Profile for JacksonMaine

Good cast and well worth seeing what the Kennedy Center does with it. No offense, but I thought the original book was the reason why it didn't work the first time.

I've seen "Billy Elliot" twice and don't remember anything about a plastic crate. I guess there must have been one or they wouldn't have gotten hit. Sheeesh, between "Spidey" and "Billy Elliot" are no audience members safe?! lol

Yahoo Theatrical Newsletter 2/14/2011 http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7750514/theatrical_newsletter_21411.html?cat=2

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7722404/theatrical_newsletter_2711.html?cat=2

Lea sounded fine. I think those who didn't like her went into it predisposed not to like her. Christina, on the other hand... And yes, Kate Smith of the Philadelphia Flyers! A great singer even over and above her value to the hockey team!

I wish ATC no harm, it is informative and interesting to read. Still, I can't help but be amused at how much the updates for their re-opening reminds me of the updates for "Spider-Man", often criticized at ATC. Here's hoping both have a speedy recovery.

I saw a reading of the play. The character has to be large enough that the average shallow coworker would cast aspersions on the male lead for being out with her. I agree, Heather is not quite the right type. She might not be model thin, but I don't believe she's so heavy that one would be 'embarrassed' to be her companion, even by the very shallow characters in the play. Of course, I think the play has bigger problems (pardon the pun) than the casting.

Congratulations to submissionsonly (since you're on the board). It's great that you've been able to do what you've done so far. Keep going!

What did you think of it, bwayfan?

Well, of course, whether they're invited or not isn't really the issue. I am sure their newspapers or magazines paid for the tickets during previews and will pay again if they see it again once it 'officially' opens. I am usually with the crowd that says wait until it opens before reviewing it, but I understand the frustrations. There were many who said 'ok, you're delaying again until February 7th, I'll give you that' only to be told of another delay to March 15th. At some point enough is en...

As mentioned before, I read both ATC and BBW on a daily basis, as well as Broadway Stars, an excellent site for theater news without any posting. ATC can certainly get insulting and condescending, but I do think that's true of most sites, theater or otherwise, where the posters are anonymous. For example, if you look at certain political sites you'll find name calling and insulting far worse than anything done on here or ATC. But once the poster is required to provide their real name, as in s...

Regarding the copying issues. I can tell you for a fact that they're a major cost of a show, especially when the show is constantly doing new music, arrangements and orchestrations, as this one seems to be doing. To give you somewhat of an idea, we did an Off Broadway show in which the songs kept being worked on during the preview period. The music copyist wound up receiving more money (including health and benefits) than either the director or music director. And that was for a five piece ba...

I agree the panel was pretty close to perfect. Ephron is a writer, Wolfe a director, Tunick an orchestrator, etc. I myself would have argued that "My Fair Lady" is heads and tails above both "Sweeney" and "Guys and Dolls". Every song in it is wonderful, it hails from a great play, the characters are specific and three dimensional, and it has a terrific ending. But that's me.

Heyya. A weekly theatrical newsletter run through Yahoo's Associated Content. The subject this week are the critics and whether or not they continue to have any relevancy. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6228294/theatrical_newsletter_1172011.html?cat=2

"When they cancelled preview weeks, the only money lost was the revenue. Probably about 2 million. But the running costs comes out of the reserve already built into the budget. Most likely 2 months running costs. It doesn't increase the budget of the show by $2 million. or $4 million. or $15 million. I'm sure it's still at $65 million. Other claims that they've heard it is $70 or $80 million by now are utterly ridiculous." Actually, I think what's ridiculous is to assume that a show can postp...

Regarding the Times article, I think that's sort of my point. They projected it to be four years back in December of 2010 at almost optimum conditions, which I think now are unrealistic. It's moved its opening three times since then.

Ok, so for reasons which have to do with boredom and idle curiosity I'm speculating on how long this show has to run to make back its investment. Looking back, I see that "Billy Elliot" recouped its $18 million investment in 14 months. Of course, "Billy" didn't cost $1 million a week to run, but it's not cheap, either. I've heard the figure $600k per week mentioned in the Times. So assume that by the time Spidey opens (if ever) the budget is actually closer to $70 or $75 million than $65 mill...

Let me toss in "Screenplay" at 59E59th Street. For what it's worth, it won Outstanding Production at Midtown International Festival last summer.

I read both boards on a daily basis. I don't post on either one too frequently, I just don't have time. I do think there are some very smart, insightful people on All That Chat (as I do here) but I can't help but agree that there's also an unpleasant degree of arrogance and condescension which is at times off-putting. On the flip side I do think there is sometimes name calling and unnecessary insults which go on on here which I wish the moderators would control a bit more. In essence, both bo...

Indeed, ghostlight, I appreciate the back and forth of opinions, whether it be on a chat board or in a bar after a show. Anything which gets people talking about theater is ultimately a positive thing, in my view. The stagehands issue is a thorny, volatile one, and has been almost since the beginning of the last century, as I'm sure you know. There were certainly contractual abuses in the past, most of which have been corrected. I'd say that a good stagehand working full time on Broadway is p...