Dorothy Stanley as Mrs. Lovett?

[Nathan_Lane_Rules!]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 12:52am

What's the word on the street?

[timote316]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 12:54am

You couldn't have put this in the other Patti absence thread?

[Nathan_Lane_Rules!]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 12:57am

I tried.

It has turned into more of a patti love thread. Not that thats a bad thing by any means!

Hoping to get an answer here!

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 1:24am

I saw her back in December. It was early in the shows run, and she was very unprepared. They had to prompt her with lyrics and lines, and she was just off. Way off. She was very nervous, and her performance was very tight. Michael always plays around with Patti, and they challenge each other and constantly throw out new curves. But that night Michael's performance was very straight on, not to throw off Dorothy or make her any more nervous. She doesn't play the tuba, and instead has the triangle for all he tuba parts. It's just not the same without it.

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 1:48am

Nathan,

I was going to reply to your concern in the other thread, but then saw this one (and I did indeed notice you trying and folks just weren't getting around to responding to you, so the new thread is understandable).

I have not seen Dorothy Stanley in Sweeney, but have caught some of her other performances. She is a truly wonderful, experienced performer, as many here can attest. Until this evening, Patti had only missed one performance of Sweeney, so Dorothy has only played the role in performance once. Most people who saw that particular show will express how her limited rehearsal time affected her performance. It's been said that she seemed relatively unprepared at the time and that's probably true, given the oft inadequate rehearsal time for understudies, combined with the difficult task of playing the score and aiding in scene changes, in addition to playing the part.

One can only hope, though, that the understudies have had sufficient rehearsal time and are more comfortable in the roles that they cover.

Many of us have been in your shoes before, learning that an actor we specifically wanted to see is suddenly out just before our scheduled performance. Bottom line: it sucks. Fortunately, though, if Patti is out when you see Sweeney, her role is in as good a pair of hands as it could be with the accomplished Dorothy Stanley. Not to mention that while I believe Patti to be extraordinary in this production, everyONE and everyTHING else on the stage at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre right now are equally as impressive =)

I hope I was of some help. Take care.