"Gary Coleman will now be played by a MALE actor."- Page 2

[saveusmike]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 12:58am

It was something along the lines of Michael Jackson was accused of molesting two little children so out of fear he feld to Avenue Q.

(Being Serious)

[rabymon10]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 1:09am

You're all full of ****. The Australian production uses Gary Coleman, and always has. Started in Melbourne ahead of a national tour, currently in Sydney. That is all.

[saveusmike]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 1:14am

Rabymon winston just made a mistake. Its actually the hungarian production but there is no need to chew his head off..

[Jon]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 11:02am

Carol Burnett sued the producers of "FAMILY GUY" because they did a bit with her "scrubwoman" character mopping the floor in porno peep show booths while a song that "sorta" sounded like her theme song played. She lost the suit.

[winston89]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 11:48am

rabymon10, Your reaction to what was a very simple mistake was way out of line.

Jon, I did hear about that Family Guy story. It is true that one can sue for anything, but the thing is is that will they always win and will it always be succcessful? No, of course not. Family Guy is one of those shows that does do parodies and satire but never crosses the line in the same vein as SNL, which is why I think that it never lost the lawsuit to begin with due to the fact that what they were doing was not against the law at all.

[Annas_Priest]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 1:47pm

Here is video of the Micheal Jackson character
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5uP-epfZrg

[emo_geek]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 6:08pm

They usually had Gary's with especially large breasts. That always distracted me a little from the character. (though the lasts thing I usually look at are breasts ;] )

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 6:18pm

The Michael character looks tasteless and hilarious.

[xoangel2789xo]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 2:25am

I actually liked it better with a male Gary.

[raker]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 8:32am

I always assumed that Gary Coleman was paid by Avenue Q. It's one thing to mock him if he's in on the joke (and the loot) but it's crappy to make fun of a man on stage every night without his consent. It worked for Mel Brooks and Hitler, but come on, even Gary Coleman deserves some dignity.

[ricklyon]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 9:38am

Raker, have you seen the show? Gary is one of the wisest characters, and is cast in a very positive light. It doesn't make fun of him. No one calls him a has-been or laughs at his situation except himself. Gary Coleman should be happy that AVENUE Q makes him seem like a well-adjusted, knowing fellow who has pretty much accepted what life has thrown at him.

The casting change is driven primarily by economics. If Gary is a man, the show requires fewer understudies. The casting for Q has always been a bit tricky, because the roles of Christmas Eve and Gary are both specific ethnicities, and (originally) both female.

[friedrichVT]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 10:04am

its back to being a woman.

[raker]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 10:45am

I saw Avenue Q. It was one of the most enjoyable evenings I've ever had in thirty years of theater going. Everyone should see it. It's wonderful.

But really now. Gary Coleman is there to be the butt of a joke. It comes off as a good-natured joke, but it's a little pointed too. After all, his sucky life is the topper in It Sucks To Be Me. I wonder if his being played by a man will make it more literal and therefore a little more pointed, unless of course he's played by a very tall and handsome man.

[winston89]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 12:10pm

I doubt the gender of the actor playing it is going to change the joke. They cast the character with a male actor in London and I doubt that by doing that they lost the humor in the role.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 12:48pm

Does a male actor really save them money on understudies, though?

[winston89]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 12:51pm

I think it would considering the fact that there are more males in the cast then there are females. It would save them money to have the role of Gary be an additional understudy track then have to hire someone to do the role altogether just for that one track.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 12:55pm

So then in addition to him now being played by a man, he'd be played by a white man when his understudy went on?

I'm not being antagonistic, I just don't recall seeing a lot of african-american male faces in this show over the years.

[winston89]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 12:58pm

I am guessing that they would do what they do in London with the role. Which is have the main actor be male, yet, cast both male and female understudies for it.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 1:01pm

Hmm. I guess I'm still not getting it. Wouldn't having two understudies increase the cost? Or would they just not have the role played by an African-American understudy?

[winston89]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 1:06pm

I don't think that it is possible for the role to be played by a white guy without it coming off as racist.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 1:11pm

Agreed. But I was referring to this statement earlier -

The casting change is driven primarily by economics. If Gary is a man, the show requires fewer understudies. The casting for Q has always been a bit tricky, because the roles of Christmas Eve and Gary are both specific ethnicities, and (originally) both female.

They are still specific ethnicities, so unless they are now going to make sure they always have an African-American man who can cover Brian and the puppets as well as Gary Coleman, I don't see how it's going to save them any money understudies.

Again, I might just be missing something.

[ricklyon]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 2:20pm

Because the men in the show, including the puppet roles, can be any ethnicity. But with the Broadway casting, the human women are both specific ethnicities. So any male understudy can sub for any male role, but the female Xmas Eve and Gary subs have to be a specific ethnicity (as well as a specific gender). See? A female Gary understudy cannot understudy Xmas Eve, nor can they understudy male roles, and there are more males in the cast. A male African-American understudy can understudy ALL the male roles (including Gary with this change), but a female African-American can only understudy Gary and the female puppeteer roles.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 12:02am

According to this casting notice, "the role of Gary will revert back to being played by a female actor."

I guess they changed their minds.

http://www.playbill.com/jobs/find/job_detail/27149.html

Updated On: 9/17/09 at 12:02 AM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 12:10am

I wouldn't just say "you're wrong" to Rick Lyon. The Rick Lyon who designed the puppets & originally played Nicky & Trekkie.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 12:11am

The fact that they aren't using an African-American male understudy shoots what was discussed in the foot regardless.

Updated On: 9/17/09 at 12:11 AM