THEATRE GOSSIP #565: The Unbearable Hotness of Corey Stoll (2024)

But is his hotness APPROPRIATE?

Doesn't seem to be a new thread so.....voila!

Thank you for the new thread, OP!

What's next for DL Fave Corey Stoll? Anyone know?

And we're here!

And it's still Too Darn Hot!

[quote]Cole Porter didn't really get fully integrated musicals in the 1940s

And yet he did, as early as 1935, with “Jubilee,” his show with Moss Hart.

[quote]Michael Berresse WAs stunningly sexy in "Too Darn Hot" in the Marin Mazzie/Brian stokes Mitchell KMK.

Oh really, r13?

[quote]but the number makes no sense

But Turkey Lurkey and Shipoopi do?

[quote]they could easily have presented it as a number in the show within the show

What does it have to do with Taming of the Shrew, r19?

[quote]not all of the songs in the show within the show are closely wedded to the plot of TAMING OF THE SHREW.

Which ones, r21?

Whatever happened to keeping musical numbers in the context of the show?

In the show, Paul is Bill’s valet. He’s out in the theater alley taking a break. These chorus hoofers are also getting a breath of fresh air. Half of them should be standing around smoking cigarettes and gossiping.

Paul shows them a different way of dancing. Rather than their ballet training, Paul shows them how to dance jazz, which is isolating head, arms, legs. Jazz is more sultry and relies more on individuality. So any “Broadway style” dancing should not show up in this song.

"From This Moment On" wasn't added to KMK until the movie version, but I think it's permanent now.

Proof of how prudish things were in the '50s - in the film version of "Too Darn Hot," they had to change "according to the Kinsey report," to "according to the latest report."

But they were able to keep "a-dick-a-dick-a-dick ..."

[quote] What's next for DL Fave Corey Stoll? Anyone know?

Sitting on my face, I hope.

Apparently, Corey has a micropenis...

But I'd still do him!

I think Corey Stoll is a great actor, but I found him completely miscast in Appropriate. First off, who would believe he was named Beauregard or even Beau? Or that he was raised by a Southern racist? Or that he'd be stupid enough to think that his brother's girlfriend was a Native American? And that he'd call her an Indian? Supposedly, the character went to Yale (now that I'd believe of Corey Stoll).

But then, I found the whole play highly overrated.

R34 : Too true, his character seems perfectly intelligent and above the fray in act I of “Appropriate,” but by act II he’s s spluttering moron who abruptly has a crying jag on his wife’s shoulder. All the characters in the play are two-dimensional types rather than real people. They playwright has no idea who these people are or why they are the way they are, they simply act out all the time.

“From This Moment On” is not in the Bartlett Sher revival of “Kiss Me Kate,” which is rife with double entendre and sexual shenanigans in the plot and song lyrics. This passed for sophistication in 1948, and now it seems naively vulgar because it’s so un-PC. There is a song “I Am Ashamed,” sung by Lilli, which I assume is original, but which I don’t remember being in the two latest Broadway versions I’ve seen.

One wag I spoke to in London thinks the production is not strong enough to transfer and will mere tour the UK. But maybe good reviews and/or business will make a difference, but maybe not, especially after a recent weak revival at the Roundabout was a disappointment,

By the way, a producer type I spoke to recently said knowledgeably that “Guys and Dolls” will never transfer to NY because all the movers and managers on the stage floor who move the public around the action are essentially poorly paid interns who are rotated frequently, whereas in NY they would have to be professionals, professionally trained and paid union wages. And then there ‘s the cost of insurance in case there’s a f*ck -up and an audience member trips or is otherwise injured. This would be so expensive that even if it was a hit, recouping the budget would be virtually impossible because of the high overhead.

[quote]There is a song “I Am Ashamed,” sung by Lilli, which I assume is original, but which I don’t remember being in the two latest Broadway versions I’ve seen.

You weren't paying attention, r39.

[quote]And then there ‘s the cost of insurance in case there’s a f*ck -up and an audience member trips or is otherwise injured.

Or an octogenarian actor falls off the stage and onto an audience member.

[quote]Too true, his character seems perfectly intelligent and above the fray in act I of “Appropriate,” but by act II he’s s spluttering moron who abruptly has a crying jag on his wife’s shoulder. All the characters in the play are two-dimensional types rather than real people. They playwright has no idea who these people are or why they are the way they are, they simply act out all the time.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Many people found APPROPRIATE entertaining because they like to watch members of an extended family screaming at and treating each other horribly on stage, but when you actually examine the text of the play, it's really not well written.

We won’t see a whor*house revival in our lifetime. The “woke” will shut it down.

Best case scenario, an off-Broadway all male production with a drag queen playing Miss Mona.

We saw TITANIC on Friday night.

What a great score - tuneful, bouncy and hum-able; I think snobs who like atonal crap like DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES hate that about TITANIC. And no power ballads.

What a been a better score since TITANIC? I'll wait.

[quote]We saw TITANIC on Friday night. What a great score - tuneful, bouncy and hum-able

I know that’s what I look for in any ocean liner disaster musical I see.

[quote]Imagine a King Lear played by a Latina actress – her portrayal wouldn't diminish the core themes of the play, but rather offer a fresh perspective on familial bonds and the weight of power.

That's your perspective, R57. Others, including August Wilson, would say it's a far greater contribution to the theater to write and produce NEW plays and musicals about people of color (and strong women, and trans people, etc.), rather than rejiggering old shows that were never intended to be cast that way and don't make any sense when they are -- for example, the current "South Pacific" at Paper Mill Playhouse, with a black performer in the role of Lt. Cable.

[quote] the current "South Pacific" at Paper Mill Playhouse, with a black performer in the role of Lt. Cable.

Goodspeed, not Paper Mill.

[quote]Rob Ashford is busy in Chicago f*cking up Jason Robert Brown's musical of "Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil".

Damn! I didn't realize he's directing that show. What a bright red flag that is.

I'm very surprised that anyone would hand him any new musical to direct, as opposed to a revival. Some of his revivals did well at the box office (because of start casting or whatever), even if his work on them was piss poor.

[quote]That's your perspective, [R57]. Others, including August Wilson, would say it's a far greater contribution to the theater to write and produce NEW plays and musicals about people of color (and strong women, and trans people, etc.), rather than rejiggering old shows that were never intended to be cast that way and don't make any sense when they are.

R68 Not to mention that colorblind casting is NOT one-size-fits-all.

Just because it works for some shows like INTO THE WOODS, which takes place in a magical fairyland where anything goes, does not mean it will work in plays set in a specific time and place like MY FAIR LADY (1913 London) or CAROUSEL (1870s Maine).

Even today Maine is around 95% white.

[quote]Erm, black people can still hate Asians or Polynesians. Haven’t you ever seen Do The Right Thing? Being black doesn’t mean you can’t be racist or hom*ophobic or transphobic.

Yes, BUT Lt. Cable in SOUTH PACIFIC is supposed to be from a rich Philadelphia mainline family, plus he's a marine officer as part of the racially segregated armed forces that existed during World War II. The character makes zero sense if he's not a lily white, upper class, blue-blood American. He even has a song about that, "My Girl Back Home," which was cut from the original production of SP but restored for the movie and for some recent stage revivals.

So, although what you wrote in your post is very true as far as it goes, it's completely beside the point of my post.

[quote]the current "South Pacific" at Paper Mill Playhouse, with a black performer in the role of Lt. Cable.

And this still manages to shock you? Do you ever actually go to the theater?

[quote]yes, it still shocks me. As it would shock you if you had any sensitivity as to what SOUTH PACIFIC is all about.

So you're both racist and dumb? Got it.

[quote]Sarah Brightman has not performed in SB for the past two weeks.

What? Really, r102?

[quote]It’s called “N/A” and the characters are Nancy Pelosi and AOC.

Where does Mitzi Gaynor fit in?

N/A was fine. I wasn’t bored but I doubt I’ll remember it in 6 months.

I was worried that Holland Taylor was going to forget her lines though. 82 years old and all that dialogue in a 2 person play. She was great though. Very arthritic hands.

Saw the Welkin as well. Strange play but Sandra Oh was great.

I think the quibbles about Uranowitz and Cooper were just that . . . quibbles. I didn't think it was perfection, and Cooper's miscasting wasn't ruinous. But seeing him hug his children at the curtain call a(t least last night) made it all better. The telegraph scene for one, with Karmiloo and Alex Joseph Grayson was exquisite..

PS. I agree that "Still" is a mediocre song.

[quote]I’ve been listening to the OBC recording of Titanic since seeing the Encores production. It’s actually quite a beautiful score.

I know that it won the Tony as best musical and ran for two years, but I've always thought that "Titanic" was a vastly underrated show. Much of the score is gorgeous. As he did with "1776," Peter Stone wrote a book that managed to hold your interest despite its foregone conclusion.

The original Titanic production, though it did ok at the box office and won Best Musical, really suffered from poor production values and a chaotic preview period. Some of it is referenced in David Loud’s excellent memoir, Facing the Music, because he was music directing Steel Pier (also in previews) across the street. Both shows suffered from not having an out of town tryout.

Strangely, Titanic retained the feel of a failure even though it ran two years and had a national tour. But much of the material is incredibly thrilling.

[quote]Strangely, Titanic retained the feel of a failure even though it ran two years and had a national tour.

Well, that's very much a matter of opinion, isn't it? Whereas I would say that, obviously, STEEL PIER definitely retained the feeling of a failure.

[quote]Has Lindsey had her baby yet? I assume she will be out of the show until it closes. h

Oh, yes, let's PLEASE get back to the topic of how many performances Lindsay is missing. I can't get enough of it!

[quote]It has gotten nothing but continued discussion, [R128]. And then some. And it's become tiresome.

But the reason R124 brought up the subject again is that they realize Mendez is now in the advanced stages of pregnancy, so they're naturally wondering if she's going to be out of the show through the closing. A very natural and reasonable question, not just rehashing of her many absences thus far.

So, R129 you and your friend at R130 can just please shut up.

[quote]they're naturally wondering

[quote]A very natural and reasonable question

Naturally.

Look, you can discuss whether Mendez will be out of the show due to her impending pregnancy until the cows come home, but... how do you expect anyone here to give you any kind of answer? The producers have never been transparent about her schedule in advance, so why would they start now with only a handful of remaining performances?

Mendez is WONDERFUL in the show, by the way, but you're unlikely to see a major production of Merrily again in many of our lifetimes, so if you're itching to see it (and can afford to), just go!

[quote]I want to see a production of Titanic where the stage remains stationary and the audience seats move.

Wasn't that the original London production of Cats?

[quote]Look, you can discuss whether Mendez will be out of the show due to her impending pregnancy until the cows come home, but... how do you expect anyone here to give you any kind of answer? The producers have never been transparent about her schedule in advance, so why would they start now with only a handful of remaining performances?

You're absolutely right that the producers have never been transparent about her schedule and her absences, but it's not crazy to think that they might possibly begin to be more communicative (or, rather, to stop lying) about all of that now that Mendez is in a more advanced stage of pregnancy and the show is closing in a few weeks. Also, now that the Tony awards are over and Mendez did not win. True that it's very unlikely anyone here would be able to give an answer on that, but it's possible that someone might have inside information, and anyway, posters here often ask questions that can't be definitively answered.

[quote]I was right, [R138]. You can call me whatever you want.

Believe me, r139...we do.

r140

If the producers weren't worried about that before, I doubt they are with less than 2 weeks left

Why would that be the case, r148?

Did she usually observe?

[quote]Can't someone just start a Lindsay Mendez thread? Or is there nothing else to discuss?

Oh, let's *do* discuss Beanie or Sara Porkalob.

Really happy that “Stereophonic” has a big advance sale and grossed over a million last week.

Astonishing that “The Great Gatsby” is making $1.3 mil. I guess Jeremy Jordan is a Broadway star. Where did his following come from? I remember liking him in “Smash,” but that was ages ago. If it didn’t have a $35 million set to pay off (per Patti Lupone in her Australian TV interview) it would probably make it’s money back and be a hit. What will this do to the rival version, which must have expected a fast close?

[quote]Lindsey being out just means Jon and Dan can have more f*ck sessions before or after the show.

It's Lindsay with an A, not Lindsey with an E . . .

[quote] What will this do to the rival version, which must have expected a fast close?

Jordan Roth can save his $$$ for more couture dresses.

[quote]Astonishing that “The Great Gatsby” is making $1.3 mil. I guess Jeremy Jordan is a Broadway star. Where did his following come from? I remember liking him in “Smash,” but that was ages ago.

I have the same question, and I'm equally astonished as you are at this lousy show's success. The design elements are wonderful (they should be, for all that money), but most of the casting of the leads is way off, and the score is from hunger.

I imagine most of the success of The Great Gatsby is it's a familiar romantic title that people (think they) know and there's the promise of extravagant and sumptuous sets and costumes, so buyers think they're getting their money's worth. The reliability factor when tickets are expensive.

I really don't think Jeremy has much to do with it. I'd bet when he takes a vacation it won't affect the box office.

And I think that other Gatsby would be wise to wait a few years before coming to Broadway, no matter how good it might be.

[quote]I imagine most of the success of The Great Gatsby is it's a familiar romantic title that people (think they) know and there's the promise of extravagant and sumptuous sets and costumes, so buyers think they're getting their money's worth. The reliability factor when tickets are expensive. I really don't think Jeremy has much to do with it. I'd bet when he takes a vacation it won't affect the box office.

I agree with your first point, and I think that's a very astute analysis. I would also add that the mass audience just doesn't have good enough taste in music and lyrics to realize who horrible the GATSBY score is. But I don't agree with you about Jordan, we'll have to wait and see what happens when he takes a vacation.

[quote]Wait. Why is Patti LuPone the source on production costs of Gatsby?

Is this your first day on Earth? Patti LuPone has never been shy about giving her opinion on anything, whether stated opinion makes sense or not.

[quote]What happened to the 2019 revival of Kiss Me, Kate?

First, it was a Roundabout production. The only decent shows they produce are the imports that have been successful elsewhere.

Roundabout’s model is to hire name actors and put them in roles they are not suited to.

Hence, Kelli O’Hara as Lilli in Kiss Me Kate. She was wrong for the role. Think Kristin Chenoweth as Evita level of wrongness.

It was Will Chase. She got a Tony nom, he didn’t. I saw his understudy, who was a good singer and handsome but also too young to know how to make the role work.

It certainly wasn’t the worst thing Roundabout has done, and I thought Kelli was fine, but it was mostly just a pleasant evening.

So I loved the production of CATS downtown at the Perelman Arts Center. The drag ball concept is inspired, and I especially enjoyed when the well-muscled cat stripped down to his jockstrap and walked the runway. I wonder what famously prudish T.S. Eliot would have thought of that! I just read Jesse Green's grudging sort-of-rave for the production, and I was stumped by the last sentences in his review: "But as happens occasionally, the right idea can transform the wrong material. If "Cats: The Jellicle Ball" has managed a Grizabella turn, reincarnating itself in fabulousness, do not expect an 18-year run or, pardon me, copycat productions. It's a lightning strike: not now and forever but now and once."

WTF does that mean? With the popularity of drag and public knowledge of drag balls due to shows like Pose, I could see this production being staged all over the world. It definitely will give Cats a new life. I guess Green thought he was being clever trashing the Cats tagline of "now and forever," but he just comes off like an asshole.

Seems like drag queens have better things to do. Plus, aren’t they all actors? So it’s twice-removed; no cats, no drag queens.

Also, the longevity of the original productions was about sex for furries. Drag queens don’t hold the same appeal, at least for furries.

^^^and Kelli wasn't the only one miscast in that awful KMK. Will Chase was also all wrong for the male lead. And the whole thing was badly directed.

P.S. It has always been pretty easy for Roundabout to save face when they produce a show, because virtually all of their productions are announced as "limited runs," even when a hard end date isn't given. So if the show is a hit, they can extend and convert to a production contract, and if the show is not a hit, they can just close at the end of the "limited run." But when a show is so bad and does so poorly at the box office that they barely make it through the limited run, then they're embarrassed -- for example, BYE BYE BIRDIE and THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE.

R177

Wonder what’s going on or is she taking notes from Lindsay?

r175 In the thread about the production, someone linked to the article (paywalled so Archive link) which confirms it, with producers claiming she is recovering from a torn calf muscle. Also says no announcement is made until right before the curtain rises.

Other posters in that thread said other cast members have also skipped performances.

can you imagine the back and forth between Sarah and management?

" I don't care if we have Max von Mayerling push you around in a f*cking wheelchair Sarah, ....you're going on tonight .......we're not losing any more money on this turkey..."

[quote]In the thread about the production, someone linked to the article (paywalled so Archive link) which confirms it, with producers claiming she is recovering from a torn calf muscle.

Sounds like the "broken foot" that felled Tommy Tune during BUSKER ALLEY and led to the closing of that show out of town.

R183

I assumed sally struthers would play Madame armfeldt

[quote] No liebesleiders.

Then why bother?

[quote]Sounds like the "broken foot" that felled Tommy Tune during BUSKER ALLEY and led to the closing of that show out of town.

Let’s roll out some gossip from that show.

Tommy’s understudy was a f*ck buddy of his, so he wasn’t entirely prepared. So at one performance, Tommy hobbled out on crutches and sang and acted while the understudy danced. 😂

But that show was a mess and they kept messing with it, scrapping scenes, writing new scenes. The title was changed three times!

[quote] That would be Will Chase. Formerly the love of Deb Messing.

And father of the abortion bloat baby.

[quote]He didn’t seem to mind when Elaine Stritch turned Liaisons into a 7 minute song.

He let Stritch replace because she kept calling him ten times a day and begging for work. Think about it, there were five other actresses that were more suitable for that role.

[quote]Jennifer Holliday's I'm Still Here. She's more restrained than usual but the tempo is way too slow. I know she has her cadre of fanatics but I think this is horrible.

Christ, that was bad. I’m Still Here isn’t a bump and grind song. Was this her audition for one of the strippers in Audra Gypsy?

And who orchestrated that? The piano is too intrusive with those runs.

Should be more like I’m Still Here But Barely. But there will always be dizzy queens that wildly applaud poor performances like fraus at a kindergarten dance recital.

R201

I was there and did not understand the rapturous applause… I thought it was mediocre at best … way too slow

"Yes, she is far from perfect on the lyrics and the backphrasing screws up some of the jokes, but that is a star turn from beginning to end. Sondheim would have loved it."

Not getting the lyrics right and screwing up his jokes would make Sondheim furious.

I loved it. I think Sondheim would’ve loved to hear this sung with such vocal authority.

She screws up the lyric at the end doesn’t she? When she repeats the “black sable” line? But I loved it. For what I’m sure was an under-rehearsed concert performance, she delivered a moment. Plus, she was like 21 when she did Dreamgirls and has faced a lot of professional challenges and she is one of the most gracious and strongest allies we have - and she’s STILL HERE. And in great voice. Good for her.

The pace is so wrong. The whole point of the song is that even through all the hellish events of the last few years, it's sung with that devil-may-care sway.

Turning it into a church dirge is not anything positive. Though the queeny stans will undoubtedly declare that JH "ate and left no crumbs."

R210, that hasn’t been true since Burnett’s concert performance in the mid-‘80s.

The whole point of the song is the power of a woman to persevere over decades of challenges through reinvention and choices made to benefit her own self-preservation. It’s about longevity not tempo.

Yours is a very superficial reading of the song, the performer and the performance.

R214 Your post defies logic, context and any history of the song.

Burnett's performance may have been a few beats slower, but it wasn't the slumbering tempo of Holliday's version.

It honestly didn’t feel as slow in person. It was one of the highlights of the night and the crowd was really with her all the way through.

Agreed that Christine Ebersole was exceptional perhaps giving one of the definitive renditions of “In Buddy’s Eyes.”

[quote]It honestly didn’t feel as slow in person.

It didn't feel slow to you, but it sure felt ludicrously slow to some of us. I would say that includes Holliday herself, who was definitely pushing ahead of the tempo in certain sections. I got the idea that she belatedly realized the tempo had been set way too slow, but by that point it was too late for her to do anything about it without stopping and starting over.

[quote]I still have PTSD from Carol Burnett's version of "I'm Still Here."

What? You didn't like her comic bump on "I've gotten through Herbert and J. Edgar Hoo-woo-ver?"

Rumor has it that they wanted Carol for Hattie/Broadway Baby. She said it was "I'm Still Here" or nothing. So the wussies gave in and let her mess it up. It was a terrible decision, because this concert version was the first staging in NYC since the original, so there was a massive expectation that it would show off the score and draw interest in a Broadway revival. But because of Carol Burnett, we did not see a revival until the new millennium.

"But because of Carol Burnett, we did not see a revival until the new millennium."

Oh, R221 -- you can't be serious. The '85 concert -- love it or hate it or anything in between -- was rapturously received both as a live event and as an album. It may well have played a role in the 1987 London revision's happening.

[quote] It may well have played a role in the 1987 London revision's happening.

Which did not spark any interest in a Broadway revival.

[quote]And what is the reasoning that Carol Burnett was responsible for stopping producers from bankrolling a show that costs a fortune, is difficult to pull off, and almost always loses money? Her single song was responsible for that?

When Carol did that comic "Hoo-woo-ver" bump, you could hear the Widow Goldman say: "Jesus! Let's ice this turkey until we can find a generation that can sing it."

R221 is trying to be the gossip girl of his ward and talking complete nonsense. Within two years of the concert there was a fully-staged, no expense spared West End production from Cameron MacIntosh that was a financial disaster. That, more than anything, put the stake in the heart of a Broadway revival for about 25 years. When the whole USP of your show is “it costs a fortune and has never made money” you’re not exactly going to have investors lining up.

And also the whole point of the concert recording was to do justice to a score that had been poorly recorded and horribly edited. It was for posterity and to give life to a landmark show that had been poorly preserved and documented.

Lindsay Mendez must be so glad we’re talking about Follies again.

[quote]Christian Borle To Play Jim Bakker In Broadway’s ‘Tammy Faye’ Musical, Replacing Andrew Rannells:

Kitara Ravache IS Jessica Hahn!

[quote](Cue the usual Datalounge idiocy about Blythe Danner's performance, which in fact was mostly glorious.)

Not on the night *I* saw her, r228.

Carol Burnett was indeed miscast in FOLLIES, but so were several of the other leads and supporting players.

P.S. Another version of the "I'm Still Here" story I've heard is that the song was originally earmarked for Stritch until those involved realized she simply could not sing the high notes at the end of the song in a way that would have been remotely acceptable to the audience. And yes, I know she did the song years later in concert, which proved my point.

The transfer of THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA to Broadway will include most of the original London cast. I'm really glad because I reluctantly saw the production on the West End (at the recommendation of a Broadway company manager who was visiting), and it was terrific. For those who don't know, it's a story about a Mama Rose-type character trying to get her daughters into show business. At one point, she's forced to make a Sophie's Choice decision that surprises and upsets the audience. The play takes place over 20+ years, and the outstanding actress Laura Donnelly plays both the hardened mother and her grown daughter. Donnelly is married to the author of the play, Jez Butterworth.

And, no, it does not take place in California.

THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA

I want to see this before Meryl Streep ruins the movie version.

Has Andrew Rannells fired his agent yet? Not necessarily a fan, but could he have been more perfect casting for smarmy Jim Bakker?

What could that recasting of Jim mean, do you think? Neither name sells tickets.

Though most have probably forgotten R159’s question I will answer it. Patti LuPone was interviewed by an Australian morning show in preparation for her concert appearance in Sydney, and in the course of the conversation mentioned that she was a Tony voter this year, and that after attending a performance of “The Great Gatsby,” she went out with a cast member who evidently told her how expensive the set was and LuPone talked about how idiotic it was to spend that kind of money on a set.

Whether she exaggerated the amount, who knows? Whether $25 or $35 million it’s too much for a f*cking set.

I suspect Rannells’ agent got out over their skies in terms of negotiation? Rannells did do the Almeida production which couldn’t have paid much and for which he was Olivier-nominated so maybe he rightly expected a better pay day for the B’way production? You say he doesn’t sell tickets but his show with Josh Gad had a good run and that was definitely sold on their names. Plus he is perfect casting as a musical Jim Bakker, it could even be said he makes a very unsavoury character palatable.

It’s not like it was going to have a long run anyway and he was the only name, aside from Elton John, associated with it.

The 2024 Jimmy Awards on youtube

stream ends june 27

[quote]Well given the entire capitalisation was $25 million, the set alone clearly didn't cost that much. Cue shock at the idea that actors don't understand the business aspect of their own industry.

The cost of the GATSBY set that I had heard was $13 million, which of course is still beyond insane.

All roads lead back to Follies…

This is quite a lovely short film about a German production (not to be confused with the one a few years ago which was set in Dresden following reunification). It’s been in rep in Wiesbaden since October and closes tonight. It stars the fabulous Pia Douwes as Sally and yes, a Black gal (Andrea Baker) as Stella.

[quote] I can’t imagine Andrew being happy that Christian took the role after they producers wouldn’t pay him what he wanted

Why? No one said Borle got what Rannells asked for. Should Rannells expect the production to close because he wasn't paid what he felt he deserved?

Corey Cott, yes.

Corey Stoll, no thank you.

[quote]I can’t imagine Andrew being happy that Christian took the role after they producers wouldn’t pay him what he wanted

I nominate this statement as one of the stupidest ever posted on DL. Are there any other nominees, or should we just give R256 the prize?

P.S. Although I've very much enjoyed Andrew Rannells in parts that he has been well suited for, I think he's extremely limited in range as far as that goes, so although I have no idea what the deal was for TAMMY FAYE, I think maybe he should have taken it.

R267 would you be happy if you worked on a project for years and then the producers sh*t on you at the last minute, forcing you to walk away from a project that you put your time and energy in…only for a close friend to take role and the reap the rewards? (Press, fame, possible award win/nominaton)

I don’t think the statement was stupid. People are thin skinned and I’m sure this is awkward

So sorry, that should have been:

[quote]Would you be happy if you worked on a project for years and then the producers sh*t on you at the last minute, forcing you to walk away from a project that you put your time and energy in…only for a close friend to take role and the reap the rewards? (Press, fame, possible award win/nominaton)

[R268], of course I understand Rannells' unhappiness, but obviously, someone was going to take over the role. Are you seriously suggesting that Borle shouldn't have done so because he and Rannells were friends? ' Also, I doubt you know enough details of this story to make the judgment that the producers "sh*t on" Rannells. Isn't it possible that his demands were out of line with his level of stardom?

R272, of course, that's one of several possible scenarios.

R274, are you sure that's him?

[quote]Whether she exaggerated the amount, who knows? Whether $25 or $35 million it’s too much for a f*cking set.

"The Great Gatsby" started at Papermill. The set was great but they can't spend that much so maybe they redid it for Broadway and was the cost for two theatres.

[quote]How can anyone look at that image and not see Andrew Rannells?

The only part of the image that would be remotely identifiable as Rannells is the part of the face which we can see -- the lower part -- and I don't think that part of his face (or almost anyone else's) is very distinctive. Of course, it COULD be him, but I still think the image looks more like an drawn illustration or something generated with a graphics program than an actual photo.

[quote]I'd like to know how much it cost to repair her dressing room at SB after she destroyed it.

It took two bloody days to scrub “f*ck Glenn Close” off the wall. Where that cow got that much spray paint is a mystery.

I really don't know why any of you would doubt it was Rannells in the MORMON ad. I mean, why wouldn't it be?

As to whether he gets royalties on it, I'd seriously doubt that, but I'm sure he was paid for a modeling session in costume before rehearsals even started.

[quote]but I'm sure he was paid for a modeling session in costume before rehearsals even started.

Yes, rr92, and signed all of the rights away at the time.

r295, Rannells was in no position to even be offered those rights before MORMON opened. And if he had been a bigger expensive name, then they would have used a different actor as the model for the ad.

But knowing thirsty young actors I'm sure he was flattered just to be asked to pose back then.

[quote]I really don't know why any of you would doubt it was Rannells in the MORMON ad. I mean, why wouldn't it be?

It wouldn't at all be strange or unusual if it wasn't him in that image, as models are frequently used for such purposes. And especially in this case, when half of the person's face was not included in the ad, including his eyes, there was all the more reason to think they didn't use someone from the show.

Do you think that was Marissa Jaret Winokur's face in the HAIRSPRAY ad image that was used for all those years? And remember the promo image that was used for ROCKY, the musical? That was a ridiculous example of using models rather than actors from the show.

R298 is like a mad dog with a bone.

We get it. Nontraditional casting has ruined theater for all time. Now please shut up.

“But the Asian faces…! They trigger my racism and I…and I can’t enjoy the theatre the way it was meant to be enjoyed. BY WHITE PEOPLE!!”

Narrator: Even though it’s all an illusion.

[quote]Cynthia Erivo and Ruthie Ann Miles stole the show.

I’m surprised Cynthia agreed to play a maid. I guess a girl’s gotta eat. Maybe she’s worried Wicked will end her career like the Cats movie did to so many actors.

[quote]I really don't know why any of you would doubt it was Rannells in the MORMON ad. I mean, why wouldn't it be?

It's just one tedious f*ckwit. Anyone who's read this thread will be able to guess what other posts they're responsible for.

[quote]Wait. "Silly People"? Why do I have no recollection of this song? Is it telling that you didn't even mention Susan Graham?

"Silly People" was cut from "A Little Night Music" before its Broadway opening.