Haimes sums up Roundabout's motto to the NY Times

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 10:14am

"According to Todd Haimes, the artistic director of the Roundabout, the Van Dyke-Rivera strategy  casting a couple of talented no-names and crossing your fingers  is really a second choice these days. Your first choice, he said, is to get a star whos also great."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/theater/11mcgr.html?_r=1&ref=arts

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 10:56am

Getting a star is fine but Roundabout has problems with the "and also great" part.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 11:00am

Getting a star is fine but Roundabout has problems with the "and also great" part.

To be fair, they have had a few successes with that. Like Banderas in Nine, Connick Jr. in Pajama Game, etc.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 11:06am

I also think that Stockard Channing was great and she sold seats. YES, she doesn't sing the greatest, but she is a high caliber actress and was heartbreaking in the role. Audiences responded to her.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 11:48am

For every PAJAMA GAME there is at least ten PAL JOEY's and twenty PRELUDE TO A KISSes.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 11:55am

Roundabout's non-profit status should be revoked.

The whole point of being a subscription theater is that you can afford to do pieces that wouldn't necessarily be able to sustain a commercial life. You already have a built-in audience. While you certainly have to appease your subscribers, you can also make some attempt to broaden their horizons.

Todd Haimes is running Roundabout into the ground because he thinks like a commercial producer- his entire concern is finding vehicles for big name stars. He puts celebrity before actual production quality, and the constant string of flops he's shepherding are proof of that.

It's a shame he continues to throw dirt on the reputation of an organization with such a stellar artistic pedigree.

Updated On: 10/11/09 at 11:55 AM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 11:58am

To be fair, most of the plays at the Pels are new.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 12:02pm

And also to be fair, Haimes came in and saved the Roundabout when it was floundering and about to go under.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 12:05pm

They did a great job on 110 when no one else revived it.

I also fondly remember Natasha Richardson in Cabaret & A Streetcar.

[April Saul]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 6:41pm

Well, I gave up on subscribing to them after last season but now having seen Birdie, Miss Julie, Wishful Drinking and the Understudy, they are batting three for four this season...Birdie, of course, being the only bomb in the bunch!

[Pgenre]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 6:51pm

The Roundabout ASSASSINS was good enough to make me forget the Roundabout FOLLIES.

It was THAT good.

For ASSASSINS, (and, for me personally, NINE) Roundabout at least has one or two perfect productions to their credit. And many would put CABARET in that category as well. They have had *A LOT* of misses, many of which SHOULDNT be misses, and that is part of the problem.

They seem to put the wrong stars in the wrong shows too often and I think that's their biggest problem with BBB and many of their recent flops (PJ and BOYS FROM SYRACUSE leap to mind).

P