Riedel jumps in on the Fantasia Bandwagon- Page 2

[Malaijah]

Posted: 12/12/07 at 11:17pm

Isn't LaChanze a professional?

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 12/12/07 at 11:22pm

I don't mean to defend her but she is preggers...

[bwayguy22089]

Posted: 12/12/07 at 11:22pm

well i saw the show tonight with the standby and she was awesome! still go see it everyone

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/12/07 at 11:55pm

I would say it's a "tough" role, but obviously not the toughest. She does more than stand around and sing because LaChanze won the Tony, and whatever gripes you may have about it, they don't just hand out a Tony to someone who stands around and sings a few bars. And I'm sure Fantasia's voice isn't trained for this style of singing 8x a week. Sure, she can probably do it in concert because she does that once every couple of days, but now she's doing it 8x a week, and I'm sure her voice just hurts. Judging by the recording LaChanze was the same way. She seemed to scream certain parts, which worked beautifuly and conveyed the right emotion, but I'm not sure you can do that 8x a week and still have your voice work properly.

[Anakela]

Posted: 12/13/07 at 12:01am

I haven't seen this mentioned on here with all of the talk of all of these refunds if/when Fantasia's out, but does the box office also refund rush tickets if she's out? I'm sure there are people on here who have rushed when she's been out, just curious as to what the policy is.


Maybe she can't read the schedule?

Ooo, I'm goin' to hell...

I laughed, so I guess save me a seat?

[KellyW]

Posted: 12/13/07 at 1:30am

People are being too hard on her. I mean when her boyfriend Young Dro shows up unexpectedly for his booty call, what's is The Occasional Star of The Color Purple supposed to do?!

[NYC_or_Bust]

Posted: 12/13/07 at 10:23am

I think one thing people are failing consistently to realize is how YOUNG Fantasia really is. Okay okay, so she 10 feet tall, that doesn't mean JACK about her age.

And to the post about Celie being the easiest role in Broadway History, I mean come on. That totally just made you look like a fool.

Mind you, I hated Wicked, but that would be like me saying that Elphaba is so easy it could be played by an untrained 10 year old. I may not like the show but I'll give credit where credit is due.

I have NOT seen Fantasia in the role of Celie, but I've seen the TCP several times, and I always feel like I'm trying to champion this show on BWW message boards lol. This is not a role where you can just go through the motions. I mean, really, how many shows require you to act through a 40 year period 8x a week.

Fantasia is still a BABY in the Entertainment world, and especially within the theatre world.

I would not compare apples to oranges here folks. Going to the Gershwin Theatre one night and seeing Idina Menzel, and going back 6 months later to see Heather Tepe (Gypsy Revival) go on for the green lady...I mean really..

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 12/13/07 at 10:45am

I understand your point NYC, but then the question is, "who hired the baby?". I mean, learn to walk, before you agree to ride a bike.

I don't think she is viewed in the industry as a "baby". She has toured the country and the world several times over. If there were any indications she could not handle the 8 shows at the time of her hiring, or she expressed she could not do 8 shows a week at the time of her hiring, provisions would have been made for her to not do 8 shows a week. (Taking her out of matinees or giving her an extra day off).

The problem in all of this is, is that none of this has been handled professionally. Producers can address absences or strain on a star and alter the schedule or change the contract. Instead, a trip to the Broadway theatre became a costly crapshoot to see Fantasia. The third time I attempted to see Tasia, the women in front of me had tried 6 times, two of which were bus trips from Georgia.

As I've stated before hire talented "no-name" actresses for Celie and if you want names, pepper the supporting cast with them. Just don't put a star who has never done 8 shows a week OVER the title.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/13/07 at 11:14am

Seems that is what they are doing with the next replacements. I am actually planning to fly in to see the show again with Chaka.

[NYC_or_Bust]

Posted: 12/13/07 at 11:19am

Agreed, Betty.

I have often wondered WHY the contract wasnt revised or something. Giving her maybe Wednesday and Saturday Matinees off.


I hated that Jeanette Bayradelle was the "in betweeny" from Lachanze to Tasia. She was AMAZING. I'm happy that shes been able to do the tour, but she belonged on Broadway. I don't think she was given enough credit in that role. I think there was way too much old Buzz from LaChanze winning the Tony and NEW buzz for Tasia coming in.

I think you have it very well put; "costly crapshoot".
That shouldn't be the case with ANY running show. It just bothers me that Broadway is a Weekly, Multi million dollar industry.

Maybe I'm totally out of my element by saying this, but I just dont understand with the accesability of Internet and Mobile Technology, why aren't theatres/producers putting it too good use!?

Wouldnt it be great to travel from Atlanta Georgia, Boston Mass, Roanoke Virginia, etc and get a text message or an automated phone call like the following: "Hello, This is an important message from "The Color Purple" Tonights performance December 13, 2007, the role of Celie, normally play by Fantasia will be played by _(insert name)__" We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have further questions, please contact our box office at [phone]. Thank you"

Okay okay, so you're still going to be pissed you cant see Fantasia, but wouldnt you rather take pride in knowing that they let you know when they could. Even a little bit of warning is better than being blindsighted when glancing at the Callboard after you've travelled 9 hours to see the show.

Now, provided to have total use of what I've mentioned above, you would have to sign up for a sort of "The Color Purple, fan list", that could be easily done say, through their website? But i mean come on, its almost 2008 here. We're no longer dealing with $4.40 a seat out there Mr. Marsh. We expect a bigger bang for our buck, and we live in a time where we want answers and information at our fingertips! So why not make it happen!?

[philcrosby]

Posted: 12/13/07 at 11:36am

Do I think the abundant absences are OK? No, I am very old school ... if you sign up for 8 perfs a week and you are the star, you show up and do your job as if it's opening night.

But I was lucky enough to catch Fantasia in the role last weekend ... and it was one of the most incredible performances I have seen. She was nothing less than brilliant, and 100% committed to that performance.

And that maybe is her problem. She only knows how to "be" Celie and doesn't have the technique to pace her performances. She's a 22-year-old with no formal training.

But when she is onstage, lightning strikes. I have only seen a handful of performances that will rival hers in my memory.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 12/13/07 at 11:57am

Phil, you are so lucky. I am a Fantasia fan and have heard nothing but similar from others. I tried three times to see that lightning.

Posted: 12/13/07 at 3:42pm

You can get cash refunds for rush tickets...no exchanges though

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/13/07 at 4:23pm

I think she would have done best to just do the limited run instead of sticking with it for a year. Or at least taking some time in between the two.

[Anakela]

Posted: 12/14/07 at 2:24am

You can get cash refunds for rush tickets...no exchanges though

Good to know, thanks!

[TheAppleTree]

Posted: 12/14/07 at 1:31pm

When you can't get to work over and over again because you are "emotionally drained" but you can spend a Tuesday night in another city hosting an event, something is really wrong. Shouldn't she be spending her night off resting at home? Is the trip to Chicago going to cause her to miss another two or three performances? Those plane trips can be tiring, not to mention staying out all night at a birthday party/charity gig.

Coming up 12/18/07:

[Quote] George Daniels, R.Kelly ex-confidant and owner of famous George's Music Room in Chicago will host his annual birthday party/toy drive Tuesday at the Alhambra Palace. Fantasia and her boyfriend, rapper Young Dro, are co-hosting.[/quote]

I'm not attacking being involved in charity but Fantasia's attendance at various parties and other industry events all while missing TCP is becoming more and more unprofessional.


Fantasia to play party host in Chicago

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 12/14/07 at 3:12pm

Maybe she can hop into the Chicago TCP Production for a night.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 12/14/07 at 3:17pm

Although i agree that 50 performances is outlandish and inexcusable

I DO agree with a previous poster that these roles need matinee alternates. The way these star roles are written for the modern shows, these women are onstage literally the whole show screaming their faces off, doing very unhealthy things to their voice, and just not being given ample time to recover.

Lloyd Webber and his producers seem to get it. All of his leading ladies have alternates (Elena Roger, all his Christines, and Connie Fisher in The Sound of Music now) and there are no problems in those cases.

Woman needs an alternate. Or at least a 7 performance week a la Preston and Martin in "I Do, I Do!" (And so do all of the big diva shows where the score is just non-stop screaming - Wicked, Legally Blonde, Gypsy)

However - the case is, as now, she does't have an alternate. and she should live up to her contract.

[hilltop]

Posted: 12/14/07 at 5:10pm

Fantasia has actually kept an extremely low profile since the beginning of February. Not just on the social scene--you can count on one hand the sightings of her--but also her recording career. She skipped the American Idol finale, the BET Awards and the American Music Awards and lost the opportunity to promote her album, which was nominated for 3 Grammys last week.

If Fantasia was the slacker the haters make her out to be, the producers would never have pushed her to renew in the first place. Gayle King mentioned on her radio show during the summer that Fantasia wanted to get back to her music, but that the producers were trying to convince her to stay. At that point, she had done everything she could for the show, saving it from an early closing, bringing it critical acclaim it had never known with LaChanze, and exposing I'm Here to tens of millions around the world. Obviously, she should have resisted the producers' efforts, even if that meant turning down a personal appeal from Oprah.

I wish the producers would let her go, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Updated On: 12/14/07 at 05:10 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/14/07 at 5:17pm

inlovewithjerryherman, If I am not mistaken, Patti Lupone had one for Evita on Broadway. Someone correct me if I am wrong. When I saw it on a Wednesday afternoon, she was not on.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 12/14/07 at 6:53pm

The TMZ show on channel 5 just had something about Fantasia and the fact that she's missed 50 performances. They wanted to know why Oprah's keeping her.

[mikem]

Posted: 12/14/07 at 7:29pm

Fantasia has had a Wednesday matinee alternate since September, and she is currently only scheduled to perform 7 times a week. I admit that I find it a little puzzling that the producers and Fantasia didn't end up negotiating a 5 or 6 performance contract (I notice that Chaka Khan is only doing 5 performances a week).

[folkyboy]

Posted: 12/14/07 at 9:26pm

everytime i read people's rebuttal regarding as to why it's acceptable that Fantasia can miss so many performances, i am reminded of the kid who defended Brittany on YouTube. heh

[hilltop]

Posted: 12/14/07 at 10:27pm

Who's holding her blameless? I'm not. I think she made a big mistake in agreeing to renew her contract. She should have told the producers no and gotten back to her music. 6 months for the Color Purple was obviously enough. And if she's not capable of performing right now, she should leave.