Hi Joe,
I'm not a Nathan Lane expert and don't know every issue he has had with every show he has been in.
Also, I am not trying to be hypercritical of Lane, just realistic. He sometimes has problems and I am weighing all risks into the equation (new musical... potential cast issues) as to whether the opening night date will stick.
Here are a few items:
From Playbill: "Nathan Lane, the much-lauded star of the West End production of The Producers, has had to pull out of a performance because of a bad back."
Also from Playbill: "Nathan Lane was injured during the Sept. 1 matinee of The Frogs at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. Timothy Gulan played the rest of the show as Lane sought medical attention for gashes and bruises to his legs, suffered in Act I of the musical."
From EW: "A late summer-early fall 1995 shoot for Love! Valour! was derailed when Lane announced he was unavailable. Speculation was rife that the stage star didn't want to step directly from his drag role in Birdcage into yet another pair of high heels on screen. Lane won't reopen the subject; director Joe Mantello, who helmed the stage version and the movie, asserts it was 'just a scheduling thing.' Whatever the reasons, the abrupt defection of its sole marquee-level star made Love! Valour! look like a dead duck ? or at least a swan in Mayday mode."
Updated On: 5/29/09 at 12:26 PM