Gaines, Benanti, Yazbek, Opel Confirmed for Encores Gypsy- Page 4

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/1/07 at 11:58pm

The actress who played Bett to Patti's Nancy in the OLIVER revival told me she was treated very badly by the Diva.
And being late or missing a rehearsal or show could lead her into a fit, (of course, that could be warrented)
maybe they are purposely setting up that Rose/Gypsy animosity.

Posted: 6/2/07 at 1:59am

lupone is amazing, and MOST known for her off stage blow ups and diva fits.

I agree with, somethingwicked...Laura cannot maintain a bway schedule. I am sorry she has health problems but part of being a performer is keeping up your health, she hass proven she cannot. And she is most certainly over rated, while she has a good voice, there are a million girls just like her. She just got a lucky break. Plain and simple.

Opel will steal the show.

[DirtyRottenGirl]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 2:01am

I am really jealous that I am going to miss this. Awesome cast!

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 9:25am

I am sorry she has health problems but part of being a performer is keeping up your health, she hass proven she cannot. And she is most certainly over rated, while she has a good voice, there are a million girls just like her. She just got a lucky break. Plain and simple.

A) You know NOTHING of her past health problems. If you did, you'd know there was nothing she could have done to prevent her problems. She had a horrible injury that was worsened when she was misdiagnosed and recieved improper treatment. Then she had to have surgery and finally go through therapy to get her back to her previous strength.

B) If you think there are a million girls like her...then you couldn't spot talent if it slapped you in the face. A million girls don't have famous composers approaching them to star in a revival of their show. You are just plain wrong.

Updated On: 6/2/07 at 09:25 AM

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 9:58am

FOA, you're fighting an uphill battle. Why bother?

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 10:13am

Because I hate when ignorant people pass judgement on someone when they don't know all the facts.

Just like what happened with Donna Murphy. Everyone criticized her to the point of nauseum, then when the NY Times article was published...she became a hero.

It's the same case with Benanti.

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 10:23am

I completely understand, but it seems moot to argue with a bunch of people completely unwilling to change their minds on the subject. But best of luck!

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 11:50am

Someone on ATC said that Patti recommended Laura for the role and Laurents had her audition for him - and apparently he was blown away.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 12:04pm

As he should be. :)

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 12:47pm

In any job, in any field, if you can't show up on a regular basis for any reason, you are unreliable and need to be replaced, as the work still needs to be done. And when the next job comes along, you may lose out if it comes down to you and another person who has been more consistent in the past. Excessive absences are a hassle for everyone.

The reasons don't really matter.

Updated On: 6/2/07 at 12:47 PM

Posted: 6/2/07 at 1:42pm

FOA...lol. you are getting heated. inhale. exhale. Are you her agent? are you making money off her success? if not, lets keep it in perspective, shall we?

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 1:52pm

I'm not getting heated. Nor am I her agent or making money off of her. I am however standing up for someone who's being publicly put down.

You said: part of being a performer is keeping up your health, she hass proven she cannot.

If you had any knowledge of her ailment you would have known there was nothing she could have done to prevent it. Yet, you place all the blame on her.

I'm correcting an uninformed statement.

[musicalfan07]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 1:56pm

Didn't Laura break her ribs during ITW or something like that? If I had, I sure would've taken a long time to get back to my full self performance wise.
mf07

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 1:58pm

Benanti does read as older on stage than she is. I'm sure she'll be passable, even if not ideal.

What was her screen test for, I wonder? Nine comes to mind, but it sounded like they were definitely going for Hollywood A-list talent for the film.

And Encores! has never been known to extend anything, right? I'd love to see this, but I'll be missing it by a couple of weeks. Updated On: 6/2/07 at 01:58 PM

[StephenSondheimWHOO]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 2:25pm

already got tickets. I am so excited. Hurrah for Alison Fraser!! I love her.

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 3:36pm

I don't think that anyone is questioning the validity of Benanti's health issues (I'm certainly not). Rather, I think what people are concerned about is the magnitude of her absences. Live theatre is a hard business and you've got to physically be able to do eight shows a week, working like a dog for two straight hours or more a night, not to mention rehearsals and the like. Some people who suffer from persistent health problems just can't maintain that schedule, and it causes them to miss a myriad of performances. It's not their fault; they just can't do it. However, there comes a time when you have to reevaluate and ask yourself whether or not it is fair to your audience and your colleagues to sign a contract when you're not 100% and know that you'll probably miss a good deal of performances. This seems like something Benanti has not done in the past. Maybe if she had taken a few years off to fully and properly recover from the injury she sustained in INTO THE WOODS, she wouldn't have had to take large chunks of time off in NINE, THE WEDDING SINGER etc.

If you don't do it yourself, someone will eventually do it for you. Look at Emily Skinner. Maybe a television schedule will be better suited for Benanti and her abilities.

[Sykes24]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 3:41pm

Nancy Opel will be AMAZING as Mazeppa. What a brilliant idea. Absoulutely brilliant. Give this woman a Tony.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 3:43pm

OK, just to say something, I completely understand what everyone is saying about her work ethic and the missing of performances. Even if there was nothing she could have done she probably should have stayed away from Nine because it sounds like she was still recovering during that show.

But, what I don't get is why people think she is a boring actress. Is this just from the Wedding Singer? Because I thought she was riveting in Nine and the best actress in the Into The Woods revival. I'm hoping she is better now because she is probably my favorite youngish musical actress on Broadway right now and lord knows her transformation into the stripper will be amazing. Oh and very excited for both Alison Fraser and Nancy Opel!

“We'll have a real good time!"

Updated On: 6/2/07 at 03:43 PM

[istillbelieve24601]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 4:07pm

Didn't Laura break her ribs during ITW or something like that? If I had, I sure would've taken a long time to get back to my full self performance wise.
mf07

Laura actually broke her back doing her constant falling down the stairs as Cinderella one night. It was misdiagnosed, which led to further problems. Also, I heard she was pressured to keep on working despite the magnitude of her injury, but I'm not sure if that's true. At any rate, she had a very serious injury during Into the Woods and some vocal issues during The Wedding Singer.

She's young and very talented, but she's pushing herself way too hard.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 4:20pm

AC, what happened with Emily Skinner?

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 4:38pm

I guess I can speak with some degree of objectivity, since I don't know much about Laura Benati. I do get the sense that she is a talented individual. Otherwise, she would not have been cast in the new production of "Gypsy." Also, people have health problems. Broadway people are no exception. Give her a break! She's dealt with those private issues to the best of her ability. Obviously, the producers of the show have enough faith in her to have cast her. It's easy for detractors to castigate this artist or another for absences due to health. THEY are the ones who have to deal with it, not us. Also, to the joy of her fans and the producers of "Gypsy", Laura Benati will undoubtedly be the consummate professional and deliver a knockout performance. And as for Tony Yazbek..... I wish him the best... and hope he feels better. He was absent for the Wed. May 30th and Thurs. May 31st perfs. One of the A.C. L. cast members told me that T.Y. had been under the weather the past two days. Tony Yazbek's autograph is the ONLY one I am lacking from the current A Chorus Line cast. I had a chance to get his autograph in SF in July 2006, but he was walking with who I perceived were his parents, so I didn't want to disturb him. Sigh.......from Roman in Austin, Texas... almost recovered from jet lag...

Updated On: 6/2/07 at 04:38 PM

[jewishboy]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 5:12pm

he was in for last night's performance.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 5:18pm

theaterkid, Emily Skinner is another performer that has been known for missing performances or walking out of shows early, therefore, she has gained a kind of "reputation."
Benanti has been open about her issues and she recognizes that she overworked herself. I believe she did a very poignant interview for Talkin'Broadway.com where she talked about the way message boards and columnists had bashed her, she also stood up for Donna Murphy.
This is a short run, it seems smart of her to do something short to warm up again before jumping into a long run.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 5:41pm

Thank you very much, ray. I'm seeing her in "Witches of Eastwick" soon, so I had to ask.