awards.

But don't expect me to make a habit of it.

[r9] thank you Serena Joy!

why didn't Marc Shaiman write the Billy Crystal show? Did they have a falling out?

[Quote] why didn't Marc Shaiman write the Billy Crystal show?

And why DID Jason Robert Brown do it, but not the lyrics? Doesn’t that arrogant hack think he can do everything? When has he ever collaborated with a lyricist before?

R5 That is depressing

Tonight's performance of Sunset Boulevard has been canceled due to an outbreak of monkeypox.

Tonight's performance of Inherit the Wind has been canceled due to an outbreak of monkeypox.

Excuse me for livin', but what is KPOP?

Just too many award shows that no one cares about. In everything: music, theater, movies, etc.

But have the Drama DESK winners been announced yet?

The winners are announced next month.

Here ya go, r16

r16 there's also this

Thanks, r20. Can't wait.

[quote]So, is there gonna be any future with Suffs? Or is it gonna quietly slink away to its resting place?

I predict the latter.

Serves them right for the stupidest title for a musical since “__________.”

[quote] Excuse me for livin', but what is KPOP?

The "Father of Kpop", Seo Taiji began as a social activist singer in the 90s. He freed the industry from pre-censorship and became a hero of the younger set by railing against the oppressive education system. The music he made is a far cry from what will be on Broadway. Be sure to push the CC function for translation.

Sweeney, Merrily, and one other Sondheim also expected in the fall.

So, Sondheim will have more flops even after death?

KPOP Off-Broadway was quite a bit of fun, but it was immersive and intimate. You were broken into small groups and taken through a KPOP factory as a music manager attempts to package a boy band and a girl band. There were dance rehearsals, fights, diva tantrums and the cast was incredibly appealing. At the end, all of the small audience groups were brought into the main room again for a KPOP concert. I don't know what they will do to translate that experience to Circle in the Square, but I hope they still figure out a way to keep some aspect of the Off-Broadway experience.

Drama Desk: "Funny WHO?"

I wonder if any audience members at FG ask for refunds when Beanie is out. Are they there to see her or is Funny Girl itself the draw?

R24 no kidding! *Suffs* always made me think of the Smurfs whenever I saw/heard the title.

R5-Apparently, The Bedwetter has a heavy hitter Broadway producer backing it. As long as the reviews aren't all negative, expect to see it next season. There will be kids all over Broadway!

[bold]¡Horrorosa![/bold]

Coños apestosos

Suffs and Soft Power are both Broadway-bound much like ALW's Cinderella and CamMac's Martin Guerre.

To the poster in the last thread asking about Angelica Huston - and the lovely poster who linked the video.... Angelica's grandfather Walter Huston sang "September Song" on Broadway in the original production of KNICKERBOCKER HOLIDAY by Kurt Weill......so it was a nice touch to have her sing it in that awful show.....

Suffs will certainly be produced in London.

Time says these theater people are among the most influential people of 2022 - Ariana DeBose, Michael R. Jackson, Andrew Garfield, Sarah Jessica Parker, Elizabeth Alexander

Billy Porter wrote the piece on Jackson so we [italic] definitely [/italic] won't read that

so by my count, Skin of Our Teeth, At the Wedding, Which Way to the Stage, Exception to the Rule were all at least partially canceled this weekend, plus Spivey out of Strange Loop, Beanie out of Funny Girl, Moulin Rouge had a masked Zigler onstage - as well as cancellations at Virginia Woolf in LA, Our Town at South Coast rep, and Broderick was out of Plaza Suite. Some are specifically saying non COVID but still.

r30, a woman I know from the neighborhood took some 12 relatives and friends to FG. When I saw her later she trashed Beanie, Jane, etc., but said she was taking her two daughters when they came home from college. Why? I asked. She sighed and said, "Because it's FUNNY GIRL!" That explained a lot: for some, it's the brand, not the stars.

New York, New York will be in the Spring.

Suffs will remain in our memories downtown. This is what happens when your composer, lyricist, bookwriter and partial star are the same person. it's too much to get a great show.

Shaina Taub is talented, but she's young and ambitious and naïve. With SUFFS, took on entirely too much.

It's as if the Public handed Taub a silver platter and said, "Simple. Write and star in the next HAMILTON, okay?"

Ironically, the PUBLIC did something similar with Taub's other role model, Elizabeth Swados, decades ago, which resulted in the forgettable ALICE IN CONCERT with a young-ish Meryl Streep. I do think Taub is a better composer than Swados, at least.

Shows like A Chorus Line and Hamilton only happen about every 30-40 years. The Public has a terrible track record when it comes to original musicals, although Here Lies Love certainly deserved a transfer. I've no idea who fucked that up.

I wonder if Taub is on track to have a career like Jason Robert Brown—respectable work but always missing out on the big home run. I suppose The Devil Wears Prada will help to clarify.

I don't know much about The Public's musical development program, but it feels very "all-or-nothing." New musicals have to be nurtured and developed, and that takes years and a lot of collaboration. You can't just throw something brand new onstage and expect a Bway transfer.

The Atlantic Theatre has had mixed results with new musicals, but they seem to know what they're doing: SPRING AWAKENING, KIMBERLY AKIMBO, and some very interesting projects that never moved anywhere.

The Public had nothing really to do with Hamilton's artistic development. It was really just a commercial booking, but they benefited from it, and were allowed to invest which was very, very smart. But that team and the commercial producers did all the lifting.

R42, that time it may have resulted in a forgetable musical. But a few years earlier they did the same thing with Swados and ended up with the the unforgettable Runaways.

I LOVED Here Lies Love. It’s one of my favorite theatrical performances of the last 25 years.

But I’m not sure how it would play on Broadway where you weren’t literally surrounded by the cast.

I kick myself for having missed HERE LIES LOVE at The Public.

We desperately need a viable, commercial off-Bway theatre scene for new shows like that.

Shaina Taub is a meskite.

"Here Lies Love" really was spectacular, which is why I was perplexed at how David Byrne and Alex Timbers' follow-up at The Public—their Joan of Arc musical—was such a huge stinking bore, an absolute dud of a show.

[quote]Here Lies Love certainly deserved a transfer. I've no idea who fucked that up.

Producers were looking for a non-traditional space to move Here Lies Love to keep the environmental staging similar - I don't think anyone was considering Broadway.

Wouldn’t Circle in the Square been the obvious venue?

In a number of years when the tide turns somewhat from the required (it seems) must have quota for diversity in a cast and production team, there will be a historically accurate (meaning nearly all-white cast except the title character who is mixed race) of "Hamilton", exposing it once and for all as the overpraised piece it has been all along.

Here Lies Love went to Seattle to reconfigure for a proscenium space, and that's the edition that's headed to Broadway.

Now that Marcos Jr. is running the Philippines, the timing might be perfect.

[quote]Here Lies Love went to Seattle to reconfigure for a proscenium space, and that's the edition that's headed to Broadway.

Interesting, I suspect the producers I knew who were attached are long gone.

[quote] Wouldn’t Circle in the Square been the obvious venue?

r53, it was apparently obvious to r28

"Shows like A Chorus Line and Hamilton only happen about every 30-40 years. The Public has a terrible track record when it comes to original musicals"

No musicals date faster than those out of that quarter, including ACL. They ride the immediate zeitgeist/fashion/mode of the day for a moment or two and then fade away faster than you can say "your Grandma's rhythm ruler."

R54 - you've found your hill. Now please go die.

But is A Chorus Line really any more dated and tied to the '70s than Company?

They are still trying to make the Smash musical happen. Wait to they find out the 2 Marilyn's need to be black and trans

r61 Given that productions have to use the same staging, costumes, etc as the original, yes

Elizabeth Alexander? Ridiculous.

But is A Chorus Line really any more dated and tied to the '70s than Three's Company?

Beanie Feldstein IS Marilyn in SMASH!

Broadway Producer Emanuel Azenberg: “We’ve chased away an audience":

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1960, a revival of "Finian's Rainbow" opened at the 46th Street Theatre after its limited run at City Center.

Circle in the Square would be the best Bway house for Here Lies Love. But it will not replicate what the show was like at the Public. At the Public, the cast literally surrounded the audience. They were beside, above and around you. It was the very definition of immersive.

Azenberg is correct, but he should have spoken about the poor quality of newer Broadway shows, which do not merit high ticket prices.

[QUOTE] Circle in the Square would be the best Bway house for Here Lies Love. But it will not replicate what the show was like at the Public. At the Public, the cast literally surrounded the audience. They were beside, above and around you. It was the very definition of immersive.

I honestly hate this kind of presentation. I don’t like actors behind me, next to me, in my face, etc. Call me old-fashioned, but I like a clearly delineated stage-audience sitch.

[quote]I do think Taub is a better composer than Swados, at least.

My two year old niece banging away indiscriminately on the piano with closed fists is a better composer than Swados.

Angela Lansbury to Receive Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement:

[quote]The Public has a terrible track record when it comes to original musicals

Don’t forget about me! I beat Folies for best musical. AND unlike Follies, a got a double-LP cast album!

The Public had great success with DROOD and Pirates in the mid 80s -- the latter being a truly original Papp produced musical.

I think it would be fun (and commercially savvy) to do another revival of DROOD at the Delacorte with some star wattage. Maybe Josh Groban as Jasper? Lady Gaga as Drood? Rebel Wilson as Puffer?

HERE LIES LOVE was indeed terrific, but the immersive staging was as stupid as every other show that tries to do the same thing. If the show is really good, people will feel immersed while safely on the other side of the room.

Here Lies Love was a vapid mess though it had some nice music.

It was a Filipino Cruise Ship show with a cute cast.

I mean, it reduced Imelda Marcos to a love struck twat with a pill problem and an over the top shopping habit. When in reality she was a power hungry despot responsible for the death of many people.

What Broadway desperately needs is a new LARGE flexible space (a la the Park Ave. Armory) that can accommodate shows that require....flexible spaces, not prosceniums. One that is Tony-eligible (forget off-Broadway - the economics will not allow for it). The Bridge Theatre in London is a perfect example of this kind of space, making even mediocre plays seem better because the shared viewing experience can be so thrilling.

And Circle in the Square is NOT it. Going down to into that airless sub-basement configuration is one of the most depressing experiences on Broadway and few shows can survive it. Has Circle ever had a long-running hit musical? Or even a play that lasted a couple of seasons?

[quote] Rebel Wilson as Puffer?

Why, because she's big and Cleo Laine was big? How stupid; she's about 25 years too young.

Spelling Bee ran nearly 3 years at Circle.

Angela Lansbury might never win the Emmy, but by God the Tonys will come to rescue!

Do people pay cash money and intentionally choose to hear this voice for several hours?

Will Beanie be back in Funny Girl tomorrow evening?

JRB has BDF.

Beanie must have heard that advice as stuff your face.

[quote] Angela Lansbury to Receive Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement:

The ONLY reason to watch the show. Never mind. I'll watch it when it gets to YouTube.

^It won't be on free network television, guaranteed. It's fucking CBS.

CBS is network television. It's one of the Big 3.

R88, Paramount+

R73, Bet Len Cariou presents it to her.

I’d love to see Donna Murphy play Puffer. She covered Cleo in the original but she was way too young at the time.

Maybe Lansbury should pass the time by playing a little solitaire.

I cant believe shes 96

Considering that she is 96, I'm awfully glad that they didn't decide to wait a few more years before giving Angela Lansbury the lifetime achievement Tony. Seems a bit overdue, doesn't it?

That’s definitely not a waste of time to give a sixth Tony to someone who already has five that she won on her own

Patti is on Colbert tonight

[quote]Patti is on Colbert tonight

The sex video nobody asked for.

R96 Did you write that with a touch of sarcasm, Audra? At least she deserved every single one of hers.

above was meant for R95

WHET Merle Louise? All those delicious supporting roles over the years. Is she still performing?

BF missed, what, 5 performances this weekend with no explanation? Absolutely bizarre...

Beanie had a yeast infection. Thoughts & prayers.

Love the idea of Donna Murphy playing Puffer.

Speaking of WHET, WHET Corey Cott?

A yeast infection? Did she get it from the Pillsbury Dough Boy?

Beanie ate the Pillsbury Doughboy?

Donna sings flat.

Hide Sta-puf Marshmallow Man!!

I wish Patti would sing on one if these shows.

Into the Woods. Happening? Not Happening?

I imagine trying to get the Encores' cast to commit to even a limited run of INTO THE WOODS (say, 3 months) is like herding cats. Half of them have TV series jobs. Just freaking impossible.

And if you can't get your first, second, or even third choice, why bother? ITW already gets done by unknowns every day somewhere on the planet.

The Encores production was a delight, largely (if not exclusively) because of that cast.

it certainly wasn't because of Le DeBesonnet.

Is Beanie laying the foundation for her exit due to " health reasons"? Meanwhile, her replacement is getting raves from the audience.

If Beanie bolts the show will get tons of A STAR IS BORN publicity and might actually sell some tickets.

If Beanie bolts the show is still Michael Mayer's lousy, cheap-looking and -sounding unnecessary revival of FUNNY GIRL.

At least Julie Benko has gotten some positive word-of-mouth out of it. Hopefully, she'll get a lead or featured role in another, better show.

Patti was great on Colbert's show tonight. She got emotional talking about Sondheim.

If Michael Mayer had come up with a dynamite Fanny who really soccer across the songs, no one would notice the ragtag nature of the physical production. But with a sad sack leading lady unable, to deliver the score, it just amplifies the cheapness of the production.

I was the poster who asked why Patti doesn’t sing on these shows and apparently she reads Datalounge (which I fucking knew) and she so she sang Ladies Who Lunch.

No one cares about Beanie’s fifth rate understudy and she isn’t have A Star Is Born moment.

And, R119, in your case, you're not having A Grammarian is Born moment.

This performance is much better than the actual show, where people scream and holler and jump up and cry like Holy Rollers.

I love that Colbert sat there like Bobby the whole time. Patti’s natural hair is better than the Claire’s clip on wig she wears in the show.

Yes re the hair. She should just wear her own and Joanne shouldn’t look so weird

Stephen Colbert played "Harry" in the 2011 Neil Patrick Harris-led production of COMPANY that also co-starred Patti as "Joanne."

She sure can swallow those notes, though, can't she?

Yes r125 we know darling

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1966, “Mame” opened at the Winter Garden Theatre, starring Angela Lansbury in the title role.

[Quote] “Angela Lansbury’s contributions to the stage are insurmountable,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing.

Her contributions are insurmountable? seriously who writes this shit

I know many a Sir who has mounted her.

Dame Angie offered her honor....

We honored her offer...

And all night long...

We were off her and on her....

Here Lies Love was fun, mainly because the staging was so inventive.

I can't imagine it having much of life on Bway, particularly after the David Byrne fans have gone to see it and moved on.

Here Lies Love was not just for David Byrne fans. It was a truly original musical that deserved a longer life than just the Public Theatre run. I'm not a Byrne fan, but I loved it and would see it again.

R133 Is it like EVITA? Their stories were similar.

Shoes, glorious Shoes!

R134, it was sort of trying to be like Evita but not so successfully. Imelda didn't come across as conniving as the writers could have made her.

It was just all right. No way is this worth seeing again

How did the thread veer off so much about Here Lies Love, when we were discussing KPOP? I suppose all Asian musicals look alike?

They're doing Legally Blonde in London.

Here's that Warner in real life

who dat?

Wow, that half-caste whale pretty much ruins the entire conceit of the show.

More photos for your perusal

Lizzo IS Elle Woods.

[quote] How did the thread veer off so much about Here Lies Love, when we were discussing KPOP? I suppose all Asian musicals look alike?

You must be new here, because the only theater topics that can sustain more than two comments in a roW ARE:

1. Anything Sondheim, especially " Follies."

2. How fat and miscast Beanie Feldstein is in " Funny Girl." This is recent, so #1 is really the only one.

Besides, DL considers anything Asian a target for ridicule.

What's the word on next season's musicals? Broadway Vacation? Lempika? New York, New York, Almost Famous. The song Lempika just realized was...tedious.

[quote] What's the word on next season's musicals?

Here is the lineup:

1. "Shit"

2. "Cage, the Music of John Cage"

3. " Random Black People Singing and Dancing"

4. " The Life and Times of Agnes DeMille," starring Beanie Feldstein as Agnes.

5. " Cats."

I’d rather hear Beanie’s dulcet tones spreading her magic to “Memory.”

As long as that’s all she spreads.

R121 Patti’s third Tony is as sure as it can be.

[quote]How did the thread veer off so much about Here Lies Love, when we were discussing KPOP? I suppose all Asian musicals look alike?

I think, rather, that it began with Suffs, which veered into musicals that started at the Public, which led to Here Lies Love.

Is Beanie on tonight?

On what?

[quote]On what?

Certainly not on a diet.

Does Patti do a better job of acting that song in the show?

[quote]Does Patti do a better job of acting that song in the show?

Worse.

Ive seen her do that song several times. Shes usually outstanding, but that appearance seemed off and forced.

R142 Jesus, the fat tranny looks ouit of place,

R142 does the UK not realize that college fraternities/sororities and law schools are predominantly white in the US?

R156, She held the last note too long and her voice began to wobble.

I noticed she required a boost from Colbert to step up to the desk/chair area, still a bit unsteady after hip replacement surgery.

[quote]“Angela Lansbury’s contributions to the stage are insurmountable,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing.

That stupid mistake would be laughable if it weren't so sad and annoying.

Really, that UK casting of LEGALLY BLONDE is beyond bizarre, because of course, the blondness of the central character is not the main issue, even though it is in the show's title. If Elle Woods isn't a very specific type of young white woman with a very specific background, upbringing, social level, and world view, the entire story makes NO FUCKING SENSE.

The talk on theatreboard.co.uk about that production of Legally Blonde is hilarious. It’s directed by Lucy Moss who co-directed Six and from the sounds of it, she clearly doesn’t understand the basics of this show, specifically and musical theatre, generally. It’s all very diverse and woke with trans sorority sisters and what not, but even at Harvard everyone is very sparkly and pink so Elle doesn’t stick out at all, which is kind of the point, right? The pictures of the set are hideous. Oh, and the dogs are played by men in leotards ala Cats.

A black Elle Woods could be brilliant with a director who knew how to make it believable.

R162 So. Much. Pink.

[quote]The talk on theatreboard.co.uk about that production of Legally Blonde is hilarious. It’s directed by Lucy Moss who co-directed Six.....

Thanks for the info. You really didn't need to go any further than that :-(

[quote]It’s directed by Lucy Moss who co-directed Six

Well more fool the Regent's Park Theatre then. Six is basically a concert which hardly needs any direction (and yet somehow needs two directors), the idea that proved she could direct an actual musical is ridiculous.

I do like the post on Theatreboard where someone was asking what time the show ended so they could plan their train journey home, and someone replied they should be asking when the interval was instead.

[quote]A black Elle Woods could be brilliant with a director who knew how to make it believable.

No, no, no. Absolutely not in the show as written. It would have to be almost completely rewritten from the ground up for the story to make any sense with a black Elle Woods, or for that matter, with an Elle Woods who is anything other than the very specific type depicted in the movie and the musical.

It occurs to me that, looking at MAMMA MIA! and SIX, England seems to be establishing a disturbing tradition of allowing spectacularly bad directors (who happen to be women) to come forward and helm garbage shows that somehow turn out to be major hits, thereby lending legitimacy (in some people's eyes) to the "talent" of those directors, when they actually have little or none.

It's rather silly to call Phyllida Lloyd a "spectacularly bad" director. She's had a number of critical successes, though often as part of existing companies (RSC, ROH, Opera North, etc) which does suggest she does better when reined in by an Artistic Director or board or whatever.

I also think it's rather ridiculous to claim two instances, over more than two decades, is a tradition

Her direction of the film of Mamma Mia! was, however, absolutely abysmal. In some shots it looked like the bitch didn’t even know where to put the fucking camera.

Linda Lavin is moving to LA

Great house!

Too bad LL is such a nasty piece of work

Writers with pride don't live in L.A.

[quote] Angela Lansbury to Receive Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Well that's just asinine. Lifetime Achievement should be relegated to performers who work all their lives and do great work but never recognized. Lansbury has five fucking Tonys, that's her lifetime achievement.

Anyone across the pond see "Back To The Future The Musical"? The effects look cool. Any bootlegs around and does anyone know when it's coming to NY, hopefully not the Marriott Marquee.

If it’s the one which will reopen the Palace I’ll be pissed.

[quote]Lifetime Achievement should be relegated to performers who work all their lives and do great work but never recognized.

Like Beanie Feldstein.

[quote]If it’s the one which will reopen the Palace I’ll be pissed.

From looking at the clips on line it seems the sides of the auditorium are covered and they probably don't want to spend millions renovating to only have them covered.

Back To The Future seems tailor made for the Marquis. It’s a wretched musical, but the effects are great. By today's standards, that’s probably enough to run.

Hi friends…just curious… who do I call to audition for the National Tour or Company. My Joanne would be a revelation.

R173 = Kip Niven

Why did Linda Lavin live in Wilmington for all those years?

She started a local theater there which was a disaster.

The current husband . . . gay?

[quote] Linda Lavin

CUNT!

Linda Lavin would be a good Joanne - did she ever do it?

What's the word on Jaquel Spivey being out of A Strange Loop for over a week now? I'd assume if it was COVID they would just say that. Whatever the reason, I feel bad for the kid—I'd have thought the Tony was his to lose but he's missing a lot of Tony voters performances so who knows.

R175 Quiet, Audra!

Hush, r188 - the poor kid needs to take care of his health. That’s far more important than getting seen by award voters.

[quote] It’s a wretched musical, but the effects are great. By today's standards, that’s probably enough to run.

Yeah, that's why Rocky is still running.

And Margeuritaville!

I don’t mind a black etc Elle Woods at all. What I do mind is a fat one. Elle Woods is not a part for a fatty.

Of course, if it were a black Elle, the Legally Blonde title wouldn’t make sense

Yeah, you'd have the change the title to something like "Lady Justice."

Not sure is Beanie was in tonite but Benko just announced on Instagram that she’ll be on for the matinee tomorrow.

[quote]It's rather silly to call Phyllida Lloyd a "spectacularly bad" director. She's had a number of critical successes, though often as part of existing companies (RSC, ROH, Opera North, etc) which does suggest she does better when reined in by an Artistic Director or board or whatever.

I saw only one of those shows, MARY STUART, but I thought her direction of that one was very poor as well. And then there's TINA. So, sorry, I don't think my opinion of her work is "silly."

Lol is Beanie the standby at this point

Do you get your money back if you buy your tickets for Julie tomorrow and Beanie shows up?

Why couldn’t we have this?

Damn, that was the definition of tepid applause.

That audience reaction is HILARIOUS. The definition of European theater and opera houses. Lol.

[Quote] Margeuritaville

Mon dieu

It's pretty remarkable that Beanie continued to post IG stories (none related to FG) all throughout her weekend off, yet not one apology or explanation or anything. And now the matinees off begin.

Meanwhile, Jake Gyllenhaal is turning into Ben Platt

Is Julie Benko in the ensemble of FG when she's not on as Fanny?

No, she's the standby

Julie is waiting in the wings for when Beanie suddenly gets ill, either from overindulgence or lack of applause.

Ramin gave a heart emoji to Julie’s Instagram post over the weekend about performing as Fanny. I guess even he is fed up with Beanies beef curtains.

I can’t believe after 50 fucking years the new Fanny Brice is Julie Benko, but here we are.

Can the Jule Styne estate sue the producers for malpractice?

There is no doubt Beanie is melting down.

Beanie missing this many performances in such a short interval is really NOT a good look. It’s very bad optics for her.

Honey, everyone on Broadway is melting down...

[quote] There is no doubt Beanie is melting down.

That's one hell of a grease fire.

[quote]There is no doubt Beanie is melting down.

She has a contract.

Does Beanie have a run of the play contract?

That is for lawyers to decide!

Can we just FF to the fight in the ladies room between Beanie and Julie, already? I just want to see Beanie shove her to the side while exclaiming, "Now git outta my way. I gotta HAM waitin' for me!"

[quote]I can’t believe after 50 fucking years the new Fanny Brice is Julie Benko, but here we are.

YOU can't believe it?!

Hugh thinks it would be "fun" to play Dolly Gallagher Levi.

Beanie really does seem to be over it. It’s just rude and completely unprofessional to miss so many performances in one m9nth after the opening. I suspect she is well aware that the word is out that Benko is better.

So, did I miss it, or was NO REASON AT ALL given for Beanie's recent spate of absences?

Maybe Beanie is upset because Angela got the Tony for Lifetime Achievement and not her, which she's wanted since she was a little girl.

Thats what happens when you hire entitled spoiled brats who are only in the business for "play". Her brother is the same way. How he was even nominated for Oscars is beyond me. But again, they have "connections". He grew up bffs with Dustin Hoffmans kid.

He was befriended by Dustin Hoffman's children, Rebecca and Jake, who introduced him to their father. The elder Hoffman asked him to audition for a role in I Heart Huckabees, in which Hill made his film debut

It would be interesting if Beanie finally said enough is enough and dropped out, allowing Julie to take over. It sure would be a great moment for Julie.

Has it ever happened before that the star of a musical more or less just started skipping shows and was replaced? (If that is what is happening, after all.)

This isn't similar to Madeline Kahn in On the Twentieth Century, is it? She was missing performances, true, but there seemed to be some bad feeling between Kahn and Hal Prince--and a major difference, too, is that Kahn was a great talent who was very well cast in the show.

r216 Someone on BWW said she gets paid for the entire length of her contract no matter what, even if they close the production early.

All of Benko's agents and friends are flooding these websites. I saw her last Friday. She's not a star.

FUNNY GIRL will be gone by Labor Day, probably July or August.

If Julie Benko is smart, she's getting anyone and everyone to see her go on for Beanie right now and lining up her next job. The idea of this shitty production continuing post-Beanie with Benko or with anyone else is laughable.

DEH has started with the stunt casting, the mush mouthed kid from Stranger Things will be playing Jared from this summer

Which one? Aren't they all?

Gaten Matarazzo. The theatre kids are screeching that it can't be stunt casting because he was on Broadway before as Gavroche. That's some logic

OMG that kid was so fucking bad as Gavroche. I had a friend in that production and went to see her and all I wanted to do was yell out SHOOT HIM, SHOOT HIM ALREADY whenever that little shit was onstage.

R234 LOL! He does seem like he was an obnoxious, precocious kid.

Beanie doesn’t give a shit about FG anymore, she didn’t want to just “do” a Broadway show, she wanted to be the toast of the town, have all the awards and experience the thrill of endless accolades. Now that all that pizzazz fizzled, and her dream opening night became an eight show a week nightmare for her spoiled ego, she’s had enough.

Beanie was just confused. She thought her contract included Kentucky Fried Chicken. When she found that it did not…it was adios amigos

Even if you get great reviews, life can be tough for a performer. Gwen Verdon said after she was hailed as "toast of the town" for "Can-Can" she was called "burnt toast" by someone else. In that case, since she was so incredible, it must have been professional jealousy. In Beanie's case, not so much.

In a way my heart goes out to Beanie. But I’m also angry at her for not knowing her limitations and going after this role.

We're really dishing Gavroche performances of decades ago?

I'd have thought that if your stand-by was getting all the accolades. you wouldn't miss a single performance.

Someone call Linda Muggleston STAT!

I know we're not supposed to reference that Chat Board That Will Not Be Named, but one user really nailed the core issue with Jackman in The Music Man:

"Hugh Jackman does not allow himself for a single second to be anything other than a cheerful Hugh Jackman. There is absolutely no attempt to present Harold Hill as a true con man, which he is at the beginning, and then evolve into something else by the end. Here we have Jackman jumping around the stage in an athletic manner being Hugh Jackman."

Plus they've added tap dancing (not of this time period or style of music), added more dancing (the show has enough dancing and it's never been thought of as a dance show), and has Hugh and Sutton doing a planned moment where they seem to make a mistake and break the fourth wall. "The Music Man" is a really well-constructed musical is it is and doesn't need any of this.

r241 Reminds me of the story from Phantom, where Sarah Brightman's throat infection mysteriously cleared up within a day when Claire Moore got raves. The best part of the story is the absolute glee with which two dancers from the original cast recount the story in the Phantom doc (linked). Somehow I guess Sarah didn't endear herself to her colleagues.

What part of the documentary are you referencing? Many don't want to watch a whole documentary about ALW. Thanks.

R246 Good job I linked to the timestamped part I'm talking about then. 58:08.

R243 reminds me of when I saw Ricky Martin in EVITA. Smiley-faced, just being himself the entire time. Seemed to live for the cat-calls from the audience.

Who care about stunt casting as long as the performance is decent. DEH has has had a lot of questionable talent as has Chicago. But give them a chance. It could be Reba or Fantasia.

Sheridan Smith is an obvious Puffer.

[Quote] Hugh thinks it would be "fun" to play Dolly Gallagher Levi.

Only in the regions.

Wasnt't Stacey Dash in Clueless, Elle-adjacent?

*Wasn't

I wouldn’t be surprised if Beanie has her attorneys working on some escape plan. She will probably claim mental duress from all the online bullying and negative reviews she’s received.

It was less than 10 years ago, R240.

Online bullying? Few people care enough to "bully."

I wonder what Patti thinks of the whole FG/Beanie thing. You just KNOW she has an opinion about it. Would love to hear her unfiltered thoughts over a cocktail.

[quote]She will probably claim mental duress from all the online bullying and negative reviews she’s received.

Not in my group! Bully Beanie and you're banned for life!

I wonder if that fat queen is still shrieking at the poor members of that FB page about Beanie

Would Beanie’s contract still force payment for the duration if she’s the one who breaks it (t get out of it).

I've heard audio clips of Benko singing People and Don't Rain on My Parade. She sounds marginally better than Beanie but that's not saying much, is it? She she doesn't sound good enough that I'd care about seeing her.

[quote]Someone on BWW said she gets paid for the entire length of her contract no matter what, even if they close the production early.

Not surprising that someone who posts on that site would say such a thing, but it's total bullshit. No such contract could ever exist.

[quote]Would Beanie’s contract still force payment for the duration if she’s the one who breaks it (t get out of it).

Again, it's all bullshit. See my post above at R262.

Benko is still pretty stenko.

I almost wonder if Beanie's team were involved in casting Benko. Pretty voice, but no charisma or even distinctive vocal sound.

No, R261 and R264. Benko is excellent in the role, vocally and acting-wise, despite bad direction, damaging book rewrites, and a poor production. And that's quite an achievement. This doesn't mean that I think she was quite worthy of having the first Broadway revival of FUNNY GIRL mounted for her, but that's another discussion. And, of course, she wasn't hired as the star. She was hired as the understudy, and in that capacity, she is doing a stellar job.

Has anyone taken Fierstein and his dreadful writing to task over the book or were they too busy shitting on Beanie (rightly so)?

No. Benko does not have personality. And she sings prettily but that's all.

r262 Pay or play contracts absolutely exist

Yes, r269, but not if the performer decides to break their contract and leave the production. They don't keep getting paid.

do performers get something like a 2 week severance package when a show closes?

r270 I never said they did. I said someone on BWW said she had a pay or play contract, and then r262 claimed such contracts don't exist

Harvey Fierstein, Michael Mayer, and the estate of Jule Styne deserve plenty of blame for ruining the legacy of Funny Girl.

Funny Girl will NEVER be produced on Broadway after this debacle.

Bierko is good.

[Quote] Funny Girl will NEVER be produced on Broadway after this debacle.

They probably said that after the Bernie GYPSY.

Craig Bierko is Beanie's understudy? Wow, that’s really outside the box.

Well, Craig already played a woman in Matilda. It's a side step.

Beanie, call me.

I'll always remember Craig Bierko as the hunk who turned off Ally McBeal because of his obnoxious laugh.

The producers of the original Funny Girl talked to Carol Burnett to see whether she'd be interested in doing the part. She told them "You need a Jewish girl."

So they asked Anne Bancroft?

I imagine that at some point in this process Beanie went from thinking she was the greatest star to understanding that she’s woefully miscast - and that changes everything.

Imagine the stories that will come out once this debacle closes.

[r275] not even close to the same. Bernadette was nominated for the Tony, the show was nominated for a Tony, she gave a career best performance on the telecast, ran for a year, she got a rave from The NY Times, and the cast recording won the Grammy award for Best Cast Album. A lot of the problem with that production was Michael Reidel hated her and Arthur Laurents hated Sam Mendes.

It didn’t ruin the legacy.

Beanie, on the other hand, was NOT nominated, got across the board pan reviews, calls out frequently, the show was snubbed minus the character Eddie, and there are no plans for a cast recording because of how awful she sings the score.

I don't think anyone considers Funny Girl in even the same galaxy as Gypsy.

The cast recording has been cancelled twice. A studio was on hold.

R283 you forgot to mention i hate Bernadette Peters.

If only they cancelled the recording of the Tyne Daly GYPSY.

He also forgot to mention that Bernie lost to Marissa Jaret Winokur...

I detested Peters in Gypsy.

Mama Rose should never be played by a kewpie doll

Rose can be played by several different types and Peters at least sang the score well, unlike Daly.

r286-

[quote]Majority of the public

Sure, Jan.

[Quote] Peters at least sang the score well

All 8 performances in a week?

Peter’s sang it as well as Beanie is for FG

R292, how many performances a week did Tyne sound human singing the score?

I know this will be shouted down, but the first time I realized the Gypsy songs had actual melodies was when Linda Lavin sang on the Tonys.

I was so used to the OBC album with Merman, that Just expected that the star barks out the songs

Beanie’s getting fingerbanged right now

You didn't get the melodies from the Kay Medford GYPSY?

We are still discussing the merits of Bernie's GYPSY (and Patti's, Tyne's, Angela's, Linda's, and Ethel's) all these years later. They each have their fans.

A year from now, FUNNY GIRL will have been closed (for 6 months at least) and we will have forgotten the revival even happened. And Beanie will either find some terrible TV series, or disappeared from view entirely. And no one will revive FG again in our lifetimes.

It's a shame Dolores was never profesionally recorded singing the score.

[Quote] Thank you for posting this. A dear friend is Dolores' niece. She gifted me a small detachable mink collar of Gray's.

Mary!

I love Angie but she murdered Rose's Turn. However, her versions of Small World, You'll Never Get Away from Me and Together were absolutely wonderful. Jule Styne was called in on the US tour to try to help her with the score, particularly Rose's Turn. It was understood she just couldn't do it, so he turned the finale into a Baby Jane parody. This is the London Cast Recording and Lansbury's last note is hilarious.

Angela doing the reworked Rose's Turn. Yeeesh!

Angela sounds perfectly fine—totally in character

Funny Girl doesn't need to be revived again.

It's not a good show. The book is awful though it does have some great songs.

It was built for Streisand and it can't really be done by anyone else...unless they have a very similar kind of personality/vocal style.

It'll be put in a vault to be hauled out once in awhile for community theaters or for concert versions.

It's Ethel's role (for better or worse), she just lends it out.

She did *not* murder Rose's Turn, r301. She was electrifying.

I think the thing throwing some people off Lansbury's (very accomplished, even thrilling) version of Rose's Turn is the fact Styne and the musical director made allowances to key changes throughout the song. These are a bit tinny on the ear as you're just getting settled into one key and she's modulating up or down into another to accommodate her vocal limitations.

But once you make peace with the new keys, Lansbury sings the crap out of it!

Is anyone creating new stage musicals centered around a powerhouse female lead, like Gypsy, Funny Girl, Mame, or Evita these days? (No, jukebox musicals don't count.)

I'm hard pressed to think of a recent one. Wicked, with its 2 central leads, comes close, but that's almost 19 years back now since its premiere. Shocking.

Encores can do Funny Girl in 15 years

r309

concert versions seem to be best for FG. Lillias White's version is incredible

[quote]Pay or play contracts absolutely exist

[quote]Yes, [R269], but not if the performer decides to break their contract and leave the production. They don't keep getting paid.

Right. But also, the ridiculous scenario given here was that Beanie would have to be paid the full amount of her contract even if the show closes before her contract is completed. Again, NO SUCH CONTRACT EXISTS -- and if it did exist, that would not be a "pay or play" contract. So please ignore R269, who doesn't know what he or she (or they) are talking about.

[quote]I said someone on BWW said she had a pay or play contract, and then [R262] claimed such contracts don't exist

I did not say that pay-or-play contracts don't exist, because I know they do exist. But the idiotic scenario given here (see my post at R311 to review) DOES NOT exist, and if it did exist (which it doesn't), it would be something very different from a "pay-or-play" contract.

Angela was great. Tyne was great. Bernadette was great. Patti was Patti.

What they all had going for them that Beanie does not (aside from actual musical theatre talent) is a real role to play; a real A to Z arc with genuine laughs and heartache, terrific music and some of the greatest lyrics ever written for the musical theatre. It helps.

[R312] and not even the feebs behind Funny Girl are dumb enough to give La Beanie that kind of contract. At least, I don’t think they are?

Might they try to redeem Lea Michele with a replacement gig as Fanny?

r315

would she do it though? I would think she won't... she wants a tony

Both have great scores, but Funny Girl's book can't hold a candle to Gypsy's book. Compared to Rose, Fanny is an awful bore.

After the takedown she received in the wake of George Floyd, she shouldn't consider herself above a replacement gig. Groff might even help her out by playing Nicky.

Did someone say pay to play? I'm a casting director who's looking to make some extra money and I was thinking I'd charge actors to take "workshops" I lead. I'm a failed musical theater chorus girl but I have a lot to offer actors!

[quote]I detested Peters in Gypsy. Mama Rose should never be played by a kewpie doll.

You must have seen her early in the run, because she was BRILLIANT later in the run.

I saw Peters in Gypsy. She was great, and anyone who thinks she was a kewpie doll in the part didn’t see it.

I'd like to pint out once again (as I did a thread or 2 ago) that there's still no commercial with Beanie singing a song or even a few notes from the FG score.

Isn't that pathetic and doesn't it just sum up the entire fiasco?

Why would Lea want to step into a production that’s received horrific reviews. She would be better off starring in her own production at the Bucks County Playhouse.

It worked for Reba.

Yes it is and yes it does, r322.

[quote]It worked for Reba.

Reba stepped into an already acclaimed, successful production. She didn't climb into a turkey.

It's been posted so many times over the years but Bernie was very sick during previews and missed many of them. She wasn't well or ready by the opening and the reviews were very mixed. Meanwhile, Sam Mendez and Arthur Laurents were after each other's throats and much of Mendez's conception of the show disappeared.

But people who saw the show late in the run thought it was thrilling. Her Rose's turn at the Tonys speaks for itself.

Do you think it drives Beanie crazy that the Beans who got Tony nominations were Shoshana Bean and Gabby Beans?

Oh, Christ. How many times are we going to have these fuckin Gypsy arguments? They show up on every thread. There's so much good Broadway gossip now, why are we doing this? Did anyone go to many readings last week? "Smash"? The revised version of "Moonshine" (nee Hee-Haw)? Brave New World? Is Beanie really melting down, as the rumor continue to grow? How much is MJ spending trying to convince us its going to win the Tony when Strange Loop has it? So Six is sitting this one out, cashing the checks? How is Michael Mayer going to face his cast for Neil Diamond after the FG debacle? Is next season finally the time when the so-often aborted "Harmony" makes it to Broadway and Tony triumph? How many Sondheim revivals will there be next season? And so much more...

You'r right. Let's talk about FOLLIES!

*You're

Is Beanie a Hattie or a Stella?

Instead of Funny Girl, they should have revived Mame.

Beanies Feldstein is Gooch!!

[Quote] I'd like to pint out once again (as I did a thread or 2 ago) that…

[Quote] It's been posted so many times over the years but….

Beanie as Mama Rose and Mame in repertory!

Beanie’s lips are wet with pussy juice

Thoroughly Modern Beanie!

She’ll be back in LA dining on her girlfriend’s muff before you can say “Funny What?” R336.

If I were an investor in this shithole, I'd sue.

Harvey used to angrily lecture the younger Hairspray cast members who called in sick repeatedly, accusing them of not being professional.

He has to be feeling the same about Beanie.

Add Alex Brightman to the Covid hit list but says he’ll be back on Tuesday. Masked?

I'm still cracking up over the realization that Beanie looked like Rodney Dangerfield in one of those promotional photos.

Reading a non-fiction book about Polly Adler, the famous NYC madam in the 1920s/1930s. Beanie would actually be dead on casting to play her.

[quote] Harvey used to angrily lecture the younger Hairspray cast members who called in sick repeatedly, accusing them of not being professional.

Yeah, but Harvey did this to the ones who played 8 performances, too. Harvey is a nasty old biddy to EVERYONE.

Okay, all you FOLLIES queens, here's a gift. The complete Sondheim lyric rewrite for Shirley MacLaine that was in "Postcards From the Edge." There's a section of this in the film, but she did the full version in concert before the film was released. Song starts at approximately 1:39

The Feldstein siblings are notorious cunts, Jonah has always been a diva bitch who actually cried for his mother during a stressful press junket. Beanie was the daddy’s girl who backstabbed every friend she had as an oddball teen, she’s also prone to crying fits and hyperventilating whispers of rage. Sadly the nice one, Jordan died. Beanie will exit FG in exactly the manner you’d expect from a spoiled brat…fast and without any cares. Whadda kunt!

I'm really over all the Beanie bashing. This clip shows you how wonderful she is...The Tony snub is a shock.

OMG, I hate to say OMG, but OMG I only got halfway through that. How did she ever get cast in a major revival of a flawed but classic old musical?

Saw Beanie in the show tonight. She's doing the audience a major favor by calling out. A true non-talent.

Beanie’s pussy stinks.

INTO THE WOODS announcing tom'w: Brian D'arcy James, Patina Miller, Annie Golden and Gavin Creel filling all the gaps.

R351 Gavin is going to play both Princes?

Saw Patina at the Hollywood Bowl Into The Woods. She was amazing. d’Arcy James for the Baker?

[quote]She didn't climb into a turkey.

Pics please.

Why the hell is Gaten Matarazzo not playing Evan Hansen instead of a supporting role? First, he's perfect for Evan and "Strange Things" will be streaming all summer.

He doesn't have the notes?

How does Gavin Creel fill a gap when he played the part the first time?

Isn't Gaten the fat boy with the curls who did those awful commercials? I don't know, I don't have cable.

[quote] Why the hell is Gaten Matarazzo not playing Evan Hansen instead of a supporting role?

No range, no voice.

Shirley MacLaine as Mame

Shirley is really more suited to the orphanage lady at this stage.

has any other show beside Moulin Rouge had a masked performer ?

Is that a joke or are they actually doing just a random different production of ITW

Phantom has had a masked performer.

That's really Sondheim, r345? It's awful.

DL favorite Aaron Tveit as Sally Bowles.

Andrea can't say," No."

DL non-favorite Lea Michele glides.

Kelli and Audra pretend they're ophthalmologists.

Is that Aaron coming out

Dunno, but he's got nice thighs.

Are any of those MISCAST clips from this year's version?

Since they are all labeled Miscast22 I'm gonna go out on a limb and say yes.

Official. D'arcy James, Miller, Soo, and Henry are the replacements. Barielles and Creel continue.

But Beanie's is MISCAST20.

Thoughts on the Miscast videos above. Aaron's butt looks quite nice in those short shorts. Lea Michele gives a lovely performance and should have been cast as Fanny Brice. Yes, I know, I know... And Kelli and Audra are divine in that number.

Lol so the same “production”*

*without 3/4 stars who made it a success

Eh, they really only lost two stars, Headley and Harris. I'd say Soo is equivalent to Benton, who I didn't hear people raving about as one of the high points of the production anyway. Rapunzel's prince was played by the understudy the first week and Jordan Donica (who's going into Phantom--unless he's already started?). Joshua Henry seems like a very overqualified upgrade.

Joshua Henry doesn't have the correct light touch.

R374, I'd rathee see BdJ as a Take Me Out replacement, se we can all finally see his alleged beer can cock.

A 53-year-old ballplayer?

R381, If Tom Brady can play football at 45 . . .

Fun to have Phillipa Soo replacing Denée Benton, since it worked the other way around in NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812.

Brian d'Arcy James is a wonderful singer and a wonderful actor. That's a casting gain in my view.

Thank you R368, loved that. I saw Lea in Ragtime when she was a kid - that’s lovely to have her sing that song as an adult. She might be a cunt, but she really does have the voice of an angel.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1982, "Beyond Therapy" opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, starring John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, and David Hyde Pierce (then called David Pierce) in his Broadway debut.

Yikes, in that clip at R368, Lea Michele gives a nod to Peter Friedman as having played her father in RAGTIME, but though the character is called "Tateh" in the show, she pronounces it "Ta ta." And since she refers to him as "my Ta Ta," it sounds really funny and somehow a little dirty :-)

R386 - Please never return to this board again.

"The Minutes" by Tracy Letts on sale now at Amazon - shipping November 29.....just in case anyone wants to get going on those monologues for the fall shows at your university.

Re: Into The Woods transfer rumors ... at least the "St. James" part was correct.

Pulitzer Prize winner FAT HAM opens tonight. If this were normal times, the NY Critics would not be kind in order to put the Pulitzer people in their place. But I suspect the reviews will be polite.

When was Miscast22?

So great to hear Audra sing again. Can't wait for her to get back to Bway.

She's overdue for a Tony.

Into The Woods is like Broadway Summer Stock -- no sets, no rehearsals, bunch of names doin' a show, 8 weeks and out!

You can still see the show.

Beyond Therapy

Is there any point to do Broadway Backwards anymore? Isn't it transphobic to assume performers' genders?

Aaron really is just so bland

R396. David Hyde Pierce! With hair!

Aaron should have done it fully nude.

R400, He has, privately.

that production of Beyond Therapy was pretty damn funny, I remember it vividly...... ran for two weeks or so.

Did the movie do any better?

[quote]Is there any point to do Broadway Backwards anymore? Isn't it transphobic to assume performers' genders?

That title has always been a little weird and problematic from the beginning. Also, the concept of the showis quite similar to Miscast -- I don't remember which one started first, but I think it was BB. I wouldn't be surprised if one or both of them are canceled in the near future, for the reason you mentioned, and also because, nowadays, there seems to be a feeling that even non-trans women can play male characters and vice-versa.

Into The Woods is like Broadway Summer Stock -- no sets, no rehearsals, bunch of names doin' a show, 8 weeks and out!

—Anonymous

reply 394

IT WILL NEVER RUN! BOUND TO LOSE MONEY!

r398 that was my thinking too. Nothing offensive but nothing striking about him.

R403, the movie was a huge misfire, even with that cast. Robert Altman did not have the right touch for it.

Re MISCAST: I really enjoyed Aaron Tveit and Gavin Creel's rendition of "Take Me or Leave Me" from a few years back. Especially Aaron. 😍

God, how many times must someone post this Tveit-Creel gaybait?

Gaybait?

What are you babbling about?

Nooooo.... I get the point of Miscast. But that Creel-Tveit bit is posted ad naseum to fulfill the Tveit gay fantasty (or rumored reality).

Paging Wayman, who loves Aaron's smile.

Brian D'Arcy James has played the Baker before, on tour. I know a guy who played Jack in a production with him. Said Brian was terrific, and such a nice guy. Neil was fantastic (I saw it at Encores) but Brian will be great, too.

Agree that Joshua Henry, while great, isn't quite right for Rapunzel's Prince. Needs a lighter touch. But he'll sound great, of course.

Why didn’t he sing “In Buddy’s Eyes”?

[quote]Agree that Joshua Henry, while great, isn't quite right for Rapunzel's Prince. Needs a lighter touch. But he'll sound great, of course.

He may sound great, but there will be vocal blend with Gavin's voice. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think part of the joke of ITW is that the two princes should be very generic and almost interchangeable, so if they are played by two performers who are very different in terms of looks, type, personality, and vocal quality, that joke is lost.

But one of the princes will smell better. And have a bigger dick.

r417

I'm assuming they're half brothers in this version...

Aaron really turns me on. Are you sure he’s not gay?

r419

I agree... there is something about him. I would have loved to see if he were on any of the gay apps when I saw him in company a few years ago

So Jennifer Hudson is going to win a Tony for a show she had nothing to do with artistically or financially, and she's only seen once (according to her own Insta...) I'm sure this is making all the real producers happy. So she did it for the EGOT? Same with Mindy Kaling?

EGOT doesn't mean anything anymore when they're handed out like candy. It should be more exclusive to be special, but the wokes hate that word.

It just goes to show EGOT doesn't always mean quite so much when you can win by being very tangentially related to a project.

Aaron is so boring. I don't know why he even does those Miscast performances. He brings nothing to the songs.

Shirley has a better voice than expected in that concert clip. She also sings a medley from Gypsy and gets a lot of the lyrics wrong, but she handled them better vocally than I'd thought she would. I'd only ever heard her sing in Sweet Charity.

Is the Fosse choreography for Mein Herr public domain now or did they have to pay to recreate it?

R420, In interviews, Aaron always claims to have a girlfriend, but he has never been seen in public with one.

It's not public domain but I doubt anyone paid to use it or that the Fosse estate would sue for infringement for a charity benefit performance.

R428, Nicole Fosse is not litigious.

R427 yes, he has.

That cunt Hudson won her Emmy for being part of a daytime talk show musical performance, so more than one of her wins are bullshit.

[quote]Has it ever happened before that the star of a musical more or less just started skipping shows and was replaced? (If that is what is happening, after all.)

Think way back to ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY when Madeline Kahn started missing performances, and her understudy, Judy Kaye, went on to great audience reaction.

I had the privilege of seeing Judy Kaye's first performance once she had been officially announced as the replacement. It was a big deal, and the audience was packed with insiders. Judy was a bit tentative at first, but by the time she hit Babette in the second act, it was clear we were seeing a star in the making. She was sensational, and the extended applause was richly deserved.

But Judy Kaye never became a star.

She worked more steadily than many stars. Sometimes that's more than enough.

I seem to remember a woman sitting next to Aaron when he won his Tony. I couldn’t find a clip though. Maybe it was his sister?

Judy Kaye is fine, she’s no Madeline Kahn, and no she never became a star.

Hudson absolutely should have won an Emmy for Hairspray.

R435 No, as R430 pointed out, that was his girlfriend Ericka Hunter. Story is they met during the Boston run of Moulin Rouge when she was married, leading to her divorcing her husband after less than a year of marriage.

It won't end up well for Ericka. Sad.

I've been a longtime Aaron watcher and I agree with those who suspect he's a closet case. My sense of him from the people I know in theatrical circles is that he's a good, talented, courteous, and hardworking guy, and also very driven and ambitious and therefore guarded and somewhat awkward There have been no real credible rumors of him with other guys, and he is currently dating a woman. But, sorry, there is something off with a guy who has been mostly single that late into his 30s and who also doesn't have a reputation as a pussy hound (and his fan base mostly seems to be rabid young women so he's had his opportunities).

That Andrea Martin performance was a chore to sit thru.

Judy Kaye was great as Rizzo in the first tour of Grease with Travolta as Doody but agreed, she's a working actress, not a star, even onstage. Even onstage, she's very unprepossessing. On TV she's like Chita Rivera. You run for the hills when she appears. However, she did just win a Razzie for Diana, so that's something.

I don't think I've ever seen Judy Kaye in film or television, only theater.

I saw Carolee Carmello on a television show recently and I thought it was Big Rosie Greenbaum from Laverne & Shirley.

That ain't good.

I saw Kaye a couple of times on L&O but I just looked at her IMDB and she indeed has very few credits in film and TV.

It’s a pity she lives so far away in Canada

"Alberta From Vancouver" isn't the worst pseudonym I've ever heard.

Judy Kaye has fewer TV credits than Mary Testa.

r440 the person whose take on the eternal question of aaron's sexuality i'd be most interested in is the very talented and gay bway music director who's worked with him since next to normal days and plays in most of his concerts. to be clear, i don't think there's anything between them, just that he prob has a better read on aaron than most. who knows, maybe he's a DLer.

There are any number of talented theatre ladies I admire whose charms do NOT translate to film, TV, video. Judy Kaye, Carolee Carmello, for sure. I'd add Victoria Clark, who I adore but should just stay off camera. That's a long Broadway tradition.

Denee Benton was mentioned upthread re: INTO THE WOODS. I thought she was just luminous in Encores: charming, sweet, the perfect Cinderella. She's good in THE GILDED AGE on TV (and pretty, to be sure) but even greater onstage. I like Philippa Soo but I'm glad I saw Denee.

Someone named "Michaels" just posted on ATC that Beanie would no longer be performing ion Wednesday or Saturday matinees.

Dorothy Michaels, that troublemaker?

[quote]Someone named "Michaels" just posted on ATC that Beanie would no longer be performing ion Wednesday or Saturday matinees.

It was Marilyn Michaels, and she's waiting by the phone.

Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Marilyn Michaels.

The days when Broadway performers could do a show at night and soap operas during the day are over but you could see that being great on stage didn't always translate, but sometimes it did. I think some performers were able to adjust their acting to either medium but often they simply liked the hours and money of soaps.

Re: INTO THE WOODS revival.

When I saw the casting updates for the Broadway transfer, I sighed a bit with disappointment. Heather Headley is not easy to replace, I know, but she brings something extra to all she does. She's a star. Patina Miller, fine actor she is, is not. Is this the part that makes her one? We'll see.

Same for Brian d'Arcy James. He's an incredibly talented man, and very much respected and liked in the industry, but he too is not a star. Neil Patrick Harris is. We'll see if James can make this role his own.

Neither of those two are gonna help sell tickets. Fortunately, the title does it on its own. But overall, I'm far less excited about this Broadway transfer than I was with that original cast. And I doubt I'm alone.

Speaking of being unexcited, I had lunch today with two old college friends visiting from GA. I asked them which shows they were planning to see during their week-long stay in the city. The answer: NADA. They looked and researched and had zero interest in seeing any of them and are opting to go to the opera twice instead. And they both have musical backgrounds. And as I sat there I thought: What can I strongly recommend to them? Not A STRANGE LOOP, which I like. Definitely not MJ. (It's grotesque that that show is even running.) Certainly not the miscast and misguided FUNNY GIRL. And not the overblown SIX or overwrought PARADISE SQUARE. GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY I liked, but it's too depressing for the times we are living in. And no one gives a shit about MR. SATURDAY NIGHT. The plays are far far better, but are there any must-sees for tourists? Not really.

So I said: I understand.

Add Karen Ziemba to the list of those who should never be on TV but I hate her onstage as well.

I still haven’t seen Hadestown. Is it worth a trip?

I wanted to share Carolee Carmello playing to the balcony, as Miss Hannah on ILL would say. It's so ghoulish that it's almost a parody of what people consider Broadway excess to be.

"So they asked Anne Bancroft?"

Yes, Anne Bancroft, who very successfully portrayed the very Jewish Gittel Mosca in TWO FOR THE SEESAW in 1958. So much so that, when she was cast as the very Irish Anne Sullivan in THE MIRACLE WORKER a year later, she could not shake off her Jewish-inflected speech pattern, which prompted Arthur Penn the director to suggest she assume a brogue as the character, even though Sullivan did not speak with one.

[quote] Yes, Anne Bancroft, who very successfully portrayed the very Jewish Gittel Mosca in TWO FOR THE SEESAW in 1958. So much so that, when she was cast as the very Irish Anne Sullivan in THE MIRACLE WORKER a year later, she could not shake off her Jewish-inflected speech pattern, which prompted Arthur Penn the director to suggest she assume a brogue as the character, even though Sullivan did not speak with one.

Maybe she should have tried a brogue for the next 40 years. She might have saved a fortune in scenery.

R448, Bryan Perri, Aaron Tveit's musical director.

I've watched Miller's "Last Midnight" a few times since the Hollywood Bowl staging, always hoping to like it more than I do. But it always seems kind of terrible to me (like the way she does parts of it--especially the "I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right" section--with a big pageant smile). I hope she changes her take, or that this isn't representative of her performance.

Patina Miller is a talent for the touring circuit. She only got a Tony because people refused to vote for a reality show winner.

R456 did you at least enjoy me in Playboy?

Taylor Trensch is another one who does not translate well to onscreen. His is a face that needs to be seen from the 15th row.

R465, One could say that about Donna Murphy.

r465 He's hardly great on-stage either. He seems to think hitting notes is an optional extra.

Speaking of Donna Murphy what happened to her with Into The Woods? She had posted on Instagram last week that her time with into the woods had a new chapter and she said “stay tuned” the queens at BWW were convinced she was the Witch. Did she back out?

Donna Murphy is 63 years old. Her Witch days are long over.

Surely "witch" is one role on which an old lady could count?

I want Bryan Perri at r461 to accompany me...to an orgasm

Sorry, but Donna Murphy was awful in Into The Woods.

Donna has started filming season 2 of The Gilded Age so I doubt she would be able to commit to ITW.

Hey bitches, there are a lot of us Broadway stars proving our prime time mettle on The Gilded Age!

Patina miller headlined Sister Act for a year and starred in Pippin. Those are her two Broadway credits. If she was special in any way, she'd have gained some reputation or interest. She is a non entity.

I think Miller will be just fine. A director will change the way she performs the role for this production. Heather Headley seems more like a dancer, throwing her body into all her roles. Let's hope Miller will learn to do the same

Lol a director. Too bad she won’t have one 🤷🏻‍♂️

R477. Been there

[quote]I think Miller will be just fine.

Exactly what we all go to Broadway hoping to see—performances that are just fine!

Michael Oberholtzer on Terrifying Broadway in ‘Take Me Out,’ His Tony Nomination, and That Nude Video:

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1982, "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" opened at the Alvin Theatre.

IS THERE LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL?

THE EDUCATION OF H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N!

I like Michael Oberholtzer so much.

He always speaks highly of you, r484.

Here were all the nominees for the 2022 Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance:

Uzo Aduba, Clyde’s Simon Russell Beale, The Lehman Trilogy Shoshana Bean, Mr. Saturday Night Gabby Beans, The Skin of Our Teeth Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo Sharon D Clarke, Caroline, or Change Billy Crystal, Mr. Saturday Night Matt Doyle, Company Rachel Dratch, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive Edie Falco, Morning Sun Tyler Fauntleroy, Tambo & Bones Beanie Feldstein, Funny Girl Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out Sutton Foster, The Music Man Myles Frost, MJ The Musical Adrianna Hicks, SIX Marin Ireland, Morning Sun Nikki M. James, SUFFS Ron Cephas Jones, Clyde’s Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square LaChanze, Trouble in Mind L Morgan Lee, A Strange Loop Jane Lynch, Funny Girl Taylor Mac, The Hang Brittney Mack, SIX Ebony Marshall-Oliver, 7 Minutes Elizabeth Marvel, Long Day’s Journey Into Night James McAvoy, Cyrano de Bergerac Rob McClure, Mrs. Doubtfire Kenita R. Miller, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo David Morse, How I Learned To Drive Deirdre O’Connell, Dana H. Sarah Jessica Parker, Plaza Suite Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Lackawanna Blues Arturo Luis Soria, Ni Mi Madre Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop Cecily Strong, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Will Swenson, Assassins Julie White, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive Jesse Williams, Take Me Out Michelle Wilson, Confederates

Out of all these nominees, Sutton Foster was the winner. For The Music Man.

Makes one wonder if this is a sign of what is going to happen at the Tony Awards. Will Sharon D. Clarke and Joaquina Kalukango split each other's votes and let Foster sneak in for the win? I didn't think that'd be possible till this happened. The other factor is Mare Winningham, who wasn't in the running for this award but is up for a Tony.

I voted for Clarke.

I voted for Stassen.

So Fat Ham actually got good reviews??

"Fat Ham" sounds like it may be a good show. Perhaps I will try to get tickets for my birthday in a couple of weeks.

[quote]Hey bitches, there are a lot of us Broadway stars proving our prime time mettle on The Gilded Age!

Speaking of stage actors who also do TV, I just heard the other day that one of the actors in "Fat Ham" is also on that CBS sitcom "The Neighborhood." He plays Cedric the Entertainer's youngest son (though, according to the NYT review, he's no stranger to Shakespearean roles).

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN Opening Night L.A.

The title of this thread is so pathetic. To not even try to come up with something.

You get to title the next thread, r492.

ITW '02

R468 that ended being about her daughter doing a school production of Into the Woods.

London's Dear Evan Hansen to close in the fall.

Seems odd that we're not hearing of a Broadway production of Back to the Future by now considering its hit status in London. Not that I'd ever see it...but.......it's odd.

The Amy Adams Glass Menagerie is tedious. It's a sort of "Vanya on 42nd Street" concept with the actors all onstage the entire time in what looks like an artist's studio apartment. She's good if a bit understated - Amanda isn't a huge domineering force in this production, more the "bird without a nest living off the crust of humility", as she describes old maids in the South. She also reads as too young.

The Laura is perfect - played by an actress with cerebral palsy.

Splitting Tom across two actors wasn't as interesting as I had hoped. I had been waiting for some moments of the two interacting in more interesting ways (like FOLLIES!!!) but it was just a straightforward split between Narrator Tom and Memory Tom.

Where it falls apart is with The Gentleman Caller. His line readings are just...polite. And bland. Laura was probably relieved when he had to take off. The

Have any London DLers seen Nicola Walker in The Corn Is Green at The National? I'm wondering if that old chestnut of a play really holds up and if Nicola, as much as I love her on TV, is able to create a believable Victorian Welsh school teacher/spinster.

I also imagine that a Broadway production of Life of Pi is coming soon. And, of course, Cabaret.

Tonight Lillias White is doing her Sarah Vaughn thing at Feinstein’s.

sassy

Sixteeen days until the Tonys. I'll look it up in a moment, but what's the deadline for voters?

[quote]The Laura is perfect - played by an actress with cerebral palsy

Unless the manifestation of her CP is very mild, she can't be "perfect" for the role. Tennessee Williams makes it very clear in the play that Laura's disability is minor, "hardly noticeable," although magnified by her insecurities. That's why the casting of the role in the Sam Gold production on Broadway was nutso.

R503, How well I remember the anxiety I felt on Tony night last year . . . wondering, Will I win?, Will I lose?

Laura limp is mostly in her mind. She has accepted the notion she's a cripple because Amanda has pounded it into her head. It's hardly there. Having her played by a handicapped person is a grotesque twisting of Tennessee's intent.

^Laura's limp.

Tennessee Williams wasn't woke enough. He didn't know what he meant. We do.

People really do think they know better than the playwrights these days, don't they? At least it sounds like the actress playing Laura in this London production is an acting highlight unlike that non-entity they got for the Sam Gold production. Her entire face stayed the same for the entire show. Awful and bland.

Just reading a story about folks who attended Liza's wedding to David Gest, and was amazed to hear a name I had almost forgotten about: Gale Storm. As an eldergay, I remember her from television and her two hit shows - one with Charles Farrell and one with Zasu Pitts. In Storm's resume, it say she did some theater, and has pics of her in a production of Wildcat that she did in summer stock in 1962. She was noted singer with several hit songs. I wonder why she didn't do Broadway

Watched “Merry Wives” at the Delacourt on PBS. It was, indeed, a merry gloss on Shakespeare. The two actresses playing Mistresses Page and Ford were great (and Gbenga Akinnagbe as Mister Ford was just a bonus). Terrific costumes, too. (Same director as “Fat Ham,” too.)

MERRY WIVES was lovely, mostly because it's Shakespeare's worst play so fucking with it actually made it better.

FAT HAM is awful awful awful. Awful awful awful. Maybe one of the worst plays I've ever witnessed.

BACK TO THE FUTURE is headed to Broadway. U.S. out of town to be announced shortly...

If Broadway really wanted to show how they really care, they'd shut down the shows this weekend and put everyone on buses to Houston. It's time...

[quote]She was noted singer with several hit songs. I wonder why she didn't do Broadway.

Gale Storm liked her liquor. Maybe that's why. She talked about her struggles with alcoholism and her recovery (she eventually stopped drinking) later in life.

Just watched the Company documentary on PBS. I really wish it was longer. I wanted to hear more from Barbara Barrie and Pam Myers about the original production. I loved the actor smoking during the actual recording session. Those were the days.

I loved the footage of that Donmar production with Adrian Lester. But why the fuck did he sound like Kermit the frog when he sang Being Alive? We arrived in London two days after it closed and kicked ourselves.

Gale ain't gonna worry...

The COMPANY PBS doc was indeed wonderful and made me appreciate the show even more. I had seen it in London and found it very uneven but was impressed with all the improvements on Broadway (even if it's still uneven, just less so).

And I adored Gale Storm in morning reruns of My Little Margie as a wee gayling and then even more so as the social director on the cruise ship in Oh, Susannah! Nice to see her mentioned here as she seems truly forgotten these days.

She was a doll...

I prefer my Bobbys with a penis.

Bobby Conte Thornton ^^^^^^^^

Is Bobby conte thornton gay?

No, Rose. With a name like that, he's a pussyhound.

"Funny Girl" tickets are now available on TodayTix. Thanks, Beanie!

I’ve heard mixed things about the production but the extensive clips made me want to see it AND Lenk.

Point of interest: Bobby Conte Thornton seems to have dropped that last name from his stage name and is now going by Bobby Conte. I wonder why he made that decision at this point in his career, not earlier.

Maybe his numerologist advised it.

[quote]Maybe his numerologist advised it.

Actually, it was my numerologist.

^Could have been mine.

Life of Pi is very good but I expect it will close soon - heavily discounted and still many empty seats when I went recently

Gurl!

Since the death of Elaine Stritch, why again isn’t Miss Hilton Als the patron saint of Theatre Gossip? After viewing this Company doc, I wanna see a weekly series with this “energy” discussing whatever topic is presented. No fucks given.

My numerologist made sure I had glamour and mystique!

[quote]FAT HAM is awful awful awful. Awful awful awful. Maybe one of the worst plays I've ever witnessed.

I fucking swear we're all being punked, because it really is that bad.

Did I have a numeroligist?

R534 didn't it win the Pulitzer?

Thronton's insta doesn't show a partner male or female but it shows tits

and these tits one tattoo ago

Appealing.

Perhaps a better link...

This year’s Miscast performances leave a lot to be desired. Proof that Miscast truly peaked with Jonathan Groff’s Anything Goes performance.

Aaron Tveit is fine, but he is and always will be a discount Groff.

Groff has personality. Tveit is conspicuous by his absence of personality.

don't forget leg day, Bobby.

Groff is a much better actor and stage personality, but Tveit can sing circles around him.

I really hope Aaron Tveit ditches the Rosemary Clooney bob now that he's out of Moulin Rouge. He looked way hotter with short hair.

It’s weird how appealing Groff is. He’s just on the edge of non-appealing. I thought he’d totally fail in that Fincher Netflix serial killer show, but he was pretty terrific. It’s unfortunate it got canceled.

R546 He is extremely charismatic which has helped his career. Looks wise, he’s a vanilla pound cake. In regards to his singing, Michael Mayer said it best in that Spring Awakening documentary: he’s just a chorus boy. But he has a lot of warmth and soul that makes him very lovable. It’s a quality that someone like Tveit is severely lacking.

Katrina Lenk comes across as extremely intelligent and engaging in that doc. It’s truly weird that it doesn’t work on stage.

I like Katrina Lenk a lot. She just doesn’t work in Company.

I must be lucky because the night I saw COMPANY Katrina Lenk was terrific, truly mesmerizing, and even (at least to my ears) hit all the right notes vocally.

[quote]Groff is a much better actor and stage personality, but Tveit can sing circles around him.

I would agree that Tveit has the better vocal instrument -- more range, etc. -- but that doesn't mean he's a better singer overall.

[quote]I must be lucky because the night I saw COMPANY Katrina Lenk was terrific, truly mesmerizing, and even (at least to my ears) hit all the right notes vocally.

i guess I got lucky, too. I did think she was somewhat miscast, but her actual performance, including her singing, was very good.

R506, does Williams ever actually say that Laura's disability is mostly in her mind? Amanda says that, but I do not trust her.

The extent of Laura's malady has been debated for decades. This is not something new--it is just that today, directors are a bit bolder. But even back in the 70s we debated this.

[quote]Does Williams ever actually say that Laura's disability is mostly in her mind? Amanda says that, but I do not trust her.

True that Amanda is not necessarily to be trusted, but the gentleman caller says the same thing. I guess you could argue that he's just trying to be nice, but I think we're supposed to believe that both he and Amanda are speaking truth. I've never read that Laura in the original production evidenced any sort of severe disability, and if that's what Williams had wanted, I'm sure he could have had it. Even if there's some room for disagreement here, Laura certainly should not have been portrayed as a severely disabled, wheelchair-bound person, as she was in the last Broadway revival. I mean, aside from everything else, she does have lines about how, when she skipped out of school at business college, she would go walking in the park every day....

[quote]The extent of Laura's malady has been debated for decades. This is not something new--it is just that today, directors are a bit bolder. But even back in the 70s we debated this.

The reason why some significantly disabled actors have been given the role in recent years is ALL about inclusion and has nothing to do with whether or not it makes any sense in terms of the text.

I saw Company in December and by shear miracle everyone was in, and no one was out with Covid.

I was moved by Lenk. I went into prepared to not like her (Like Beanie in FG) but I found her very moving in the part.

I thought the wedding scene between her and Doyle made more sense than it ever has with a male Bobby and Amy.

I know she’s a God on theatre twitter, but I found Jennifer Simard over the top and cartoonish. But what the fuck do I know?

[quote]I know she’s a God on theatre twitter, but I found Jennifer Simard over the top and cartoonish. But what the fuck do I know?

It's okay, that's your opinion. But it did seem to me that there were several very broad performances in the show -- not only Simard but also Doyle, Fitzgerald, etc. Excellent performances, IMHO, but very broad.

I saw "Company" two days before the shutdown. I did not take to Lenk, whether it was because of her inadequate singing, or the amount of botox and filler in her face that didn't allow any emotion to register. I was nonplussed by the production, and only enjoyed LuPone.

[quote]BACK TO THE FUTURE is headed to Broadway. U.S. out of town to be announced shortly...

Why would they go out of town when it's established already in London. That set looks un-tourable.

This is sort of fascinating. The sexy/sleazy guy who’s brought on at the end is obviously Paige’s current boyfriend but wasn’t she already having an affair with Tim Rice. Her parents are lovely. Her dance teacher seemed very creepy.

[quote]I saw Company in December and by shear miracle everyone was in, and no one was out with Covid.

Oh Dear!

and by some miracle, no one had a hair appointment that day

R557 yeah, the London run is pretty much the out-of-town tryout.

Success in London for a stage musical is no guarantee of success in NYC, and vice versa. Audiences are different, tastes and sensibilities are different.

Mentioned upthread is DEAR EVAN HANSEN's closing on the West End. Case in point. It continues to succeed on Bway (since 2016), even after the debacle of the movie version.

Back to the Future will get the Marquis, right?

Interesting, R556. I thought LuPone was one of the few weak links in the show, because she's so miscast. Of course, she still made an impression due to her undeniable star power.

Re: Tveit as a singer, I think he's gotten better over the years. I used to find him insipid but was dragged to one of his 54 Below shows by a friend who's an obsessive - this was sometime before Moulin Rouge was on bway, but I think after the Boston run. He sang his heart out and the voice was really beautiful. Usual fare including a solid Being Alive, but he really came to life during an Adele song which was actually pretty sexy compared to his usual vanilla self.

I agree, R563. I thought LuPone was miscast as well, but she brought the star power- that something extra that makes an audience (well, most of them!) want to watch her.

My friends joke that "I hate everything," and while I didn't hate the production, I just didn't like it very much.

Lenk is somewhat miscast as Bobbie, but she anchors the show well because she's an interesting person to look at onstage. She's reactive, present, and confident, and plays the role of the perpetual observer very well.

[quote] Mentioned upthread is DEAR EVAN HANSEN's closing on the West End. Case in point. It continues to succeed on Bway (since 2016), even after the debacle of the movie version.

I’d say it’s moving into "sad last days" on Broadway as well. The box office grosses are half what they used to be. I’d be surprised if it was hitting its break even point. Maybe the Stranger Things kid will help them out.

Groff sang really well in that Bobby Darin show. Unfortunately, he sang nothing like Bobby Darin.

I hate when straight men do "gayish" patter for laughs, but he's in musical theatre so maybe he's not so straight...

If only Groff and Creel had a baby, we might eventually have Gavin's singing voice with Groff's presence.

I really wanted a private video of Groff and Quinto fucking, just to hear the screaming from Groff.

Jeremy Jordan is the gayest straight man who ever gayed. If you watch his interviews he’s the queeniest Queen who ever queened but allegedly loves his wife.

[quote]Jeremy Jordan is the gayest straight man who ever gayed. If you watch his interviews he’s the queeniest Queen who ever queened

I don't get that from him at all.

Jeremy Jordan makes Aaron Tveit look female.

[Quote] Michael Mayer said it best in that Spring Awakening documentary: he’s just a chorus boy.

Mayer that hack said that?? On camera?

[Quote] Success in London for a stage musical is no guarantee of success in NYC, and vice versa. Audiences are different, tastes and sensibilities are different.

Thanks for mansplaining r561

More like queensplaining, R561.

[quote]I saw Company in December and by shear miracle everyone was in, and no one was out with Covid

Or had a wedding to attend!

[quote]I’d say it’s moving into "sad last days" on Broadway as well. The box office grosses are half what they used to be. I’d be surprised if it was hitting its break even point. Maybe the Stranger Things kid will help them out.

Nah it survived the dog days of the 70's. They are just pricing lots of people out right now. I have spent my whole life 5th row center aisle. Honestly I have sat first row to last, boxes to standing room and I refuse to pay the premiums they are charging now.$200 for a seat in the last row of any theater is ridiculous.

[quote]Groff is a much better actor and stage personality, but Tveit can sing circles around him.

Not if Tveit is dancing while doing the circles, on the evidence of the Miscast clip. He gets puffed out within seconds of doing any dancing that involves standing up. A great singing voice while standing completely still is not an asset a Broadway star should expect applause for. You don't have to be a brilliant dancer but you do have to be able to walk and breathe at the same time.

That's a very weird comment, R578, since the post you quoted was referring to DEAR EVAN HANSEN in particular, not the health of Broadway in general.

Ah, OK, thanks, R305. I’m not up with what the kids are saying, nowadays.

R579, Or, you could lip sync.

Is Julie Benko covering today's matinee?

Yes! [583] Beanie is no longer doing a full 8 day week

Katrina Lenk has, quite possibly, my favorite scene in the final scene of OZARK (you’ll know the one if you’ve watched all the way through). She was excellent as Claire Shaw on that show. So, she can actually act.

Her face did not move in Ozark

[quote]Is Julie Benko covering today's matinee?

Is Beanie covering her face in shame?

Beanie has no shame.

[QUOTE] Her face did not move in Ozark

It actually did - very noticeably in the scene I’m talking about. But go ahead and keep repeating yourself.

[quote]Jeremy Jordan is the gayest straight man who ever gayed.

I've thought that about him, too R572. He's obviously very comfortable with camping things up, singing "female" songs, etc.

When you see him in more intimate concert settings, it's even more apparent.

New thread:

Jeremy's "It Only Takes A Moment", at Jerry Herman's memorial service, was breathtaking.

FUNNY GIRL! (2022)

All this talk of Katrina Lenk being "miscast" as Bobbi but what does that even mean in her case? Bobbi is such an undefined character, how could any attractive young woman be miscast as Bobbi, especially Katrina? I loved her in the show, btw. And watching her interviews in last night's PBS Company doc, her face is wonderfully animated.

[quote]Bobbi is such an undefined character, how could any attractive young woman be miscast as Bobbi, especially Katrina?

If you don't understand the function that Bobby/Bobbi's character plays in the show, I'm not going to try to explain it to you, but Katrina Lenk was the wrong choice. If Bobbi is such a cipher, why does she even need to be attractive? If "Funny Girl" closes soon, maybe Beanie can play Bobbi.

r595, what do we know about Bobbi's character that would have made Katrina Lenk the wrong choice to play her when she was (mis)cast?

Billy Crystal has Covid. Oy.

[quote]If Bobbi is such a cipher, why does she even need to be attractive?

People aren't paying Broadway prices for oogly, r595.

For starters, R596, Bobbi is, we are constantly being told, much beloved by those good and crazy people, her married friends. So, if nothing else, Bobbi should have a warm and winning personality. Lenk is cold and distant.

End this thread

Yeah, really R561. We had no idea.