Theatre Gossip #472: The "Send Out the Clowns Bitching About Sondheim" Edition

Link to previous thread

Also known as the "Some Enhanceing Evening Edition."

Oh, r2, now you made me want to listen to this...

Funny thing. In most of her concerts in the late 70s/early 80s, Joel Grey was the opening act for Jane Oliver.

Did her numerologist tell her to drop the 2nd O in her name, R4?

About the note on Patti's mirror - it was obviously from an email (perhaps he didn't have Patti's email - or didn't want her to have his - and so sent it to Marianne Elliot or someone to pass on to her), and even Sondheim could make typos. Hell, there's an email on the SondheimLetters IG where he gets he misspells his own name.

Who cares about this ; get back to Sondheim. Did he have any say in who was cast for " Follies"?

[quote]I’m thrilled that Pacific Overtures is getting Follies-level love on this thread.

From the previous thread.

Let's not go too far. "Follies-level love" us an impossibly high bar on DL.

[quote]I’m thrilled that Pacific Overtures is getting Follies-level love on this thread.

(From the previous thread.)

Let's not go too far. "Follies-level love" is an impossibly high bar on DL.

Who's Stephen Sondheim?

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1971, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" opened at the John Golden Theatre.

Oh my

Well done, but she still stinks.

She's terrible, Muriel.

Beanie’s line readings and mugging are more painful than her singing and that’s saying a lot.

Beanie thinks she can show up for 4 shows a week, who the fuck does she think she is?

Speaking of Follies, is anyone going to the San Francisco show? I went to see the NT Follies in London in ‘17 and have never regretted the decision.

I thought we were speaking about how awful Beanie is.

I like the idea of a Follies…but not this Follies.

Jaquel Spivey is no longer performing matinees for the time being, according to his Instagram. He's "still not at 100% which makes one show difficult but two shows impossible."

Too much pie, fatty, that's your problem!

Replace Jaquel with Raquel Welch; she would be better!

Girls I have a crush on Jordan Donica. He was so dreamy as Rapunzals Prince in Into the woods at Encores.

Is he gay? He has no social media accounts

Jordan.

Dream on, R23. Maybe you can get a job as a dresser.

How much does Ramin enjoy having to kiss Beanie?

About as much as Fernando Lamas enjoyed kissing The Merm.

That was my job

OK, here's the actual scenario with the Sondheim note:

Steve had seen a final dress rehearsal of Company (post-Covid) and was hanging out in the stage manager's office afterwards because he was a bit shy and vulnerable about confronting the entire cast, even though he knew he'd eventually have to see them all. He asked the ASM to type that note for Patti and leave it for her in her dressing room.

Watched Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy on Amazon. Includes a clip of Bernadette Peter’s singing Send in the Clowns in the discussion of Sondheim’s contributions.

r29 The assistant to the Assistant Stage Manager

[r25] but is he a homosexual in his downtime underwear?

Surely someone must know!

[quote]R7 get back to Sondheim. Did he have any say in who was cast for " Follies"?

He pushed hard for Suzanne Somers for Sally, Joyce DeWitt as Phyllis. Somers demanded a huge bump in salary and that was it : (

#WhatMightHaveBeen

That Funny Girl montage isn't helped by what sounds like a 5 piece band.

R35 It isn't helped by including Beanie singing.

I thought the clip of FG was awful. Beanie was pushing to reach and hold that final note like the girl playing Mother Abbess in our A Capella Choir production of The Sound of Music trying desperately and unsuccessfully to get the high note in Climb Every Mountain (she was not, shall we say, Patricia Newsy—hell, she wasn’t Eggy Wood without the dubbing).

Beanie in FUNNY? GURRRRRL!!!’!!!!

Why did the light house keeper shake her bosoms?

[quote]she was not, shall we say, Patricia Newsy

I beg you pardon, but I was not newsy at all. I refused to participate in idle gossip.

Such frantic mugging from Beanstein. All that and no Tony nomination?

Echoing r35 that band sounds worse than any suburban high school. And beanie sounds like the Long Island HS senior who got cast. Plus they definitely looped that last note. She doesn’t hold it that long in the theater.

The Beanster was told that mugging equals a Tony hence Matt Doyle’s inexplicable success at award season

Harvey just posted that new commercial on FB along with this message which obviously could be read into as being snarky and/or referencing her many absences: “Look who showed up on my Facebook page! Hi Beanie!!!! xoxox”

Harvey is just pissed because for the first time, someone else ate all the donuts on the craft services table at rehearsals. He never forgets and he never forgives.

Did I miss mention of this?

This article is not paywalled

Are Beanie and Jaquel meeting in secret to binge eat??

So was the Legally Blonde complaint about this Elle Woods being a......

For R586 from the previous thread-Pacific Overtures was produced at the ENO in London, not the NT. THE NT should step up and do their own production at the Olivier.

Elle should be the only one wearing pink but I have a feeling that’s the least problematic thing in that production.

And the Tony goes to...

How embarrassing for Rebecca Luker.

I know these are in practice music theatre threads, but there's a beautiful show playing through this weekend at St. Ann's in Brooklyn. A German staging of Edouard Louis' "Who Killed My Father", through June 4th. A young gay man ponders his fucked-up relationship with the redneck town in Northern France he fled, and his drunk, abusive father. Very moving.

R54,

Was it that good? The two reviews I read -- from the Times and NY Mag -- were fairly lethal, especially the latter. I've read two of Louis's books so am curious, but he's not an actor so I'm a bit gun shy.

OMG...

The Fucking Visit is more interesting and complex than anything Steve ever came up with.

Just saw Karate Kid musical. Wax off, Wax off.

[quote]Was it that good? The two reviews I read -- from the Times and NY Mag -- were fairly lethal, especially the latter. I've read two of Louis's books so am curious, but he's not an actor so I'm a bit gun shy.

Personally I enjoyed it immensely. If you go into it expecting the pacing of Grand Theft Auto you're gonna be bored. It's an extremely quiet, gentle take on the material - if you're a fan of Edouard's writing I'd recommend it.

That tragic FG commercial looks worse than any local community theater mishmash, truly dreadful and dire. Beanie just radiates “terrible” and that awful mugging. HORRID!!!!

Legally Blonde is ABOUT superficiality, at its baseline. To have a fat Elle doesn't make any sense for the show. They deserve every mock they receive.

[quote]That tragic FG commercial looks worse than any local community theater mishmash, truly dreadful and dire. Beanie just radiates “terrible” and that awful mugging. HORRID!!!!

In the clips, Beanie still seems to be performing at her theater camp, where she was apparently the third choice for Fanny, after the first and second choice both caught poison ivy.

Was the stage reinforced for when Beanie rolls off the love seat?

Why is no one here talking about the delightful and hilarious new play at MCC, WHICH WAY TO THE STAGE?

And one of its leading men, Evan Todd, who is spectacular and hot AF as a Wharton business school graduate who has recently left a well-paying job in finances to try his luck as an actor in the theater? A really fun show, closing (I think) in a week or so, so please try and see it!

Bless the brave handful of posters who actually see new plays (straight plays!) and share their recommendations here.

Unfortunately, they are vastly outnumbered by others who haven't seen any live theatre since CONTACT opened. and hate the idea of anything since.

[quote]Was the stage reinforced for when Beanie rolls off the love seat?

If not, that scene could turn into a real coup de theatre.

R64,

Thanks for the recommendation. Tickets are a bit $ for an OB show, but I do want to see it. The show sounds fun.

Seeing The Bedwetter on Saturday, and that cost far too much too.

Ramin zipping up onto the divan is cute. Jane shaking her tits -- twice, is it? -- is not.

I’ve thought for a while that the obsession European theatre directors’ seem to have with Édouard Louis is very strange, especially now he’s featuring as a performer. Both Thomas Ostermeir and Ivo van Hove have staged adaptations of his works.

Beanie would make a wonderful Sally Durant Plummer. Hope they build a major revival around her. With Aaron Tveit as Ben?

I hope you're joking, r70.

" (she was not, shall we say, Patricia Newsy—hell, she wasn’t Eggy Wood without the dubbing)."

Beanie would make a cute Sonia Walsk and the score isn’t that difficult.

[quote] A young gay man ponders his fucked-up relationship with the redneck town in Northern France he fled, and his drunk, abusive father. Very moving.

How original!

The New Yorker's review of FAT HAM by Vinson Cunningham was, I think, positive, but it gave almost no sense of the pleasure of watching the production and its joyous performances. It's fine to assess the play as literature, but why ignore so much of its fun? I loved FAT HAM, but doubt I'd go if all I had to go on was Cunningham's take. The magazine's theater coverage continues to suck.

Yes r75 it's true that New Yorker has dropped its standards for theater coverage tremendously and inappropriately, I wonder why? Is Remnick disinterested?

R12, OMG, I was hoping everyone was wrong about her but Beanie is TERRIBLE

I thought the line 'You think beautiful girls are going to stay in style forever? I should say not!' was supposed to be funny. Beanie reads it as if it were written by Arthur Miller.

If Broadway can accept female, non-binary, and trans cast members as the Founding Fathers of the country, why not a big-boned, under-talented Fanny Brice?

Look out, HAMILTON!

This 1776 looks super edgy!

If Beanie could sing amazingly, we would all forgive her girth. The fact that she can't sing like Bway star should, we pile on.

[QUOTE] And one of its leading men, Evan Todd, who is spectacular and hot AF as a Wharton business school graduate who has recently left a well-paying job in finances to try his luck as an actor in the theater? A really fun show, closing (I think) in a week or so, so please try and see it!

My buddy has fucked Evan maybe three times, the last time being at World Pride in 2019. He loves raw loads in his ass and is fairly tight.

Evan Todd is a georgeous hunk.. I saw him in the Beautiful musical and couldn't take my eyes off him.

I forgot to mention that he is also very nice and sweet.

The same director behind "Who Killed My Father" did an adaptation of Edouard Louis' "History of Violence" at St Ann's in 2019 that was quite good, but not as powerful as the book. Louis didn't act in that one. It was much better than the production of "The End of Eddy" at BAM, which I didn't realize before going in was being done in a Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) style.

R85, Here he is . . .

[quote] He loves raw loads in his ass

Who doesn't?

More of Evan Todd . . .

All those muscles are hiding under that coat

Oh Christ R64. Evan Todd? Didn’t she fall off the radar with her blandness after trying to push her gay ass into the business? YYYAAAAAWWWWNNNNN

She’s the new Luke McFarlane.

Clearly Evan turned R92 down....

I think he's the actor who played Gerry Goffin when I saw BEAUTIFUL. He was fine in the part (well, he was okay...) but I remember thinking how distracting it was that Goffin had a bodybuilder's physique... in 1960s Brooklyn and the Brill Building. Not unpleasant, but kind of absurd.

I can't even remember which replacement Carole I saw: she was utterly forgettable and completely lacking in charisma.

There's also this

Well he's got a great body and a handsome face but from the comments I was expecting Guy Madison.

Thank you, r84, for some actual gossip!

[quote]I’ve thought for a while that the obsession European theatre directors’ seem to have with Édouard Louis is very strange, especially now he’s featuring as a performer. Both Thomas Ostermeir and Ivo van Hove have staged adaptations of his works.

Perhaps the obsession has to do with his focus on the plight of the European working class and how they're perpetually fucked over by the ruling elite? (as a gay man from MAGA country it certainly touches me.)

Beanie would make a great Shrek. With Ben Platt as Fiona.

You guys were not lying about Beanie. Wow, that looks SO amateur. I would love to hear the full, uncensored version of how her casting came about because the backstory they’re peddling about her is just not supported by reality.

I would imagine she sounded even worse over Zoom than she might have in a face-to-face audition.

Maybe she was just lip-syncing to someone else singing off-camera on the Zoom call

It was likely nepotism, and/or the hope that somehow she'd deliver a Millennial era Fanny that would somehow capture younger audiences while honoring history.

She did neither.

A friend who fanatically defend Beanie, without seeing her, went yesterday. At intermission he texted me with, “I’m sorry…she really is terrible”, and once the show was over, called and screeched MARY level at how everything was horrific. He especially hated Lynch and the sound system, which has been amped up even louder now that the second row paid teen shills aren’t there…

It's sad that Jane Lynch is so misused/wasted here. She's a person I'd love to see again on stage, but in a role more suited to her talents.

You only need to look at social media to see they didn't need to pay people to go, that's just silly. She does have a fanbase who'll ignore her many flaws. Like the admin of that Facebook group.

R64, you may be interested to know that in the Off-Broadway musical HEATHERS, Evan Todd spent most of Act II in nothing but his underwear. And....a video of the whole show is on YouTube.

You're welcome :-)

Who on earth thought that horrible commercial would sell tickets? Is Max Bialystock producing?

[quote] I think he's the actor who played Gerry Goffin when I saw BEAUTIFUL. He was fine in the part (well, he was okay...) but I remember thinking how distracting it was that Goffin had a bodybuilder's physique... in 1960s Brooklyn and the Brill Building. Not unpleasant, but kind of absurd.

Yes, it was absurd, but I was happy to have that distract because BEAUTIFUL was just a crappy as all the other jukebox musicals.

Well, WHICH WAY TO THE STAGE? was my first time seeing Evan Todd and in his initial scenes, establishing his character as this young businessman who is now trying to make it as an actor, he seemed so perfectly cast, it felt like they'd just found the real deal in open auditions and cast him. Like I couldn't even imagine him playing other roles. He's hilarious in the play because he's so perfectly cast in the role. There were no Playbills so I never read his former credits and had no idea he'd worked so much before.

And, yes, it's true, He may not be "Guy Madison" in the looks dept. but he's undeniably hot, and even though he never takes his clothes off, he fills out his jeans in the most spectacular ways.

Anyway, all DL theater geeks should see this play. It's really fun!

According to Amanda...

But doesn't FG sell extremely well when Beanie shows up?

This Amanda chick thinks Fanny Brice is a soprano role?

FG grosses.

Evan Todd’s ass isn’t his only asset. He also gives spectacular blowjobs.

[quote] You only need to look at social media to see they didn't need to pay people to go, that's just silly. She does have a fanbase who'll ignore her many flaws. Like the admin of that Facebook group.

I think the admin is more of a fat girl sympathizer because he himself is a big fat girl. He also doesn't allow negative things to be said about any "star" so it's not just Beanie. But I think the attacks on her he feels more personally because of his natural unfucakbility.

[quote]More of Evan Todd . . .

I'd buy that for a dollar.

[quote]Plus they definitely looped that last note. She doesn’t hold it that long in the theater.

If they were going to loop that final note, they should have tried to find a version of it that wasn't flat.

[quote] Evan Todd’s ass isn’t his only asset. He also gives spectacular blowjobs.

Like an old fatty like you would even know.

Evan is 32. If he was going to happen he would have happened already.

From Seth Rudetsky:

[quote]BID to win the ORIGINAL Bernadette Peters staff from #IntoTheWoods ! Joanna Gleason has (stole) it & will send it to you (or possibly drive to ur house!) Support @alifeinthearts aka Actors Fund Deadline 6/2 11:59 Email StarsInTheHouse2020@gmail.com with your bid! Bid is at $9000!

Few would pay attention to Beanie's weight if she were an amazing singer.

Exactly R119. He’s not leading man and he’s not character, so…

[quote] Evan is 32. If he was going to happen he would have happened already.

Wow, he's that young? I must have seen him on Bway when he was about 28.

Yes he was beautiful but sort of bland (or maybe that was the character he played). Good actors often just need a great role to "happen."

Maybe he should try for TV

He's done some guest spots. He and his fiance appear to have recently moved to LA, so he'll probably do more film/TV than stage work going forward.

Who's his fiance?

[quote]Few would pay attention to Beanie's weight if she were an amazing singer.

That's not entirely true.

I've got the solution- Let's put Beanie in a wheelchair and then use hydraulics to lift and move her all over the set.

2nd Stage just announced part of their next season.

Interesting that they are doing The Thanksgiving Play on Broadway, as well as Between Riverside and Crazy.

[quote]Beanie would make a great Shrek. With Ben Platt as Fiona.

Say what you want but expect the next "Follies" in about two years with Beannie and Ben wiith Beannie as Sally.

Are there no new plays? It's not like either of those plays set NYC on fire when they first played Off-Bway.

[quote] Are there no new plays?

Yes r130. There's The Minutes, which grossed $322K. POTUS which grossed $445K; Birthday Candles, $328K; Hangmen, $287K

R127 = Tommy Tune

Evan is actually 33, and he’s been with a guy for several years now. They got engaged in 2018 so I assume they’re married by this point. But they’re apart a lot, so I could see them having an open marriage, which would explain Evan getting raw-fucked in 2019 World Pride.

Do you think Funny Girl will survive the summer? I bet it will close before Fall.

Mimi Hines is still around and so is Karen Morrow and so is Marilyn Maye. Any of them could take over from Beanie and do a better job. They might not be able to do 8 shows a week but neither can Beanie.

[quote] He loves raw loads in his ass and is fairly tight.

r84 you got a report that he is "fairly tight"?????

Will Beanie present at the Tonys? Perhaps with Ben (for courage)?

[quote]Will Beanie present at the Tonys?

That would be awfully big of her, considering that she was snubbed.

R137-She doesn't belong on the RCMH stage if she can't handle the stage at the August Wilson. Keep her fat ass off the Tonys.

Evan is utterly dreamy.

Yo! .

[Quote] which would explain Evan getting raw-fucked in 2019 World Pride.

Wasn’t World Pride in NYC that year? If so, what does it mean to get fucked at World Pride? Does it mean he just hooked up with a guy in his own city?

Or even his husband?

Someone with a body that gorgeous shouldn’t let only one guy enjoy it

Evan for Matinee Fanny!

Evan performing with The Skivvies.

With Cameras on Every Phone, Will Broadway’s Nude Scenes Survive?

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1982, "Blues in the Night" opened at the Rialto Theatre, the final production to play that house.

My mama done told me...

^ Huh. Jean Du Shon replaced Ruth Brown in previews. I wonder what happened there.

Ah, the Rialto Theater! Home to Marlowe and Musical Chairs!

the Rialto

the Rialto LA

[Quote] I think he's the actor who played Gerry Goffin when I saw BEAUTIFUL. He was fine in the part (well, he was okay...) but I remember thinking how distracting it was that Goffin had a bodybuilder's physique... in 1960s Brooklyn and the Brill Building. Not unpleasant, but kind of absurd.

While Gerry was no Johnny Restivo... body beautiful types did exist on the scene back then.

Evan Todd looks a lot like Luke Wilson but without the chipmunk cheeks.

Oh, Johnny!

Silly of Evan to take nudes in his dressing room that he'd otherwise posted to social media (while clothed).

[quote]It's sad that Jane Lynch is so misused/wasted here. She's a person I'd love to see again on stage, but in a role more suited to her talents.

Wasn't there talk of a Broadway revival of "Last Summer at Blue Fish Cove"? She'd be good for that.

Could Jane pull off Sister George?

R158. Is there a role in it for a lighthouse keeper?

JR...

Nancy Dussault, Karen Morrow--L.A. Cabaret, 1980 TV

R125, sorry, DL wouldn't let me post until now. Here's the fiance.

I only saw the Merman-Martin duet of that Morrow-Dussault concert but holy hell, were they working too damn hard to be "funny."

I always thought their story was very sweet

Evan interviewed on Broadway Sandwich

Sorry, kink for Bway Sandwich below

This is sweet too

I'd love to see Jane Lynch in The Killing of Sister George.

With those pics with Evan and George, does Evan have fresh stranger cum dripping out of his ass?

I'm sorry, Evan's husband's name is Scaught????

I believe it's pronounced Squat, r171.

Which is also the direction Evan most often hears.

Little did I know when I mentioned seeing Evan Todd , an actor I'd never even heard of before last night, I'd unleash all these fans!

Not all of us are fans.

“Fans”?! Lolol. Gurlllll.

Just...

r171, no, it's Scot. (That's not how his last name is really spelled either. Probably disguising them for privacy.)

Jane Lynch is a good comic actress with an aptitude for both snark and deadpan. She was definitely the motor for what worked on GLEE for most of its run.

But do I want to see her as a dramatic lead onstage (or in a feature film)? Probably not.

I know she's worked at Steppenwolf and Second City live (decades ago). But has she ever really been brilliant onstage that any of us can recall?

good fuck vids out there of Evan bottoming. He's very sexy.

I’m interested in seeing Evan get fucked wearing a jockstrap.

Can you point us in the right direction, r181?

Appreciate the Evan Todd pics. A very nice build, one that doesn't look roided or overdone with supplements.

Unfortunately for me, the social media "happiness", cuteness, the "isn't my/our life fabulous?!" posts are exhausting.

Man, Jane Lynch must hate the reviewer who described her as a Maine lighthouse keeper - that description seems to have legs and could stick.

[Quote] he fills out his jeans in the most spectacular ways.

I remember exactly this from Beautiful , in which she was also quite good

I imagine a musical version of Take Me Out in which he sings I’m gonna wash that man right out of my ass in the shower scene

I would do a reverse image search on Google, but then I will get ads for gaming chairs all the time. And Jeff Bezos will find out I like giant dick.

Sorry very wrong thread

Can some cunt I haven't already blocked start the next thread please so I can find these things? You're welcome.

Blocked ^

What exactly does a Maine lighthouse keeper look like and what qualities are typical?

[quote]Not all of us are fans.

And we can only imagine what your damage is that you have something against Evan Todd.

Heartbroken.

I love Emily Skinner but she’s a Charlotte not a Desiree.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1975, the original production of "Chicago" opened at the 46th Street Theatre, starring Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, and Jerry Orbach.

R193, That is an excellent cast.

may be new to some of you

CHICAGO '75

Sierra Boggess as Charlotte?!?!? "Bizarre, but you're joking."

Ages ago, Emily Skinner recorded "The Miller's Son" on 1 of her albums with Alice Ripley (and, in the liner notes, told the world "I AM PETRA!!!"). She's actually a terrific actress -- I'd love to see her take on Desiree.

Trying to find r198’s reference on YouTube I instead found It’s Che! Very, um, aggressive.

[quote] And we can only imagine what your damage is that you have something against Evan Todd.

I have nothing against him. I'm just not a fan. You do understand there can be something other than the two extremes, don't you? Oh, wait, this is the DL. Every response must be rabid.

Not every response r200. Just every responder.

[quote]I have nothing against him. I'm just not a fan. You do understand there can be something other than the two extremes, don't you? Oh, wait, this is the DL. Every response must be rabid.

Yes, I do understand that, but what was your point in sharing the news-flash information that "not all of us are fans" without any adding anything of substance to the conversation?

Because you assumed that everyone in the discussion was a fan. I was correcting that assumption. That's all.

Emily is a great choice. Elegant but saucy, great voice, sly humor. Cast sounds great all around. At first I thought they said Sierra (at 40) as Anne or Petra not Charlotte, and I was petra-fied.

[quote] Emily Skinner as Desiree Armfeldt, Jason Danieley as Fredrick Egerman, Mary Beth Peil as Madame Armfeldt, Sierra Boggess as Countess Charlotte Malcolm

R203. You mainly just pointed that you’re a prissy, self-important passive-aggressive asshole and someone worth blocking. Kisses.

Who cares, R205?

[quote]Because you assumed that everyone in the discussion was a fan. I was correcting that assumption. That's all.

First of all, the post you're referring to was made by someone else, not me. And what that person wrote was:

[quote]Little did I know when I mentioned seeing Evan Todd , an actor I'd never even heard of before last night, I'd unleash all these fans!

Nowhere does this sentence state or imply that everyone who's part of this discussion is a fan of Evan Todd, so I think the issue here is your faulty reading comprehension.

I thought you blocked me. Whatever happened to truth in advertising?

[quote] Emily is a great choice. Elegant but saucy, great voice, sly humor. Cast sounds great all around. At first I thought they said Sierra (at 40) as Anne or Petra not Charlotte, and I was petra-fied.

I think Sierra will be able to deliver the character's dry wit, and she's overqualified for the vocal demands for the role. But I was particularly excited about Mary Beth Peil as Madame Armfeldt. It's usually cast with more of a low comedienne type, a battle-axe who is completely unbelievable as a former courtesan. Peil has a delicate, stately and regal quality to her that should be interesting for the character. Excited to see it.

After the Tulsa shooting, Kristen Chenoweth wants folks to pray for [italic] her [/italic] ?

Mary Beth La Fitte...

Where does Naima fit in with you, r209?

I've worked with Cheno. Makes sense.

R193 Jason Danieley is a fine tenor, but Frederick is a baritone part, and just as Danieley wasn't effective as a tenor in the baritone part of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", I'd rather hear a baritone in the part. Also, the part is really more suited for slightly more charactery Len Carious (Sweeney's a character role) and William Daniels who succeeded him in the role. The guy who played him in the Ingmar Bergman film wasn't a traditional leading man like Danieley at all.

"Cariou" not "Carious", sorry

Mary Beth Peil can play passive-aggressive and sophisticated very well as her role as the mother-in-law to DL sorta/non-fave Julianna Margulies on "The Good Wife" proved she could. She played such a delicious pain-in-the-ass nudge there. I'm not saying Mme. Armfeldt is all that, but Ms. Peil has a beautiful voice and is a fine actress.

[quote]Man, Jane Lynch must hate the reviewer who described her as a Maine lighthouse keeper - that description seems to have legs and could stick.

I think the reviewer wrote that she was costumed to resemble a Maine lighthouse keeper.

It’s the long Jean skirt she wears. She looks like Cabot Cove during most of Funny Girl.

Peil is so terrific. My first exposure to her was Dawson's Creek, where she was fine, but was a certain "type" that didn't give her much to work with. It was really wonderful to see her onstage and get to understand just how talented she was. She later worked on something with me and was a joy to direct.

I've never thought of Sian Phillips as a low comedienne.

Peil is stunningly beautiful at 80. It’s a shame she didn’t get to do one (or both) or the leads in Follies - she’s the rare actress who I could see being magnificent in both roles.

Good for Jason for getting out and working again.

Peil would be great for Old Heidi now in Follies.

Danieley couldn’t be more inappropriate for Fredrik. 20 years ago he would have been a passably bland Henrik.

I think at this point in his career Danieley is excellent casting as Fredrik. True his voice is more tenor than baritone, but of course it has darkened a bit over the years. I'm sure he'll sound more than fine in the songs, and he has the acting chops to play the scenes very well.

P.S. I really HATE it that people like R224 constantly fall back on the word "bland" when they dislike an actor for any reason, even when that word is completely inappropriate.

Isn't it about time for Bernadette to do Armfeldt?

Of the boomer musical theatre divas, Donna Murphy is the one best suited to Armfeldt - but she’s probably still a bit young these days.

Danieley's been working fairly steadily the last couple of years, r222

re: lighthouse keeper Jane

If she broke out into "Candle in the Water" from Pete's Dragon, it would only improve the show.

Has Judi played Armfeldt?

Jane Lynch as Madame Armfeldt and Beanie as Desiree!!!!

It's a shame Diana Rigg never got to play it.

Or Patricia Routledge.

Felicity Kendall can't sing at all, can she?

Or Harvey Fierstein.

He can speak sing it an octave higher than Stritch.

[quote]Isn't it about time for Bernadette to do Armfeldt?

Will she wear low-cut costumes to showcase her tits?

At last Frederik is hung. Is Carl Magnum even bigger per the script? They should compare during their duet

[quote]Or Harvey Fierstein.

I would pay good money not to see this.

Love the idea of Carl Magnus and Frederic comparing dicks during “It Would Have Been Wonderful.

[qute]Isn't it about time for Bernadette to do Armfeldt?

Somehow I don't see Mme. Armfeldt crying during Liaisons.

R220 Didn't you see Dame Sian Philips in "Carry On, Livia"?

She's a HOOT!

[quote]At last Frederik is hung

How do we know Jason Danieley is the first hung Frederik? Surely there have been others. Alexander Hanson for one?

Has anyone ever suggested Patti for Mme. Armfeldt? What kind of weapon did she wield? Just her mouth probably.

Hanson was very good, though there wasn't any nude scene. Maybe they can do a revival of "The Changing Room" so we can find out.

Not a nude scene, but when Hanson was young, he played Henrik in A Little Night Music at Chichester and then in London, and he was shirtless in Act Two and surprisingly gymmed up.

No less than Sondheim himself told me it was ridiculous for a would-be cleric to be muscled up in early 1900s Sweden.

He really didn't get the concept of the gratuitous display,

Sian Phillips was great and quite sophisticated in "Pal Joey" as Mrs. Simpson years ago in London. Her Joey, Denis Lawson, Ewan McGregor's uncle, was quite good, though more of a mover than a dancer. Later saw him (and his nice butt) in a musical version of a Restoration play "The Country Wife" in Philadelphia.

Jane Lynch was awful as a replacement Hannigan in "Annie." I thought that role would be perfect for her since I became familiar with her from "Glee." But then, just about everything was awful in that revival.

When a finely constructed show with a good cast is bad, blame the director. Wasn't that the "Annie" where they took out most or all of the humor? The chutzpah!

Hanson sang Henrik? Maybe I'm thinking of someone else but I thought Hanson isn't much of a singer.

Hanson had a very nice baritone in the NY revival. Didn't sound like a tenor at all, though maybe back then he was.

will no-one remember HR Herdlicka's star turn in Night music, just a few short seasons ago?

[quote]Wasn't that the "Annie" where they took out most or all of the humor?

Taking the humor out of any play or musical is never a good idea.

R252 He seems to have disappeared after Stritch's passing. I guess he didn't latch onto someone else with as much presence. He was just ok in ALNM.

Wasn't Herdlicka seeing a prominent lawyer?

Hunter Ryan Herdlicka makes Nick Adams seem barely clownfaced.

[quote]Love the idea of Carl Magnus and Frederic comparing dicks during “It Would Have Been Wonderful.

Please, let's not give Daniel Fish any ideas for potential revivals.

Even in his 50s, Danieley is too boyish, short and lightweight for the part which requires more darkness and dramatic heft.

R258 = Addison DeWitt.

Rooting for a Glenda Jackson turn in Mme. Armfeldt's wheelchair.

[Quote] Even in his 50s, Danieley is too boyish, short and lightweight for the part which requires more darkness and dramatic heft.

That sounds like a description of Julian Ovenden. Btw, is there a bootleg of "My Night With Reg"?

Did Charlotte Rae ever play Armfeldt?

[quote] Rooting for a Glenda Jackson turn in Mme. Armfeldt's wheelchair.

Glenda can still carry a tune!

She'd just injure her ankle and Twiggy would have to go on.

R222, Not only has Jason Danieley been working steadily, he has a new woman in his life.

Is it Rachelle Rak?

r260 Wonder how many performances until the wheelchair 'accidentally' falls into the pit

Anyone have a link to the "banned" review of the British LEGALLY BLONDE? One not behind a paywall. I'm dying to read what caused the uproar.

r268 Here's a link, and since it's only four paragraphs I'll post it here too:

[quote]Woollens on — the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has opened for summer and has invited Lucy Moss, co-writer of the Henry VIII spoof Six, to direct Legally Blonde. This cheesy musical about a fashion-obsessed Californian girl going to snooty Harvard Law School is more than 20 years old. Does anyone nowadays balk at an unconventional young woman studying law? With places such as Cambridge University trashing the old elite, citadels of privilege have changed.

[quote]Moss, seeking new political relevance, has cast fuller-bodied, nonbinary actors and turned the whole thing into a relentlessly zingy assertion of minority pride. Fellow fatties of the world, first we take Harvard, then we take Brenda Hale’s old seat on the Supreme Court. Such is the devotion to diversity that even the story’s two cute dogs (normally a bankable crowd-pleaser) have been turned into camped-up humans. It lends new meaning to “poodle-faker”.

[quote]With sound balances askew at Tuesday’s press night, ears were throbbing after a few minutes of caterwauling from Courtney Bowman, who plays the central figure, Elle. Bowman has a likeable grin, but she is no Callas. The opening song, Omigod You Guys, is a horror of nasal shrieking, “like” and “omigod” being just about discernible amid otherwise indistinct words. Elle’s big thing is pink. She and her mates leap about like a flock of flat-footed flamingos. The stage’s superstructure wobbles under the weight of the company’s loosely choreographed gyrations.

[quote]A 13-piece band gives it plenty of welly and there is good drumming in the song Harvard Variations. Not that this Harvard offers much variety. The film speared Ivy League condescension. Moss’s direction fails to create a contrast. The Harvard students seem as diverse as Elle’s Californian chums. For satire to work, cruelty is needed. The only source of that here is Eugene McCoy’s Professor Callahan, the school’s feared lecturer. His song Blood in the Water urges the students to be sharks. It rhymes “Thomas Hobbes” with “spineless snobs” and the song Gay or European reinforces the clever writing. Legally Blonde can be salty, all right, but this production is too awed by the very fault the musical should tease: socio-political orthodoxy.

In response to this review, the trans member of the cast (because of course it was the trans member of the cast) sent out a tweet insulting older straight white people and telling them they aren't welcome to the show. Which is rather stupid, given the make up of the typical London theatre audience. Also doesn't help that he's the one who most people have mentioned as the weakest member of the cast

Between Cinderella and this, it's like young London actors really have zero sense whatsoever when it comes to social media.

Why are you trying to make it a London thing? And I bet you wouldn't tweet publicly "he" about the trans cast member.

R270 What Broadway shows have had casts airing grievances on social media in the way they have at Cinderella? And why wouldn't I? No need for quotes around he, he uses 'they, she and he' as pronouns. Nice try, though.

What the hell is considered so offensive and insulting about that review that requires the critic being banned?

R268, I’m sure all it did was point out the obvious fact that Elle Woods has to be played by a conventionally attractive white girl for the show to make any sort of sense. The character starts the show having spent her entire life in a privileged bubble - an overweight woman of colour would not experience her major life setback at 22 when her college boyfriend deems her too “hot” and frivolous to be a senator‘s wife. The character’s whole arc is about learning to not limit herself or allow herself to limited by other people because she is a pretty blonde unapologetic girly girl.

Are we forgetting Javier Munoz, Cynthia Erivo etc.? Broad Way is full of messy types.

[quote]What the hell is considered so offensive and insulting about that review that requires the critic being banned?

This bit, I assume:

[quote]The stage’s superstructure wobbles under the weight of the company’s loosely choreographed gyrations.

Are we pretending Laura Bell Bundy is anybody's beauty queen?

R275 - If that's ban-worthy, defund the woke police.

Compared to the woman playing Elle in London, Bundy was a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.

[quote] Are we forgetting Javier Munoz, Cynthia Erivo etc.? Broad Way is full of messy types.

Don’t forget Mandy

[Quote] the part which requires more darkness and dramatic heft

A. He’s an actor. B. Why, because that’s how the earlier actors did it that way?

Another point in the Sondheim argument and apropos to the title is that the only popular hit he's had as a composer was SITC. The loss of avenues where people would sing his songs like cabarets has definitely hurt his profile but not as much as not having any songs that were on the charts. Unlike R&S, Jerry Herman or even Stephen Schwartz, his profile is for entire works rather than songs that are more popularly known.

um, what?

Who is R&S?

What is so sad about the whole Wild Party saga was Toni Colette hasn’t appeared on Broadway since. That AND she had to throw out her Evita Original Cast Recording cds.

Rodgersh & Shart!

Meant R&H or G&S.

Why were those FOLLIES costumes at r211 so goddamn dreary and colorless?

r281, what on earth are you talking about?

I saw Emily Skinner's Charlotte in the ACT ALNM a few years ago and thought she was dreadful. Imagine Tyne Daly playing the role with her Mrs. Sally Adams accent. I can only think her Desiree will be even worse. She has no warmth or vulnerability, she's all just very matter-of-fact, a modern day Benay Venuta.

Take it up with Gregg Barnes, r287.

Fuck off, r289.

Didn't Emily Skinner do an act devoted to Dolores Gray?

[R222], Not only has Jason Danieley been working steadily, he has a new woman in his life.

Good for him. He's a nice guy.

Geesh. The corpse isn't even stiff.

Men always move on fairly quickly.

Define "men."

Did the Merm and her friend Benay regularly tell each other to "Fuck Off"? Sounds very "All About Eve" but the R-rated one.

FUCK OFF, BENAY!

I NEED THE SOFTNESS.

"What the hell is considered so offensive and insulting about that review that requires the critic being banned?"

Because EVERYONE is entitled to a Participation Trophy AT ALL TIMES!

This is the THEATRE, not T-Ball, for Chrissakes!

After almost four years, r294?

r294, sadly, she died three and a half years ago. He first posted on about the new girlfriend in late June of last year, so it seems like he waited at least two years before starting to date. Doesn't seem that unreasonable (and yes, men do tend to move on faster. Something about how widowed men have trouble being alone.)

Daniely was one of the best George Seurats I have seen, opposite Carmen Cusack. This cast looks nearly perfect. I’m trying to figure out a trip ti the Berkshires.

Seurat's a tenor role.

Jason Danieley is talented, a nice guy, AND hot, even now.

He deserves every chance at happiness after losing Marin. They were devoted to one another.

Danieley will sound great as Fredrik. Sondheim didn’t write opera where the voice type dictate casting.

I'll never forget Marin singing "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" without an ounce of humor.

I know this is gruesome, but Emily Skinner (especially when she’s slimmed down) looks a helluva lot like Marin Mazzie to me.

R284, didn’t Toni Collette do some boring ass god awful play with Michael Hall and Marisa Tomei after The Wild Party?

Yep.

Toni's just waiting to make her triumphant return to Broadway in a year or two to with GYPSY!

Was Toni box office anywhere outside Australia?

Emily Skinner is a vulgar frau.

Julianne Boyd is an execrable director!

Emily hasn't been accused of grooming, though.

When Patinkin did Seurat it was a counter-tenor role.

And counter-entertaining.

Follies would be fabulous with Kate Winslet as Sally and Cate Blanchett as Phyllis!

Emily never wears panties to a party.

R305, AND hot AND hung.

Jason Danieley really is a gem of a guy. Hal Prince wanted him to play The Phantom of the Opera but schedules could never work out successfully. Now, sadly, he’s aged out of the role, according to the new “baby bad boy” directives over in Phantomland.

Just saw Epiphany at Lincoln center. Painfully boring. If I had been sitting on the aisle, I would have walked out. 2 hours with no intermission. Torture.

I don't let that stop me. I've walked across a stage while the play was going on to escape a terrible production.

Amy Adams is the obvious choice for Sally Durrant (Plummer). And Chris Pine as Benjamin Stone.

Amy Adams as Sally? Absolutely. Pine as Stone? Not a chance. Give him a few years and he's a Buddy, fer sure.

I guess you haven't seen Pine lately. Buddy or Ben, he could absolutely play a 50 year old.

Jamie Bell is a Buddy. He's only mid thirties but he's an aging Brit so he could play a decade older no problem.

You know what this thread needs?

No one seems to support Suzanne and Joyce in Follies. And I think that’s sad : (

R328 and they could have teamed up with Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari as Ben and Buddy. Except that Scolari is dead.

The PBS Joe Papp documentary is golden. But, were the interviews all conducted 20 years ago?

[Quote] I don't let that stop me. I've walked across a stage while the play was going on to escape a terrible production

But, Jeremy, you were [italic] in [/italic] the production at the time.

[Quote] I don't let that stop me. I've walked across a stage while the play was going on to escape a terrible production

Not, Nicol, you were [italic] in [/italic] the production at the time.

Wrong, R306.

[quote]Was Toni box office anywhere outside Australia?

Theatrically, she wasn't box office INside Australia. She had a hit in Australia with Muriel's Wedding. She'd been on stage (straight plays) without making much of a splash. That was pretty much it before you heard of her in the States.

DL heads would explode if Toni Collette played Sally in Follies.

She could reuse her costume from The Hours

There is nobody like Harold Pince today, nor Joseph Papp and others like them who made NY culturally a great city. Now you have conglomerates who can only shovel shit.

And then you wonder why we obsess about shows from 40 and 50 years ago. Because you weren't THERE and have no idea. And what are you doing obsessing about what mediocrity should be cast in the next lousy revival of those musicals from 40, 50 and 60 years ago?

Truth, R336. All of the Tony nominees for Best Musical this year are deeply flawed at the very least, and at least one of them is garbage. That any of them will win the prize when FOLLIES did not is very, very hard to take.

FOLLIES has mostly not worked, though.

R338, the point is that FOLLIES is a flawed masterpiece, while the shows nominated for Best Musical today are.....not.

But if a masterpiece mostly doesn't work in production...

Tim Burton nearly cast Toni Collette as Mrs. Lovett in his film of Sweeney Todd. He kept changing his mind during preproduction whether to use Collette or Bonham Carter and didn't make a final decision until shortly before filming started.

I love HBC, but Toni Collette would have been perfect and been Oscar nominated.

"Do I cast the woman I'm fucking or the woman I'm not fucking?"

Yeah. I'm sure Tim Burton thought long and hard about that...

Toni C. is always the bridesmaid. See also: Roxie in CHICAGO.

I think there serious concerns whether HCB could handle the score.

[quote]"Do I cast the woman I'm fucking or the woman I'm not fucking?" Yeah. I'm sure Tim Burton thought long and hard about that...Toni C. is always the bridesmaid. See also: Roxie in CHICAGO.

I think it's so sad that she missed out on those opportunities, both of which she deserved more than the women to whom they were given.

[quote]I think there serious concerns whether HCB could handle the score.

Well founded, as it turned out.

I am NOT one of Beanie's or Evan's FANS!!!!!!

R330, So many deceased interviewees. I was expecting to hear from Tallulah any moment.

r333 do you have a purpose here?

R348, Don't ever question someone who is supporting Sondheim! On DL, it's the worst thing one can do; worse than professing love for Trump.

Not every new show has to be a masterpiece for the ages. I think this year’s best musicals are a pretty interesting group with some outstanding elements. I had some issues with all of them and probably would not have nominated Mr. Saturday Night, but there have been worse years.

Still r333 is not pretty nor witty just gay

What's wrong with Mr. Saturday Night?

R352-You mean that a good writer, a decent composer, and a director couldn't fix?

I found it inert. The score is mostly made up of throwaway minor moments that add little to nothing. Three out of five principals can’t really sing their material and I felt uncomfortable for them. A few jokes land but not as many as you would think. It’s terribly cheap looking. I’d put it a distant sixth in the category.

[quote]Don't ever question someone who is supporting Sondheim! On DL, it's the worst thing one can do; worse than professing love for Trump.

Thanks for a really stupid comparison.

No, it's fitting. Both are fanatics who hog conversation.

[quote]hog

And then there is you.

HBC as Lovett was one of the worst casting decisions ever made. She was terrible in every way. I love her, but it seemed that every time Burton cast her, it felt like it was the director's girlfriend (or wife) getting shoehorned into a film. He did the same thing with Lisa Marie until he broke up with her. The big difference is Lisa Marie can't act for shit, and the roles Burton gave her were usually minor. HBC can act and is quite talented, but she didn't belong in most of the roles Burton cast her in, so it always felt jarring to see her playing them, and felt more like nepotism than anything else. And Helena does NOT need to rely on nepotism to get roles.

[quote] And then there is you.

I'm sure your god, Sondheim, would be proud of your clever wordsmanship. One thing he did very well was his wordplay. It's just too bad that one of his fanatic worshippers hasn't spent more time following his example.

Yes R348. To inform you that you are WRONG. Please keep your uninformed opinions to yourself.

Sigh. Fredrik has been played by tenors including Victor Garber, Stephen Buntrock, George Lee Andrews, Stephen Bogardus, and Alexander Hanson. It’s not Sweeney Todd.

[quote] She has no warmth or vulnerability

I saw that ALNM, which was abysmally directed by Mark Lamos. Besides Karen Ziemba being miscast as Desiree, the real horror of the play was screeching queen Paulo Montalban playing Carl-Magnus as, well, a screeching queen. Patrick Cassidy was boring as Henrik, and Skinner was fine as Charlotte. (She was better - wonderful, even, a year prior in a so-so Do I Hear a Waltz?).

I saw that ACT ALNM, too, R362, and couldn't agree more. I've seen three productions of the show, all ranging from Meh... to Awful. Is ALNM really so difficult to get right? To quote Mme. Armfeldt herself: "Where is style? Where is skill? Where is forethought?"

[quote]"Where is style? Where is skill? Where is forethought?"

They jumped out of a window when they saw what happened to discretion of the heart and passion in the art.

Bliss...

Patrick Cassidy as Hendrik? In 2015?!? Surely you jest.

Google reveals that he was Fredrik. Once upon a time he would have been ideal as Carl-Magnus.

How was Dana Ivey as Mme Armfeldt?

Dana Ivey was, like Skinner, just fine. The whole thing was so rotten, though, that she couldn’t rise above it. Ziemba was fine, too, but was very miscast.

It's impossible to get right today evidently.

This just in: Holland Taylor played Charlotte in Milwaukee.

Will Sara Ramierz transition from playing Petra to Frid?

Holland Taylor is at [bold]02:55[/bold] mark:

That's a *very* Holland Taylor "Goood!".

All this talk about how wrong HBC was for Mrs. Lovett and no mention of how Johnny Depp couldn’t sing the role?

Must agree on that. Lots of criticism heaped on Bonham Carter's vocal limitations, whereas Depp barely bothered to pretend to sing at all.

I still like some aspects of the movie and think it's a better film adaptation than many. Bonham Carter was no more wrong for Mrs. Lovett than, say, Meryl Streep as the Witch in INTO THE WOODS, another mixed bag of a movie musical.

[Quote] I've seen three productions of the show, all ranging from Meh... to Awful. Is ALNM really so difficult to get right?

Most Americans can't pull off "European."

I thought the Sweeney Todd film was decent. I hadn't seen the show then. I must watch the movie again.

I thought Mr. Depp was much better vocally than Bonehead Carter. He at least had a little vocal power, and more commitment.

She simply sounded too whispy.

No one, and I really mean no one, wants a ALNM revival

Even if HBC weren't cast, I don't think they'd have gone with the usual squeaky head voice + belting Lovett style. I sort of wonder what Michelle Pfeiffer would have done with the part. Bernie was considered, I've read.

I saw the last Bway revival of ALNM late-ish in the run.

Bernie was mostly endearing as Desiree, Stritch was a senile, charmless mess as Mme. A, and the rest of the cast was all over the place. I really wish I'd seen CZJ and Angela Lansbury, but I didn't love the production overall. It looked (and sounded) cheap.

I don't think anyone is clamoring for another ALNM. I'm not.

It would at least be nice to get a decent movie of it. Kate Winslet could probably give a good Desiree.

Doesn’t everything need to be reorchestrated if you change the key for one singer? I’ve always wondered how that works.

I can’t see Pfeiffer working as Lovett, but in a few years I could see her being a terrific Mme. Armfeldt in a movie version of ALNM (and would have been a terrific movie Phyllis fifteen years ago).

[quote]r380 Stritch was a senile, charmless mess as Mme. A….

[italic]Line ! ! !

"But if a masterpiece mostly doesn't work in production...":

It ran for 522 performances, which I wager will be longer than the current tripe on Broadway will run. And no one will remember it a year later, in any event.

"Most Americans can't pull off "European."

Triple Bingo, r375. I venture that most Broadway denizens today couldn't even identify Europe on a map. So much for the best and the brightest.

r381

I think she would but it should be on the Broadway! Gurl needs an EGOT

Can Melanie Lynskey sing? She has the right energy for a Charlotte. It could be a Heavenly Creatures reunion.

R365, that's PRIVATE LIVES. Bliss is in HAY FEVER.

Nancy & Karen

If Melanie Lynsey could sing, she'd be a fantastic Sally in FOLLIES! She can do both perky and depressive and does still look very much like she did 30 years ago, but with a little extra weight on her. Maybe not the most commercial choice, but when has that show ever been commercial?

Actually, Lynskey's husband, Jason Ritter, looks like a Buddy.

We need a LNM with a Mme Armfeldt who’s more like 65 than 85 … the great Sian Phillips was the closest to this.

R393, Hermione was 75 in the OBP.

Well, you KNOW the version of ALNM we will get is: Lin-Manuel Miranda as Fredrik, Phillipa Soo as Desiree and Priscilla Lopez as Madame Armfeldt.

And Billy Porter as Charlotte.

I’d pay to see that.

[quote]And Billy Porter as Charlotte.

I'd pay NOT to see that :-)

Don’t have full details, but some sort of “catharsis” happened between certain cast members at Funny Girl, there was raging, but now a sad calm. Expect Beanie to be more engaged with cast members, a new PR flight soon to follow, but everyone expects it to be gone by mid fall, the No awards bridge was too far…

PR flight?

They're closing up shop and opening the show in San Juan, r400.

By PR flight, do you mean someobody is leaving and there will be a fabricrated reason?

*fabricated

Who were the certain cast members, r399? Jane has certainly been extremely welcoming to Julie, including posing for the picture with her. I think in addition to being miscast and vocally unequal to the role, Beanie didn’t have a clue what leading a company means.

As much as he's ridiculed here, I am glad that we still have Frank Dillela and "On Stage" to discuss theater on TV on a weekly basis. This weekend he had on three critics to break down this year's Tony race. It's what I miss most about Riedel and Haskins when they used to do the same every year on "Theater Talk."

R404, Jane adores Julie, as does the entire cast and crew, the energy is much improved when she is on, thankfully so for the management. What it sounded like was, somebody told a certain leading lady over lunch, that she was pretty much doing “everything wrong”, off stage, worse than, ON, and tears were shed. Dressing room doors won’t be slammed, but kept open going forward, and Instagram hijinks allowed.

I miss "On Stage" (or "Moron Stage" as we affectionately called it) back when it was Roma Torre and her female co-host (name escapes me).

It was a low-budget cheesefest but it was our damn cheesefest.

R405, Frank really loves Broadway and gives it his all, while his delivery is dreadful, his heart is in the right place. Anything is better than that tragic Paul Wontorek, he’s just the worst, horrible interviewer, and awkward in his manner, just bargain basement level.

[quote]Expect Beanie to be more engaged with cast members, a new PR flight soon to follow, but everyone expects it to be gone by mid fall

Yes. I fully expect a closing date to be posted shortly after Labor Day, probably for October/November.

So was Beanie always pissy with the rest of the cast or only when the reviews came out or lack of nominations?

Live theatre is hard, you guys!

[Quote] somebody told a certain leading lady over lunch, that she was pretty much doing “everything wrong”, off stage

Probably bullshit but at least it’s gossip. Were you the waitress and you eavesdropped?

R412 told by a member of the ensemble. It’s second hand, yes, but was so matter of fact, and they have been honest with past information. What it seems like is, rehearsals were odd, Beanie never assimilated with the cast as a “leader”, and was overwhelmed at all times backstage. Then came the bad reviews and award season shut outs, a leading lady who is now emotionally awol, cast knowing the show ain’t set for a long run, and creative leadership are cold fish and already over it. A established member of the cast had enough and made it known that for the rest of the run there better be gratitude being shown and given. They wouldn’t say if it was Jane or Ramin…definitely not Harvey.

^ *An…sorry.

[quote]As much as he's ridiculed here, I am glad that we still have Frank Dillela and "On Stage" to discuss theater on TV on a weekly basis.

The content is frequently good, but his droning gayvoice is unlistenable. He should have remained an off-camera producer, but obviously he had his eye on the prize. And I do believe he now has three Emmys, incredible as that may be.

R386 I'm pretty sure most Broadway actors know where Europe is.. American theater geeks tend to be Europhiles.

[quote] Expect Beanie to be more engaged with cast members, a new PR flight soon to follow, but everyone expects it to be gone by mid fall, the No awards bridge was too far…

This stinker is going to be sticking around until mid-fall?

[quote]the No awards bridge was too far ...

Hey! I'm right here!

[quote]I miss "On Stage" (or "Moron Stage" as we affectionately called it) back when it was Roma Torre and her female co-host (name escapes me).

Her name was Donna Karger. People here used to make fun of her hair, saying she always looked like she needed a comb (sorry, the linked pic is a bit blurry).

Good stuff r413

Dilella having three emmys tells you what a joke they are. We think the Grammys are watered down, The Emmys are given out in so may sub and sub-sub categories, local awards, etc. They basically took the Teddy Awards from the MTM Show and gave them the Emmy imprimatur. And the latter category is the type Dilella has.

And don't tell me Dilella isn't borderline retarded. Have you ever tried to have a conversation with him? At the very least, at some point he's "fanked someone for fixing his puduter."

[quote]r413 An established member of the cast had enough and made it known that for the rest of the run there better be gratitude being shown and given. They wouldn’t say if it was Jane or Ramin…

Whoever it was, they also should have slapped. Viciously.

Are they still doing that silly curtain call bit at Funny Girl?

[quote]his puduter

Pics please.

It's hard to accept Frank when the rumors that his father virtually bought him the job are so credible.

It sounds a bit if Jane put her foot down when she previously shared a set with... Lea Michele.

[Quote] Are they still doing that silly curtain call bit at Funny Girl?

For the elders here, was there something like this in the original?

well with the info from r413 this looks like Beanie is suddenly making quite a show being a company gal

Well, she might as well. The "worst" has happened. The least she can do is be a good sport/leader.

Beanie is such an idiot. It is clear that Funny Girl was not going to be what she thought. But by being a good sport and having a sense of humor about herself, she could have established herself as someone great to work with. She could have made this production into a stepping stone to other things.

Instead, the community has made her a punchline--and it did not have to be that.

Back to Sondheim, since it's the title of this thread: Here is a young theater queen talking about his favorite Sondheim shows.

Nonsense. She was going to be a punchline either way. But she can and should come to her senses. And she should also be smarter about her skills.

That video at r431 ... MARY!

Considering she’s been on Bway night after night, has it helped Beanie slim down?

[quote] That video at [R431] ... MARY!

Interview any DL Sondheimite and you will get the exact same thing.

I went to the talk back event at the Kennedy Center for Follies in 2011. Now I am a Follies queen, a Sondheim queen and a Bernadette peters queen, but even I was not prepared for the level of queen-dom that exists for Follies. One elder Queen waxed poetically in front of the microphone for a good 6 minutes about how Follies changed his life. I was pretty sure Bernadette was full of regrets for attending when minute 47 happened during the audience question portion.

[quote]Are they still doing that silly curtain call bit at Funny Girl?

Yes, they did it a few weeks ago when I saw the show with Julie Benko.

[quote]Considering she’s been on Bway night after night, has it helped Beanie slim down?

But....she hasn't been on stage every night. Not really.

[quote] Beanie is such an idiot. It is clear that Funny Girl was not going to be what she thought. But by being a good sport and having a sense of humor about herself, she could have established herself as someone great to work with. She could have made this production into a stepping stone to other things. Instead, the community has made her a punchline--and it did not have to be that.

Honey, she’s never coming back to Broadway after this extensive humiliation. She has no need to establish herself as someone great to work with on the boards and Hollywood doesn’t give a single fuck what happens on Broadway. She’ll leave NY for LA never to return, assuaging herself with the millions she’ll make from whichever indie she takes the second banana role in and whatever series she gets produced at Hulu with her brother’s help.

Has Beanie been sampling Bway’s lesbians during her residency?

r431 you suck

That’s the first FG post on Beanie’s Instagram since opening night.

Beanie will disappear for a spell once FUNNY GIRL dies an agonizing death. A short spell...

She will magically reappear in a bawdy sitcom on one of the streaming platforms, strenuously engineered to showcase her (limited) strengths. Probably something about a sexually aggressive but insecure fat girl. Critics will cheer as a brave, stunning survivor ("the big Bway knives were out for her!") and all will be forgiven. If Ben Platt is not a co-star, he will be a frequent guest. Her brother Jonah will executive produce.

And no one will restage FG on Bway in our lifetime.

Welcome to show biz 2022, kids.

Beanie's persona is not aggressive.

[Quote] And no one will restage FG on Bway in our lifetime.

Funny Girl is a bad show.

[quote] [R431] you suck

Yes I do.... and I'm very good at it.

If these Beanie rumours are true, it's a shame Broadway.com isn't still doing their vlogs, the Funny Girl one could've been interesting. The Addams Family one they did was worth watching just for the look of disdain and exasperation on the faces of Nathan and Bebe every time Jackie turned the camera on them.

I still want to love the New York Times and I love Mark Rylance but do they need to cum all over him every time he blinks?

Agreed. I saw Rylance in the original Bway run of JERUSALEM. He was terrific. But offstage, the super-actor-y BS grows a bit tiresome.

New York theatre is so lacking in actual personality right now that (I guess) he fills a void.

I'm always astonished that during the Broadway awards seasons when then community continually falls for the "the pundits say" bullshit, and then being "surprised." Last year, SLAVE PLAY was "a lock," and well....WICKED was a "lock." "MATILDA" was a lock...And there are countless other examples. It's the same 12 people talking to the same publicists and powerful gossips, and its so tiresome. And they never get it right. Watch the documentary "Show Business" about the 2004 season. You get a true taste of how awful and small minded these types are, and also how wrong they are too. And the fucking New York Times printing all their morons talking about "the season" and their thoughts as if they were interesting or definitive. Ugh...

Can we talk about Julie Benko? I miss the obsessions with her.

R436 that is hilarious and sort of confirms that Follies freaks are similar to comic con fans.

[quote]Agreed. I saw Rylance in the original Bway run of JERUSALEM. He was terrific. But offstage, the super-actor-y BS grows a bit tiresome.

Do you mean he's pretentious and a drama queen in real life?

I don't know much about him, just heard his name here and there.

[quote]that is hilarious and sort of confirms that Follies freaks are similar to comic con fans.

Only with markedly better hygiene and marginally less cosplay.

Follies cosplay! Now that’s an idea. I’ll find a sensible suit at Klein’s and go as Ethel Shutta.

R454, I don't know. Because Follies premiered in 1971, anyone who really saw the original is now likely in their late 60s at the youngest. Meaning their Depends might be pretty rank.

I'm going as Fifi and wearing a feather duster and bedroom slippers, r455.

I'll go as Loveland Phyllis in my flame red dress!

Today is Pamela Anderson's last in Chicago. I believe she made it through the entire run without missing any performances? That probably shouldn't be considered a big deal for 8 weeks, and yet, considering what's going on at other shows (plus Covid, of course), it's commendable. I'd heard that she was a hard worker. Glad to see it's true.

If only she had skill at acting, singing, and/or dancing.

If only she could open her mouth all the way.

Pamela Anderson conducted herself more professionally than Beanie who was gallivanting off to weddings a week after her show opened.

Damn, that just put the image of Beanie playing Queenie in "Show Boat" singing "Gallivanting Around" in my mind. Yeesh!

in black face!

There have been a few non theatre types who have been rock solid in attendance and commitment when the industry sneered at them.

Excuse me, r463, but I sang that song, and I most definitely didn't play Queenie! (Though I did sing it in blackface!)

"Beanie was rotund/And her age stood still..."

[quote]Because Follies premiered in 1971, anyone who really saw the original is now likely in their late 60s at the youngest. Meaning their Depends might be pretty rank.

Ignorant, unfunny ageist comments are just what a thread chiefly populated by eldergays needs!

Well, it gives us a break from "hilarious" diversity casting comments.

I agree re: Pam Anderson. While she will never be mistaken for someone with talent, she is a hard worker and I think the fact that she made it through every performance, at her age, and with no musical theater experience, is something to be congratulated. Especially when compared to Beanie.

Oh, please.

Never thought " Friends" could be dull. But these Broadway performers make it really boring and flat.

Most cabaret is dull.

Beanie's career needs to be over. Periodttttt.

I don't quite see Beanie as Magnolia though. Maybe as Hyacinth... Bucket, if she can manage a good British accent and have exquisite coming as Patricia Routledge -- a tall order, come to think of it.

Now, who can we cast as Sheridan -- if he ever made an appearance?

And who would we cast as Maris, if they ever musicalized "Frasier"? Talking about great unseen characters on tv shows.

The late Carrie Nye, Dick Cavett's wife, might have made a fun Maris many years ago.

I think Beanie is more the next door neighbour. I can easily picture her shaking her tea cup with nerves.

Pretty Elizabeth? Actually, no, I see her Beanie more as Daisy, married to the very lazy, telly-watching Onslow!

Daisy is a bit too man hungry for Beanie to pull off...

Beanie can be the dishy vicar's wife. There. Sorted.

Pam turned in a competent and funny performance as Roxie. Much better than anticipated. Yes, I know. Not exactly a rave, but considered how Chicago has been running on fumes for years, it was nice to see some stunt casting that actually delivered.

There's evidence of Pam's stilted line readings. Give us a break.

She was hired to sell tickets, which she did. People who paid to see her--who are the ones who matter, not the people judging her performance by bootlegs--mostly sound very happy with her performance. She's hardly the greatest actress ever, but she succeeded at exactly what she needed to.

You could say the same for Beanie. Butts on seats. Neither Pam nor Beanie have any business in their respective leading roles.

Nope, r485. I've read plenty of criticism from people who paid to see her that Beanie was absolutely terrible. I haven't seen anyone near that response to the people who paid to see Anderson.

Has the box office seen a dip with Beanie?

The winner of THE SEARCH FOR ROXIE is getting a measly 2 week run followed by who? Charlotte?

They'll surely extend if she's popular.

Has anyone noticed fewer new bootleg videos popping up. No Funny Girl? Only one pre Covid badly filmed Company? Is it because ushers are patrolling more to remind people to pull their masks up and it’s too risky.

Or most ugly bootleggers have perished of Covid?

If Pamela Anderson is leaving Chicago today, then I guess she will not be presenting at the Tony Awards.

I'm thinking about seeing Girl From North Country its closing weekend. If I sit extreme left orchestra, will I miss a lot? I remember sitting in that theater for Network at the back of the orch on the extreme left side and missing a shit ton because of the way it was staged and I don't want to go through that again. But I'm wondering how GFTNC is staged. Thanks.

R490, There was just a handful of hardcore recorders supplying bootleggers with new product over the past few years and they have dwindled down to only a couple now.

R493 The best seat in the Belasco for GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY is the toilet.

[quote]R436 even I was not prepared for the level of queen-dom that exists for Follies.

I love a lot of Sondheim (I even like PASSION) but something about FOLLIES has never made me want to see it. Maybe it’s because the story seems hazy and the male characters are… who and what are they, again?

I’ve seen highlights and numbers. I watched the concert “making of” special with Barbara Cook… but have no desire to see the actual concert itself.

I just don’t care, somehow.

[Quote] I just don’t care, somehow.

Also applies to our opinion of your opinion

"I don't care, much." - Fräulein Schneider

[quote]R497 Also applies to our opinion of your opinion

You sound ornery.

Beanie is angling for an exit from her Bricemare sometime midsummer. There are several potential health excuses they can choose from .

Matt Doyle IS Victoria Grant! Actually he’s quite good.

Beanie could do a Gladys Kravitz origin story.

Jesus, I hate the slower tempo for “Le Jazz Hot.” It might have worked if Doyle was sexy but he ain’t.

He's smarmy in that performance, but he has more presence than that nonentity Aaron Tveit.

Matt's fine in that number r501, but that it's really about the dancers. Especially the men.

Love, love, love how tiny Matt looks with those 3 guys starting at 2:05.

That kind of choreography works better on the female body.

Wasn’t there supposed to be a docu-series about Pamela Anderson getting ready for Chicago?

Did I miss it?

How far can Beanie shoot a ping pong ball from her cooche?

How far can she shoot Matt Doyle from her coochie (and how far would be naturally flutter from it?)

It is a little depressing to think about how better received someone like Pamela Anderson is in her Broadway debut than the girl leading the first ever Broadway revival of Funny Girl. Not that Roxie is a tough sing, but still.

Better received by whom, though? Converts? Pam has camp appeal.

Since they're once again presenting the first Tonys exclusively on Paramount+, I guess many people will do like they did last year and subscribe just long enough to see the first awards and then cancel the next day.

Personally, I just wish they'd move the whole show to PBS and be done with it.

Yes paramount+ will get a veritable [italic] crush [/italic] of 18 new subscribers who cancel right away.

r496 looks like Fosca.

R506. Hasn’t aired yet but Chicago will be part of it. Netflix maybe?

No mention of Matt's BF Max Clayton as the lead dancer in red t shirt in Le Jazz Hot?

I always thought those Broadway Backwards concerts were glorified cabaret shows but that number is so slickly presented. Love the costuming - would give scandalous WIL a run for his money.

Why all that pussyfooting around upthread about Beanie's horrible behavior backstage at FG? Isn't this an anonymous gossip board? Who are we trying to protect??

I think it was interesting. During Julie’s first couple of shows, (opposite the understudy Nick), Jane Lynch and Martin Moran, both old pros, were clearly thrilled for her. Then when Ramin joined them finally, he was also thrilled. I think it’s no secret that Beanie is not Miss Popularity backstage.

She steals their lunches.

She steals their loose change.

Where's my iPod, Tyler???

Christ, that Le Jazz Hot is mediocrity incarnate-and Doyle is so damn ordinary.

What terrible choreography for Le Jazz Hot ; every overused dance move. Lazy, lazy lazy. An exciting number turned into an exercise for first yr musical theater students. This number should have smoked the stage; instead it put the audience to sleep. No fire, no excitement. Embarrassing.

Where is style? Where is skill? Where is forethought?

One more week until the Tonys. Speaking of that, is the risk still high for it to be a super-spreader? I haven't been following how things have been going COVID-wise on Broadway.

I also saw Pam in CHICAGO, and she absolutely acquitted herself. Totally committed. I was sitting on the front row and could see her concentrating very hard while she was dancing, and I hope that by the end of her run she could let go and enjoy herself more. And unlike 90% of her castmates, she did not phone her performance in. And though she's not a great singer, she can carry a tune. And despite not being the best actor, singer or dancer, she has something special. She has real star presence.

Please don't compare her to Beanie. Pam took her job very seriously and there's not a trace of arrogance in her performance. Beanie is an embarrassment, delusional and unprofessional.

Is Beanie Feldstein the new Follies? I can’t recall anything or anyone in the last 10 years with this kind of traction.

Patsy Murin had a little run there.

[quote]He's smarmy in that performance, but he has more presence than that nonentity Aaron Tveit.

You just hate him because he's a blond, blue-eyed beauty.

He's no beauty, hon. And that "long on one side" hairstyle is dreadful.

So he’s a little bland. He can sing like crazy and crush you with his thighs. What else do you want?

Does he have working genitals? I've never got that impression.

Hahaha R531. Ouch.

Will the Tony's audience be in masks? It would be weird if the famous people get to be unmasked but the audience paying the bills has to be masked at shows.

whatever they decided r533, we can rest assured the debate and discussion about among our industry leaders has been insightful, cooperative, civil, and well-informed.

R509, judging by the few interviews of Pamela Anderson, she is getting respect from the media just for being professional, deferential and honest about her abilities. It should be a lesson to the very spoiled, very entitled adults like Beane Feldstein and her generation of unprofessional, entitled self-absorbed brats.

R529 then you just despise him because he's blond/blue-eyed.

I've noticed that to the left, 'bland' is dog whistle for 'white,' mainly blondes.

Do be quiet, r536.

He’s never going to pick you R536.

Is he even blond? With the help of a bottle, sure.

Does Aaron know that he's become a poster boy for all the racists on this thread?

I want to ask Aaron Tveit's mother if her son is a mulatto.

$256 for student rush tickets to the Tonys

I hate my colleagues so much.

Expect to see lots of unfilled seats at the Tonys this year. The camera work this year will have to be extra special to avoid them. Though I guess the ushers can have the balcony people move down to the mezzanine.

How's Beanie's mercury level?

r533, Patti L will be there. You know she'll make sure of it.

r544 we already did that joke r331

Nancy's not getting married...

Is there any song that’s been mis-titled more than “Getting Married Today” has?

Is "Flora the Red Menace" a good show?

It's no " Follies."

well this should piss off the LMM-hater(s)

r547, I was just about to ask if that was David Ruprecht before I saw your signature. I had no idea he could sing.

Better LMM than Billy Porter.

R551-The two biggest egos and assholes in the business of show.

I don't know why anyone would want to attend an awards show when they were not nominated (or the guest of someone nominated), or involved in the show in some professional capacity. To sit there passively is one of the most boring things ever. I actually attended the Tonys one year when I was a teenager, the guest of someone who was performing. My seats were in the rear mezz and I was in a tuxedo the whole night. It was exciting for about 15 minutes and then I wanted to go home. I'd rather stay home and throw a watching party with a few good friends and yell at the tv (which is what I did for the next 15 years).

And what about the next 38 years r555?

haha. : )

After I wrote that, I thought- are they going to assume I'm trying to pull off being younger than I am? But really in the mid-aughts, I stopped getting together with people. I moved from NYC to LA and my circle of theater colleagues and friends diminished greatly. I had one friend who would come over to watch them with me but even that died down. And I have to say that I actually stopped watching them at all a couple years back. I think the year The Band's Visit was the last broadcast I watched, and it was spotty before tha.

Twitter Drama! Jen "Cuddles" Cody stirs up outrage and furor over the understudies and swings not being appropriately honored by Ariana DeBose and The Tony Awards (based on a convo with an un-named director).......only to be slapped down by AEA president Kate Shindle and Ariana DeBose, criticizing "scant facts" and "twitter rumours"!

r554 : At least ALW is from England and brought billions into that country. I'm SO SICK of LMM appearing EVERYWHERE since fucking Hamilton. Hope his next show bombs so maybe we'll be rid of him at least for a while

His “next show” was the movie “Tick, tick…BOOM!” and it was a triumph. He was in discussion for Best Director for the Oscars, Garfield was nominated, it appeared on dozens of best movies of the year lists. LMM has talent and is poised to be one of the best of his generation.

You only show your small mindedness with your contempt. You can love Sondheim and still appreciate the efforts of younger writers, composers and directors. There aren’t that many left to carry the mantle. Better cherish and nurture the ones there are or you can expect to see more like Goonies, the musical! and Ben Platt in the Greatest Showman, the theatrical experience win the Tonys for Best New Musical.

LMM should direct Follies.

Speaking of Kate Shindle she made an excellent Sally Bowles in Roundabout revival #1 and on tour.

R557, please don't take this the wrong way, but WHO THE FUCK CARES whether or not you enjoy watching the Tonys live in the theater or on TV?????

Is Kate Shindle gay?

[quote]Is Beanie Feldstein the new Follies? I can’t recall anything or anyone in the last 10 years with this kind of traction.

Broadway finally gets a revival of "Funny Girl" after 55 years and it sinks like the Titanic because of one of the most incomprehensible casting choices in as many years. The traction is understandable.

So LMM wrote with John Kander for Stroman's "New York, New York"?

[quote] please don't take this the wrong way, but WHO THE FUCK CARES whether or not you enjoy watching the Tonys live in the theater or on TV?????

I was answering a question, asshole, and contributing to the conversation. Do you have nothing better to do than comment on something you don't care about?

Rhetorical. We know the answer.

R555 / R557, what "question" were you answering with your incredibly idiotic comments such as: "I don't know why anyone would want to attend an awards show when they were not nominated (or the guest of someone nominated), or involved in the show in some professional capacity. To sit there passively is one of the most boring things ever."

Among the several reasons why someone might want to attend an awards show live is the opportunity to be in the same room as all those theater stars and notables. Can you perhaps comprehend why that might be exciting for some people, even if not for you?

Oh, and R555 / R557, the point is that I DO care about the Tonys, but I have no need to read explanations of why people like you DON'T care about them

Must EVERYTHING be a competition?

[quote] Among the several reasons why someone might want to attend an awards show live is the opportunity to be in the same room as all those theater stars and notables. Can you perhaps comprehend why that might be exciting for some people, even if not for you?

What exactly do you think being near famous people is going to do for you? Do you think they'd talk to you, or give you their numbers and want to be besties? People like you are exactly why these things shouldn't be open to the public.

So many rage-a-holics here. Honestly, it’s draining. Stop being fucking assholes. Not everything deserves major outrage.

Ohhh, R569, you're the loon who got all pissy because people dared to say something that wasn't uber complimentary about your dream date Evan Todd. Yeah, you're nuts. Conversation over.

Thank you, r572.

R571 and R573, I'm not sure if you're the same person, but if not, you deserve each other.

R573, my comments about Evan Todd were not as you characterize them. And R571, if people find it exciting to watch an awards show -- and, obviously, millions do -- why shouldn't it also be exciting to attend a live ceremony and be in the presence of a large percentage of the top people in their field? Never mind, don't answer, it would just be more craziness.

[quote] So many rage-a-holics here. Honestly, it’s draining. Stop being fucking assholes. Not everything deserves major outrage.

NY theater queens take everything very seriously, and any slight contradiction is taken as an attack on their intelligence . Such effrontery must be met with savage vitriol. " No one can be more authoritative about theater than I. No one."

I've been going to see Broadway shows since I was kid and I go to just enjoy myself. I even worked behind the scenes. I love theater, however I don't critique every line, dance kick or chord change. Life's too short to not enjoy it.

But, R577, you have a life. DL theater queens don't.

I was SO happy with Shindle’s Miss America crown.

Ugh are we going to have to watch JTF win a tony?

Not at all, R580. It isn't required that you watch.

Over/under on the number of Tony viewers compared to last year's viewership of 2.62 million. I think 25-30% lower

Broadway desperately needs a huge original hit. Can a woke musical ever be a blockbuster?

Sweet story from Claybourne Elder:

Sweet story #2:

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1979, "Loose Ends" opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre.

South Pacific was considered too woke by the investors, who demanded the removal of “You’ve Got to be Taught”

Hammerstein told them to go fuck themselves

R584 / R585, I think the second of those two stories is indeed very sweet, and very moving. The first one strikes me as self-promotional silliness, and the person in question doesn't even know how to spell Booth (as in the Booth Theater). FYI, Clay, that theater is not named for Clare Boothe Luce.

The second story was really terrific.

New thread for when the time comes:

The Kander story is really nice. There's also a separate thread where it's being discussed:

r587, R&H had the same problem when the national tour was being organized. Bookers told them that the tour would never break even because too many theaters in the South would refuse to play the show unless the song was cut. "No cuts" was the reply, not a single theater refused to book it and the production was highly successful, touring for several years.

Loose Ends

They cut out the Kevin Kline nude scene for NY. WTF! he showed frontal in DC. So wrong.

Damn. Young Kevin Kline would have been something to behold. (Hell, I'd look at him now.)

Would not decline.

Again to wrap up the thread...

I'd reKline, not DeKline.

Always loved this scene in Dave

What movie are those screen caps of Kline in his underwear from?