THEATRE GOSSIP #528: Domo Arigato, Ben Platt's vibrato

Every time the camera showed Aaron Rogers, I thought it was Raul Esparza. Have they ever been seen in the same room together? Maybe they should get a room!

Aaron couldn't handle Papi.

R2 AND his giant bisexual cock.

whatever that acronym was, yes.

Is Tony-Winning ‘Leopoldstadt’ The Last Of A Dying Breed?

Am I wrong or was this the first Tonys in several years without either Bernadette or Patti making any kind of appearance (whether presenting, performing or being nominated)?

My bad -- I thought NYNY came up empty but it did win one award (for scenic design of a musical):

[bold]Wins by Productions[/bold]:

Kimberly Akimbo: 5

Leopoldstadt: 4

Some Like It Hot: 4

Life of Pi: 3

Parade: 2

Sweeney Todd: 2

Good Night, Oscar: 1

New York, New York: 1

Prima Facie: 1

Shucked: 1

The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window: 1

Topdog/Underdog: 1

Tony Awards Review: A Writer-Less Ceremony Goes Off Without A Hitch As Broadway Improvises A Winner:

A very bad night for the WGA, if they were trying to make a point.

[quote]My bad -- I thought NYNY came up empty but it did win one award (for scenic design of a musical):

A well-deserved win for Beowulf Boritt, r7. His design was the best thing in the show.

Paolo Montalban as Flo Ziegfeld in the FG number was giving me high school musical vibes. You know, when youngish actors would gray their hair and 'act' old. And why wasn't Ramin shirtless. Lea's sorta kinda standing ovation was awkward.

Tonys Analysis: Voters Choose to Lead Rather Than Follow:

Critic’s Notebook: Fierce and Focused, the 76th Tony Awards Were a Much-Needed Win for Broadway:

[quote]Am I wrong or was this the first Tonys in several years without either Bernadette or Patti making any kind of appearance (whether presenting, performing or being nominated)?

Miss Peters was otherwise engaged in Pasadena this afternoon, r6. She was in good voice and there was a a most receptive audience.

Just realized both Best Actors in Musicals awards were won by men in drag. Black men! I bet many heads exploded.

Wow, Shucked really blew it. The corn jokes have been fun, but this was a place for them to show they’re something more, something else, not an actual production number [italic] about [/italic] corn. Fail.

R15. Yes. Heads exploded with laughter.

R15. Yes. Heads exploded with laughter.

R15. Yes. Heads exploded with laughter.

I won't say it a fourth time.

R14 How nice of the Playhouse to use a photo of Bernie from 30 years ago!

All eyes will be on the box office reports a week from tomorrow.

I'm guessing that KA, SLIH and Sweeney Todd and maybe Goodnight, Oscar will all show major leaps of $$$$ though, except for Sweemey, I'm not sure any of it will last through July.

I seem to be in the minority but I'm still shocked by all the love Sean Hayes' performance has gotten this season. I swear, if he gave that exact same performance but nobody had ever seen him in anything else before, he'd be laughed off the stage.

I believe people are just misguidedly impressed that he's so different as Oscar than as Jack McFarland. He's nothing like Oscar Levant.

Brandon Uranowitz would be brilliant casting for Oscar Levant (in a better play and in 10 years).

[quote]Paolo Montalban as Flo Ziegfeld in the FG number was giving me high school musical vibes. You know, when youngish actors would gray their hair and 'act' old.

Yeah, that has got to be one of the most inexplicable Broadway casting choices in recent memory.

Bad look for the only white actor to win.

It's already been said, but it is ridiculous that Hayes won for his middling performance in a lightweight play when his competition was what it was—all four of the other nominees totally eclipsed him. It should have gone to Stephen McKinley Henderson.

R24 = David Adjmi

Tony producers are probably already huddled together figuring out how they can make the ceremony suck again next year!

[quote]I believe people are just misguidedly impressed that he's so different as Oscar than as Jack McFarland. He's nothing like Oscar Levant.

I agree 100 percent. People are speculating that the two actors from TOPDOG/UNDERDOG split the vote, and that Stephen McKinley Henderson's performance in BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY may be too distant a memory. (And, as I remember, Wendell Pierce and that production of SALESMAN were not all that well received.) At any rate, several analyses I've read this morning have noted that Sean Hayes's win was unexpected and/or undeserving.

So Natasha Katz nabbed her 8th Tony last night, which ties her with Sondheim and Fosse. They are all obviously far behind Hal Prince's 21.

R6, No Chita, either.

What play will Jessica Chastain do in 4 years in another try for a Tony?

Liza must be in rough shape if she wasn’t able to participate in the tributes to John Kander or Joel Grey.

Probably a revival of Prima Facie.

R33, Jessica Chastain is becoming the white Viola Davis.

Lea and Alex, all smiles

[quote]What play will Jessica Chastain do in 4 years in another try for a Tony?

𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒚, 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒚, Mary!

R33, Master Class

A classy, perfect Tony show that will never ever happen again. CBS is too stupid to realize what went right last night in order to repeat it.

Liza has been in tough shape since 1984.

R16, have you seen Shucked? It IS a show about corn. Like not as a metaphor, but they sing songs and make jokes about corn all night long. How else were they to present the show?

Sean won because of his piano playing and nothing more. The playing is certainly thrilling, especially coming from a sitcom star. Does the playing make up for the Wright’s script or Hayes’ acting? No. Stephen rightful deserved that award, but I understand why they voted for Hayes.

Boy, I sure don't understand it. They had a chance to honor a real working actor who has paid his dues with many, many terrific performances, who actually deserved the award for the performance for which he was nominated (so it wouldn't feel like a career award) and he's Black, so they could all pat themselves on the back for being progressive (even though his deserving the award had everything to do with talent and nothing to do with race).

I do not understand Sean Hayes' win at all.

Maybe Debra Messing made some threatening phone calls.

[Quote] have you seen Shucked? It IS a show about corn. Like not as a metaphor, but they sing songs and make jokes about corn all night long. How else were they to present the show?

Yes r42 I've seen it, and I know it well. There is also a plot. Involving a rainmaker, a romance, and an independent woman. Something to at least suggest it's not too hours saluting a vegetable might have been smart for a show that is struggling.

I think with the category being as stacked as it was, Hayes probably won while still only getting something like 30% of the vote.

I doubt you'll see much bump at the box office for Good Night, Oscar. Even Hugh Jackman would struggle to sell tickets to a one man show about someone no one has ever heard of. When you add Sean Hayes into the mix, well, no wonder....

I hope Jodie Comer takes her Tony award and shoves it up Cynthia Erivo's ass.

[quote]They had a chance to honor a real working actor who has paid his dues with many, many terrific performances, who actually deserved the award for the performance for which he was nominated (so it wouldn't feel like a career award) and he's Black, so they could all pat themselves on the back for being progressive (even though his deserving the award had everything to do with talent and nothing to do with race).

R43, I'm feeling like you and I are the same person, as I share your thoughts exactly, and I've expressed those same thoughts to several people over the past few days.

[quote]I do not understand Sean Hayes' win at all.

Probably has something to do with the fact that he is (or was) a big TV star, and that he campaigned for this award quite aggressively. Plus, his show is still running, whereas Stephen's show closed months ago. But also, as someone above pointed out, the competition was so stiff that Hayes may have won by a tiny margin with a relatively small percentage of the total votes.

I'm just annoyed that Hayes' piano playing has blindsided people into seeing a "brilliant" performance. You'd never find that kind of performance on stage at Carnegie Hall or similar venue; they'd be written off for grandstanding and making a mockery of the composer's work. It's the equivalent of the loudest show winning Best Sound Design.

Good night, Oscar is not a one man show.

I see Blanche duBois in Chastain's future.

Has Ben Platt always sung like Teresa Brewer?

I'd have to hear his Music, Music, Music to judge, r53.

You know what Sweeney Todd doesn't need? Choreography!

[quote]You know what Sweeney Todd doesn't need? Choreography!

Au contraire...

[quote] Good night, Oscar is not a one man show.

And are you the dame who can prove it?

r54

Does Noah G put nickels in Ben’s nickelodeon?

Why can't Ben Platt find clothes that fit him properly? That suit he wore on the red carpet was so ill fitting.

ILL-FITTED!

Jesus, that Jason Robert Brown is a meeskite.

Yeah, but I get more pussy than you ever will.

R61, His nose must have its own zip code.

R61, I laughed out loud when the music began just as he was about to speak.

[quote]Regular dismissal of Ethel Merman on DL always depresses me a bit. She had a magnificent voice, crystalline diction and a 1-of-a-kind vocal style and persona

Who was that goofy looking idiot in the Harold Lloyd specs and the pink suit, sitting on the aisle last night?

And imagine how proud Richie Jackson must be, married to the Queen of Sheba.

For some reason, I woke up today OBSESSED with Jason Robert Brown's "Someone to Fall Back On." (And I didn't even watch the Tonys.)

I'm a sucker for power ballads anyway, and I just LOVE this song. I've played like 10 different version of it on Spotify already. So random.

And JRB does have a nice voice.

There oughta be an unwritten rule at the Tonys that the playwright/librettist/composer should all be allowed at the mic first upon winning for the project they created. I'm so sick of seeing these stupid producers hog all the air time as well as the phalanx of a lot of rich investors climbing onto the stage behind them, claiming they're Tony winners.

Link to the musical performances from the Tonys.

That "Sweeney Todd" performance should sell a lot of tickets. It was marvelous.

[quote] There oughta be an unwritten rule at the Tonys that the playwright/librettist/composer - should all be allowed at the mic first upon winning for the project they created. I'm so sick of seeing these stupid producers hog all the air time as well as the phalanx of a lot of rich investors climbing onto the stage behind them, claiming they're Tony winners.

But Jason Robert Brown didn't win a Tony last night. The award for that category does not go to the writer. And even if it did (like the play revival one does), JRB would not have won it last night because he won the Tony 23 years ago for Best Score for Parade. So really, he has no business making a speech when he isn't a winner.

R70, it was marvelous because of the singing and because that's one of the greatest pieces of musical theater ever written, but -- didn't the choreography bother you?

R71, what are you talking about? Are you say the play revival award goes to the writer(s) but the musical revival award does not?

I love watching the nervous, striving of producers who fear losing their moment in the sun.

It’s the rich-kids-on-the-playground every time.

[quote] what are you talking about? Are you say the play revival award goes to the writer(s) but the musical revival award does not?

That is correct. And the author of Best Play Revival getting a Tony (only if they had not won a Tony for the show originally) is a fairly new thing. Best Play Revival Tonys are won by the producers and the playwright only if he or she has not won a Tony for the play previously. For Best Musical Revival, it only goes to the Producers. I don't know why, but my assumption is because there are two separate writing categories for Musicals, Book and Score. And if the rule of one not being eligible if they've already won for the show is in place, then that would be difficult to manage because sometimes a book wins, but a score doesn't (and vice versa).

But again, even if they did award Musical Revival to the writers, as well, JRB would not have won last night because he won the Tony originally for Best Score. And you can't win a Tony twice for the same thing.

[quote]Has Ben Platt always sung like Teresa Brewer?

Ben would be the perfect star for new Pream commercials!

The writer would also get a statue as well only if the show had ever been on Broadway before the revival—so neither Suzan-Lori Parks nor Jason Robert Brown won a Tony last night. I believe the producers can still buy them a statue, but they technically didn't win one according to the rules.

From the Tony rules:

[quote]The author(s)f of a play and the author(s) and composer(s) of a musical which was determined eligible in a Best Revival of a Play or Musical category by the Tony Awards Administration Committee, in accordance with language contained in Rule 2(g) herein, but did not have any prior presentation in an eligible Broadway theatre, and who are living at the time that the production receives this determination, will be eligible along with the producers of the production in the respective Best Revival of a Play or Musical category.

Agreed, r70.

[quote][R70], it was marvelous because of the singing and because that's one of the greatest pieces of musical theater ever written, but -- didn't the choreography bother you?

I thought it was quite effective, r72. However I can see it getting annoying if it's over-used in the show.

**only if the show had NEVER been on Broadway

[quote]However I can see it getting annoying if it's over-used in the show.

It is.

[quote]The author of Best Play Revival getting a Tony (only if they had not won a Tony for the show originally) is a fairly new thing. Best Play Revival Tonys are won by the producers and the playwright only if he or she has not won a Tony for the play previously. For Best Musical Revival, it only goes to the Producers. I don't know why, but my assumption is because there are two separate writing categories for Musicals, Book and Score. And if the rule of one not being eligible if they've already won for the show is in place, then that would be difficult to manage because sometimes a book wins, but a score doesn't (and vice versa).

So the author of a play shares in the Tony award for Best Revival of that play if hey have not won for that play before, but for the Best Revival of a Musical award, neither the composer nor the lyricist nor the book writer share in the award even if none of them have won for that show before? If you ask me, that logic is rather fucked up.

[quote]So the author of a play shares in the Tony award for Best Revival of that play if hey have not won for that play before

No, they only share in the win if the play had never been produced on Broadway before—whether they won a Tony previously or not is irrelevant.

Thanks, r80, I thought it might be.

Well, R82, it would be impossible for them to have won a Tony for the play before if it had never been on Broadway, so it kind of is relevant.

R84: What are you not understanding? Topdog/Underdog was eligible for a Tony in 2002. It is IRRELEVANT whether it won or lost back then (it lost)—its prior eligibility means Parks couldn't personally win one last night.

Tony Awards Viewership Up 2% Versus 2022 With Streaming Audience Record:

Decent title, OP--but almost 90 replies and no one's chastised you for omitting "Edition"?

It’s fun when everyone is applauding 2% viewership increase as a WIN!

It *is* a win, r88.

2% is a big win. Even a 0% held steady would be a big win.

The headlines after every award show are always, “lowest audience in Oscar history!” “Down by 10%!”

To hold or go up these days seems to be unheard of, so I think this is a win.

It's certainly better than the incremental losses most awards shows post every year.

Though I'm holding out for the day that cable expansion has so divided viewership that I can get my favorite shows renewed by re-watching on DVR with my cats.

Neither Teresa nor Ben has enough flavah!

Kimberly Akimbo is selling tickets through December 12. Hope that works out for them.

Gone in January

I’m happy for Brandon Uranowitz. He’s been at this for many years and is a true theatre actor. Fame has eluded him so congrats

R93: It will close before that. Kimberly has never made one million dollars and if it hasn’t by now it never will. With a few Tony wins now under its belt, the tickets will become unaffordable.

They had announced August as a closing date. I think that will wind up holding for them. December is way too ambitious.

The more that I think about Michael Arden's Tony speech, the more it annoys me. "I'm a faggot with a Tony." So what? So the Tony is what elevates you from being "just a faggot?" You couldn't possibly be better than "just a faggot" unless you have some tchotchke that means less than nothing. And the rest of us who are "just faggots" couldn't possibly be any better because we haven't won Tonys? And doesn't the win actually make you "a piss loving faggot with a Tony?" I mean, if we're going to be doing all this qualifying...

What a tasteless moron.

Way to make it all about you, R98.

What's R98's damage?

Ugh, like I'd expect the DL theater queens to think past their cocks. You squee at the thought of seeing a chorus boy nude on stage for five seconds. What was I thinking?

Sure, bravo. Great speech. So empowering.

R101- You think liking (or, even, not minding) Michael Arden's speech equates with wanting to see his cock? What?? You sad, confused, lonely man. I'm sorry for whatever trauma you've been through, but Arden had an empowering moment at the Tonys after doing a very fine job directing. Let him have the moment.

It would be difficult to name a male Tony winner who isn’t/wasn’t gay.

R96. I don’t think people are expecting Kimberly to gross one million at the Booth. There are only 744 seats in the Booth, meaning they would have to average $163/ticket for an eight-show week to reach one million. There’s no way that will happen in that theater.

I’m not saying that Kimberly is going to turn into a runaway smash, but what it does have on its side is a low weekly running cost. NY NY and SLIH all are quite expensive to run, whereas the producers of Kimberly have a smaller bill to foot each week. With the Best Musical win they should be able to hold on through Christmas.

I assume many of the shows will be gone by Labor Day though.

When did I see Shucked?

Kelli O'Hara being so prominent at the Tonys (front row seat!) makes me suspect that Days of Wine and Roses will succeed Kimberly at the Booth.

So, who gets to take home the Tony if the producer of the revival also produced the original Tony-winning (or even nominated) production?

I really don't think Days of Wine and etc. got strong enough reviews to merit a Broadway transfer.

I just watched the great performances show celebrating 50 years of Broadway starring Sutton Foster, and now the Tonys starring Kelly O’Hara, and I can hardly believe that these are the two leading musical ladies of our time. SMH.

Kimberly has never made 800 or 900. Thinking it will make it to Christmas is wishful thinking.

R109, Excuse me?

Days Of Wine And Roses got raves. Of course they're going to move it. It won't last long, but they'll move it.

Elena Shaddow is going to sub for Kelli for a few DOWAR performances later this month

R111-Honey, you have to actually show up for most of your performances to count.

Seriously, R103? Ezio Pinza. Robert Alda. Alfred Drake. Rex Harrison. Richard Kiley. Jackie Gleason. Richard Burton. Zero Mostel. Bert Lahr. Robert Goulet. Jerry Orbach. Hal Linden. Ben Vereen. Christopher Plummer. John Cullum. Len Cariou. Kevin Kline. George Hearn. Jason Alexander. James Naughton. Gregory Hines. Boyd Gaines. Martin Short. Brian Stokes Mitchell. John Lithgow. Norbert Leo Butz. Steve Kazee. Leslie Odom, Jr. Tony Shalhoub. Santino Fontana.

That's just for starters, and just from Best Actor in a Musical, for God's sake.

r115

I don't think everyone on that list is entirely straight...

Rain Man ^

R115/R116, At first glance, I could see at least six who are not straight.

Justin Cooley has an annoying voice and face.

I believe it's called hyperbole, R115.

Just rewatched the Sweeney performance. Have to say, whoever directed it (as in the television direction, not just T. Kail) deserves some of the credit. It's the combination of the staging, the sound design and the camera work that makes it so thrilling. The show was already selling well... I bet they sold a shit ton more tickets with that performance. Too early to say, but perhaps it will help the show continue post-Groban.

Kline used to visit the WSC —inebriated

Days is way too bleak to find an audience on Broadway.

Oh, I doubt Days would catch on with, say, the tourist crowd. If it did have a Broadway run, it would be short, mostly with the intent to try earning some Tonys.

In which case, r124, Days would be wise to wait until just before the next Tony deadline to open.

Silly me, I thought r103 meant it would be hard to name a male Tony winner from last night who wasn't gay.

R122 and horny

I saw CAMELOT last Friday night and really enjoyed it, but Burnap did not come back for Act 2. He was replaced by his understudy, and an announcement was made during intermission. Did anyone hear any gossip? Was he sick?

Days is ghost produced by Kevin McCollum, who also has the Notebook coming in. Doubt he would set them up in direct competition.

[quote]I don't think everyone on that list is entirely straight..

Of course you don't -- this is Datalounge, isn't it?

The only way a Broadway production of DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES would make sense would be if it were a limited run production by one of the institutional theaters -- Roundabout, MTC, Lincoln Center, Second Stage. It's too bad the Atlantic doesn't have a Broadway house, but I guess they could partner with one of the above.

I’m pretty sure it won’t happen, but I would love to hear the Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer theme interpolated into the new score.

Treat Williams died at 71 in a motorcycle accident.

A friend just turned me on to Broadway Journal. The guy behind the blog posts some interesting insidery information on the investment/production side of the business, including details from SEC filings that Broadway producers and investment funds have to file -- including weekly production costs and the weekly grosses required to recoup. Pretty interesting stuff.

I’m sorry but what is the WSC?

West Side Club?

The WSC is the White Supremacy Council, a shadow org run by Charlotte S. Martin. They were responsible for the Sean Hayes and Tom Stoppard wins

So, if a black nominee loses, it’s automatically suspicious?

when it's Sean Hayes over Wendell Pierce and the two Topdog guys, yes.

I feel a bit bad for Sean Hayes. It's not his fault that this is the way the vote went. I think a convergence of factors led to his win including...

... it being a big, showy attention-getting performance

... and a performance that allowed him to show off his dramatic, comedic and musical chops

... it 'peaked' at the right time getting a ton of positive attention during previews (even though some of the later critics reviews noted that the play was a VERY minor work and that perhaps Hayes performance was good, not great)

...it being a performance from the only play running at the time of nominations/voting

...all of the other nominees being EXTREMELY well regarded and likely splitting the vote (in other words, he could have won with as small a share as a little over 20% of the vote)

Famous bathhouse in Chelsea. It survived everything but COVID…West 20th street, mid block east of the old Limelight.

R122, Any specifics about Kevin Kline visiting the west side club?

John Kander was in remarkably good shape on Sunday. Wonderful to see. Got me thinking about Charles Strouse, who is still kicking at age 95. I feel kind of bad for Strouse. Unless I'm mistaken, he hasn't had even a minor hit since Annie. The man's 95 and he hasn't had a hit since he was in his 40s. Is it just bad luck? Picking the wrong collaborators (book writers, lyricists, directors?)

It feels like the only reason "Good Night, Oscar" even exists was to get Sean Hayes a Tony.

Sean Hayes deserved his Tony this year more than Jesse Tyler Ferguson deserved his last year.

[quote]So, if a black nominee loses, it’s automatically suspicious?

[quote]When it's Sean Hayes over Wendell Pierce and the two Topdog guys, yes.

You left out Stephen McKinley Henderson, who many people feel should have been the winner on merit alone. That said, I certainly don't think any sort of racism was involved here, just a convergence of factors that led to Hayes's win, as per R140's post.

[quote]You left out Stephen McKinley Henderson, who many people feel should have been the winner on merit alone.

I am absolutely one of those people, r146, I saw all of the contenders, and in my opinion, Henderson was a clear winner. If his show was still open, he would have won.

He should have won.

I like Wendell Pierce but I thought his was the worst Willy Loman I've ever seen. He largely ran around in circles to denote madness. He was also mostly surrounded by amateur hour supporting performances and a cluttered and precious physical production. It is really hard to separate the two Topdog performances - Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen were much more evenly matched than Jeffrey Wright and Mos Def were in the original. Thrilled that Topdog won Best Revival though. I do agree that if Between Riverside and Crazy were still running, Stephen McKinley Henderson would have beaten Sean Hayes. Hayes is good in a not very good play. The piano playing is what pushes that performance over the edge.

I saw Charles Strouse at a reading for a revised version of his Superman musical (it was a bad revision, by the way, that Warner Bros/DC managed to squash). I told him how much I loved his score to "Rags" and he grunted unhappily at me. He couldn't even manage a grudging "thanks."

Rags ran 18 previews and 4 performances and still managed five Tony nominations including best musical. I guess 1986 wasn’t the strongest year for new works.

I've been diving into CAMELOT and discovered that it was not even *nominated* for Best Musical back in 1961, even though both leads were (Goulet) was not, and Burton won! It really must have been a mess in that original version.

R151, it was a notorious mess in 1961. There were even revisions to the book and staging after it had already opened.

The Moss Hart biography Dazzler talks a fair amount about My Fair Lady and Camelot.

[quote]I like Wendell Pierce but I thought his was the worst Willy Loman I've ever seen. He largely ran around in circles to denote madness.

He also made a complete ass of himself when that crazy woman heckled him. The stage manager told the actors to leave the stage, and Pierce refused and made it all about him. He gave that woman her 15 minutes of fame.

Hi gang! I got my ticket today for Sunset Boulevard in London. Has anyone else gotten a ticket? When I logged in this morning for the pre-sale there was a lot of availability

I think that the Hayes win will be one of those Tony head scratchers in years to come. is it a certainty it will be turned into a movie biopic?

Jesse Tyler Ferguson was on “The View” this morning, still talking about winning his undeserved Tony Award a year ago.

[quote]Jesse Tyler Ferguson was on “The View” this morning, still talking about winning his undeserved Tony Award a year ago.

Well, what else does he have?

Severe sunburn if he stands outside for more than a minute, even at night.

They should add a new unigender category: best performance in a play by a flamboyant former sitcom star

[quote] Any specifics about Kevin Kline visiting the west side club?

LOVED cock.

R157, He’s promoting a new podcast, where he goes to a restaurant with friends and listeners get to enjoy listening to them eat and chat.

R160, Patti needs to comment.

That might be a decent idea as a video presentation, but who wants to listen to people eat?

R163, One of his “friends” has been Jesse Williams.

Speaking of cock

[quote]I think that the Hayes win will be one of those Tony head scratchers in years to come.

Agreed, but the backlash has already begun. I think his winning the award is actually a mark against him, because SO many people feel it was undeserved. I honestly think he would have been better off to be honored by a nomination but NOT to have won.

[quote]Jesse Tyler Ferguson was on “The View” this morning, still talking about winning his undeserved Tony Award a year ago.

You're entitled to your opinion, but I saw TAKE ME OUT twice, and both times, it was very clear that a majority of the audience adored Jesse's performance. So in this case, it might have been wiser if you had phrased your opinion more as an opinion than as a statement of fact, which is an annoying and pompous thing to do.

MY OPINION = YOUR FACT

Are there any confirmed or rumored musical revivals for the current/upcoming season?

Whoop Up!

Of course, only on DL is Kevin Kline gay. 🙄

Justin Cooley is adorable but if he’s closeted he ain’t fooling anybody.

[quote]Are there any confirmed or rumored musical revivals for the current/upcoming season?

The Wiz and Merrily We Roll Along.

He sure was gay at WSC

R167, Who are you kidding, Mary? You went there twice to see cock.

Annaleigh's 2024 replacement for Mrs. Lovett has been cast!

They should get Olivia Coleman for Mrs. Lovett. They'd sell out her entire run. And Taron Egerton as Sweeney.

[quote]Agreed, but the backlash has already begun. I think his winning the award is actually a mark against him, because SO many people feel it was undeserved. I honestly think he would have been better off to be honored by a nomination but NOT to have won.

Agree 100%, r166. Hayes' performance was nothing to be ashamed of, but it was not Tony-worthy. It should have gone to Henderson.

R178, Stranger things have happened.

[quote] They should get Olivia Coleman for Mrs. Lovett.

Or perhaps even Olivia Colman!

They may as well cast Colman. She already has a face like a dropped pie.

Or Imelda. She has no nuance and screeches so she'll work a treat in the role

Bwah ha ha hahahaha

Like it or not, Jesse TF was excellent onstage in SPELLING BEE and ON THE TOWN. Didn't see him in TAKE ME OUT, but I'm willing to believe he was ideal for the role.

R184 = Justin Mikita

[quote]Or Imelda. She has no nuance and screeches so she'll work a treat in the role

And in fact, she already worked that treat into an Oliver-winning performance in the role!

R184 Do you know who I am? I’m willing to believe you’re clueless.

Is this real? Did FOLLIES actually make it onto Jeopardy??

True story: When I was on Jeopardy!, during one of my games, there was a category “Lerner and Loewe.”

Being gold star, I got all 5 correct.

R189 - wait, wait, wait. You can't just leave it there. You were on Jeopardy?? You have to tell us more! What was the 'audition' process like? How'd you fare?

I’ve posted it before, way back.

Short version: late 80s, when there was a lower dollar amount across the board and you could only play 5 games max. I beat a four day champion who had just set a record for a single day winnings. I won 3 more games, then lost my fifth game by a few hundred dollars (I flubbed a daily double and couldn’t catch up). The guy who beat me won 5 games and went on to 2nd place in the ToC.

I had fun, and my winnings were put to good use. That’s all.

R191 - that's awesome! Did Merv Griffin hit on you?

Fun curtain speech from Victoria Clark and company celebrating their Tony wins. I have to say, that lovely song she and Justin Cooley performed on the Tonys has been stuck in my head since Sunday. Might have to try and see this one when I'm back in NY this summer.

[quote][R184] = Justin Mikita

Stupid, childish comment. As if Justin is the only person in the world who like JTF.

Tony Winners Among Strongest Performers At Broadway Box Office; ‘Kimberly Akimbo’, ‘Parade’, ‘Shucked’ Near Sell-Outs:

JTF is one of the most universally disliked individuals in the history of DL, R194.

DL protocol demands universal hatred of Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Lin-Manuel Miranda, R194.

Did the actors playing the mom and dad not join that KA curtain call?

R197 Ben platt and Lea Michele are also on that list.

I thought EVERYONE IN THE WORLD was on that list.

That is kinda wonderful, R193

Great show, amazing cast...sorry, I meant to say SUBLIME CAST.

I'm the feel good show of the year

JTF in On The Town?? He was totally overwhelmed by Lea Delaria. She blew him off the stage.

I thought Staunton was a great Mrs. Lovett. Like Julia Mackenzie and all the Brits, she goes in a very non-Lansbury directon. (Even in regional productions, American Lovetts all seem to fall under Lansbury's shadow.)

Her and Ball are the only pair that ever made me actually laugh at Little Priest (and I saw Lansbury live!) They make the song about the evolution of the Todd-Lovett relationship. Most productions get too caught up in the music hall of it.

MacKenzie was the best Lovett I ever saw, including Lansbury. From the above clip, Imelda just seems unlikable.

too bad Esparza wasted his time with Oliver concert, I'd rather see him in the Transport Group Nine concert

Raul has made many bad career choices in the past 20 years. I hope he, at least, has made a lot of money on Law & Order.

Why is JTF hated?

Is it his acting range, which runs the gamut from capital A to lower case a?

Is it his voice, as enticing as nails on a blackboard?

Is it his countenance, one that most closely resembles a Muppet that was thrown in the recycle bin?

Was it the decade of buffoonery and stereotypes he served on Modern Family?

Whatever could it be???!?!??!?!?!????

R208, You left out that his husband killed a young man and got away with it.

I feel bad that Raul never got his Tony part.

I think everyone assumed he would get it for Company.

Why do you think he’s been denied?

1) he’s an asshole from Taboo days

2) jealousy over his looks

3) his bisexuality

4) unlikeable

[quote]Raul has made many bad career choices in the past 20 years. I hope he, at least, has made a lot of money on Law & Order

Can you expound on this? I can think of only two very bad career choices on his part, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and LEAP OF FAITH, but I'm sure both of those seemed liked good ideas at the time, given how high-profile the productions were and the other people involved. I'm sure many actors would have gladly taken those roles if they had been offered.

Kimberly Akimbo won because it checks off the woke boxes - main character has a disability, her love interest is black, the aunt is fat and proud.

Or, R212, maybe it won based on quality.

Has Chastain announced an early exit from A Doll’s House yet? Perhaps at the interval?

Well, there was no interval, r214, and the final performance was Saturday night. What was your point?

r211, I would cite the 2 shows you mentioned as being great examples of poor career choices on Raul's behalf. Though you may say they seemed to be "good ideas at the time" I would disagree, neither role seemed to be great matches for his particular talents. Raul is too urban edgy to carry off the Leap of Faith charlatan (with Brooke Shields as a romantic interest??) and totally unsuited for the good guy straight man who adores kids in Chitty.

Of course, I'm sure like many great talents, Raul can still only pick from what he's offered and perhaps that's all there is to be said about it.

[quote] Kimberly Akimbo won because it checks off the woke boxes - main character has a disability, her love interest is black, the aunt is fat and proud.

Or maybe because the other shows aren't any good at all?

3 of Raul's more interesting career choices before he got lost in TV land were Ned in The Normal Heart at the The Public, Lenny in The Homecoming Broadway revival and Orsino in the AnnE Hathaway 12th Night in Central Park.

Sadly, all short runs in which he probably made very little money and wasn't seen by nearly enough people. And interestingly, all non-musical roles but. nevertheless, all parts in which his unbridled passion was well-employed.

I wish I had a front row seat to Papi's big blah blah blah (acronym about his huge cock and all the cum it shoots).

Look up the definition of acronym, r219.

Although Raul was fine in it, that Normal Heart at the Public was horrendous.

R220 yes I know, you stupendously stupid cunt. I don't recall/remember the acronym, so I referenced its existence. I'm sure someone here will know it.

Interesting: I went to F/F r222 - and [italic] voila! [/italic] I already had

I've returned the favor, R223! You're a ridiculous human being.

Girls girls you're both lower than dogshit!

[QUOTE] Although Raul was fine in it, that Normal Heart at the Public was horrendous.

What was so horrendous about it? I wasn’t able to see it, but I’m curious. I played Tommy Boatwright in a college production and have a fondness for the play.

I will say that Ellen Barkin’s performance in the Broadway version from over a decade ago was sublime. She was absolutely incredible and I was thrilled when she won the Tony that year.

Not R221, but I was also unmoved by the Esparza production of The Normal Heart. And the supporting cast was dreadful, especially the soap actor playing Felix. Joanna Gleason was quite good, though. Much better than Ellen Barkin. You found her sublime, R226? Where? She shrieked and gnashed her way through the role. And her monologue scene was an embarrassment.

Poor Joanna was swimming upstream in that production, r226. It just was horribly directed with some terrible performances. I had seen the original and was blown away by it. I thought the more recent production that moved to Broadway was as good as the original. And I too loved Ellen Barkin.

Joanna Gleason is one of those people that is always good in everything but had a so-so career except one part in a beloved musical.

R214: She’s already in LA doing a screening and Q&A for George & Tammy. You thought her Tony campaign was vigorous? Just wait and see how long and relentless this Emmy push is going to be.

How many more Tammy movies can Jessica Chastain do?

Chastain campaigned for the Tony Award on entitlement, as if she was owed the award because she went to Juilliard. It was only her second Broadway appearance after her disastrous performance in The Heiress. She hasn't exactly approached Colleen Dewhurst or Julie Harris stage legend status. Watching from the sidelines, it was quite unsavory. Glad she lost for Best Actress AND as a producer of Doll's House.

Maybe, r232, but she was excellent in Doll's House. So was the production, Credit where credit is due.

R232: How she got into Julliard is beyond me. She's not annoying but I never been impressed with her work.

A Julliard degree does NOT guarantee talent.

[quote]except one part in a beloved musical.

She was the original and so the part was crafted to her strengths.

Does not make her performance any less wonderful.

I liked that production, R233, but didn't really respond to her. I thought she bordered on camp, with swooping vocal affectations and phoniness. Her last scene before the exit came out of nowhere. I was really underwhelmed by her.

Who are you all talking about now? An r reference would help.

I didn't mean to imply that it did, r237. She was *quite* wonderful. But you have more of a showcase having a role written around you than having one in a revival.

I think Jessica was shocked she lost the Tony.

She won the Drama Desk and is an Oscar winner in a plum role and got good reviews.

[quote]I thought she bordered on camp, with swooping vocal affectations and phoniness.

Really? I liked Chastain in A DOLL'S HOUSE, and if anything, I would describe her performance in general as fairly restrained rather than over-the-top.

She couldn’t have been that shocked. Everybody was picking Jodie Comer in the weeks leading up to the Tonys. She was definitely pissed though. When Leopoldstadt won best play, I saw her waving her playbill like a fan. Let’s just say she wasn’t in a really great mood.

The psychic powers of this group are truly astounding -- so many people who KNOW how upset Jessica Chastain (who has to my knowledge zero reputation as a cunt) is to have lost the Tony.

For what it's worth, I've seen both her Broadway appearances to date, and while she was indeed beyond adrift in THE HEIRESS (for which Moisés Kaufman must bear at least some of the blame, of course), she was superb in DOLL'S HOUSE.

[quote]She was indeed beyond adrift in THE HEIRESS (for which Moisés Kaufman must bear at least some of the blame, of course)

I would say nearly all of the blame, seeing as how Chastain's work has been excellent in so many other things. Also, look at Kaufman's horrendous track record for shows he has directed other than the two he co-created as part of the Tectonic group, both of which were very much group efforts. He honestly seems to be one of the most talent-free people ever to get so many shots at directing on Broadway, though PARADISE SQUARE may have put an end to that. One can only hope.....

I would love to someday have a candid discussion with Chastain about her experience working with Kaufman on THE HEIRESS, but I very much doubt that's ever going to happen. And I wonder what Dan Stevens thought of him?

R219 It is Papi and his bisexual cock, with a descriptor for his cock, i.e. giant, throbbling suckable etc.

[quote] The psychic powers of this group are truly astounding -- so many people who KNOW how upset Jessica Chastain (who has to my knowledge zero reputation as a cunt) is to have lost the Tony.

She is known to be be quite unendurable behind her public persona. The word I've heard bandied about is 'psychotic.'

I think Raul should play opposite Jeremy Strong in Enemy Of The People.

Moises Kaufman is a horror. And I've worked with him (that is until I quit).

Jessica Chastain gets a lot of credit from me (still) for insisting that Octavia Spencer get paid equally for her work in The Help and for being so gracious to her when they were nominated against each other the year Octavia deservedly won the Oscar.

has she ever admitted Ron Howard is her father? LOL

DNA tests have proved beyond any doubt that my biological father is Ron Howard.

My father is Bea Arthur.

I've seen a lot of Moises Kaufman directed shows. And thus, I've seen a lot of poorly directed shows, because Kaufman cannot direct to save his life. But as horrible as I thought he was, he plumbed new depths in the LA production of Bent he did at the Taper a few years back. It was as if someone bet him he couldn't do worse than The Heiress.

And then I saw the revival of Torch Song and realized.... there is no bottom to this man's... I don't know, what would you call it... antithesis of talent.

[quote] She’s already in LA doing a screening and Q&A for George & Tammy. You thought her Tony campaign was vigorous? Just wait and see how long and relentless this Emmy push is going to be.

Unfortunately, she isn't/won't be the only one. I hate living in LA from right after the Oscars until early-mid-September. That's how fucking long Emmy season is out here. Six fucking months of everyone begging for a nomination. Even the piddliest crap gets a series of billboards and bus ads touting their "achievements." And Variety emails months and months of puff pieces all in service to landing one of these dubious nominations. It's absolute hell.

I remember that Bent, r254

I thought Bent was a fool-proof play. Dear lord, was I wrong.

Are there any concrete examples of Chastain's supposedly desperate campaigning for the Tony? Not a rhetorical question, I'm genuinely interested.

I never miss a Tammy movie.

Speaking of Joanna Gleason...

^that's DEAN Phylicia Rashad.

Maria Callas was black?

Aspen?

Cabaret with Redmayne coming to Broadway next year!

R256, At least you got to see Tom Berklund’s big cock.

r234 r235

J-u-i-l-l-i-a-r-d

[quote] [R256], At least you got to see Tom Berklund’s big cock.

True. And it was a sight to behold.

Frank Wildhorn is married to a Japanese male impersonator? The things you learn when you end up down a Wikipedia rabbit hole! Good for them!

[quote]In 2014, he announced his engagement to Yoka Wao, a former Takarazuka male-role top star who played the lead role in Never Say Goodbye and the Japanese production of Dracula. They were married on July 26, 2015, in Maui, Hawaii.

Phylicia Rashad? Jesus Christ! Will no one cast a Greek actress in anything?

Can Juno Temple sing? Can Bel Powley? Both could be great Sally Bowles on Broadway.

Porkchop/Beanie for Sally Bowles.

Julie Benko for Thursday night Sally Bowles!

Yay!! Cabaret again!!

I mean, it's such a classic, for a reason. And this production is a whole new take. I think it will be interesting to see this on Broadway after the Mendes production has become the blueprint for Cabaret for three decades. And, obviously, it will be a hot ticket with Redmayne.

[quote]Leonard Bernstein, on the phone to Stephen Sondheim's room, informing him that Felicia Montealegre had come down with the flu and would not make it to Washington, D.C. for the premiere of West Side Story.

[quote]Photographer: Arthur Laurents

"I feel pretty, Steve!"

“And now I’m a faggot, reeking of urine, who has a Tony!”

What about Nick Cave and PJ Harvey for Sweeney and Mrs. L?

[quote]Maria Callas was black?

Nothing gets by you, does it?

[quote]JTF in On The Town?? He was totally overwhelmed by Lea Delaria. She blew him off the stage.

Psssstttt, she's a Lesbian, she never touched him.

Esparza should have won for "Taboo".

R60 is next-level.

[quote][R232]: How she got into Julliard is beyond me. She's not annoying but I never been impressed with her work.

We forwarded your post to the Julliard administration and they have agreed to revoke her degree and bar her from ever mentioning Julliard ever again.

Glenda Jackson has died.

I only saw her on stage in one thing -- Three Tall Women on Broadway. Perhaps I'm a philistine, but I didn't get her appeal in that production at all. She was very... strident.

Still, enjoyed some of her film work and loved her work in UK politics -- railing against Thatcherism.

I saw Glenda Jackson in a flop called ROSE in the 80s. It also starred Jessica Tandy.

r282 see r265.

There was a tizzy when the BBC put on Elizabeth R against the English League football…a bit of a Time Capsule.

R283 = Alison Pill

Alison Pill will not be posting today, r287.

Her movie roles are classic, especially SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY, STEVIE, WOMEN IN LOVE, MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS

R277 That would be quite a good idea.....if they were still speaking to each other.

r289, not to mention THE MUSIC LOVERS which turned many of us eldergays gay.

Her Oscar for A Touch of Class was well deserved. It's a charming little movie that has pretty much disappeared.

Jessica Chastain is psychotic?

Does she also read Tarot?

[quote] It's a charming little movie that has pretty much disappeared.

For good reason.

R293 appears to have confused "psychotic" with "psychic"

Rita Monroe

Imelda didn't have to be endured as Lovett. She was great. I was less enamoured with her Martha. Speaking of Martha, did any of you see Glenda's take on the role?

I don't think that production was well received, r297.

Lisa Vanderpump played Glenda’s daughter in A TOUCH OF CLASS.

Imelda's Lovett and Sally (minus the lower keys) were fine for the most part. Her Rose and Martha were hard to sit through. It was as if she was daring the audience to stay and kept making them more and more hateful, bitter, and shrill by the second. It was like some sort of endurance test.

R300 Glenda’s first Oscar was accepted on her behalf by Juliet Mills, who played Kim Richard’s’ nanny on TV! How’s that for a small world! -A Cohen

For R299 correction

What. A. Cunt.

* own father ALSO won…he was John not Alain. WTF Siri

Jessica Chastain *IS* Glenda Jackson in

“Too Many Oscars, Not Enough Thatcher”

16 weeks at the Shubert Theatre

[quote]Kim Richard’s’ nanny on TV

Oh, DEAR.

The DL Apostrophe Abuse Monitor MUST DIE!

R306. The proper reply is no reply. You know, and we know, it was a typo that any effective reader who understands context would skip right past. But that is not you, is it?

Speaking of Bent as a foolproof (or director-proof) play, I always thought The Importance of Being Earnest was a foolproof play as long as the actors could say the lines clearly. Until I saw a regional theatre production of it. Barely a laugh; Lady Bracknell got most of them, as expected. I couldn't tell if it was the direction or the actors, probably some combo platter of both. Nice sets, though.

Any other plays you'd think are foolproof?

[quote]The proper reply is no reply. You know, and we know, it was a typo that any effective reader who understands context would skip right past. But that is not you, is it?

Somebody is awfully touchy about a misplaced apostrophe.

WHET AKB?

DL ultimate fav Miss Susan Hayward(!) presenting Best Actress to Glenda Jackson (missing).

No shit R310. Duh.

It’s a fag running way overtime, like the longest Oscar show you ever watched.

Susie & Chuck

*gag

But it still works as written in error. That’s a typo!

Oops...

I saw Glenda Jackson (and Miriam Margoyles!) in Webster's The White Devil at the Old Vic. Sadly, I remember very little about it. Well, it was in 1976.

You don't sound at all like a pompous ass, R308.

The Glee Project has produced 2 Tony winners.

But R318 sounds like an AAA

Authentic American Asshole^

Center Theatre Group (Los Angeles) is canceling their 2023-24 programming for the Mark Taper Forum and focusing solely on the Ahmanson and select performances at the Kurt Douglas. Apparently due to continuing declines in revenue coming out of the pandemic. If one of the most prominent regional theatre companies in the country is having to make that choice, it must be rough out there.

Wasn't CTG the place that was essentially brow-beaten into submission by certain people demanding programming of certain demographics of playwrights and directors? It's unfair and outrageous to have your hands tied when trying to produce a season of what you know will sell. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't that happen here, post-covid?

You are wrong, and now you’ve been corrected.

Who is the MAGA idiot who has invaded this stream, and just keeps writing the most hateful messages. Go away, Asshole.

I had long wished for a revival of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC with Glenda Jackson as Mme. Armfeldt. Alas. RIP to one of the all-time greats.

The LA Times article on the goings-on at R321 mentions that an exception to the post-pandemic decline in audiences was the "sold-out" run of Slave Play. However, I remember people here and elsewhere reporting that the performances they attended were far from sold-out. What is the deal there? Is the LA Times just assuming that Harris' Twitter assertions were the truth?

[quote] 3 of Raul's more interesting career choices before he got lost in TV land were Ned in The Normal Heart at the The Public, Lenny in The Homecoming Broadway revival and Orsino in the AnnE Hathaway 12th Night in Central Park.

The Normal Heart at the Public was the best production I'd ever seen. Raul was stunning, as usual.

I notice that Camelot is not included on the Broadway in Bryant Park schedule. But then again, neither are Sweeney Todd, Parade, Funny Girl, Hadestown, Hamilton, MJ, The Book of Mormon or Here Lies Love.

[quote]Kurt Douglas

Oh, dear.

Heh-heh......

Sooo...I saw Bernadette in Pasadena last weekend. I've seen her in four shows, but I'd never seen her in concert. The audience was receptive and she was in good voice. I can't believe she's 75. I flashed back to seeing Dietrich in Denver in '72. Marlene was 71 at the time. Of course she didn't move...much. And she was limited in vocal range. She wasn't wearing Mackie, but her gown, as well as Bernadette's, was a marvel of construction and illusion. Both with the ability to hold the audience in their hand.

[Quote] I flashed back to seeing Dietrich in Denver in '72. Marlene was 71 at the time.

And what age were you?

Oh no you don't, r332.

I find Miss Peters to be underwhelming. They should have asked ME to sing.

Sorry, Kate, you're chorus.

Even when her voice is having an off day, I always enjoy seeing Bernadette. She does have that special star quality that seems lacking in so many these days. She's an excellent song interpreter and has a fantastic sense of humor.

Johnson!

Dolores!

I love Bernadette and…yes…the voice isn’t in her prime…but I would still rather see her in concert than a lot of today’s stars.

I was a STAR!

SCTV had Bernie's pegged, back in the day.

R321-There is no prominent theatre is L.A.

r331 - that makes me happy. I've loved Bernadette since I was in middle school... when Bravo was an arts channel (!!) that seemed to play Into the Woods every week. I've seen her in concert 6 or 7 times since the 90s. A friend who saw her last week as well told me she's STILL doing some of the same schtick she's been doing for decades. I guess if it ain't broke...

Isn't she always trying to sell her holiday home as part of her patter?

Julie Ann Huff is so skanky.

Her indiscretion is pertinent to DL's interests, though.

[quote] Isn't she always trying to sell her holiday home as part of her patter?

Anything’s better than Patti LuPone’s patter. Che-rist she has some bad writing.

[quote] Any other plays you'd think are foolproof?

Usually “You Can’t Take It With You” is foolproof.

{quote]Julie Ann Huff is so skanky.

Who the hell is Julie Ann Huff?

I'm not the biggest fan of "Our Town," but you'd have to try pretty hard to wreck its intended effect.

Martin Gottfried once said that Carol Channing and Ann Miller would have made great Mrs. Lovetts. I'm sorry Hermione Baddeley was too old to be able to take it on.

R340 I love that production so much. What a cast!

[quote]Usually “You Can’t Take It With You” is foolproof.

Except when Frank Capra directed the movie version and turned it into his typical "the little guy taking on the establishment" tedium. He should not have been entrusted with adaptations of stage hits. He took another virtually foolproof comedy, "Arsenic and Old Lace," and turned it into a bug-eyed farce starring a bug-eyed Cary Grant.

[quote] Ann Miller would have made great Mrs. Lovetts.

These are

tappa tappa

The worst pies

tappa tappa

in London

tappa tappa tappa

My bad—different production ‘77 vs ‘88 🤷🏻‍♂️

Actually, I would have said The Heiress was pretty fool-proof (if cast properly and with a well-placed staircase) had I not seen that fool Moises' revival.

[quote]if cast properly and with a well-placed staircase

Tell me about it.

"Follies" may be the opposite of foolproof.

Did anyone see Treat Williams in Follies. Wasn't he more Ben than Buddy?

The whole production was so off, r359, that the only thing I remember about him was he had the same problem with The Right Girl that all non-dancer Buddys have.

So a woman who plays several small parts in Parade, is also listed as a standby for the female lead. I thought a standby, by definition, isn’t in the show unless she goes on in that role.

R361. Julie Benko would never put up with that shit.

That would make her an understudy, R361, regardless of what the Playbill says.

[quote]Did anyone see Treat Williams in Follies. Wasn't he more Ben than Buddy?

I saw it, but that was 22 years ago, so my memories are fuzzy. Gregory Harrison was Ben, which struck me as pretty correct casting. The now-older Treat Williams seemed right as Buddy, or at least he made himself seem right as Buddy.

Treat was a fine Buddy. Nothing revolutionary, but he didn't make a fool of himself and came across as one of the better cast members of that company. I normally like Blythe Danner and Judith Ivey, but something was off with their performances. Some say Ivey's singing wasn't great, but I thought she was passable. She hit all the notes, but both her and Danner didn't seem to fit their roles very well. Ivey projected too much strength to convince as naive and delusional Sally and Danner insisted on playing Phyllis as a lush which didn't work at all. The whole production was bizarre and unmoving.

Did the footage of Annie Golden singing "Frank Mills" ever show up on any of the home video releases of HAIR?

Goop could probably pull off Phyllis. With Wynona as Sally.

[quote]Did the footage of Annie Golden singing "Frank Mills" ever show up on any of the home video releases of HAIR?

I just remember it as a bonus track on the soundtrack CD.

Everything about that Roundabout FOLLIES was regrettable and forgettable except for Poly Bergen as Carlotta. And even she really just seemed to playing Polly Bergen.

R365 - well said! Ivey was a much better fit for Desiree in Night Music which came just a few years later.

" just" seemed to playing Polly Bergen, r369?

She owned that song.

r322 r323

Actually, it did happen but in 2021. Harris demanded they program underrepresented authors or he’d pull Slave Play.

God, he’s tiresome.

[quote]Did the footage of Annie Golden singing "Frank Mills" ever show up on any of the home video releases of HAIR?

No, because the number was never filmed, and that's according to Annie herself.

Polly Bergen WOULD have been great as Carlotta if she hadn't severely back-phrased every fucking line of "I'm Still Here," thereby ruining the song.

[quote]Did the footage of Annie Golden singing "Frank Mills" ever show up on any of the home video releases of HAIR?

[quote]I just remember it as a bonus track on the soundtrack CD.

On the movie's soundtrack "Frank Mills" is sung by Suzette Charles, the young actress who played Chrissy but whose role and song were cut before the movie was released in 1979. Five years later she was crowned Miss America after Vanessa Williams was forced to resign. Annie Golden did "Frank Mills" in 2005 for the Actors Fund of America Benefit recording of "Hair."

Will Beanie Fieldstein play Frank Mills in the remake?

R61

Why did you laugh when composer Brown was cut off after the Parade win? He seems like a decent guy, and was about to talk about Mr Frank's wife, I suspect....

Oh, you can certainly fuck up Our Town and You Can't Take It With You.

I saw an Our Town with a dreadful, hammy old Stage Manager who played it too warm and cutesy poo with lots of hearty inflections and avuncular chuckles. It was horrible.

And, I endured a "checklist" cast You Can't Take It With You where EVERY part was cast wrong. Most of the Sycamore family was black, which is fine if you have good actors (but they didn't) and the casting made no visual sense because the dad was South Asian and Essie, the ballerina married sister/daughter was a white, drag queen who played the part like she was retarded. The drunk visitor Gay Wellington was a little person in a wheel chair and a terrible actress. OH, and the servant characters who ARE supposed to be black, were naturally played by white actors....albeit fat white actors who also played their roles like they rode the short bus. Naturally the company patted themselves on the back for their woke casting...and naturally the director was white.

Is there somewhere online where a non American can see the Phantom tribute from the Tonys online?

Also, who bought the stuff that was charity auctioned off from Phantim? They did a fundraiser show the Friday of the closing weekend....but I never heard how much the items sold for...

I was in that "Frank Mills" scene as an extra. (filmed in front of the Waverly, of course!) Suzette Charles was very young and very sweet but the scene was frankly boring as hell, and I'm not surprised it got cut.

R377, Because I’m funny that way.

Annie says the number was never filmed!

r377, I think you can surmise that Mr. Brown is not well-liked in the community. At the party I attended, one guest, a well-known conductor said, "Karma."

R378, that sounds unbearable. Sorry you had to sit through it. Can it be told where this dreadful production happened?

Rob Cary turned to writing after his acting career went nowhere. He's written a few middling works like Flashdance, the Musical and Summer! the Musical. His real name is Cary Zateslo, which is the name he used at the start of his professional career. He's actually a smart and talented guy--an Ivy League graduate.

Ohhh my. He went to an Ivy. Well then…

Who is Jay who Michael Arden thanked along with Andy Mientus?

R388, Jay Armstrong Johnson?

[quote]He's actually a...talented guy

Source?

Robert Cary & Jonathan Tolins did a great job sparking up the creaky jokes and streamlining the libretto in the recent ON THE TOWN revival.

Yeah I wondered who Jay was also?

r379: There was no PHANTOM tribute on the Tonys. They just used a song from the show which the Tony winner from PARADISE SQUARE sang as photos of those who passed during the season were projected. Maybe try googling: Tonys In Memoriam 2023?

Isn't Arden in a thruple?

[quote] There was no PHANTOM tribute on the Tonys.

The Phantom song placed the show in the In Memorium tribute

Bway Pride, featuring DL fave AKB!

No Bolger dick? Little man, big dick!

Mr. Hughes, on the other hand: big man, bigger dick!

Josh G and the new SWEENEY "Epiphany"

I haven't seen it yet, but I think he sounds pretty good. Maybe a little... overly cautious?

A female friend who did see him kept gushing about how hot he was in the role. Okay...

Yes, Cary went to Yale, Tolins to Harvard. They have two kids.

[quote] That would make her an understudy, [R361], regardless of what the Playbill says.

Yes but r363 aren’t there rules and parameters for these things? Can agents just demand whatever words they want?

[quote][R378], that sounds unbearable. Sorry you had to sit through it. Can it be told where this dreadful production happened?

In r378's fevered imagination. How gullible are you, r385?

[quote] In Memorium

Oh, dear.

R399 and we care? Remind us, why?

[quote]Ohhh my. He went to an Ivy. Well then…

[quote]And we care? Remind us, why?

Oh, shut up, you pathetic anti-intellectual. Making fun of someone because they went to an Ivy League school is as dumb and immature as making fun of someone because they went to a community college.

R401, what reason(s) do you have not to believe that the production of YOU CAN"T TAKE IT WITH YOU in question was just as R378 described it?

Hey guys, I watched the broadcast so I know Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again was sung. But right before it - as a friend was talking to me - they aired a montage of Phantom clips, recognizing its long run and Norm Lewis was in it, talking about diversity casting. I just wanted to see that part. Missed most of it because of my chatty friend.

Why is Brown disliked? Sure, he seems glum generally speaking but....is he rude to people? I don't get it. Why would people be glad he was cut off?

R404 = terminally insufferable

How gullible are you, r405? By the way, that's r378's only post in this thread.

JRB maybe good, but he’s not nearly as good as he thinks he is and he behaves like he’s even better than that. This is a man with a very bad track record, and he is very sensitive about that.

I think JRB/Brown is immensely talented, but yes, his track record is pretty bad. Certainly from a box office POV:

MR. SATURDAY NIGHT

HONEYMOON IN VEGAS

BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY

13

I'm happy that PARADE is getting the respect/attention it deserves. It's a remarkable score.

Needs to be stated again: Is Kenny Leon the ONLY black director?

JRB not so good with lyrics

JRB's first words when he got cut off at the Tony mic were about Mary Phagan, the murder victim in PARADE, not about Leo Franks wife.

I'm not exactly sure what my point is, but there it is.....

Ruben Santiago-Hudson is a much, much better director than Kenny Leon. Leon is a hack.

R404 …but not as lame as someone who feels the need to pint out any (and I mean any) Ivy League connection as an imprimatur of value? Amirite?

Why the hell did the Kimberly Akimbo producers pick Anagram as their Tony number? That had to be the worst number I've ever seen performed at the Tonys. They've should've picked Better or This Time.

Or the last number in the show, without the video.

R413 Oh he was talking about the victim - I didn't catch that. Now I'm even more curious about what he was going to say....

[quote]But not as lame as someone who feels the need to pint out any (and I mean any) Ivy League connection as an imprimatur of value.

First of all, are you really keeping such close tabs on that poster that you know they do that? If so, get a life. But also, I do think mere acceptance at a school such as Yale or Harvard, let alone completing a degree there, signifies a very high level of intelligence, whatever other flaws the person may have or whatever talents they may lack. And I'm pretty sure most people would agree with me on that, even if you don't feel that way because you're intimidated that someone went there and you try to dismiss the achievement as a result.

Best Tony show is recent memory-with the glaring misstep of never acknowledging the nominees/winners of the awards that were given out before the show! They have been giving awards in the pre-show for years already but always incorporated this categories into the main show--3 hours and none of the designers, the orchestrator, composers or choreographer ever got mentioned on the national broadcast. WTF?

Rather than continually and very repetitiously labeling me as "insufferable," R407, you might want to address exactly what you find insufferable about my posts. But I'm sure you lack the native intelligence and education to do so, which is undoubtedly why you're attacking me for going after someone who thinks it's a capital offense for a poster to point out that someone went to an Ivy League school as a sign that the person in question is of high intelligence.

I rather see Leslie Odom in a revival of the musical of Purlie, if anything

In depth? Yes, please....

As deep as he can go....over and over and over

That was good fun…good for a laugh 419. Thanks!

The night I saw "Frozen" on Broadway, some MAGA asshole ran to the front of the Orchestra, waving a Trump flag. Timothy jumped in front, grabbed the flag, broke it and tossed it aside. He had my heart after that.

Who's this cutie, Zach, Timothy is dating? NICE!

r416 Maybe because it explains the premise of the show, and also the title?

I must disagree about "Anagram" at the Tony Awards. Sure, either one of Bonnie Milligan's big songs might have helped sell more tickets. But "Anagram" is a lovely moment (and really well crafted song) between the two leads that speaks to the heart of the show and the story they're telling.

[quote] The night I saw "Frozen" on Broadway, some MAGA asshole ran to the front of the Orchestra, waving a Trump flag. Timothy jumped in front, grabbed the flag, broke it and tossed it aside. He had my heart after that.

Video and reporting of that incident. And a shirtless Hughes for good measure.

[quote] I rather see Leslie Odom in a revival of the musical of Purlie

Purlie is a dreadful show. I saw it at Encores several years ago and couldn’t believe they didn’t make some adjustments to the script.

This is a revival of the straight play PURLIE VICTORIOUS, not the musical PURLIE.

In other words, no musical numbers to break up the tedium. Yeah, that'll sell.

But, R431, I'm pretty sure that a huge percentage of the dialogue in the musical PURLIE was lifted verbatim from the non-musical play. In fact, the book of the musical is credited to Ossie Davis (who wrote the original play by himself) along with Philip Rose (the producer) and Peter Udell (the lyricist). So if you hated the musical, I don't think you should expect to like the play much better.

R432. we're aware of that. Also, you can get Odom to commit to 12-16 weeks of PV, but he'd have to potentially sign on to 9-12 months for a musical

Alyson Reed is on Matlock...

Considering her penchant for going wide, I would say that episode title is an apt one.

Remember when Candi Spelling was a Broadway producer?

Poor Alyson Reed. The camera never was her friend, was it?

She looks quite.... trans in that photo.

Treat Williams was so bad the night I saw him in "Follies" that his big solo number got no applause at all from the audience at the end, even though he was begging for it. Which is not something you forget.

The one where he threw chairs around?

No, that was The Chairs

Was the throwing the chairs bit in the Roundabout FOLLIES or was it in the one with Danny Burstein? Or was it in all of them?

Why did Oh! Calcutta! never win a Tony Award?

I think Treat was the chairs. I can't remember what Tony Roberts did...maybe chairs.

When one can't dance, one throws chairs.

Never played on Broadway.

Oh yes it did, r447.

^

Because it wasn't the theatrical version of an art film, R444.

Nudies!

Also, Oh Calcutta sucked.

[quote] Also, Oh Calcutta sucked.

Yeah, but those Japanese tourists made it Broadway’s longest running revue and 8th longest Broadway musical.

[quote] Also, Oh Calcutta sucked.

Well, if you're gonna go by quality as criteria for winning a Tony....

[quote]I can't remember what Tony Roberts did...maybe chairs.

In the Paper Mill FOLLIES, "The Right Girl" was performed by Tony Roberts as Buddy and Billy Hartung as Young Buddy, with Hartung doing most of the dancing.

R429 - I agree. I had zero interest in seeing Kimberly Akimbo until the Tonys performance. The song was lovely and I've had it stuck in my head all week. From press clips, the big group numbers sounded so... shrill in that way that so much modern musical theatre composing. Very... loud group numbers when you only have a small band for an orchestra always sounds shrill to me, so I got kind of turned off by what I'd heard/seen in marketing for the show. But that anagram number was beautiful.

Oh, that's right, r454.

R454, last year's production of FOLLIES at the San Francisco Playhouse used similar staging, with THE RIGHT GIRL being danced by both old Buddy and young Buddy. The moment actually worked well. At the time, I compared it to the moment in BILLY ELLIOT when grown Billy partners with Young Billy in that beautiful pas de deux.

Cabaret should bring over Liza Sadovy too - she was really key to the success of that production.

Now that Bad Cinderella has closed is this the first time since.... the 70s that ALW hasn't had at least one show running on Broadway?

[quote]Now that Bad Cinderella has closed is this the first time since.... the 70s that ALW hasn't had at least one show running on Broadway?

OMG! Do we need to start an GoFundMe for poor Andrew?

No need, R460. This is sure to re-fill the coffers.

I know it won't make it back to Broadway but I'd love to see the Aspects of Love revival because I love the score and I enjoyed the original production even though the physical production was too much.

I'll say! I almost lost a foot!

I wonder what they’re going to do with that theater at the World Trade Center? It’s a white elephant. Nobody wants to go down there to see theater/concerts and definitely not a drag ball version of Cats. I wonder what it will become in 10 years when nobody comes?

Especially when the city already has The Shed at Hudson Yards, R464, which is struggling to find an identity.

It will close like all the other Off Broadway theaters around Union Square did in the past decade.

[quote]Now that Bad Cinderella has closed is this the first time since.... the 70s that ALW hasn't had at least one show running on Broadway?

Yes, and that fact has been mentioned frequently in press coverage of the show's closing, including that recent report on CBS Sunday Morning. But I guess you missed all of that.

There will be money poured into spaces like The Shed and the WTC-whatever-its-called trying to make them happen, while decades-old companies/venues are struggling to survive because so much funding is going to these massive "nothings".

Arts organizations all over the country seem obsessed with "important venues" vs the actual product they're offering.

I agree that The Shed is a massive misfire, along with most of Hudson Yards development. A failure.

Hudson Yards would have been better off as a stadium like Bloomberg wanted. I've been to The Shed once. All those elevators up and one entrance/exit door. How is that space not a fire hazard?

I don't doubt that The Shed is a misfire, but can you explain why you feel that way? Didn't they have a big success with that show about Robert Moses, starring Ralph Fiennes?

I didn't see STRAIGHT LINE CRAZY, but the word of mouth was: good Ralph, bad, BAD play.

I'm sure it sold tickets based on Fiennes' name alone, but it was not the must-see show of the fall, by any means. I don't think it did much to validate The Shed either.

(I also find David Hare a massively overrated playwright, so I'm biased.)

The only part of Hudson Yards I like is the Spanish market. Some great food there. The Shed is a misfire, the mall is boring, and the suicide-jumper building (forget its name) is a disaster.

The original projects at The Shed were all kind of "gesamtkunstwerk-y": let's get this famous painter and pair them with this famous dancer and have them make a piece together. This never works. Remember the "let's get Giacometti to design the tree in Godot and have Beckett direct it" fiasco? You can name numerous similar projects. Even (to a much smaller extent) at the theater at which I'm involved. People get famous for their unique, driven output - NOT their willingness to collaborate. So for me the whole venture started out on the wrong foot. They they've settled into producing "whatever". Even Poots gave up 1/2 the control.

And poor Barclays Center. They intended that exterior to look golden but it just looks like rust.

Is the problem with off-Bway theatrical spaces the lack of/ineptitude of producers? Problems with the spaces themselves? Connecting with an audience of native theatregoers who actually live/work in NYC, who will support new work?

There's no lack of new plays and musicals to fill off-Bway spaces, so I don't understand why the system is so broken.

Straight Line Crazy didn't get great reviews, apart from Fiennes' performance - but it was a massive hit. While it was running in fall 2022, it was the toughest ticket in town. You couldn't get near it.

[quote] There's no lack of new plays and musicals to fill off-Bway spaces, so I don't understand why the system is so broken.

Off-Broadway has been dying for several years. It’s a mixture of being too expensive, nobody wanting to invest in unproven material, today’s generation only wanting to see what’s popular and mandatory diversity.

Years ago, a show like Little Shop of Horrors could set up in the East Village because it was cheap. The show would run on word of mouth and since there were no stars, it didn’t get massive attention so the ticket price wasn’t jacked up. The same with The Fantasticks. It ran for years and people talked about bringing their children and then their grandchildren to see it. That’s what off-Broadway used to be. Shows that were too intimate to be performed in the Broadway barns.

Now you have New York Theatre Workshop hiring Daniel Craig and Daniel Radcliffe to make bank so they can produce the rest of the season with shows about transsexual Puerto Ricans coming to the mainland to tell their truth about how they’ve been mistreated by the white man’s patriarchy.

I saw STRAIGHT LINE CRAZY at The Bridge in London and thought both the play and Ralph Fiennes stunk. He was terrible casting for Robert Moses and merely harrumphed his way through the evening. David Hare had no business writing that truly New York story. I'd love to see what Tony Kushner would do with the same subject matter.

The problem with a story about Robert Moses is there is no “there” there. Other than use in documentaries, he’s not really that interesting of a person. He could probably work in an ensemble piece like Angels in America, but as a stand-alone character, he’s not interesting. He really can’t even be put into an Amadeus type “disrupter” role.

^ good point. Great to read about him, less so hear it.

[quote]Cabaret should bring over Liza Sadovy too - she was really key to the success of that production.

Is it Liza with a Z, not Lisa with an S?

Took a deep dive on YouTube into Glenda Jackson last night. What a great lady, great actor, great interview. She really shunned so much of the bullshit. This was a gem that I hadn't seen before! She was excited to win her Oscar(s)!

Can I also say that Cate Blanchett sounds remarkably like Glenda? I wonder if she modeled herself on GJ in some ways.

[quote]Straight Line Crazy didn't get great reviews, apart from Fiennes' performance - but it was a massive hit. While it was running in fall 2022, it was the toughest ticket in town. You couldn't get near it.

Thanks, that's what I meant. Regardless of quality, that show was such a hit and received so much attention that I think it put The Shed on the map.

I could be wrong, but I think Kimberly Akimbo reaches 250 performances today. & Juliet will achieve that in a few days from now. Kimberly just has to run about one more month, and the title of Best Musical winner with the shortest run remains with Passion. Roughly two more weeks after that, and Kimberly also surpasses A Strange Loop.

I’m watching the 1988 TV movie about Mary Phagan. Peter Gallagher is Leo Frank. Teleplay by Jeffrey Lane. Cynthia Nixon is someone named Doreen

[quote]Cynthia Nixon is someone named Doreen

She's *such* a Doreen!

R484 thanks. I assume the scarf was due to her having shaved her head for Elizabeth R. She exudes a certain calm intelligence in that interview.

A good find on your part.

Won't the Shed rejuvenate with the farewell Sondheim musical?

Yes, r490.

I can see the commercials now.

"I LOVED it. Better than Passion!"

Passion was worse than Covid.

A world premiere of a Sondheim musical at a place called the Shed—a sign of a culture in decline.

In Sondheim's honor, they should rename it The Dungeon.

[quote]Passion was worse than Covid.

And not nearly as infectious.

I'll always remember seeing a final preview of PASSION and sitting behind newscaster Stone Phillips (WHET?) and his wife who were there with another attractive couple and couldn't stop sniggering during Donna Murphy's scenes, like they were at Chuckles the Clown's funeral.

We'll have to consider whether we'll dim the lights for Glenda Jackson.

We're very important people who will decide, you know.

Broadway's lights are being dimmed for Tina Turner (I loved her in "Mame"), so I would hope that they would be dimmed for Glenda Jackson.

Tina in Mame was actually on my bucket list.

Will Sean Hayes' tepid performances as a yesteryear gay encourage other productions/performances - other non theater types mounting their own shows?

[quote]Randy Rainbow IS Paul Lynde

Randy Rainbow on Broadway is inevitable.

[quote] Will Sean Hayes' tepid performances as a yesteryear gay encourage other productions/performances - other non theater types mounting their own shows?

How many times does he have to star on Broadway to be a “theater type”?

I’d think three would be sufficient.

Is three enough? Are six too many?

R501 I do like him and hope he can translate his talents into a show. (Though I suspect some of the singing videos are enhanced, substantially, by Autotune.)

Pretty sure a a show is already in place. And if I'm not mistaken, the Widom Sondheim is his manager.

*Widow

He sold out the Wiltern, r504.

Did anyone see Dan Castellaneta as Oscar?

R500 Oscar Levant was straight

R507. 2000 seats! For one night? In a base metro area of 13,000,000 people? Wow.

Speaking of the new Sondheim show. Any word on when tickets go on sale? I threw the shed $10 so I could be on the early access list.

Love Glenda’s mention of a congratulatory phone call from Bette Davis.

Here’s a look at how Bette dealt with the issue of playing Elizabeth R…as she also shaved her head.

Two real Liz troopers.

Jackson was so sharp and articulate. It's a pleasure to hear her interviewed, as to see her act.

Only the Lunt is dimming its marquee for Tina

[quote]Two real Liz troopers.

That would be "troupers."

I’m surprised Sondheim was as nice to Randy Rainbow as he was. Usually Sondheim was a cunt to other gays especially femme ones that mess with lyrics

The widow Sondheim and Randy Rainbow are no longer...

R517 uh oh what happened?

[quote] Only the Lunt is dimming its marquee for Tina

There was a big ruckus when Joan Rivers died. Some wanted the lights dimmed, but the argument was she didn’t have enough Broadway credits.

Randy Rainbow is a useless hack. I’d give his next 40 years for 40 more seconds of Sondheim.

[quote]Two real Liz troopers.

[quote]That would be "troupers."—Don't mention it. A very common mistake.

You are one of the reasons I wish DL had a DM, r515.

Dressed up like a million dollar trouper/trying hard to look like Gary Couper

Sean Hayes has been a creature of the stage the two times I saw him on Bway (I haven't seen him in the current show). I'm sure this Tony was deserved

[quote] I'm sure this Tony was deserved

Did you see the other nominees?

Why was Julie Ann Huff in the Tonys?

Julianne Hough was in some flop Broadway show a while back, R525. She also co-hosted the streamed first 90 minutes of the Tonys with Skylar Astin. And she danced with Ariana DeBose as part of the tribute to John Kander.

Oscar Levant wasn't gay, and I'm just the guy who can prove it...

sniggering?

Julianne Hough's lone Broadway credit is for the play POTUS.

'Passion' couldn't sell out The Shed at Dulwich

Passion couldn’t sell out the shed in my backyard.

r515 Unless of course they actually did join the Highway Patrol.

[QUOTE] But also, I do think mere acceptance at a school such as Yale or Harvard, let alone completing a degree there, signifies a very high level of intelligence, whatever other flaws the person may have or whatever talents they may lack.

Oh then you have not met many (or any) Ivy League grads?

[Quote] Oh then you have not met many (or any) Ivy League grads?

Oh, I assure you DeSantis is no dummy. He’s playing the stupid base like a fiddle. EVERYTHING is calculated

[quote]EVERYTHING is calculated

Rather sloppy execution.

I’d jump throogh houps to get Muriel’s approval for an edit feature.

I always thought Boozy took the right approach to dramatizing Robert Moses. There is no there there, as was said earlier in the thread, so presenting him as part of a historical landscape made sense.

If only a writer better than Alex Timbers wrote it.

I was hoping that Straight Line Crazy would be the the better play about him. But it sounds like it tried to be biographical, which really does not work for Moses.

[Quote] Rather sloppy execution.

Was working just fine until the cult leader himself came after DeSantis

R534. Let’s not ask that idiot poster about Penn! Wait til he finds out they accepted Trumpy transfers from Fordham (daddy) and Georgetown (daddy’s girl).

Actually, if someone wanted to use the character of Robert Moses, they should do a play about the 1964 World’s Fair.

The Fair was not officially sanctioned. Moses wildly overestimated attendance and made decisions that lost revenue. Then NYC mayor, Robert Wagner, started a campaign to “clean up NYC” which included closing down gay bars (many run by the Mafia) and new red subway cars with long benches were installed on the 7 line to transport visitors to the Fair site. Plenty of drama leading up to the opening of the Fair.

I wouldn't call myself a Julianne Hough fan. (Is there such a thing?) But I unashamedly LOVED POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive

Julianne and Le DeLaria, Rachel Dratch, Julie White, Vanessa Williams, Suzy Nakamura, Lilli Cooper were such a hoot. Was it high art? Of course not, it was just a really enjoyable farce. That was the first post-lockdown show I saw and the energy in the Shubert that night was off the charts. You could feel how grateful the audience was to get to have another collective experience and to laugh together. As I recall, our performance was shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade and the abortion rights moment in the play got a loud and sustained standing ovation.

I imagine they couldn't hold that cast for an extended run, but I always thought they should have recast it with some other comedic actresses for another brief 3- month run.

Anyone get anything from the Majestic when Phantom closed?

I heard they were selling seats to passers-by for 5 bucks each, as they were getting trashed otherwise.

Wonder what cast members/company members took.

Anyone had David Korins?

Haven't seen Sean Hayes as Oscar Levant except in clips so I can't say how good he was but always thought Lewis Black would have been the perfect choice for the role. Except, I guess, in box office.

Sean is fine. It's a good showcase of his comedic, dramatic and musical chops. It's not a particularly great performance. It's not a well written play (at all.) If the play had run early in the season and the other nominated actors' plays were running now, he probably would not have been the frontrunner or won. Timing may not be everything, but it's important.

R381 and R401

401 can fuck off.

Dumbass.

Oh, and some photos.

I misremembered. Gay wasn't a little person....just short. And, bad.

And yes, I’m sure even B list stars were beating down the doors at the Tony awards and white Cherri to please please please let them cohost the pre-show on fucking Pluto

I’ve heard even Henry Hodges turned them down… But it’s nice to see his bruises have healed

R546, If a show closes prior to the Tony nominations being announced, how are the Tony voters expected to see the show and nominated performers?

there's usually a couple of weeks when they scramble to invite and cajole votes to come see the show between the closing announcement and the actual shuttering.

I hope their are plans to put Adrianna DeBlasio and Julie Ann Huff in Chicago as the new Roxy and Velma.

Micaela Diamond thinks she and her musical are very important , is queer, and stole a napkin from the White House

So what happened between Randy Rainbow and the Widow Sondheim? R517? Bueller?

Anyone seen LIZARD BOY?

I'm looking forward to the Encores LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.

So... it's NOT color-blind casting. The story has been reconceived so that Ruthie Ann Miles and the actress playing Clara are actually part of an Asian-American family. A small distinction, but an important one, I think.

I never quite understood Light in the Piazza.

The Italian family think she’s a teenage girl and then find out she’s a retarded 30 year old?

They find out she's 26, but they never find out she's mentally disabled before her mother marries her off to them and the show ends.

Clara's not retarded.

She got kicked in the head by a pony, as a small child.

You know who I thought might have a bigger career? Alex Sharp. I really enjoyed his performance in Curious Incident. I mean, he's worked in film and TV since, but nothing major. I wonder if he's had any offers for another show on Broadway.

So she's retarded as a result of the pony kick.

Is David Korins a homosexualist?

Korins is as straight as they come but has always been inordinately ambitious so he may have sucked a cock or two on his way up. As for the BDF, you should have seen him before the nose job!

R564 - you're saying some lucky frau is getting plowed by him?

R554: Why did the NY Times publish Micaela Diamond's college admission essay?

R566 IS EVERYONE QUEER?

R553 I hope there are plans for you to finish the third grade. Oh, fucking dear.

[quote] You know who I thought might have a bigger career? Alex Sharp. I really enjoyed his performance in Curious Incident. I mean, he's worked in film and TV since, but nothing major. I wonder if he's had any offers for another show on Broadway.

Sharp suffers from being unable to work well with an American accent. His film career has been one dud after another, but he also comes off as much less talented than he is when he doesn't speak in his native accent. Plus the fact that he's not much to look at...

That Michaela Diamond article was fucking exhausting. And I'm not sure why she had to pander to black people in it. That's not what Parade is about, and there isn't a competition as to who's suffered more. The show is the show. If you feel it shouldn't be told on stage because it doesn't place in the Misery Olympics, then don't take the role. But don't do it and apologize for it.

And I must have missed the "queer" part in the article. Is that because she wanted to make out with her best friend?

Sharp > very definition of a one-hit wonder.

I love LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. The original production with Vicki Clark and Kelly O was one for the ages.

But I would have loved to have seen it during its (allegedly difficult) development out of town (where Kelly eventually replaced Celia Keenan-Bolger). Word is that Sondheim saw it and told the team that Clara's character "wasn't nearly retarded enough." So for a short while, they went overboard with Clara acting, well... like a severely developmentally disabled child. Super duper developmentally disabled...

Fortunately, clearer heads prevailed.

There's something fucked up about The Wiz having lost the Tony for Best Book to a musical whose opening number is "Raise the Flag of Dixie."

[quote]Giving voice to the dignity and diversity of the human experience

[quote]Moving audiences toward a more just and compassionate world

That's the company's mission statement, r548. If you have a problem with their focus, why in the world would you go to one of their shows? I guess so you can come to DL and ridicule them.

[quote] —trapped in 1975

Doug Henning was in the wrong category due to weird Tony rules, like Tom Bosley in Fiorello and Tammy Grimes in The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Henning was nominated in the Best Featured Actor category for The Magic Show. Henning *was* The Magic Show. The entire show was built around him.

But because he wasn’t a star above the title, he was put into the Featured category.

Proving yet again, the Tony Committee have always been a train wreck.

Tell me about it!

Totally agree about PIAZZA. The mother is deceiving the family, with scarcely a tug on her conscience. As I recall, the film has the mother at least struggling with her decision.

[quote] Totally agree about PIAZZA. The mother is deceiving the family, with scarcely a tug on her conscience.

Or that was Vicki Clark’s interpretation.

Fabrizio wasn't terrible bright either so he and Clara were a perfect match.

David Korins is a sheister faggele!

Ruthi Ann Miles is much more talented than having to pllay the mother of a retarted pizza-loving girl.

R582, you have to be a parody account, right? Just checking. (One can never know around here.)

I would have misspelled pizza as pisa.

[quote][R582], you have to be a parody account, right? Just checking. (One can never know around here.)

If you ignoredar that poster, you will find lots of Beanie "jokes" and posts like this:

[quote]Jolene McCracken died from an infection from a clothespin stuck in her hoohah.

New thread:

Have never really paid much attention to Korins before, but this thread sent me to his Instagram. Looking at his stories, seems like a good dad...but also Here Lies Love looks like a nightmare to me. For those who saw (participated in?) it at the Public, was it fun? Just looking at that crowded orchestra level/dance floor makes me claustrophobic. But the alternative is sitting far away.

Whoever the girl is playing Clara in the Encores production of Piazza, I would totally believe her as a retard. SHe looks like she's got a touch of the downs.

They should have cast Pretty Girl.

[QUOTE] That's the company's mission statement, [R548]. If you have a problem with their focus, why in the world would you go to one of their shows? I guess so you can come to DL and ridicule them.

I am not r548 but the "mission statement" should be to PUT ON ENTERTAINING SHOWS THAT MAKE MONEY. End of story. They are not the frigging United Nations.

Well, r590, you do just that when you start *your* theater company. Do you need more attention?

[quote]Fabrizio wasn't terrible bright either so he and Clara were a perfect match.

And their children grew up to be Republican members of Congress.

Korins? When did I eat Korins?

Off-Broadway is suffering partly because people don't even know what's Off about it. "Off" is an off-putting word, so if a tourist wants to see a show, instead of seeing something new and interesting Off-Broadway, they'll settle for '& Juliet' or 'Moulin Rouge' because those shows are on Broadway and not "off" somewhere else. I love Off-Broadway but it seems only people who like theatre go to the shows. (unless there's a movie star in the show.)

I love Ruthie

[quote]Totally agree about PIAZZA. The mother is deceiving the family, with scarcely a tug on her conscience. As I recall, the film has the mother at least struggling with her decision.

Not true at all. In the musical, Margaret agonizes over telling the Nacarelli family the truth about Clara, and she comes very close to telling Fabrizo's father. But then I guess Margaret comes to think that the language and cultural differences between Clara and Fabrizio will act as a sort of leveler for Clara's lack of intelligence, and also, Margaret has no reason to believe that Clara's handicap will prevent her from being a good wife and mother.

Bette '73

Always nice to see Michael Barresse.

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R598, Especially from the waist down.

[quote]Always nice to see Michael Barresse.

[quote][R598], Especially from the waist down.

Berresse went bare-assed in Broadway Bares in the late 90s.