Diahann Carroll Withdraws From A Raisin In The Sun- Page 2

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 4:57pm

Scott Rudin must be spinning right now.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 5:10pm

I highly doubt it will end up hurting sales.

[bigbelterbaby]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 5:20pm

really bummed. I was shocked when they announced Diahann Carroll was coming back to Broadway for the first time since the 80's, because I knew she had poor health and I didn't think she had the stamina to do it.

well, I guess I was right. she probably tried really hard to make it work, but if she isn't able to do it in a way where everyone is satisfied, I'm glad she pulled out because it IS demanding and I wouldn't want her to put her health at risk.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 5:44pm

@jordan to think it wont have an effect is not at all accurate just on this thread you've had a dozen people say they wont be seeing it because shes no longer in it.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 6:08pm

Sales will be juuuuuuuuust fine. Sure, they'll loose some interest from the theatre-crowds, but the majority of ticket buyers will be the same who bused in church groups to see him in "Fences." The same crowds of women who shouted "I'd marry you, baby!" constantly throughout the show.

Miss Carroll leaving hurts the overall "prestige" and a bit of the "event" but it would be like Margot Martindale dropping out of a Hugh Jackman play.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 6:15pm

"@jordan to think it wont have an effect is not at all accurate just on this thread you've had a dozen people say they wont be seeing it because shes no longer in it."

Yeah, but that just means there will be a dozen seats for the people who would have been told it's sold out.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 6:17pm

A friend who has money in the production told me that she was struggling to learn her lines, and Denzel was losing his patience. I'm curious to see what spin Riedel puts on this.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 6:31pm

If that's true, in this day and age, couldn't they have gotten her an earpiece?

And couldn't Mr. Washington have cut her a little slack (and worked with her on this)?

It won't be but a few years before he's looking for an understanding younger co-star himself. And karma is a bitch.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 6:57pm

"And couldn't Mr. Washington have cut her a little slack (and worked with her on this)?"

Speaking from experience, it can be incredibly frustrating when an actor isn't off-book and is struggling to remember his or her lines especially when that production period clock is tickin' away.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 7:02pm

Who knows? This person is simply an "angel", so who knows just how much money they have and just how much they know?

But I've gotta agree with Mattbrain. As long as Washington wasn't a monster, I could certainly forgive some frustration if the situation were that dire.

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 7:12pm

I like how we quickly went from:
- Denzel was losing patience
to:
- Denzel should have worked with her on this
to:
- Hopefully Denzel "wasn't a monster."

Jeez, I guess theater boards naturally attract drama?

[choitoy]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 7:19pm

This was on my shortlist for my trip to NY in June, but I mostly wanted to see this for Diahann, who I saw in Vancouver in "Sunset Boulevard".

I notice that she's mostly dropped out of the TV show "White Collar" this past season. I hope all is well with her...

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 7:22pm

As long as Denzel didn't get fisty about it.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 7:22pm

I didn't intend the losing his patience part to be taken as if he were Mandy Patinkin in The Wild Party. I was afraid that's where it was escalating to.

[Joviedamian]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 7:52pm

Get OPRAH!

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 9:03pm

Get Cicely!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 9:18pm

Get Jan Maxwell!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 9:21pm

I wanted those Whoopi rumors to turn out to be true. Anyway, if anyone thinks that this board is reflective of the general audience, they are very naive. They could have cast the entire thing with only theatre actors surrounding Denzel and it'd still sell out. He's a HUGE star, not just in terms of awards (and mind you, he now is a Tony winner which ups his star appeal for theatergoers), but he can open non-franchise films like almost no actor of his generation can (Liam Neeson is the only other male actor of that group who can open non-franchise films like Denzel). Scott Rudin is doing just fine.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 9:38pm

The reports that were swirling about over the summer said that Carroll was having difficulties with symptoms of early dementia on her film set - if there were any truth to that, it could well be that it had become clear to everyone involved that she wouldn't be up to the task of rehearsing (let alone performing) the play. I feel like the press release may be hinting at that. If so, of course nobody could question Denzel Washington insisting that the decision be made to replace her.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 9:41pm

Not that it matters a wit when it comes to her performance, but I had no idea that Ms. Jackson (DC's replacement) was Samuel L. Jackson's wife.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 10:17pm

losing his patience part to be taken as if he were Mandy Patinkin in The Wild Party.

I've seen this incident mentioned a few times, but I never know what people are talking about. What happened?

I love Diahann Carroll.

[bobs3]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 10:28pm

It will be a huge financial success with Denzel's name but it just has critical disaster written all over it (think THREE DAYS OF RAIN).

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 2/9/14 at 11:41pm

"losing his patience part to be taken as if he were Mandy Patinkin in The Wild Party.

I've seen this incident mentioned a few times, but I never know what people are talking about. What happened?"

From most accounts Mandy went a bit overboard with his character and wouldn't break character once he was offstage, thus displaying some rather nasty behavior to his co-stars, since he was still Burrs. That is part of the reason Toni Collette reportedly delayed her return to the stage for so long, because the experience of working with an actor like Mandy was pretty terrible.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/10/14 at 12:02am

Thanks.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 2/10/14 at 11:14am

After seeing her at the Emmys last summer, where she really didn't look to be anywhere near 100%, I was actually surprised when she was cast with the presumption could handle a strenuous Broadway run.