THEATRE GOSSIP #512: Time for a "Groundhog Day" Revival Edition

Can we have one after that and one after that and one after that?

I want to see the new Nathan Lane play but decent seats on TodayTix are at least $150 each. And the play isn't selling that well over there. What's up with that?

This seems to be the new model, r2. Failing shows holding out for tickets in the $150 to $200 range. I had an empty matinee slot a few weeks back and was considering Death of a Salesman, Piano Lesson, Topdog/Underdog, or Almost Famous. The ticket prices were insulting given the box office struggles of all of these shows. I ended up finally seeing Harry Potter for $130.

Broadway is dying unless your name is Lea or Hugh or Lin Manuel

And that those prices, deserves to

Tickets to traveling Broadway shows in smaller cities charge that much and more and fill theaters, but they are more popular shows.

But aren't they cheap with dynamic pricing(is that the right term?) right before the performance or do the producers prefer unsold seats?

R4- or Elder Price! Or Elphaba! Or Simba! Or Christine!

[quote]Broadway is dying unless your name is Lea or Hugh or Lin Manuel

So you're saying it would help my career if I changed my name to Lea Feldstein?

Do they still have ladies group theater parties that they try to pitch to before a show opens or is that as dead as a new David Merrick/Gower Champion musical?

R2-No need to see the Nathan Lane play. Buy the book it's based on instead. That way, you won't have to look at Danny's ludicrous fake rug.

It's as dead as a Max Bialystock musical.

Regarding PICTURES FROM HOME, I was about to say, "Well, I guess this is another flop for the Roundabout." But then I realized it's not a Roundabout production, it's a rental. Which is not surprising, as the Roundabout seems to be becoming more and more a landlord and less and less a producing organization.

[quote]Tickets to traveling Broadway shows in smaller cities charge that much and more and fill theaters, but they are more popular shows.

I'm guess that won't hold true for the tour of the floppo "1776."

^^ I'm guessing . . . ^^

Is ain’t Misbehavin impossible to produce right now

Roundabout is as dead as its artistic director's dick.

There really is nothing worth seeing. Everything is either umpteen replacement cast, or just dull.

r17 keeping it classy

Christ, this thread is almost as dull as its title.

R20, put up or shut up.

Let’s talk about some dicks that actually work.

[quote]Let’s talk about some dicks that actually work.

Nathan Lane is a dick and he never wants for work.

Linda Lavin, who far too many on DL think was only "that star of ALICE satirized on SCTV," works constantly onstage, to consistent acclaim, despite the general consensus that she's a grade-A cunt.

Is Linda Lavin a Sally or a Phyllis.... or maybe she's an Emily Whitman

She sure as hell wasn't a Hattie.

When will DL Fave Casey Garvin start “an” OnlyFans? Will Some Like It Hot last through the Tonys anyway? Questions, questions…

At this point, I'm only willing to pay for tickets to revivals. This spring, excited to see Dear World, Camelot, and Sweeney Todd. Seriously, when do you ever get to see Dear World? Encores! has really provided me the opportunity to see things I really never thought I'd see.

Does anyone know if one can find the original reviews of Sweeney in London online? I have never been able to find them.

And Encores has the perfect Countess Aurelia in Donna Murphy. But please tell me, Lear de Bassinette won't be directing it with a huge chorus of inner city middle schoolers.

R29, it was long before newspapers were digitized. You'd almost certainly be able to find them on microfilm in a major London library, but don't hold your breath otherwise.

Just remembered earlier this week I was in a Chirping Chicken (don’t judge me) and on their TV Spectrum NY1 had on that Onstage show and the captions had Lilias White as “Lowliest White.”

Is there more than the one Chirping Chicken on Amsterdam Ave?

Lavin must be very nice to the people who give her jobs but miserable to her fans.

I was at the one on Columbus/106th, R33.

R30-No, Lear will be using kids crowding the aisles for her production of Oliver!

OMG, R32. I'm well aware that NY-1 makes some laughable mistakes, but if you're serious about that one, it really takes the cake.

Holliday, is that you?

Judy Light?

Fuck you bitches.

There are a handful of directors that seem to work constantly with adequate but generic, workmanlike work - Anne Kaufmann, Lear deB, Tyne Rafaeli, et al. Where did they come from and why are their dance cards full all the time?

Rebecca Taichman seems more interesting than most.

I think some directors gain a reputation for being able to work with a company without a lot of problems or offstage drama, and that carries them to a career even if they're untalented artistically. Also, some bad directors manage to rack up a number of shows that are hits even if they're not very good, and that's all that maters to some (most) producers, so those people will keep working. And I'm sure I don't have to name names here, because there are several notable examples.

Anne Kaufmann has talent. Lear had talent. The rest? Meh.

I thought Anne Kauffman had talent but her production of the musical THE BEDWETTER proved otherwise. There was so much wrong there in every department, which ultimately falls under the supervision of the director.

Didn't see Bedwetter and didn't realize she had directed that. But I've never been disappointed in her work.

Her Marvin’s Room was completely wrong headed

Kauffman also directed a musical version of Shirley Jackson's WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE at Yale Rep about 10 ears ago that got such bad reviews it never moved on, even to other productions. It killed what could have been a very interesting piece in others' hands.

Maybe she's better with straight plays.

Will Donna be singing flat during the entire Encores run?

I DONT sing flat! I sing with Subtext!

We did a "Groundhog Day" revival. It's called COVID-19.

To the person asking about Ain't Misbehavin I saw a production recently with a trans actor in the Ken Page role. And it worked.

She doesn't sing flat! She sings sharp!

Nope. Flat.

Bad Scripts! Bad directors!

Remember the demented "Donna Murphy looped Meryl's voice in INTO THE WOODS" queens? None of them ever acknowledged Murphy's well-known pitch issues, which were on particularly egregious display in her Central Park WOODS performances.

Aw, shuddup with the Donna bashing.

r54

Wow, that’s War Paint/Grey Gardens compose Scott Frankel with Donna.

War Paint/Grey Gardens -- different shows, same scores!

Hit me with a flat note, Donna!

Drama in the desert!

...and watch him bounce.

The audio was known to exist (it’s on The Sullivan Years compilation Vol 1) but I always heard only a brief snippet of “Tune” survived.. Well, here’s Gertrude Lawrence singing “Getting to Know You” courtesy of Aurora Spiderwoman

fixing the Indian problem of Peter Pan

[quote] Lonny Price will direct the all-new production, which will feature additional book by Larissa FastHorse

Is Jujamcyn no more? Is Jordan planning to focus on full time on his lewks?

Roger Friedman is a sloppy inaccurate moron but I guess we should stay tuned.

Does Cady flash her boobs, r58?

what 'drama,' r58?

It’s hard to be a Broadway producer when you have dress fittings at 11!

Friedman said Ambassador has one Broadway house - the Hudson. But don’t they also run the Lyric?

Sara Porkalob IS Peter Pansexual!

But she'll only fly 75% of the way up.

[quote]The company has been owned since 2009 has been owned by Jordan Roth,

Methinks Roger Friedman needs an editor and/or a proofreader.

The last time The Sign In Sidney Brustein's Window played Broadway, it crashed and burned in 3 days. It's a lousy play. Why all the fuss about Oscar and Rachel doing it in Brooklyn? It's still going to be the same POS it was in 1964 and again in 1972. Oh, wait, it's got Brosnahan and Isaacs in the cast. In 1972 it had Frances Sternhagen and Hal Linden. It still sucked.

The original starred Gabe Dell and me!

With Alice Ghostley, Dolph Sweet, and Cy O'Neal!

But who played the gay and Black characters originally? It's just a parade of various types coming to visit a liberal couple in Greenwich Village.

I remember seeing the play in college as a director's thesis way back in the early 70s. Sweet play, none of the anger of A Raisin in the Sun, but very minor.

It got Alice a Tony.

Singing flat is vocal technique problem, particularly for belters. If Donna Murphy found the right teacher, she could fix it.

Singing sharp is a "brain-can't-match-pitch" problem. Very hard to fix. Famous singer who sang sharp? Florence Henderson, for one.

R75, I don't necessarily agree with your distinction between the reasons why people sing sharp or flat. I think what you wrote may be true sometimes, but certainly not always. Also, I'm not aware of Florence Henderson ever singing sharp. Can you point to any recordings where she does that?

I seem to remember a televised performance of CARMEN many years ago in which Elena Obraztsova sang sharp throughout, but since as far as I know she didn't generally have a problem with that, I assumed she maybe was ill with some sort of inner ear problem for that performance.

[quote]Singing flat is vocal technique problem, particularly for belters. If Donna Murphy found the right teacher, she could fix it.

Why bother now? It's too late for her to have a Broadway career.

I saw a production of Sidney Brustein many years ago. It's not that it's an awful play, it's that it feels like three plays shmushed together. As if Hansberry knew she was dying and tried to get everything on paper before she died.

The revival in '72 added badly written songs sung by a chorus on a set of stairs on one side of the stage. The songs were akin to very bad Burt Bacharach rejects. I think one was titled "Can A Flower Talk" or something ridiculous like that.

[quote] I remember seeing the play in college as a director's thesis way back in the early 70s. Sweet play, none of the anger of A Raisin in the Sun, but very minor.

This time all the characters should be stroke victims

SLIH went up $21K late week but it must hurt not to be in the 90% 'club' (19 of the 23 current shows) or the $1M 'club' (13 of the 23 current shows) especially when you're playing the Shubert. It's doomed, right?

[quote]fixing the Indian problem of Peter Pan

Casino or call center?

Oh noooooo.

Credit for Herzog but not Ibsen. WTF

Donna Murphy was originally slated to play Elizabeth Arden in WAR PAINT -- she may even have workshopped the role with LuPone -- but of course it didn't happen. Not sure why. Ebersole was perfect in the part.

I think Murphy ended up getting a TV gig that eventually fell through. At least that was the story I heard

[quote]Credit for Herzog but not Ibsen. WTF

Maybe that's supposed to indicate how extensively the play has been rewritten, or "adapted."

Ahem.

Reimagined.

Herzog puts bums in seats!

Nearly 6:30 p.m. on the East Coast and nothing new yet about Jujamcyn's houses going to ATG.

It was a mistake for that Roger Friedman person to specifically say that the deal would be announced today. He would have been wiser to say that an announcement was imminent and leave it at that.

‘The Phantom Of The Opera’ Tops Broadway Box Office; ‘The Piano Lesson’ Closes On High Note:

Ibsen via Herzog.

Better than Ibsen via Comden & Green?

But not as good as Ibsen via Hnath.

Hedda Get Your Gun

I would much rather see Hedda Gabler than ANY version of A Doll's House. I predict this latest outing will be a huge disaster.

I'd rather see Cock Gabler Aaron Schock in "Take Me Out."

I never miss a Larissa FastHorse musical.

I know it's only Palm Springs @ R58 but how did this "factoid" not get checked:

[quote]McKinley, best known for turning “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark” into [bold]a massive worldwide hit[/bold] after original director Julie Taylor’s Broadway launch imploded

[quote]I never miss a Larissa FastHorse musical.

I understand that the new title is going to be "Neverland's Brave Native Warriors and the Annoying Kid Who Could Fly."

I predict it will be a paint-by-numbers, hit-you-over-the-head, subtle-as-a-kick-in-the-nutsac screed on women's issues, as if Ibsen didn't already make the point beautifully and dramatically.

Next they'll do a [italic] Crucible [/italic] time-shifted to the 1950s in case we didn't get it.

oh look Nora is crying

If Peter Pan is now considered problematic then leave it alone and don't revive it rather than 'correcting' another creatives work from a different time. Create something new instead.

Nora can fly out of the house! While she's crying!

There's also this error in the DIRTY BLONDE article:

[quote]McKinley, an award-winning Broadway director who has mounted shows around the world — including “The Boy From Oz” starring Hugh Jackman, and the revival of “The Most Happy Fella” starring Paul Savino......

[quote]If Peter Pan is now considered problematic then leave it alone and don't revive it rather than 'correcting' another creatives work from a different time. Create something new instead.

EXACTLY. But the huge problem is that most "creatives" don't have the talent to create something entirely new, so instead, they keep foisting these bullshit revisals and rewrites upon us.

Like Bart Sher's ending of My Fair Lady which he stole from Ingmar Bergman's stage production of A Doll's House which played in Brooklyn. Of course it made no sense in MFL but what did it matter? Shoe horn in stupid things which run counter to the original material because contemporary audiences are so stupid they have to be hit over their heads with we're so much better than the original audiences for these hits.

Complete lack of respect for the originals and the original creatives. Many of them are not broken. (OK, some of the injun stuff in Peter Pan is pretty cliched and tasteless, by today's standards -- but My Fair Lady and Doll's House can do pretty well on their own without 'fixing.' Ibsen wrote a lot about women's lot in society; why trample on him as if he wasn't woke enough?

We're FINALLY getting a revival of Purlie Victorious!!!!!! And guess who's directing? KENNY LEON!

UGGAH WUGGAH MEATBALL!

New poll about people who post here

Right, 109. Another sad example is what Robert O'Hara was allowed to do to A RAISIN IN THE SUN at the Public last year. That new ending was vile.

How many of you are featured in this movie?

Why does Kenny Leon direct everything??

He’s NOT the best thing since sliced bread!

I should have worn blue...

You wore blue the last time

I like blue.

Isn't Amy Herzog married to that FABULOUS ground-breaking director Sam Gold?

OY.

Difficult color, green. Very tricky

[quote] He’s NOT the best thing since sliced bread!

He's the only sliced pumpernickel.

Pump her nickel?

More like a half penny

Pictures from Home is back up on tdf, should I go?

Sorry if this link was posted already. Looks like Emily Skinner is in this.

On another note, has anyone seen Tom Hewitt in Hadestown? Is he still in it?

Just found this as well. Emily Sinner is indeed in this.

Slated for The James.

[R99]: Aside from the fact that everything in NeverNeverLand is fantasy to begin with, the Indians in the theatrical musical version are actually handled pretty well.

But the Disney version is another story, replete with various sexual and racial stereotypes, especially their embarrassing song, “What Made the Red Man Red?” (Why they still allow that song in videos of the film is beyond me, since they’ve certainly censored their own films in other ways.)

Curiously, the songwriters Joe and David Zelnick, of “Yank!” fame, were hired by Disney to create songs for their cruise ship shows. Among these were their revised lyrics, changed to “What Made the Brave Man Brave.” WTF!

I expect this new version to be equally as inane.

Why is Andy Karl doing a revival of Groundhog Day in London? The promotion makes it look like it’s been on a world tour all this time or something? Are they just doing it one more time before binning the sets?

[quote]Why is Andy Karl doing a revival of Groundhog Day in London?

He could use the work, r128? Why wouldn't he do it?

Maybe it's time Andy K started that OnlyFans account

I'd rather be blue . . .

If you're going to cut What Makes the Red Man Red which is a cute song(yes I know we see it today as racist) you have to cut We Are Siamese if You Please which is quite wonderful(and equally racist.)

The Disney Peter Pan isn't much of anything.

Skinner is BOX OFFICE POISON. Or was it poisson?

Ugg...

[quote]Skinner is BOX OFFICE POISON. Or was it poisson?

"Stro" is attached to New York, New York, r134

Well, that was...frenetic.

One presumes he would not even have been nominated...

Oh what a fucking attention whore. No one was going to nominate you, freak.

This tranny is also NOT GOID in the show.

Let's face it, the only reason the character is named "May" is because Justin Timberlake ennunciated the word funny on "It's Gonna Be Me."

[quote]Trans non-binary performer Justin David Sullivan, who is currently starring as May in the Broadway production of & Juliet, has withdrawn from consideration for the Tony Awards rather than compete in a gendered category.

You go, gurl. Or, you know, whatever.

I called my doctor's office to make an appointment and she asked what gender I identified with. I screamed into phone 'You idiot look at my name and listen to my voice! What the hell gender to you think I am!' And she said 'Well you sound like an angry bitter eldergay to me. I'll check that.'

The conversation did not exactly go like that but she did ask what gender I identified with and what sexual orientation I was and in as nice a way as possible I said that's not anybody's business. Sheesh who are the idiots who require people to ask such question?

[quote]“I am thrilled to be part of bringing ‘Peter Pan’ to life for a new generation,” Larissa FastHorse said in a statement.

You know what that means........................ woke.

Groundhog Day was a hit in London. Maybe that's why the revival.

I think the Duncan Peter Pan was terrific.

Groundhog Day had a limited, pre-Broadway engagement at The Old Vic. It was not an open-ended West End run.

I think people need to accept the genderless award Categories are the future.

Is it fair? No.

Is it a good judge of art? No.

How would you compare Patti LuPone in Gypsy to Brian Stokes Mitchell in Ragtime?

How do you compare Betty Buckley singing Memory in Cats to Robert Goulet singing “If ever I would leave you” from Camelot.

The Tonys have boxed themselves into a corner with this. They will fold into pressure and NO ONE will be happy with the results, I can promise you that!

I hate to be that guy, but aren't gendered acting award categories kind of pointless? Why can't you judge male acting against female acting?

Is it a good judge of art? No.

[quote]How would you compare Patti LuPone in Gypsy to Brian Stokes Mitchell in Ragtime?

But one could just as well ask, "How would you compare Kelli O'Hara in THE KING AND I to Patti LuPone in GYPSY?" That's arguably no less apples-and-oranges than your Stokes/Patti comparison.

I don't have a problem with gender-neutral categories from an artistic standpoint. But of course, the MAIN issue here is that having gendered categories allows for twice as many awards to recognize twice as many performers. I think that's the main reason why the gendered categories exist to begin with, as all of the categories other than the performing ones are already gender-neutral. It should be really interesting to see how this pans out, but agree that any change is likely to result in great unhappiness.

These awards are so ridiculous anyway. Why not choose the best ten actors, regardless of gender, and be done with it.

How do you compare Carol Channing as Dolly Levi to Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice to Bea Lillie as Madame Arcati to Inga Swenson as Lizzie Curry?

Barbara Cook as Marian Paroo to Chita Rivera as Anita? Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle to Judy Holliday as Ella Peterson? Mary Martin as Maria to Ethel Merman as Rose?

It's never fair and really has nothing to do with gender. Don't take the Tonys so seriously! Or any of these silly awards.

[quote]These awards are so ridiculous anyway. Why not choose the best ten actors, regardless of gender, and be done with it.

Why not just skip the awards entirely and be done with it?

R153-Cate Blanchett

Genderless awards will never happen as there is too much money wrapped up in campaigns, box office, and salaries for nominations and wins. In addition to being a stupid idea, it is financially harmful.

The only place genderless awards are happening are in minor awards where nobody gives a shit, and if you win, it means less than nothing at the box office (i.e. The Indie Spirit Awards).

Most categories are gender less. They don’t have a best male-written screenplay category, or a best female director category.

Maybe they should.

R150, I love your post. Well said.

Genderless awards don't have to cut down the number of nominees or winners. Instead of 5 nominees there can be 10 with 2 winners, who don't necessarily have to be 2 men or 2 women, but......they could be. What difference does the gender matter?

There are people who believe that Gender is real...

Huh.

D'Onofrio - blechhh

R159, I half agree with you. I think increasing the number of nominees would be fine. They'd obviously have to change the titles of the awards from "Best Performance" to "Outstanding Performance," which also seems fine to me, but I think having two winners in each category would be odd.

Maybe the best solution would be to have four total categories for "Outstanding Performance" in lead and featured roles in plays and musicals, with 10 nominees permitted in each category and the awards going to the three people in each category who get the most votes. That would work out to 12 awards total, which would be four more than the current eight total. The slightly increased total number of awards could be justified by the increased number of nominees -- and also, better to increase the total number of awards slightly than to decrease it.

True, if you had two winners in each of the four new categories, that would be exactly equal to the current total number of acting awards. But again, two just doesn't seem right to me, for some reason.

Maybe they can have categories like *Best Performance in Heels*.

Best Performance by a Critter: Punxsutawney Phil

Woo-hoo, the foursome is going into the city to see Most Happy Fella!

One problem with un-gendered awards is that men usually win them. And what would the Oscars be without all those gowns, beautiful gowns?

Don't forget the ugly gowns, r167.

No one wants to be one of three winners. They want to be THE winner.

[quote]Trans non-binary performer Justin David Sullivan, who is currently starring as May in the Broadway production of & Juliet, has withdrawn from consideration for the Tony Awards rather than compete in a gendered category.

He/she/they has stated his/her/their boundaries.

[quote]No one wants to be one of three winners. They want to be THE winner.

Right, but if any change is going to be made, the performers would just have to get over that and be content with an Outstanding Performance Tony Award. On the one hand, having more awards and removing the word "Best" -- which many people object to anyway -- arguably makes each individual award less "special," but on the other hand, the change I suggested would increase the chances of any one person winning a Tony.

All this for 0.000005% of the population. How about if we just tell them to go fuck themselves instead?

I agree - Go fuck yourselves or start your own awards.

What is the difference between "Best" and "Most Outstanding" ??

There can be a small group of most outstanding among a larger group, r174. Best is...best.

Most award shows, including the Oscars, ditched the word "best" years ago. And it's not "most understanding," R174. It's, for example, "Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role."

So the other four nominees *aren't* outstanding, r176?

Betty Buckley, Patti LuPone and Bernadette Peters all have Tony awards….so it doesn’t really matter what happens to the categories as the best have already been awarded

[quote]So the other four nominees *aren't* outstanding, R176?

Now you're being dense. The idea was to make the awards sound less like a contest and more like a recognition of excellence. If that doesn't work for you, and you insist it has to sound more like a contest, take it up with the Academy.

I couldn't care less, r179, I was just talking about the semantics of it.

Thanks, R179, for attempting to explain it all for the idiot at R177. But I fear your efforts are in vain, as stupid is stupid.

Sticks and stones, r81. Like I wrote, I couldn't care less.

^r181

R182, "the semantics of it" are exactly what you can't seem to understand. That said, thank you for using the correct phrase "I couldn't care less" rather than the idiotic "I could care less." You definitely get points for that :-)

r184 - Hey, I just answered r174's question @ r175 and then pointing out calling the winner "outstanding" relegates the other nominees to...what? Anyway you cut it, it's still ends up being "most" outstanding.

I don’t think the Oscars use the word “outstanding,” do they? I thought it was just called “Actor in a Leading Role,” “Actress in a Leading Role,” etc.

They started saying "And the Oscar goes to...", r186. It's still semantics. The next morning people don't ask "Who did the Oscars go to?", they ask "Who won?".

Does the Tony even mean anything anymore? A Strange Loop won Best Musical and that was a fiasco.

Lead Actress went to Paradise Square and that was a fiasco

Revival went to Company, which promptly closed at a loss.

Lead Actor went to MJ and it is a Hit but it’s a hit because of the source material, not the star turn.

Best Musical also went to Passion. Some years are like that.

Another musical that acknowledges groundhogs ...

[agree]Anyway you cut it, it's still ends up being "most" outstanding.

Yes, but since we all agree that it's just semantics, the thought is that it's more civil to have someone "win" in a category called "Outstanding Featured Actress in a Music" than in one called "BEST Featured Actress in a Musical," with the idea that no one performance can really be determined to be "best" among the nominees. It just makes it seem a little less like a contest (though, of course, it still IS a contest) if the award is titled "Outstanding" rather than "Best."

Also, "Outstanding" seems to work a lot better when comparing nominees is like comparing apples and oranges, as in for example the case of an actor nominated for a knockabout comedy competing against another nominated for a dark, serious drama. And finally, of course, "Outstanding" would be the only title that would make sense if things were changed so that two or three people were awarded in each category, because there can be several "Outstanding" performances in a season but only one "Best."

I hope all of that makes sense, because I don't think I can explain my thoughts any more clearly.

Sorry, the first line above was supposed to be a quote:

[quote]Anyway you cut it, it still ends up being "most" outstanding.

Competitions are competitions. There are winners and there are losers.

R193, I would repeat AGAIN that many people consider the SEMANTICS of "Outstanding" preferable to the semantics of "Best," but I don't want to keep going back and forth with you until the end of time.

But also, as I said, IF the rules were completely changed and, for example, there were 10 nominees and two or three winner in each category, then "Best" would have to be changed to "Outstanding" in order to make any sense.

For a few years in the 30s and 40s the National Board of Review's only annual film acting award was for "Best Acting," which was a list of 10 or more performances by both actors and actresses in lead and supporting roles. There was no ranking and no winner was singled out.

E.g., Best Acting, 1938

Lew Ayres - Holiday

Pierre Blanchar, Harry Baur, Louis Jouvet, Raimu - Un carnet de bal

James Cagney - Angels with Dirty Faces

Joseph Calleia - Algiers

Chico - Adventures of Chico

Robert Donat - The Citadel

Will Fyffe - To the Victor

Pierre Fresnay, Jean Gabin, Dita Parlo, Erich von Stroheim - Grand Illusion

John Garfield - Four Daughters

Wendy Hiller - Pygmalion

Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester - The Beachcomber

Robert Morley - Marie Antoinette

Ralph Richardson - South Riding / The Citadel

Margaret Sullavan - Three Comrades

Spencer Tracy - Boys Town

Producer Julian Schlossberg's book launch.

I love that the first Tony's were Tiffany compacts and gold money clips.

F. Murray came out of the womb looking like this.

[quote] I would repeat AGAIN

Always a good intro.

R199, maybe it would be more worthwhile for you to address the subject at hand rather than criticize me for my choice of words in addressing it.

[quote] I would repeat AGAIN that many people consider the SEMANTICS of "Outstanding" preferable to the semantics of "Best,"

I never said they didn't, r194.

[quote]maybe it would be more worthwhile for you to address the subject at hand rather than criticize me for my choice of words in addressing it.

Nah, I'd rather see r199 ridicule you.

Okay, R201. That's all I'm arguing, that the semantics are preferable even if there are still "winners" and "losers." And there is a significant difference of perception between an award titled "Outstanding Performance..." and one titled "Best Performance...."

I can't tell if r203 is trolling.

Another thrilling Theatre Gossip thread!

I think the word you're looking for is scintillating, r205.

Scathingly brilliant

Insufferable

I went to see "Leopoldstadt" yesterday and thirty minutes in at a very intense moment, some hag’s cell phone started ringing super loudly. Then in the last fifteen minutes or so, there was all types of pings and beeps coming from behind me. I am just about to give up live performance for a while. Each time I go, I leave upset. Covid has destroyed manners.

What did you think of Arty Froushan, who plays the sexy shirtless dragoon, r209? I predicted months ago when LEOPOLDSTADT was in previews that Arty would cut a wide swath through the Hell's Kitchen's Dance Belt and be the subject of many Theatre Gossip threads but there's been virtually nothing about him. He must be straight after all.

Swath...swath...

He was hot, r210, but I think I definitely get a straight vibe. I really liked Jesse Aaronson!

R196, Marlo Thomas looks as though she were a burn victim.

Josh Malina joins Leopoldstadt.

What the hell is Krumholtz rushing off to do that he can't stick around in hopes of getting a Tony nomination? His career isn't exactly on fire.

[r215] this is true. I left Into the Woods after a couple months to film Slaves of New York (which bombed) and it was one of my few performances NOT nominated for a Tony. Thank God, Drama Desk came to my rescue.

Everybody has been saying forever there is no best and choosing one as outstanding means others are not outstanding but meh. It's time for the Broadway Participation awards. Everybody who appears in a Broadway play in a season gets one. No controversy and everyone is happy.

So, DL Fave Casey Garvin is one of Christian Borle's understudies in SLIH. Does anyone know if he's gone on yet as Joe/Josephine? That could bring me back to see the show again.

What a contrast between Borle and Garvin! Beauty and the Beast. At least with Garvin, you'd understand Sugar wanting to fuck him.

test

testes

Testa

No wonder the show had such problems. Santos claimed that he produced the Spiderman musical.

Christian Borle has a huge dick. There are plenty of people who want to fuck him.

And even more who want to be fucked by him.

[quote]These awards are so ridiculous anyway. Why not choose the best ten actors, regardless of gender, and be done with it.

From what I've been reading on here, anyone would be flat-chat FINDING ten actors to nominate on today's Broadway. "Ten actors who were better than Beanie Feldstein" seems more like the appropriate category.

R224, If so, then Sutton has enjoyed several big dicks, Christian Borle, Roger Bart and Bobby Cannavale.

I smile a lot r227.

She's a dancer, r227, she's...stretchy.

After that 10 minutes of tapping and singing in Anything Goes we know Sutton's snatch can stretch and accommodate a lot!

*opens small note pad, takes pencil from phone, adds Christian Borle to the Broadway Big Dicks list, along with Roger Bart, Howard McGillin and Bobby Canavale*

Isn't Norm Lewis on that list, too?

When Sutton won her first Tony for Millie, she thanked “my beautiful boyfriend Christian”.

When the camera then showed Christian Borle sitting in the audience, I thought they must have focused on the wrong guy.

Norm Lewis...? Yum!

No thank you

It might as well be directed by Sam Gold.

But his wife wrote the adaptation and won't work with him.

Which character is in a wheelchair?

Betsy Joslyn, R238.

Another phone incident from Leopoldstadt - the pivotal scene with the "knock at the door", you could hear a pin drop - and a cell phone goes off not once, but twice. Fortunately the play is so good that I was able to overlook it. Amazing production.

So quiet here. If it’s all primetime shit, it makes it pretty boring for all of us.

Anybody have any sexual gossip about Broadway? Or are we just going to post about cell phones going off?

Lots of sexual gossip, r242. We're just not letting you be privy to it.

Someone in the know told me that Moulin Rouge is so expensive to run, it will have to endure at least another 5 years of selling out, including premium seating, before it shows a dime of profit.

Those Australian producers clearly have money to burn, or more money than sense.

A regulah Jerome Robbins' Broadway, r244.

R244, Who cares? I got my Tony.

And I got Covid.

Is Andy Karl on That List, too?

Aaron, where did that Tony get you?

Back to Moulin Rouge.

Are all the foreign productions they are running, bleeding the same way, or are they more profitable?

Christian Borle does not have a huge dick. I saw from pretty close, when he was in Angels in America. It is far from huge, more like average to small.

Average to small and with that face. How does this guy get work?

I was at SLIH the other night. Does Christian wear padding or has he gained weight? It'd been a while since I last saw him but he looked a little thicker around the middle than usual (though still attractive). By the way, I could totally see J. Harrison Ghee winning the Tony just for that "crossing the border" number he performs in Act II. The number Christian gets directly after is quite lackluster in comparison and, should they both be nominated, I can't see him getting more votes than Ghee as a result.

I know she’s not for everyone on this site…but when she’s good she DAMN good and deserved more in her later years.

R255, her performance in that clip is very good, but that was 20 years ago. Even as a young woman, she had a very steely belt that was not to everyone's taste. And based on clips of her singing that I've heard within the past few years, since HELLO, DOLLY!, she now has a huge wobble that makes her sound even more unpleasant. I'm still amazed that she was cast as Dolly for that tour, but she must have been the biggest name available, and maybe she sold tickets even if she was all wrong for the part and can't really sing anymore.

Thanks, R255. I saw her do that live, as well as the Paper Mill GYPSY (routinely trashed here, but for me she was far superior to Peters and, yes, LuPone in the part).

At some point she should have learned to just sing the song and let the audience have the emotional reaction to it (or not).

sorry to go there but her Norma was perfection. All her quirks - after all she is an eccentric throwback - were ideal.

Where has William Finn gone? I don't hear his name mentioned anywhere anymore, as if he never existed. Is he ok?

Anyone else see the Kennedy Center Sunset Boulevard? I saw it Thursday, and while Stephanie J. Block did an excellent job with her big numbers, she played Norma in an almost comedic way at points in the first act that felt very off to me.

Derek Klena did surprisingly well as Joe, and also looked great in his bathing suit scene.

r261 how new are the costume designs? From the few pix I saw they looked like a lot of the originals but I read there is a whole new designer.

[quote] but I read there is a whole new designer

Better than half of one, r262.

R261, I haven't seen and won't be seeing SUNSET at the Kennedy Center, but your post interested me because I would say there are several moments in the film where Gloria Swanson intentionally plays the role for comedy.

R261, Did Nathan Gunn shave his head to play Max?

R261, Did Derek tease the audience by removing his trunks beneath his robe like Michael Xavier did?

^ Nair, r266?

I saw her Buckley play Rose in Papermill, too. She never landed any of the obvious laugh lines but she was actually funny because she was so humorless. Her Rose was a freakshow unlike any other.

I was so excited to see Buckley do Gypsy because I had a copy of her doing Rose's Turn from a BBC radio broadcast, and I hardly recognized her but she was fantastic. So then I saw the show. Yes, humorless and didn't work at all. Very disappointing. I could say the same for Bette after having seen her do a magnificent Rose's Turn in her Radio City Concert. Same thing.

any vids of franklin shepard inc with Groff and Harry Potter?

Huzzah! Has Prime Time been lifted at last?

The munchkins rejoice!

The munchkins smell funny!

Are overtures irrelevant?

I don't think they're irrelevant nor do I think they're necessary.

DL fave Ivo Van Hove moves to TV!

"Featuring a script by Matthew-Lee Erlbach (Handbook for an American Revolutionary), the series is described this way: "Doll, a psychological thriller set in an elite and cutthroat NYC music conservatory, follows Nora, a working-class soprano with a dark past, punk ambitions, and an outsized voice who gets the role of a lifetime that threatens to destroy her life. Thrust into a world of sex, drugs, ambition, and madness, Nora struggles to survive in the dangerous world of modern opera, music, and art."

R275 Good fucking riddance. His theater work has been relying on filmic elements way too much.

Betty's problem is that she takes everything so seriously and every moment and line has to be overly discussed and inspected over and over again to the point of tedium. I don't get the feeling she's a very "in the moment" kind of performer. It can make her performances seem a little stale and cold. She wasn't very funny in Dolly either and, as others have said, her Rose was missing every single laugh. She sang Rose's songs beautifully at least. Roles like Rose need someone with a little charm who can have some fun every now and then so it's not just one note bitterness and coldness the entire evening. It gets old quickly.

Sunset was very mediocre but her singing of As If We Never Said Goodbye was one of the highlights of my theatergoing. I've heard her official recording is not nearly as good.

RIP, Charles Kimbrough.

Ivo is quite handsome.

The post-mortems on TMM on social media continue, and they are deliciously brutal.

The show in this clip isn't worthy of community theatre.

[quote]"Doll, a psychological thriller set in an elite and cutthroat NYC music conservatory

**kisses Doll**

R279 Reunited with Beth.

Which actors peaked early in their careers? For example, Patti LuPone never did anything as good as Evita. Her Fantine was good, but that was 1 song and then death, so about 10 minutes of stage time and hardly career defining. Sunset Boulevard wasn't as good as Evita. Anything Goes was good, but was a revival.

[quote]"Doll, a psychological thriller set in an elite and cutthroat NYC music conservatory

Glee?

[quote]Which actors peaked early in their careers? For example, Patti LuPone never did anything as good as Evita. Her Fantine was good, but that was 1 song and then death, so about 10 minutes of stage time and hardly career defining. Sunset Boulevard wasn't as good as Evita. Anything Goes was good, but was a revival.

How is Patti responsible for that, r284? She took what she was offered.

The new SUNSET costumes are based on those in the film, just as the old ones were. You can't beat iconic costuming!

Nathan Lane took to repeating "adlibs" during the run of The Producers, r281.

It got really annoying after a while.

I want my musicals to have heart. You gotta have heart. Sunset BLVD has no heart.

And Evita was a very miserable experience for Lupone. She was miserable during the NY run feeling she had been abandoned by everyone except Mandy while doing such a grueling role and she ended up loathing Harold Prince permanently despite him being a big part of her success in that role.

Regardless, she's a Broadway legend with her resume as/is.

Fuck Patti.

[quote]Fuck Patti.

Pics will not be necesssary.

First time I saw Will Rogers Follies a dog 'unexpectedly' ran across the stage in front of Dee Hoty and she cracked up. The audience thought it was hilarious. Went back to see the show a second time. Same thing happened. Hoty had same reaction and audience loved it. What I thought was spontaneous turned out to be a cheap bit.

Welcome to the Theatre! To the magic! To the fun!

R294 Judy Garland did this decades ago.

Cheap bits are my favorite bits.

[quote]Roles like Rose need someone with a little charm who can have some fun every now and then, so it's not just one note of bitterness and coldness the entire evening. It gets old quickly.

For me, that's why Roz Russell was so good in the film. Even with her spot-on portrayal of the horrific stage mother, she brought humor to the part and even a bit of sexiness. Her interactions with Karl Malden as Herbie were absolutely believable. In the scene where Herbie says he'll leave if Rose forces Louise onto the stage as a stripper, Russell's face tells the whole story of her priorities in 45 seconds, even if it means losing the man who has supported her through the journey. It's a pity she couldn't really sing the part and needed to be partly dubbed.

I think Russell is sensational in the movie. She has such warmth and charm at moments which are overtaken by desperation and fury and bitterness. It is an extraordinary performance.

Take your pick...

The fake-or-not Burnett-style crack-up in that clip notwithstanding, both performances are so off for this show, it’s really amazing. On what planet is that Marian the librarian, Jerry?

Interesting financial summary of the movie GYPSY:

Gypsy was a financial success. Produced on a budget of $4 million, the film grossed $11,076,923 at the box office, earning $6 million in US theatrical rentals. It was the 8th highest-grossing film of 1962.

- From Wikipedia

Russell won a Golden Globe; Wood was nominated, but Lisa Kirk wasn't.

Was even Roz nominated for an Oscar? I don't think so. I wonder if that surprised her as she was well-reviewed and the film was a big hit.

I bought my townhouse with those royalties.

That Music Man clip is shameless. And shameful. So glad I didn't waste my money.

This clip, R306?

R289 Go see "Damn Yankees."

I was told that when GYPSY opened at the Centre Theatre in Denver that the projectionist would wait until "Here she is boys!" "Here she is world!" "Here's...Rose!" and then crank the sound up for the rest of Rose's Turn. I always wondered if that was a nation-wide thing.

"Into the Woods" wins the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. Surprising.

That’s so exciting!! It’s too bad DL fave Gavin Creel doesn’t win a trophy though

Gavin Creel’s trophy.

I know you were being facetious, R296, and it's true Garland's stage patter and antics were very scripted, such as when she took off her heels to "get comfortable". Her audiences were fooled into thinking they were getting a glimpse into the real person behind the polished performer. It was very cleaver and worked a great, by all accounts.

That's very different to the shameless mugging at The Music Man, which everyone who buys a ticket knows is a fully-scripted show. "Corpsing" and breaking character are unprofessional at the best of times - but staging a fake bit of "spontaneity" every night to spice up the (dull) proceedings? That is beneath contempt.

to R53 there was no question in my mind that they used Donna's vocals in the Into the Woods movie. It's actually very obvious. I saw the central park production. Truth be told I'm a Donna fan. She once went out of her way at an event to come over and say hello to me and talk and has done so every time we see each other. It's been tough since her husband died.

damn it R312, I though that would be a cock pic

So is every into the Woods cast member now a Grammy winner? They’re all almost EGOTs!

r316 'Just' Sara Bareilles, Patina Miller, Brian d'Arcy James and Phillipa Soo

Yes, only those designated as principal soloists.

[quote] It was very cleaver

Hey! Leave us out of this!

Any news about the Kennedy Center Sunset Blvd transferring to Bway?

Um, never.

Why aren't Gavin and Joshua designated as soloists? Their names are on the cover of the album with the other four.

R320, It’s only running in DC for one week?

I agree, that MUSIC MAN clip is beyond cringe-worthy. Both Hugh and Sutton should indeed be ashamed of themselves, but I'll bet it never entered their minds that there was anything wrong with what they were doing.

There wouldn't have been a production without Hugh, so it ended up being what it was.

J. Harrison will certainly be nominated for the Tony. But there's a complication.

Which category?

R326, I think they've already said that J. Harrison would be in the "leading actor in a musical" category and he said he would be fine with that.

Then J, Harrison seems like a sane individual. Unlike Justin D.S. and most enbies.

Sutton is just over-acting in those clips, and she seems to be dressed in those potato sacks that Lucy and Ethel wore on "I Love Lucy" before the fashion designer improved them. "The Music Man" is an extremely well-written show and all that fuss, stopping all the action in that scene, does a disservice to the show, A lot of those audiences weren't coming for the show Meredith Willson wrote -- they wanted to see Jackman be charming and smile and play to them. The movie and the cast albums of the original cast will be the ones most folks will turn to though.

My dad said, "Be an actor, my son

But be a comical one

They'll be standing in lines

For those old honky-tonk monkeyshines

Now you could study Shakespeare and be quite elite

And you can charm the critics and have nothin' to eat

Just slip on a banana peel -- the world's at your feet

Make 'em laugh

Make 'em laugh

Make 'em laugh!"

R323, No wonder Nathan Gunn did not shave his head to play Max for one week.

There would have been a production with MANY other possible actors other than Hugh, so there goes that theory.

R332, The production with Craig Bierko and Rebecca Luker twenty years ago was far superior.

WHET to Corey Cott?

Cancelled along with his stupid pal.

Did Corey defend Laura?

I don't think so, r336. I don't recall him expressing an opinion on vaxxing, either, as Laura Osnes did.

I do think he is fairly religious, though, so who knows?

[quote]Doll, a psychological thriller set in an elite and cutthroat NYC music conservatory, follows Nora...

Back to our pal Ivo, you guys realise that Nora is the name of the heroine of A Doll's House, I'm sure. I'm getting a "what fresh hell is this?" vibe from this project.

r322 Only four soloists can be nominated

New video from Take Me Out for those who wish to see Jesse William's dick in 4K

Anyone have any John Guare stories?

He was teaching writing at NYU for ever and ever and I heard some mixed reviews from former students. His last few plays were not successful. Did the failure of the "Six Degrees" movie version (relative to the blockbuster stage version) hurt his career? He seemed unstoppable for a while. Has his work dated poorly? I rarely hear of revivals of his other plays.

Good for him for scoring a tribute from Meryl and company, at least.

To his credit, John Guare never repeats himself. His plays are always fascinating even when his reach is sometimes beyond his capabilities. Six Degrees is nothing like House of Blue Leaves is nothing like Landscape of the Body is nothing like Four Baboons Adoring the Sun is nothing like A Free Man of Color, etc. etc.

IMHO those first three titles are masterpieces.

[quote]“One of our actors, Mel, came from England,” she says as an example of a recent workday. “At one point I was balancing a payroll sheet, budgeting, and at the same time I’m unpacking, like, 200 boxes from Amazon actually moving this woman into her apartment.”

Why would an assistant company manager be helping a cast member move into an apartment? I could see it being done as a friend, but she specifies it was part of her workday

R341, Outstanding!

[quote]There would have been a production with MANY other possible actors other than Hugh, so there goes that theory.

"MANY", r332? Who?

[quote]Why would an assistant company manager be helping a cast member move into an apartment? I could see it being done as a friend, but she specifies it was part of her workday

She's being taken advantage of, r344, 'cause that's some straight up bull shit. She's working up to 11 hours a day, 6 to 7 days a week? Helping an actor *move*? For $1,200 a week without benefits? Fuck. That.

From the article you linked:

[quote]Once she becomes a member, she’ll have access to health insurance, a pension plan, paid vacation and holidays and other benefits. Associate company managers, the next step up from Schroeder’s current role, who are in the union make a minimum of $2,466 per week with a full benefit package. She’s currently making half of that. “I’m barely breaking even,” she says.

That's obscene.

I saw the KC Sunset. Block had her moments, but overall the production was misguided enough that it couldn't disguise the show's flaws. It will always be a show that acts better than it actually is.

Pictures from Home has a lot of tdf dates offered.

Any early word, should we go?

r347 Funny how many actors who claim to stand up for victims are silent over something like this.

Very nice R341. Everyone had better grab it while you can.

I’m with R347. That is total bullshit.

[quote][R347] Funny how many actors who claim to stand up for victims are silent over something like this.

You're assuming that the actors know, r350. This is the first I've heard about this kind of practice, for example. Again, from your link:

[quote]Schroeder’s role is under the jurisdiction of the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers. She’s about a quarter of the way toward getting her membership, which requires working for 52 weeks on valid contracts over up to three consecutive seasons, a series of seminars plus an oral and a written test.

She has to work 52 weeks, putting in 11 hours a day, 6 to 7 days a week, being paid $1,200 a week, no benefits, for up to 3 years before she can get into that union? Hell no. Even the stagehands' union isn't that hard to get into.

I understand that she's dedicated, but she sounds like a happy idiot. She's 28 - old enough to know better.

If I were Mel, the actor that Schroeder helped to move, I would have spoken to my AEA deputy right away.

Thanks, r352.

I would move the furniture to the door, but I wouldn't go in.

whatever happened to asshole Roger Friedman's Jujamcyn sale to ATG that was supposed to happen "today" on Jan 31?

Is Porkalob doing the tour of "1776"? How are the ticket sales going for that - dramedy, if he's around, would probably know.

The chat room chatter on PICTURES FROM HOME leans toward the negative, mostly dissing the flimsiness of the script, but there are still those few who seem emotionally affected by it, especially Nathan's performance. Many agree that Danny and Zoe are under-utilized and somewhat miscast or perhaps badly directed.

I've been following the chat cause I was interested in the play but I've gotta say, I'm mostly turned off now.

A friend of mine who saw Pictures from Home told me that Wanamaker went up on her lines a lot and Danny Burstein looks way too old to play the son.

I'm still consistently hearing that about Wanamaker. Poor thing, must be struggling.

What I don’t understand is why they went with Zoe when the role was meant for Stockard Channing?

Stockard and Nathan would be an event together!

Didn't Stockard and Nathan already do something together that was a big ole flopperoonie?

Stockard's surgeried face scares directors. And audiences.

I cannot believe 1776 is touring. The Bway revival was one of the worst things I've seen in recent memory.

The investors are going to lose their shirts, and they deserve to.

Stockard is 78. She might be done with live theatre at this point.

[quote]Stockard is 78. She might be done with live theatre at this point.

I guess she's finally aged out of playing Rizzo in a "Grease" revival.

Any Twitter link to supposed new video?

[quote]I cannot believe 1776 is touring. The Bway revival was one of the worst things I've seen in recent memory.

All true, but it's employing Nancy Anderson for a little while, r363. The tour will crash and burn soon, but I'm glad she is working. I enjoyed her performance.

I'm sure Block sounds great, but Sunset Boulevard is such a bore when it leaves the mansion and follows Joe and his Hollywood colleagues around. If the movie ever gets off the ground, they'd be wise to trim a lot of that. It reminds me a lot of Carrie: The Musical in that way. When it's confined to Carrie's home, it's powerful stuff, but the school material isn't nearly as strong and mostly forgettable no matter how much they revise it.

R366 try this:

"Carrie" could probably stand to add some nudity to the shower scenes, both male and female, to even things up a bit with the higher quality of the Mom-Carrie scenes. Just sayin'.

It doesn't have heart, r368. The characters aren't likable and you don't care about them.

Thanks, r369.

Did Block do her trademark demented smile in the film footage at the end of Sunset Boulevard?

CHICAGO had no likable characters. Even Amos was too pathetic to root for.

1775% will crash and burn, just like the Woke-lahoma! tour did.

I was an ATPAM apprentice about 25 years ago and had the union health insurance. Sounds like this young woman doesn’t have it? Has ATPAM changed how they offer insurance? How can the GM let her work without insurance?

[quote]Even Amos was too pathetic to root for.

Amos is the most sympathetic character, r374, and you should be rooting for Roxie (perverse though it may be). You don't root for Norma because she's bonkers and you know there's no reason to.

R369 Merciful Lord!

A younger Norma is easier to imagine having a chance at a comeback. One of the (many) issues with the revival was that 102 year old Glenn Close aiming to play Salome was hilarious.

It's sort of insane to imagine that Block is around the same age as Gloria Swanson was when she played Norma. People age so much better these days that I feel like roles originally played by women in their 50s might need to go to women in their 60s or 70s especially in period pieces. It's hard to believe that women like her and Sutton Foster are now of age to play the big roles like Norma, Dolly, and Rose.

Every character in Sunset Boulevard is a bit of a monster and that's a tough sell without the big lavish set and a huge star as Norma. At least with Chicago, it's more of a satire and can be very amusing and funny with the right actors. Get someone lovably daffy to play Roxie and you'll be with them right from the start. Velma can be harder edged.

Bless you R341. I know some guys are show'ers but, man, it really does look like Jesse was fluffing a little before his shower scene. Fluffed or not, what a gorgeous man. Every single inch of him!

He definitely fluffed. Some of the people on his thread are repeated attendees. He seems to be fluffing less these days. I wonder if it will get a TV adaptation. I expect they'd tone the nudity right down.

[quote]A younger Norma is easier to imagine having a chance at a comeback.

Norma is delusional and isn't going to have a comeback, r379...particularly in Salome.

Is Zoe W. still doing her overly-theatrical shtick?

Fuck you, r366

Agree with r382, that's closer to a semi than soft. Some have said at some performances he seems to get harder as the scene goes on

True, R383, but a 70-something Glenn Close playing a woman who's only supposed to a bit past it was stupid and turned Norma's delusion into bad camp.

Thanks r341. These threads can be a chore to wade through.

I think it’s interesting that DL gave Bernadette Peters never took a chance at Norma even when all her contemporaries (LuPone, Buckley, Elaine Paige) did.

I wonder why? She had won her sole Tony (at that point) with Andrew on Song + Dance.

Anyone have any scoop?

Gloria Swanson, though actually only 50 in the film, looks way past any kind of a comeback as leading lady, especially as Salome. People really did look 20 years older than they were back then.

Being savvy, she knew it wasn't the role for her and didn't do replacing at that point in her career, r389?

When I saw Gwen and Chita in the original production of CHICAGO (several times!) I was rooting for both of them all the way. I can't imagine anyone who saw them thinking the characters they played were unlikeable.

If that were the case, she would have passed on Sally in FOLLIES.

I don't think any sane producer or director anywhere has ever thought of Bernadette Peters to play Norma Desmond. Are you guys nuts? She bnarely squeaked by as Momma Rose.

They aged Gloria up a bit, r390.

Has Bernie ever sang any of the Sunset songs?

Regardless, r394, there are fans of her Rose.

She's Steve's girl, r396, not Andrew's.

Did they? I think Swanson just had one of those... not exactly soft faces.

I rewatched SUNSET BOULEVARD over Christmas after many years, and I was struck by how youthful Gloria Swanson looks. Nary a wrinkle. Even better than William Holden, who was in his early thirties but looked over a decade older with his prematurely lined face. I guess due to his hard drinking and her clean-eating lifestyle.

Nah. Facelift. Or two.

They were careful to eliminate her eyebags. Not so on TV.

Even at the height of her fame in silent movies, Gloria Swanson looked older than her contemporaries. Never a favorite with male audiences, she was known for her sophistication and style, not her beauty or sex appeal.

I wish I could supply a photo but I'm hopeless at linking.

That's definitely the jawline of an old lady.

Yes, Swanson always looked rather severe.

I don't think Gloria Swanson was into particularly healthy eating in 1950 and there are lots of photos of her smoking cigarettes back then.

[quote]I think it’s interesting that DL gave Bernadette Peters never took a chance at Norma even when all her contemporaries (LuPone, Buckley, Elaine Paige) did

Perhaps they were looking for a mature voice to portray Norma, not some singing kewpie doll.

But doesn't Bernadette sing down there, while I sing up here?

She already had a silent screen star on her resume.

Swanson not known for beauty and sex appeal. Couldn't agree more!

Young Gloria and young Madonna weren't all that different in type.

Bernadette has two Tonys. Song and Dance and Annie Get Your Gun.

Bernadette's Annie was a joke.

It was still leagues ahead of those dreadful replacements. Not a one of them was acceptable.

Reba, aside, of course.

Were those TV actresses all vacation replacements? It's surprising Suzanne Somers never filled in for B.P.

[quote]I think it’s interesting that DL gave Bernadette Peters never took a chance at Norma even when all her contemporaries (LuPone, Buckley, Elaine Paige) did. I wonder why?

Maybe because she couldn't have been more wrong for the part?

I can imagine Bernadette Peters as an elderly Betty Boop planning a comeback, not Norma Desmond.

You know some queen SOMEWHERE has the audio tapes of Faye Dunaway “singing” in rehearsal.

That person really needs to come forward

Sunset was the 1st show I ever saw on broadway(the night before it closed!)

Talk about old lady jawlines.

Norma would never have a double chin.

Alice Ripley starred in a summer production in Beverly, MA in 2019, with Nicholas “Company” Rodriguez as Joe.

First class production, except for Alice’s dreary costumes.

Did Alice seduce the Betty?

Swanson always looks so severely carved (why didn't they carve out the mole while they were at it?), and all the smoke and mirrors lady things she did to youthen her appearance, like the hats with veils, the headscarves the hide the neck, and the McDonald's eyebrows, just make her look older.

Between that and her mannered acting, I can't bear to watch her in many of her sound films. She's unintentionally hysterical in Airport 1975 where the rest of the cast practically genuflects and she can't stop talking about herself.

Thank goodness they didn't give her the film of Butterflies Are Free, which she did on stage, and kept the less famous but miles better original actor, Eileen Heckart.

Block and her bellowing belt, irrespective of the role, brings to mind the scientists from Jurassic Park: so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.

I thought they had faces then, r420.

I'm hearing there's quite a bit of unhappiness at SWEENEY and one cast member who moved over from TMM lost his shit last week out of frustration. (Granted, this performer is known for being a bit of a diva.)

That’s [italic] almost [/italic] gossip r428.

Not naming the cast member on an anonymous gossip site is pointless.

[quote]Has Bernie ever sang any of the Sunset songs?

Oh, dear.

r428 - what is the unhappiness about? Why did the guy lose his shit?

R428, Daniel Torres?

has to be - the only one with TMM in his credits.

Any examples of Daniel Torres being a diva?

Good lord...

Who the fuck is Daniel Torres and what right does he have to be frustrated??

As feared the ST production is going to sink because several of the leads simply cannot sing the score. The orchestra will eat them alive, some real odd choices being allowed, ah well…

Will they announce from the stage that Phantom will immediately reopen at a smaller theater? Probably not, but some OG surprises are in the mist.

That two time Tony winner sure hates their director, slap fights ahead!

What former Broadway hoofer has dirt on a bunch of “beloved” creatives and is ready to spill the jockstrapped beans…?

Is it ok to dump your leads if it means some stars can save your show? We might find out soon…

Legendary Broadway person wants to do a Broadway show about being a legend, but Broadway isn’t really up for it, the private thingee was a flop.

I saw Gloria Swanson in that tour of Butterflies Are Free and she really delivered onstage. Very grand, of course, but she made it work for the character. Of course, nobody could have bettered Eileen Heckart for the film. Gloria would have overwhelmed the whole enterprise.

The "dump your leads" clue is clearly SLIH.

Does the 2 time Tony winner and director refer to Nathan and Bart Sher? I can imagine lots of fighting going on over there.

Sorry, but this post from earlier in the thread nags at me -- how is Betty in Sunset Boulevard kind of a monster? Because she's not as committed to Artie as he is to her?

Well, the success of Funny Girl with Lea has definitely shown it to be the right decision to dump your original “stars” to get some real star power in. The initial theatre queen/fan drama dies down quick and you make much more money than before.

Nathan has 3 Tonys, 1 supporting for "Angels".

Christian Borle has 2 though..

How many "former hoofers" can there be?

The only hoofer I can think of, and he may have some harassment stories, is Tony Yazbeck but he's a current hoofer.

I'm thinking the 2 time Tony winner who hates their director refers to a show in rehearsals, not one that is open. What shows are in rehearsals with a 2 time Tony winner?

A hoofer is a dancer, dear. There are thousands of former dancers.

Jerry Mitchell is a former Broadway hoofer.

R425, Gloria bragged in interviews that she wrote all of her lines in “Airport 75”.

But isn't Jerry Mitchell one of the supposed targets of the #MeToo victims? Hardly someone to name names.

[quote]Sorry, but this post from earlier in the thread nags at me -- how is Betty in Sunset Boulevard kind of a monster? Because she's not as committed to Artie as he is to her?

Well, she's engaged to Artie and cheats on him with Joe, while he's out of state working on a film.

I took "former hoofer" to refer to a former dancing star, not some chorus boy nobody. Like Joel Grey or Tommy Tune, though they seem highly unlikely as someone who would "spill the beans."

There is no more thankless role than Betty in Sunset Boulevard.

R451 here.

I should have added cheats on him with his best friend, which makes it worse.

She's a whore, r454.

A friend of mine was a big fan of the Sunset Blvd. OBP and saw it numerous times. One night while stage dooring, he approached Alice Ripley to sign his Playbill and while she was signing he mentioned that he had seen the show six times. Alice just stared at him and said “Why?”.

I'm with Alice.

Christian Borle is not a Bway star, despite his 2 Tonys and a dozen + Bway shows. Not really. The FALSETTOS revival demonstrated this. He is not box office.

He's in the middle range of capable but utterly unexciting leading men. No shortage of them. (He could have done at least as good a job in THE MUSIC MAN as Hugh, but then it never would have sold like it did.)

Competent and professional doesn't sell tickets.

Though not a fan of the show, Judy Kuhn really brought something to the part of Betty. I thought she was wonderful and it's a shame she didn't want to come to NY with it.

Oh my god, we’re off prime time!!!

R459 I believe Kuhn opted not to do the Broadway run because she got pregnant.

The only way SLIH is going to run is by dumping Borle and the leading lady, because she sucks. But who would replace her? There are no stars out there who could come in and do anything with a badly written role. J. Harrison Ghee should be feeling safe right now, what non-binary dancer/singer could replace him? Wait. Where's the guy who played the Redford role in Paper Mill's The Sting opposite Harry C.?

Neil Patrick Harris for Borle's replacement? His UNCOUPLED show was not renewed. He's still got enormous name recognition thanks to HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER.

And David could play Sugar!

Joe seems like a thankless role in this production so Borle is safe. Vanessa Williams for Sweet Sue? L'il Kim for Sugar?

I haven’t seen SLIH, but is Sugar written specifically to be black? Will they have to look to the pop world for a star name?

Maude Apatow for Sugar!

R467, I’m available!

Karen Ziemba *IS* Sugar!

I’ll do it if I don’t have to do all 8 performances a week. 6 sounds about right.

I'm still alive, gay bitches.

Miss Lola Falana would have made a divine Sugar.

Lizzo IS Sugar!

This thread could use some Falana...

oy.

Alex Newell for Sugar. Oh wait, she's in that Hee-Haw thing...

Karen Olivo IS Sugar!

[quote] I’m available!

Me too!

Perhaps the two time Tony winner is Donna Murphy, hating her Dear World director?

Christian Bore isn't really a leading man -- he's much more of a character guy - who can play leading character roles -- kind of like Nathan Lane, though Lane was kind of cute when he was young.

[quote]though Lane was kind of cute when he was young.

Jesus. Lane was never cute. When he was in his 20s he just looked like a younger version of the way he looks now.

A friend of mine thinks Lane has always been bitter angry man despite his enormous success because of his looks.

Doubtful. It's due to his childhood. His parents were alcoholics, no?

[quote]Gloria bragged in interviews that she wrote all of her lines in “Airport 75”.

To paraphrase Stoppard, I do not know when I have heard a more unusual boast.

Didn't Arthur Hailey have a sign on his front lawn when that movie came out that read "It wasn't me!"

I miss Primetime

Some Like It Hot would run with Ariana Grande as Sugar.

I have a question for everyone about the above poster who asked if Donna Murphy could be the Tony winner fighting with her director.

What is Donna’s rep? I know she is known for scooping notes and missing performances…but is she the type to battle with a director?

LuPone….that I would believe, but she not in a production and quit Equity.

I wonder if there would be backlash if the Sugar character were to be cast with a white actress?

Can Chloe Bailey act?

What would be the motivation for any "name" actress to walk into a failing show like SLIH? Lea Micheles are few and far between, thank god.

[quote]Some Like It Hot would run with Ariana Grande as Sugar.

How about FRANKIE Grande?

I assume Zachary Levi is a Republican, but, despite that, I found him quite charming in She Loves Me. I'd like to see him back on Broadway.

Does anyone have an opinion of Dear World. I know it was a big Bway flop. Encores is doing it in March. Is it worth seeing?

Jerry Herman's music is usually fun--don't know anything about this particular score though

of course Marc Shaiman got himself front and center in the cast photo with Spielberg

Zachary Levi stayed married about six months. Cuckoo Magoo.

Well he's so short, where else would he be seen?

And you just KNOW Spielberg was horrified at how they butchered a classic movie, yet he posed for pictures anyhow.

I do have a little dish on Spielberg that theatre queens will find of note.

Bernadette Peters was originally filmed singing “Rose’s Turn” for Smash. EP Spielberg saw the cut of the episode and said that her number slowed down the show and needed to be cut. The other producers didn’t want to cut her completely and switched the number for the less thrilling “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” instead. Spielberg went along with the decision as the song was quicker, more upbeat and featured Megan Hilty more. I always disliked Spielberg for this because had the number stayed in, it’s possible Peters might have finally won her long, eluded Emmy.

[quote] Well he's so short, where else would he be seen?

Usually, you would put the guest in the center, where Shaiman planted himself. It even took me a second to find Spielberg in the group photo.

Why do people think Bernadette is a good singer? That's a very unattractive sound coming from a very attractive woman.

The score to GYPSY does not suit Peters' voice. That scene would not have netted her an Emmy.

[Quote] Why do people think Bernadette is a good singer? That's a very unattractive sound coming from a very attractive woman.

I think the SCTV skit nailed her appeal back in the day, while also noting that she's not first rate in any department.

R497 that was as “meh” as the performance I saw her give the night I saw the show. It’s not like her arms of flailing around wildly but most of her gestures don’t seem connected to any motivation or emotion. Punching the air on the beat.

I LOVE this. Yes, it's part of the cheesy end of variety TV, but what a treat to see Chita, Ann and Donna together on stage. They move like a dream -- especially Ann. That precision. Those Reinking legs. No one like her since.

Yes, Sugar is indeed now written for a black actress. One of her big songs in the show is about being a little girl and having to sit upstairs at the movies she loved.

We're getting nowhere with those blind items.

r438, please come back and give us the answers! This is an anonymous chat board, after all. We won't tell on you.

Here's a riddle: What do Zachary Levi and Lea Michele have in common?

They both pad their Shazam suits with fake muscles?

They both showed their lady parts to Jonathan Groff with a desk lamp?

They're both using their first and middle names as their professional names?

If 'Lea' were 'Lee,' they'd both be named after bluejeans brands.

R507/R508 LOL! It's not as exciting as any of that.

R509 Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

Lea's surname is Sarfati.

Zachary's is Pugh.

R510 Ha! Good one.

The only show where Donna Murphy missed alot of performances is Wonderful Town and that was out of her control. Otherwise her attendance record has been excellent.

[quote]The only show where Donna Murphy missed alot of performances

Oh, dear.

R514. Oops. A lot.

So has Cheno completely lost it? She's announced 4,5 different shows, and then never did them. She announced an engagement, but no wedding/marriage. What's going on there?

Just say oodles.

Cheno is going on 55, looks 65 and her Broadway days are over.

Donna Murphy is actually one of our more gracious Broadway divas. She is very beloved backstage.

Kristin appeared on the View a while back and was out of it. She later said it was do to taking too much cold medicine

Bernadette deserved "a much eluded Emmy" for what??

[quote] The only show where Donna Murphy missed alot of performances is Wonderful Town and that was out of her control. Otherwise her attendance record has been excellent.

dateline 20 years ago

“She later said it was do to taking too much cold medicine“

Oh, dear!

R493, I love Jerry Herman's music, and Dear World is probably my favorite score of his. The only song that doesn't measure up IMO is the title song. It's catchy, but the lyrics are not great. "I Don't Want to Know" is phenomenal and apparently stopped the show every night. I have loved the cast recording for decades and am curious to see why the show doesn't work, despite being revised many times. I think Donna will probably be a great choice. I just hope it's better than House of Flowers, another show with a great score and troubled book that was not so good at Encores. Tonya Pinkins was no Pearl Bailey, that's for sure!

[r521] she’s been nominated four times since the 1970s

1978 The Muppet Show

2001 Ally McBeal

2003 Bobbie’s Girl

2021. Zooey’s Playlist

I’d say being nominated 4 times in 40 years is “much eluded”

Adding insult to injury, a friend who saw the original Dear World said that the awfulness of the title song was further compounded when a model of the earth was flown in, wrapped in bandages.

I love Bernadette's episode of "The Muppet Show," but it looks like she was up against and lost to Gilda Radner on "Saturday Night Live." Hard to argue with that, I suppose.

It was pretty to look at...

[quote] I have loved the cast recording for decades and am curious to see why the show doesn't work, despite being revised many times

It doesn’t work because the story is stupid

R529 I beg your pardon?

La La Land!

Is Zachary Levi a gay? And what about Christian Borle?

New York, New York & La La Land...

Goody...

[quote] Karen Ziemba *IS* Sugar!

Sugar had small, lopsided tits?

r531 That news story is in error. The new show is "Moonlight! The Musical"

[quote] [R529] I beg your pardon?

R530, The story was stupid when Giraudoux wrote The Madwoman of Chaillot

Deluded into thinking it will save Paris, a crazy woman murders rich men in her basement

I guess that's why she's called a madwoman.

So it's a remake of "Arsenic and Old Lace?"

R524-Goodspeed's Norma Terris Theatre presented a production of Dear World in 2000, with Sally Ann Howes and Georgia Engel, directed by Richard Sabellico. We drove up on a Sunday night and stayed overnight in a nearby B&B.

The production was lovely and I've always wondered why it went no further. Both ladies were perfect. The book, however, can be tragic. Maybe it had to do with David Thompson re-writing it. Jerry Herman was involved in the production and new songs were added to the score. I wonder which version Encores is doing.

A college chum and I had tickets for the Dear World try out in Boston and were eager Angie fans because of Mame, of course. I still remember trudging to the theatre (can't remember if it was the Colonial or the Shubert) in a snow storm and getting comfortably seated when the producer Alexander Cohen's voice came over a loudspeaker to announce that his star Angela Lansbury was indisposed and unfortunately unable to perform that night.

But he encouraged everyone to stay in their seats to witness her brilliant understudy M'el Dowd. Though we recognized her name from the Camelot OBC recording, we still opted for refunds, thinking we'd catch the show with Angie on Broadway. Alas, the show closed before we could get to NY. So, I always regretted not seeing the production, even without its nominal star.

We did see her in Prettybelle the following season though, but that's another story.

[quote]We did see her in Prettybelle the following season though, but that's another story

It certainly is.

INTERVIEW and the Divine Miss M (for Michele)

Of course Jeremy O Harris interviewed her. Cunts through thick and thin!

Did he wear a wig to the interview?

This is who I am now - check!

Mention of Cory's death - check (indirectly)!

Namedropping Roxane Gay - check!

MADWOMAN was always a problematic play. It's never really succeeded. Combing the play's darkly comic story to Herman's cheery, bubbly optimism was not a good fit. And yes, I saw the original. Angie was the whole show.

Jeremy O. Harris is a feckless cunt.

And a cuntless fuck, r548.

The London premiere---

[quote]I have a question for everyone about the above poster who asked if Donna Murphy could be the Tony winner fighting with her director. What is Donna’s rep? I know she is known for scooping notes and missing performances…but is she the type to battle with a director?

I don't know if she has that rep. But I do remember that, when Donna did THE KING AND I, a friend of mine who had some inside knowledge of the production told me that she decided early on that she had no respect for the director and was going to ignore any direction he gave her.

^She was right.

[quote]And you just KNOW Spielberg was horrified at how they butchered a classic movie, yet he posed for pictures anyhow.

R497, is it too much to ask that you specify what post you're responding to and what you're talking about? Because I have no idea.

R546

One always picks the easy fight

One praises fools

One smothers light

One shifts left to right

It's part of the art of the possible

Jonathan Bailey literally killed Stephen Sondheim.

WHET Christopher Renshaw, who Donna did not respect? Not seeing any NY credits after TABOO (no surprise there).

R552, that director (Renshaw) may be a no-talent, but if Donna did ignore him during THE KING AND I, she did not do well left to her own devices. That was the one performance of hers that I didn't enjoy, because it was so heavy and humorless. Also, her singing style is wrong for the part.

Renshaw has announced a Louis Armstrong musical. I wonder when along the way he will get fired. Of course it's his 'concept,' it's the only we he can get hired

Donna is fantastic in The Gilded Age.

Did any of you see VANITIES in its original off-Bway run? I vaguely recall TV commercials for it when I was a kid, so it must have had a healthy run.

Anyone got the inside scoop?

I saw it in Chicago with Elizabeth Ashley, Lesley Ann Warren and Barbara Sharma, r560.

^Oops....*not* the musical

Barbara Sharma takes blood for a living now.

Gustavo Dudamel to lead New York Philharmonic

That's a charismatic 42 year old conductor? You're sure that's not a 55 year old CPA?

I know you're excited r564 but how DARE you bring that info to the THEATRE thread? Did Gustavo conduct Gypsy? Follies? Did he balk at Donna's pitch? Did he blow Cheyenne backstage at All Shook Up? Did he share a Serendipity frozen hot chocolate with Beanie? If not, We. Don't. Care. Bitch.

He conducted the recent WEST SIDE STORY film.

Speaking of wavering pitch, when did Dolores Gray develop that problem?

That's not Dolores Gray; it's Helen Gallagher.

I wonder if NYCC got names to play the other two madwomen in 'Dear World', like Christine Ebersole or Carolee Carmello. I hope so.

Here's Dudamel leading the Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela (in happier days) in a performance of "Mambo" from West Side Story that breaks out into joyous pandemonium.

Is Andrea Burns a name?

I never watch r571 without smiling.

Josh Rhodes is directing DEAR WORLD and I think he's one of the better up and coming director/choreographers. He helmed Encores' GRAND HOTEL, which I thought was smashing. I worked with him earlier in his career and I'd be surprised if he and Donna didn't get on well.

What happened to good looking conductors like Muti, Abbado, Bernstein, Von Karajan...?

Isn't Christopher Renshaw Australian? For some reason I thought that that King & I originated there, albeit with different stars.

Chicago's attendance is way up since Jinkx Monsoon joined the show and she's gotten a huge amount of media attention.

Will it help Jinkx "crossover" to getting more legit gigs and does her success in Chicago mean more stunt casting of drag queens on Broadway?

Going way back to the two-time Tony winner who hates the director, I suspect it's Norbert Leo Butz. Word of mouth on "Cornelia Street" is poisonous, though for more reasons than just Neil Pepe.

Not gossip, but a very inside-baseball observation of downtown theater. It's interesting to see some critics' darlings get reviewed unfavorably by the new crop of NY Times critics. Most recently it was Richard Maxwell's latest at Skirball. Now, these new Times critics seem pretty dim, but they seem determined to take down Ben and Charles' "golden children."

R579, can you give some other examples besides Richard Maxwell?

R580 - ERS (Seagull, also at Skirball), and several things at Soho Rep

[quote]Barbara Sharma takes blood for a living now.

Barbara Sharma is 85 years old. Would you trust an 85-year-old phlebotomist?

Or are you suggesting she's a vampire?

The original cast of Vanities was the first time I ever saw Kathy Bates. She was brilliant.

She usually is, r583.

New thread for when this one is full

R586. Yes and I believe with Hayley Mills as Anna—I think the score was beyond her.

Thank you, r585. I may retract it after I check out the title, but for now...thank you. Well, r586, Gertie was no Galli-Curci, so I assume Hayley upped her charm for the role to compensate.

R587 It wasn't my best work but I wanted to get it out there.

O.K., r588, it'll do. Actually I never care what the titles are.

Because *of course* Steve & Eydie recorded it ...

oopsy

If Steve & Eydie ever recorded something from Bajour, would the universe have imploded?

Frankly, r592, if there's a musical that doesn't need a freewheeling patio number, it's Bajour.

BAJOUR!

Bonjour?

Benko!

[quote]Frankly, [R592], if there's a musical that doesn't need a freewheeling patio number, it's Bajour.

I'm thinking it could liven up "Moonlight! The Musical."

Buh

Bye

Remember - new thread here

[quote]If Steve & Eydie ever recorded something from Bajour, would the universe have imploded?

No. But if they co-starred in "Follies" ....

When I saw Mack and Mabel at Encores!, I realized the show doesn't work, and the score is as much to blame as the book. Jerry Herman did not know how to dramatize with song. He could write some terrific songs, which float on top of the story, but that's all.

I suspect Dear World has this problem, too.