Sutton Foster left ANYTHING GOES mid performance yesterday

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 1:00pm

So....I had tickets last Sunday to see ANYTHING GOES with my boyfriend and my mom and when we got to the box office, we saw that Sutton was out. So we exchanged tickets for this Sunday. Sutton came out, delivered her opening lines totally half-assed, hit a bunch of bum notes during "I Get A Kick Out of You" and "You're The Top," and then the next time Reno came on the stage, it was no longer Sutton. It was Kristen Beth Williams in her costume. I went out to the box office to see if we could get another refund, but they couldn't do anything for me. It was extremely frustrating. That said, Williams was okay. For the people who say that Sutton is just a glorified chorus girl, they should have seen Williams in the role. She pretty much blended in with the scenery. The show was sorely lacking without Foster at the center. During intermission they announced that "due to illness," the role of Reno would be played by Williams, to tepid applause. Her "Blow Gabriel Blow" got a mediocre round of applause. Just thought I'd share. It was nice to see her get a standing O at the end, though. It was probably a thrilling experience for her, regardless.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 1:07pm

"It was nice to see her get a standing O at the end, though."

Why? You just trashed her performance.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 1:16pm

I guess from your post, it sounds you have seen Sutton Foster before? So disappointing when you shell out all that good money, to see the stand in, I hate it.

Does anyone know when Sutton Foster finishes her run?

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 1:20pm

She's contracted until April.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 1:37pm

Poor thing. I've had this bug for almost 2 weeks now and, lord knows, I couldn't perform Reno Sweeney in my condition.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 1:50pm

WICKED rocks.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 3:16pm

It was nice to see her get a standing O at the end, though.

I love getting a standing O. It's so much more special when you share it with someone, though.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 3:28pm

It was nice to see her get a standing O because she clearly gave it her all and the audience wasn't exactly thrilled to have Sutton out. She was fighting an uphill battle and she hasn't gone on for Reno yet, that I know of, so it must've been exciting but daunting for her. No, she wasn't great, but I was certainly rooting for her.

Everyone on this board is always so friendly...nothing's changed since 2004. :)

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 3:32pm

Do people who aren't up to a task and leave an audience not exactly thrilled deserve ovations?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 4:00pm

Ovations? Well that is a VERY different "O" than I was thinking of- I pictured her standing onstage using her hand-held waterpik shower head to deliver that standing O....

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 4:12pm

Thank you, Joe. Now, I'm just wondering who would like to give me a standing O.

[ken8631]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 4:53pm

Stephanie was great in the part..... As is Sutton!

[MillieDillmount]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 6:34pm

Sutton has been sick for a few days now, that was actually Kristen Beth's fifth time going on. I saw Kristen Beth on the Sat evening show - I enjoyed her. She's obv different from Sutton, but I thought she was adorable in the role. I agree she doesn't carry the show like Sutton does, but I wasn't disappointed by Kristen Beth!

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 8:22pm

>> No, she wasn't great, but I was certainly rooting for her

Coulda fooled me.

[winston89]

Posted: 12/12/11 at 8:55pm

"Even though we're sitting down, we're giving you a standing ovation."

Max Bialystock on his and Leo Bloom's reaction to Ulla's dancing.

[misto625]

Posted: 12/13/11 at 12:48am

Why isn't Tari Kelly going on if Sutton is out? Is she no longer the first cover? I haven't seen Kristen Beth in a principal role yet, but she seems very talented.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/13/11 at 2:17am

KBW is a star in the making. She's been wonderful in regional productions and deserves a chance to strut her stuff on Broadway.


I'm proud of her!

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 12/13/11 at 2:29am

Why isn't Tari Kelly going on if Sutton is out? Is she no longer the first cover? I haven't seen Kristen Beth in a principal role yet, but she seems very talented.

Tari is on vacation, per her Twitter.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 12/13/11 at 2:38am

It sounds like Sutton might not make it until April. If it's more than just a case of being sick, and she really is done with the show, I would hope they would bring Stephanie back instead. That would get me to return to the show.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 12/13/11 at 6:55am

I've seen Sutton Foster in several shows and, IMHO, she has always given 100% and more. To suggest that she would walk out of a show mid-performance simply because she is 'done with the show' seems rather harsh. To me it sounds like she thought she was well enough to perform but once she got on stage realized that she simply wasn't up to it. Sounds like they had Kristen Beth 'waiting in the wings' just in case. If she was 'done with the show' why not just call out sick instead of going all the way down to the theatre, getting into makeup and costume, performing the opening number, and THEN leaving?

[AMH]

Posted: 12/13/11 at 8:44am

I'm seeing the show on Friday, so I hope Sutton is back in it by then.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 12/13/11 at 9:04am

Sutton is genuinely sick. Starting around this time of year, "the company cold" starts getting around, and this year's model is particularly virulent. No actor wants to miss a show, especially one whose name brings in the customers. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads them to try to go on when they aren't well enough to, leading to the situation that the OP referred to, and setting back their recovery even longer.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 12/13/11 at 10:21pm

Was Sutton in tonight? I have friends in the city who went specifically to see her.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 12/13/11 at 10:41pm

I hope she gets better soon. It just seems as if lots of reasons (many of which seem to be beyond her control, in fairness) are keeping her from doing the show after the extension(s). I hope she is able to return to the show and go back to giving her usual 100% (which is what I've always seen her give the times I've seen her) to the role soon!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/13/11 at 11:00pm

It is often the case where a performer may be battling illness, think they can go on, and then it's realized during the show that they are not able to perform. This is why swings and standbys are required to stay backstage until intermission (pending the show's needs).