Hank Azaria Sabatical from Spamalot

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 10:28pm

Very disappointed to hear the news that Hank Azaria is out of Spamalot starting in June to film Huff. Does anyone know the dates he will be gone?

I have ticket for my visit to NYC on June 18th (Friday night). I am hoping and praying that he will still be in it on that date. Does ANYONE have ANY information on this?????

[bjivie2]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 10:29pm

Well, he's smart to do it AFTER the Tony Awards. He'd be a longshot to get a Tony nom if he took a sabatical in the middle of the first months of the run.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 10:30pm

i doubt Curry will stick around much longer or he'll start missing lots of shows

Updated On: 3/19/05 at 10:30 PM

[bjivie2]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 10:32pm

Is he known for missing shows?

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 10:35pm

WHEW....at least he'll be in it April 13!

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 10:37pm

He is not missing shows - he is leaving the production for a set amount of time to film episodes of the Showtime show Huff which he produces and is stars as the title character.

Very disappointed that he did not schedule this better. But no press release states the dates he will be out.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 10:40pm

CQTboo, I'm not sure what you're talking about. I don't think Tim has missed a performance yet.

[TGIF]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 10:42pm

SFF, it does say that in the original post that he was leaving to film Huff.

The comment about missing days was about Curry, which I know nothing about.

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 10:45pm

Maybe I am not being clear - I just want to know if anyone has more information on the dates that Hank Azaria will be out of Spamalot to film his TV show.

I have tickets for June 18th - I would like to know if he is leaving AFTER that date or BEFORE.

[TGIF]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 10:46pm

Sorry, it was a long day. I did not read who wrote the original post! I thought you were someone else. :)

I apologize.

But I am not sure about the dates. Hopefully someone else will know.

[JaiRoAngel]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 11:22pm

This is probably of no help, but anyway....

I had no clue about him taking leave of the show, but a man that works at the stage door started talking to me the other day and said that Hank was leaving in either June or July for about 30 to 60 days due to a previous engagement (Huff). He did however say that they are in talks with the likes of Robin Williams to fill in for Hank while he is out.

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 11:36pm

Your information was very helpful and makes me feel better. Any tidbit of information is a help. And it makes me feel better that they are making an effort to bring in a worthy replacement.

Not to denigrate standbys or understudies - but I really wanted to see Hank Azaria and if I cannot see him, I would prefer it to be someone I know. Goodness knows, I have seen my share of understudies and they have really impressed me (in the original Dreamgirls, Jennifer Holliday was out but all the other originators were there that night and her understudy was INCREDIBLE). But Hank is one of my favorites and I would be greatly disappointed if he were gone when I see the show.

[AnothaPartofMe]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 11:36pm

The article from last weekend's Saturday NY Post had the interview with Azaria where he said he'd miss at least a month of the run to film an entire season of HUFF.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 12:49am

out of wonder does anyone know how he'll keep up with his simpsons voice work while doing this show? (other than putting a recording booth in his dressing room)

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 1:13am

OH NOOOO!!!!!!

I have tickets for July 15! I was looking forward to seeing Hank most of all (I love him soooo much in the Birdcage!!!). ....damn.

Although if they got Robin Williams I would go into cardiac arrest :)

[musicgal04]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 1:42am

Well the standby is John Bolton, who was in "The Opposite of Sex" last year and was in the original cast of "Titanic." I saw him as the Scarecrow in a regional production of "The Wizard of Oz" a year and a half ago and loved him. I also worked with him in a benefit and he was very nice and his rendition of "She Loves Me" is one of my favorite memories in theatre. So if he happens to get to go on for that time Azaria is out, he is up to it. I'm sure he will do well whenever he has to go on for any of the three.

[CJR]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 1:53am

I had no clue about him taking leave of the show, but a man that works at the stage door started talking to me the other day and said that Hank was leaving in either June or July for about 30 to 60 days due to a previous engagement (Huff). He did however say that they are in talks with the likes of Robin Williams to fill in for Hank while he is out.

This has nothing to do with anything, but he's a friend of mine... love that man He's such a doll!

Back on topic, I haven't heard anything about the Robin Williams replacing Hank while he's out thing....

Updated On: 3/20/05 at 01:53 AM

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 2:43am

Does anyone know where I can find information on this? I am going to call Telecharge tomorrow (Sunday) to find out if they have this listed. They usually do post this when tickets are being purchased if this is arranged ahead of time.

I think it kind of sucks when they push the names of the cast members and then don't come clean on planned outages. Sort of like a bait and switch thing. I can understand if it is short notice due to illness or personal issues, but this is scheduled and planned in advance.

Just to take my rant a little further.... Imagine you see all the awards Million Dollar Baby got at the Oscars. You pay $100 to see the movie and after you buy your ticket, you find out that an alternative print of the movie is being shown for 2 months with Chris Rock instead of Morgan Freeman.

I just think it's bad business to charge $100 plus without stating a featured star is planning to be out. I actually planned my whole vacation trip around this show - I bought the ticket before I got airfare or had my vacation approved (I live in SF, CA and come to NYC once a year for theater).

I could understand if it had been playing for a year or even six months. Jeez - like they/he didn't know his shooting schedule for Huff before offering/taking the role?
Updated On: 3/20/05 at 02:43 AM

[Worldwide]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 5:44am

You have got to be kidding!

[demosupremo]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 8:07am

I was talking to David Hyde Pierce yesterday and he said that all of the performers in Spamalot are contracted thru December 21st and Hank would leave mid-June and return after a month or two. Also, I heard that there was orginally talk that Michael McGrath would step up for Hank's role while Hank is gone, but the producers were so happy with his Patsy they might not.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 8:26am

Robin Williams! Now that'd be cool!

[AnothaPartofMe]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 9:43am

Hank, while in the run of SPAMALOT, records his voice in a recording studio in New York for THE SIMPSONS, and his dialogue is added into the final product.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 9:48am

Why charge the same price for tickets on the extreme sides or in the mezzanine that you charge for center orchestra.?

Why pay the same price for a show when the original cast is gone ?

I feel sorry for the schlumps who are buying tickets wanting to see Azaria & finding out when they come he is not in it & management knew when they sold them the tickets & did not tell them. Imagine if this had happened during the original run of Lane & Broderick in The Producers ?

[Plum]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 11:30am

Is the theatrical success of Spamalot as closely tied to Azaria as that of The Producers was to Lane and Broderick? Overwhelmingly, this is a Monty Python show. And the movie analogy is off and you know it.

[joeybiltmore1]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 11:45am

John Bolton is known for delivering the goods when the star is out and is the nicest guy. I'd like to see The Opposite of Sex happen so he can have a role of his own.

I had a ball at Spamalot and will undoubtedly make many return visits to the Shubert in the next several years.