Could "Frogs" close? — Page 2

Chris Kattan was dead wood--no other way to put it. I said it in a post last week. The second act needs to be cut dramatically. Nathan Lane is wonderful as usual. I hope it all works out.

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Oh, hell. Why not post that again! :)

"Chris Kattan was dead wood--no other way to put it. I said it in a post last week. The second act needs to be cut dramatically. Nathan Lane is wonderful as usual. I hope it all works out."

Ahhh. That's better!

I saw it Saturday night and the second Act is MUCH improved. I'd trim the Bacchante dance in half myself...It's very busy and doesn't advance the story.

I may HAVE to get a ticket to see it again with Roger, Very soon!

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hey Master, my PC messed up OK!?

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Geez, Master, I never KNEW that. :)

Just jumping in to say that after all of this intense scrutiny (only in NY right, guys?) and given the creative team's understandable decision NOT to open out of town for such a short run, I wonder if ANY show will ever do previews in NY again without importing the audiences from Peoria.

In spite of the fact that people have been reminded at every turn that this show is in previews and still has plenty of time to work things out AND in spite of the fact that the show continues to improve every day you still have people predicting that a show with huge box office advance sales will close before it opens AND criticizing the show as it was two weeks ago (which in previews is like criticizing a 20 yr old for being short when he was 3). If these people aren't going to keep pace with the changes, they should be quiet and understand that the show as they knew it no longer exists today!

God, these are supposed to be theater people or at least people who follow the theater in some depth. PREVIEWS, people...PREVIEWS!!!!!!

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'really kattan sucked i thought he'd be decently funny at least'

All I could think of was Stroman sitting in her living room thinking aloud...and saying the very same words :)

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he had experience doing live work but there is a huge difference between the prep process for SNL and a broadway play...not the least of which is a race for the finish line on SNL with the show being in whatever shape it falls at the end of the week and then the cast moves on to the next show. What works, works...what doesn't...oh well.

The rehearsal, rewrite and performance process for Broadway is totally different and you aren't performing for cameras. You are performing for an audience that expects something other than 5 min on and 5 min off during commercials. Both processes have their stress and strain but they require different muscles and some people can't make the transition (just as some theater actors can make the jump to film and some can't).

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Maybe ( and who knows) it wasn't his fault. god knows Stroman has had trouble with casting before.

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Even if casting choices are poor, the performer has the obligation to TRY to perform to the best of their capability. Also, if you don't think you can do the role...don't take it.

It's not like he's destitute. Stroman may have made a bad choice but when I saw him he was just throwing stuff away like it didn't matter and seemed totally out of the show at times. I don't know that he ever took it very seriously from what I could see and what others have said. This would be a real problem when working with a powerhouse team like the one on the Frogs

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From the quotations in the article, Kattan obviously didn't take this job very seriously.

"Singers aren't supposed to have coffee or cold drinks before they sing," he said, sipping another Coke before Friday evening's show.

If he knew he was the "wild card" in the production, he should have done his best to prove himself worthy. Not just be lazy, shrug it off and say, "It's not like it's this huge, long run," he said. "It's just a few months and then you can walk away and say, I did this great play with Susan Stroman, Nathan Lane and Stephen Sondheim."

That's almost insulting and self-opportunist, isn't it? Thousands of performers would have killed to work with this team. He puts in a half-a$$ effort and won't even do the preparations necessary to give a good performance. I'm glad he got fired, because that's clear incompetence on his part.

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Updated On: 7/13/04 at 02:19 PM

Every show closes. It will happen to every show. It's a part of doing a show and it's something you have to accept. As far as THE FROGS, it's very possible it will close after opening night because a show has to open before it can close so I don't see how it could close first.

Wait a minute! He was fired? I thought he quit.

the original announcement said he 'withdrew' which I'm sure was just to allow him to save face. Clearly, as the details come out, there has been confirmation that he was fired.

As for how bad the show needs to be a) we've discussed ad nauseum on this board that the show is nearly sold out and all subscriptions are gone so it would not make sense for this show to close early and b) the show is improving every day so i wouldn't count it out just yet. It is in PREVIEWS and is expected to be less than ready for mass consumption but they've cut more than 30 min off the running time and tightened a lot of the show.

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