THEATRE GOSSIP #515: Defying Sanity

Previous thread (please post there until full)

Does Solea Feiffer have anything better to do than reappear as Evita now that her Broadway shows has closed?

I just heard that ALMOST FAMOUS was the biggest money maker in the history of San Diego's Old Globe Theater. It must have come as quite a shock to the Broadway producers when they lost their (tie-dyed) shirts.

Decent thread title, OP. This East German judge gives it a 9.75.

[quote] With “A Doll’s House,” an adaptation by the British director Jamie Lloyd set to open on March 9, Chastain has no theatrical set pieces or ambience to fall back on. There are no period costumes, no props, nothing resembling a set. There’s not even a door to slam in Nora’s infamous parting gesture. The play is stripped down to its barest essentials — Ibsen’s story, and the emotions it provokes in the actors and audience. It’s not a stretch to say that the entire production rests on the power of her performance.

Fuck you.

Jessica Hecht in the new ad for the Laura Linney play

Nice to see the intern is learning Facetune

Don’t forget how pathetic this bitch is…

Is Cynthia Erivo Anti-Semitic?

Are they going to up security at Parade now because of the Nazi protest March or do they think it was just a one off?

FWIW, I saw two shows in LA this week (Secret Garden and Sunday…), and in both cases, the audiences were very well behaved. No cell phones, no talking, responded appropriately to the show. A little too much coughing, but I’ve probably just gotten more sensitive to that sound after the last three years.

I’m glad the troubles NY is having with audiences hasn’t made it to LA yet.

Why isn’t Jeremy Jordan on Broadway?

He missed his bus.

How was Sunday, r10?

It was a pretty good production. It was directed by Lapine’s niece, who also did the Gyllenhaal revival on Broadway, so it looks a lot like that.

r14 - How were George & Dot?

Is "An Inspector Calls" considered a thriller? The 1990s Broadway revival was well attended due to the set gimmick (and it was well cast).

A friend of mine and I were discussing the Neo-Nazi gathering from last night and he feels it was a publicity stunt. I told him that if it ever got out (and it ALWAYS does) that they had hired people to protest the show pretending to be Nazis, then everyone connected to that show would cease to have a career, whether they were involved or not. No way would they chance that. That isn't something even David Merrick would do.

That being said, do I think that someone made an anonymous tip off to some anti-Jewish group and let the seeds grow themselves? I wouldn't say no.

The flyer the Nazis were handing out has been widely shared on social media. There's a web address on it. Do the conspiracy theorists think the PR company also made up a Nazi website for promotional purposes?

R17 Well wasn’t that guy going after a 13yo?

[quote] How were George & Dot?

They were good, but nothing revelatory

The George played Nick last fall in the Geffen’s WAoVW.

[quote] Well wasn’t that guy going after a 13yo?

No, you nazi scum. He was innocent, but got lynched by assholes like you anyway.

Well… I think the jury is still out. There are grey areas in life, no matter how you want to repaint history. Two things can be true at once.

This is the flip side argument for posterity’s sake and debate. Lol, who am I kidding there is no debate anymore. Feel free to scream in your next post.

‘He was often sexually propositioning his factory employees (numerous pre-teen and teenage laborers who formerly worked at his factory testified at his trial, stating his character for lasciviousness was bad). The defense refused to cross examine these witnesses giving credence to their accusations Frank was a pedophilic predator.

Leo Frank raped and strangled 13 year old Mary Phagan and then tried in an act of racism to frame two African American employees of the crime.

Frank is also quoted by journalists at the time in the local press, making blatantly racist statements about blacks.

The years prior to when he killed Phagan in 1913 (while married to Lucille Selig), he committed statutory rape on one of his teen employees Dewey Hewel and got her pregnant. Hewel came forward, informing authorities after Frank was arrested that he mutilated her inner leg near the vulva with his teeth. No disputes or challenges were made to her allegations.’

R21 is a Yasss Kween robot who spews what she’s fed. Good girl.

That block button keeps coming in handy, doesn't it?

I haven't seen the new Sunday, but Phillips is very handsome...

R24 no one is denying that what happened to him was anti-Semitic, but let’s look at the whole picture. He might not be the best figure to plant with your flag with… You’re obviously very irrational.

Everything written in r22 is a lie

It’s pretty funny when Nazis call real people “irrational”

I always felt pervy watching Phillips on The Good Wife and marveling at how beautiful his face was on that show.

Oh wow. I didn't know Phillips' photos and videos were all over Twitter...

Check out r19's other posts, r21. A veritable potpourri of racism.

R27 has nothing to back up that statement, other than saying it’s all a lie.

R32 that word means nothing anymore when everything except complete adulation goes into that category.

r34 in his *6th graders accused of making racist drawings, giving them to Black students* thread:

[quote]"The words really hurt," said Parent-Teacher Association President Robin Allen. "These are words that hurt. They're racist and derogatory terms." The cards had messages such as "to my favorite cotton picker" and calling another student someone's "favorite monkey." In addition to the hateful cards, parent Rome Douglas said his child received a card of a Black person hanging from a tree.

[quote]His 12-year-old daughter was one of the several biracial and Black students at Pepper Tree Elementary to be taunted with these notes. Additionally, his son said he hears other students echoing monkey noises at him.

[quote]Parents of at least three of the sixth graders that received the racist cards have pulled them out of school for more than a week.

[quote]"I've pulled them out until we feel it's safe," said Douglas.

***

[quote]R4 GOFUNDME in 3… 2…

[quote]Within in a week we’ll find out it was faked but that story will be buried deep on page 30

R35 still no argument

The facts in the case are the argument.

Oliver guesses?

Jinxs Monsoon for Mrs. Bumble

Hardly, r39. Jinxs is a Nancy if there ever was one.

Harvey Fierstein *is* Fagin.

Ariana Debose *is* Nancy.

Don Lemon *IS* Bill Sikes

He knows how to treat women poorly

Audiences are raving about West End darling Sheridan Smith in Shirley Valentine. I wonder if she'll finally make her Broadway debut in this. I loved it back in the 80s with Pauline Collins and, her replacement, Ellen Burstyn.

I can't imagine Shirley Valentine as a profitable hit Broadway show in 2023-24, much less with a British actress no one here cares about.

r22 you use quotation marks. What are you quoting?

I'm not debating here, sincerely asking

Imelda Staunton *is* Broadway’s Shirley Valentine.

YOU MEAN SHOUTY VALENTINE, DUCKY!!

Wow!! Graham Phillips! Sunday in the Park Engorged!

R10 - how was Secret Garden? Also, glad you had well behaved audiences. I don't recall many poorly behaved audiences in LA or San Diego theatres when I lived here, either. But, of course, the primary difference is most tourists aren't visiting Southern California for theatre, so your audiences are more likely to be respectful. And, yes, I know not everyone who causes a disturbance in a Broadway house is a tourist.

I wonder why I have R39 blocked. I usually only block out and out bigots. Perhaps just a mistake.

It's Pasadena Playhouse, I'd assume the audiences are going to be on the behaved side. Plus those shows don't seem like they'd attract rowdies.

oh.

Broadway has spent the last forty years turning itself into an NYC theme park in pursuit of money. Now it has to deal with theme park audiences.

[quote] [R10] - how was Secret Garden?

Excellent. Very surreal. Fantastic stage design. As far as I could tell, there were no big changes to the script.

How was the Mary(!), r53?

She was fine. The cast was all strong.

Well, she won't be receiving a Tony and a kiss from Audrey Hepburn...

Yikes

[quote] Broadway has spent the last forty years turning itself into an NYC theme park in pursuit of money. Now it has to deal with theme park audiences.

In all fairness, all of NYC became a theme park. It’s the only way the city could survive.

In the 1980s, Broadway was almost dead. The Hellinger was sold off because they couldn’t get any show in there. The majority of good theater was happening off-Broadway. Nobody was producing anything that could go in those big theaters.

And as has been mentioned many times, AIDS took out many creatives and discerning audiences.

So Broadway reinvented itself as a tourist destination of spectacle, musicalized movies and jukebox movies.

You also see the change in other areas. The great movie palaces went out of business and were torn down, turned into porn theaters or nightclubs or subdivided and turned into small stores.

Department stores went out of business with Macys becoming a tourist attraction because of the Thanksgiving Day Parade and popularity of Miracle on 34th Street.

The city had to reinvent itself to survive. Now all that’s interesting about NYC is the history. The stores are nothing special, the restaurants are nothing special, it’s just living on public relations.

'It's Broadway's biggest party!' (used perennially, currently by Aladdin and in Whoopi's intro to SLIH on The View this week)

'You'll be dancing in the aisles!'

The cast of Rock of Ages, which served alcohol [italic] in your seats [/italic] , used to talk about the actual sex they would see in the audience

I blame Mamma Mia.

I blame 'Pappa Pia - The Meshulam Riklis Story'

Kody Jauron....who's had him?

R30, Graham Phillip’s cock is not that impressive.

"The New York City Center production of Oliver! will star Lilli Cooper as Nancy, Raúl Esparza as Fagin, Tam Mutu as Bill Sikes, Brad Oscar as Mr. Bumble, Benjamin Pajak as Oliver Twist, and Mary Testa as Widow Corney."

Meh. I don't really get Lilli Cooper. She's very blah.

R65, And Mary Testa is annoying.

What a let down on Lilli Cooper. The role had the opportunity to really do something special…and she’s about as special as a wet wash rag

Well, I love the idea of Raul as Fagin. Has he started rehearsals yet? Let the backstage gossip begin!

You know already that Papi Raul will walk off with OLIVER with his Fagan. All the attention, all the reviews. I'd see it for him.

I think Lilli Cooper is competent and hard-working but, alas, deeply unexciting as Nancy.

DL fave and Theatre Gossip mascot, Miss Karen Ziemba got a new gig.

Looking good, Karen Z.

Raul Esparza? A Hispanic playing a Jew? Diversity has gone too far!

Yay for Karen Ziemba! It’s nice to see the old gal is still hitting the boards!

R71, Is Fagin being Jewish specifically mentioned in the book?

"20 public school students will also be featured in one number."

Pity the poor costumer who will have to find Victorian boots for those 20 public school students.

And you just know with Lear, now there will be boys AND GIRLS attending Fagin's School of Woke.

[quote]Is Fagin being Jewish specifically mentioned in the book?

Many times.

[quote]The first 38 chapters of the book refer to Fagin by his racial and religious origin 257 times, calling him "the Jew", against 42 uses of "Fagin" or "the old man".

I'm happy to see Laurie Metcalf is returning to Broadway, as theater is her only consistent source of challenging, high quality roles, but I'm not sure about the sound of this play, 'Grey House.' Did anyone here see it in Chicago?

I felt bad when her revival of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' got shut down due to the pandemic, as it was her dream role and friends who saw the previews said it was an excellent production. She was also slated to do 'Death of a Salesman' with Nathan Lane, but I think Scott Rudin's cancellation put an end to that (and perhaps her career renaissance? He produced both her Tony-winning plays and reportedly suggested her for the role in 'Lady Bird').

However, in the musical OLIVER! Fagin is never called a Jew or Jewish.

Wasn't Rudin also producing the Mantello/Metcalf VA WOOLF? So, perhaps the Broadway rights to it are still controlled by Rudin?

[quote]The George played Nick last fall in the Geffen’s WAoVW.

Wouldn't it have been just as easy for you to type VIRGINIA WOOLF, so people would have immediately known what you meant rather than having to think about it to figure it out?

R58, you hit it right on the head, perfect analysis of New York City. And...."If it's old, rip it down. We need another hotel or parking lot."

[quote] Wouldn't it have been just as easy for you to type VIRGINIA WOOLF, so people would have immediately known what you meant rather than having to think about it to figure it out?

Sorry, I didn’t realize you had an IEP

Which one of the Jonas Brothers is playing the Artful Dodger?

Lili Cooper and Solea Feiffer ought to do a revival of Side Show so we can put an end to both their careers in one flop.

Lear DeBessonet continues to kill Encores. Everyone knows Oliver. It's about as lost a musical as Into the Woods.

Mary Testa as the Widow Corney? Who in the hell is she?

She's the "I Shall Scream" girl, as opposed to the "I Don't Care" girl.

[quote] Mary Testa as the Widow Corney? Who in the hell is she?

Widow Corney sings “I Shall Scream” then you never see her again.

Hey, it's an easy paycheck!

I don't, R82. Sorry, I didn't realize you were a nasty bitch.

R85, I guess you haven't noticed, but the Encores! mission statement has changed A LOT over the years. If they even have one anymore.

Encores did Bye Bye Birdie, one of the most popular high school produced musicals of all time.

at least that starred DL fave Karen ZIemba. Otherwise, not that great, even Doris Roberts, who seemed like perfect casting, disappointed.

[quote] I don't, [R82]. Sorry, I didn't realize you were a nasty bitch.

Where the fuck do you think you are, dumbshit?

Sorry, bitches. For someone to type "WAoVW" rather than VIRGINIA WOOLF (or the whole title) is idiotic.

R22 what are you on about? Leo Frank was lynched due to antisemitism. The real killer was Jim Conley, who was black.

Standard rule of DL: if you tell people how to post, they’re going to tell you to go fuck yourself.

[quote] Sorry, bitches. For someone to type "WAoVW" rather than VIRGINIA WOOLF (or the whole title) is idiotic.

Yes, we know you need to have everything spelled out for you, but I’m talking with the grownups, not with you.

Understood, R97. But it's still worth it to call them out for doing something really stupid.

Mary Testa is perfect as I Shall Scream.

The audience typically does after leaving one of her shows

GFY, R98. I'm sure I don't have to spell that out for you.

It'll put an interesting twist on things to have Fagin played by someone who'll be able to sing the shit out of "Reviewing The Situation".

Just because YOU don’t understand it doesn’t make it stupid.

It makes you stupid.

I like Lilli Cooper when she's well cast, but to me she seems all wrong for Nancy in Oliver. Not earthy, sexy, or bawdy enough, and not the right type of singing voice.

I once gave Mary Testa the finger after she came out to sing a song in an Off-Broadway show. I was third row middle and she was standing right in front of me. I hope she saw me because she deserved it. She and Imelda Staunton in a show together would make the entire planet go deaf by choice.

Thank you for sharing, r105.

[quote] It'll put an interesting twist on things to have Fagin played by someone who'll be able to sing the shit out of "Reviewing The Situation".

I think you meant "bray" instead of "sing."

If you're in the first five rows, make sure you bring an umbrella. Raul is a spitter.

R108, Don’t I know it.

What did Mary ever do to you to deserve your flipping her the bird? She may not be your favorite performer, but did she kill your dog?

I don't get why Mary works as much and why someone like Sally Mayes doesn't. Not that they are exactly the same type, but still Mayes was pretty wonderful in stuff like "She Loves Me" and "Closer Than Ever".

It's a shame they can't bring Virginia Woolf back with Metcalf, but I'd assume it would be hard to get the whole cast and creative team back together, especially with her schedule on The Conners. I heard she was wonderful from a few people fortunate enough to see the previews before it closed.

Totally agree. Sally Mayes was terrific in both (I saw her in SHE LOVES ME twice).

If Mary Testa and Jackie Hoffman get all the work they do, Mayes should have had a bigger career.

I like Debra Monk but I'd include her with this camp as well. Much like Testa and Hoffman, I'm always conscious that I'm watching Debra in a role, not necessarily the character she's playing.

Sally Mayes was pretty terrific also in the Cy Coleman flop "Welcome to the Club" where I think she was a standby who got the part before the show opened (in previews when I saw it), though the show (about a debtor's prison for people late with alimony payments if I recall correctly) was pretty bad.

I also loved Sally Mayes, playing opposite George Dvorsky (why didn't he have a bigger -- or more of -- a career, too?) in off-Broadways PETE N KEELEY, a gentle take-off of a Steve and Eydie couple doing a Las Vegas act. Lots of fun, and they had guest stars. I saw Charo, who was a hoot -- looked great, not much of a singing voice, but great personality and excellent classical guitarist.

Maybe Rudin could combine the proposed casts of his productions of both Salesman and Virginia Woolfe and have Nathan Lane play George with Metcalfe as Martha next season.

Nathan Lane doesn't seem Ivy League nor even Seven Sisters.

[quote] What did Mary ever do to you to deserve your flipping her the bird? She may not be your favorite performer, but did she kill your dog?

The song was so awful and she performed it so fucking terribly, but like she was doing us a favor, it just pissed me off. It's not something I make a habit of doing, it was just an impulse.

The impulse to flip off a performer while they are performing is insane, to say nothing of actually carrying through with it.

quote] It'll put an interesting twist on things to have Fagin played by someone who'll be able to sing the shit out of "Reviewing The Situation".

he'll grandstand and oversing which probably makes no sense for Fagin. will he hit any of the kids like he did in Chitty Chitty Slap Slap

OLIVER hasn't been seen in New York since 1984. It's perfectly suited for ENCORES!

R22 uses quotation marks in the post but fails to provide a source link as backup. So he's either lying or doesn't want to cop to his source being The Daily Stormer. In either case, his post is worthless.

What kind of sick fuck would think the producers of a show would have the time or inclination to stage a fake Neo-Nazi protest?! How dumb are you people...

[quote] The impulse to flip off a performer while they are performing is insane, to say nothing of actually carrying through with it.

Your asshole must be so clenched. Swallow some coal and see if you can shit out a diamond.

R119, Didn’t that “I pay your salary” female audience member also flip Patti the bird?

Elliott Page IS Fagin!

Billy Porter IS Nancy!

Jason Robert Brown writes about the Neo Nazis...

The fact that you're proud of it, r124, is revealing. Why didn't you throw tomatoes or let loose with a string of Bronx cheers? That would have really shown her.

R128, In Europe, they used to throw fruit at opera singers who performed poorly.

and we were doing so well

I'm not crazy about all of Testa's work, but she can be a very strong performer (Queen of the Mist, First Daughters Suite) and her voice is a powerhouse. I also suspect she works hard, is very professional, and delivers the goods when asked.

Lea Michele’s Fanny

[r132] Christ!

Testa and Jackie Hoffman in Xanadu were a wonder to behold.

Daniel Sunjata’s got a pilot for ABC but it sounds like a loser.

Is Sally Mayes still working? I thought she retired.

R22 is quoting some dude on Quora who calls the ADL "anti-gentile."

Per AllThatChat, "Broadway By The Year" is officially no more. (Our beloved MLOP weighed in.)

I probably saw about 8-10 of them over the years. Wildly uneven quality and production values, but there were a handful of spectacular performances mixed in with the amateurish "Who is This?" ones.

I will miss it.

What say we, DL?

Thanks r139.

God I love that show! One of the first *B*R*O*A*D*W*A*Y* musicals I saw actually on *B*R*O*A*D*W*A*Y*.

I hope the Encores version of Oliver moves Oom-Pah-Pah to the end of the show, like the film did. That was a great choice.

I don't believe Oliver! ever says that Fagin is Jewish, but it's certainly implied by the orchestration of Reviewing the Situation.

You are fucking welcome, bitches.

Thank you Doris.

A veritable sevenfecta!

God, Elaine Joyce and Bonnie Franklin manage to be obnoxious even whilst tapping.

Nice of Elaine to wear a diaper.

Beth is great.

Say bah-bye to Scott and Barbara Siegel. Nobody wanted to work with those two cheapskates anymore. Scott has pissed off many a talented performer.

[quote]—a natural

She was a dancer, r146.

Oh, 1992. Good times.

I loved that special, R149. So many wonderful performances. Trying to think what my favorite was. It's a tossup between Daisy Eagan doing Broadway Baby and the quartet doing A Weekend in the Country (I forget everyone in it, but I know Kevin Anderson was one of them).

R138-You're Barbara, aren't you?

Beautiful voices R139, but... (and I'm not Wokish) 4 "asian" actors and not one Japanese actor. To Americans, anyone with a drop of Asian blood qualifies for whatever play occurs in any Asian country. Filipino actors have significantly benefitted from this fact. There would be no MISS SAIGON without them.

Always nice to have a Karen Ziemba sighting here!

Glad to see Raul Esparza will be back on stage. I figure I’ll go see it just for him.

MARY! me all you like, but I’ll be forever grateful that I was lucky enough to live in the same century as the guy who wrote Someone in a Tree.

What an absolute fucking masterpiece. A single song that manages to say more than some entire Broadway seasons.

Doris Roberts never disappointed - she was ALWAYS awful.

Doris Roberts was good in that Gay movie All Over the Guy.

Not great.

Not bad.

R149: "Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall" was my introduction to Sondheim. I stumbled upon the DVD in middle school and must have watched it a couple dozen times. Love the pic.

Doris Roberts was terrific in her early years working on and off-Broadway. I particularly remember her hilarious performance in the Terrence McNally play BAD HABITS with F. Murray Abraham. Check out the photo to see how young they were.

This Thee-ah-tuh thread is really zipping along.

[quote] Graham Phillip’s cock is not that impressive.

Oh, dear.

[quote]Per AllThatChat, "Broadway By The Year" is officially no more. (Our beloved MLOP weighed in.) I probably saw about 8-10 of them over the years. Wildly uneven quality and production values, but there were a handful of spectacular performances mixed in with the amateurish "Who is This?" ones.

If you're referring to the series at Town Hall, I don't know what you mean by "production values," as all of the editions were concerts with no scenery, costumes, etc. The only main difference was that some of the shows had more dancing, sometimes with a dancing chorus that would come on for a number or two, while others did not. Is that what you meant?

What is working with Sally like?

It looks like from her website and social media she's still ready to perform.

Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of A Little Night Music ...

I actually preferred Broadway Unplugged to Broadway By The Year...but nobody asked me.

Well I will bow to those DL folks in the know and reexamine my thoughts on Miss Doris Roberts.

I saw second preview performance of PARADE last night, center orchestra. Production is absolutely beautiful, incredibly dynamic staging and excellent use of the space and the video wall/clips/historical clips. Ben Platt isn’t my favorite performer but it’s an ideal fit for him and he totally commits, going so far as to remain onstage for the entire intermission in his “jail cell” (and no he wasn’t playing on his phone). Surprisingly sexy production with the fresh out of college very buff and cute Young Soldier doing “Old Red Hills of Home” shirtless with perilously unbuttoned pants. Great voice. Paul Alexander Nolan also oozes sex and gives a great performance, as well (we already saw most of what he has to offer nudity wise in Slave Play anyway). Michaela Diamond is very good, Platt may end up with Tony #2. Audience was sold out and three standing ovations. Ben had four armed bodyguards and was rushed to his SUV through stage door, surely a reaction to the protests. Security was not as tight as one might expect, but anymore it’s one step short of TSA anyway at all theaters. Exquisite production - everything works. BTW I saw the original Hal Prince production and also the Jeremy Jordan concert version a few years ago, this truly feels like a FULL Broadway production of a transfer of a City Center show, unlike Into The Woods which always seemed cheap and like a slapdash cash grab transfer to me.

Great post, R167.

R139 - that was wonderful. I usually bemoan reduced orchestrations in Sondheim shows, but I actually loved the sound of that. Do we know who did the orchestrations/arrangements?

R164 - there's a 50th anniversary production of Night Music at Pasadena Playhouse this year -- with a full orchestra -- what was the last professional production of Night Music with the full orchestration?? Hope they get the casting right, though.

So, is Sweeney Todd only doing 7 shows a week or is there going to be an 8th show with alternate leads?

r127

Jesus, Jason Robert Brown is a dog.

[quote]Jesus, Jason Robert Brown is a dog.

And a pussy-hound

Look at the difference in that tap dance thing between the actual dancers (Georgia Engel and Beth Howland) and the movers who can fake it (like Elaine Joyce).

Michael Arden having a Tony wouid be almost as crazy as Chris Ashley having a Tony

[quote] Hope they get the casting right, though.

They usually do, especially since they rarely cast names.

Looks like DL favorite Sarah Porkalob has left the Big Apple and returned home to Seattle.

To co-star in a local production of Shakespeare's "Henry IV".

She's not the lead.

It's not a major theater company. Semi-professional ish.

[r167] thank you so much for the review/report! I love DL when posters do things like that for those of us who can’t see a show.

[r176] eeek

Porky is next slated to play Christine in Phantom

I see the late shift at Popeyes in Porky's future.

Billy Porter as VW in WAoVW!

[quote]This truly feels like a FULL Broadway production of a transfer of a City Center show, unlike Into The Woods which always seemed cheap and like a slapdash cash grab transfer to me.

You didn't mention if the orchestra is still on stage and visible behind the playing area, I'm guessing it is?

[quote]Surprisingly sexy production with the fresh out of college very buff and cute Young Soldier doing “Old Red Hills of Home” shirtless with perilously unbuttoned pants.

Interestingly, the young man who played that role at City Center just a few months ago did not continue to Broadway, and he's one of VERY few in the cast who were replaced. Assuming he was not immediately snapped up for a TV series or a movie, what do you suppose that's all about?

[quote] I see the late shift at Popeyes in Porky's future.

I think she’s the type that will always get some artistic grant. And since those things are now passed out based on diversity rather than artistic merit, she’ll do very well.

I see in her future a performance art piece about the patriarchy of Broadway sponsored by the LuEsther Mertz Foundation.

She got to do what millions of others dreamed of but never obtained but she will turn the experience around and portray it in a negative light.

BOOP-bad title, sounds like someone farted. Also, does anyone under say, 80, even know or remember anything about Betty Boop? And what kind of compelling story is going to be fashioned around an ink drawing?

New York, New York-so basically they are just selling a song title? If you scrap the characters and the storyline from the movie, that's basically what youre left with plus And The World Goes Round and There Goes the Ballgame. The film has some merit but it's a pretty unsuccessful slog for the most part. David Thompson is not a great writer for an original musical-he's much better as an adaptor.

[quote]I think she’s the type that will always get some artistic grant. And since those things are now passed out based on diversity rather than artistic merit, she’ll do very well.

I fear you may be right about that, but on the other hand, I expect many people will decline to work with her based on her well-publicized past behavior. So unless she keeps doing one-person shows for the rest of her life, she may be in for a rough career. We shall see!

An ink drawing gave us "Annie" and "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown".

But people knew who Little Orphan Annie and Charlie Brown were. (and CB was never successful on Bway). I think Ill wait for the Beetle Bailey musical using the the Starland Vocal Band catalogue

Billy Porter will play VW in the Rob Ashford production of WAoVW.

Annie & Charlie Brown also appealed to kids and families

Of course, Betty Boop will have to been trans, queer, neurodiverse, otherly abled, plus sized, and from the global majority for it to have any shot (and it goes without saying, stripped of all sexuality)

R186, the people on funding panels read the same media we do.

She is going to have getting trouble getting grants because no one wants to give money to someone who bites the hand that feeds them.

Or someone who might put the funder's reputation at risk.

BEANIE BOOP?

If you title your show BAD CINDERELLA, aren't you just asking for it?

So the answer to who they're going to get for Kiss of the Spider Woman is...no one.

Porkalob be gone!

I'm sure she/they will annoy a host of people wherever she/they pops up.

R188, I fear you may be right about Beatle Bailey and the Starland Vocal Band.

R192, excellent point. I hope you're right.

R176 did she stop in Idaho?

Someone posted about Lorraine Hansberry on Insta the other day, celebrating Raisin in the Sun and its musical adaptation. But how absurd that it was actually called "Raisin!" That's hilarious. "Apple! A New Musical." "Prune!" "Kumquat!"

R199 That's POCATELLO, not PORKALOB!

Jonas Bros coming to the Great White Way:

[quote]An ink drawing gave us "Annie" and "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown".

It also gave us “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark”

R203 I produced that show.

R202-NPH will be visiting the dressing rooms each night.

[quote]To co-star in a local production of Shakespeare's "Henry IV".

Once Sara joined the cast, they had to change the title to "Henry III."

What will replace Kiss of Spiderwoman??

I vote for DL faves Betty Buckley and Rachel York’s production of Grey Gardens

[quote] Once Sara joined the cast, they had to change the title to "Henry III."

They had to change the title to "Henry (He/Him)"

Cheno is reteaming with Stephen Schwartz on what sounds like a funsy kind of musical:

In re New York, New York, 20th Century Fox once paid thousands just for the title of the bestselling book How to Marry a Millionaire and fashioned quite a fabulous and successful movie out of it.

You're reading that book upside down, r210.

Promising. Cheno needs a more adult/mature role on the stage.

R52 can’t be repeated enough! Exactly!

Once upon a one more time

R209 dumbass shit about a Repug cunt. No thanks.

Caught up with Kimberley Akimbo-which was, for the most part, excellent. David Lindsay-Abaire has finely adapted hi play (which was great in its original incarnation) and his lyrics are equally sharp. Cast is terrific as is the staging. The one (big) miss is the score--totally serviceable, does what it needs to do and no more. Not a score you would ever want or need to listen to again. In fact, if you took almost any (or all) of the songs out, you wouldn't miss them. I did miss Marylouise Burke's innate eccentricity-and the face that she looked really old (Vicki kind of looks like an a girlish aging hippie selling essential oils in Saugerties, but that probably works better ultimately for this format). At least it was the works of professionals, had no Brittney Spears songs shoehorned into it and the source material was relatively obscure (and nothing that you would naturally have thought to musicalize). It was what would have been the quintessential Off-Broadway musical (in a good way), if commercial Off-Bway existed anymore

Did you find it moving? The play with Marylouise Burke, for all its outrageous elements, had some very devastating and emotional moments that cut through the comedy. I admired a lot of elements of the musical while it was happening, but didn't feel as engaged or as moved as I was by the play.

Marylouise Burke was perfectly cast in the play. Victoria Clark does a great job in the musical, but she isn’t quite right for the role. She’s not odd/eccentric enough.

IMHO they made a big mistake in not giving Victoria Clark a short cute teenaged bob for her wig. She would have then looked more appropriately grotesque and pathetic. An then, when Kimberly disguises herself as an old lady in the heist, there's no real shock.

Though....can a Broadway musical really work if the leading lady looks grotesque and pathetic?

I agree that Marylouise Burke was great in the role, and one thing she had going for her over Vicki is that Marylouise is SO short, which gave credence to her portrayal of a young girl with a rapid-aging disease. I expect that was one major reason why she was cast in the first place. By contrast, and in that respect, Vicki seems more like an older female actress skillfully playing a young girl with a rapid-aging disease. That said, I loved Vicki's performance as well.

I miss Marylouise Burke. I feel like she got traded in for Jayne Houdyshell and we're all the worse for it.

I heard that Annie Golden was in contention for Kimberly. Would she have been better?

[quote]Though....can a Broadway musical really work if the leading lady looks grotesque and pathetic?

Not really, r218...

Kimberly Akimbo was fine but it belongs in a much smaller theatre for better effect. I can’t remember a single song though.

It got stupid when it changed into the predictable “now we’re going to do something zany!’l

Annie! Hang up the phone! Get off the line!

[quote]I heard that Annie Golden was in contention for Kimberly. Would she have been better?

None of us can say if she would have been a "better" choice than Vicki, but I can certainly see Annie doing a great job in that role. There is still something of a little-girl quality about her voice and persona, more so than Vicki.

Who doesn't love Annie?

Every time I listen to that score, I grow to love it more. Like most of Tesori's work, I find.

The Kimberly score is the quintessence of meh…

[quote] An ink drawing gave us "Annie" and "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown".

And Doonesbury and Lil Abner.

And It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman

I've been listening to Kimberly nonstop since it dropped last week. It's a beautiful score. If the business weren't so sexist, people would be talking about Tesori as the new Sondheim. Is there any other Broadway composer with such a rich mix of commercial/non-commercial/film and Opera work? It's incredible. And what 6, 7 Broadway shows? That's more than JRB and Shaiman, whom the press cover obsessively.

Agreed with the above poster entirely. KIMBERLY AKIMBO is excellent and has the most heart of any show this season or in recent memory. Tesori does excellent work, the album is wonderful, and the show is perfectly bittersweet. Annie Golden did develop the project and I'm sure was available if they wanted her for the production.

Kimberly Akimbo is brilliant. A masterpiece. Billy Porter will most certainly play Kimberly on the National Tour. Astounding! Astonishing!

But does it...scintillate?

Would that this came true where "many people will decline to work with (someone) based on her well-publicized past behavior." Seems they all just fail up. No one gets drummed outta the business anymore.

I actually think BOOP is a stronger piece of IP than people think. The merchandising done internationally alone (particularly overseas where Betty Boop is nearly on par with Hello Kitty) give it a built-in audience. The star, the music/lyrics and production itself will need to rise to the occasion, but kids and adults needn't know any of the Fleischer cartoons for this to be a major tourist trap.

While we're at it, I'm surprised no one has attempted to translate Harry Nilsson's POPEYE to the stage. There are some really wonderful, inventive numbers in there...and likely would work far better on stage than they did in Altman's film!

Adriennne Warren for Olive Oyl

The OBIES were announced in advance of the ceremony. I'm not sure why...

Large works fine, r236.

Billy Porter IS Olive Oil!

Beanie Feldstein *is* Swee’ Pea.

If they’re going to musicalize cartoons, I want to see Fritzi Ritz and her lesbian niece, Nancy.

Christian Borle IS Popeye! Rachel York IS Olive Oyl! Bill Irwin IS Wimpy!

Sure, why not?

Ana de Armas would be a TERRIFIC Betty Boop, by the way. She's got that sexy but cute, petite but curvy thing down. And has those BIG eyes!

My comic strip ran in syndication for 34 years, and was adapted for 3 network TV specials!

WTF is MY Bway musical?

I mean, the songs kinda write themselves....

C'mon, it's a natural...

I used to think Cheno would be a natural for a Blondie musical (the comic strip, not the band).

I completely forgot about the Blondie comic strip. In fact the ones who would have remembered Blondie are mainly dead.

Not a great idea for a musical now.

A Blondie Debbie Harry Pussy musical would be awesome, though.

Cheno announced another musical she'll never do...

[quote]I've been listening to Kimberly nonstop since it dropped last week. It's a beautiful score. If the business weren't so sexist, people would be talking about Tesori as the new Sondheim.

I would think that, if anything, the fact that Tesori is a woman would cause many "people" in this day and age, including critics, to swoon over her career all the more. So I honestly think there are other reasons why she isn't held in higher esteem, maybe one reason being that her work is of rather inconsistent quality, often great but often not.

R249, Who would play Dagwood?

R195 - so this likely means KISS is going straight to Broadway?? Paging Mrs. Michael Douglas.

Reba auditions for a Mame revival

[quote] I want to see Fritzi Ritz and her lesbian niece, Nancy.

Nancy is no dyke and I’m the man who can prove it!

I miss that version of Laura Benanti before she became Woke Suburban Mom

Laura Benanti needs one good tv role that will bump her status.

She’s a great actress and has an edge to her…but she’s just not there yet.

[quote] I would think that, if anything, the fact that Tesori is a woman would cause many "people" in this day and age, including critics, to swoon over her career all the more. So I honestly think there are other reasons why she isn't held in higher esteem, maybe one reason being that her work is of rather inconsistent quality, often great but often not.

Time may change that. Sondheim wasn’t held in high esteem until he was old. His critics said his songs weren’t “hummable” “too wordy” “too intellectual for Broadway.”

What is Tesori's sexual orientation? I know she used to be married to a man.

r260

Tesori shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence as Sondheim. Sheesh.

Tesori is a half step down from S Schwartz

Anyone looking to theater critics for astute musical insight/awareness will invariably be disappointed. As Sondheim himself said on more than 1 occasion, musical theater is the only art form routinely reviewed by ignoramuses -- they as a rule have zero musical training/experience. Examples abound, from Walter Kerr (notoriously deaf to more sophisticated scores) to Clive Barnes ("FOLLIES is the kind of musical that should have its original cast album out on 78s") to Ben Brantley and beyond.

Jeanine Tesori's work is variable? Sure. (Rodgers & Hammerstein also wrote ME AND JULIET.) Not to every taste? Sure; whose is? But if you can listen to CAROLINE OR CHANGE or FUN HOME or KIMBERLY AKIMBO and not hear considerable invention and skill and ambition -- whether you like the results or not -- then congratulations: you're either incapable of recognizing serious music or unwilling to do so in her case.

I'm astounded by the upthread news (or merely gossip?) that Annie Golden was associated with the early workshops of KIMBERLY AKIMBO and was rejected for the so much duller Victoria Clark. Annie would have effortlessly brought so much more needed quirk and pathos to the role and the entire show.

Is Annie difficult or undependable or disliked though? Here career never really took off.

[Quote] Tesori is a half step down from S Schwartz

At least Schwartz has hummable, memorable tunes

I think Tesori does a good job as a composer. They work fine in context, but in pretty much all her shows, I never need to hear any of the songs again.

Tesori......Tesori.....

Say It loud and there's music playing.

Say it soft and it's almost like praying.

I'll never stop saying.....

TESORI..........

How is her score for Shrek The Musical? I've never seen it.

[quote]At least Schwartz has hummable, memorable tunes

Go fuck yourself with your hummable, memorable tunes r266.

People whose definition of good music is "hummable tunes" never seem to realize how superficial they sound. A great melody is a wonderful thing. But there's a lot more to music than that.

Let me out!!!!

Help!!!!!!

[quote]If you can listen to CAROLINE OR CHANGE or FUN HOME or KIMBERLY AKIMBO and not hear considerable invention and skill and ambition -- whether you like the results or not -- then congratulations: you're either incapable of recognizing serious music or unwilling to do so in her case.

I did not say that I can't hear considerable invention and skill and ambition in those scores. I said that the overall quality of Teori's writing is inconsistent, and I meant more inconsistent than other composers -- certainly far more inconsistent than Rodgers & Hammerstein or Sondheim. I think that's one explanation for why she isn't held in as high esteem as those other artists. Also, there are other issues, including the fact -- mentioned by someone above -- that her scores work very well in context of a live performance of a show but not as well for home listening on a cast album.

[quote] Who would play Dagwood?

Tituss Burgess.

Beanie for Nancy (and Sluggo).

The hummable tune bit really has been beaten to death. I doubt it will ever change though, music academics don't view musicals as serious art, and Broadway has people who won't even learn to sight-read music.

I heard from a friend of Golden's that Annie was considered for the part in KA, but don't know how far in the process she got.

R271, no happy, paying patron ever left a show humming the scenery.

I wish there was a master list somewhere of all the “second or third choice” actors for various parts.

People will come out and say “I turned such and such down” but who knows how serious the offer was.

For example I read that the Gypsy revival at Papermill that is routinely ripped to shreds on this board, was down between Betty Buckley and Debra Monk.

Follies revival at Kennedy Center was almost cast with Kim Cattrall opposite Bernadette Peters.

Annie Golden is 8 years older than Victoria Clark. I don't know if that would be enough of a difference to make her less believable in that role, however.

anyone who say Annie Golden Broadway Bounty Hunter knows she isn't right for....much.

Annie Golden was good in the movie of "Hair."

Sondheim cred

Anybody hear Swoosie Kurtz in a bootleg of a workshop of Assassins? Couldn’t sing “Unworthy of Your Love” for shit, basically talk sang it. Paul McCrane was good, though.

R279 Many second/third choice people seem to be ensemble members that are also leads for regional shows. I see a lot of shows to the point I get a deja vu feeling when I recognize a name in a smaller part.

Recently saw Britney Coleman, who is now in Beetlejuice.

OR they're leads in shows that don't run long like Chilina Kennedy.

Can Swoosie sing at all? She seemed an odd choice for Michael Bennett's Scandal.

James Snyder at Goodspeed was the best Billy Bigelow I’ve ever seen. Sexy as hell, great voice and excellent actor.

Did we ever find out what happened with James Snyder?

R288, He’s touring in a non-Equity production of The King and I with Alice Ripley.

Snyder was excellent as Marius in Encores' "Fanny" opposite the also very fine Elena Shaddow as Fanny (non-Brice)

James Sad Last Days…stuck with Ms. Skinner.

Cabanis, r290...

Say, what, r291?

Just back from the London production of Cabaret, with Aimee Lou Wood as Sally. She was fantastic and the production is as good as you have heard. First time that I have paid GBP 200 for a ticket but. I do not regret it.

I never miss an Aimee Lou Wood musical.

The Divine Miss M can still roll things?

r279

I think Kim was announced... I remember going to go to DC just for her

Annie Golden is great. But Vicky Clark has a Tony Award which gave her the edge when casting a lead in a Broadway musical.

[quote]anyone who say Annie Golden Broadway Bounty Hunter knows she isn't right for....much.

Couldn't disagree more. She was the highlight of the show, which was a mixed bag, but generally a lot of high-spirited fun. It should have had a longer run.

What difference does it make how much older Annie is than Vicky, r280? The whole point of the character is she's supposed to be believable and heart-rending as a teenager with an old lady's face and body. Which I think Vicky doesn't quite capture, But as someone upthread might have alluded, perhaps the extreme of that might just be too depressing for a Broadway musical.

Is it possible that Vicky has the stronger singing voice?

[quote]Is it possible that Vicky has the stronger singing voice?

Well, it's eight years younger.

[Quote] People whose definition of good music is "hummable tunes" never seem to realize how superficial they sound. A great melody is a wonderful thing. But there's a lot more to music than that.

Oh please. This isn’t for some magnum opus opera. It’s a musical so tourists can buy tickets and have an enjoyable evening after a day of shopping. They want hummable tunes not some complex musical tapestry for the sake of being important and impressive

Uh oh, Annette!

Newsies making news.

When you're from Pittsburgh, you have to do SOMETHING.....

Gosh, both Bernie and Stritch were miscast. And I say that as big fans of both of them.

And, GOD, that dinky 8-piece orchestra is just depressing. We have regional theatre for these scaled down productions. I keep hoping we'll get a proper, well cast, full-orchestra production on Broadway.

Well, r306, we're gonna have the orchestra.

[quote]Gosh, both Bernie and Stritch were miscast. And I say that as big fans of both of them.

Certainly, Stritch was ridiculous in the role, if fascinating in her own way. But Bernadette surprised me in being very credible as Desiree, complete with a light Brit accent to match everyone else's. (Except Stritch's.) And her performance of "Send in the Clowns" was lovely, well sung and very moving but not overdone for the pathos.

[quote]And, GOD, that dinky 8-piece orchestra is just depressing. We have regional theatre for these scaled down productions. I keep hoping we'll get a proper, well cast, full-orchestra production on Broadway.

Blame that pathetic orchestra on the putz who produces the Menier Chocolate Factory shows, then keeps partnering with others to bring those shows to Broadway without expanding the orchestras as necessary. Now that he has had TWO New York hits in a row with FUNNY GIRL and MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, both of which are hits in spite of rather than because of his contribution, I don't think we're going to get rid of him anytime soon.

Do we have any first night Fannies on here? Anyone seeing the first preview of Sweeney on Sunday? Or was there an invited dress tonight (Saturday)?

I genuinely like Jinkx Monsoon. One of the more talented and memorable stars to emerge from the Dragrace world and someone -- a bit like Katya and Trixie -- with some old world vaudevillian sense of humor. And, I'm glad that they're fulfilling their childhood dream of being on Broadway. And, they're obviously selling a lot of tickets, so it was clearly smart casting. But, this isn't very good. I imagine Jinkx could have been pretty damn good with some solid direction. Obviously, at this stage, it's probably 10 minutes with an associate director or stage manager. Shame.

R310 He plays it like he is a man.

Debra Monk was never under consideration for Paper Mills Gypsy.

After all the fun many of us had laughing at DeBose, I have to give her some credit for owning it. (She also still gets the credit for her participation in the Great Comet fiasco.)

[quote]Ariana DeBose did the thing and reacts to love sent after viral BAFTAs rap: 'The internet is wild'

How about that Internet?

R313 - I wouldn't call deleting your Twitter account because you get memed "owning it". She should have owned it from the start like a grown up. She could have shown she had a sense of humor and didn't take herself too seriously. Apparently she didn't delete her Instagram, but, even so, is that "owning it"? She's posting a carousel of major stars having fun with the Angela Basset line and saying some nice things about her. She was fabulous in West Side Story, but she obviously takes herself way too seriously.

Also... why does a talented, successful, attractive young woman like her keep getting Karen-let-me-speak-to-your-manager hair styling??

r315, Jesus Fucking Christ, you're really going to nitpick the terminology I chose at 2am in the fucking morning? She's leaning into it. She's showing some humor about it. She's...whatever. So sorry you were grievously offended by the term.

Since it triggers you so badly--owning it, owning it, owning it.

a) I don't like the bitch.

b) Deleting one's Twitter for any reason is smart.

c) She did comment on Instagram to at least one of the memes (on evanrosskatz's page) within the day saying she legitimately loved it (the meme), so she was showing a sense of humor about it from the start.

d) Owning it, owning it, owning it.

Goodness. Jordan Donica's voice is fantastic. I'm not familiar with him at all, but he seems to have presence too. He's probably too young, but I'd rather see him do Sweeney that Groban.

[quote]Goodness. Jordan Donica's voice is fantastic. I'm not familiar with him at all, but he seems to have presence too. He's probably too young, but I'd rather see him do Sweeney that Groban.

He was a (replacement?) Freddie in My Fair Lady. That's all I've ever seen him in. He was quite charming and very funny, r317 - and yes, fantastic voice. I like him a lot.

Thanks for that clip. Here's one for you:

I saw Bad Cinderella this week and it’s the gayest musical on Broadway, which is something I never would have thought to ascribe to an Andrew Lloyd Webber piece. The production values are sumptuous, the orchestra is gigantic, the score has some truly magnificent moments and the cast is wonderful, but... There’s a 20 minute scene of the Queen “dropping in” on her bodyguards, 8 of the hottest and most ripped broadway guys actually working out (shirtless). And THEN Prince Charming shows back up at the end of Act 2 as a muscle god with his twink boyfriend and the whole thing ends with a gay marriage and Cinderella chastely kissing her best friend (the other prince) and leaving the instaho/beauty-obsessed “Belleville”. It’s an interesting experiment and ALW clearly is aiming for the masses as a Wicked type hit. The big songs truly soar in a way that brings one back to his best. “Only You, Lonely You” and “Far Too Late” are as good as anything he’s ever done, especially as performed by the Broadway cast. It’s a decidedly different show from London, and it’s much improved. It’s excellent choreography and surprisingly dynamic staging. Alas, it’s not quite there - 80% of its potential, which isn’t bad at all. Undoubtedly, it’s entertaining, but not great (yet). Apparently changes and tweaks are constant and I will say the new opening number is fantastic! Very au currant and fun. Not bad at all.

That's a lot better than I assumed it would be, R319.

[quote]He was a (replacement?) Freddie in My Fair Lady.

Well, I'm an asshole. Jordan Donica originated Freddy Eynsford-Hill in the Lincoln Center revival.

Mea Culpa. Here's another clip, 'cause why not?

R321 I want to fuck him.

[quote][R321] I want to fuck him.

[quote]—and see the production now

In which order?

What's 'Moulin Rouge' stud David Harris and his massive Aussie cock up to?

[quote]Very au currant and fun.

It should be preserved in jars!

Loved your post r325. Until the obligatory "Oh, dear."

I lost all remaining respect for Ariana DeBose after she referred to herself as a "kid" on Graham Norton last week.

Honey...you're 32. You ain't a kid anymore.

I was listening to the 1976 revival of MFL and, good lord, the talk-singing. Even from Andreas, whom I adore.

[quote]Honey...you're 32. You ain't a kid anymore.

And you're never gonna be a kid again, kiddo.

Huh we may have our featured actor in a musical winner

Jordan is sexy! Is a homosexualist? He doesn’t really do social media.

Broadway has lost its mind. Tveit is by all accounts a good singer and nice guy and it's great to hear an audience be happy but this is ridiculous.

r319 it would be so fun to see Cinderella or Shuck beat Akimbo or SLIH for the Tony. Take that, Voldemort.

Wayman is working overtime on Twitter.

People just like to feel as if they're a part of something exciting, R332, and sometimes that makes for a cringeworthy moment like that one. Or they all just want to blow him, right there, right on stage.

[quote]I was listening to the 1976 revival of MFL and, good lord, the talk-singing. Even from Andreas, whom I adore.

I guess Andreas does a bit of talk-singing on that album, for example in "Show Me." But not that much, and definitely nowhere near as much as Julie does on the original London cast album.

I remember that Ian Richardson got a lot of praise for his Higgins when that production opened, but I didn't love him in the show and I think his performance on the recording is very tiresome, because he sounds pretty much constantly angry and petulant.

I wish The Harder They Come at the Public would move to Broadway this spring. I liked it more than Kimberly Akimbo or Some Like It Hot.

[quote]Honey...you're 32. You ain't a kid anymore.

But I just finished high school!

[quote] Honey...you're 32. You ain't a kid anymore.

But she's still a dewy ingenue, like me!

Who played Desiree and Madame Armfeldt in the Menier Chocolate Factory production of ALNM that eventually transferred to Broadway? Surely not CZJ and Angela Lansbury?

Christ, Jinxx Monsoon is community theater at its most meh. And how do they handle Mary Sunshine now, seeing as we have a man playing a woman in a larger role? It somewhat negates the whole concept.

Face it Jinxx, you're just not butch enough to play Matron Morton.

r340 Desiree was Hannah Waddingham

BAD CINDERELLA is Bad enough that it won't run. Unless you're a gay theater kid from Ohio, there's not much in this for anyone else. Really weird. And ALW just keeps writing the same song over and over, particularly in the deadly second act. Makes "Aspects of Love" look like "My Fair Lady."

The kids on Broadwayworld keep writing how no one is buying tickets for "New York, New York." How can this be true?

I don't see NEW YORK NEW YORK on my TDF discount tix listings. But I do see SHUCKED, KIMBERLY AKIMBO, & SLIH.

R347, why is Justin Guarini singing at Sweeney Todd?

R345, "no one" is certainly an exaggeration, but it's selling poorly. Plenty of seats available.

Meh?

I'm still optimistic.

I love you Doris. Your positivity is a blessing.

I loved Jordan Donica as Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson in the L.A. production of HAMILTON, but had no idea he could sing in such a classical manner. Such a gorgeous, rich voice.

Unfortunately, there are not many YouTube videos of him, but I did find this one of Seth Rudetsky's Stars in the House series from last year. It's a tribute to the original City Center performances of INTO THE WOODS, where Jordan had played Rapunzel's Prince.

At the 57 minute mark, Jordan sings "Finishing the Hat" from SITPWG and "Proud Lady" from THE BAKER'S WIFE. Later, at 1:33, he and Gavin Creel sing "Agony". (In the same video: Sara Bareilles sings "Moments in the Woods" at 1:13, and Joanna Gleason makes a surprise appearance at 1:22.)

He played Raoul in Phantom, though his voice seems more suited to the Phantom. When the show inevitably comes back and he's older, I would expect him to do it.

Thank you r352. I haven't found a reason to *not* be optimistic about it...yet. From what we can tell, it checks off a lot of the positive boxes. Plus the diversity box gets checked in a way that isn't forced. I think it will come down to the book.

I think NY. NY isn't selling well because, frankly, there's very little we know about it. And the cast are mostly unknowns. The love of a title song is not going to move expensive tickets and Ms. Stro hasn't exactly been batting a thousand in decades. The show will be very dependent on word of mouth once previews begin.

Colton Ryan's 1946 haircut` is problematic.

I'm shocked to see how small the cast of CAMELOT is based on their promo photos and videos, and there's barely a looker in the ensemble. Clearly, it's become unfashionable to cast pretty people (and I mean of all colors) any more. It looks like there's only about 20 in the cast including the leads.

[quote]and Ms. Stro hasn't exactly been batting a thousand in decades

But she has done it before and who doesn't love a welcome back story? We'll see.

Why are so many of them crying? Jesus Christ - get a grip.

I don’t cry at my job.

Hearing the orchestra for the first time at a sitzprobe can be thrilling and very emotional.

And sometimes a sitzprobe really gives you something to cry about.

Musical theater actors are very, very demonstrative in showing emotion within a group

I was kind of lukewarm on the new Sweeney Todd, but all the social media posts about it over the past few hours got my interest piqued a bit.

I saw the recent MY FAIR LADY 3 times, and every time I didn't get what the fuss over Jordan Donica was about. Basically good vocal material, but intonation was a real problem each time, especially at the top of the part (which isn't that high).

I got my ticket to Old Friends in London with Bernadette.

Is anyone else on here going?

I think Jordan and Gavin did it after singing Agony.

^^At first I thought you meant Jordan and Gavin went to Old Friends with Bernadette after singing Agony.

I hoping NY,NY has puppets in it......I love puppets.

R329 What an idiotic clapback. Obviously I'm not a "kid". I never said I wasn't. I was snarking on people over 30 still insisting they're a kid.

Let me guess...you're one of those aging gays who like to think they could pass for 30....when you're pushing 50 and look it.

He wasn't clapping back. He was quoting Company.

Andy Karl suddenly playing a prince at the Kennedy Center. The prince is going on as the baker, wonder where the prince understudy is.

[quote] I hoping NY,NY has puppets in it......I love puppets

I saw the Broadway show “Jackie” twice. It had some great puppets. An under appreciated show (with the worst marketing campaign for a Broadway show.)

God you're dumb r372. I was appreciating your post and talking about DeBose.

[quote]I saw the Broadway show “Jackie” twice. It had some great puppets. An under appreciated show (with the worst marketing campaign for a Broadway show.)

I loved that show, r375. The giant Joe Kennedy puppet took up half the stage. I loved the dancing Rat Pack puppets. Margaret Colin was an excellent Jackie. That show ran in the red for a really long time. Those producers must have had deep pockets.

[quote] I loved that show, [R375]. The giant Joe Kennedy puppet took up half the stage. I loved the dancing Rat Pack puppets. Margaret Colin was an excellent Jackie. That show ran in the red for a really long time. Those producers must have had deep pockets.

The first time I saw it, I kept wondering how they were going to handle the assassination. They handled it brilliantly.

They “borrowed” from Equus with using an actor to play a horse that pulled the Central Park carriage carrying Truman Capote.

And the Christina Onassis bit was hilarious.

Looks like they asked Andy Karl to play the final two previews and opening tonite. Maybe they didn't want two understudies on for the critics. Jason Frobach also played the baker opening night on Broadway. He's the new Nancy Ringham.

Is Sebastian Arcelus not playing The Baker opposite his wife Stephanie Block on the tour? Or am I confused and she's not even touring?

Sebastian is injured.

Love Sebastian, the sweetest guy! But he desperately needs to get a modern decent haircut.

[quote]The first time I saw it, I kept wondering how they were going to handle the assassination. They handled it brilliantly.

I was going to mention that, r278. Jackie, An American Life was, for the most part, a ridiculously silly play, but Margaret Colin handled that sudden gear change from the absurdity of Oleg Cassini's pillbox hat arriving from above, perched on a pillow, as if from the heavens with all the gravitas the moment deserved.

[quote]They “borrowed” from Equus with using an actor to play a horse that pulled the Central Park carriage carrying Truman Capote.

One night several actors were out, and James Harkness went on as the horse. It's the only time I ever saw a Stage Manager fill in for an actor on Broadway.

James Harker?

James Harker was the name of the Stage Manager who went on for whoever usually played the horse, r384. He got teased quite a bit about it.

Stage Managers are members of Actors Equity. It's rare, but on occasions a SM will step into a role in an emergency.

Ah! I see. I accidently typed "Harkness", and didn't notice, r384. Thanks for the correction. Harker was a good sport about it, though.

Sebastian is recovering from an injury. Not sure if it happened on stage but they made a switch mid performance a few nights ago. Frobach moved from Prince to Baker and his understudy stepped in as Prince. Block is in the show.

It's Jason Forbach, not Frobach.

R379, you brought such a smile to my face. Not only do I know who Nancy Ringham is, but I once worked with her brother.

So does Lyn Quiyou, the original Sweeney hair designer, get some royalty when nearly every production does the two side buns for Mrs. Lovett? Has any hair choice for a fictional character ever become a permeant choice?

I hated the Doyle production but at least he changed that.

sorry wrong IG link above. That's another shot of Lea's fanny

This is the new Sweeney curtain call with Annaleigh's hair

[quote]He wasn't clapping back. He was quoting Company.

And just like that, R372's gay card has been suspended!

I sure as hell hope so, r393. Dense as a post he be.

I believe that iconic hairdo for Mrs. Lovett hearkens back to an actual Victorian illustration of the character. Could be wrong, but someone here will surely know and link the illustration.

R150, that concert used the cast from the City Opera's "Night Music," and Henrik was played by Kevin Anderson, a tenor from the City Opera, not the actor/singer most famous for Sunset Boulevard with Patti Lupone in London. Different Kevin Andersons.

Jordan Danica has a magnificent big bass/baritone, maybe the best singer of the role since Goulet. But why, why is he so angry? And the new dialogue for Arthur and Guinevere in "Camelot" is really loathsome.

[quote] Jordan Danica has a magnificent big bass/baritone,

Am I the only one who was hoping that phrase would end differently?

Why are Guenevere and Arthur talking about Voltaire who wrote in the 18th century? Are they now time travelers, Aaron Sorkin?

The new dialogue is loathsome, and doesn't fix anything.

Is the freewheeling patio number still in?

remember when Ute Lemper left Chicago mid-show? now that was some tea!

Spill it, r402.

Any reports from the first Sweeney preview? Is Groban more menacing than a cub scout?

Big brass…dick? Baritone …balls?

Is that what you meant?!

R395, there was no established iconography for Mrs. Lovett or Todd.

Todd's hairstyle did seem to derive from the 1930s film. But the double bun for Lovett seems to have originated with the Prince production.

I like Annaleigh Ashford as an actress, but she already has a Tony Award. This seems like Sutton Foster in Anything Goes 2.0

Talented actress delivers expected performance in a legendary role (that was done better earlier) wins

R404 From the reports I have seen online, he is not.

[quote] I like Annaleigh Ashford as an actress, but she already has a Tony Award. This seems like Sutton Foster in Anything Goes 2.0. Talented actress delivers expected performance in a legendary role (that was done better earlier) wins

Based on what, r407?

I don't remember why Ute walked out after All That Jazz but the Roxie/Velma standby was already on for Karen Ziemba and they had to put Deirdre Goodwin in and it was her first time in the role. After that they brought Bebe back for a limited run until Ute returned.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 2003, "Take Me Out" opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre.

Sorry, where are you people seeing a video with new dialogue for CAMELOT? I guess I missed it.

YouTube. This turns out to be the newest way to promote shows. Show the cast in rehearsal.

Jinxx Monsoon IS touring Fanny in Funny Person hitting the road this Fall!

The Voltaire dialogue is around the 2-minute mark, R413.

The source book THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING is filled with anachronisms. Perhaps Sorkin borrowed heavily from TH White.

Primetime has been on for me for the last couple of months. What did I miss?

Thanks, R416. Aside from everything else, I just don't think this show works well if the actors speak with flat American accents I realize that a modern-day Brit accent is not how the characters would actually speak way back then, even if they were real-life people, but at least that would help better to create the right atmosphere.

Not much, R418. A whole lot of "Go woke, go broke!" and endless Beanie jokes.

Hilarity.

R279

That's fascinating! I loved Jan...but could totally see Kim doing well with Phyllis. She probably would have thrown the balance off, though.

so female-empowered rewrites mean that women characters are all sarcastic and cold. Me too!

I have no idea if it happened more than once, but I saw a performance of Chicago where Ute left before "I Can't Do It Alone." They brought down the curtain and said they were taking a short pause to get the standby ready (who was the proficient, unremarkable Nancy Hess). Karen Ziemba played that entire performance though as Roxie. I was pretty bummed, as I went back just to see Ute, who was really interesting and rubber limbed as Velma, for the part of the performance I saw.

r315 You think Ariana keeping her twitter account is a show of weakness?

We've seen a lot of garbage come from that platform from the masses and it's new owner, at this point it is a show of intelligence to get rid of it. The celebrities who keep it are still clinging to the free publicity it provides them. They are afraid to let it go even though someone as vile as Musk owns it and is using it to stoke more hatred between people.

What's your twitter handle? Love to love bomb you there sometime.

It is odd that anyone here on this thread would laugh at DeBose. She is a theatre kid. She has that same irritating enthusiasm and earnestness that theatre kids have. If you've ever been around the theatre or theatre people you know that they are different than those in film and tv and that is a good thing.

Here we are in a thread to talk about theatre because we love it right?

I know this is datalounge but you want to ridicule someone like DeBose for being the very thing we need more of. Performers that are willing to put themselves fully into their performance, willing to possibly make a fool of themselves because they love what they do and they want to entertain.

Being too cool or needing everything to be cool to standards a bunch of assholes dream up isn't going to make entertainment better. Neither is taking shots at those willing to put themselves out there. I've been in Hollywood for over 30 years, it's as fucked up and messy and talent free as you would imagine. Especially with the explosion of streaming and the need for lots of content. Every dumb ass that thinks too much of themselves is here believing they are hot shit.

You can't hide in the theatre, you either have some talent or you don't. Why make it more difficult for those who might want to take the risk of doing theatre by helping to feed the image of it being something to laugh at?

As was covered in the previous thread, DeBose was one of the voices in the Great Comet/#MakeRoomForIncompetence controversy, which is why some are not fans and will relish any time things go poorly for her.

From Broadway World's message board

"Love Ute as a cabaret act, but Broadway obviously wasn't her deal. She quite literally walked out of Chicago mid-show on one occasion. Her understudy, Mamie Duncan-Gibbs, was out of town, and since the show was well underway, her standby had been released from the theatre.

When Ute left, the curtain had to be rung down for 15-20 minutes while her standby was located and sped back. When the curtain rose, Nancy Hess (Ute's standby) quite literally stopped the show with her rendition of (I think) "I Can't Do It Alone". She was brilliant and Ute returned the next day, and finished out her run. It was never spoken of.

So, she was okay, but Broadway is probably not the best gig for her."

But was Harker really - uh - you know - qualified to go on as a horse?

[quote]As was covered in the previous thread, DeBose was one of the voices in the Great Comet/#MakeRoomForIncompetence - controversy, which is why some are not fans and will relish any time things go poorly for her.

Exactly. My own negative feelings for her are all about that, and have nothing to do with her being an enthusiastic, uncool "theatre kid."

[quote]I have no idea if it happened more than once, but I saw a performance of Chicago where Ute left before "I Can't Do It Alone." They brought down the curtain and said they were taking a short pause to get the standby ready (who was the proficient, unremarkable Nancy Hess).

I don't think it happened more than once, r423, and I think r402/r410 might be misremembering. I was at the performance you mention, and my memory lines up with yours. I don't think anyone knows what exactly happened, but Ute left sometime after Cell Block Tango.

This usually wouldn't be a problem, but this time it was, because her understudy (Mamie Duncan-Gibbs?) was on vacation, and her standby, Hess, had already been released and was at home. They weren't getting the standby ready, they were getting her back to the theater. Hard to imagine why the show released Hess under the circumstances, but that's what happened.

Hess' first appearance was I Can't Do It Alone, and she had had no time to properly warm up. After Roxy gives Velma the raspberry, Hess delivered her line "The first part can always be rewritten. Now watch this..." - and she turned to look at the conductor and pointedly added "...more slowly".

I believe Ute did return after about a week. I think she was possibly going through something at the time. She was generally quite professional - and she was an excellent Velma. Mamie and Diedre were my favorites, though.

Just saw the post at r428 before hitting "send". I'm not going to edit my post, but it sounds like the BWW poster might have a little more accurate information than I do.

Any Phantom gossip?

Ben Crawford has apparently been out a LOT lately and some are speculating he's pissed he won't get to close out the show....

First Sweeney Todd preview reactions from a friend:

“Orchestra is glorious, ensemble already very tight, Nicholas Christopher as Pirelli is a stand out”

“Set is fairly nonexistent, very dark at times, but sure that will be calibrated, hardly any bold, violent moments muted, comedic options pushed, nary a drop of blood”

“Some nice inspirations with staging, everything played a little “safe” overall, very traditional In performance energy”

“No shop whistle…”

“Groban in good voice, but very slight in stature as Sweeney”

“Was a treat to see a well conducted experience of the score, but nothing stunning, so far, it’s early with all the choices”

“DICTION trouble with certain leads, nerves? Impossible to understand at times, of course I know the show, also lyric struggles in second act by many…”

thanks for that info r426 I didn't know that

[quote]“No shop whistle…”

That's surprising. I wonder if it's replaced with any other kind of sound effect.

A big tuba fart.

Based on sluggish audience reaction last night, The Harder They Come is going to be a major misfire. Never thought I'd see The Public do a jukebox musical. Familiar songs are truncated, the book by Suzanne Lori-Parks is abysmal, and the leading man just isn't up to it. Choreography is terrible. The only standout is Jacob Ming-Trent, but I expected him to steal the show. But that book. Parks should really stick to writing original plays. And worst of all, it's boring. Only one number in the first act catches fire. The rest is charcoal.

Nancy Hess went on for Reinking at an early preview. This I know for sure because there's a bootleg video to prove it. Performance wasn't stopped. She ran on stage in time for My Own Best Friend. I'm sure the audience was like WTF.

All of the SWEENEY TODD chatter at BroadwayWorld is about the inadequacies of Jordan Fisher as Anthony.

From the curtain call video I saw, the set and costumes all look so clean and tasteful. Not sure a lack of excess is the way to go with this show on a big Broadway stage.

Nora's house doesn't sound like it's crowded

Looked at the link about the Great Comet/#MakeRoomForIncompetence

quotes taken from the link at r427

[quote] I'm heartened by Mr. Patinkins statement. I'm proud of this community for raising concerns. This is the function of the arts… — Ariana DeBose (@ArianaDeBose) July 28, 2017

[quote] And I have every hope that there is an effort being made to do the right thing & join this conversation.#MakeRoomForOak #mandypatinkin— Ariana DeBose (@ArianaDeBose)

[quote] NO ONE wants to see @GreatCometBway go. Now we wait to see where healing can be found for this #GreatCompany of Actors.— Ariana DeBose (@ArianaDeBose) July 28, 2017

THIS fueled a reason for carrying a grudge for six years?

Yeah DeBose sounds like a real monster. Best to crush her so she can do no harm.

Wow R437. I had the complete opposite experience at The Harder They Come - in fact, it's really the only musical I've really liked this season. I enjoyed the staging, those great songs and SLP's adaptation, and loved Natey Jones in the lead role. I thought he had a lot of charisma.

Lea Salonga joins HERE LIES LOVE

Lea Salonga will do a five week stint on Here Lies Love this summer in addition to being one of its producers.

She will play Aurora Aquino, mother of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, whose assassination ignited the People Power Revolution that ousted Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos from power.

Still no word on the casting of Imelda herself.

R444 Jinx! 😁

r441, there were certainly more, though harder to find since the Twitter is gone.

(And plenty hate that dipshit Rafael Casal who was even deeper in that mess just as much, so no, it's not about racism or sexism.)

That's not from a tuba, R436.

R441, were those the sum total of her comments on the situation? Even if they were, the main issue was that the show closed at least a few weeks earlier than it would have due to ridiculous cries of racism over the plan for Patinkin to replace Oak during those few weeks in order to keep the show afloat -- EVEN THOUGH THE PRODUCERS WERE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PAY OAK HIS FULL SALARY DURING THE REPLACEMENT PERIOD.

r447 however many references there might have been to indite AD that was six years ago. What's the problem now?

I saw resounding support for Lea Michelle to come back to Broadway after all the fucked up shit that she did and said that was more recently revealed. Most here didn't seem to have issue cheering her on to take over Funny Girl.

Seems some people get a pass with this crowd.

r450 so Arianna DeBose is the reason the show closed early?

Who's "Arianna" DeBose? If you don't know who or what you're talking about, perhaps it is you who should shut the fuck up?

r451, and there are plenty of us who aren't forgiving Lea Michele now and have no use for her either.

Spelling Nazi at 453

Of course, not the sole reason, R452. But she apparently was one of those who made a rash, ridiculous, idiotic charge of "racism" against the producers of one of the most racially diverse casts on Broadway, and one that specifically had African Americans in several other major roles, including one of the two title roles. And in my opinion, to cry "wolf" by crying "racism" where racism doesn't exist is reprehensible and also dangerous.

Yeah rash and ridiculous from a 25 year old.

I'm not holding a 25 year old to everything they did and said for the rest of their life.

That's very kind and forgiving of you, not to mention your prerogative.

Fortunately for those who feel otherwise, there are enough theatre performers who have never been stupid loudmouthed dipshits nor abusive assholes to support.

Thanks to r443 and r444 for posting the news about the superior Lea. I wasn't really interested in Here Lies Love, but would love to see her.

Also, R457, perhaps you would be less forgiving if YOU were one of the large cast and company of the show that closed earlier than it would have if De Bose, Erivo et al. had not made their vile, completely unfounded charge of racism against the producers.

Omg shut up about Natasha “news” from 100 years ago. And “I will never forgive” is a delightful mantra

indite?

Not enough oh dears in the entire world

Honestly, I'd rather hear everyone's thoughts about Follies than musings about the Chicago revival understudies and standbys from 20 years ago and the untimely closing of Natasha & Pierre.

Okay, you start.

Is it true the original Annie chorus boys were literally cruising good looking orchestra seat theatergoers during the curtain call? One of the orphans claimed it was a thing on one of those reunion things on YT.

[quote]Is it true the original Annie chorus boys were literally cruising good looking orchestra seat theatergoers during the curtain call? One of the orphans claimed it was a thing on one of those reunion things on YT.

Oh honey, it wasn't only during the curtain call.

In an ad for THE WANDERERS in the current issue of NEW YORK magazine, there's the following pull quote from Charles Isherwood's review for The Wall Street Journal: "This absorbing, twisty, and thoughtful play is the finest play of the year."

So, clearly, Isherwood has completely lost his mind.

Chorus boys have cruised the front rows for centuries.

I’m seeing Pictures from Home tomorrow. Any opinions or anything to look out for?

Prepare to be underwhelmed, R469.

any more camelot news?

The whole plot is fake! There’s some fake news for you.

R436 did Patti join the Musician's Union?

Any self-respecting Broadway producer would never tolerate open displays of homosexuality amongst the chorus.

Most self-respecting Broadway producers are homosexuals, r474.

Sweeney set. Guess the budget went on the orchestra.

So apparently, Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney live/work in a Manhattan Mini Storage facility.

Well. That's underwhelming.

"Definitely works for what they're going for!"

Sondheim fans will convince themselves of anything. If Eugene Lee hadn't already just died, this would have killed him.

I love Sweeney Todd but the video with Angela Lansbury and George Hearne has completely ruined me. No other production (and Ive seen about 5) compares. Every other Lovett is a disappointment compared to Lansbury and every other Sweeney lightweight.

I’ve given up trying to enjoy every never Sweeney Todd. I won’t be seeing this one

Sample of some New York New York songs.

[Quote] Chorus boys have cruised the front rows for centuries.

Unfortunately for them, the front rows now are filled with fat old men who can afford the premium seat tickets

Can we safely assume that the number at R480 is one of the songs LMM wrote for the show?

Not getting "Kander and Ebb" so much from all that. Just saying.

Okay, the second song at R480 sounds like John Kander, at least.

Just not very special or memorable John Kander. It's... fine.

Colton Ryan needs some caffeine, I'd say.

That Sweeney Todd set is typical of what I posted here a few weeks ago. Wit and a point of view are completely gone from Broadway set design, at least for musicals. It's all serviceable and tasteful, usually well-researched, but there's no simply personal take on the material any more.

This show is looking more and more like "Steel Pier" with every clip I see. This is not the Stro of "Crazy for You" or "Contact." It's more "Steel Pier" and "Thou Shalt Not". (And speaking of TSN, anyone else find the male lead in NYNY sort of a Harry Connick type?

Yeah, for some reason I was under the impression Miranda was only writing lyrics, but the first song sounds all him.

Oh, I guess the reason I thought that is because he's specifically credited for "Additional Lyrics."

What's odd about that picture of the Sweeney set is the lack of boldness. Perhaps unfair to judge the set from one still image, but why hire a set designer like Mimi Lien, whose portfolio seems to be -- almost exclusively -- bold, modernistic and, often, non-literal designs to do something so conventional?

Here's the challenge with any Sweeney revival: Unless you're going to do something radical -- The Circle in the Square "Teeny Todd" or Doyle's "Patti plays the tuba" -- you will always have variations on the original ideas because the show is so tightly written, there's not much room for re-invention. The Pie Shop has to be above the meat parlor. Done.

You'll notice in that portfolio of Lien's at r488, none of those theater designs were for Broadway shows. And I believe her only Broadway credit before Sweeney was for Natasha & Pierre, which went through a dozen iterations before it arrived on Broadway.

Broadway has a way of flattening out the best of talent. Lots of compromising that some artists don't really know how to deal with.

R489, your second to last sentence is weird. Are you drunk? The barber shop has to be above the pie shop. What the hell is a meat parlor?

Done, indeed.

[quote]What the hell is a meat parlor?

It's where you go to have your meat done.

Groban looks like a 14 year old wearing his father's outsized hand-me-downs for Halloween.

I'm hating the new SWEENEY costumes (and the set).

Very community theatre.

Something about Ashford's costume is off too, isn't it? Just kind of...generic and blah?

Someone said it on here (or another theatre board,) but it looks a bit like a non-Equity tour of Les Mis.

Looks closer to Joanna than a deranged pie maker.

One of the preview reports I read noted that there's a lot more fully choreographed dancing than one would ever expect in Sweeney. Hmm. Not sure what to make of that.

I'm betting there is, r498...

I lived through the Emma Thompson “Sweeney”. I’ll survive this.

I saw Angie and George...

Mrs. Lovett was first offered to Patricia Routledge. I think this is close to what she would have done if she accepted the role.

Do you think Routledge regretting turning Sweeney down?

R500 - Emma Thompson seemed like such good casting on paper, but I thought she was dreadful in that concert performance, too.

While there seem to be a large number of young theater fans gushing that Sweeney Todd is “just so awesome, Josh and Annaleigh are SO CUTE together!!!” on various message boards, the four people I know who saw either the dress or first preview were very underwhelmed. They all said the particular shortcomings they felt weren’t related to preview jitters but more that the show was robbed of its rage and passions, everything was microwaved instead of burning hot. Nobody thought Groban was right for Todd, but ensemble got raves.

R503 She went home and did Noises Off.

[quote]Nobody thought Groban was right for Todd, but ensemble got raves

But what of Annaleigh, r505?

I like Groban but just adore Annaleigh, so if I went to see this, it would mainly be for her.

[quote]Unfortunately for them, the front rows now are filled with fat old men who can afford the premium seat tickets

Nah ... they're all at "Take Me Out."

[quote]The Pie Shop has to be above the meat parlor. Done.

I think we've found a contender for our next TG thread title.

R507, hiya! Two LOVED everything she did, adored her choices, some very “sex crazed” per description. One said she “did everything I expected she would with her usual skills” while the lone dissenting take was her vocal power was diminished and diction a victim of her accent at times.

The OBP Sweeney Todd set was incredible.

There was no curtain, so audience members saw this huge display of metal construction upon entering the theatre.

Damn the negative nellys.. The NYNY clips look wonderful. I for one am REALLY looking forward to this. I will admit, I was a bit underwhelmed when I heard the leading lady’s slightly emotionless rendition of World Goes Round, but this has perked me up massively. Can’t wait to see/hear more.

r513 -- which clips in particular are you referring to? Think I missed them

[quote]Do you think Routledge regretting turning Sweeney down?

She didn't like the material. Too gruesome for her tastes.

Where did the patio dance joke you all keep throwing around here originate?

R156, Doris LaChat can explain it all for you, complete with a photo illustration. It's not just a patio dance, it's a freewheeling patio number.

I’m excited for the people who are excited to see this. My old music teacher’s favorite show is Sweeney Todd.

It’s not my favorite. I saw it on Broadway with Patti LuPone and that was enough for me. I also saw the movie.

But to all those who worship this show, I hope it meets your expectations!

That Lupone revival was dreadful. It was like an experiment to see if people who'd seen earlier versions of the show could follow the plot if nothing on stage made any sense. When the highlight of the night is Mrs. Lovett sashaying across the stage blowing into a tuba, things haven't gone well.

Did Sondheim ever give his opinion on the Doyle production of Sweeney?

I agree with r519. Big fan of the material and Doyle's production made no sense and was a pretentious mess: not scary, not funny, not gripping - just dull.

Meanwhile the new set looks like Jersey Boys with smoke.

r520

I'm sure he praised it... did he ever say he disliked any of his shows?

The Lupone revival also had Michael Cerveris in the cast. They made him look as though he were playing Zacherley.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1979, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" opened at the Uris Theatre.

Sweeney opened March 1. I don't know why that fact sticks in my head, but it just does.

r525=Marilu Henner

I guess this was inevitable.

R526. That. Was. Hilarious. Thank you for the morning chuckle.

God, I can't stand Taylor Mac. Me makes Justin Bond palatable. Almost.

What musical has the easiest to lay chorus boys?

Asking for a friend - just trying to save time this weekend.

Looks like "Secret Garden" in LA has received universal pans. LA Times and Broadwayworld were brutal.

R530-You've got two Britney Spears musicals, Here lies Love, Dancing', and Back To The Future all this summer. As for right now, I'd say Bad Cinderella, Moulin Rouge, and & Juliet.

What happens when a Broadway bound revival is ripped to shreds out of town? Do they just move on or try and continue?

They're show people, r533, they smile when they are low.

[quote]What musical has the easiest to lay chorus boys?

Naked Boys Singing

And they're coming back to NYC!

[quote]Do you think Routledge regretting turning Sweeney down?

She already had a Tony Award and was able to view Rex Smith's package every night in Pirates of Penzance. She had experienced all that New York theater had to offer. She went home and did Noises Off and has enjoyed a successful career. Her sitcom "Keeping Up Appearances" has been a staple on PBS for 30 years, unlike that murder mystery show that the dame who ended up starring in Sweeney Todd did.

Wow.

I see no evidence there of Wow.

I liked the Lupone Sweeney Todd but it was more like a concert version. To make any sense, one had to already know that story and likely have seen the OBC or video.

She may have been more focused on Linda Ronstadt's tush than on Rex Smith's package...

r537, are you really claiming the 30-year PBS run of "Keeping Up Appearances" is more impressive than the 12 year network run, 35 year syndication (and now streaming) run, and the many millions Lansbury made from "Murder, She Wrote"?

If no one's noted it, the Spider Woman replacement at Kennedy Center is Spamalot, starring the cast of Beetlejuice (mostly).

Ive now seen about as much of Jinx Monsoon as I need to in this lifetime. The press is treating her like she's Laurette Taylor or something. It's stunt casting in a role that's onstage for maybe 10 minutes total. Also, since Chicago is structured as a vaudeville (the ventriloquist act, the sister act, the torch singer, the baggy pants clown, etc)-it makes no sense since there's already a "drag act"--but obviously no one cares. If they could sell one more ticket, they'd hire the Cocaine Bear to play Mama Morton next. This is Broadway??

Just wondering from those photos of the "Sweeney Todd" set, but can patrons on audience right/stage left see pie shop and barber shop with that tower thing or does it block their view? Does it move at all? It looks pretty imposing.

I had been thinking and hoping we would never see Rob Ashford back on Broadway, so that news about MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL is rather surprising and disappointing to me.

Netflix and Sonia Friedman are co-producing a stage version of Stranger Things in London this summer.

Secret Garden, at least in the original broadway production was a giant Victorian bore. More suitable for TheatreWorks. Some lush arrangements (if memory serves) and an abundance of talent could not make for an exciting evening, The decoupage set by Heidi Landesman (what happened to her designing career) was beautiful in concept but overwhelmed the show to a point that you often couldn't make the actors out from the scenery. Maybe at the time it was an appealing option for families especially with young girls-but now practically every single show is geared to selling 4 seats instead of two and specifically marketing to teenage girls

After seeing "Gary" on Broadway, surprised someone wants to finance something again with Taylor Mac.

The movie "The Secret Garden" with Margaret O'Brian, Herbert Marshall, Dean Stockwell and Elsa Lanchester is very well-done and interesting. The musical, while with a very good original cast, was very slowed down by all the songs. Some of them were pretty, but I find even listening to the OCR takes too long that I haven't played it more than once or twice. Daisy Eagan was great, though.

Rumor has it the budgets for Here Lies Love and NY NY are in the ballpark of $22 million and not of $25 million respectively. (if so, WTF??) In a still shaky post pandemic market, what producer wants to be saddled with type of recoupment? And what investor finds that attractive? But what do I know, Im always wrong

I'd like to cast my vote in favor of the score of THE SECRET GARDEN. I think it's gorgeous, and I also think all of the songs function very well in terms of the storytelling. It never occurred to me and I don't agree that there are too many songs or that they slow the action.

did anyone get to see Rex's assets first hand?

Linda Ronstadt did!

Rex wasn't shy about dropping trou, r553.

Heidi Landesman divorced producer Rocco (Jujamcyn) Landesman years ago and reverted to her maiden name Heidi Ettinger. She had plenty of family money, I think from the publishing world (her middle name is Prentice), so never really had to work for a living. I believe she's a very content grandma now.

At Sweeney Todd, visibility seemed pretty good overall. Most action is in the center. The tower was not imposing (from my back orchestra seat). Seems like a good show from the mezz. It also doubles as the asylum.

I liked this but was a little confused on staging of Toby's scenes bc the set is so bare...maybe just a preview thing.

Lots of musicals start previews with set pieces not yet delivered. Maybe there will be more.

[quote] The press is treating her like she's Laurette Taylor or something.

She's not even Laurette Spang.

[quote]The press is treating her like she's Laurette Taylor or something.

[quote]She's not even Laurette Spang.

Or even Rip Taylor.

[quote] I liked the Lupone Sweeney Todd but it was more like a concert version. To make any sense, one had to already know that story and likely have seen the OBC or video.

I vaguely recall pouring blood from one bucket to another.

[quote]I liked the Lupone Sweeney Todd but it was more like a concert version. To make any sense, one had to already know that story and likely have seen the OBC or video.

Having seen Cariou and Lansbury twice in 1979, I thought it was more like an SNL parody version of the show. And not one of the better SNL parodies. I had also seen the Doyle version of "Company" and decided I was done with musicals in which actors play their own instruments, one of the more pointless gimmicks of recent years.

The Lupone playing the tuba moment was particularly hilarious.

And had nothing to do with "Sweeney Todd," R563.

R564, It was a Doyle-directed show so the actors played their own instruments. Lupone actually played the tuba in high school

Thanks for the enlightening explanation, R565. I saw the fucking production.

R566, chill out. Maybe everyone doesn't know the details like you do

Thanks R532 I appreciate......I mean......my friend appreciates it.

Laurette Spang was purty. She played one of Fonzie’s gfs right? Speaking of which is the musical of Happy Days being performed anywhere?

"Lots of musicals start previews with set pieces not yet delivered."

That is very rare these days, especially for a highly budgeted production like this with so little on stage.

[quote]"Lots of musicals start previews with set pieces not yet delivered."

That sound you just heard was hundreds of lighting designers screaming in unison.

New York, New York is going to flop majorly.

The film is not a classic.

It's not even a guilty pleasure.

There's no way they're going to fill that barn of a theater with people dying to hear that one song.

Adding LMM was smart I guess, but he's pretty much never had a success that he didn't write for himself.

Maybe they'll get Liza to come to the opening, but I don't see it lasting.

It works in its favor that it isn't a classic film, r572. All they have to do is make it a valentine to NYC and make us care about the central couple.

[quote]"Lots of musicals start previews with set pieces not yet delivered."

Maybe someone here can clear something up for me. When I saw the first preview of 'War Paint,' the leads' respective office sets were side by side, Patti's stage right, Christine's stage left. When they performed at the Tony Awards, the sets were the other way around. I found this kind of odd. Did the show actually switch which sides of the stage the office sets were on during/after previews?

Seeing that NY,NY rehearsal footage where all the dancers were huddled together pretending to be in a crowded rush hour subway car did not give me confidence.

[quote]"Lots of musicals start previews with set pieces not yet delivered."

I can't find the original OP of this quote, but I keep seeing it quoted. I have worked on Broadway for decades and have never seen this happen. Can OP step forward to offer a few examples, since this happens with "lots of musicals"? An aside: it's helpful to reference the poster you are quoting so we can more easily find it., thanks.

[quote]Maybe someone here can clear something up for me. When I saw the first preview of 'War Paint,' the leads' respective office sets were side by side, Patti's stage right, Christine's stage left. When they performed at the Tony Awards, the sets were the other way around.

Can't speak to this one specifically, r574. but many Tony awards are just representations of the sets on Broadway. There may have been a technical reason.

[quote]I can't find the original OP of this quote

See R558.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is good source material--it will mark the triumphant return of Jinx Monsoon to Broadway as Lady Chablis! Unfortunately, the show wont tour since drag is illegal now outside NY and California--cue up the Tonys, there can never be a season with at least one man in a dress musical

NY NY-from the team that collectively brought you Steel Pier, Thou Shalt Not, The Prince of Broadway and The Scottsboro Boys. (and lest we not forget Stro's Bullets Over Broadway and Big Fish). where do I write the check.? This show better get the raves of the century--and since they didnt do an out of town production, did anyone see or hear ANYTHING out of any workshops that would make you think that was inevitable?

[quote]"Lots of musicals start previews with set pieces not yet delivered."

Thanks, r577. I always read all of the theatre threads, but I'm on my phone right now, and I missed it. I did look for it.

So, r558? Can you offer up some examples of musicals starting previews without set pieces? I'm not saying it never happens, but it has never happened in my personal experience. To everyone else - would it kill ya to reference the poster you're quoting to make it easier for the rest of us to follow your conversation?

:)

isn't Sweeney supposed to have been locked up for 20 years? I guess he was sent away when Annaleigh's Mrs Lovett was in High School then. (and what of Mr. Lovett one wonders?

Annaleigh Ashford is 37. I agree that she has a very youthful energy. (Was Sweeney's "transported for life" really a 20-year absence? I can't remember. Isn't Johanna a teen?)

Josh Groban is 42.

also-in the orignal Sweeney production, Angela and Kenny Jennings were both cockney as was the beggar woman. Antony was...American? didnt exactly have an accent-but as a sailor, I guess he could be from anywhere. Why didnt Cariou-or the Judge have a British accent?

Link to press release for MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL.

It would be nice to see Jason Robert Brown land a hit for a change (but I'm not holding my breath). The movie version (directed by Clint Eastwood!) was just awful.

Have we discussed SPAMALOT replacing KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN at Kennedy Center?

I loathed SPAMALOT. Oh, so much.

Ah, yes. Thank you, R543.

Great cast. But SPAMALOT still sucks ass.

I’m not a fan of Spamelot either!

Sweeney was exiled and locked up for fifteen years. He says this repeatedly.

Let's see if this is still as fresh and funny now as it was 18 years ago....

R578, the Lady Chablis is black.

its still surprising that none of the featured actors in the original Sweeney were nominated-especially considering some of the marginal performances that were

J Harrison Ghee wins back to back Tonys for giving the exact same performance!

R590 Jinkx is non binary, so he can play any race or sex.

I DREAM OF BEANIE

HOW NOW, DEAN JONES

who among us DARES to create the next thread?

The new Artistic Director at Rattlestick Theater is transgender.

New thread!

JABOUR....

RAJOUB...

BAROUJ...

R597 Lucky them.

New thread.

Somebody had to do it.