Adrian Bailey (Jelly’s Last Jam, The Little Mermaid) passed away

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/23/24 at 3:07pm

Adrian Bailey, known for an over 30 year stage career from 1976 to 2008, has passed away at the age of 67.

His long career was, unfortunately, curtailed by an incident during The Little Mermaid when an open trap door, caused him to fall 30 feet and become severely injured. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DARTOugPaSN/?igsh=MjVlYWFwNzBtajZq

https://playbill.com/article/injured-mermaid-actor-bailey-files-lawsuit-against-disney-com-153705

Updated On: 9/23/24 at 03:07 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 9/23/24 at 4:52pm

I have heard this privately, but there has been no confirmation yet. I don't doubt that it's true, but it's a little irresponsible to post this before his family does.

It was an accident that should have been avoidable.

eta: even the playbill link you posted says:

"The lawsuit, according to Backstage, seeks unspecified monetary compensation and alleges that the actor's injuries "were caused by the carelessness, negligence and recklessness of the defendants" and adds that there were inadequate "warnings and/or safety devices" that could have prevented his accident."

 

Updated On: 9/24/24 at 04:52 PM

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 9/23/24 at 4:58pm

ghostlight2 said: "I have heard this privately, but there has been no confirmation yet. I don't doubt that it's true, but it's a little irresponsible to post this before his family does.

As to your claim about the "negligent stagehand", there is no way you could possibly say that with any veracity. The NDAs on that lawsuit were locked up tighter than any that I have ever seen.

It is also possible that the trap door failed. In any case, it was an accident that should have been avoidable.

eta: even the playbill link you posted says:

"The lawsuit, according to Backstage, seeks unspecified monetary compensation and alleges that the actor's injuries "were caused by the carelessness, negligence and recklessness of the defendants" and adds that there were inadequate "warnings and/or safety devices" that could have prevented his accident."

No mention off a careless stagehand who left a trap door open. You should delete that."


Username checks out.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 9/23/24 at 5:01pm

"Username checks out."

What does that mean?

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/23/24 at 5:13pm

I made the change. I read another article where I thought I saw a stagehand was responsible, but I could’ve been mistaken

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/23/24 at 5:17pm

What does that mean?

“Ghostlight” = shady connections to the stagehand underworld?

I have no idea…

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/23/24 at 5:19pm

RIP, Adrian Bailey

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 9/24/24 at 5:03am

Y’all don’t know what a ghost light is?


“A ghost light is an electric light that is left energised on the stage of a theatre when the theatre is unoccupied and would otherwise be completely dark. The practical use of a ghost light is for safety.”

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 9/24/24 at 11:27am

"Y’all don’t know what a ghost light is?"

I obviously do, TotallyEffed. I just didn't understand why you posted it here. It may not be what you intended, but it comes across as a tasteless joke, under the circumstances.

Adrian Bailey was an amazing performer: a fantastic dancer,  a fine singer,  a very good actor, and a really nice guy, whose career and his life as he knew it was ended with that accident.

I do appreciate your edit, quizking101, and I hope you will be more careful in the future in posting something so sensitive when you don't know to be a fact. On that note, we also don't know that the trap door was open. It could have been tripped somehow. Adrian himself could have accidentally opened it or entered the ship too early  - none of which should have even been possible, so he was by no means at fault if that happened - but hence this very carefully worded missive about his suit:

"Adrian Bailey, the injured party, broke his back, pelvis, sternum, wrists, and foot. He said that there weren’t warnings about the trapdoor, which could have prevented him falling through [bolding mine]. Lawyers filed several lawsuits, including one against Nicson, the manufacturer of the automated trapdoor, and one against Disney. Nicson was found not liable because “human error” and not a design defect".

Adrian was in constant pain the last 16 years of his life. He spent his time shuttling between doctors, being a political activist, and a proponent for the rights of the disabled.

About a week ago, he posted on his FB page that he was in rehab with a "fractured back". He posted every single day, the final post being sept 21. He died on, or just before his birthday.
 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 9/24/24 at 11:37am

I apologize, I was just referencing theatre safety, that's all. I didn't mean to sound insensitive, May he rest in peace.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 9/24/24 at 12:52pm

No worries, TotallyEffed. I appreciate your clarification.

I am wondering where BWW got their information. While I am personally sure that it's true, there still hasn't been an official announcement.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 9/24/24 at 2:55pm

Playbill just announced it, but I happened to see it on his Facebook page yesterday.  How incredibly sad that he suffered all these years after that horrific accident.

I spoke to him at the Sophisticated Ladies reunion concert (don't remember the year), but it had to have been before his accident.

My earliest recollection of seeing him on stage was in Sophisticated Ladies and My One and Only.