Bullets removing the "F word" at certain performances

[LiveLoud22]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:02pm

Helene York posted a picture of an announcement from the Bullets Over Broadway producers. Apparently they're removing the word "fvck" from all Wednesday matinees, in order to get student groups to come. On one hand, I get it - educators can't bring students to shows with a lot of profanity, without getting in trouble. On the other hand, I feel a bit bad for those actors! While I'm sure they'll be fine (after all, they're pros), if I were an actor I'd be afraid of muscle memory taking over (from months performing the script as is) and slipping up.

I also worry (perhaps unnecessarily) about selective censorship like this becoming overblown. Imagine a hypothetical where they bring Spring Awakening back, and, after a few weeks, ticket sales dip a bit. To attract student groups, the producers decide to censor the sex scene and a lot of the heavy duty content in the show. Stuff like that would obviously detract from the essence of the play - it'd be terrible.

Here's the pic Helene posted

[mschwager]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:05pm

I get it, but the performer in me thinks that's ridiculous

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:07pm

Very interesting. I worked at a theater one time that did a production of "Frankie & Johnny in the Claire de Lune." One of the discussions the theater had was how to advertise the play. They weren't going to censor it in any way, but they were concerned about the "adult situations" in the play.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:12pm

They remove the F word but the killings and repeated use of a machine gun is OK?

Whatever

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:14pm

I can't recall, is there a lot of f*cking uses of f*ck in this show? I can't remember any, but I don't care about this issue...

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:22pm

I guarantee the students have heard this word ( and worse) many times before

Sort of like a movie getting a R for language and a slasher movie for showing blood & guts all over the place is rated the same. Makes no sense

[LiveLoud22]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:29pm

I agree, Roxy. The middle/high schoolers they're bringing to the show have not only heard, but use every profane word you can think of. I think it's just a matter of educators needing to protect themselves from administrative trouble & parents.



Updated On: 4/17/14 at 12:29 PM

[NiceWork2]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:33pm

I thought that once a show was out of previews and past opening night everything in the show was "locked in", a final product. is this not always the case?

I know that after Gary Coleman tragically passed away and there was discussion that they may have had to eliminate Coleman's charater from Avenue Q they said that Lopez and marx would've inevitably had to make that difficult decision. How wonderful of Danielle thomas to provide that tribute to him after that night's fateful show.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:38pm

I thought that once a show was out of previews and past opening night everything in the show was "locked in", a final product. is this not always the case?


It's not. There's a period of time where it's frozen, but shows make changes after opening night all the time.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:40pm

How many times do they drop the F-bomb in Bullets? It's silly in that every kid has heard that word. I let that word slip in front of a 10-year-old actress and I apologized profusely. "Oh, that okay." she said. "I go to public school."

[mrsyaj]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:42pm

I assume they're also cutting the joke about the character picking coins off a bar with her genitals.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:45pm

They cut the F word but leave the Hot Dog number in?

Curiouser & Curioser

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 12:46pm

The show is locked. They aren't creating a new version, just not saying f*ck on Wednesday afternoons. Most sentences work equally well without it.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 1:01pm

"How many times do they drop the F-bomb in Bullets? It's silly in that every kid has heard that word. I let that word slip in front of a 10-year-old actress and I apologized profusely. "Oh, that okay." she said. "I go to public school."

I promise you that it's not for the sake of the students. It's for the sake of administrators and educators. No school - public or private - can rightfully approve of a school-wide field trip to a show that regularly uses 'vulgar language.'

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 1:14pm

Hell, my school district used to bus us to performances by the local regional theater where we saw fetuses getting thrown on the floor in THE MARRIAGE OF BETTE AND BOO, so you'll have to pardon me if I find this a little reactionary.

Broadway. Getting more basic every day!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 1:15pm

A show that glorifies violence? Not exactly a message to be sent out. True it is all good clean fun but they should not come at all if we really want to be PC about it.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 1:44pm

The kiddies can still go to the Saturday matinee to hear it and than give it a rousing hand of applause.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 1:49pm

When I was in 11th Grade we went to see Evita. It wasn't mandatory, it was just whoever was taking an English Class taught by the Drama teacher could go.

So I guess "her only good parts are between her thighs, she should stare at the ceiling not reach for the skies, or she could be his last whore" isn't as bad as the F word? Because they certainly didn't leave that out when I saw it.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 1:52pm

Those kiddies were probably ruined for life.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 1:54pm

I believe I was around five years old when I first heard my dad scream F*CK! after accidently hitting his thumb with a hammer. It changed my life.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 2:25pm

Liza, I'm sure you're correct. I thought I'd have problems with school performances of To Kill a Mockingbird, Big River and Of Mice and Men because of the N-word, but not a peep. I do question the educational/socio-political value of something like Bullets, which is what educators customarily look for in such field trips. Of all the shows on Bway (including of Mice and Men), why pitch this one to schools?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 2:52pm

"Of all the shows on Bway (including of Mice and Men), why pitch this one to schools?"

Woody's looking for a new bride.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 4:42pm

^ HAHA

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 4:46pm

Really? This is just... dumb... I mean my school went to see Memphis which had quite a few F*CKS, "n*", and ended the first act with Felicia getting beaten nearly to death. I can't imagine the word F*CK is keeping away school groups.

Updated On: 4/17/14 at 04:46 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 4:47pm

Maybe Woody is a prude.