Profile for HaveAGoodShow

Did anyone catch last night’s first preview in Cleveland?I'm curious to hear thoughts on the performances -- and whether there were any noticeable changes from the Broadway version, either in the script or the design.

I don't think that's likely. Unless another network or production company wants to develop a talk show with P!nk, NBC -- the company behind "The Kelly Clarkson Show" -- is officially out of the first-run syndication business. Talk shows are incredibly expensive to produce, and in today's media landscape they rarely (if ever) turn a profit, so it doesn't seem like NBC has much interest in getting back into that space anytime soon.

Fair point. To be clear, I’m not suggesting Megan was pushed out or that the producers chose to replace her while she was still under contract. Megan left when her contract ended and Betsy was hired to fill a vacancy.What I’m really questioning is whether the producers underestimated how much of the show’s appeal was tied to the chemistry and star power of the original cast. In hindsight, was replacing Megan with Betsy the right creative and commercial decision? That’s the discussion I was tr...

I want to be clear up front: I admire Betsy Wolfe and have enjoyed her work for years. She's a talented performer and she's perfectly fine in "Death Becomes Her."That said, I don't think she's Megan Hilty.When the four original leads were in the show, the word-of-mouth felt almost impossible to resist. It was a genuine "you have to see this cast" event. Since the recasting, that urgency seems to have faded.So I'm curious: did the producers make a mistake replacing a star who was such a major ...

For me, it doesn't matter what the shows perform. I think what's more important is that the director is up to the task of shooting these production numbers in a way that fully honors and captures the performers onstage while also enhancing the energy and excitement that each show brings.

Hi folks. I keep seeing posts in another thread about people getting comps for CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY.I'm planning to see it on Saturday because a friend is in the cast, but I'm hesitant to ask them for tickets directly. The show has been on TDF for around $50+ and regularly shows up on TKTS in the $50–90 range, which still feels a bit steep.Does anyone have any insight into the best way to score two comps? Any advice would be appreciated.

Re: the omission of “Bette” from the announcement of Jeffrey’s passing:I was a friend of his and there may be a reason for this: not only was the show both a critical and ratings flop, but Bette reportedly hated the experience and Jeffrey hated working on it. (Bette, I believe, even went on Letterman and openly trashed the series.) As the Showrunner, he really had to battle through a difficult behind-the-scenes situation.RIP to such a talented and genuinely lovely gentleman.

Good point.That said, after a few misfires, this could be a smart reset: a show that plays to their strengths and reminds people why they connected with them in the first place.

Serious suggestion:Turn "Death Becomes Her" into an event. Reopen it with Kristin and Idina. Seven shows a week. It prints money.

Thank you!

For anyone who’s seen the show -- is there any gunfire in it? If so, is it just a sound effect, or do you actually see/hear a gun being fired?Thanks in advance!

I’m a big fan of "Death Becomes Her" and absolutely loved what Megan Hilty did. Her performance was indelible. When Betsy Wolfe was cast, I was genuinely excited because I've always found her to be a really wonderful performer with great instincts.Megan steamrolled through the show. Betsy approaches it with more restraint. She’s very good, but where Megan created a truly big, fully lived-in character, Betsy’s Madeline feels a bit more medium-sized. (For instance, early on, she tries some shar...

The $58 seats are kind of a steal. CHESS is staged almost entirely down center, so even if you’re way off to the side, you’ll still catch basically everything. Truly, you’re not missing much at all. Grab them while you can!

Break legs to Betsy Wolfe tonight on her debut as Madeline! I can’t wait to see what she does with the role.If anyone’s there tonight, please report back!

I’m about 99% sure Michelle Williams and Chris Sieber were both sick for Megan and Jennifer's last show together.

I’m fairly certain that once Megan returned from medical leave, attendance across the cast was pretty consistent, aside from Megan’s scheduled Tuesday nights off.As others have mentioned, the holiday performance schedule was especially punishing (six shows in three days). If I’m remembering correctly, both Megan and Jennifer each sat out three performances that week, though I’m happy to be corrected if I have that wrong.

I think Matthew Morrison is unquestionably talented, but at times his performances can feel a bit overeager, which can be uncomfortable to watch. I felt this during the Tony Awards "Hairspray" number, where it came across as just a little too much and again in his later Tony performance when "Glee" was at its peak. If he can rein in that impulse and let the material breathe, he could be quite effective in "Just in Time."

"From a PR standpoint, both Morrison and Weinstein handled the Finding Neverland mess pretty badly."What was the "Finding Neverland" mess -- and what did Matthew Morrison do to handle that mess badly? I can't recall.

P.S. While I was watching the show, I was struck by how sharp Lili Cooper’s comedic timing is. Would she make a great Helen Sharp replacement in DEATH BECOMES HER?

Last night at SPELLING BEE, about twenty minutes before the show was supposed to end, a fire alarm went off in the theatre. It actually happened during a moment in the show when a “school fire alarm” could have made sense, so at first no one thought it was real. After about a minute it stopped. Then another minute later, the voice of the stage manager came over the loudspeaker asking the actors to leave the stage and the audience to evacuate the theatre.Everyone stayed calm and we filed outsi...