Brooks Confirms 'Frankenstein' for Hilton, Casting — Page 2

The reason it's rude is because THE PIRATE QUEEN deserves at least to post a closing notice before other people are already saying it is going to close. Do we all know it? Yes. But Brooks just proved to have no etiquette. Of course he is plugging his show but what a distasteful way to do it.
And I assume that if Brooks is out there telling everyone his show will be playing at the Hilton is because contracts have been signed and THE PIRATE QUEEN has already been kicked out. This show should have just closed out of town or had another workshop, really.

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If you move into an apartment because it becomes available for rent, do you apologize to the tenant who was there before you?

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They didn't "steal" the theatre away for Young Frankenstein. It was available for them to them to move in. Easy to do the math.

So why not wait for the Pirate Queen's closing notice if the theatre is officially available now? Clearly it won't be that long now for the notice to come out if the contracts have been signed.

If you move into an apartment because it becomes available for rent, do you apologize to the tenant who was there before you?

Typically when you rent an apartment, you know that it's going to be vacant first. A landlord doesn't just bring you in to show you the apartment while someone is still living there, unless they have already been announced as evicted. I don't know what kind of apartment searching you've done Best. Plus nobody is asking for an apology, just a little tact or grace.

Updated On: 5/25/07 at 10:58 AM

i dont see what the big deal is.

since YF wont be loading into the Hilton for at least another 4 months, theres no reason for PQ to have to post any notice whatsoever in the immediate future.

so is Mel Brooks supposed to wait until August to confirm the Hilton, and pretend until that time that even though he doesnt have the St James anymore and even though he has no other confirmed theater for his megamillion smash, he isnt quite sure where the show is going?

In this case theres an obviousness factor that outweighs the etiquette breach everyones whining about

You have to remember guys, it's all about MONEY, WHAT WILL SELL and to be honest with all of you, he is being very rude. It is like your boss hiring your replacement and not telling you your fired until the replacement has been hired.

It is very rude and I will not support the show now. Of course no one will care, it will still make a big splash.

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I'm sorry, how is it Brooks' fault that the producers of PQ are not giving their cast notice when obviously they are leaving the theater? First of all, producers are not obligated to give more than a weeks' closing notice per the union. Secondly, Brooks is not like "your boss hiring your replacement", he's not the boss. He has nothing to do with PQ. He's stating facts.

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Having worked in TV and film for many, many years, to me this is a typical illustration of the difference between Hollywood people and Broadway theater people.

To a lesser degree than in the past (but still somewhat applicable), there is a certain standard of behaviour in the theater that has never applied to other areas of entertainment.

Mr. Brooks is not a theater person (despite the success of "The Producers"). He acts and reacts as a Hollywood film person typically does. And to theater people that comes off as rude and arrogant.

It's a matter of different cultures in the business...he is only being himself - as crass as that may be. And through it all, he really doesn't fit in with the theater world all that well. His wife, on the other hand did, however. Class and the Ass.

Show BUSINESS.

The contractual issues being worked out with some of the principles are apparently over their accommodation arrangements in Seattle during the out of town run (the hotel, car service, etc.) It's something very minor, but enough to prevent their signature from going on the dotted line (though it will all certainly be resolved by the time of the formal press announcement.)

The only person whose still in the process of primary negotiations is Andrea Martin, but that's because she wasn't confirmed to be available until recently (therefore stalling her signing period.)

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1)Do I think what Mel said is rude .... Yes He should have been informed by a theatre rep to not mention this until a closing notice was posted as per theatre tradition. So someone somewhere isn't doing their job.

2)Do I think that what susan Stoman has Done with invading the theatre during a rehearsal discussing YF in front of the PQ cast is even more rude and Distasteful. MOST DEFINATELY. Personally if someone deserves to be crucified its Stroman.

3) But hey. If people are out to make money and thats all they care about anymore... Maybe the only career either of them will have is with each other.

"2)Do I think that what susan Stoman has Done with invading the theatre during a rehearsal discussing YF in front of the PQ cast is even more rude and Distasteful. MOST DEFINATELY. Personally if someone deserves to be crucified its Stroman."

First of all, that story from the Post was not completely true. While Stroman did indeed receive a tour of the theater, none of the cast or crew of "The Pirate Queen" were present (though they did find out about it the next day.) They'd finished rehearsing that day earlier in the afternoon, while she came in that evening.

Second of all, how is Stroman to blame for being given a tour? The management at the Hilton were the ones who decided to show her and Brooks around. If you want to fault anyone (which is unnecessary to begin with,) it should be those who run the theater, not Stroman.

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Beauty posting a closing notice a week before shuttering would be stupid. The show has been around forever so fans will flock to see it one last time in its final months.

Pirate Queen posting a closing notice months ahead of time would be stupid. It's new enough that people will think, "Well, that show just opened and it's already closing. Must not be very good."

The truth of the matter is that an announcement HAS to be made about Young Frankenstein and it does not behoove its producers to wait until Pirate Queen finally gives up.

Actually Bennett. I didn't like PQ and I still think its rude so I guess that thought works for you but in reality isn't what the issue is. I'm sure some of the people on here do love PQ, but I strongly disliked it and feel that people need to have some tact about how they do things, either to make money or not. It doesn't hurt to think about the actors that are in PQ. Besides some of them may want to work with stroman or brooks in the future or even a better point may have worked with them in the past.
Burning bridges is not the way to make the theatre community Support you.
THE MOVE WAS COMPLETELY TACTLESS!!!!