A community theater FOLLIES....- Page 5

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 1:07pm

f) I am forwarding your post to Mr. Sondheim, who, I'm sure, will not be amused or, depending on the time of day and what he's doing, may be amused.

LMAO. yes! This keeps getting better and better. I cannot believe I started all of this.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 1:53pm

I can't believe no one has tapped this production's Phyllis to see if she will replace Kim Cattrall!

[Starlight5]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 2:05pm

I saw the play Beauty and The Beast at James Street and was surprised at how great the beast was. Where did they ever get him from? Now Belle is another story She wasn't that good at all so I figure she must have known someone to get the part. The set was very good and the costumes were good. Not for nothing they do put on some good plays. But some, well you can see for yourself.
Updated On: 10/1/10 at 02:05 PM

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 2:07pm

"Well said, SondheimFan!"

thank you, Dolly.


DrDementooooooo? Are you there? yooo hooo?!!

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 2:09pm

and I will just throw it out there that Stella has a good voice....she's just miscast and seems to try and make it far too 'sexy'

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 2:13pm

Let us know when you hear from Mr. Sondheim. I truly hope he decides to take legal action.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 3:56pm

^I hope he doesn't hurt himself laughing too hard.

bk, how did that email go?

Dear Mr. Sondheim,
A community theatre director who works out of a soup kitchen decided he should rewrite Follies so it would make sense. Enjoy!
xoxo, Concerned Citizen

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 3:58pm

Priceless, skittles

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 5:11pm

bk--instead of forwarding the posts to Sondheim, why don't you forward them to Deb Hartnett, Director of Legal and Business Affairs for Music Theatre International.

Her email address is on their website. Click on "About Us" at the top left, then "Contact Us."

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 5:16pm

Something tells me that charges this serious may mark the end of the James Street Players.

I really have to make it a point to see CITY OF ANGELS because it may very well be their last show!

[Starlight5]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 5:24pm

Ok what they did was definitely wrong but what fun is it to write Mr.Sondhein and not know the results of the e-mail? I want to know the results.

[Director =)]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 6:05pm

>>>"I spent two years in community theater before moving on to study it at the college level"<<<

You can STUDY community theater in college? What did Community Theater 101 consist of?

Whoa, there, put those claws back in. Study THEATRE. If I studied community theater, I'd say it consisted of a lot of crap.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 7:08pm

>>>"If I studied community theater, I'd say it consisted of a lot of crap."<<<

Sortta like what the James Street Players put on stage with their FOLLIES.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 10:22pm

This was my favorite thread until I realized that the 'director' is a sock puppet.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 10:24pm

He can't be a sock puppet. He studied community theatre in college.

[crichardross]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 11:18pm

Thank you for coming to our production of Beauty and The Beast. I will not pass on what you said about the girl who played Belle, since that would not be nice. But I was the set designer on that show, as was I the set designer and director of Follies. so I thank you for the compliment. Since compliments are rare on this site I will take it and leave it. Thank you for your patronage. Your ticket sales help to keep us afloat.

As for the script re-writes in question. We did not re write the ending in any way whatsoever. What Dr.Demento mentioned were things we joked about, but never actually came to be. I will post our ending tomorrow, or later tonight and post a link to it on youtube.

As for the sock puppet comments...not quite sure... I never mentioned studying community theatre in college, so it must have been someone else, as I have not posted in a few days.

As for the critiques to show I welcome them. I truly do. I as a director am faced with multiple issues that arise on every show I do. I tend to get hired to do roughly 14 shows a year, either as a director, musical director, designer, or actor. Not every show one does is is expected to be their greatest hit ever, and I would never expect anyone to have that track record. Remember Hal Prince and Michael Bennett co-directed the original production and it too had it flaws. It lost money, and never fully got the respect of the critics it deserved. I personally love this show and would never have disrespected the authors integrity in a manner to re write an ending. That is just plain ole balls! As for the insults on people clearing their throats or acting choices at a moment. Remember this is a video of a live performance, not meant to be perfect,...It's not a movie, IT WAS NOT re shot, or edited between multiple performances.

As for the costumes, or the sets, or the lights, or any other thing you were unhappy with. It is your opinion and you are entitled to it. I too was never happy with some of the gowns, the shinny fabric did not look great with the stage lights. I agree. As for the set. We did not have enough fly space to fulfill a height requirement to construct a large center stair unit, which is what I wanted, so I thought about it and went with two smaller ones on each side and built the runway around the pit.

If any of you would like to see any other of my shows, I would be happy to send you links to anything I have clips of.

As for the rude threatening comments, slightly uncalled for. But I do respect and welcome any suggestions that would have made the show in any way better.

Thanks
CRichardRoss

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 11:22pm

What Dr.Demento mentioned were things we joked about, but never actually came to be. I will post our ending tomorrow, or later tonight and post a link to it on youtube.

But why in the world joke about that on a PUBLIC FORUM? There are serious legal implications for messing with a licensed script. Who would joke about doing that publicly? Very odd.

[crichardross]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 11:28pm

"But why in the world joke about that on a PUBLIC FORUM? There are serious legal implications for messing with a licensed script. Who would joke about doing that publicly? Very odd. "

Im not quite sure...I didn't do it. I think he meant to say that we joked about it, but managed to leave it out...like I said, I will post it tomorrow.

I know you started this whole thing, btw. but I have to say, I thank you...even though you have disliked most of what I presented. I think this has been one of the best message board posts on this site in a long time.

[glrichardson87]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 12:06am

Just wanted to pop in and say that the fellow who played The Beast in that production of Beauty and Beast just finished a run in 25th Annual..Spelling Bee with me. He was Barfee, I was Mitch. He is so wonderful to work with onstage and off.

[bk]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 12:30am

He sure didn't sound like he was joking about anything. And if he was and saw the reaction he should have come right back and said so - he, in fact, has not returned at all. In any case, because of what he said and the seriousness in which he said it, Sondheim has the information and was passing it along to the powers that be. So, if they should contact you, you can tell them whatever you wish.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 12:50am

bk,
You were already high on my favorite people list after bringing Buckley in Promises, Promises out...but this just edged you up closer to the top.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 11:23am

>>>" I do respect and welcome any suggestions that would have made the show in any way better"<<<

There's one suggestion I have for improving the show: get a director who knows his ass from his elbow. You don't know how to direct a show to save your life. Case in point: You stage Buddy's breakdown with him center stage, but the female chorus moving around on the ramp. HOW THE HELL WAS THE AUDIENCE SUPPOSED TO SEE BUDDY? Do you know anything about staging and focus? You're a blithering idiot and are taking the James Street Players down big time.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 5:14pm

>>>"This was my favorite thread until I realized that the 'director' is a sock puppet."<<<

Not so. A friend of mine who is familiar with the James Street Players contacted me about all this thread. According to my friend, C. Richard Ross, is a 24 year old jerk who not only directs for James Street but for several other groups on Long Island--sometimes simultaneously. My friend saw this FOLLIES and called it an absolute "train wreck".

I wonder if C. Richard Ross directed the infamous Peter Pan fiasco at Greenport High School? Naw, Greenport and James Street are much too far away from each other.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 5:27pm

Eh, this thread has stopped being fun. Personally, I don't understand what the point of reporting to Sondheim or MTI or whoever is. The show is over, and unless it can be proven - which I guess it could be if a tape with the ending surfaces - for anyone to "do" anything about it at that level would tell me that these are people with very little to do and too much time on their hands.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 5:32pm

The additional dialogue used to introduce "Loveland" is available on video. That's enough to cause legal action.