THEATRE GOSSIP #547: The “LaChanze Wants Her LaChange” Edition

Old thread:

I'll admit to having low standards, but I like this title. Nicely done, OP!

I want to fuck OP.

Caroline, or LaChange

Love the title! Thanks, OP!

It's okay.

Is the Follies movie dead? I remember reading about two possible options: Rob Marshall or the director of the last London stage production.

God it goes on and on and on. I can enjoy a long showstopper, but it has to keep building. This one seemed to build about half-way through and then just keep going and going and going.

Definitely prefer the 80s revival with Patti.

Sorry, left out the link! OH DEAR!

To revisit Cynthia Erivo's "humorlessness" in this new thread and her viability as Elphaba in the Wicked film: I'd agree that Idina has never displayed much of a sense of humor but, at least, when she played Elphaba, she had youth on her side.

And, actually, she was hilarious in that Joshua Harmon play Skintight, playing the daughter of the Calvin Klein character.

Sorry not to include a link but beautiful hot hunky Puerto Rican actor Kamar de los Reyes, who made such a splash at the Public in Blade to the Heat a couple of decades ago and also did the soaps has died of cancer at age 56. George Wolfe really had the hots for him.

George Wolfe also put up with Elaine stritch for many years…so he deserves a gold medal

Saw How to Dance in Ohio - it isn’t technically terribly accomplished but it has an incredible amount of heart that draws you in.

[quote] at least, when she played Elphaba, she had youth on her side.

Idina was 32 when she opened Wicked. Cynthia Erivo is 36. Not a huge difference.

R11 Kamar was beautiful and quite a presence. RIP

[quote] George Wolfe really had the hots for him.

I wonder if Kamar gave him a little taste?

He certainly worked the flirtiness when he was Antonio on One Life to Live.

OP, you stole my post from the previous thread for your title. Own up to it, bitch.

R14, there is a difference onscreen. She's also only six years older than Arianna and looks easily a decade older.

Anna Kendrick is even older than Cynthia but I always thought she'd get Elphaba in the movie.

Coming to Broadway in 2024: "Mamma Mia" is back and it's time to take a LaChanze on ME starring as Donna!

[quote] OP, you stole my post from the previous thread for your title. Own up to it, bitch.

I'm surprised you'd want to admit to that.

I think Erivo's casting was part of an attempt to shift the tone closer to the book, where Elphaba is less proto Elsa and more of a Raskolnikov (philosophic misanthrope).

It's an asinine choice since Wicked (Maguire's novel) and WICKED (the Schwartz/Holzman musical) are fundamentally different stories that happen to share the same skeleton. I doubt the film's target audience wants the power ballads to stop so the characters can debate Oz's creation myths and the possibility of certain animals gaining speech by swimming in the goddess's piss stream.

[quote] I think Erivo's casting was part of an attempt to shift the tone closer to the woke

Fixed that for you.

Take your hobby horse and ride it straight off a cliff, R22.

Don't get mad at me if you can't face the facts.

[quote]R21 I doubt the film's target audience wants the power ballads to stop so the characters can debate Oz's creation myths and the possibility of certain animals gaining speech by swimming in the goddess's piss stream.

Fuck you! It could be an exciting musical ballet, with synchronized swimming!

About the Sutton in 2 shows thing (has it EVER happened???):

James Monroe Iglehart recently closed an out of town production of a musical about Louis Armstrong. Two nights later, he began previews on Broadway in SPAMALOT. He was/is the lead in both. This JUST happened.

Just last season, Ruthie Ann Miles did Piazza at Encores while doing Sweeney on Broadway.

More impressive: 20 years ago, Kathy Brier starred on Broadway in HAIRSPRAY while starring in “One Life To Live.” She woke up at 5am, went to OLTL, shot til 6pm, went to theater, warmed up and did Hairspray, and then went home and stayed up til 2am learning 60 pages of dialogue. Got up at 5am and did it all over again. I don’t know how she did it.

Also- Cynthia Nixon has appeared in two Broadway plays at once! She did a scene for one play, got out of costume and walked to the other theater where she got into costume and acted in that play. Anybody here see both?

Mark Rylance played two Shakespeare plays in rep on Broadway about 10 years ago.

Me personally: in 2001, I sang the “Aquarius” solo in HAIR at Encores while playing the lead in a full scale workshop of an unfortunate show during the day. I was also preparing to play Moritz in a Spring Awakening workshop while auditioning for the likes of Sidney Lumet to be on “100 Centre Street.”

What Sutton is doing isn’t two unbelievable. She was hired for Mattress months ago and is likely off book. She has had time to learn Sweeney too. Sweeney is already staged. She just has to learn the blocking and she’ll be ready to go.

As for turning down roles you’re “not right for,” what a stupid idea. To grow a career, it is well advised to stretch yourself as an actor whenever possible. Carol Burnett probably should’ve done Funny Girl for that matter. Could’ve gotten her a Tony and an Oscar.

[quote] Carol Burnett probably should’ve done Funny Girl for that matter. Could’ve gotten her a Tony and an Oscar.

Gotten MY Tony? I don’t think so!

[quote]By the time he was a Broadway hit, Sondheim had a reputation for kinky sex that involved paraphernalia and dominant-submissive games of one sort or another. I had reassured my subject that I was interested in his psychic energy, not his sexual one, which was true, and the only book editor who took me to task was a lady in a waistcoat working for a newspaper in San Francisco. His sex life was his business.

Some other fun gossip at from Meryle Secrest -- including that poppers led to his 1970s heart attack.

Wow! Is that the first time someone of reputable regard went on record about the alleged dungeon? R28 thanks for sharing!

If the first wicked movie flops, what the hell are they going to do with the second one?

r31

I have wondered that myself... I thought a year is way too long in-between movies... maybe 6 months would have been better

and sadly I do think it will flop

[quote]James Monroe Iglehart recently closed an out of town production of a musical about Louis Armstrong. Two nights later, he began previews on Broadway in SPAMALOT. He was/is the lead in both. This JUST happened. Just last season, Ruthie Ann Miles did Piazza at Encores while doing Sweeney on Broadway.

But Iglehart had previously appeared in the same role in the same production of SPAMALOT when it played at the Kennedy Center earlier this year. And Miles was already in SWEENEY when she took off for PIAZZA, plus her role in SWEENEY was quite a small one. I don't think either of these or your other examples equate to Sutton Foster preparing two huge roles she has never played before at roughly the same time, and then debuting in one of them less than a week after the other show closes.

Non-paywalled version of Secrest’s Sondheim revision.

[quote]Laurents realized the young lyricist was a “comer.”

I wonder if that's the way Laurents would've spelled it

[quote]would be served tea in Royal Doulton porcelain cups with delicately wrought handles

And hand-painted periwinkles?

I think you want to make this more super-human than it is, r34. Repertory actors have to sometimes do two big roles...alternating. One year at the Guthrie, Patricia Connolly alternated Blanche DuBois and Amanda in Private Lives.

R35 mine is still coming up as paywalled

non paywall should work now /

Archive link won't load R39.

Maurice Hines has passed away at 80. RIP.

I saw Maurice in the national tour of "Jelly's Last Jam." Very different from his brother.

This is a wonderful documentary about Maurice and touches upon his tense relationship with his brother. Fortunately, they reconciled a few years before Gregory passed away.

Link in R39 worked for me.

Great read - thanks for sharing.

Hope that someone will write about his finding love, first with Peter Jones, then with Jeff Romley. Perhaps his current biographer will fill us in.

[quote]I saw Maurice in the national tour of "Jelly's Last Jam." Very different from his brother.

He could not pull off the bedroom scene with Anita to save his life.

Were Maurice and Gregory full brothers? They looked nothing alike.

[quote]About the Sutton in 2 shows thing (has it EVER happened???):

In 1996, I saw the London production of MARTIN GUERRE, the Claude-Michel Schönberg/Alain Boublil musical Loosely based on the real-life historical figure Martin Guerre, and the 1982 film The Return of Martin Guerre. The story involves a man who marries, goes off to war, is killed, and is replaced by his best friend, who returns to the town and to the wife, pretending to be Martin.

Matt Rawle was one of the very few performers to have appeared in all three of Boubil and Schonberg's musicals, Martin Guerre (as the title role), Miss Saigon (understudying and playing Chris), and Les Miserables (as Marius). In 1996, he appeared in both Marin Guerre and Les Miserables at the same time. He would die in Act 1 of Martin Guerre and then proceed to the Queen's Theatre, where he would play Marius.

I'm not sure the Actors Union would allow that today.

[Quote] He would die in Act 1 of Martin Guerre and then proceed to the Queen's Theatre, where he would play Marius.

But what about act one of Les Mis? Didn’t they start at the same time?

R49 Martin Guerre dies early in Act 1 while Marius meets Cosette late in Act 1...

Sondheim… a druggie. A DRUGGIE!

[quote]The only time it mattered had to do with his heart attack… The story had to do with “poppers,” or amyl nitrite. They were popular in certain circles because when inhaled during sex, they relaxed anal muscles, but they were also capable of imposing a dangerous strain on the heart. Sondheim had used them before. This time was different. One night in 1979, shortly after Sweeney Todd opened and during a sexual encounter, Sondheim began to sweat heavily and his heart started to pound. Suddenly he felt the worst pain he had ever known. “I just wanted it to stop,” he said. It was a heart attack.

You have to wonder about the guy SS was fucking when he had the heart attack. Not a very romantic interlude.

That would have made a great scene in the totally gay musical he never wrote.

[quote]You have to wonder about the guy SS was fucking when he had the heart attack. Not a very romantic interlude.

If I had a dime for every time that's happened to me, r52...

James Holod Kennedy is the future of musical theatre!

Why have we not heard from more men who had sex with Sondheim, especially now that he's dead? I want names, bitches!

He could also be dead, R56. That was more than 44 years ago, shortly before the AIDS crisis.

I don't know why... just a hunch.... but for some reason I think Sondheim was a top. Unfortunately, a lot of his sexual partners from the 60s and 70s may have been lost to the plague.

As for that article, yes, it's behind a paywall, but they let you read it if you give them your email address (or any email address.)

It's an apocryphal tale, but Sondheim fucked Larry Kert and I cannot picture Larry topping anyone ever.

I suspect Sondheim was more of a cuddler and a sucker. I seriously doubt that he ever fucked anyone or let anyone fuck him. Just a hunch, of course.

I don't *even* want to think about it...

Well, according to Secrest he was into dom-submissive sex play and "kink paraphernalia". Sounds like more than a light cuddle and suck to me.

Do we know what happened to Savion Glover's career? There's gigantic gaps in his resume and his most recent work in Pal Joey didn't exactly set the world on fire. I heard he was difficult to work with but I'm also surprised he didn't find a way to popularize his style of tap with the hip hop community.

Sam and Amy seem like a fun couple

[Quote] I seriously doubt that he ever fucked anyone or let anyone fuck him. Just a hunch, of course.

“Somebody, hold me too—[bold] OWWWWW! [/bold]

R63 Isn't he kinda nuts?

The thought of Steve topping Larry Kert got me really hard.

Savion [italic] always [/italic] stoned.

R64 Jeremy Strong needs a fucking cuddle.

Or a swift kick in the balls

Savion is a classic example of someone who is young and was told how brilliant they are and how that never ends well for any young person!

R70. Especially if she can’t even spell her own name correctly.

That's what Broadway tutors will do for you

I remember the story of Larry Kert replacing Dean Jones in COMPANY.....and after awhile at a party he said: "Who do I have to fuck to get out of this show?"

Sondheim was standing behind him and said; "The same person you fucked to get into it!"

Is that the most-told DL story, along with some Carol Channing corn variations?

Verificatia of Sondmeat?

I actually couldn't care less about who/what/why Sondheim fucked/not fucked. I thought the revelatory idea in that article was the notion that "Being Alive" is about his mother. Had to sit down for that one....Ick

There are perhaps a few lyrics in "Being Alive" that may be thought of as having been inspired by Sondheim's relationship with his mother, but of course, the song is mostly about having a committed romantic relationship (or avoiding one), so I CERTAINLY hope that interpretation is way off base.

In " Unworthy of Your Love," Hinckley sings about wanting to earn the love of Jodie Foster. In real life, " Jodie" was the name people called his mother, which changes the meaning of the lyrics .

You're kidding, right, r78?

I'm sure some old cunt has nude pix of SS squirreled away in the basement, just waiting to be unearthed when said old cunt dies.

There are three legendary stories on DL

1) Sondheim and Larry Kert referenced above.

2) Sondheim having a Twink in the dungeon in a sling, Angela Lansbury opened the wrong door looking for the bathroom and found him and promptly shut the door.

3) Rosie O’Donnell screaming to have her roast beef sandwhich made, but hold the mustard!

[Quote] In real life, " Jodie" was the name people called his mother

Huh? IRL “Jodie” has a the name people call Jodie.

Sorry

Huh? IRL “Jodie” is the name people call Jodie.

[quote] In " Unworthy of Your Love," Hinckley sings about wanting to earn the love of Jodie Foster. In real life, "Jodie" was the name people called his mother, which changes the meaning of the lyrics.

I thought most referred to Sondheim’s mother by her nickname, which was ‘Foxy’?

Just to confuse things further, Jodie WAS foxy...

She was a FOX!

Don’t forget the story of Sondheim blacklisting Kim Criswell from his shows after she offended him.

Anyone see this in LA? Opens in London this spring for a 8 week run in the West End.

link to London production

if this appeared in these threads earlier, I was not aware

I saw a reading of Bronco Billy years ago. Not very good.

R90, you should have noted she was in Follies. That would have gotten attention on DL

R67, “Cute as a button”.

[quote] you should have noted she was in Follies. That would have gotten attention on DL

At this point, who HASN’T been in Follies?

Pia Zadora

Only Anita is alive today.

Gays is gay. Nice chest hair…

R95, Pia should do the Vegas Follies. I'm Still Here is her song!

Savion was a terror when he did Noise/Funk. Most of the cast was, with the exception of Dulé Hill, who was a nice young man. The rest were horrible - showed up way past call time, Savion at one point threw a bottle at the Stage Manager, etc. Promo appearances were always a nightmare - could never count on them to show up, even when a car was sent for them. At one point, after the show had been running over a year, we counted ten babies that had been spawned by the cast. They were young men who had never had money before. The drummers had literally been playing in the subway prior to the show so they went hog wild, spreading their seed and buying fancy cars. Other than Dulé and Savion, not sure what ever happened to the rest.

[quote]I'm Still Here is her song!

But she really isn't, r98.

I think it could be Anita Gillette's song, at this point.

Penny Fuller is matinée Carlotta!

I've always confused Anita Gillette with Penny Fuller.

Hence the joke.

There was a joke?

Sally Kellerman plays her mom (or someone’s mom) in that.

Perhaps her scenes were shot at Hidden Valley Ranch.

Goddamnit!!!

Above in reference to:

[quote]r85 Just to confuse things further, Jodie WAS foxy...

I hate the world.

R88, who’s playing the Beverlee McKinsey role in Bronco Billy? Bev said on a talk show she only got the role because Sondra Locke kept bugging Clint Eastwood to hire her because she was so good on the daytime soap Another World.

Well, she WAS great on Another World.

So would a film of Caroline or Change work as a film with Fantasia Barrino? I can see the Black British director Steve McQueen doing it,

[quote] I suspect Sondheim was more of a cuddler and a sucker

Oh, the Cuddler and the Sucker should be friends! Yes, the Cuddler and the Sucker should be friends. One man likes to squeeze and tease The other’s happiest on his knees But that’s no reason why they can’t be friends!

[quote]So would a film of Caroline or Change work as a film with Fantasia Barrino? I can see the Black British director Steve McQueen doing it,

You really want to bore the audience?

I'd rather see the other Steve McQueen climb out of his grave and direct Ali McGraw in Caroline or Change.

Beverlee McKinsey would have been amazing in FOLLIES.

The Larry Kert story used to be said about West Side Story. Makes more sense. WSS was an experimental musical (at the time) with an uncertain future and a maniac director. Company was a big hit that Kert was probably thrilled to be in.

As far as the tied-up twink, that story changes too. It's always a major diva who finds the twink (Angela. is a new one) and it's usually a chorus boy chained to the bathroom sink. Highly doubt it ever happened.

Has the major diva ever been Mandy Patinkin?

Chorus boy chained to bathroom sink while Carol Channing was bending over the crapper looking for corn.

[quote]I'd rather see the other Steve McQueen climb out of his grave and direct Ali McGraw in Caroline or Change.

Ali McGraw has the range to play the washing machine.

People also forget what a self-righteous asshole Jeffrey Wright was during his run in the show. Hated by everyone in the theatre district, especially restaurateurs who had to feed the surly prick.

Patti LuPone has never been in Follies despite being able to play every role at some point in her career

Patti LuPone was never a Phyllis nor a Sally.

Did any of you see Anthony Hopkins in Equus? How was he on stage? That was his only time on Broadway. Reportedly never liked theater work.

[quote]Patti LuPone was never a Phyllis nor a Sally.

Patti was an Eva...that's hard to beat.

The first time I heard the Kert story was when Ned Sherrin told it during Side by Side by Sondheim.

R123. Not really

r110 I think Cynthia Erivo would be better albeit may be a tad young for it?

Same structure as color, purple. Erivo could skulk around, looking wounded and keeping her thoughts to herself until there’s a big ballad. Curtain.

That was some good tea regarding the 'Da Noise ... 'Da Funk cast. Looking on IBDB, I see that a lot of the performers, original or replacement, only did that show and/or ended their Broadway careers with it.

R122 It was during his drinking day, so....

Hopkins was, and remains, the best Dysart I've seen, and that includes the London original Dysart, Alec McCowan. Hopkins was magnetic. You also truly believed he loved the young man in his care. That's the true heart of the story. The boy represents all the things Dysart never felt.

I wish someone other than Richard Griffiths had played Durant opposite Radcliffe’s Alan. Griffiths was an excellent actor (as in The History Boys), but the contrast between his aging girth and Radcliffe’s diminutive body added pedophiliac subtexts that seem to me NOT what is at stake in the relationship. There is kinging from Durant, even desire for the Dionysian freedom Alan represents, buts not a NAMBLA Lifetime movie. I bet Hopkins was amazing. I saw the tour in Chicago when I was in college. Ken Howard played Durant. As good an actor as he was, he seemed miscast too—too strapping and secure. I don’t recall who the Alan was. I know Tom Hulce played the role on tour, but don’t know if he was n it when I saw it.

The original Broadway production of The Color Purple ran over 900 performances and recouped within a year. The more lauded revival with Cynthia Erivo ran fewer than half the number of performances and did not fully recoup. I believe the reviews were better for the revival, but it was less successful.

Savion Glover never showed up on time for half-hour (Cardinal sin on Broadway), and he was basically the whole show. He was dazed and high on weed ALWAYS. As one of the creatives and I believe producers of the show, this made things tricky, but it wore everyone out. I also saw his condo in Soho being auctioned off by the bank holding the mortgage when such things were in the back of the newspaper. He walked by me on Ninth Ave about a month ago, he looked fine. He sabotaged his career all by himself.

Jeffrey Wright strikes me as someone who thinks his shit doesn't stink. He has been a critic's darling for thirty years. He's good, but is he that good?

R131 Who is Durant?

and...

R122, Hopkins also replaced Lithgow in M. Butterfly on Broadway, which he also did in the West End. That, I think, would’ve been a super sexy bit of casting.

For some reason, his casting as a replacement isn’t listed on IMDb, but I remember it because that’s why I was interested in seeing it. It is listed on Wikipedia.

^^ This would’ve been about two years prior to the release of Silence of the Lambs.

Durant = Dysart 🤷🏽

So you saw Anthony Hopkins and Ken Howard play Sally Durant…?

Jeffrey Wright may be at insufferable prick, but he is excellent in American Fiction.

[quote] [R122], Hopkins also replaced Lithgow in M. Butterfly on Broadway, which he also did in the West End. That, I think, would’ve been a super sexy bit of casting.

Anthony Hopkins did not replace John Lithgow, David Dukes did.

Hopkins did M. Butterfly in the West End in 1989, directed again by Equus' John Dexter.

[quote] As one Celie chases royalties, another Celie visits Oz.

How quickly you bitches forget the OG Celie!

Autocorrect must be a Adler. I typed Durant and it changed it to to Durant—either that or it’s the live child of Will and Ariel

[quote] I typed Durant and it changed it to to Durant

R143......those are all recognizable English words but I have no idea what the fuck you just tried to say.

[quote]I typed Durant and it changed it to to Durant

I think Abbott and Costello need to show themselves out of this thread before they give someone an aneurysm.

I would have loved to have seen Anthony Perkins during his stint in Equus.

Jodie is foxy, but kind of a les Janet is boxy as everyone says…

Are those Sondheim lyrics R147?

Yes, r147, Striesand made him write those, against his better judgement.

Why did he spell judgment the British way?

Perkins did the show with boyfriend/hustler, the creepy Keith McDermott. McDermott also counted Larry Kert among his conquests.

[quote] I would have loved to have seen Anthony Perkins during his stint in Equus.

He was great. And Tom Hulce looked great nude, too.

R152, Time is so cruel.

From the discussion on the previous thread, I saw Fantasia and Erivo. Fantasia was much better than Erivo. Fantasia understood Celie in a way no one else has. That's pretty much why they made the movie. It was mentioned Barbara Cook loved Fantasia. My husband and I were actually sitting right next to her. It was Fantasia's first preview and her performance was breathtaking. Barbara Cook turned to my husband and said of Fantasia's performance: "That's the real thing."

R151 well it was hardly as much of a challenge as topping Mt. Everest.

So what’s the scoop on Sutton and Hugh Jackman? I’m hearing Sutton has moved in with him. That’s why he got a divorce. Can anyone confirm?

I Do! I Do!...?

I saw Anthony Perkins and Tom Hulce. They both were great. I didn't know Keith McDermott did the show with Perkins. I thought he came in with Burton, but I suppose he could have come in before Perkins left. I heard a story, at the time, and not sure if it's just an urban legend, but when McDermott was on the road with the show, he didn't show up for the show one night. They found him in his hotel room, naked and chained to the radiator, with a big smile on his face. You decide...

r156 Where's Vincent Gallo when you need him?

[quote]Perkins did the show with boyfriend/hustler, the creepy Keith McDermott. McDermott also counted Larry Kert among his conquests.

R151 I worked with Keith McDermott prior to his turn in Equus, and he was kind, talented, professional, and a real joy to work with. We all knew he had a lot going on in his private life, but that all ended once he stepped into the theater. "Hustler" and "creepy" are not words I would use to describe him - at least not then.

imho

Thanks, Billy Boy. I also had a nice experience with Keith McDermott, in later years.

R160 I love you Billy Boy.

Billy Boy, do you still work in the legitimate theatre? I have a feeling I must know you.

I love your posts. Have for many years xx

Well this is awful news. My heart goes out to his family

Oh my gosh, that's horrible news. Poor guy.

Burton replaced Perkins then Perkins replaced Burton. It's possible Keith came in with Burton then stuck around after he left and played opposite Perkins (hence them rehearsing together). As a matter of fact Burton went into the show a few days earlier than expected and Perkins graciously stepped aside. The audience had no idea they would be seeing Richard Burton. Remember, this was pre social media.

Very sad news about Aaron Lazar. I saw him in Bridges of Madison County with Kate Baldwin last year (or the year before?) and he was just brilliant and so sexy. Wondered why he hadn't seemed to be working since then and maybe this explains it.

Aaron Lazar and Jonathan Groff

R160, well, he admits to being a male prostitute and it was alleged he was doing double duty while he was in Equus. As for the "creepy" part, he had two roles in movies that I saw, "Without a Trace" (where he played a pedophile) and a brief murder scene in "Tourist Trap". Creepy would be a charitable way to describe his presence.

Fantasia had more church in her Celie than anyone.

And LaChanze of this thread title was way more “legit” than anyone since. So much head voice.

McDermott's character was not a pedophile in "Without a Trace." He was a male nanny who was falsely accused/suspected of having kidnapped or murdered the child who went missing and was soon exonerated.

R172. But didn't they find the missing boys underpants in his possession? I'm not saying Keith was creepy but that character sure was.

When Aaron Lazar took off his shirt in A Little Night Music, I got hard.

Now picture him in a wheelchair and typing with a stick.

Quite big tits.

If you're going to be a cunt, at least try and be a witty one.

His diagnosis shouldn’t mean we can’t still imagine his sexiness. That is all.

ALS is a horrible, insidious disease. My love of 40 years died of this 3+ years ago.

Every day you discover the things you can no longer do. Turn a door knob, hold a fork, walk.

Until you can no longer speak, swallow or breathe.

r179

agreed... my grandpa had it... it's horrible

R174 . . .

[quote]Billy Boy, do you still work in the legitimate theatre?

R163 My husband and I sold our house in 2016 and moved from NYC to Hawaii, where we had vacationed for many years. We maintained a small apartment in NYC for a while and would return twice a year for two months. The pandemic stopped that. Now, we visit once a year in November to catch up on all the shows, visit friends, and participate in the Thanksgiving dinner we have attended for the last 35 years. It's a gathering of about 20+ seasoned theater friends - actors, managers, publicists, designers, directors, choreographers, etc.- who we consider our real family.

Here in Hawaii, we both do some consulting work, so I would describe ourselves as 'semi-retired.' I also work with our local theater group, which is a lot of fun. And no, I don't miss NYC at all...

[Quote] When Aaron Lazar took off his shirt in A Little Night Music, I got hard.

Last time, r174?

r175 you should rot in hell

Calm down—the intent was sincere, the words were awkward. Mary!

I'd gladly help him drain his balls.

wonder why McDermott never did soaps? with those looks it seemed like an obvious fit. Was he good on stage?

[quote]But didn't they find the missing boys underpants in his possession? I'm not saying Keith was creepy but that character sure was.

If I recall correctly, the underclothes were found amongst rags used in the manny/housekeeper’s standard cleaning supplies. It’s a red herring in the plot. Old clothes are routinely put in that stash by the household.

Sorry for the [bold]spoiler

Spoiler for a movie no one saw or cares about?

Who the fuck was Rosebud?

R188, in jail, he admits he had a relationship with an underage boy but sickly admits it was consensual. While the underpants were a red herring, the entire character was treated as a red herring.

Who fucked his rosebud?

True Story: Stockard Channing wasn’t really on my radar when my friend picked out this movie for us to watch after work one night. When she ran down the cast I somehow thought Carol Channing was going to play the concerned neighbor.

Near the end I asked, “When does Carol Channing come in?” and my friend just stared at me.

Finally she said, “Carol Channing? CAROL CHANNING?? Oh my god, can you imagine how horrible that could be??” Then she wrung her hands with popped eyes and slurred, “But Shushan, SHUSHAN, where’sh LITTLE ALEXSH?!”

We went on to ask each other that for years out of nowhere, and crack up.

(WITHOUT A TRACE, starring Kate Nelligan as Susan, Danny Corkill as Little Alex, and special guest star Carol Channing as concerned upstairs neighbor Aunt Sally!)

Carol joined in the desperate search for the missing kid, but her scene was deemed too glamorous for the film's drab aesthetic.

R193 Oh please. Until far too recently I always believed Carol was Stockards' Mother.

I wish Stockard and Kate had switched roles.

Billy Boy, I can't think of anyone I know who's moved to Hawaii in recent years so perhaps I don't know you (but I wish I did).

Kate was born to play Rizzo.

Now that Some Like It Hot has closed, has a new tenant been announced for the Schubert Theater? If indeed SUNSET BLVD. (title caps and abbreviation included) is coming in this season, certainly it would be a good fit, especially given the “live on street” live video opening of Act Two.

^^ Shubert Theater.

Try again.

Shubert Theatre.

R193, stories like the ones you and Billy Boy tell are why I still love these threads.

Sunset Blvd is rumored for next season.

Hell's Kitchen has the Shubert lined up for this spring.

Since this bargain basement, with names (!), Merrily We Roll Along thrives, perhaps it’s for the best, then, for Best Revival accolades. Great cast, cheap production, tiny band… for $300 a seat! Sadly, that’s what Broadway is now; but, to pay the same for the new SUNSET BLVD. is a very different experience. I’ve seen both now and there is no question that SUNSET BLVD. is far beyond in every sense of what theatre can be. No comparisons.

[quote]Spoiler for a movie no one saw or cares about?

I saw it many times! I was an extra in it, and it used to be shown endlessly in the early days of cable.

The later-life Carol Channing film role that never was but should have been was Mrs. Connelly in DUPLEX (2003) with Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore. Carol would have only been 82 at the time. She married Harry in 2003, and she worked for years after that, with her last Town Hall appearance being in 2014. It would've made the film much funnier and given the film another recognizable star.

[Quote] far beyond in every sense of what theatre can be

Mary!

R199, The London production of Sunset Boulevard is now scheduled for November on Broadway.

Alexis Smith as the WML? mystery guest in 1974.

[quote]There is no question that SUNSET BLVD. is far beyond in every sense of what theatre can be.

Huh? What does that even mean? Not a rhetorical question. I can't even decipher what that's supposed to mean and if it's even a criticism or a form of praise...

A cheaply produced, tiny band, bare-bones production with “names” on Broadway is one thing… SUNSET BLVD. on the west end at the moment comes from less (with a much bigger orchestra) to make theatre happen with even less of a conventional set, using new technology to make theatre be something different is another thing. Sorry, all comparisons are reductive, but if you have seen both productions, clearly one is next and one is last.

Huh?

To mix my metaphors, you can put lipstick on a pig but Sunset Boulevard is still going to be a crappy show no matter how you stage it.

What metaphors were mixed?

[quote]Sunset Boulevard is still going to be a crappy show no matter how you stage it.

I don't understand many of the comments on SUNSET BLVD., but with this opinion I heartily agree. Sadly, I guess the reception of this production in London proves that many audience members today are only concerned with superficial, sensationalistic crap staging rather than the quality of the writing of the show itself.

[quote]Shubert Theatre.

The one in San Francisco?

The Savion/Bring On reports have been among the more interesting in Theater Gossip. Savion is 50 and shows little sign of growth in his image and Pal Joey got reviews that suggest the same in his choreography and staging. He's a true theatre one hit wonder.

Marshall Davis Jr was in NOISE/FUNK and the recent PAL JOEY.

Savion's dealer?

Savion was another example of everyone knowing the truth about his habit, but everyone looking away for the money. George C Wolfe tried to get him to help himself to no avail.

Dermot Mulroney??? Yes, please!

What did Leavel drop out for?

R223, Can he sing?

R224, Matinee Mrs. Lovett.

Is Old Friends going to transfer? I’m afraid Bernadette’s voice is on its last legs and there isn’t much time left for her voice to be workable.

[quote] What did Leavel drop out for?

She found out she'd be doing a show at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood.

After the Devil Wears Prada debacle Beth shouldn't be so uppity. That's all.

How was Beth to blame, r229?

Actually, the El Portal is a really nice theater. I've seen a few shows there. That part of North Hollywood used to be dicey, but not anymore. There are a bunch of nice restaurants in the area.

[quote]How was Beth to blame

She wasn't a star. If any part ever required major star presence, it's that. Leavel just doesn't have that kind of star quality. Rumored to be Hannah Waddingham for London, which would be great casting.

[quote] Actually, the El Portal is a really nice theater. I've seen a few shows there. That part of North Hollywood used to be dicey, but not anymore. There are a bunch of nice restaurants in the area.

It's okay. I've been there a few times. They've renovated it a couple times since I first moved to LA. I know they turned it into one big space and two smaller spaces about 18 years ago, but I don't know if they still operate the smaller spaces. The last time I was there (in the big space) was for some show with trained cats about 6 years ago. It may not be decrepit, but it's bargain basement in terms of the kind of theater that happens out here.

Waddingham would be out of her mind to get involved in the hot mess known as The Devil Wears Prada, the Musical.

Waddingham should just waddle away.

Probably as well as Preston, r225.

Hannah Waddingham? They'll be lucky if the can get Bonnie Langford to play Miranda.

R217 , I think most people thought that the writing in the musical Sunset Boulevard was not very strong. But stripping away all the sensational production elements of the original production, has made it clear that the writing was very strong and did not need big sets or exaggerated acting. Simply singing and simply acting are all that this show ever needed. And that is what we get in this new production.

The writing is strong? Oy vey.

r238 are your initials ALW?

R238 is Don Black.

Sometimes actors can sing...

Aaaaaaagh

Amy Herzog is a...striking woman.

[quote]I suspect Sondheim was more of a cuddler and a sucker

Because everything about his work screams "cuddly".

‘Yes, I WILL spend hundreds of dollars for tickets to see a play based on this incisive and engaging piece of promotional material’ said nobody ever after watching the video R243 posted.

And I say this as a fan of both of them.

That video at r242 is cute if just a bit jarring at first, especially John James, who is almost unrecognizable. But then, I haven't seen anything of these guys since the 1990s and everyone gets old, of course. They've actually held up well.

[quote]I think most people thought that the writing in the musical Sunset Boulevard was not very strong. But stripping away all the sensational production elements of the original production, has made it clear that the writing was very strong and did not need big sets or exaggerated acting.

Well your opinion is definitely....an opinion.

Lindsay Mendez engaged

Her Wiki has no info on her personal life. Previously married, yes?

One hit semi-wonder Ken Ludwig still milking hs piece of shit for as much as he can.

I saw Leavel in PRADA in Chicago, and it wasn't at all her fault. Terrible writing, ridiculous direction, and insane choreography. Leavel did her best to create a character that made no sense in this interpretation. She looked fantastic, too, but it was a total shitshow. Not sure it can be fixed. If one of your leading characters is supposed to be icy and withdrawn, singing seems nonsensical. If you look at the film, Streep has more time silent than speaking.

Leavel is in SUFFS.

[quote]One hit semi-wonder Ken Ludwig still milking hs piece of shit for as much as he can.

To say that he is the essence of low-level mediocrity would be a huge overstatement of his talent.

[quote]Streep has more time silent than speaking.

As it should be.

I've loathed Ken Ludwig ever since Moon Over Broadway. Poor Ken getting stuck with Carol Burnett as the lead in his terrible play.

R249 - she's been regularly missing performances of Merrily due to the apparent strains of her CURRENT divorce. So... yes... she's done this a few times.

[quote]She's been regularly missing performances of Merrily due to the apparent strains of her CURRENT divorce.

R256, I had heard the same thing, but I didn't know if it was true and I don't know the details. Are you saying she was very recently divorced from her SECOND husband and is now engaged for a third time?

Yup twice divorced, per Wiki

Spouse(s) Michael Borth​ (m. 2008; div. 2014)​

Philip Wakefield ​​(m. 2016; div. 2021)​

Did anyone see Shuffle Along? Apparently there is a huge fan base who feel it was Savion Glover's best work and he was robbed of a Tony during the Hamilton avalanche.

Thanks, R258. I see that her Wikipdedia entry doesn't list her year of birth, but it's listed on ibdb as March 1, 1983. So she's a little older then I thought, but still, that's quite something to have had two divorces and three marriages (the third one is coming soon) by age 40.

Apologies if posted before, I scrolled up a considerable bit and didn't see it

Well, since we're talking about has-beens; I might as well offer some response to R7 and his query about Dominic Cooke's greenlit FOLLIES movie

Based on the current box-office grosses, FOLLIES won't be entering pre-production any time soon. However I think that's a good thing. Even if we have to wait 20 years, we'll be spared from Meryl Streep's take on Sally or Phyllis.

SHUFFLE ALONG was awful, a huge disappointment in every department. Couldn't believe George Wolfe directed it as I think he usually delivers. This was a total misfire.

[quote]R258 Yup twice divorced, per Wiki

prostitution whore

[quote]R262 FOLLIES won't be entering pre-production any time soon. However I think that's a good thing. Even if we have to wait 20 years, we'll be spared from Meryl Streep's take on Sally or Phyllis.

I’m more scared of Madonna’s.

Streep should do "Lettice and Lovage". Only she could make us forget Maggie Smith.

Stand up to, perhaps. Forget, never.

Sounds like Michael Urie won't be returning to SPAMALOT after the short run of MATTRESS. That seems so odd. I wonder why?

[quote]Sounds like Michael Urie won't be returning to SPAMALOT after the short run of MATTRESS. That seems so odd. I wonder why?

Why "so odd?" According to the press release, he has a previous television commitment after MATTRESS.

He also needs time at home alone to take care of his huge penis.

[quote] Sounds like Michael Urie won't be returning to SPAMALOT after the short run of MATTRESS. That seems so odd. I wonder why?

Will it actually still be running?

martin guerre doesn't die in the musical, r48. we find it in act 2 that he faked his death. in fact he has an even bigger part in the second half so I don't understand how he couyld've been in two places at once. besides whoever plays marius also appears in the opening chain gang, at the end of the day, and master of the house, so your claim doesn't hold up.

[quote]Based on the current box-office grosses, FOLLIES won't be entering pre-production any time soon. However I think that's a good thing. Even if we have to wait 20 years, we'll be spared from Meryl Streep's take on Sally or Phyllis.

Hah! Good luck with that. I have complete performances of both roles (as well as Carlotta, Hattie, and Young Phyllis and Young Sally) filmed and ready to be edited into any and all future productions.

Does G. Santos play Buddy and Ben?

Almost time for some infant to shout "Beanie!"

As Matinee Phyllis?

Beanie is a DeeDee not a Phyllis.

It’s really a pit that both of them couldn’t sing but Julianne Moore as Sally and Laura Dern as Phyllis circa 10 years ago would have made a good pair

Please don't let Laura Dern anywhere near Broadway. Or the legitimate theatre.

[quote]Almost time for some infant to shout "Beanie!"

SUFFS!

WHET Sam Harris? Belting out standards at a piano bar in Palm Desert now?

A Message from Sam

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

All nineteen of them!

Sam looks like a hot daddy in that video. Too bad about the Covid thing, though.

Looks more like Ham Sarris.

Are Sam and Liza still good buddies or did Mikey Feinstein edge him out?

I do wonder what happens when your income is solely based on a talent that you lose in poor health, like Sam.

Thank god I never had a voice to begin with!

Has anybody told Glenn?

We can't all have lopsided titties, Karen!

“When Sam asked me to help him develop his critically acclaimed memoir into a musical theater piece, I jumped at the chance to work with my friend of 25 years. Sam is a tsunami of talent and the work we did in New York resulted in a production that showcased all of Sam’s extraordinary talents—as a writer, songwriter, actor, and of course, that voice! It got phenomenal reviews and went on to play Los Angeles in an award-winning production directed by Ken Sawyer. Now it’s a stunning film that reveals Sam Harris as one of the great showmen who can have you in hysterics one moment and break your heart the next. Ham is more than Sam’s personal story. Its message is universal. It is hilarious, it is raw, it is inspirational, and above all, it is human.” – Billy Porter

I was in until I saw who said it!

Years ago we saw Sam in Joseph and the Amazing, etc etc. And he was very good and the audience loved him.

BREAKING NEWS

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Audra has a gorgeous voice but is a mediocre actress. Good luck.

[quote]Audra has a gorgeous voice

For *those* songs?

Gypsy moratorium announced.

*

Ken Ludwig isn’t a one hit wonder. Crazy For You was a big hit. Also- I believe Lindsay is heading into her 3rd marriage and she’s still married to #2.

Audra has a powerful chest voice, and it is certainly a better match than LuPone’s sledgehammered oatmeal. Her comments on the role in 2022 give me a lot of confidence.

I think Sam looks hot too. Wow. My type. This is him back in the day. Not hot but an incredible performance.

R300 So, Gypsy Rose Lee and June havoc will now be black?

R295- Audra has 3 Tony Awards for plays.

R302. People on another site are suggesting Dene Benton for Louise which is ridiculous because Louise will obviously be Asian and Herbie will be a non binary Latino.

It's a musical *fable*, r302.

Yeah, right r300?

Norm Lewis for Herbie.

Dene Benton looks a little too … ample for Louise.

Norm Lewis for anything.

Norm Lewis for Herbie, of course!

Will Audra do the role like Betty Buckley and not memorize lines, but rather memorize intentions?

Audra earned six Tony Awards playing humans, as opposed winning best supporting cat. She’ll be fine.

R305 the musical is rather faithful to Gypsy Rose Lee's memoir.

Granted, they condensed the story and eliminated superfluous characters, but the musical derived a lot of material from her book, including the 'Herbie' and 'Tulsa' characters.

The real June had a problem with both the memoir and the musical, which is why the latter was subtitled "A Musical Fable" to placate her, but it was just a case of two siblings having different recollections of the same events.

Alex Newell IS Dainty June

Whoopi Goldberg is Mr. Goldstone!

You're all making lame jokes and Glynis Johns is dead.

Link

R304, well she is Gypsy Rose LEE.

I was at Old Friends on Tuesday Matinee and it was pretty good. Bernadette was very touching in the "Sunday" and "Send in the Clowns" but her "Losing My Mind" was not great (and I love her). Salonga as Lovett (meh), as Rose better...but who told her to get that corporate lesbian hairdo? There is a hottie in the chorus (plays the Wolf) and shows his body several times and I thought he was the best part of the show.

r313, Gypsy's memoir should *not* be considered autobiographical fact.

[quote] Gypsy's memoir should *not* be considered autobiographical fact.

You mean she was really black?

R320 the Herbie and Tulsa characters really did exist although that was not their real names.

Speaking of Gypsy, it popped up on one of my movies channels last night and I watched starting with the scene with Miss Cratchitt. Midler was really dreadful. Peter Riegert was stiff and stone faced. Best performances were from Christine Ebersole as Tessie, young Elisabeth Moss as Baby Louise and the actress who played Dainty June (can't remember her name but I know she passed away much too young). I wish they had taped the Tyne Daly revival instead.

I thought Cynthia made a lovely Louise, r323.

Midler is fucking terrible in Gypsy. I remember the brouhaha when she lost the Emmy to Kirstie Alley that year for Best Actress in a tv movie/miniseries, but they got it right.

was at a dinner last night where a very well known producer announced to the table that the consensus is forming that while diversity is now a part of the fabric of the NY theater, the critical and commercial losses sustained by programming driven by mainly by diversity are too deep to sustain. This person thinks that diversity will continue to be a "value" but not the priority. This person went on to say that he told his casting company (very well known} that "your team has had three years to canvass and find diverse talent, use that outreach, but it's not the priority" He also mentioned regional theaters are suffering because they rely on NY to produce plays to fill their seasons and for the past few years that hasn't been happening. Don't shoot the messenger

R324. I thought Cynthia Gibb was, indeed, lovely as Louise but, like so many others who have played the role, she never really transformed into Gypsy. I think Laura Benanti was successful because she truly did transform during the strip and was tough as nails in the final scenes. It was like watching Louise turn into Rose.

R322 Tulsa was a composite of two chorus boys.

The one who Louise crushed on and loved to watch practice the dance routines in the alley was not the same chorus boy who eloped with June, though initially she feared he might have been, because she had witnessed him and June flirting, which he never did with her.

The stage musical combined them into one character, I suppose to make it more dramatic and heartbreaking for Louise, but June complained that she did not do her sister dirty like that by stealing her crush, so the 1962 film made them two separate people, like in real life.

However, subsequent stage revivals and the 1993 TV movie stay true to Tulsa's original Broadway depiction.

[quote]Ken Ludwig isn’t a one hit wonder. Crazy For You was a big hit.

Okay, you can call him a two-hit wonder if you want, but obviously, CRAZY FOR YOU wasn't a hit because of the book, but more in spite of it.

[quote]I believe Lindsay is heading into her 3rd marriage and she’s still married to #2.

Meaning that her divorce from her second husband isn't finalized yet? But I guess that will happen very soon.

R326, your report is a SPOT ON assessment of what’s wrong with the American theatre. Regional theatre is dying on the vine, because there’s nothing for them to produce. I think St Louis Rep hasn’t had a well-received show since “The Curious Incident…” in 2017. They’re banking on their “August Osage” in the spring.

Where are the new plays, that more than 2% of the audience can relate to? When Oregon Shakespeare produced Rent last spring, it said it all. It heartbreaking.

I still marvel at the fact that a hog like Mendez (who, by all accounts, is also a massive, yawping cunt in real life) has managed to get three men to marry her before the age of 40. (Though by the looks of the third husband, she's likely to find him in bed with another man before the first year of marriage is up.)

R331 Wasn't she missing shows because of the messy second marriage break-up?

Yes, and is STILL missing shows, apparently. A friend went to the matinee yesterday and told me she was out.

Norm Lewis for Miss Mazeppa!

R334. J Harrison Ghee for Tessie Tura! Ali Stroker for Miss Cratchitt!

Nah, Ali Stroker would be perfect for one of the strippers. She's already got a built-in gimmick.

[quote]- she's been regularly missing performances of Merrily due to the apparent strains of her CURRENT divorce. So... yes... she's done this a few times.

So she's really a Gussie and not a Mary? She's obviously not a Beth.

MEH-rrily We Roll Along

WTF! I saw Merrily last night, Mendez was out, but her understudy, who resembles Lyndsay was spot on. Having seen both the original Broadway production in '81 as well as the Encores production in 2012, I was curious as to why this not-great show with a great score is suddenly the most expensive ticket on Broadway. Now that I've seen it I can tell you...I have no fucking idea!

A tampered-with overture, smaller orchestra, smaller cast, 90% of whom looked to be thirty years old (Reg Rogers?), a hideous set that looks like an empty storefront in an abandoned mall, so much EARNESTNESS instead of musical staging, and a deadly dull, unpleasant act one, I just can't figure out why this production is a huge hit. I came to the conclusion the show isn't changed, it's that the audience has changed! This sort of emo-musical play with its hard-to-like characters is simply what people enjoy these days!

For the life of me I can't imagine why the wonderful "Rich & Happy" number has been permanently swapped out for the musically inert "That Frank" which is just awful. I was expecting to hate the actress playing Gussie but she did a fine job in her padded role. I don't recall her having that solo ballad sung to Frank, but it remains a lousy song. The leads were fine, but still sort of annoying as written, spending half the play repeating "But we've been friends SO LONG!" without ever acting friendly. Even the chorus got on my nerves, they were all so on-the-nose. Act two picks up a little! The going backwards was slightly more integrated, I'll give it that.

Every time I see Merrily the original flop production stands out for more reasons. It wasn't great but it was musically robust and wonderfully sung. People don't care about such things and prefer to pay $300 a seat for a more bare bones earnestness.

[quote]Yes, and is STILL missing shows, apparently. A friend went to the matinee yesterday and told me she was out.

Of course, back in the day this would have been considered completely unacceptable, and she would have been fired. I wonder if the producers have spoken with her about missing SO MANY performances, or if they don't care because they know the vast majority of people in the audience don't care as long as Radcliffe and Groff are in it?

And according to R337, she ALSO missed the Wed evening performance, R338. I agree with you that she is likely not the draw, and I guess the producers are unconcerned because they know tix are so hard to get no one will be asking for refunds or to reschedule.

R331 I went back and looked at his pics and I think you nailed it.

Saw Sweeney tonight and Josh tears up the place. He is superb now, and had he given this performance early on, the Tony would be his. Annaleigh totally fucks the audience and they loved it. She fills every second with exquisite detail. The whole cast is riding high, sometime pushing the limits of camp. An excellent new Tobias and an OK Anthony. Loved this production.

r341 - Groban was excellent when I saw him (a couple of months after opening.) Yes, he sang the role exquisitely, but I was taken aback at how menacing he was in the role. I was expecting to see some some Labrador (I was actually dragged to the show by a friend) but he was fantastic.

Sum Sum Labrador.

#24 on Chinee menu!

This... could be good? I've never had the chance to see Cynthia on stage. Always wanted to.

[quote]Groban was excellent when I saw him (a couple of months after opening.) Yes, he sang the role exquisitely, but I was taken aback at how menacing he was in the role. I was expecting to see some some Labrador (I was actually dragged to the show by a friend) but he was fantastic.)

His acting must have improved significantly. When the show opened, he really was not menacing at all, although he sang the role magnificently from the beginning.

R345, Wait ‘til you see me next month.

A friend saw Sweeney on opening night and said, "It's called The Demon Barber, not the Irritable Substitute Teacher . . . " He had a point, but should really return to see Groban's progress.

Aaron, I can wait a lifetime for that....

I saw Ms. Nixon in "Wit", and Kathleen Chalfant she most certainly is not.

And staged by the worst director in NY theatre? I'll pass.

[quote]And staged by the worst director in NY theatre?

This is not the first time Nixon has worked with this director and his company. And when she did THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE for him, the production was not exactly a success. It boggles my mind how that man continues to get really good people with names that mean something at the box office to work with him.

Scott Elliot will never direct anything outside the New Group again. Super Hack.

WTF is this?

Cocksuckers!

Kimberly Akimbo closing April 28th.

Thanks for your post, First Night Fanny/R337. Those were my exact same feelings when I saw the first staging of this production back at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2012. No subtlety or ambiguity and an inexplicable need to semaphore every thought and intention. And as you say - cloyingly earnest.

The fact that this production was hailed as a revelation puzzled me back then, and continues to do so.

She was a bird brain, r352?

[quote]The fact that this production was hailed as a revelation puzzled me back then, and continues to do so.

It was puzzling for me too, at first, but I do think I've figured it out. The main reasons why so many people are reacting so positively to this production are (1) the performances of the three leads, and the major star quality of one or two of them; (2) the fact that the reverse-chronological order of the show no longer presents a problem for most audiences; and (3) greatly increased respect, love, and admiration for anything Sondheim in the wake of his death

All of that said, it is quite annoying to me, as to you that people don't seem to understand why they're reacting so positively to this production of MERRILY and have vastly overrated it in terms of its direction and design. Nor are most people complaining about the reduced orchestra, which absolutely should have been restored to the full original size for the Broadway run.

Frances Farmer will have her revenge on Seattle

Right, r356. Increase the orchestra and boost the prices even more!

[quote] All of that said, it is quite annoying to me, as to you that people don't seem to understand why they're reacting so positively to this production of MERRILY and have vastly overrated it in terms of its direction and design.

I HATE HATE HATE IT when people don’t agree with me!

[quote]he Herbie and Tulsa characters really did exist although that was not their real names.

In real life their names were Bernie and Topeka.

r329- CRAZY FOR YOU's book was maybe the #1 reason it was a hit. Just a string of Gershwin songs wouldn't have been enough. It was also Stro's choreography and Mike's direction too of course. But the book was very important.

[quote]I HATE HATE HATE IT when people don’t agree with me!

If you don't think there's anything wrong with the set design and direction of the current MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, I'm sure you would say that you and I simply disagree, whereas I would say you just can't see the flaws I see in the production, and/or you have gotten caught up in all the hype. Not to mention the weird but common phenomenon whereby, if someone loves a show (or a movie or book or whatever) overall, they can't admit that there are any flaws in it whatsoever.

r337- Why is it a problem that the actors look 30? They play ages 20 to 40. Casting 30 years olds makes sense.

[quote]No subtlety or ambiguity and an inexplicable need to semaphore every thought and intention.

Yes, just because it is moving in a reverse timeline doesn't mean we won't understand anything unless it is shown to us real big and real loud. We get it. People over at the Minskoff get it!

The leads are fine, but Jonathan Groff really doesn't have many chances to shine and he's more talented than the show allows us to enjoy. Frankly it is a lot of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic - not the musical. The direction should not be lauded under any circumstances. I did not see any direction that elevated much of anything, but what do I know? "It's a HIT!"

[quote]Why is it a problem that the actors look 30? They play ages 20 to 40. Casting 30 years olds makes sense.

No, it was that they were so homogenous in age, like a college production.

Whatever. I have seen the show many times and I see the issues people have cited, but it didn’t make it any less enjoyable. You know what is most revelatory about this production? It’s a flat out hit.

R366, I agree with your conclusion, but I think the hit status of this show is revelatory as much about the audience, if not more so, as it is about the production itself.

[quote]but Jonathan Groff really doesn't have many chances to shine and he's more talented than the show allows us to enjoy

Hahahaha

R367, I have seen many productions that deserved to be hits. This is hardly a compromised production. It’s one of the best I have seen, even if there are elements of others I liked more - Raul Esparza as Charley, costumes that color coded with each time period, Mary’s reverse alcoholism in the Bedlam production.

I am not willing to judge an audience that enjoys this show. It still requires a lot of attention, even with a star studded cast and hit status. If I am going to judge audiences for lapping up bullshit, I would start with the audiences who went wild at Shucked, Some Like It Hot, Tootsie, Something’s Rotten, and Honeymoon in Vegas.

I love Cynthia Nixon on television, but seeing her is so many shows from the 1980s on, I have never seen her give a good stage performance.

R369, I'd still like to know if you don't agree that the set and costume designs for the current MERRILY are awful. I think SHUCKED is a better PRODDUCTION of that show than this MERRILY is of that show, and the songs and script of SHUCKED are perfect for what the creators wanted to achieve. Also the direction.

I don’t remember many audiences going wild over Honeymoon In Vegas.

R370, I saw Cynthia Nixon in “The Country Club” years ago in an off Broadway production and she was excellent.

I think the sets and costumes are ugly, but a beautifully designed Merrily isn’t much of a show without a great set of leads. Of course, the original sets and costumes managed to be even worse.

Shucked looks better, but for me that only emphasized the emptiness of the writing. The Roundabout’s Robber Bridegroom was no less corny, but the writing had a lot more depth and quality

But still. As criticized as the recent productions of Company. Into the Woods, Sweeney, and Merrily, each of them connected solidly with the audience. Which I can’t really say for the John Doyle. Bedlam, or Lapine productions.

[quote]I am not willing to judge an audience that enjoys this show.

Smell her!

Theater Mary has stated her boundaries!

Ha, r385! Though to be fair, I was responding to r367 who was eager and willing.

Nixon’s Birdie in “The Little Foxes” was wonderful and heart-breaking—more emotional than I expected from her, as I usually find her cold.

Excellent quality bootleg of Sunset Boulevard/London, which closes tomorrow, is in circulation.

All four leads will be transferring to Broadway later in 2024.

Yes, r378, but Sunset Boulevard remains a really shitty show!

Many years ago (1990?) I saw Cynthia Nixon at Hartford Stage in an excellent production of The Master Builder opposite Sam Waterson. She was probably in her early 20s playing the brazen teenaged girl and she was fabulous. Sexy and scary. I haven't seen her do anything like that since then.

Her new play at The New Group looks horrible to me in the promo.

R378... any tips?

Who will be Monday night Norma when SB transfers? Nicole only plays 7 per week. And is it really necessary to bring over the other three leads?

[quote]I saw Cynthia Nixon in “The Country Club” years ago in an off Broadway production and she was excellent.

She also was excellent in RABBIT HOLE, and she should have done the movie instead of that overrated Australian.

R382, After viewing the boot, I would say yes, definitely, especially Tom Francis who is excellent as Joe Gillis.

R383, Tyne Daly played her mother.

All I've seen her in was June Moon at the Variety Arts.

Speaking of Sunset, this is incredibly cringe-inducing to watch

My cringe was not induced.

R387, It works in the show, audiences love it.

[quote]R352 WTF is this? Cocksuckers! —Frances Farmer - star of GOLDEN BOY

There was a 1984 musical (?) about Farmer called MRS. FARMER’S DAUGHTER, written by Beadle Bamford himself, Jack Eric Williams. Sharon Scruggs played Frances.

I saw the show in London. The street stroll works. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but it works. The show doesn't quite know what it wants to be. Is it an all meta wink, nod, twerk Glenn Close scenery chew satire or is it a stripped down, stark interpretation with some director's masturbation here and there? I loved it. Somehow the damn thing is the best interpretation of the material I've seen. It's not perfect, but damn is it good.

MRS. FARMER’S DAUGHTER musical numbers:

God's Peculiar Care

Barnyard Blues

An Old Prayer

St. Agnes Eve

Francis Discovers Nietzsche

Jesus Sweetest Name I Know

Motherlove

She Showed Me

Jazztown Features

Manhattan

The Gospel According to Lillian

Nothing's Left But Hollywood

Hollywood Rag

Hairdresser Sequence

The Bad Girl of West Seattle

Of When Stars Fall Down

Especially in the Dark

Inventory

In Flagrante Delicto

The Kingdom of Love

Christmas in Laurel Canyon

The Time of Your Life

The Thrill Is Gone

Too Bad

Board Meeting

Life as Rumor

The Garbo Bit

Knocking in Vain

Police Trouble

Vive le Demimonde

That Feels Good

Slow Dancing

There Are B-Girls All Over Heaven

Mental Hygiene

Rib of Adam

Stub Me Out I'm a Cigarette

A Boy Needs Love

The Lord's Prayer

Jacob's Ladder

The Full Moon

The Episodes

Maybe Now a Little House

Tomorrow: The Last Resort

Bird Americana

On what planet would Streep be considered for Sally or Phylis? Except for the role of Hattie which Ethel Shutta originated at the age of 75 there isn't much else for her to do in Follies if it were to be filmed today. 75 is not the new 50.

^^ G - thinking she can still pull off Norma Desmond at 90

Sutton and Aaron had a put in rehearsal today. I guess they're squeezing in as much as they can before Sutton is tied up with Mattress.

I wish Aaron would put it in me.

WHET Sharon Scruggs?

Just remembering I did a play with her around 1999. Haven't heard her name in years. I really liked her! This business just eats 'em up and spits 'em out.

R396 he looked really good when he recently visited that Gutenberg musical.

R397 WHET Sharon Scruggs?

I’ve never seen her in anything, but an agent once said she had the worst luck of anyone. Many near misses. Two Bway bombs (replaced in one of them)… she did an early workshop version of The Secret Garden, wasn’t retained. Left Oil City Symphony during development, Gantry never made it to Broadway though she got good reviews in DC.

I was looking at her credits in the Lortel Archives, and she was one of the producers of the British play The Common Pursuit in 1986. I wonder how that happened and what her contribution was. I mean, that’s kind of out of left field, for a performer who isn’t even acting in the play.

I wonder if the name Sharon Scruggs hurt her? She sounds like a country western singer. Or a hillbilly.

Cynthia Nixon sucks. I've seen her a few times on stage and she's really chirpy, fake and actressy.

I can't stand her anyway.

[quote]Gantry never made it to Broadway

Well...

Re that clip at R387: What unmitigated bullshit. And, of course, idiot audiences are eating it up.

Cynthia Nixon gave one of the worst performances I've ever seen as Jean Brodie. So miscast. The show was stolen by Zoe Kazan's full bush.

[quote] WHET Sharon Scruggs? Just remembering I did a play with her around 1999. Haven't heard her name in years. I really liked her! This business just eats 'em up and spits 'em out.

When I was right out of college and casting my first film (this would have been 1997), there was a supporting role for a youngish female. I had specified in the script I wanted a Black actress (even though the role could have been played by any race). My casting director brought in mostly Black women, but snuck in a couple white actresses, one of whom was Sharon Scruggs. I had never heard of her before, and I was totally indifferent to her when I saw her (though I didn't show that) because I knew what I wanted. She proceeded to give such a terrific reading and because she was right before we broke for lunch, I chatted with her a bit after the audition. I found her to be a truly lovely person, and a very good actress. I really considered her, but was hearing even back then how I had to have diversity, even though it wasn't why I wanted to cast a Black actress, it was just how I saw the character.

Anyway, I didn't cast her, but I've always remembered her and what a lovely encounter we had.

I find Cynthia Nixon’s career mystifying. At best she’s OK but often enough she stinks up whatever she’s in. I honestly don’t know what she’s doing in The Gilded Age, aside from acting badly.

r405 - LOVE hearing stories like that! You should start a thread to share more of your industry insights. Do you still work in casting?

No, R408, I'm not a casting director, I'm an indie filmmaker (and had written and was directing this particular project), but I wound up segueing into docs after that first feature, so not much casting there. I do love the process of casting, though, and always have (and was a child actor- commercials mostly- so I've been on the other side of it). I sometimes wish I had pursued casting as a career, even though I love what I do.

Cynthia Nixon is not unlike Matthew Broderick, still coasting on a childhood stardom that was based on some kind of raw talent and youthful quirkiness that left them long ago.

[quote]Cynthia Nixon is not unlike Matthew Broderick, still coasting on a childhood stardom that was based on some kind of raw talent and youthful quirkiness that left them long ago.

That's Tony, Emmy and Grammy-winning Cynthia Nixon to you, Mrs. Ed.

And that's Ms. Ed to you, r411.

[quote]Cynthia Nixon is not unlike Matthew Broderick, still coasting on a childhood stardom that was based on some kind of raw talent and youthful quirkiness that left them long ago.

Again, I thought she gave a wonderful performance in RABBIT HOLE, and I recall her receiving excellent reviews for that show and also for THE LITTLE FOXES.

What did Cynthia Nixon win a Grammy for?

In 2009, Nixon won the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album along with Beau Bridges and Blair Underwood for the album An Inconvenient Truth (Al Gore).

I do hope Sharon Scruggs will be remembered in the next thread title.

That horrifying promo video for The New Group shows you how far the NY Off-Broadway mentality has given into Broadway style and success. So how much of donor's money was spent on that foolishness?

Sharon Scruggs and Marsha Skaggs should do Side Show

Scruggs & Skaggs...

Together at last

All they have to do is add Lea Michelle and they can be a threesome- Scruggs, Skaggs and Skank.

next time, don’t help, r420

WHET Chris Golfer? Er....Colfer??

I don’t care how good of an actress Cynthia Nixon is or isn’t. She ruined Miranda Hobbes and ruined the legacy of SATC

[quote] next time, don’t help, [R420]

Don't pout just because your line was about as humorous as the last seven title threads.

Speaking of Chris Colfer, he’s pretty much disappeared, hasn’t he? I remember when Glee ended he supposedly had all these projects pending (including playing Noel Coward) and they’ve all just disappeared.

He's living off the royalties of his shitty children's books.

r425 I remember him saying he wasn't interested in doing any revivals, he only wanted to originate a role, which seemed rather demanding from someone with no theatre credits

For that matter, remember when it seemed like Glee was going to launch so many stage and screen careers? The stage certainly didn't get much of a payday from that one.

I have fallen down a Sharon Scruggs rabbit hole.

There’s reference to her being Ann Morris’ understudy for “Goblin Market” (Off-Broadway Return Engagement, 1986) AND a mysterious “?” as to whether she was a replacement Laura (Terri Klausner)

The truth of such things may well be lost to history.

Ann Morrison?

Matthew Morrison is playing Billy Flynn in Japan

Yes.

I am angry at my phone now.

I was thinking he meant Anita Morris. 😂

Oh no, Anita...

What happened to Matthew Morrison's career? Did he offend someone? Violate someone? Seriously. After Hairspray, South Pacific and Glee, I'd think he could do better than Billy Flynn in Japan.

I bet he's getting paid big yen, r435.

But what has he done since Glee shut down??

He did that Grinch special on NBC. Which still brings up the question, "What the hell happened?"

Well, let's see...what offers *should* he be getting?

I thought Matthew Morrison got a bunch negative press related to some dance reality show he did a year or two ago.

Minor talent, minor loss

Matthew could certainly be doing everything Aaron Tveit or Will Swenson or Jeremy Jordan or that doofus in NY NY have been doing. Or starring in some network series or streamer.

Matthew Morrison as Sweeney? Good God.

Shitty on Fire!

Matt Morrison was fired or stepped down from a dance show as a judge for apparently being inappropriate with a female contestant.

Lempicka ads are running on social media. What do we think?

I attended "Sunset Blvd" last (Closing) night. I loved it and I think Nicole S. is spectacular. It is a tremendous voice and she really goes for it. The audience went crazy after every number. I also loved the production (it is not as spectacular as Ivo's WSS, but it is very good) but I could cut 20 mn. The ending felt particularly long; although the ballad between Joe and Betty is so, so bad.

[quote]Matt Morrison was fired or stepped down from a dance show as a judge for apparently being inappropriate with a female contestant.

Wait, a female contestant?

R446, The Joe/Betty duet is charming. The only cringeworthy song in the score is “The Lady’s Paying”, which was wisely omitted from the London production.

Did anyone see Rachel Tucker as alternate Norma in Sunset Boulevard/London?

[quote] Lempicka ads are running on social media. What do we think?

I'd rather lose weight the natural way.

[quote]it is not as spectacular as Ivo's WSS

Wait, what? You mean the one that had whole scenes taking place backstage so the audience had to watch them on video? And dancers falling on stage because of the rain effects? And video cameramen darting around onstage joining the rumble? That spectacular production?

From 1984 NY Times: Amy Irving, Laura Dean, Glenn Close, Christine Rose, Lisa Banes, Leigh Taylor-Young, Christine Baranski, Kathy Witton Baker, Kate Burton, Linda Thorson, Galina Panova, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Bonnie Koloc, and Martine Allard

Were they all in an “Up with People” tour?

Quite possibly . . .

[quote] The ending felt particularly long; although the ballad between Joe and Betty is so, so bad.

I agree. It’s cloying treacle. Sappy lyrics and one of Andy’s worst melodies.

R446/R455, In this documentary on the Australian production with Hugh Jackman playing Joe, he states that is his favorite song in the show @ 35:35.

[quote]The only cringeworthy song in the score is “The Lady’s Paying”, which was wisely omitted from the London production.

What? I've always loved that number. It's a fun song/scene. What's cringeworthy about it?

R457, In the London revival, Joe is stripped to his boxer briefs by one individual and a tux is placed on him which he wears for the rest of the show, until the final scene.

pics, r458?

anyone into cruising?

Lloyd Webber dramaturgical ineptness is clear in Sunset, which should have been a chamber opera rather than a megamusical with a large chorus. The ensemble numbers do nothing but hold up the action. Glenn’s bare-bones revival ground to a halt whenever the focus shifted away from the four leads - at least the original staging had the bonkers raising of the house to keep one entertained during This Time next Year.

Cutting the ensemble numbers as much as possible is one of the biggest strengths of Jamie Lloyd’s production.

According to ALW one might say this Sunst has completely changed theatre.

[quote]Lloyd Webber dramaturgical ineptness

Through melody? Shouldn't that criticism be given to Don Black and Christopher Hampton?

Did anyone see Rita Moreno in Sunset??

R464, Don’t look at me.

Jamie Lloyd's production of Sunset forces intense scrutiny on the book and lyrics, since there is very little else in terms of adornment in the production. He has actors largely face directly out when they are speaking with each other. Given all that it is put through, I thought the material fared better than I thought it would. You still know what is happening, even with no set, stark modern costumes, and tone that can vary from utter seriousness, to outright camp to horror movie. It all works somehow. You really can't look away from it. And though she won't be confused for a great actress, Nicole Scherzinger delivers a vocal performance that is genuinely exciting. It really has to be seen to appreciate all of its craziness, and I'm sure it will cause skirmishes on the theatre message boards and socials when it gets here. That said, "Too Much In Love to Care" is, was and shall forever be an outright dud.

Is most of the libretto of SUNSET directly based on Billy Wilder's screenplay?

With Bernadette going on a cruise, it doesn’t seem that Old Friends is transferring anytime soon

I loved OLD FRIENDS when I saw it back in October but I don't think it would make sense to transfer the production as most of the large cast, I think everyone but Bernadette and Lea Salonga are from the UK, and great as they are, would perk little interest in NY. Recasting and rehearsing and re-costuming them all would be a big expense.

With the casting of Nicole, Norma obviously had to be made younger.

Now, when Joe says “There’s nothing wrong with being forty unless you act like you’re twenty”, the impact of the line is not there.

R467, Much of it is.

R470. Yea, it’s not like the actress is actually 40 years old or something close. Spot on!

Stupid cunt alert @ R472.

[quote]R464, Don’t look at me.

[quote]—Sally Struthers

Me neither.

I can't imagine Cameron was thinking of transferring Old Friends for the aforementioned reasons. It also didn't sell well. It was clearly just a labor of love from Cameron.

Cameron who?

James Cameron, Rose.

Pass.

What’s the problem r473? I don’t like r472 either but doesn’t she have a point?

R479, A comeback at the age of 40 does not have the impact as one at 50, the age Norma is supposed to be.

Ah I see. Although it’s still a real issue in Hollywood, even at 40

[quote]You really can't look away from it.

Just like a horrific car accident.

R480 I hate that word!

It's a return.

[quote]Ah I see. Although it’s still a real issue in Hollywood, even at 40

I'm not looking forward to it.

The song at R478 is abysmal.

Isn't performing on a cruise pretty much a sign your career is going nowhere?

R486, Depends on the destination.

45 splits the difference just fine. Get over it

Who is this musical about Tamara de Lempicka for?

Other pretentious queens.

This spring, the battle of the titans—Lempicka vs Suffs!

I can’t even begin to imagine the box office numbers for Days of Wine and Roses, Lempicka, and Suffs. This spring is going to be brutal.

Scherzinger is 45, albeit a 2024 45, not a 1950 45. In the movie, Norma's 50 or just past. Over the years a belief seems to have emerged that Norma's some old woman, more like Baby Jane. When they made the movie, Swanson would have seemed old (a 50 year old woman was old, I guess) and Carol Burnett didn't really help the perception either. Nor did Glenn in the last phase of her half century stranglehold on the part.

I don't know why they changed the line for London, particularly. 45 is close enough.

I saw it, expecting to hate it. Loved it. Scherzinger has a set of pipes that doesn't fail to impress. I was always a sucker for the story in any form and never had any problem with the book or lyrics, some of which were imperfect but that's usually the case. Agree Too Much in Love to Care is too long to bother caring. I did think, though, the show can't quite make up it's mind about what it wants to be. A little too much aren 't I clever winking and nodding at various points. Whether it's good or not, whatever it is or isn't, NY will probably eat it alive for being a critical darling in the UK, for the message board enthusiasm for it, and because ALW is involved.

One thing's for sure, if the movie idea's coffin needed another nail in it, this reinvention is it. Old Glenn Close wobbling around in her Bob Mackie turbans, wheezing like a dropped accordion, on the set of Titanic... the collapse of her dream is complete.

R449 I wanted to see Rachel Tucker but I could not. I have only heard raves from friends who have seen her. Btw, the obsession with Nicole Scherzinger is something I have rarely experienced in London....

R494, agreed, the Scherzinger thing is unusual. Not since Ramin Karimloo, maybe, who was everywhere for awhile. I think part of it has to be the expectations of her were near zero in the dirt and then she turned out that showstopper performance in this totally unexpected treatment. Everything defied cynicism/expectations. The voice is a phenomenon, whatever is made of her.

Oof, that song at R478.

Babs may want to see the Lempicka musical. As discussed in her book, she purchased one of her paintings as her (Barbra's) personal fortune started to grow,

Aw. Cute.

If I recall correctly, r497, she lent it to the LA Tamara production.

r498 Does Bernie only own the one dress?

I think more folks on here are going to love the Cabaret revival than they think. It does not come across well (at all) when excerpted during TV promotion, but in the space, it's a knockout.

R500 - yes, but you should see her nectarines

That would require them to admit they may have been wrong though, so they won't ever admit it

R493, I’ve watched the excellent quality boot three times and each time saw some detail I missed previously.

Having seen multiple productions in the past, I too was prepared to dislike this version but I like it a lot.

The performances of the four leads are wonderful and not enough credit is being given to Tom Francis as Joe, whose work I was unfamiliar with until this show.

It will most certainly be criticized and mocked when it transfers to Broadway later this year, but I believe it will have a successful run.

Yea—we heard that verbatim in way up thread 🤫

R498 looks, sounds and smiles like Up With People opened an old performers' home.

R504... how'd you get it? I'd kill to have a recording of Norma's two big numbers.

R501, are they going even see it to give it a chance? I love the show and am eager to see whatever they attempt, but I am balking at the prices. There is a lot to see and even the non-table seats are ridiculously priced.

[quote][R498] Does Bernie only own the one dress?

If it ain't bwoke, r500, don't fix it.

R504 can you tell us where?

No! It’s a triumph!

Goodbye, Ethel!

(Was she Herman's original pick for Dolly?)

Lempicka, Lempicka, Lempicka, Lempicka, the girl who's hard to get.

Lempicka, Lempicka, Lempicka, Lempicka, but you can win her yet.

Too many Lempickas, r513.

R508 - I'm sure Redmayne will be very good, but, judging by what I saw in London recently, the production can be wholly successful without A-listers in the cast. Perhaps pricing will get a touch more reasonable when Redmayne departs?

My darling departed Wolfie once shared his umbrella with Gloria Swanson during a torrential nighttime downpour on Park Avenue while they waited for cabs.

He said she was tiny, incredibly appreciative, warm and surprisingly funny.

I have the Nicole bootleg and there's one with Rachel Tucker floating around, too plus audios of her on YT.

The cast of Old Friends always looks to me like a bunch of understudies (excepting BP.)

Who's the tall guy with the Pebble Flintstone haircut?

R518 it's Gavin Lee.

Anyone remember "Tamara", which played the Park Avenue Armory in the 80's? No musical version will ever top that.

R520 Dude, read the thread…the earlier productions of the non-musical version are discussed in detail. Go to R499–it was the same version that hit NY.

I think r518 is referring to hunky Bradley Jaden and his man bun. He's long been a Cameron Mackintosh favourite. He performed the best Wolf I've ever seen stripped to the waist to Bernie's Little Red in Old Friends. Just fabulous!

I'll never forget seeing Elke Sommer live and in person in the Park Ave. Armory TAMARA. She had just gone into the show and, beautiful though she still was, was shaking like a leaf, especially with audiences crowding around her immersively.

R518 Quite big tits

Elke!

Is Gavin Lee gay? He certainly seems like it.

Nah, just British. He’s married to a chick,

Has anyone seen Swept Away at Arena Stage, which is apparently heading to Broadway.? I thought it was ok, and enjoyed the scruffy eye candy as well as some great acting and music. Most of the audience seemed to really love it. Don’t want to spoil anything, but the idea that there could be two musicals on Broadway dealing with this particular subject matter makes me smile.

Sunset Boulevard closing night bows - 01/06/2024

[Quote] Don’t want to spoil anything, but the idea that there could be two musicals on Broadway dealing with this particular subject matter makes me smile.

Oh give Iitaway

Appropriate is extended to March. Front mezz. seats are $349.

The Sondheim clip at R 498 looks joyless.

Another resounding YES! for Tom Francis in “Sunset Blvd.” Built like a brick shithouse, sure, yet he’s really good and consistently interesting to watch for reasons beside the obvious. And the guy who plays Max is a hot bear-type.

“Sunset Blvd” has a mediocre score, but this reinvention is fun and actually works, as does the B&W video-camming. I went into the Savoy a skeptic and came out a fan. Though the intimacy of that silver filagree jewelbox of a theater doesn’t hurt.

“The Savoy Theatre has a total of 1,132 seats. This is split into 512 seats in the Stalls section, 351 in the Dress Circle and a further 262 in the Grand Circle. Being a slightly smaller theatre there are clear views of the stage from almost all seats though the very rear of the Grand Circle can feel a little distant.“

Is there any other song in "Lempicka" besides that horrid "Woman Is.." which they've been hauling out for years...

All I remember about seeing "Tamara" at the Armory was the crème brûlée served for dessert (catered by Le Cirque) and that Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was an audience member that night. He was at the time still very good looking.

Lempicka!

Nose Picka!

TAMARA!

I sang that in ANNIE.

Purple Rain headed to Broadway...

[quote]This spring, the battle of the titans—Lempicka vs Suffs!

What's with these terrible titles?

'Lempicka' makes me think of 'limp dick.'

'Suffs' makes me think of the 'Smurfs.'

I don't think any of them will be appealing to the general public.

Purple Rain will never open

Purple Rain really has no plot. The book writers better get busy!

[quote]Purple Rain headed to Broadway...

When did this become the Weather Channel?

r536=Shirley MacLaine

It's kind of bullshit that Jerry Herman did not get the Oscar when "Hello, Dolly!" won Best Score. Instead, it went to the guys who adapted his score.

So, I saw Merrily (Saturday matinee)... it was amazing. Saw Groff and Radcliffe, understudy for Mary (she was good). I've listened to Merrily for years, saw the 2012 Encores! production... the weekend performance for me was a revelation. It was just so good.

Question... is the book for this production different, edited, expanded from previous iterations?

Lindsay Mendez is STILL out? What is her excuse for missing as many shows as she’s been missing?

Back in the day, Riedel would have been all over this. Especially with the insane highway-robbery prices they're charging.

Lempicka score is sooooooo fucking bad. Crikey.

But Linds was at the party

So they're recording Here We Are today? Anyone else heard this?

[quote]Purple Rain headed to Broadway...

I didn't even bother to see it when it was a movie.

The most beautiful sound I've every heard . . .

Lempicka. Lempicka Lempica Lempica.

All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word.

Lempicka. Lempicka Lempica Lempica . . .

[quote]Has anyone seen Swept Away at Arena Stage, which is apparently heading to Broadway.? I thought it was ok, and enjoyed the scruffy eye candy as well as some great acting and music. Most of the audience seemed to really love it. Don’t want to spoil anything, but the idea that there could be two musicals on Broadway dealing with this particular subject matter makes me smile.

Forgive my ignorance, but what's the other one?

His skin was pale and his eye was odd, r555.

Sarah Rice has died.

My ptr saw Gavin Lee at the gym once, said he had an enormous, swinging cock.

Your peter saw Gavin Lee at the gym, R558?

Cut or uncut?

[quote]Lindsay Mendez is STILL out? What is her excuse for missing as many shows as she’s been missing?

It's incredible, isn't it? I have no idea if she still shows up occasionally to perform, but everyone I know who has seen the show recently has not seen her, and that includes two friends who attended this past Saturday matinee.

Of course, I hope she has no major chronic illness on top of her marital/divorce problems, but if there's any other reason for her continues absences, I'm amazed she hasn't been fired. Except that presumably the producers realize no one really cares if she's in the show as long as both Radcliffe and Groff are in it, and maybe they think the negative publicity of firing her would be more of a blot on the production than having her continually call out.

[quote]It's kind of bullshit that Jerry Herman did not get the Oscar when "Hello, Dolly!" won Best Score. Instead, it went to the guys who adapted his score.

I'm sorry you don't understand why most of Herman's score would not have been eligible for an Oscar, but really, it wouldn't be all that difficult for you to look up the reason.

[quote]So they're recording Here We Are today? Anyone else heard this?

Yes, I heard they were recording yesterday (Sunday) and today.

I would like to see Gavin Lee's long schlonger.

[quote]the Oscar when "Hello, Dolly!" won Best Score

Which...it didn't.

I'm struck by the fact that, for two of the current London productions of musicals that will be transferring to Broadway, SUNSET BOULEVARD and CABARET, people have been all over DL and other social media writing things like "I went in very skeptical and not expecting to like the show, but I ended up loving it." Sure sounds like shill language to me.

Does anyone have any explanation for why APPROPRIATE is doing so spectacularly well at the box office? Are those names in the cast THAT big at the box office?

I don't get it, myself. It's a horrible play. Who knew Lispy McDykeforShow was such a draw.

r566 Well you're the type of person to think anyone with an opinion different from your own is a shill, aren't you? Because of course PR companies are paying to people to post on that red-hot tastemaker site, DataLounge.

No, R569. Given the box office figures for SUNSET and CABARET in London, there are obviously many people who honestly love the productions. But i still think all that "I went in very skeptical but I loved it" language sounds like shill talk, whether or not it actually is.

And R569, I haven't only seen that language here on the DL, I've also seen it all over social media.

And are the shills in the room with us now?

Let's be kind to Lindsay. We don't know what issues she might be dealing with.

Like gastritis?

Unless ticket sales pick up, Cabaret is going to need some shilling. The table seats are available at most performances, for almost double the London price without the option to forego the $105 per person charge for pretzels, cheese, and dessert with a little champagne.

R570, I was one of those you'd lump into that category. I thought it would be total shit because Norma was being sung by an ex-pop star with big silicone tits and what looked like could be a face full of it too. Then I saw the limited imagery they released in advance and not a turban in sight. It looked all wokey and black and white Hamilton (which I came close to hating... the second act was OK, a little more human than exposition rap killing the first act.) I was ambivalent about seeing it because the tickets were absurdly priced. We lucked out - got stalls about six or eight rows back dead centre for 85 quid a seat, about two hours before a Saturday matinee. So we went. I was still skeptical while we watched young Norma standing there blinking behind a chain mail curtain for ten or fifteen minutes because something delayed the show. And then it started and I was blown away. It provokes a response and excitement in the audience. The actor playing Joe captures your attention. Scherzinger has a set of pipes on her that might make LuPone forget how much she hates Glenn Close and that make you wonder how the fuck anybody thought Glenn Close's asthmatic accordian imitation a couple of years ago could excite anybody. It's not a perfect show, but it's damned inventive and as I say, it excites the room. "I went in very skeptical but I loved it." I am sure it bombs in New York, even though the American critics who went over to London were among those raving. NY can't stand anything from the UK, especially if it's got ALW attached to it. So sorry to spike your spidey sense, but I'm not a shill, I'm just somebody who went in very skeptical and got a hell of a night at the theater.

And fuck off, you smug know it all.

^Bravo!

r552 for you

[Quote] And fuck off, you smug know it all.

[Italic] Exeunt everyone on DL. The stage is empty. Blackout. Curtain. [/Italic]

Has any Dolly ever worn a dress that isn’t red for the title song?

Babs, r580.

Jeremy Strong looks insufferable

R581, And she still has it.

THAT DRESS!

[quote]R557 Sarah Rice has died.

Well, that’s too bad.

I saw the 1990 production of The Waves and was thrilled she was in it, her being Sondheim Royalty.

Curiously, i don’t remember much of her performance, except that she played the homebody character.

The composer of that piece (David Bucknam) killed himself anround age 30. I’ve always wondered what method he chose. Maybe because I worked with him once and didn’t find him to be particularly nice or outgoing.

[quote]And are the shills in the room with us now?

The shills are coming from inside the house!

I was shocked that one of Rice's obits ended with, She lived in her apartment with a piano and a cat. Why not just say, She died a lonely spinster?

[quote]I was still skeptical while we watched young Norma standing there blinking behind a chain mail curtain for ten or fifteen minutes because something delayed the show. And then it started and I was blown away. It provokes a response and excitement in the audience. The actor playing Joe captures your attention. Scherzinger has a set of pipes on her that might make LuPone forget how much she hates Glenn Close and that make you wonder how the fuck anybody thought Glenn Close's asthmatic accordian imitation a couple of years ago could excite anybody. It's not a perfect show, but it's damned inventive and as I say, it excites the room.

The fact that the show "provokes a response and excitement in the audience" doesn't necessarily mean it's any good, because so many audiences today have been trained to respond to shows that have lots of shock effects (like idiotic videos of the cast members performing live outside the theater on the sidewalk) and other shallow, visceral thrills but no substance. Thanks for the details of why you loved it, because none of those things you mentioned would be enough in themselves to make me enjoy this show when, from everything we've seen in photos and clips, it makes less than zero sense as a production of a show set in 1950 about a former silent movie actress wanting to make a comeback in films. Oh, aside from the fact that the score and the lyrics are lousy except for maybe two or three songs at most.

[quote]And fuck off, you smug know it all.

I don't know why my post made you so angry. I didn't actually accuse anyone of being a shill, because I have no way of knowing that, so I'm not a "know it all." But I still think "I was skeptical going in but I loved it" sounds like shill language, even if some or even all of the people who wrote that happen to be sincere.

[quote]I am sure it bombs in New York, even though the American critics who went over to London were among those raving. NY can't stand anything from the UK, especially if it's got ALW attached to it.

What an odd statement, as there have been MANY shows from London that have done extremely well on Broadway -- even including, back in the day, one very famous one by ALW. Have you already forgotten PHANTOM OF THE OPERA? Or are you saying that New York used to welcome London shows (if they were any good) but no longer does? Because that's not true, either.

R587. I read an obit that said she was married.

After seeing "Merrily" last week, I still can't believe anyone would find any of it "amazing".

I don't even think it is particularly well sung, I mean the vocals are fine, but...oh well, different strokes, I guess.

R588=insufferable

Alice Ripley for alternate Norma!

At this point, Alice Ripley is a more appropriate Tuesday night Max

R588, having read enough of your theses, I can't imagine what could make you enjoy anything. You come across as so joyless. And on here, that's not nothing.

Lindsay Mendez better get back to work. She's gonna have alimony to pay, and she needs to save up for when she has alimony to pay the husband-to-be, also.

Lindsey Mendez is a human roach nest!

What's longer....Lindsey's run of missed dates, or Gavin Lee's dangling dick?

I know what's more entertaining to watch.

Last LaChance for The “LaChanze Wants Her LaChange” Edition.

[quote]She lived in her apartment with a piano and a cat.

Not even a bed and a chair?

[quote] so I'm not a "know it all."

Re-read your first paragraph, where you say people only like things you don't like because they've been trained to react in a certain way. You clearly find it inconceivable that someone could genuinely like something you don't - instead they must be ill-educated or tricked or a shill or whatever.

Lindsay Mendez has fag hag face