Amazing Attendance Records

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:30pm

We've talked about not so good ones, but how bout really good ones? I think Shoshana Bean and Harvey Fierstein are really good about it.

[WickedShopofQ]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:31pm

hello, Hugh Jackman?!?!?!?

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:32pm

I don't think Antonio Banderas missed a performance during Nine.

[Jwei123]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:33pm

Hugh Jackman couldn't make it to ONE show....and they cancelled it!


THEY SHOULD HAVE GIVEN JOHN HILL A SHOT!!!!

[apdarcey]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:34pm

antonio did performances while he was in the studio during the day hacking up hairballs doing puss-in-boots. he said his voice was killing!

[broadway86]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:34pm

Jane Krakowski ("Nine"), Myron McCormick ("South Pacific"), and Henry Fonda ("Mr. Roberts") never missed a performance of their respective shows.

[Elizabeth_DeBris]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:35pm

Ethel Merman in Gypsy.

[Becky]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:40pm

If I remember correctly, Patrick Wilson only missed Full Monty during scheduled vacations.

Idina also has an amazing attendance record in all of her shows.

And of course, there is Harvey....

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:43pm

Len Cariou never missed a performance as Sweeney Todd, even though his doctor told him he should, especially since they used real dirt for the grave and he was inhaling the particles every time he rose out of it during the opening. This is as revealed in the interview with Ken Jennings on Sondheim.com--it's very interesting, check it out.

[Raggy Q poo]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:46pm

Stephanie D'Abbruzo rarely misses a show

[.LittleWing. 0224]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:48pm

Kerry Butler didnt miss one show during her 9 month contract in Hairspray.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:49pm

Tonya Pinkins!

[MTRBOI24]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:49pm

John Hill wouldnt have done it. The Stand-by would have.

[Plum]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 9:56pm

Wrong on both counts. Through bouts of flu, a fractured foot, and no doubt extensive exhaustion, Jackman never missed a performance. He had a couple of pre-scheduled vacations, which are another story. Yes, those shows were cancelled, but they were made up later with extra performances.

And be realistic, Jwei. You really think more than half the crowd would have stayed for a musical that got such horrible reviews if the star wasn't there? There's few things worse for a show's public image than photos of outraged customers waiting in lines at the box office to get their money gack.

Ethel Merman had excellent attendance throughout her career- I think Gypsy was the only instance in which she missed a couple of performances, and that's because singing that score full-out pretty much made her vocal cords explode.
Updated On: 4/25/05 at 09:56 PM

[admanrich]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 10:38pm

I definitely agree-- Shoshana Bean.
It's been like over 3 months and she's missed 3 performances total.

[Joshua488]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 10:39pm

I don't think Kerry Butler missed many (or any) performances in HAIRSPRAY. Jenn Gambatese talked about how she was Kerry's understudy for nine months and never got to go on until she was cast as her replacement.

EDIT: Oops! I skipped over LittleWing's post... Sorry! Updated On: 4/25/05 at 10:39 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 10:40pm

3 months? Come on. If she only misses 2 or 3 in a year, I'll start being impressed.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 10:42pm

I must elaborate about Myron McCormick in South Pacific (Luther Billis).

He was the only member of the original cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" to remain with the show for its entire Broadway run, playing the role of "Luther Billis" for 1,925 performances. When the curtain went down on the show for the last time, McCormick led the cast and audience in singing "Auld Lang Syne."

1,925 performances...Now that is amazing...the show dates were Apr 7, 1949 - Jan 16, 1954. almost 5 YEARS! Wow!

Updated On: 4/25/05 at 10:42 PM

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 10:43pm

After Bernadette got over her illness, she only missed one performance in Gypsy (not counting her scheduled vacation).

[admanrich]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 10:45pm

Still, compared to Idina, Shoshana has a great attendance record.

Jennifer Laura Thompson, not so much. She seems like she's out a lot and Megan Hilty seems to always be on vacation!

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 10:45pm

I don't see why it's supposed to be impressive that someone has never missed a performance. I've heard performers brag about it, and it's like, "so?" I think that if you're performing a demanding role in a Broadway show, and you don't miss a single performance during a long run, you probably should have, as I'm sure there was at least one performance where you went on even though you knew you weren't 100% simply because you didn't want to let your understudy go on. Unless you're a star like Hugh Jackman, hardly anyone in the audience is going to care that you're gone anyway.

I'm not trying to sound mean or anything, but it's just one of those performer ego things that get on my nerves...

[Joshua488]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 10:46pm

Because it's unusual that a performer never misses a performance.

[Plum]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 10:53pm

Baritone, I still contend Merman's record was impressive, especially in Gypsy. The role of Rose is an absolute killer- I'm pretty sure Angela Lansbury had to have it taken down a couple of notes, and even at her best, Bernadette Peters couldn't belt the entire score full-out the way Merman did. The fact that Merman only missed one or two performances due to a vocal injury in all of her Gypsy run is a really impressive feat of vocal endurance.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 4/25/05 at 10:53pm

And we can't forget about the glorious Miss Channing.

Updated On: 4/26/05 at 10:53 PM

[decotodd]

Posted: 4/26/05 at 9:11pm

I agree it's impressive if someone never misses a performance in say a show that runs for a year or two, but to praise someone for only missing 3 shows in 3 months?? Hardly a record to brag about.