Jaquel Spivey Sick/ Continuing to Miss Performances

[CreatureKitchen]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 1:43pm

I'm a bit curious if anyone has info on what's happening with Jaquel Spivey? Apparently, at last night's performance, A Strange Loop stopped about 10 minutes into the show and Spivey's understudy went on.

This comes after many reports of Spivey missing performances. I have also heard that he's unofficially announced that he is no longer doing matinees for the time being, but is also missing a number of evening shows. I'm curious if something is going on with him. No doubt the role of Usher is quite difficult and emotionally draining, but I think it's far from the most physically or vocally demanding role on Broadway. If he's sick, it seems like this is an underlying issue that's been going on for some time, which is concerning. Maybe it's just that it's Spivey's first real professional gig and he has to adjust to the rigorous schedule?

I do wonder at what point they officially announce an alternate.

I apologize if this sounds negative or gossipy. I really admire A Strange Loop and the whole cast, and I wish them nothing but the best and good health. I'm simply curious, as this situation seems out of the ordinary. 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 1:46pm

I think that with any performer who misses more shows that we would think is okay to miss, it’s none of our business. If they wanted to tell us what was going on, they might, but honestly? Not our business. Between this and people being so rude about Beanie missing performances when they’ve never played a demanding role as Fanny…god, why can’t people be nicer? Less rude? Less gossipy? 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 1:47pm

This is also Spivey's first major role/show since he graduated college. Maybe it's just too large of a role for him to handle? 

[CreatureKitchen]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 1:53pm

I will totally cop to being gossipy haha. That's why I included that in my original post, because I'm fully aware that's how I sound. That being said, I think it's extremely common to be curious about public figures.

Also, Spivey has been very open about having health challenges. He recently posted, about last night's performance, "Tried to push through and my body wasn't having it. Sending love to everyone who came to the show tonight!!!". He's made numerous other posts about his health, as well. So I'm not just idly speculating there.

I do think, while no one who buys a ticket to a Broadway show is entitled to see a specific performer, there is still a certain amount of transparency and accountability required. It seems like announcing an alternate would both take pressure off of Spivey, and give audiences a clearer picture of what's going on.

Again, I truly mean him no ill will. I'm simply expressing curiosity about an unusual situation.

[broadwayindie]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 2:17pm

The good news is that Jaquel's understudy is well equipped. Kyle Ramar Freeman is absolutely incredible in this role and worth seeing on a matinee if you haven't had the chance to see him.

Updated On: 7/9/22 at 02:17 PM

[CreatureKitchen]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 2:21pm

True! I saw him and he's really excellent!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 2:38pm

And for the record regarding Beanie, we’re just having fun with it at this point  She literally has weeks left in her contract and we know there’ll be countless performances she’ll be missing between today and her last performance, so we’re just enjoying the ride.  

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 2:59pm

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 3:00pm

In regards to both, it sounds like both just don't have the background to be leads in a big Broadway show. 8 shows a week is taxing and if you don't have the stamina and background, I'd imagine it's difficult for anyone. 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 3:07pm

Kevin Freeman is remarkable. Saw him at a Wednesday matinee in June and no one was disappointed. At this point, sharing the role is a solution - 4 and 4? - and audiences will be happy beneficiaries. As will the show, making two young men stars. 

[CreatureKitchen]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 3:08pm

RippedMan said: "In regards to both, it sounds like both just don't have the background to be leads in a big Broadway show. 8 shows a week is taxing and if you don't have the stamina and background, I'd imagine it's difficult for anyone."

I do question how their attendance will impact both of their Broadway careers. Of course, it's incredibly impressive that Spivey was nominated for a Tony for his first professional role. But I wonder whether more capitalist-minded producers will take a chance on someone who hasn't proven they can do 8 shows a week.

 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 3:12pm

Not to be a d*ck, but the show is like 90 minutes long. Including the half hour call, that is two hours of work a day if one isn’t doing matinees. For my generation of theatre actors, our first jobs out of college were doing summer stock of rehearsing one show during the day while performing another at night while also helping with the sets. And then graduating to working a survival job while rehearsing, performing, and auditioning all at the same time. Just sayin’.

Updated On: 7/9/22 at 03:12 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 3:30pm

I have seen the show 7 times now and counting and I honestly find this thread a bit in poor taste. A few things:

- I say to everyone who sees the show, regardless of who is playing Usher, you are GUARANTEED a great performance. Each actor has brought their own unique skill set and life experience to the role and should be thought of more than just “Ugh, an understudy” (especially Kyle Freeman, who KNOCKS THE HOUSE DOWN!)

- Jaquel has been about as transparent as he can be about his health struggles when he absolutely does not have to. If I remember correctly, they had to shut down the first week or so of previews because of COVID so (at risk of being speculative) this could be a residual of that. When I saw him last Saturday night, he looked like he was struggling a bit with the higher notes and they modified the blocking where he had a water bottle with him at all times AND was off stage most of “Periodically”, only coming in toward the end. That being said, he gave his emotional ALL and by the end, I was wrecked in the same way I was the first time I saw the show.

- This role is a bear for literally anyone to take on. Some might make it look easier than others, but the show is about 1hr 45min on average and Usher is off stage for maybe five of those minutes. The material also requires it’s lead to really dig deep into emotions they may find challenging since I could easily see it hitting too close to home for a lot of people. I have even said I think it’s even more intense than “Dear Evan Hansen” because Usher is written to feel like an actual complex human being in todays world that is actively hostile toward people like him.

Whatever Jaquel is going through, I hope the best for him because it cannot be easy to do this show. In the meantime, go support whoever is on because this show deserves to be seen and your attendance should not hinge on who is the lead. You’d be cheating yourself otherwise.

[teatime2]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 3:44pm

Good LORD. First of all, that's Jaquel's business and nobody else's. I'm also so sick of the "back in my day we would NEVER miss a show" talk. That mindset is so antiquated, and it's important that the performer puts themselves first. This show is a beast for anyone. Physically and emotionally. The emotional toll, even if you "leave it at the theater" is taxing. The emotions you just went through have an effect on your body no matter what. It's important to realize that BFA/BA programs don't teach you how to do 8 shows a week. That is something you learn how to do on your own while doing a show... 8 times a week.  What Jaquel is doing, right outside of school is a major feat. I love when people on the boards say all of this crap towards performers who miss as if they could do the role any better... Smoke some grass and get a life. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 3:44pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: "Not to be a d*ck, but the show is like 90 minutes long. Including the half hour call, that is two hours of work a day if one isn’t doing matinees. For my generation of theatre actors, our first jobs out of college were doing summer stock of rehearsing one show during the day while performing another at night while also helping with the sets. And then graduating to working a survival job while rehearsing, performing, and auditioning all at the same time. Just sayin’."


And I'm sure if Spivey and the producers were okay with him giving a summer stock-level performance, he'd be going on every night. But this isn't stock, the role is a tough sing + emotionally taxing, and he is 23 and still learning how to conserve energy to get through 6-8 perfs a week for this specific role.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 3:44pm

It's in incredibly poor taste, especially after the OP said twice they "don't mean to be gossipy Im just curious!"  Gross.

And the people who say lies like "this show is 90 minutes" and "it seems like BOTH don't have the background to be lead actors" have never seen this show and know nothing about it. Inserting yourself in a conversation regarding an actor or show you've never seen? GTFO.

Oh, and no one starts a sentence with "not to be a d*ck" without absolutely meaning to be a d*ck. Period.

Updated On: 7/9/22 at 03:44 PM

[CreatureKitchen]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 3:52pm

Sutton Ross said: "It's in incredibly poor taste, especially after the OP said twice they "don't mean to be gossipy Im just curious!" Gross.

I didn't say it twice. The second time I fully acknowledged that this is gossip. It is, 100%. I have heard a lot of gossip about this situation, and was curious to know more. In my years of lurking on this forum, I have seen many, many threads speculating about actor attendance, conduct, backstage drama, etc., and so I didn't think this was a frowned-upon topic of conversation.

However, I clearly crossed a line here, and I apologize. I will leave this thread alone and let the conversation die or progress in another direction. 

 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 4:53pm

so weird to juxtapose this thread with the one tearing Beanie apart ... yet again

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 5:16pm

CreatureKitchen, you don’t need to apologize. You asked a very reasonable question in a respectful way. You’re fine.

I have no idea what Spivey’s health situation is and I won’t speculate. But continuously missing multiple shows a week for any reason is…highly irregular. I hope he gets better soon.

[PegasusOasis]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 5:19pm

He spoke about his absences during June 6th's Broadway's Best Performs for The Times. He brought up struggling in response to a question about the weight of the role, emotionally and physically. This is his first professional acting job. Starts at 49:00 minutes - saying [in June], he has allergies for the first time in his life which he attributes to New York City, and that his allergies turned into a sinus infection. He said that this situation changed his perspective on performing when he doesn't feel well, "lesson was if i am not ready and able it's probably not wise to force myself because the show is going to be there and also that's why we have understudies everybody wants to hog the role but understudies are there to save the show um so i just learned like if i'm sick go home and rest so that you can give the best show you can"

I think younger performers feel less pressure to perform if they're not up to it compared to generations prior.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 5:21pm

I think you all misunderstood his summer stock comment. He was saying that actors usually get their stamina from working so hard right out of college. I've done 8 show weeks where I was a lead role while rehearsing another show during the day. It just builds stamina as a performer and you learn where to put your energy, how to sing, etc. 

Just look at LuPone, she had to learn to sing and evolve into Evita. 

I don't think anyone's calling anyone out, just saying, given their backgrounds that they may have (the producers, the creatives, the actors themselves) under estimated the stamina it takes to do 8 shows a week. 

 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 5:33pm

Thank you, Ripped Man.

And yes, I have now been in the business for seventeen years and have done plenty of shows with eight shows weeks while also working my day job, so forgive me for raising an eyebrow at Broadway actors who say what they do is too exhausting. Try teaching kids all day, then doing a show that night, then the same thing the next day, and the day after that, then doing a four show weekend, and then rinse and repeat. While raising a child. It’s called work ethic. And I’m sorry, but the quote from the interview posted above makes me roll my eyes.

[Huss417]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 5:59pm

CreatureKitchen said: "Sutton Ross said: "It's in incredibly poor taste, especially after the OP said twice they "don't mean to be gossipy Im just curious!" Gross.

I didn't say it twice. The second time I fully acknowledged that this is gossip. It is, 100%. I have heard a lot of gossip about this situation, and was curious to know more. In my years of lurking on this forum, I have seen many, many threads speculating about actor attendance, conduct, backstage drama, etc., and so I didn't think this was a frowned-upon topic of conversation.

However, I clearly crossed a line here, and I apologize. I will leave this thread alone and let the conversation die or progress in another direction.

"

There really is no need to apologize. I personally saw nothing wrong with what you posted.

For the person who said it was "in poor taste" Makes me laugh. They have said so many disparaging things on here and not sure why they even needed to add their two cents.

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 6:14pm

@The Distinctive Baritone

As noted in the Times source (the one that made you roll your eyes) Spivey cites ongoing health issues that effect his ability to perform the role up to standard. That has nothing to do with work ethic.

Alternately or relatedly, some users in this thread have speculated that he doesn't have the stamina to perform 8 shows a week. As RippedMan said in his post above (the one you said "thank you" to), this has more to do with conditioning and experience, and again, nothing to do with work ethic.

The only thing that MIGHT contribute to a perceived lack of "work ethic" is the broader philosophy, commonly held by the current generation of theater artists, that it's ok to take call out for reasons that are less extreme than than severe illness or injury. If you see this as a lack of work ethic, you're entitled to your opinion. But I'd argue this is likely to result in overall better performances for the audiences, who get to see performers at their best nearly 100% of the time.

And at the end of the day, it's up to the employer to decide what they consider "bad work ethic" in the work environment they're trying to create. And clearly these employers are ok with accommodating Spivey's situation. This is probably a philosophical choice in part, but also because his name is not selling tickets, so they don't have as much of a financial interest in being strict about this. True, they have to shell out more money for the covers, but if they feel they're in enough of a financially stable position to do that, then that's their choice.

 

 

Updated On: 7/9/22 at 06:14 PM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/9/22 at 6:32pm

JBroadway, I agree with many of your points and don't want to dump on this young man too much. He is a very unusual situation to be making his professional debut on Broadway in a hugely demanding leading role. I don't mean to say that he doesn't have a good work ethic, especially since I don't know him or his situation.

That said, I think some of the posters here clutching their pearls over my comments should use their empathy super-power to try to understand how this situation might make other actors feel who would give their right arm to be in his position and would gladly take his place for one of the performances he "didn't feel up to" doing. If I finally make it to Broadway one day, you can bet I won't be missing a single performance unless I'm going to a wedding, a funeral, or I've died myself!