THEATRE GOSSIP #536: The "Your ticket should say URINETOWN" Edition

so another onslaught of new musicals this season, most doomed to fail: Here Lies Love, Back to the Future, Harmony, The Notebook, The Huey Lewis thing, Days of Wine and Roses, Like Water for Elephants, Suffs,. Any early Tony predictions for Best Musical?

if

Let's not forget Death Becomes Her, the Musical.

Great title, OP. 🙄

I don't know, r3. Black comedies are tricky. There isn't a single likable character and the movie was so dependent on the brilliance of Streep/Hawn and FX.

I have a feeling that sometime in the next 18-24 months it will be hard to remember Death Becomes Her, the Musical, r3.

Oh, so maybe they can nab Kate Hudson and a Streep spawn for the musical?

Maybe the transfer of Here We Are to a Broadway house?

Which will then beat Passion for shortest run of a Sondheim musical.

I saw Harmony in its original incarnation in La Jolla -five times. Very moving show with a great score. I don't know how much it has been reworked, but the original was definitely good. Danny Burstein and the late, great Rebecca Luker.

[quote] Which will then beat Passion for shortest run of a Sondheim musical.

Umm....

Did anyone see the Barrington A New Brain?

From the last thread...

[quote]Young Liza does "Frank Mills" from HAIR. Her choices are... interesting.

She's singing it in character. I think it works fine.

Saw Lea in Funny Girl today. It was an amazing experience a very different show then when I saw the lumbering Beanie last year. Lea should have been doing this since day one. Even the rest of the cast was energized. The audience was jumping up and down after each belt. Tovah was a highlight. Best $200 I spent this year. I see a lot of shows and most have been dreck but today was great. The set is still ugly as fuck. Thank god they restaged "People". Beanie just sat at that table mumbled. Lea gets up and walks around just like in the film and shows emotion and it adds so much. So glad I saw this! I'm still floating.

Who knows how it would have done had Lea opened it, r14? The way it worked out - she didn't get compared to Barbra, she got compared to Beanie.

She channeled Barbra a few times which worked perfectly and added to the show IMO R15. I kind of think it went over most people's heads except for those of us that were tuned to it. Mom and Pop tourist from god knows where probably didn't notice. I noticed it in "People" and in the song "Funny Girl" which was written for the movie. The second act of this show has always been problematic, all the thrills are in act one with the best songs.

The Barbra bits would have been even more apparent had she opened it, r16.

Hold my beer, Merrily.

Her fake mustache as Private Schwartz in "Rat Tat Tat" kept falling off. She didn't miss a beat and handed it to the conductor. The audience went wild.

Excuse me, I had to carry the show for that lump. I want a medal!

You endured with dignity, r20, you do deserve a medal.

I think had Lea opened Funny Girl, she would have still lost the Tony to the Burn it Down lady from Paradise Square.

I think in many ways, Lea was better served by replacing. She was seen as saving a Broadway show instead of being a second rate Barbra Streisand

I sure am glad my favorite Zemeckis film (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) would basically be impossible to put on stage and is thus safe from being turned into a second-rate musical.

Incidentally, here's more info on that LA Menstruation musical.

[quote]Claire is desperate to figure out if a lesbian period is the ultimate lesbian tragedy; meanwhile, Emily, a hormone inside her body, decides to take matters into her own hands. A comedic, musical, poetic rendering of the menstrual cycle, our heroines leap between the living room, the uterus, the ovaries, and the fallopian tubes to test the limits of love, the limits of the body, and the limits of what any single organism can accomplish alone.

What is a 'lesbian period'?

[quote]What is a 'lesbian period'?

A year back in college.

😂🤣

R25’s post probably has more jokes in it than the show.

I'm glad the cast and crew got paid for a longer period, but it will be a blessed relief when this show closes and stops taking up conversational space.

R28, with so many shows running, in NY, LA, London, etc... could you be a bit more specific?

I’m guessing R28 is referring to Funny Girl.

[Quote] I'm glad the cast and crew got paid for a longer period, but it will be a blessed relief when this show closes and stops taking up conversational space.

Yes, because that [italic] always [/italic] happens.

[quote][R28], with so many shows running, in NY, LA, London, etc... could you be a bit more specific?—ByJupiter

This has been happening a lot on DL lately, r29. R30 is probably correct that r28 is referring to Funny Girl, but how hard is is to quote another poster, refer to a post #, or just name the show? It just makes it easier to have a conversation.

DID I EVER PROMISE YOU EASY?

I thought not.

All I ask from you, the Divine M/r33, is the forum itself, as archaic as it is. I don't even want an edit button , because it's too easy for trolls to abuse.

...but if my fellow DL-er wants to communicate with me, I only ask that they help me out.

R1 don't forget us: How to Dance in Ohio, The Outsiders

Encores should consider "Margaritaville."

Porkablob is bringing 75 percent of herself to LA for some play called "Dragon Baby."

FUNNY GIRL & ONCE UPON A ONE MO TIME both closing today.

But dry those tears and get ready for the CURTAIN UP weekend!

r37 That's her own show

[quote]DRAGON BABY is a two act musical with a cast of 10. The first of her family to attend college, Sara Porkalob has one more project to complete before she begins her glamorous life as a professional actress: her senior thesis. Faced with her parent’s ugly breakup and midlife crisis, Sara decides to devote all of her time and energy into writing the next Great American Musical but no matter how much she writes, it all seems...wrong. What story did she have to tell? What could she create that hadn’t been already invented?

[quote]Picking up where Dragon Mama left off, we follow Sara’s journey from the queer communal house of her childhood in Anchorgage, AK to her teens in conservative hometown of Bremerton, WA to the hallowed halls of a Seattle liberal arts college as she deconstructs her white supremacist education, juggles 5 jobs including but not limited to a phone sex operator, a drug dealer, and a pizza call center aide, and ultimately realizes her purpose in the universe.

I hope Broadway is ready for it's next big hit!

I don't even think DL is ready for that.

I'm sure the tens of audience members at DRAGON BABY will only need mild doses of therapy after witnessing that mess.

Not to mention mild doses of psilocybin.

So, it's autobiographical? A vanity project?

r43 A vanity trilogy, there's already been two parts (Dragon Lady about her grandmother, Dragon Mama about her mother) and now this

Will the third in her Dragon trilogy address 1776 and her 75%?

Is it true that the all-girl revival of 1776 rushed Todd Haimes to an early grave?

It's the first trilogy to contain 2.25 parts.

[quote]Is it true that the all-girl revival of 1776 rushed Todd Haimes to an early grave?

I don't think we can blame THAT on the show, but it was indeed awful just as a production, aside from all of the drama backstage, which apparently was not limited to Porkalob's antics.

Lea sang My Man at the final curtain call today.

And she made them fire her make-up gal for that unstuck Private Schwartz mustache even though she only had one more show to do.

R49

Proving there is not ONE SINGLE THING that she can do that has any originality.

Yes, thank fuck FUNNY GIRL is over. I wish the cast and crew wonderful careers and for it to rain cash all over them.

Julie B's final Fanny bow.

Fake facial hair falling off on stage is a trope that goes back to the Ancient Romans. Just make a bit of it and laugh backstage. No need to fire anyone unless you're a c*nt

Lea

Now that Funny Girl is over and there isn’t a Follies on the Horizon, NOW what will we do?!?

How could a performance of My Man on the last night be considered a surprise?

Babs at her last Broadway performance

[Quote] which apparently was not limited to Porkalob's antics

The worst kind of non-gossip post. Either say what you’re talking about or STFU.

No need to be so nasty, R59. I would have written more but I have no specifics, I only heard from a reliable source that there was general unhappiness among the company of that awful 1776, beyond the fallout from Porkalob's idiotic statements in that interview. So calm the fuck down, please.

I miss Beanie's sleeves!

R22, It will make Lea’s A&E Biography more interesting.

Coming in 2025: Completing her Dragon tetralogy, "Dragon Pan Babies" is Sara's powerful, personal, and playful deconstruction of the queer aborted Asian-American fetuses trope.

Porkalob as aborted pan baby!

R58 thanks for posting that. Streisand is one of a kind, unbeatable.

Barbra was paying tribute to Fanny Brice. Lea was paying tribute to Barbra.

Speaking of Barbra, she did the narration for the Audiobook version of her autobiography being released on November 7th.

47 hours in length.

Do you suppose she'll win a Grammy for that?

Is she already an EGOT?

r68

not a competitive Tony though

The memoir audio was supposed to be 47 hours and 1 minute in length… but Barbra cut the thank you section.

R70, ha! Good one.

Why didn't Lea just use her real moustache?

Can't believe that FG used the ploy "At this performance, the role of Fanny Brice will be played by . . ." Just as BS did. Wonder if LM deliberately skipped a few just to add to the suspense.

R73, I didn't know they did that. How repulsive.

I can't believe they never changed that ridiculous WHERE IS SHE? bit at the curtain call. Eek.

Have we discussed?

Supposed to be available on Amazon music, but I cannot find them.

The touring cast of 1776 was just as awful. When they got to Kansas City, they refused to perform because of the heat, even though the stage house is enclosed and air conditioned. Somehow Equity let them get away with this.

Lea’s pussy, like her talent, is wanting.

There was a new show development that was talked about a few threads back - does anyone know the status of "Y'all Are Racist Mother Fuckers"?

r76, discussed in several posts two threads ago. The albums are excellent. Although it seems you can only hear the bonus tracks if you purchase the albums, vs. stream, say, ion Apple Music.

[quote]The touring cast of 1776 was just as awful.

How did it do?

Thanks, R78. What a disaster. That production was a terrible idea to begin with, and it certainly seems to have been snakebit.

All the presenters of the 1776 lost money. When I saw it in LA, theater was 1/3 full.

Thanks for the info, R84. That failure was richly deserved.

P.S. After the reviews and horrendous box office of the New York run of that 1776, I'm surprised they went ahead with the tour, but I guess the presenters had nothing else ready to replace the show on such relatively short notice.

Lea is a singer, Barbra is an interpreter of song.

R51-

Ragtime Spring Awakening Glee New Year’s Eve Scream Queens

What's your point? She's a performing seal.

WHET Micah Stock?

We discussed a few threads back, R76. Sweeney and Company both sound great, not a huge transformation but it's nice to hear different parts of the orchestration. I'm a bit miffed as people are really praising the Into the Woods remaster, but I get an error when I try to listen on Amazon Music.

The article implies there might be more in the future. I hope so cause the original Sunday in the Park with George could really use this treatment.

[quote]WHET Micah Stock?

It didn't beat the Dow Jones average.

*

Is he still with Chris Perfetti? Perhaps he's given up show business and become a Hollywood Wife. If we're lucky, we'll get to see him in the next Don Loper fashion show.

That's only if Frances drops out, r94.

R95, If Frances Dee(Mrs. Joel McCrea) had been available for the Don Loper fashion show.

Yeah, all the 1776 presenters came to Roundabout and were like WTF, but they were screwed because they had committed based on the directors' track record. Oops.

At Don Loper's salon:

Ethel: Where are all the racks of dresses?

Lucy: There aren't any.

Ethel: Well whaddya paw through?

[quote]Yeah, all the 1776 presenters came to Roundabout and were like WTF, but they were screwed because they had committed based on the directors' track record. Oops.

Thanks. How unfortunate.

Who knew that Don Loper came up with the original idea for the Real Housewives of Hollywood?

Diane Paulus' revival of 1776 remains, for me, the worst evening of theatre in all of 2022. And I see a lot of theatre, and some of it is quite bad. (And no, you cannot blame all of it Sara Porkolab. Many of the performances were just godawful.)

Between 1776 and the disappointing run of LIFE OF PI, I don't know how "bankable" Paulus is. Anyone know what her next project is?

Paulus had nothing to do with "Life of Pi". She should be hung in the town square for inflicting "finding neverland" on the world, but she did it to suck up to Harvey to get a film career, but then, well, oops....

You're correct, R102: I misread the (confusing) IBDB credits for LIFE OF PI:

[quote]Produced by American Repertory Theatre (Diane Paulus, Artistic Director; Kelvin Dinkins, Jr., Executive Director) North American premiere at Harvard University at the American Repertory Theatre (Diane Paulus, Artistic Director; Kelvin Dinkins, Jr., Executive Director)

I wasn't aware Paulus even had a film career, or attempted one.

[quote]Diane Paulus' revival of 1776 remains, for me, the worst evening of theatre in all of 2022.

I agree, but I was surprised when I looked up the credits for that show, because I had forgotten that it was billed as having been directed by "Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus." So not only did she have a co-director, she even took second billing to him. Of course, I have no idea how much of a contribution they each made, and it's possible he didn't do much and was only attached to the show because he's African-American.

Sniff, goodbye from Lea.

Bye girl.

I don't believe for a minute that this is her "farewell" to FG. She'll use some of those songs as instant applause triggers until she's 80.

so what's next for Justin guarini

R107, Of course.

R67, Who else but Barbra Streisand would sit in a recording studio and record 47 hours of words she had written about herself?

Barbra, can you hear me?

Any way of knowing how many performances of FG Lea missed over the past year? Asking for a friend.

Do her scheduled Thursday nights count?

R113- No, those don't count as "missed" performances as she wasn't scheduled to appear.

Thanks

thanks = you're giving away data for free

All 4 Fannys

That's a lot of Fannys!

During her one year run Lea has Covid twice, 2 scheduled week long vacations, around another 10 scheduled absences, maybe 10 unscheduled absences and, sadly, health issues with her son that maybe counted for another 10 missed performances. So, out of an estimated 364 performances she played around 300.

Michael Riedel will be here soon to let us all know Lea and her son weren't tough enough.

I'm available to record Barbra's book. Lots of free time on my hands.

Sunday night they will applaud my Fanny!

I never miss an Ephie Aardema musical.

I can’t imagine Barbra recording the book she already wrote without adding things as they occurred to her.

I’m sure it was a nightmare

R123, Will she talk about all the celebrity cock she’s enjoyed over the years?

When does Barbra's book come out?

November 7, but you can preorder now, bitches!

It's an epic!

Book: 992 pages. Audio: 47 hours.

I'm already working on the movie rights.

R125, You can pre-order the Audiobook version on Amazon for $61.25, and that’s with a 13% discount.

Oh R127, that's wonderful, thank you so much!

Looks like Babs is my Q4 reading list with that many pages.

R124, That would include Elliott Gould, Sydney Chaplin, Omar Sharif, Ryan O’Neal, Jon Peters, Kris Kristofferson, Liam Neeson, Don Johnson, Andre Agassi, Richard Baskin, Anthony Newley, James Brolin and others, I’m sure.

I'm encouraged that her editor is highly respected in the publishing industry. He's been quite mum on his experience with her.

New musicals poll

FG set a BO record in it's final week even with Lea only appearing in 4 performances.

Hope it does better than War Paint....or any number of other shows to open in Chicago

Andrew Rannells looks like he's gonna bite through a picket fence

r133 who's the editor?

I'll wait for "Guttenberg: The Musical!"

r138, Rick Kot.

I prefer his brother Ep Kot.

"Please be advised that our valued colleague Executive Editor Rick Kot is on extended medical leave, being treated for PTSD (post-traumatic Streisand disorder). Be sure to sign the Get Well Soon card that is being circulated, and include Rick in your thoughts and prayers."

R140, Rick Kot is no Bennett Cerf.

Where are the grosses? It's Tuesday (yes I know it was a holiday but get with it). Funny Girl is bragging about theirs but how was the rest of the week?

I thought perhaps the editor was Benjamin Dreyer.

Streisand deserved better than Dreyer.

Quite a statement R146.

R146. Carl or Benjamin?

[quote]Streisand deserved better than Dreyer.

Baskin-Robbins?

[quote] Baskin-Robbins?

Had him, too.

Streisand's all wet!

Yes, r150, I know.

They should have used the sets from NY,NY in Funny Girl.

Yes, r153, Fanny really needed a freewheeling girder number.

I could have staged Coronet Man there r154!

This past weekend I saw The Last Trip: The Soul Train Musical. Sounds so corny, but it was really good. It's the first jukebox musical I've liked in a long time. The set was amazing! Costumes and book need a little work, but other than that it's really fantastic!

Broadway is now nothing more than a theme park!

Chris Gattelli is a sweet guy but he is NOT a director. He's barely a choreographer. Good luck on DEATH BECOMES HER.

[quote]I could have staged Coronet Man there [R154]!

Them's fightin' words!

(And oh, dear.)

I’m sorry too but Megan Hilty is not Madeline Ashton.

Laura Benanti is Madeline Ashton.

Sherie Rene Scott is Madeline Ashton.

R160 Sean Connery is Madeline Ashton!

[quote]During her one year run Lea has Covid twice, 2 scheduled week long vacations, around another 10 scheduled absences, maybe 10 unscheduled absences and, sadly, health issues with her son that maybe counted for another 10 missed performances. So, out of an estimated 364 performances she played around 300.

Whether or not anyone feels her scheduled absences were excessive, the fact remains that they were scheduled absences, so ticket-buyers could avoid those performances if they chose to do so. And, of course, absences due to COVID and other illnesses are completely understandable. But many people would say it's pretty shocking, and telling of her personality, that Lea had so many additional, unscheduled absences. This may sound heartless, but were her son's health issues so severe that she couldn't leave him for a total of about four hours per night to go and do the show and then run right back home to him? Did she have to personally administer some medication to him during that time? And wasn't the father home?

What's really sketchy is on two occasions Lea called out right before her scheduled weekend absences so it really seemed like she was extending her time off to a full week. As far as her son goes, you can't fault her for not wanting to leave her sick child.

WTF is an Ephie Aardema? Was she by any chance Julie Benko's understudy? I haven't had a chance to listen to them yet, was she any good? Did any DL's see her?

Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but did FG ever end up paying back or even maybe make a profit?

Here we are....

Ephie went on 3 or 4 times. Beanie loved her and called out while Julie had the COVID so Ephie could go on.

Ah, yes. How selfless and thoughtful of Beanie to call out!

Is Bobby wearing a onesie?

Is Ephie Aardema really an anagram for Beanie Feldmarstein?

[quote]How selfless and thoughtful of Beanie to call out!

I'm sure the audience appreciated it!

Let's not forget Barbra had that Canadian Trudeau dick, too.

R137-How much do you suppose Andrew paid for those fake teeth and that face lift?

Thanks, R166. Looks interesting.

The queerest fall theater season of them all?

DEATH BECOMES HER...

R174 What do they mean by 'queerest'?

[quote]As far as her son goes, you can't fault her for not wanting to leave her sick child.

I would absolutely agree with that if it was an illness so serious that Lea couldn't in good conscious be away from the child for a total of about four hours on performance nights, assuming of course that his father was there to take care of him.

R172, Babs also rode Peter Jennings for a while.

Is Robert Redford the only one she couldn't get, who turned her down? Her Ham Lushbough?

R177. I know at one point her son was hospitalized so that's pretty scary and a good reason why she would want to stay close to him.

[Quote] in good conscious

Oh dear, gorgeous

Purlie adds more producers

[quote] newly announced co-producers include Tony Award-nominated actor Alan Alda, actor-producer Nnamdi Asomugha, director and Tony-nominated actor LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Tony-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson, two-time Tony-winning actor Phylicia Rashad and actor-producer Kerry Washington."

The industry has gone insane

"In terms of attendance, 13 productions played to at least 90% capacity … Only one show, “A Beautiful Noise,” failed to hit the 70% mark and played to just 69% capacity."

Saw Infinite Life last night. A play about pain. It was a major pain for me.

INFINITE LIFE def doesn't sound like my cuppa tea, based on word-of-mouth. I bet the critics rave, though.

This morning on "The Carol Burnett Show" (on Catchy Comedy): Eileen Farrell, Marilyn Horne and Carol sing "You Could Drive A Person Crazy." (This episode was taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC instead of CBS Television City in LA.)

The same trio sings "Hey, Big Spender" on another episode; that's the only one for which I could find a video.

Thanks R165-So FG showed a slight profit in the last month? I suspect the tour will shutter early. It might do fairly good (not SRO) business in a few big cities, but once the out of town show queens see it, they'll probably play to half empty houses.

I think the producers made a big mistake in casting the tour Fanny with an unknown (far from their first-Beanie, anyone?) As Ms. Feldstein proved, the show is not the main attraction-people want to see a Fanny who can sing well and has star quality .

Like her or despise her, it seems Lea does possess that elusive something that draws audiences. Was there no one else with even a modicum of a "name" they could have gotten? I know she's way too old now, but would Idina be interested in a long, exhausting tour at this point in her career? They could offer her 7 or maybe even 6 performances a week. What else is a she doing now? Concert tours?

And Melissa Manchester as Rosie Brice? Who the hell even knows who she is these days? Did they even offer it to Tovah? I know she's close to 75, maybe she's not physically up to it.

I know she hates doing theater, but I really think Rosie O'Donnell would be terrific as Mrs. Brice and I bet she'd sell quite a few tickets out of curiosity.

[quote]What else is a she doing now?

She has a musical she helped create with Tina Landau premiering at La Jolla in February.

Critics love Annie Baker, but I predict 50/50 for this one. Two hours of intermissionless Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzs.

A24 let Annie Baker write and direct a movie. Can you imagine?

Interesting. FG cleared over $2 million last week but only played to 86% capacity. They sit the record because they charged so much for the tickets that were bought. I believe Elphie went on 7 times and I think she sounds great on the bootleg recording of "Greatest Star." In other news, I just won the Back To the Future lottery for the second time and can't wait to go again. It's such a fun show.

Those lottery tix for BTTF are in front mezzanine. Perfect seats!

I have zero interest in seeing BTTF except for Casey Likes, who I thought was really wonderful in Almost Famous and deserved a Tony nom (though nothing else in that wretched show did).

Judy McLane announced as Joanne for a Company tour. I guess Joyce deWitt turned them down.

[quote]I guess Joyce deWitt turned them down.

Joyce was adamant that it was Bobbie...or nothing.

Listen…it’s great that those kids are getting a break by doing Sondheim on the road….but they really could have benefited from some star power on that tour. Even Funny Girl has Melissa Manchester.

Catherine Zeta-Jones IS April.

r192- the first time I won the lottery, they were great seats in the mezzanine which was perfect especially for the last effect with the car but this time I won the lottery, they are left orchestra row P. Shouldn't be bad.

Rosie hates doing theater? I seem to remember she couldn't get enough of it for a while: FIDDLER, GREASE, SUESSICAL, etc.

Rosie gets bored.

[quote] Critics love Annie Baker,

And The New York Times covers every fart and every queef she emits

I love Annie Baker, esp. THE FLICK and JOHN, but INFINITE LIFE is definitely under-cooked Baker. Should have been titled COMMISSION FULFILLMENT.

[quote]Even Funny Girl has Melissa Manchester.

It's laughable to think of Melissa Manchester having "star power" at this stage of her life/career and in a role like Mrs. Brice in FUNNY GIRL. But the fact that you think so feeds right into what the idiot producers want you to think.

Jessica Lange is returning to Broadway in Paula Vogel's new play, along with Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan-Bolger.

She has a *name*, r203.

Who spread the rumor that Celia Keenan-Bolger could act and why did it take root?

That's a joke about Joyce DeWitt being offered tour Joanne right?

r207 Of course. Everyone knows it was offered to Suzanne Somers first.

CKB really does look like she could play Lange’s daughter. If a vertically challenged, mentally impaired type was required.

I hope these are the actual costumes, but they’re probably just clothing for the photo shoot. Although somebody on here said the creative team from Broadway bowed out for the tour. These are all better than what New York did.

I thought Gary Griffin was directing "Death Becomes Her." And didn't Cheno say she was doing it?

[quote]Who spread the rumor that Celia Keenan-Bolger could act and why did it take root?

Apparently, some organization thinks so.

Celia Keenan Bolger has a lot of goodwill in the community for being fired from Lights in the Piazza right before it moved to Broadway and being replaced with her “friend” Kelli O’Hara.

Kelli has mentioned many times this created a difficult relationship between her, Celia and Victoria Clark for many years.

This was later compounded when Bart Sher had it down between those three for South Pacific a few years later.

CKB never fully recovered from rolling out of that sofa in Glass Menagerie.

Who would, r214?

The thing about Melissa Manchester is that even if she has a name that resonates for some ticket buyers, it's not for ticket buyers who'd want to see Funny Girl.

Clearly, with the casting announced for the Funny Girl and Company tour casts, "stars" (of any degree) no longer want to tour. Hard to believe that there was time when the biggest Broadway stars, from Mary Martin to Helen Hayes to Lunt & Fontanne, would perform a show on Broadway for a year and then spend the next year touring the country with it.

Even when Hello, Dolly! toured a few years ago, they couldn't get a bigger name than Betty Buckley or Carolee Carmello (both of whom nobody outside of NY knows) when that show originally eagerly attracted every over 50 genuine diva of film and stage. Times have changed.

"Broadway" stardom doesn't translate nationally anymore. The contemporary Broadway stars for the most part don't have enough distinction.

R213. Sound familiar, Patti?

Couldn't they get some C list stars for Company playing the smaller parts? The cast looks like the cruise ship version. We'll see how it does.

Sondheim doesn't translate nationally. He barely translates on Broadway. Company will be a bomb as will ST unless they can get Grobin to tour.

R213, that's interesting. I had heard that Victoria Clark was Kelli's competition for SOUTH PACIFIC, odd as that may sound, but I had never heard that Celia was up for the role.

[quote]Sondheim doesn't translate nationally. He barely translates on Broadway. Company will be a bomb as will ST unless they can get Grobin to tour.

I agree with you about COMPANY, but I do think SWEENEY TODD has gained great popularity as a show over the years, even without stars. Though, of course, stars never hurt!

I do like Paula Vogel, but one would hope she'd be better served than by Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan Fucking Bolger.

R222, Will it tour with the same size orchestra as Broadway?

I cannot see Josh Groban touring.

What's with all this hate for Celia Keenan-Bolger? I think she's wonderful when well cast, and I have never seen her miscast. Back off, bitches!

R225, I’ll cut her.

Some Like it Lukewarm is not long for this world at 75% capacity.

R227. Maybe they can get Melissa Manchester to play Sweet Sue on tour.

[R206] Who spread the rumor that any of the Keenan-Bolgers could act and why did it take root? They mug.

How is Tina Landau still getting directing gigs after being called “community theater level” for the Transparent musical?

Celia Keenan Bolger is like that girl that auditions every summer for community theatre. She always wants to play Laurie but gets cast as Ado Annie. She wants to play Julie but gets cast as Carrie. She wants to play the Baker’s Wife but is cast as Lucinda.

She was quite good as Scout. The conceit of an adult playing the role worked well.

Miss Cook much preferred Carrie to Julie, r231 and give me Ado Annie any day over Laurie.

[quote] She wants to play the Baker’s Wife but is cast as Lucinda.

Hey, at least I usually am the Baker's Wife understudy!

[quote]Some Like it Lukewarm is not long for this world at 75% capacity.

It's a wonder that it's still running. I believe the rumor is that they're running on loans. If true, that's going to be a shit load of money owed unless it suddenly starts making a significant profit each week, which OF COURSE is not going to happen at this point. Why would it?

I really think they're last prayer was winning the Tony for Best Musical, which it did not.

R231. Disagree. She was a very good Laura—different in having some anger. And I saw her as Clara in The Light in the Piazza in Chicago—I thought she was much closer to the role than O’Hara.

I believe Sher wanted her and Andrew for Ngana and Jerome.

R236, I enjoyed your post till the last line, which was really not funny :-(

[quote]Hey, at least I usually am the Baker's Wife understudy!

All I can get is Milky White.

R235, Especially with this . . .

“2023 Tony winner J. Harrison Ghee will be out of Broadway's Some Like It Hot for "at least" the next six weeks, according to an Instagram story the actor posted August 30. Understudy DeMarius R. Copes will take over the role of Jerry/Daphne in Ghee's absence. The musical continues its run at the Shubert Theatre.“

I don't think people care if Ghee is in or out. The box office actually went up the first week of his absence.

I wonder, in lieu of a "name," why they didn't get Julie Benko to do the FG tour?

R241: She probably is tired of the show and turned it down in lieu of a role in the Barry Manilow musical.

Could be wrong but I have a feeling Julie Benko and her management wisely turned down the tour. She'd already gotten everything good out of playing Fanny on Broadway and was offered Harmony for this season. She'd just be losing momentum in her career out in the boondocks with a FG in what will probably be even a cheaper looking production.

Didn't realize Julie was going into HARMONY.

Many have said Into The Woods was Sondheim's most popular show but it struggled on tour and even on Broadway closed shortly after Sara Bareilles left.

These new tours of FG, Company and The Girl From the North Country are done on the extreme cheap, Equity minimums for the actors, and the moves are mostly every week or two. That can be grueling and I think it's why the casts are mostly of unknowns. Experienced actors, let alone stars, don't want to do them. In the last decade or 2, big touring hits like The Producers, Wicked, Jersey Boys and Book of Mormon would sit down in cities for at least a couple of months, if not much longer, and everyone was paid quite well.

[quote]Many have said Into The Woods was Sondheim's most popular show but it struggled on tour and even on Broadway closed shortly after Sara Bareilles left.

It is among middle/high schools. There are many annual productions across the country, but teenagers don't generally have the income to spare for that.

[quote]Understudy DeMarius R. Copes will take over the role of Jerry/Daphne in Ghee's absence.

That'd be the guy who bragged about showing up for work while still drunk or under the influence of drugs

[quote] Many have said Into The Woods was Sondheim's most popular show but it struggled on tour and even on Broadway closed shortly after Sara Bareilles left.

I'm not a Sondheim fanatic or apologist, but let's be fair: that revival was originally announced for an eight week limited run. It then extended twice for an additional four months, but always had to vacate for New York, New York, which had the theatre booked for the spring. The grosses did dwindle after Bareilles left, but it's not really accurate to say the show closed "shortly" after she left. It was always going to be a limited run, by necessity.

In lieu of a name from tv, they could at least have had a name from the theatre for the Company tour. That cast list is in lieu of sparkle.

R248. We've seen that before!

One additional dollar spent on the cast is one additional dollar they will lose every week

You get what you pay for.

R251, Don’t forget us.

What makes posters here think that bigger names weren't sought for these tours? Sought and turned down? The names you see in these casts are not the names first offered. And that can be said in the casting of all shows, on Broadway, too.

r252 Ridiculously simplistic thinking.

Sondheim’s old friends is delaying opening by 4 days because Haydn had to withdraw. Is anyone on here affected by the delay?

I have tickets for SEPTEMBER 22 and I’m holding my breath.

[quote]Understudy DeMarius R. Copes will take over the role of Jerry/Daphne in Ghee's absence.

[quote]That'd be the guy who bragged about showing up for work while still drunk or under the influence of drugs.

Damn, I missed that. Where and when did he make this incredibly foolish statement? And was it in reference to SOME LIKE IT HOT, or another show?

Oh, and of course, my post above should have read "I really think their last prayer was winning the Tony for Best Musical" -- not "they're last prayer." :-)

Something I wonder about the FUNNY GIRL tour: Do you suppose the awful set design might be altered? It got such deservedly negative reviews on Broadway that I'm thinking they might at least redesign that ugly central unit of a cylindrical brick wall. But the producers are probably too cheap to foot the bill for that.

It will be interesting to see how Purlie Victorious sells. I don't think that Leslie Odom Jr will be as big a box office draw as the producers are banking on him being.

R260. I’m surprised they’re doing the originals (non-musical) rather than PURLIE, espresso with Odom in the lead. I’ve never compared the two—is the Davis original superior to the book of the musical? I assume there might be a bigger audience for the musical.

Hey R216-WTF do you mean "couldn't get bigger names" than me? I am "big"! It's the musicals that "got small". And I'll thank you not to put me in the same category as Miss Carmello! I happen to be a highly respected and much loved?Tony award winning musical theatre actress and highly acclaimed (especially by the late great Steve Sondheim, who always insisted I record his brilliant work and personally told me he adored my "new" arrangements of his songs) musical theatre singer and recording artist.

I also appeared in several iconic film roles and enjoyed a long run in the most respected, iconic and we'll loved sitcoms of all time, opposite DL fave "America's Sweetheart". So get my name out of your f'n mouth, before I slap you silly.

And if you ever dare imply again that I am not "a bigger name", I will have my brother and his boyfriend come after you!

The non-musical PURLIE VICTORIOUS, as opposed to the musical PURLIE, might have made sense for a limited run at one of the not-for-profits. But the production that begins performances tonight is a commercial production that has been announced for an open-ended run, with no closing date set. Very perplexing.

R241-Why would Julie sacrifice her career doing that role in perpetuity? She'd become a professional stand-by, like Larry Kert was after Company.

IF Julie Benko didn't have another major offer, it might have been a good decision for her to go on tour in FG so that people around the country could become familiar with her talents. But she had the opportunity to play a principal role in HARMONY on Broadway instead, so that was obviously the wiser choice.

I just went on and looked at the seat maps. There are PLENTY of available seats for Purlie Victorious next week. This thing will have to get amazing word of mouth to succeed.

r258 No, not SLIH. This was back in 2021, when Sha’Carri Richardson failed a drug test, he tweeted:

[quote]I want y’all to know that if there were ever drug/alcohol tests for theatre, there would be about 17 ppl on Broadway.

Then he posted again about having gone on stage while still coming down from drugs taken when partying the previous night, but he seems to have deleted that one since.

Thanks, R267. He certainly seems to be a flaming idiot.

His nudes aren’t bad though

r268 He also thinks very highly of himself, but then again I guess he got his wish now

[quote]Get off your fucking ass and let me lead a musical. It seems like no one wants to let me lead a musical these days.

r269 True

He is super annoying. Also, his pinned tweet is of him bragging about singing a song from Hairspray at Marc Shaiman's apt drunk off his ass.

Marc Shaiman still lives in an apartment? I figured he could afford a house by now.

[quote]His nudes aren’t bad though

Really? In the pix I found through Google, his body looks pretty skinny and nothing special. Is he hugely hung, or something like that?

R259, Why bother with that lackluster cast?

[quote]Marc Shaiman still lives in an apartment? I figured he could afford a house by now.

Marc's a good guy and actually posted here, especially during the "Hairspray" movie production. He was here the day the soundtrack was released. He said he hoped the movie was successful enough for him to buy a beach house.

Pretty sure Marc lives in Newburgh.

I'm sure he has an apartment in NYC for when he's working on shows. And DeMarius posted video in the apartment, so I don't think he was telling tales.

I think she's smashing

She's no Marilyn Michaels.

She’s not even a Jillian Michaels.

[quote]That'd be the guy who bragged about showing up for work while still drunk or under the influence of drugs

As long as he's able to give more than 75% ...

Couldn't they put an understudy on instead of cancelling performances?

R282: Understudies, standbys, and covers are often not rehearsed, or fully rehearsed, at the very beginning of a show's run. I'm assuming that's the case here. One could argue that they SHOULD be fully rehearsed by the time of the first public performance, but I guess that's not considered a priority.

She’s but Michael Douglas!

R219- Here I am!

Any guesses as to why Haydn Gwynne "suddenly" left the show?

r285 - Bones is re- airing again, Eric, you could be the *name* in the cast. Actually it's on right now... S4 E23 The Girl In The Mask.

McCrimmon at least doesn't sound like she's aping Streisand.

r256 everyone will take a bath on the Company tour, except possibly the producer getting a guarantee. A couple of more experienced Broadway performers (perhaps at Judy McLane's level) would make no difference in sales and just raise the nut.

As I reported in an earlier thread, director Marianne Elliott and set/costume designer Bunny Christie are going nowhere near this tour. It's all being handled by second assistants.

R286 Shame she is great.

r290 That will probably help the show.

R292 I agree! I know Patti worshipped Marianne in every interview…but I didn’t think it was the second coming of Christ.

I think Into the Woods was done better

It's a shame Sondheim didn't rip the rights from her when she went against his explicit instructions not to gender-swap Amy and staged a performance doing so anyway

Is Lucinda the one who sings “Chanson” in The Baker’s Wife? It’s lovely!

Tee hee.

[quote]It's a shame Sondheim didn't rip the rights from her when she went against his explicit instructions not to gender-swap Amy and staged a performance doing so anyway

I don't understand. What do you mean when you write that Marianne Elliott "staged a performance doing so anyway?" As it turned out, "Getting Married Today" in this production featured several lyrics rewritten by Sondheim to reflect the gender change. So are you saying he was initially very much against the change but then gave in and wrote new lyrics?

I blame Jennifer Simard. I really do

I have no idea how the recent Into The Woods tour did financially, but I saw a matinee of it in San Francisco and from what I could see the house was packed and the audience very appreciative. No understudies except for Cinderella, and she was fine. I was surprised that it was only in SF for just over a week (LA got it for a month, I believe).

r296 Yes. There was an article on Deadline, a series of emails between Sondheim and Elliott, showing how Company developed. She has the idea fairly early on that Amy becomes Jamie, but Sondheim is opposed. He outright tells her Amy has to remain as a woman, or Getting Married Today has to be dropped.

Elliott decided she could ignore this (claiming none of the actresses she auditioned for Amy were any good - I'd be very interested to know if those auditions ever actually took place) and staged a workshop where a guy played Jamie - and she even suggested (poor) lyrical changes herself.

Then all of a sudden Sondheim says he loves it and endorses the changes. Which doesn't change the fact that she ignored the author's very explicit orders that the role not be gender-swapped.

Thank you, R299. I hate to defend Elliott, but if she made the change only for a workshop presentation, I would say that's a different matter. If Sondheim had still hated the idea after seeing it played out in the workshop, I'm sure he would not have hesitated to say so, and that would have been the end of that.

I still think it's massively disrespectful to do something like that when you've specifically been told not to.

It does seem Sondheim had his favourites, and seemingly Elliott was one of them, where he'd let them do stuff he'd rip others apart for.

R301 I think it’s also that Sondheim had a lot of internalized homophobia. He HATED anything gay touching his shows. He hated the all male Company. He hated Bobby being gay or bisexual. He hated David Kernan singing Leave You in Side By Side and he couldn’t tell you quick enough that Into the woods was not an allegory for AIDS even though all his friends were dying.

[quote]I still think it's massively disrespectful to do something like that when you've specifically been told not to.

I don't disagree with you, but maybe Elliott was aware that Sondheim was famous for sometimes turning on a dime and completely changing his opinions on certain things, even when he seemed pretty adamant about them initially. I'm guessing she hoped he would change his mind after the saw a presentation with the gender swap. And that's exactly what happened.

I am surprised Sondheim told Elliott not even to try out the idea in workshop. If I remember correctly, years earlier, he had permitted a production (I think it was also a workshop?) of COMPANY with a gay male Bobby, but he didn't like what he saw, so he wouldn't permit that production to go forward or for Bobby to be gay in any other production.

I can only imagine that Jonathan Bailey changed Sondheim's mind faster than Marianne Elliott ever could.

And, honestly, "Getting Married Today" with the gender change was one of the only genuinely witty moments of the revival, in London and in NY.

[quote]I can only imagine that Jonathan Bailey changed Sondheim's mind faster than Marianne Elliott ever could.

Ha! Agreed.

[quote]And, honestly, "Getting Married Today" with the gender change was one of the only genuinely witty moments of the revival, in London and in NY.

I'm not sure if I'd say "one of the only genuinely witty moments," but it was definitely a highlight.

[quote]so he wouldn't permit that production to go forward or for Bobby to be gay in any other production.

I understand why he felt that way.

Bad idea to piss off Steve. Even in a workshop.

He's dead.

Sorry, r302, but he wrote a very touching love song between two men for Road Show; if he had hated Bobby being bi in the first London version, he wouldn't have permitted it; same with Kernan singing Could I Leave you. As for that song, he liked the version very much, he told me so.

I agree with that the gay brother in ROAD SHOW and his lover have two of the best songs in the show.

But I also agree with R302: Sondheim was a product of his age and I think, deeply conflicted about his sexuality and about representing gay love/desire onstage. He came a long way with ROAD SHOW, but by then he was already well into his sixties (and was open and happy in a long-term relationship).

People evolve.

So, if she had left it as Amy, Bobbie would have proposed marriage to her? That seems weird. Maybe change Paul to Paula... though that wouldn't scan.

*

Jonty Bailey is dreamy.

I knew Demarius Copes before he went to New York. He was a nice kid. Sounds like a bit of 'fame' has gone to his head.

[Quote] It does seem Sondheim had his favourites, and seemingly Elliott was one of them, where he'd let them do stuff he'd rip others apart for.

Was he known for ripping people apart? Jerome Robbins, yes. Arthur Laurents, yes. But Sondheim?

I think he could be brutally frank, but he didn't really tear you apart.

[quote]It does seem Sondheim had his favourites, and seemingly Elliott was one of them, where he'd let them do stuff he'd rip others apart for.

Among directors, of course there were probably some he liked better than others. But from everything I've read and heard, it seems to me that once someone started a new production of one of Sondheim's shows, he would pretty much leave them alone -- whether that person was Marianne Elliott or Trevor Nunn or Tim Burton.

To be fair it seems the only people he ever ripped to shreds were Betty Buckley and Patti LuPone. Both notorious turbocunts

He didn't rip them them to shreds, r317, he was brutally honest.

^ r318

I can't think of her name, but there was an actress who pissed off Sondheim in the '80s or '90s and he had her banned from doing any of his shows. I think she did the original MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG? I don't remember. I heard it discussed here like two years ago.

I think she was sarcastic with him.

Wasn't it Kim Criswell, and much later than that?

Yeah, rip apart was the wrong choice of words on my part - I should've said completely turn against them, or something like that. And Criswell was mainly who I had in mind when writing that. Also the Jason Robert Brown story, and so on.

The story I heard was Kim Criswell was auditioning for Side By Side at the Kennedy Center and Sondheim made a comment about merrily and said they were trying to fix it, and she retorted, “I should hope so.”

She was never in another US Sondheim show. She has eluded on Twitter that she didn’t have a good relationship with him.

And he DID rip Patti to shreds during Passion. She famously has a photo of him screaming at her and has publicly said if she had had less experience, after he screamed at her, she would have turned in her equity cards.

He may not have “ripped” Betty, but she was fired from Into the Woods and he told her to her face that he hated her versions of his songs on her cds. He also told her to her face that her Gypsy was bad. That usually gets lost because Arthur Laurents was meaner during that particular exchange.

According to La Testa, she told Sondheim a thing or two when he treated her rudely.

Kim Criswell's steely, cold, squeezed, modern sound puts me off all those "Complete Recordings" where she sings material made famous by open-throated, healthy belters who were better singer/actor/comediennes.

She was everywhere for a minute in the 1990s thanks to the widespread dissemination of those albums: Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate, Wonderful Town. Give me Merman or Martin or Garland or Minnelli or Susan Johnson or Dolores Gray, or even Lisa Kirk singing in the cracks and waah-ing up to the pitch any day!

R326. Wow! That would explain why we have never seen a Mary Testa Lovett. I’m sure he hates her

Kim Criswell?

I worked with Kim Criswell in college. She's always had a high opinion of herself. Very old video of her singing.

Can anyone think of any Broadway musicals that start performing with low box office and eventually turn around into mega hits? Does that even happen any more? It seems like SLIH and Here Lies Love are never really gonna catch on. HLL was still only making a little over $700,000 last week.

Here's hoping that London Guys & Dolls moves into the Broadway Theater after HLL closes.

[quote]Can anyone think of any Broadway musicals that start performing with low box office and eventually turn around into mega hits?

Ahem.

R331. Pippin thanks to it's tv commercial

[quote]Can anyone think of any Broadway musicals that start performing with low box office and eventually turn around into mega hits?

Follies?

I should have said NEW and RECENT musicals. (not revivals). In the old days (PIPPIN), yes, musicals could turn around their fate and become long-running hits....but now?

Didn't the Spring Awakening musical have a rough time in previews and then sold really well? Maybe Gentleman's Guide after the Tony? Or are you talking about post-Covid recent?

Not necessarily pre-Covid but I was wondering more about HUGE hits that were achieved after so-so first weeks. I was asking in relation to SLIH and HLL, wondering if these recent shows could ever turn around and start truly selling out.

It seems like these days the ticket-buying public gets an immediate impression of a show and that impression never changes. r337, the 2 examples you cite are apt but awhile back now.

SOME LIKE MY TWAT

R331-Fun Home

Katerina McCrimmon, has alot of nasty messages on her Instagram post announcing her casting as Fanny in the FG. People saying a non jew should not have been cast and some even suggesting she give up the role. And some of these folks are her friends. WTF. Tour starts tomorrow and I hope she blows the roof off.

[quote]and he told her to her face that he hated her versions of his songs on her cds.

Only because she was so insistent about getting his opinion, r325.

[quote]And he DID rip Patti to shreds during Passion. She famously has a photo of him screaming at her

Is that photo online anywhere?

Who’s excited to see Jeremy Jordan as Jay Gatsby?

[quote]It seems like these days the ticket-buying public gets an immediate impression of a show and that impression never changes.

It is extremely possible that in the olden days the public had a lot more critical faculties than it does now. Younger people are so poorly educated, and audiences have been fed on pap like ALW and jukebox musicals for so long, that they're just going to go along with what they're told online. Otherwise why are they giving standing ovations to every last thing? I'd say it's because they've never seen an outstanding show, so they don't understand the purpose of a standing O.

Or is that Gay Gatsby?

R321, it was Kim Criswell, but no, she was not involved in MERRILY.

Eva Noblezada as Daisy? Was Lili Cooper not available?

Whatever happened between Sondheim and LuPone, they were friends outside of the business, and remained so, so it's not the same as Betty Lynn.

And whatever I think of Criswell, her performance doing a Lyda Roberti impression during the Pardon My English concert was so brilliant, I forgive her everything.

She was critical of the Sweeney Todd film and it hurt his feelings, r349.

[quote]Not necessarily pre-Covid but I was wondering more about HUGE hits that were achieved after so-so first weeks. I was asking in relation to SLIH and HLL, wondering if these recent shows could ever turn around and start truly selling out.

When shows' fortunes have turned around like that in the past, I would say it always happened very early in the run -- maybe after rave reviews were received, or if people bought the cast album and really loved what they heard, and/or saw numbers from the shows performed on TV and liked what they saw. Also, some shows that weren't doing so well but then won the Best Musical Tony saw huge box-office increases. That might happen to HERE LIES LOVE if it won Best Musical, but that's unlikely, and also, it would have to run almost a year before that award is given out, so if the show is currently losing money every week, that's almost certainly not going to happen

Since SOME LIKE IT HOT won only one major Tony, and that Tony winner is now out of the show, I don't think there's any reason at all to believe their box-office will ever increase UNLESS I suppose they could bring in a major star in one of the major roles, maybe Billy Porter in for the absent Tony winner. (I would be willing to bet that he has already been approached by the producers.)

[quote]She was critical of the Sweeney Todd film and it hurt his feelings, [R349].

And then he told her she wasn't a star. Never was and never will be. Or something like that.

Patti auditioned to replace Bernadette in Sunday In the Park with George and he didn’t hire her.

Patti auditioned to play Cinderella in Into the Woods and he didn’t hire her.

Patti tried to get an audition to replace Catherine Zeta Jones in A Little Night Music…and he didn’t hire her.

I think he made his feelings pretty well known

I just thought of a more recent musical that started out slow and looked like it wouldn't survive, but then had a turnaround. And this was without any help from the Tonys. Beetlejuice.

I just watched that Mary Testa video. What a cunt. I've always despised her as a performer. Now I can add despising her as a human being.

[quote]And then he told her she wasn't a star. Never was and never will be. Or something like that.

That wasn't quite what was said, r352.

Oh please, r353, it was Patti's fault for being interested only in Cinderella. And between Patti and Bernie for Night Music, is there any question who they'd go with?

Patti did Sweeney, Company and Gypsy on Broadway and plenty of Sondheim regionally.

Testa is very Linda Lavin.

Why would Patti want to play CinderFuckinElla?

Probably a dream since childhood, r358. Too bad. She'd have been a good Witch.

Isn't Patti more of a Baker's Wife?

The mirror number is better than I remembered, but Blythe still can't dance.

😂

She's too *big* for that role, r360.

My favorite comment above was the “Patti did plenty of regional Sondheim” Sondheim had no control on casting in regional productions.

Gypsy was because of Arthur Laurents.

So that leaves two: Sweeney Todd and Company. Company was first done with her in London.

So that leaves just one role that was given to Patti that was Sondheim that started on Broadway. Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd.

[quote]My favorite comment above was the “Patti did plenty of regional Sondheim” Sondheim had no control on casting in regional productions.

You really think he would have allowed Criswell to do Cora, Desiree or Fosca at Ravinia?

[quote]So that leaves just one role that was given to Patti that was Sondheim that started on Broadway. Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd.

Wrong, r364.

A friend worked for the PR firm that handled Gypsy in its Encores! incarnation prior to Broadway.

He was assigned to Patti, who was quite the handful.

Patti lacks warmth for Bakers Wife

I also don’t have a Tin Man outfit for the Tonys!

R368. You don't have a turban either

Wait R354 where's my check?

r355

I love that the audience didn't respond the way she thought

Yeah, she was so not reading the room. SS isn't Jerome Robbins, universally despised. People didn't want to hear her venom being spewed.

r367, you mean "Patti lacks warmth."

[quote][R367], you mean "Patti lacks warmth."

Not always, r373, but the Baker's Wife works better with a lighter touch.

It's amazing what people will come up with on here. Patti wanted to do Cinderella because at the time, the witch was totally underwritten. Of course,she wasn't a Cinderella, but whatever. She was asked to do Fosca on Broadway but couldn't because of prior commitments. She did Sweeney Todd on Broadway. Sam Mendes wanted Patti for Gypsy in London and Sondheim was fine with it, but Arthur Laurents was having a feud with Patti because she had turned down his play. Laurents pushed for Bernadette. And then it ended up going to NY instead of London. Then Laurents made up with Patti and they did Gypsy a couple of years later. She did the Concert version of Company, and then did it in London and NY. She also did a bunch of benefits for him. (Not to mention all the shows at Ravinia) How much more Sondheim could she have done?

Would Patti have still been doing Life Goes On on TV when Passion was planned? Personally, I think she dodged a bullet there. Not just that the show flopped but she would have been so unsympathetic as Fosca, way more than Donna.

Still love this post. Thank you to whoever posted it:

Here’s what I’m guessing about the Sondheim memorial.

Bernadette Peters is invited and VIP

Patti LuPone is invited…but not VIP

Betty Buckley just read about it on Datalounge

[quote]—Anonymous

I'm shocked by that clip of Mary Testa dissing Sondheim. Not that I don't believe her every word, but who wants to hear that? Even more so after you hear her sing his song badly?

This is a particularly bitchy Theatre Gossip thread. I'm loving it. The Lilli Cooper re Daisy Buchanan post upthread was genius.

R376 Patti eventually played 'Fosca' in a production that was televised on PBS in 2005.

It co-starred Michael Cerveris as 'Giorgio' and Audra McDonald as 'Clara.'

Please tell me Audra (and Cerveris) didn't go topless!

That was one of the Ravinia shows, r379.

[quote] Would Patti have still been doing Life Goes On on TV when Passion was planned? Personally, I think she dodged a bullet there. Not just that the show flopped but she would have been so unsympathetic as Fosca, way more than Donna.

She was still doing Sunset Boulevard at the time Passion was starting up. And thought she'd be with it for the long haul.

[quote]So that leaves just one role that was given to Patti that was Sondheim that started on Broadway. Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd.

Don't forget the NY Philharmonic concert, which led to the San Francisco Symphony concert, of which there is a video. I'm sure that if Sondheim had been against Patti being cast in the NY Phil version, it would not have happened -- even if it was directed by star-fucker and LuPone ass-kisser Lonny Price.

[quote]Isn't Patti more of a Baker's Wife?

More like Baker's FISHwife.

Where's Billy Magnusson

He was here a minute ago, r385. Did you check the veranda?

Billy Magnusson isn't aging well. He went from Spike to Vanya very quickly.

We can’t all be Dorian Gray like you, hon.

No, he's on the Patio, waiting for the big number.

I used to know Billy. Not a homophobe but openly bristled at all the attention from men he was getting back in his prime hunk years.

R390, When he was on “As the World Turns”.

Please, he still looks fine. You bitches are just resentful that he has abandoned the stage for the screen.

[quote]Can anyone think of any Broadway musicals that start performing with low box office and eventually turn around into mega hits? Does that even happen any more? It seems like SLIH and Here Lies Love are never really gonna catch on.

"Titanic" but Rosie had a hand in it. She elevated a lot of shows.

[quote]I'm shocked by that clip of Mary Testa dissing Sondheim. Not that I don't believe her every word, but who wants to hear that?

Me. Like she said, not everyone prays at the alter of Sondheim.

[quote] The mirror number is better than I remembered, but Blythe still can't dance.

How can you tell from that number?. She is clearly playing a character that didn't exactly remember the choreography they all did forty years before.

r394 Agreed, if he was snapping his fingers to get attention like that, he could go fuck himself.

Good example, R393. But again, most shows that start out slow at the box office and then pick up steam do so very early in the run, for one reason or another. It might still possibly happen for HERE LIES LOVE, but SOME LIKE IT HOT has already been running for nine months, apparently running at a loss for most or all of that time.

On a related note, I just noticed that if you type SOME LIKE IT HOT into ibdb, two shows with that title come up -- and if you click on the first one, the title then changes to SUGAR, and there is a note that says "known as SUGAR and SOME LIKE IT HOT. That's weird, because SUGAR was never known by the other title while it played on Broadway. It was only for later productions elsewhere that the title was changed.

“ . . . at the alter of Sondheim.“

Oh, dear.

r394

while I do understand that... he was the reason she had a job... she could show some respect at least

r399 But it's not like she was proactively rude to him or anything. He was rude to her, and she didn't tolerate it. That isn't a lack of respect, that's just sticking up for yourself.

The point is that, whether or not one agrees that Sondheim snapping his fingers to get Testa's attention while she was rehearsing is disrespectful and/or annoying, it's NOT the kind of thing one should bitch about years later in public -- especially not when the "offense" is so minor and the person who committed the offense is so beloved. As someone else commented, this was a case of Testa being completely unable to read the room.

And as I said in my post, when we then heard Testa sing the FORUM song rather badly, could we blame Steve for snapping his fingers at her?

I seem to remember her relating another incident where she supposedly stood up to him in a rather rude way. He's absolutely someone who has stuck in her craw for years.

And why sing that song except to serve as an intro to a story she thought covered her in glory?

[quote] it's NOT the kind of thing one should bitch about years later in public

Why not? Sondheim sure as fuck did.

It's difficult for some people who love Sondheim's work to grasp that he was not always the crusty but loveable uncle portrayed in the press. That was his "schtick," if you will. I guess everyone in the public eye needs one.

I love his work but also believe the stories about his anger issues, his massive insecurities, and particularly his pettiness. For all the younger/emerging artists he encouraged and supported, there were more (and plenty more of his contemporaries) that he never treated especially well or even acknowledged. (If Fred Ebb were still with us, he could weigh in on that.)

R392-Billy didn't abandon the theatre. There just aren't many roles anymore for over-the-hill hunks in Speedos.

[quote]It's difficult for some people who love Sondheim's work to grasp that he was not always the crusty but loveable uncle portrayed in the press. That was his "schtick," if you will. I guess everyone in the public eye needs one. I love his work but also believe the stories about his anger issues, his massive insecurities, and particularly his pettiness.

Those stories should be believed, because they're true. I even witnessed one or two of them first hand. But I still think it was not cool of Testa to publicly criticize him for a minor offense in a rehearsal room years earlier.

[quote]It's NOT the kind of thing one should bitch about years later in public

[quote]Why not? Sondheim sure as fuck did.

I think Sondheim generally avoided that sort of thing, but it's true that he didn't avoid it completely -- and when he did bitch about colleagues in public, I would say he was wrong as well. For example, on more than one occasion he publicly made fun of Ethel Merman for what he considered her inability to act. I think it's fine and only natural to do something like that among a small group of friends, but not in a public situation or forum.

Or out of them.

It's not her being annoyed at the snapping of the fingers that's so bad. It's that she couldn't understand that her inability to sing his song properly until opening night (which meant she'd done it wrong for every single preview performance, and would likely fuck it up in the future since it was so difficult for her) irritated him (rightly so) and why should he be thrilled for her that she got it right ONCE?

Helps her to explain to the world why she was never in one of his shows after FORUM.

Testa's story is perfectly plausible, but that doesn't make it true -- and of course we don't have any context. (Was he having a bad day, putting him out of temper? Was she having a bad day, making her keep missing something basic such that he felt the need to snap?)

In any case, she didn't stand up to him at the moment -- which could have been expressed with a simple "I know that you're frustrated, but please don't snap at me" -- but decided to pounce at the after party, including a self-satisfied statement that she had no intention of doing what he, the composer, wanted. I don't think that the story makes her sound as brave and principled as she think it does.

I'm a fan of both of them, but this story just made me depressed for both of them.

r412

I am not super familiar with MT but what Sondheim roles would she have been good for?

Beadle Bamford

Charles J. Guiteau

Testa in performance:

Lovett is the obvious one, but I could see her as Emma Goldman, the landlady in Waltz, Madame Armfeldt, the mother in Sunday, etc. I think she may even have had a Rose in her, with the right direction. I think she's a talented actress (I hear her work in Queen of the Mist was pretty terrific), but not always easy to get along with. Michael John LaChiusa clearly adores her.

Does Emma Goldman appear in a Sondheim musical?

Testa could have been Sara Jane Moore in Assassins or sang Who's That Woman? in a Follies revival.

I loathe Testa. Any time I hear she's in a show, I do my best to skip it. I've seen her perform enough times to know there's nothing she could ever do that I would enjoy. I remember how shocked I was that it was she who was nominated for the 1998 revival of On the Town and not Lea Delaria who, despite what you may have thought of that production in general, should have taken home the Tony that year for featured actress in a musical. Testa, OTOH, was hammy and awful.

Mary Testa was the weak link in Xanadu.

Lea DeLaria gave the only performance I thoroughly enjoyed in that ON THE TOWN revival. She was outstanding, and should have been better recognized for it.

R423, I liked Lea very much in that show as well, but also Jesse Tyler Ferguson. I thought they were a great comic team.

R422. I agree!

Curtain up, kids!

Queen of the Mist

[quote]Does Emma Goldman appear in a Sondheim musical?

Sadly, no. But she would have made a great Phyllis.

[quote]Does Emma Goldman appear in a Sondheim musical?

[quote]Sadly, no. But she would have made a great Phyllis.

Assassins?

Isn't Emma Goldman always doubled by the actress playing Sara Jane Moore? It's a small role.

Testa might have played Sara Jane Moore, but she'd be even better as Goldman.

Shit, where is it?

[quote]Isn't Emma Goldman always doubled by the actress playing Sara Jane Moore? It's a small role.

Not in 2004.

Yes, I agree that Jesse Tyler Ferguson was also wonderful in On the Town. He and Lea were perfectly paired.

It's a shame he's become so insufferable.

Speaking of insufferable, Lea DeLaria hit that bar ages ago.

Firstly, I think it’s hysterical that some Queen in the west village is texting Mary Testa that she is the hot topic of conversation on Datalounge.

There have been a few shocking Tony snubs over the years.

1) Lea DeLaria On the Town

2) Sherie Rene Scott Aida

3) Cheyenne Jackson Xanadu

4) Bernadette Peters Into the Woods/Follies

5) Joel Grey Chicago -though this was an error on Bobby and Fran and not a snub per se

Baby Bernadette shakes her groove thang.

Don't forget Rachel York for Victor Victoria and Nathan Lane for Love! Valor! Compassion!

R435, Um, did you forget someone?

Nope, Lucie. Robert Klein was nominated.

Lucie @ r438 didn't say he wasn't, r439.

I can't imagine who else she could have meant.

Herself, idiot.

[quote] The story I heard was Kim Criswell was auditioning for Side By Side at the Kennedy Center and Sondheim made a comment about merrily and said they were trying to fix it, and she retorted, “I should hope so.”

It was Gussie in Merrily at the Arena Stage that Criswell was auditioning for. She has never been known for her tact. She thought she was being funny with her comment about the rewriting, but Sondheim was so offended he called agent the next day and said not to bother sending her in on any of his shows again.

[quote] Herself, idiot.

No shit, really?????

I see that I have r422 on Ignore. Is it worth undoing that for his/her comment?

Well done r445, you've found an even more tedious way to post about blocking someone than just typing someone's post number

Fuck Sondheim.

No thanks. I'm not into necrophilia.

I noticed that DL fave Mario Cantone played Samuel Byck in that production of "Assassins." Every time I've seen that show, I've marveled at the actor's ability to memorize that long, rambling monologue. (Of course I a person who, even if he had talent, could never be an actor because I cannot memorize lines.) Anyway, it got me thinking -- what's the longest monologue in a modern Broadway show? I'm not counting one-person shows, although I suppose you could if there were no interludes or breaks.

La Bete has a monologue that is very long. Maybe 10-15 minutes?

Vanya in the Durang play is 12-15 mins depending on how quickly the actor rambles his way through it.

Mario did/does stand-up, r449, so he'd be used to monologues.

There is a very long monologue performed by one of the young female characters in the upcoming PRAYERS FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC by Joshua Harmon, if he doesn't cut it down from what was heard in its original MTC run.

That monologue at least felt like 15 minutes and received applause the night I saw it. And IIRC Harmon often has long ranting monologues in his plays, like BAD JEWS and SIGNIFICANT OTHER.

Hickey's monologue in " The Iceman Cometh" seemed like it went on forever.

Spiro Malas was snubbed for Most Happy Fella.

Spiro Malas was snubbed for Most Happy Fella.

The new Sweeney Todd recording is antiseptic, listless and synthetic. I don’t know if I’m projecting from reading their posts about how long they were taking to mix it, but I swear it sounds like nobody was in the same room at the same time.

The conducting is sort of square , if that’s the right term, and lifeless, and most of the performers, come across as lightweights. Annaleigh is doing a very close – miked intimate thing that no one else is doing, the laughter in A Little Priest is completely fake and the orchestra is never rollicking. Jordan Fisher is tentative, and completely out of his league, The whole thing, except for Gaten Matarazzo , sounds like it was created by AI.

With the terrific sound of the newly remastered original album, there is absolutely no reason to listen to this.

Other than that, I really like it.

Spiro Malas was apparently snubbed twice for Most Happy Fella.

Alex Lacamoire ain’t much of a conductor

I thought Malas acted Most Happy Fella well, but his singing was another matter. He would swoop into notes, and eventually get to the right one - but it wasn't pretty. (When I saw him a few years later in Milk and Honey, he never even reached the right note!)

The Bucks County Playhouse productions of Bridges of Madison County really hit the mark. Kate Baldwin sang well, but found intelligence and wit in the role. The kids and father worked better than in other productions. Nicholas Rodriguez was the best I’ve seen him.

It looked a lot like the Broadway priduction, but addressed many of its problems. Hunter Foster, who was in that cast, could have a very good directing career.

[quote]Spiro Malas was apparently snubbed twice for Most Happy Fella.

I don’t get this. Could you please explain?

R461 had the show been revised or cut or had material otherwise altered from the Broadway production?

I can't see Baldwin bringing out the earthy sexuality that the character is supposed to have. And that O'Hara sorely lacked.

Isn’t Baldwin “O’Hara Lite?”

R463, it was framed a little differently. The opening was an elderly Francesca apparently moving from her home and reflecting on her life as she found her wedding veil, her daughter’s shirt and blue ribbon from the state fair, and her husband’s military uniform. The ending still had a young Robert return, but she also became young again, and they recreated the moment when he took her picture on the bridge.

One minor but significant cut was when she and her family go for ice cream and she sees Robert one last time. Every other production I’ve seen has a very stupid fantasy embrace for Robert and Francesca before you realize she is not going with him. In this production, he is between her and the ice cream shop where her family and daughter are waiting. She simply crossed the stage and, without making eye contact, brushed her hand against his and kept walking.

I disagree that the character is “supposed to have” some mythical earthy sexuality, r464. That’s her sister. She is an artist who made necessary, practical choices that have trapped her and stiifled her soul. O’Hara was radiant, passionate, and even funny in the role, but there are those who just willl not recognize her talent.

R461, Nicholas Rodriguez was very good as Joe Gillis in the NSMT/Beverly, MA production of Sunset Boulevard in 2019, with Alice Ripley as Norma Desmond.

Phantom of the Opera being on the Trump rally playlist I guess isn't too weird...but choosing the part where Piangi's body is discovered seems a little odd

Also, soundtrack, Anderson, really?

[quote]There is a very long monologue performed by one of the young female characters in the upcoming PRAYERS FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC by Joshua Harmon, if he doesn't cut it down from what was heard in its original MTC run.

It's TOO long, and I found it unbearable.

[quote]And IIRC Harmon often has long ranting monologues in his plays, like BAD JEWS and SIGNIFICANT OTHER.

Yeah, that seems to be part of his shtick. And it has already gotten old.

Kate Baldwin and earthy sexuality don't exactly go together.

Okay! DL Tony Snubs Carousel

1) Lea DeLaria On the Town

2) Sherie Rene Scott Aida

3) Cheyenne Jackson Xanadu

4) Bernadette Peters Into the Woods/Follies

5) Joel Grey Chicago -though this was an error on Bobby and Fran and not a snub per se

6) Stephanie Mills The Wiz

7) Lucie Arnaz Theyr’e Playing Our Song

8) Ned Beatty Cat On a Hot Tin Roof

9) Nathan Lane Love Valour Compassion

10) Stephanie J Block. Boy From Oz

11) Betty Buckley Drood

12) Yvonne DeCarlo Follies

13) Elaine Stritch ShowBoat

14) Mandy Patinkin The Secret Garden

15) John Cameron Mitchell The Secret Garden

16) Ken Page Cats

17) Betty Buckley Carrie (was she even eligible)

I don't believe Carrie was eligible (but I could be wrong) because I remember reading it hadn't played enough performances for the Tony voters to be able to see it.

You forgot Rachel York for V/V, R471.

[quote]O’Hara was radiant, passionate, and even funny in the role, but there are those who just willl not recognize her talent.

I never saw Kelli in BOMC but I enjoy the OCR. I thought she was just stellar in SOUTH PACIFIC at LCT--funny and touching. And her performance in DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES was just extraordinary. One of the best of the season.

Some folks here are just not fans, and never will be.

R471, John McMartin - FOLLIES

PS: O'Hara was also a standout in a pretty high-caliber cast on THE GILDED AGE on television.

R474, She was downright sexy in The Pajama Game with Harry Connick, Jr.

18. Suzanne Somers, "The Blonde in the Thunderbird."

Okay updated Tony Snubs Carousel. Keep ‘em coming for those you deem worthy! This list can include memorable performances as well as performances that received previous award (drama desk, Obie, ect) acclaim yet still failed a nomination

1) Lea DeLaria On the Town

2) Sherie Rene Scott Aida/The Little Mermaid

3) Cheyenne Jackson Xanadu

4) Bernadette Peters Into the Woods/Follies

5) Joel Grey Chicago -though this was an error on Bobby and Fran and not a snub per se

6) Stephanie Mills The Wiz

7) Lucie Arnaz Theyr’e Playing Our Song

8) Ned Beatty Cat On a Hot Tin Roof

9) Nathan Lane Love Valour Compassion

10) Stephanie J Block. Boy From Oz

11) Betty Buckley Drood

12) Yvonne DeCarlo Follies

13) Elaine Stritch ShowBoat

14) Mandy Patinkin The Secret Garden

15) John Cameron Mitchell The Secret Garden

16) Ken Page Cats

17) Betty Buckley Carrie

18) Rachel York Victor/Victoria

19) Barbara Walsh Company/Big

20) John McMartin Follies

21) Patti LuPone The Old Neighborhood

22) Terri White Barnum

Stephen Sondheim A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

R479, Aaron Tveit for Catch Me If You Can.

Bernadette wasn’t snubbed for Into the Woods. She only signed for five months or so due to her concert schedule, and was already gone by the time the Tony nominations came out. She presented the award for Best Actress in a musical that year and was genuinely thrilled to announce Joanna Gleason.

23) Jerry Herman, Best Score, MACK AND MABEL

Astonishing oversight for the TONYS. Even though the production only ran on Bway for 66 performances, it was nominated for 8 TONYS: including Best Book by Michael Stewart (which was, let's face it, a key reason for the show's failure).

The TONYS have a spotty and often embarrassing history.

You may ask yourself, why, what shows were nominated for Best Score in 1975?

THE WIZ (a clear winner)

SHENANDOAH (okay... schmaltzily charming)

THE LIEUTENUIT (just staged by York Theatre Co: well , it's interesting.... but the show bombed bigger than M&M)

A LETTER FOR QUEEN VICTORIA (WTF even was this?)

Bernadette was absolutely considered a snub at the time, R482. I was working on Broadway at the time and it was a much discussed topic, both in the community and in the press. Peters even good-naturedly made a joke about it when she was presenting that year.

Kristen Chenoweth in "Promises, Promises."

Daniel Radcliffe in "How to Succeed"

Bernadette was fabulous but totally within her comfort zone. The Baker and Wife are the leads. They might have felt uncomfortable nominating her for featured (although that's where they put Alyson Reed for Cabaret).

Lestat

R484. It was a Robert Wilson avant-Garde theatre piece. The Nominating Committee that year must have really hated Jerry Herman.

Hold up Tony snub list-maker: Kristen Chenoweth in "Promises, Promises" and Patti LuPone The Old Neighborhood ??

Don't sneak those two in there so fast?

Tony nomination snub (for featured actor in a musical): Burke Moses as Gaston in "Beauty and the Beast." He was considered so essential to the show that, in addition to Broadway, he opened the Los Angeles and London companies.

I didn't realize Robert Wilson ever had a show on Broadway—the two are totally incongruous.

Maybe Lucie Arnaz would have had more of a chance of getting a Tony nomination for "They're Playing Our Song" if the show hadn't been such a forgettable mediocrity.

WEHT Burke Moses? He so hot in his Gaston days. Is he still acting?

I saw Kate Baldwin in an earlier iteration of Hunter's Bridges of Madison County at The Axelrod in NJ but with Aaron Lazar as her co-star. I thought she and Aaron far outdid Kelli and Steve Pasquale in their sexiness quotient. But then I just find Kate a more charming performer than Kelli.

R495, since when did forgettable mediocrity hurt someone's chances at a nomination. How about Sharon McNight, Brian Lane Green and Gabriel Barre who were all nominated in the lead category for Starmites?

[quote]Maybe Lucie Arnaz would have had more of a chance of getting a Tony nomination for "They're Playing Our Song" if the show hadn't been such a forgettable mediocrity.

r493 = Tovah

We can also add Linda Eder for Jekyll/Hyde

I'd add Kerry Butler in Hairspray.

R485 you sound way old. You still alive?

[quote]since when did forgettable mediocrity hurt someone's chances at a nomination. How about Sharon McNight, Brian Lane Green and Gabriel Barre who were all nominated in the lead category for Starmites?

The Starmites nominations are kind of an outlier, since it was an incredibly weak year. They didn't even award anyone at all for Best Book or Best Score.

[quote]Peters even good-naturedly made a joke about it when she was presenting that year.

No she didn't

R493-If that's the case, then why nominate Robert Klein for the same "forgettable mediocrity"?

I don't actually disagree with you about TPOS being a forgettable mediocrity. The only thing I remember about the show is Robert Klein laying in a hospital bed playing a toy piano.

Bizarre as it may sound, I suspect Lucie's snub may have been somewhat indirectly (or perhaps directly) related to DL fave LB. Perhaps subconsciously the Nominating committee was still angry and bitter about Lucy's abandonment of Broadway several years earlier during the debacle that was "Wildcat". By all accounts Lucy was truly physically unable to continue playing, but again there may have been some underlying bitterness regarding the way the whole situation was handled (especially since Desilu was the producer and sole backer).

Again, it does seem like a deliberate snub to have nominated Robert Klein and not Lucie, who gave at least as good, if not a better performance in that "forgettable mediocrity".

I may be in the minority here, but I actually saw DL fave Tovah in "Sarava" at one of the endless previews. While not a good show, I found myself enjoying it for what it was. Some of the songs were tuneful, sets and costumes were lavish and pretty, and Tovah delivered a beautiful, sensitive performance. Don't go by that disastrous and downright bizarre clip of her in "Rose's Turn"; she sang and danced excellently and gave a very touching and sensitive performance. So in my opinion anyway, I think Tovah deserved that Nomination over Lucie

This was where Bernadette made a joke about not being nominated for the Witch in Into the Woods.

R503, It’s the ultimate moot point since Angela was assured the win for Sweeney Todd.

R504, if there were a prize for the best, most surprising, video clip, you'd win! Thank you for that.

Short and Peters enjoyed each other's company quite a bit. Did they remain friendly AFTER The Goodbye Girl?

Lucie Arnaz received more publicity for not being nominated rather than if she were.

I recall the TPOS producers taking out a large ad in the NYT chastising the Tony nominating committee for snubbing her.

Marin...

I think Lucie is very much underrated, but I also think she was not all that interested in a big career like her mother had.

She prioritized her family, r509.

What’s the big bad news tomorrow? Any predictions?

The Cottage is not posting a closing notice?

Alan Lloyd, who was nominated for a Tony for his "Letter for Queen Victoria" score, died of AIDS in 1986. He was 43.

R511, Laura Osnes and Karen Olivo will be starring in a Broadway revival of Side Show?

R511, On 9/11?

R511-Somebody stuck his dick somewhere he shouldn't have many many times, no doubt.

R516, Hugh Michael Jackman?

Hmmmm is the massive story that I was snappy back at Steve Sondheim after he was rude to me?

[quote]What’s the big bad news tomorrow? Any predictions?

Let me save you the click at r511, because this guy and his blog are a joke.

[quote]Chris Peterson - OnStage Blog 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 @OnstageBlog. There is a massive story coming out tomorrow. It's complex, terrible, and should shock everyone not only in the Broadway community but the entire theatre industry as well. 4:24 PM · Sep 10, 2023

R516. Oh shit.

R505&507- I think you're both missing the point.

Yes, it goes without saying that Angela would have won whether Lucie had been nominated or not.

And it may be true (although I do think it's debatable) that it's entirely possible that Lucie got more publicity by not being nominated.

The bigger picture is the possibile effect her lack of a nomination might have had on her career.

As a "Tony nominated" actress, Lucie may have been considered for and even offered roles that she wasn't considered for without that Nomination. I am referring to Broadway roles/National tours, not movies (although I do believe she was on the short list for Rizzo in "Grease").

Off the top of my head, wasn't she a replacement in the OBC of both "Lost in Yonkers" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"? A Tony nomination might have put her into consideration for the original casts. I'm sure there are several others. Perhaps she could have even stretched herself and done "Gypsy" later on?

Putting that aside, let's not forget the purely psychological and ego boost that a Tony nomination would have brought her.. I don't think it's a secret or difficult to comprehend just how much Lucie lived in Lucy's shadow, especially as a television performer. A Tony nomination would have have said to the industry (and the world)"Yes, I have achieved something in my career that even the great Lucille Ball never achieved, the respect and admiration of the theatrical community" in the form of a Tony nomination.

[quote]I have achieved something in my career that even the great Lucille Ball never achieved, the respect and admiration of the theatrical community" in the form of a Tony nomination.

I think it's safe to say that Lucie achieved more in her personal life than her mother did.

Show Biz, and in particular Broadway, has always been snobby and Lucie, even with a Tony nomination for a very good performance in a mediocrity like TPOS would not have made any difference in her career. She was never really able to shake the image of the girl who not only played Lucy's daughter on Here's Lucy (or whatever iteration it was called) but actually was Lucy's daughter.

A very few conquer nepotism but Liza Minnelli, Jane Fonda....she wasn't.

But Lucie was nominated for a drama desk.

The Drama Desk also nominated Bernadette for Into the Woods when the Tonys snubbed her.

The Drama Desk does help egos in that way.

Desi Jr. conquered Liza.

R521, I believe you’re placing way too much value on a mere Tony Award nomination.

As Bette often said about the Oscars, “Nominations are nice, but there’s only one winner”.

How many obituaries of performers lead off with “Tony nominated actress ______ died today . . .”?

[quote]The new Sweeney Todd recording is antiseptic, listless and synthetic.

Unbreakable Sondheimite rule number 1. Every production, and cast album must be exact reproductions of the original even though they will never be anywhere as great.

R524, Lucie also won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Talent - 1979 for TPOS.

R526, Bette Davis, that is.

Best New Talent? Who was her competition, r528?

Karen Lynn Gorney

R530, Lisa Mordente

Breaking news on 9/11–nope. It will be buried like a body in the rubble of a Moroccan earthquake

Ahhhh, thank you R504, I was racking my brain trying to think where I saw Bernadette say that joke if it wasn't the Tony Awards. It was a line I never forgot, just forgot the instance. I was at both the '88 Tony Awards and the '93 Easter Bonnet so I knew I'd seen it live. I could have sworn it was the Tonys.

It was nice to rewatch those Tonys. Bernadette seemed genuinely thrilled for Joanna Gleason.

[quote]I was at both the '88 Tony Awards and the '93 Easter Bonnet

Smell r534!

Remember...?

Does anyone know if Alan Lloyd's nomination for Best Score for A Letter to Queen Victoria was the first instance of incidental music being nominated for a Tony?

Lucie Arnaz was incredible in Lost in Yonkers. Better than Mercedes Ruehl. Beautiful performance. I know she wanted to do The Goodbye Girl but the creative team wanted Peters. Lucie would have been a better choice but the show still would have sucked.

Yes, R537. In 2020: Best Score nominees included THE INHERITANCE, THE ROSE TATTOO, SLAVE PLAY, and THE SOUND INSIDE. The winner? A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

What a strange season. I saw (and liked) two of the 2020 nominees, and nothing about the music was especially noteworthy, IMHO.

As a fan of both musicals and plays, I wish the TONY committee would stop doing this. If there aren't enough musicals worth nominating, just give the award to the lone musical that is. Or not at all.

It's a false equivalency.

“If there aren't enough musicals worth nominating, just give the award to the lone musical that is. Or not at all.”

I agree.

r527 you’re delightful

The bad. news tomorrow will be the announcement of Scott Rudin’s return to Broadway which will have Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers co-starring in a David Hare two hander (seen only in the West End with Judi Dench and Maggie Smith) called Breath of Life. It has been “Americanized” and will feature the characters made famous by DeWitt and Somers in the beloved ABC sitcom Three’s Company. The storyline details the turmoil following the death of Janet’s husband Jack when his long-time mistress Chrissy returns to claim her share of his long since squandered Powerball fortune.

I'm not sure that Alan Lloyd's score can be called incidental music (Lloyd also wrote the lyrics); its director, Robert Wilson, called "A Letter for Queen Victoria" an opera, and the Times review said "people scream to music." I can't find a recording online, but NYPL has a 3 CD recording (for use in library only) that is described as an opera with "music for string quartet, contralto, and flute by Alan Lloyd." The Drama Desk Awards nominated it for "Best Unique Theatrical Experience," where it was up against "Bette Midler's Clams on the Half Shell Revue," among others.

Oh, I assumed there was no singing in the show.

Who knows what sort of massive theater-related story is supposed to break tomorrow, but consider that the source of this teaser is a loathsome toad.

No Broadway related tragic news would be revealed on the anniversary of 9/11.

I guess I could have been more pointed at r519, r545, but I agree. R511 might very well *be* Chris Peterson. R546 is correct. It's ludicrous.

R538-I saw "Lost in Yonkers" with Mercedes, wasn't very impressed. I saw a clip on TV with Lucie-she looked fantastic! I would have gone back to see her, but honestly I found the whole play to be a very unpleasant experience.

I'm surprised Lucie didn't end up getting "Goodbye Girl", considering she looked on Neil Simon as a friend. She considered him the unofficial "matchmaker" for her and Larry, and even named her first child after him. I understand Neil later blasted Bernadette's performance in his book and blamed her for the failure of the show.

I think it probably would have eventually flopped anyway, but I do think both Bernie and Martin Short were miscast. Elliott has to be a combination of super confident, obnoxious, likable and somewhat sexually attractive. Short usually plays the nerdy, unattractive loser. Paula is also very confident and sharp tongued. Bernie usually played the somewhat sad, not confident girl who gets dumped or ignored, e.g. Song and Dance, Sunday, Follies. She did play against type in "Woods", and much later on in "Night Music". Was it the director who nixed Lucie (blanking on who ended up directing it, Michael Kidd?) Didn't that show cause a big rift between Neil and good friend/long time producer Manny Azenberg?

Has there ever been a musical version of the movie “A Letter to Three Wives?”

The tweet promising bad news today has been deleted, so guessing the tweeter doesn't feel that confident in his claims

[quote]Bernadette was absolutely considered a snub at the time,

Not by anyone who knew. What B4rnadette talked about on the Tonys? She presented with Joel Grey. Grey talked about his rise to the top, and that he won a Tony and so did Bernadette. She said she took the Tony home and waited to feel different, and she didn't and the next day went back to the theatre and the audiences, who were a prize themselves.

Besides what r487 said *having to put her in featured, she only signed for a short run because that's all the time she had available. She was living in LA at the time, and Sondheim and Lapine invited her down to San Diego to see the show. Afterwards they told her they wanted to make a change with the Witch, and asked if she could do it. She ha a clear six months until her spring gigs started, so she agreed. It was understood from the beginning that she would only be with the show a short time, and she did not want to be in it for a Tony nom.

Lucie Arnaz co-starred with Tommy Tune in the national tour of My One and Only. She did most to it, then Sandy Duncan took over for her.

[quote]WEHT Burke Moses? He so hot in his Gaston days. Is he still acting?

Around the time he did BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, he guest-starred on an episode of THE NANNY as Fran's mobster boyfriend.

His older brother Mark Moses (and his bulge) guested on THE GOLDEN GIRLS.

R553, Burke was also on “As the World Turns” for a while, among other soaps.

[quote]Off the top of my head, wasn't she a replacement in the OBC of both "Lost in Yonkers" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"? A Tony nomination might have put her into consideration for the original casts. I'm sure there are several others. Perhaps she could have even stretched herself and done "Gypsy" later on?

She originated a lead in the musical "The Witches of Eastwick" in London and would have gone with it to Broadway but it promptly died and disappeared.

Just a quick note about a Burke Moses role. According to his Wiki page he was on One Life to Live; four episodes as Bulge Hackman.

Bulge Hackman - has there ever been a male porn performer with that name as well?

'Bulge' should be his brother's nickname.

That's all I could fixate on during that Golden Girls episode.

Actually, Sandy Duncan started the My One and Only tour and Lucie replaced her during the LA run.

Burke Moses made a memorable Li'l Abner for ENCORES!

Who’s hotter, Burke Moses or Brent Barrett?

R491 he really was great!

Gary Beach received the nod in Featured Actor for playing 'Lumiere.'

R559, One critic described Sandy Duncan’s performance as eye-catching.

[quote]Who’s hotter, Burke Moses or Brent Barrett?

Haven't seen Moses rececently, but Barrett has overdone surgeries.

If we are going to discuss the current hotness of actors of that era, I'd go for door #3 - their colleague MIchael Berresse.

Burke Moses today.

He’s taken on a Sebastian Cabot look.

Aw. Moses is still cute, in a bearish kind of way. I still vote Berresse. This was 2014. I saw him a few years back. Still quite fit.

R566, And reportedly hung.

I have worked with all three: Burke, Brent and Berresse. Not crazy about any of them. Nice enough guys but all less appealing in person. And none memorably hung.

R566, He was great in Encores! No, No, Nanette in 2008. Beth Leavel had trouble keeping up with him in their dance number.

R568, You saw all three naked?

Incidentally, I've always wanted to see Tony Yazbeck naked ever since I first saw him, front-center, in the ACL revival back in the 2000s.

I was in college then and just getting into musical theater.

I used to pretend the porn star Leo Giamani was him. 😂

I've worked with Beresse and Barrett. Both very nice guys. I can't speak to Barrett, but Beresse is definitely hung. Not quite "Oh, my God it's coming toward me", but a good deal more than respectable.

Maybe r568 is a dresser? They often have to deal with performers when they are not at their best.

Thanks for that clip. Leavel does her best, but almost loses her balance at one point. Cute little "dammit!" smile from her as he steadied her. Fun show.

Burke Moses was sex on a stick in Guys and Dolls.

I’m surprised they didn’t cast Lucie Arnaz either in goodbye Girl. I love Bernadette, but Lucie would have been a better fit for that

Maybe Patti could work as Jack's mother?

Music/Mirror does *not* work with a man's body...maybe you need heels.

Amy Herzog's Mary Jane to open in the Spring with Rachel McAdams. At the Friedman. Why is Carrie Coons not doing it? Too old?

[quote]Chris Peterson - OnStage Blog 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 @OnstageBlog. There is a massive story coming out tomorrow. It's complex, terrible, and should shock everyone not only in the Broadway community but the entire theatre industry as well. 4:24 PM · Sep 10, 2023

Oh ffs! Peterson did post this "massive story" on his ridiculous blog today after all.

Someone got hold of James Barbour's Scientology audits in which he admitted molesting more minors! Shocking!

[quote]Music/Mirror does *not* work with a man's body...maybe you need heels.

Yazbeck's castmate Paul McGill did a very creditable job of it wearing a Cassie dress and heels.

So, r578, I was right. It's the heels.

MATM works just fine with a male. Robbie Fairchild out dances every female Cassie. The problem with Yazbeck is he's so stiff in the upper body and has an amazing lack of musicality in his movement. Of course, the choreography is shit but Bennett Stans will never admit it.

Donovan Cooper did a better job than Tony and this was a parody.

An ace revival of No, No, Nanette would put a lot of butts in seats these days, wouldn't it? (I'd go.) Can anyone do that period style anymore, though?

[quote]An ace revival of No, No, Nanette would put a lot of butts in seats these days, wouldn't it?

Why would you think it would?

The Encores production of NNN was perfectly cast and should have moved to Broadway. Even Rosie was good.

Agree, r584. Here's the Any Girl at All number mentioned above.

Anyone starting a new thread?

It's almost Bajour time.

Please do it in time to post the new link here

“Eve Rosie was good”

Fuck off!

I would happily see No No Nanette anytime, anywhere. I think though, there is a performance style to it that has been elusive in recent stagings. Burt Shevelove, who directed the 1971 production, had a great sense of humor. You can hear some of his style in how the cast is performing the dialogue in the Finaletto for Act 1 and Act 2 on the Original Broadway Cast Recording. All of the nonsense of the plot is being performed in this exaggerated style as if it's all a matter of life or death, which makes it funny. Walter Bobbie directed at Encores! and let's say kindly, he didn't nail that. It still provided a lot of pleasure, though the show can still be even better.

How old are you?^. Old, or Al Roker will announce your birthday old?!

I'd start the new thread, but I'm utterly uninspired by the current scene, and can't think of a clever new title.

(Not that that's ever stopped anyone before.)

Fuck it.

New thread at link....

Let's kill this thing.... with a stick if needed.

I fucked up the first one.

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD... USE THIS LINK/THREAD.

Well, r593, you're anal if nothing else.

Now what the fuck do we do

That is hardly Bearking News, R594.

Use the correct thread!

CITY ON FIRE!!!

Inspector...

BAJOUR!

Thread closed?