How did Cynthia Nixon do Hurlyburly and The Real Thing at the same time?

[winston89]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 6:06am

I know that I have heard stories of Cynthia Nixon being in the Broadway productions of both Hurlyburly and The Real Thing at the same time. But, what I can't figure out is how she did it from a schedule standpoint. If two shows have the same performance schedule, then how can you be in two places at the same time?

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 6:21am

She was in Act 1 of one show and Act 2 of the other. The theatres were two blocks apart. I'm pretty sure she missed the curtain call in one of them, but that's it.

Both shows were directed by Mike Nichols.

EDIT: As far as I know, this has never happened before or since, with a performer in two Broadway shows simultaneously. (Broadway and cabaret, yes ... Broadway and Off-Broadway, yes ... but not two shows running on Broadway.)

Updated On: 1/5/12 at 06:21 AM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 9:09am

She only had one scene in The Real Thing, which was in Act 2, which although not very long was the best scene in that production thanks to her (the revival of The Real Thing was much better than the original IMHO).

I'm not sure if she wasn't in Act 2 of Hurly Burly. I don't think she was in The Real Thing curtain call.

This is nothing however compared to Elaine Stritch's commuting from checking in to make sure Merman, whom she was understudying, was going on in Call Me Madam, before heading up to New Haven to sing "Zip" as Gladys in Act 2 of Pal Joey. Or as Merman said to her one night when Stritch was in a panic, and as Stritch brilliantly related in At Liberty, "Elaine will ya for Chrisake go up to New Haven and sing the ****ing song!"

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 9:14am

In HURLYBURLY, the character of Donna is in the very beginning of the first act, then doesn't reappear until the final scene. Since the play is close to 3.5 hours, Nixon could have pretty much gone and done an entire two-act play in her down time.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 10:22am

"In HURLYBURLY, the character of Donna is in the very beginning of the first act, then doesn't reappear until the final scene. Since the play is close to 3.5 hours, Nixon could have pretty much gone and done an entire two-act play in her down time."

But you know in the back of each stage manager's mind, there was always the lurking question "What if something happens while she's moving from one theater to another?"

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 10:28am

As AC pointed out, because HURLYBURY was so long, Nixon was able to do the curtain call for THE REAL THING without a problem.

Interestingly, Nixon talks in her Downstage Center podcast about how there was a scene they cut from HURLYBURLY out of town which, had it been kept for New York, would have prevented her from being able to do both plays simultaneously, since it brought back her character sooner in the storyline. It was reinstated for the recent Off-Broadway revival.

best12bars, Nixon said in the same interview that Equity has since come out and made a rule forbidding anyone from being able to do what she did. In order to appease those who felt Nixon may be taking work from another actor, THE REAL THING had to hire a second offstage female cover for her role, since this all happened when Nixon went back into the show after initially leaving to do HURLYBURLY and being replaced by her understudy, Yeardley Smith (the voice of Lisa on The Simpsons.) I believe the rule only applies to playing two principal roles concurrently, since Charlotte d'Amboise was playing Roxie Hart in CHICAGO and standing by for Charity in the SWEET CHARITY revival simultaneously a few seasons ago.

Updated On: 1/5/12 at 10:28 AM

[WOSQ]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 2:06pm

She was also driven via a car service between the theatres.

There was also a person who was with her as she travelled the 2 blocks back and forth to make sure everything went smoothly. A "Cynthia Wrangler" as it were.

Wasn't she like 16 at the time?

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 2:10pm

Wasn't she like 16 at the time?

18.

Updated On: 1/5/12 at 02:10 PM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 2:12pm

WOSQ, she wasn't driven by a car service between the theaters, nor did she have a "wrangler." She says in the Downstage Center interview, when asked if she had to run from stage door to stage door, that she walked very casually from show to show every night.

Updated On: 1/5/12 at 02:12 PM

[daredevil]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 2:49pm

In Spring of 1962, a very fine actress named Madeleine Sherwood, was playing Morgan Le fey in Camelot, while understudying Bette Davis (later Shelley Winters) in the role of Maxine in Night of the Iguana. The Royale, where Iguana played was right behind the Majestic, where Camelot was running. My understanding was that she played both roles several times; Maxine is a big role but has a long break offstage in Act II; it was possible for Sherwood to cross to the Majestic, play the short scene as Le Fey, and then return to the Royale for Maxine's final entrance.

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 2:55pm

Rita Gardner also understudied TWO roles on Broadway while appearing in JACQUES BREL... downtown in The Village Gate.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 3:20pm

Understudying or standing by is not the same thing as doing eight shows a week of two Broadway productions simultaneously.

Still, it's fascinating info.

[morosco]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 3:43pm

I seem to remember Nixon detailing her shortcut between theatres so that she could avoid 8th Ave and Times Square. One of the shortcuts was through the Edison Hotel lobby. (A shortcut I'm sure we've all used on multiple occasions.)

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 3:55pm

I've heard some nights she stopped for a bowl of matzoh ball soup at the Polish Tea Room.

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 4:11pm

Understudying or standing by is not the same thing as doing eight shows a week of two Broadway productions simultaneously.

Of course. I just found it fascinating when Gardner told the story about having to go uptown, check in at two theatres, make sure she wasn't needed, then go all the way downtown to sign in for half hour at JACQUES BREL. She told the story in her wonderful cabaret act...apparently Larry Hagman would occasionally ferry her from theatre to theatre on his motorcycle.

[brettarnett]

Posted: 11/21/13 at 2:48am

Sorry to bring up an old thread but this one is fascinating! Has anyone else done this in recent times? Or at least star in a Broadway show and understudy in another?

[WestCoastActor/Director]

Posted: 11/21/13 at 3:01am

After starring as Oliver with Patti LuPone and Ron Moody, Braden Danner originated the role of Gavoche in Les Miz and Control in Starlight Express. Control was a pre-taped voice over but after Gavoche dies he would go to the other theatre for the Curtain Call as Control and then go back to Les Mis to bow. He was only 12 and was also on One Life To Live as Buddy as his day job. Three roles at the same time!

Starlight Express
[Musical, Comedy, Original]
Performer: Braden Danner [Voice of the Boy]
Mar 15, 1987 - Jan 08, 1989
Les Misérables
[Musical, Drama, Original]
Performer: Braden Danner [Gavroche]
Mar 12, 1987 - May 18, 2003

[VeraCharles3]

Posted: 11/21/13 at 4:36am

Don't know if this has been mentioned before and I don't think the play has played Broadway yet but the Alan Ayckbourn play(s) "House and Garden" are two plays which play in two different theatres at the same time with the cast appearing in both. One play is set in the House and the other play in the Garden. It was performed at the National theatre in the Westend - the Olivier Theatre and Lyttelton Theatre.

So obviously depending on what play you go and see, you see a play set in either House or Garden and the cast have to run between theatres to appear in both productions.

I know it's not the same as appearing in two different plays as two different characters but it's a fun idea so thought i'd share.

[AC126748]

Posted: 11/21/13 at 10:11am

HOUSE and GARDEN were done simultaneously in New York at MTC's City Center space, which has two stages.

[VeraCharles3]

Posted: 11/21/13 at 10:14am

Thank you AC126748, I didn't realise it had played New York

[AC126748]

Posted: 11/21/13 at 10:16am

There was an article in the Times around the time of the premiere that explained the mechanics of how the backstage operated during a performance, moving the actors from one stage to the next. I'd search for it but I have to go into a meeting. But it's out there if you want to look.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/21/13 at 10:19am

Actually on the DVD of the McKellen/Dench Macbeth, Ian McKellen tells the story of how the fella who played King Duncan in his production of Macbeth was also in the first and last scene of Comedy of Errors at another theater so once he got killed in Macbeth (spoiler), he would bicycle over to…I want to say, do the last scene of Comedy of Errors.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/21/13 at 10:34am

Speaking of Cynthia Nixon, she is on Bill de Blasio's mayoral transition team.

So being able to dash from one theater to another is a resume enhancer.


Link

Updated On: 11/21/13 at 10:34 AM

[VeraCharles3]

Posted: 11/21/13 at 10:35am

Thanks again AC126748, I will have a search online later.

Enjoy your meeting

Mattbrain - Thanks also, I would have loved to have seen the McKellen/Dench Macbeth.

[AC126748]

Posted: 11/21/13 at 11:41am

Didn't Raul Julia appear as Osric in HAMLET at the Delacorte while starring in TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA on Broadway?