Boy Tarzan Banned From New Musical By Equity

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 12:54pm

C'mon, he's a kid!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 12:56pm

Wait what? Is there an article or details?

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 12:56pm

What's the source?

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 12:57pm

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/95675.html

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 12:57pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/l.cfm?id=89194

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 12:57pm

He auditioned. He was the best person for the role. We have to owe them at least 10 English actors for all the Americans they take over there.

[Fan2]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:02pm

I guess the reasoning in the Playbill article is the reason Hugh Jackman couldn't come over here to do Oklahoma and they replaced him with Patrick Wilson.

[Janean]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:02pm

I guess we don't have any NY Stage Moms on this board

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:03pm

It wasn't JUST Hugh Jackman for that production. I seem to recall they wanted to bring everyone over and it caused protracted negotiations with Equity and in the end the only holdover was Shuler Hensley. I think.

[Magdalene]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:05pm

Forget all the jobs a show would create...a little common sense, folks!

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:08pm

Don't forget, pop...they also inflicted Josefina Gabrielle on us!

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:10pm

She's so easy to forget though.

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:11pm

Oh no...no she's not. She's still inside me. She haunts my dreams.

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:12pm

This sucks, I'm sorry the best person should ALWAYS get the job...too bad that isn't reality.

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:15pm

If it were an adult, I'd care. But since I can't stand children...whatever.

[Magdalene]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:15pm

Who said this is a reality based profession?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:18pm

This has been an issue for years and years. The one that comes to mind immediately is when Phantom came to Broadway and Equity saying Sarah Brightman wasn't a big enough star name.

Equity's job is to provide jobs for American actors, not find the best talent.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:21pm

Yeah, I remember that whole brouhaha about Sarah Brightman. It was a big deal at the time, because the show was such a blockbuster coming in.

Lloyd Webber said, "No Sarah? No Broadway engagement." And he was firm about it. The show was written for her, so (regardless of my feelings about her talents at the time) I see his point.

EDIT: Wow, I even remember (through close friends) that Patti Cohenour was told she had the part, at first. Then Sarah announced that she wanted to play the role in America. Patti was crushed, but agreed to stay on as the "matinee Christine." Oh, the drama.

Updated On: 10/14/05 at 01:21 PM

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:25pm

Don't forget the controversy over MISS SAIGON and Jonathon Pryce!

A Union is set up to protect it's members and their jobs! I feel sad for the little boy, but if he's so good put him onstage in the UK!

Not trying to be mean, I just think that it's nice Equity is actually looking out for its members, when a lot of American Jobs are being Outsourced!

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:34pm

I'm for the American actor.

Don't tell me they can't find a great American boy to shine in that role.

I love the Brits, too, but they have plenty of their own shows.
Updated On: 10/14/05 at 01:34 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:42pm

I agree it's great that Equity looks out for their own, but sometimes they get a little overzealous.

I saw the brilliant production of THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE in London, starring the two performers it was written for, Alison Steadman and Jane Horrocks. American Equity would not let those two actors come over here, so the show was canceled for NYC. Steppenwolf did it in Chicago, and that company brought it to NYC. It was a sad, pale imitation. All for the sake of keeping two actors out of the States.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:43pm

This is nothing new, but Brightman did the show in London, didn't she? How big can the role of young Tarzan be? It isn't as if he is playing ANNIE for crying out loud. If he is good he will get other opportunities and I am sure there are American kids who will be just as good.

Hey, there is an idea...let's have a cooperate sponsored contest to see who gets the role, like they did with that ANNIE revival! Now THERE was a fiasco!

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 2:06pm

It's tricky with diplomacy. The producers have to prove that the performer is either a big star essential to the success of the show, or they can bring something uniquely to the role that can't be found by casting it domestically.

Rathnait62---It's kinda tragic, since Jane Horrocks should have easily fallen into that latter category without question! Equity messed up, but I know they play the "eye for an eye" game with international unions all the time. There was probably some tit-for-tat reason for it that involved other shows playing at the time. Or maybe they just were having a cranky day.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 2:12pm

"Lloyd Webber said, "No Sarah? No Broadway engagement." And he was firm about it."

That was a huge bluff on ALW's part. Lloyd Webber would have brought Phantom to NYC regardless. Equity should have stood firm. Americans lost out on a cast recording because of it and Equity really lost face because of it.

"Don't forget the controversy over MISS SAIGON and Jonathon Pryce!"

That controversy was more that an Asian actor should have been found. Pryce was already a star by the time Saigon came to Broadway. The bigger argument was over Lea Salogna who was an unknown.

"I saw the brilliant production of THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE in London, starring the two performers it was written for, Alison Steadman and Jane Horrocks. American Equity would not let those two actors come over here, so the show was canceled for NYC."

I saw it in NYC and thought it was interesting, but a poor production. I think the London producers could have gotten around that by bringing the whole production over as a "limited engagement". But overall, I don't think it was worth a Broadway run. It really should have played off-Broadway.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 2:17pm

b12- this was a few years ago, I think Steadman might even have been a bigger name here at that point. However, the show was written around Horrocks's very unique skills, that's what was ridiculous about the ban.