Melissa Errico Fired From PASSION?- Page 4

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 11:59am

PhylissRogers - Yeah, my thoughts exactly and I have said it a few times already. I know SMASH was not Broadway but it was a topic on this board. Katherine McPhee and Jeremy Jordan were routinely trashed for acting/singing etc with little or no sympathy from anyone. Adam Pascal screws up one performance and it is mentioned here. People are running to his defense immediately saying he is only human and give him a break. (about his performance not his reply). There is a post about Aaron Tveit's acting ability and the criticism is stated as being BWW at it's worst. IMO - if posters are going to be sensitive about criticism of some actors/actresses then I hope they are consistent and do the same for everyone.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 12:01pm

Errico seems a fascinating, complicated, talented woman. And she can write!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 12:13pm

IMO - if posters are going to be sensitive about criticism of some actors/actresses then I hope they are consistent and do the same for everyone.

Are you advocating a hivemind? Or a standardization of the hivemind? Haha! Good luck!

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 12:26pm

Trying to restrain any criticism on my part, since I don’t know the whole situation. But I think the part that makes the most sense to me in terms of CSC needing to let her go was the uncertainty of when she would be back causing them not being able to announce it ahead of time (and causing many patrons asking for their money back).

I have no idea if there are any laws on this, but is she allowed to post her contract, signed or not?

Whatever way you look at it, her blog makes for an interesting read to see one point of view. Intrigued to see read the next section.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 12:36pm

IMO - if posters are going to be sensitive about criticism of some actors/actresses then I hope they are consistent and do the same for everyone.

You keep posting this, so I will respond: The "consistency" you are looking for is a false one.

I think we can all agree that there is a distinction between criticizing a performance in a thread discussing whether or not a show worked and posting a thread that says "I heard someone on the street says that Performer X sucks--do you think she stinks too?"

The former is a discussion. The latter is a troll post, just fishing for nastiness and baiting the board to engage in personal attacks.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 1:17pm

The blog post is bizarre and makes Errico look unhinged and, frankly, dumb (considering she is mute for her story, that seems appropriate). She is not a greenhorn- she's worked in the business for two decades- and pleads ignorance of knowledge of contracts?

This creative writing experiment will, in time, prove to have done more harm to Errico's career than her vocal issues. It is being passed around the theatre community, from office to office- and will certainly not provide people with a compelling reason ever to hire her.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 1:24pm

"My tolerance lessens markedly when performers OFF-stage are laid on the examination table ready for dissection."
"Even if they choose to reveal all of the gory details on a public blog that provides unfettered access to complete strangers?"

Yep, even if they reveal the gory details on a public blog. Errico was wrongly being assumed to have been let go from Passion because she COULDN"T return. Turns out that's not true and she has a right to post her side of things.

PJ marks the distinctions clearly, I think.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 1:33pm

She is making a public case. It is fair game for assessment. End of story.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 1:39pm

PalJoey - The replies with one exception gave their opinion of the acting ability of Mr. Tveit in a civilized manner even though you considered the OP to be fishing for nastiness. In a reply to you I mentioned the one post who used the term "sucks" and noted it was "vulgar".

I responded to OP and basically praised Mr. Tveit in his "Next to Normal" performance (singing and acting) and said his vocals were good in "Catch Me If You Can" but his acting was not great. I truly believe most people here can respond with some class even though the OP may be baiting people to be nasty. Sorry but you can't make everyone to behave on a message board - lol. BTW -The OP never used the word "sucks" and it was allegedly from a director not somebody on the street. The OP asked what people thought of Mr. Tveit's acting ablity and did not say he "stunk".

I don't know how closely you followed the SMASH threads but even though it was a discussion and not "fishing" for nastiness, the criticisms of certain performers got quite nasty which is my part of my point. I never read anything in the SMASH threads saying it was BWW at it's worst when it was IMO offensive to some of those actors. Maybe I am wrong but I care more about what is actually said about actors then the intent of the OP.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 2:28pm

Someone in a Tree -- see Kad's latest response. It seems you are really mixing this up with the Pascal and Tveit scenarios. This is commenting on a two sided issue, not bashing a performer. Chill.

[logan2]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 8:36pm

Okay, I just read Blog 5 to find out what else happened to Melissa on the evening of "Sunday Day 18" as she had promised in Blog 4. But, instead, she talks about "Monday Day 19" when she was told by a professional friend she should clean out her dressing room. Am I missing something, or is she?

She writes how she sat on a park bench on the meridian to deal with an URGENT email.

I can't wait for the new musical "MONDAY ON THE PARK BENCH WITH MELISSA".



Updated On: 6/12/13 at 08:36 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 8:47pm

She "was like a magnet with no destination."

This is why people shouldn't write without editors.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 8:53pm

That's cruel, Namo. We shouldn't mock people whose magnets aren't always en route.

[logan2]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 8:54pm

"Maggot?"

"...magnet.."

"Christ, I thought you said maggot."





Updated On: 6/12/13 at 08:54 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 9:01pm

1. FTR and like Someone in a Tree, I am fine, thank you, and don't need to be told to "chill."

2. I never joined the conversation on "bashing" well-known performers. Social media are a central part of our culture and I see nothing to be gained in bemoaning the fact. In this case, Errico blogged and her blog is fair game for public response.

3. That being said, one poster's comment that s/he doesn't feel sympathy for people who are sick or injured because such maladies are a part of life strikes me as oddly cold and unfeeling. Almost everything that arouses sympathy IS a part of everyday experience: illness, unrequited love, death, etc.

4. I deliberately avoided calling any poster a sociopath and switched to the third person to avoid doing so.

5. I'm not siding with the performer here over management; I realize we don't know the theater company's side of the story. But Errico seems heartbroken and I can feel bad for her WITHOUT lessening my concern for the poor and hungry.

6. Thanks to frog for the explanation of the Medical Leave act.

7. John Adams, the theater company mentioned a clause in Errico's contract as their justification in terminating her; she responded by posting the contract to show no such clause. So I think it's fair to say both parties were discussing the issue as if the contract were valid, even though the employee never signed it.

8. The crystal meth reference was a joke, as Namo well knows. But he is correct that I have no experience with the drug or its users. I just find attention spans rather short these days.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 9:09pm

Okay, just read Blog 5 and I'll concede: she's really dragging this out.

But that's a literary criticism, not a withdrawal of sympathy.

[logan2]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 9:11pm

But what was the OTHER thing that happened on Sunday Day 18!!!!!

Acutally, Melissa should look into the crystal meth because it freezes the vocal chords.

Also, you know I love you Gaveston, but you can't disappear for that long then come back thread pages later with such a long list diatribe without freaking out my sense of continuity. Updated On: 6/12/13 at 09:11 PM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 9:18pm

4. That's not the point and you know it. The implication was that only a sociopath would fail to take Errico's side. Naming names is therefore immaterial, no?

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 9:22pm

Regi, is this worth our time?

I'll admit I got close to the edge, but I deliberately declined to jump into the pool--precisely because this is the first time I've noticed ulla's posts.

The initial claim that ordinary misery isn't worthy of sympathy is a far more important point, if we really must argue.
Updated On: 6/12/13 at 09:22 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 9:26pm

Gaveston:
Errico is GROSSLY misinformed about the contract nonsense. I can't believe I didn't catch it till now (though her blog is not... quite so coherent).

Errico wrote this:
"So, what exactly was Patrick trying to say outside on the street? He said that the producers at Classic Stage had a legal right to fire me. (There is a team of leadership there, I don’t know who really is the producer. That doesn’t matter to this story. Please focus beyond fault, which is not my aim.) My husband went on, “There is a clause in their off-Broadway contract that if an actor misses 10 days of work, the actor or the producer has the right to terminate.” "



She appears to have misunderstood her husband's meaning when saying "contract"- or her husband has misunderstood the situation.


There's no specific clause in re: illness in HER contract. There's a clause in the Equity status the theatre holds. CSC is an Off-Broadway house, thereby it follows those rules. And those rules, very clearly in the Off-Broadway Equity Rulebook, state:

"(B)During Performances.
If the Actor cannot perform on account of illness, injury (other than an injury as specified in Rule 33, INJURY AND WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INSURANCE) or any other valid reason, then the Actor shall not be entitled to any salary for the time during which said services shall not for such reason or reasons be rendered. Should the foregoing condition continue for a period of 10 calendar days or more, either party may terminate said
contract and the Producer shall pay for all services to the effective date of termination."


The contract that Errico was to sign clearly states in section 5 that the Equity Rules become PART of the contract. By signing the contract, the performer and the theatre are both agreeing to and accepting the Equity rules.

She missed more than ten days, yes? If so, CSC had every right to fire her. They were operating under the belief she had signed the contract, because why wouldn't they? She's a seasoned performer who should know this.

Updated On: 6/12/13 at 09:26 PM

[logan2]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 9:34pm

So why did Melissa wait til the show closed to blog the details? It would have been much more interesting if the audience could have discussed all this outside while they were waiting to enter the theater to watch Amy replacing her. You would think a seasoned performer like Eriico would have better timing.

Updated On: 6/12/13 at 09:34 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 9:38pm

Thank you, Kad. I figured there was more to the "contract" than the few pages she posted. (Not that she was necessarily being disingenuous; she doesn't seem very savvy about the business side of things.)

(I don't think the absence of her signature would mean much if she tried to take the case to arbitration, do you? She and the theater company functioned AS IF a duly signed contract were in place. It's sloppy on both parts, but not fatal.)

It appears management gave her 18 days, nearly twice what they were required to do.

And, anyway, now that her effin' blog has shown up uninvited on my Facebook feed, I've changed my mind and withdrawn all my compassion. (Not really.)

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 9:40pm

So why did Melissa wait til the show closed to blog the details?

Um, maybe because she's a decent person who didn't want a controversy to overshadow a production and cast she loved?

In her blog, she sounds more heartbroken than vindictive.

[logan2]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 9:44pm

Um, maybe I was joking.

And a decent person wouldn't promise to tell us what happened on Sunday Day 18 then leave us hanging in Blog 5.


I love her obsessive numbering of days and blogs.
Updated On: 6/12/13 at 09:44 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/12/13 at 9:45pm

Melissa Errico is never, ever, EVER going to get over this sadness.

I have a tendency to root for the underdog, but I felt put off every time she refers to herself as a "diva."