Donna Murphy Won't Return to Wonderful Town - ITS OFFICIAL

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 9/24/04 at 7:38pm

Sorry if this was posted before but..

http://www.broadway.com/template_1.asp?CI=42178&CT=38

[AvalonSkysStudios]

Posted: 9/25/04 at 10:49am

I was expecting this
With her not being in these past two
weeks, its about time they announced she had
left... Well at least WT still has Gregg Edelman..
We will miss Donna... but
i admire her work and wish her the best..
Does anyone know what Donna might be doing next?
i havent heard anything about the "tv-show" and of course
there was the chance of her being in Dessa Rose.
hmm... something to think about...

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/25/04 at 12:08pm

I'm amazed her statement mentions "passing the torch" to Brooke. No, Ms. Murphy, Linda Mugleston is passing it. It's been her torch for months now.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/25/04 at 12:32pm

The Weisslers probably wrote the statement for her.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/25/04 at 1:22pm

You mean a month, Rath--let's not exaggerate.

Updated On: 9/25/04 at 01:22 PM

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/25/04 at 1:24pm

Well, it's been solely her torch for a month. They've been doing a jobshare for months.

[Spiritoflaw]

Posted: 9/25/04 at 2:00pm

I'm hoping that Donna will fully recover from this terrible experience and move on to other projects.

In my opinion, the WT producers and theatre management could have handled the situation in a much more dignified and professional way, instead of creating chaos, confusion and low morale and blaming Donna.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/25/04 at 2:18pm

Well there was nothing to stop Murphy from issuing her own statement about the whole thing to put a stop to all the gossip and the rumours that so many of us have been guilty of (myself included). If she really cared about the way this was being handled and the chaos, confusion, and low morale that she was being scapegoated for, she could have said something.

[wiggum2]

Posted: 9/25/04 at 2:39pm

I'm a little out of it, Why was this such a bad experience for Donna? It is not a challenging role vocally. Physically... I would say yes. I saw WT this summer with Donna and she was good. Doesn't Donna have a rep for leaving her shows early?

Thanks for any help

[Broadwaybaby614]

Posted: 9/25/04 at 4:22pm

Well then.

I saw her in the show in March, and up until a few weeks ago, I had no idea how lucky I was that she decided to perform that night.

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 9/25/04 at 4:29pm

I saw the show twice for $5,
once in previews, and once a day after opening night

[Spiritoflaw]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 7:03pm

Donna Murphy will be in "Dessa Rose" at Lincoln Center again? Was this confirmed anywhere?

[broadway86]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 7:16pm

I saw the show in March and she was great. However, I spoke to a gentleman at the stage door last weekend, and he told me that she was fired. That she had returned the previous week, but "they" (I'm assuming he meant the producers) told her not to come back.

That's very sad. She's such a talented and nice woman. I'm still curious, however, on why she missed over 60 performances.

[wiggum2]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 7:33pm

I'm extremely curious if she got fired. Why would she?(besides missing so many shows)She would be THE reason to see the show. She would be the draw. I saw the show because of her.

Why did she miss so many shows? WHat happened?? Anyone know????

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 7:36pm

I agree, there will eventually be further reporting on this tale. It makes no sense why a leading actress, whom the Weisslers waited for, would treat the run of this show in such a cavalier way. If it was chronic health problems, that needs to come out, finally, fully. If it's Diva behavior, like Nell Carter in AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'(the first time), one would hope we'd eventually hear why. Why would anyone conduct such public self-sabotage? Her career is still Broadway-centered; this behavior is reputation damaging.

I saw Murphy in early December, when she finally got her strength back after the spotty autumn, and all the illnesses. She was frail, even wan, but vocally powerful. Like Ken Mandlebaum, who's otherwise a Murphy loyalist, I never thought her Ruth performance was nearly funny enough -- it was written for a really funny presence, Roz Russell. Her intelligence and sardonic,self-deprecatory humor were unique. (Listen to the recording, she found laughs in the MIDDLE of lines that Murphy could only approximate. Start with the Moby Dick line reading in "conversations...") Murphy'st take was more than workmanlike, very accomplished in its musical depth/breadth, particularly in "Swing," which she made truly distinctive. Bt I never saw what Brantley saw -- a "classic" musical comedy performance of the old school. "Passion" remains her most memorable work.

Updated On: 9/26/04 at 07:36 PM

[wiggum2]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 7:39pm

Did Donna mis lots of shows in Passion? or in King and I?

[broadway86]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 8:06pm

Apparantly, she missed several (about 10? maybe more?) performances of "The King and I", but only one of "Passion".

[sparky310]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:30pm

wow..a little bitter arent you.