Bess Gets An Alternate- Page 2

[jv92]

Posted: 6/20/12 at 6:19pm

That too, rjm. I'll never forget the discussion where in her bizarre Tony performance, where she constantly turned her head and darted her eyes, someone thought maybe she was looking for Sondheim. "Isn't he rich? Isn't he queer?"

Sorry for the threadjack.

Updated On: 6/20/12 at 06:19 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/20/12 at 6:36pm

Glynis Johns was actually known as a vocalist with several record albums to her resume.

Zeta Jones is more a dancer than a singer, going to a theatre school doesn't mean you can sing.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/20/12 at 6:37pm

Audra is on vocal rest through 7/3.

[justoldbill]

Posted: 6/20/12 at 7:47pm

It comes down to this- an understudy going on means lines at the box-office for refunds. With an alternate, there are no refunds, even if she goes on for an unscheduled performance. Enjoy the show.

[binau]

Posted: 6/20/12 at 7:52pm

Really? What a scam. I assume they will give refunds while she is out until July at least. Feel quite sorry for the unsuspecting audiences, and a bit sorry for Audra who also I'm sure wishes she could still perform.

Updated On: 6/20/12 at 07:52 PM

[smallworld]

Posted: 6/20/12 at 8:02pm

Wow, I guess Audra really did steal Jan's Tony and run with it

[ABB2357]

Posted: 6/20/12 at 8:20pm

Why doesn't Jan just take over in the interim?

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 6/20/12 at 8:24pm

Thanks for the specific info, ljay. I was literally within an hour of buying tix for next weekend.

So... who's seen her alternate, anyway?

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 6/20/12 at 9:18pm

Javert and Valjean had alternates who did 1 show a week back when Les Mis first started in the 80s.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/20/12 at 9:34pm

Glynis Johns was actually known as a vocalist with several record albums to her resume.

I'll have to take your word for that. A search of on-line discographies basically has Johns singing in MARY POPPINS and NIGHT MUSIC and various compilations where the same tracks are repeated.

Don't get me wrong: I love Miss Johns. And maybe she was an exceptional vocalist in the 1940s. But by the time she made POPPINS and did NIGHT MUSIC on stage, she was basically talk-singing much of her songs. In FINISHING THE HAT, Sondheim praises Johns' "small but silvery" voice and says hers is his favorite version; but he also allows that he wrote "Send in the Clowns" with short, breathy notes because Johns could not sustain a tone.

That's not exactly what I'd call a true singer, though I love her on the album and wish I had seen her in person.

And back to the topic, it certainly doesn't suggest a role that is demanding vocally.
Updated On: 6/20/12 at 09:34 PM

[ILuv2shop531]

Posted: 6/20/12 at 9:55pm

I saw Alicia back in March when Audra was out on vocal rest the first time around. Everyone was upset.
However, Alicia did a great job. She has a great voice that sounded healthy and not stressed. She had nice chemistry with Norm as well as Philip Boykin. I thought she performed the rape scene with Boykin well and thought she brang a lot of emotion to Bess.

Although I wish I had seen Audra, Alicia wasn't a let down.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/21/12 at 12:57am

That too, rjm.

JV, for some reason, I remember you liking CZJ in Night Music.

[luckyleo81]

Posted: 6/21/12 at 9:00am

Aw, leave em alone. This reminds me of when Benanti was out during Into the Woods and everyone was beating on her while it turns out she was crying on her bathroom floor unable to move her neck. I feel bad for Moran cause you know she's going to have to perform every night with half the audience whispering "she doesn't look like that woman on the poster.." for two hours.

[BWAY_Rob]

Posted: 6/21/12 at 10:12am

I saw Moran in May. Her voice is fine. Not on Audra's level, but fine. But it was her acting that was a disappointment. She seemed to sleep walk through the role. I wouldn't even call it a rape scene because there was no struggle at all. Unfortunately she was forgettable in the role of Bess. Actually, the role was Bess was forgettable until I saw Audra perform it two nights later. What a difference.

One other comment, I hope she is able to use the same scar that Audra uses. The night I saw Moran, the scar was drawn on with a marker. It was laughable.

[anmiller07]

Posted: 6/28/12 at 9:55am

It comes down to this- an understudy going on means lines at the box-office for refunds. With an alternate, there are no refunds, even if she goes on for an unscheduled performance. Enjoy the show.

Can anyone confirm if this is actually true? I have tickets for the evening performance on July 21 (thinking that even if there were only one performance out of the week Audra would be in, it would the Saturday evening performance). I am sure her standby is great, but I really am only interested in seeing this because I haven't ever had the opportunity to see Audra McDonald perform on Broadway.

Also what happens to the people who had already purchased tickets for Wednesday evening prior to this announcement? Are they not eligible for refunds either? Updated On: 6/28/12 at 09:55 AM

[jewelchk]

Posted: 7/1/12 at 8:11pm

I got tickets a couple weeks ago to take my mom, a trained opera singer, to finally see Audra in something for her birthday, but I got the tickets on TDF so there were no refunds or exchanges when Audra announced her break. (To be fair, they at least gave us good orchestra seats.) Re: Moran, I have to agree with BWAY_Rob. It's got to be hard going on every night knowing a good percentage of the audience wanted to see someone else, and Moran has a good voice, but her acting was terrible. Her diction was too, but I don't know if that was intended as an artistic decision...

[mikem]

Posted: 7/1/12 at 10:16pm

I have never heard that, if the alternate is performing at an unscheduled performance (the regular person is unexpectedly out), the show will not offer refunds. I am not sure it is true.

[SondheimFreak2]

Posted: 7/1/12 at 10:56pm

I saw Alicia as Bess the day before they made the press release about Audra's respiratory inflammation, and before they said anything about an alternate. She was definitely there vocally (although like stated above, her diction was shaky). Her acting was also extremely inconsistent, but she had good chemistry with Norm. The rape scene really wasn't connecting though.
I'm also surprised they're adding her as an alternate this late into the run, but it makes sense.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/1/12 at 11:43pm

A few verses of "The Glamorous Life," alternating lines of "You Must Meet My Wife" and "Send in the Clowns" do not equal a taxing Sondheim score, by any definition. Mrs. Lovett equals a taxing Sondheim role. (Or even, in comparison, The Witch in "Into the Woods," sometimes considered a supporting role.) Any attempt to compare Desiree with Bess is simply wrong.