"I broke my neck’ because I was ‘a nice girl" - Laura Benanti

[NormaDesmond3]

Posted: 10/29/21 at 2:49pm

https://nypost.com/2021/10/29/laura-benanti-blasts-unsafe-broadway-i-broke-my-neck/?_ga=2.242403521.2103959985.1635451079-573062961.1626804288

What a story! Laura is such a treasure. It breaks my heart that she went through this ordeal while her career was just starting. 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 10/29/21 at 2:51pm

Heartbreaking

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/29/21 at 2:53pm

It’s not really a bombshell, Benanti has talked about this for years in interviews, but yes, it is such a sad story. I believe she still has neurological issues to this day due to the injury.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 10/29/21 at 3:07pm

Has Kim Crosby ever spoken about these pratfalls in the original? That is insane to do this type of fall for months continuously. 

Into the Woods is hilarious but honestly, you could delete the Cinderella pratfalls and it wouldn't lose anything. It's pratfalls in an enormous gown. That's so dangerous.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/29/21 at 3:30pm

There are ways to choreograph a fall so it reduces impact and doesn’t require the actor to actually fall like they would in real life. The same way combat is not real, but choreographed to look real. It requires a good fight choreographer who can work with the actors to find what’s comfortable for them.

From what I can tell briefly researching, there was no fight choreographer on that production. Which leads me to believe Laura was directed to fall and just figure it out. As a person, I could interpret that and do my best to make it as safe as possible for me, but I can’t guarantee it would look very good. I do guarantee I’d hurt myself.

I’m glad she’s telling this story in this context. Yes, we know how she broke her neck, but it’s necessary to also tell the part where she was a young actress trying to do the “right” thing and it cost her. If she had felt empowered to speak up, think how different her life would be in the intervening decades.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 10/29/21 at 3:44pm

Things like this always remind me the bit from Everything Was Possible where (I'm probably misremembering details here) one of the actors had to sit on a piece of rubble as it was pushed downstage, up to the orchestra pit, and then sing. They got into an argument with Hal Prince about how it felt unsafe, and it wasn't until Prince actually got up onstage and rode the rubble down over the pit that he relented and changed the staging.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/29/21 at 4:04pm

She's very lucky she's been able to go on and be in more productions. I will never forget Adrian Bailey's story and how he FELL 20-30 feet through a trap door basically ending his career in The Little Mermaid. 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 10/29/21 at 4:19pm

She's one of my favorites, but I'll be honest, before I knew more of the situation some years on, I was one of those people who were like, "Why do they keep casting her in things if she's never there?" Of course, this was really pre-social media and message boards, and maturity, and I quickly changed my thinking as I discovered more about the situation. 

[Owen22]

Posted: 10/30/21 at 10:46pm

She's still playing "the nice girl", refusing to call out James Lapine who allowed this to happen to her!

Updated On: 10/30/21 at 10:46 PM

[MikeyHelen]

Posted: 10/30/21 at 11:30pm

Interesting! Thanks for sharing.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/31/21 at 1:01am

Owen22 said: "She's still playing "the nice girl", refusing to call out James Lapine who allowed this to happen to her!"

Which I find odd because she hasn't hesitated to say those injuries happened during Into the Woods in the past.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 10/31/21 at 8:01am

Interesting how precious threads about Benanti and her injury/attendance were FILLED with dismissive replies from people talking about how “unprofessional” or “unreliable” she allegedly was…but this one has so few replies. Very interesting.

[Tag]

Posted: 10/31/21 at 11:21am

Owen22 said: "She's still playing "the nice girl", refusing to call out James Lapine who allowed this to happen to her!"

How was he, or anyone else for that matter, supposed to know if she didn't say anything at the time?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 10/31/21 at 11:50am

Professionals know that you don’t let a young actor stage their own prat fall and provide a safe environment by employing a fight choreographer.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/31/21 at 11:53am

ColorTheHours048 said: "I’m glad she’s telling this story in this context. Yes, we know how she broke her neck, but it’s necessary to also tell the part where she was a young actress trying to do the “right” thing and it cost her. If she had felt empowered to speak up, think how different her life would be in the intervening decades."

TBH, HAD she spoken up, she might not have gotten the same career. She might have been labeled as difficult or a whiner. (Not right, of course - but certainly possible.)

[Tag]

Posted: 10/31/21 at 12:13pm

Updated On: 10/31/21 at 12:13 PM

[Tag]

Posted: 10/31/21 at 12:17pm

Rick Sordelet was the Fight Director.  She wasn't staging this herself.

Updated On: 10/31/21 at 12:17 PM

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 10/31/21 at 1:47pm

If you look at the messages under her post there are a few Broadway stars sharing their own horror stories of getting seriously injured in a show and feeling pain years later. It's depressing.

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 10/31/21 at 2:36pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: "It’s not really a bombshell, Benanti has talked about this for years in interviews, but yes, it is such a sad story. I believe she still has neurological issues to this day due to the injury."

As mentioned in her post, this is the first time she's spoken about the situation without deflecting with comedy. It's not a bombshell, but it should be. She's talked about it so many times and there hasn't been a conversation within the industry about the safety of actors, even after the recent Jagged incident. It continues to happen to actors and, time and time again, actors will not speak up for the same reason Laura never talked about it until post-Tony win. 

I wish she would have written this as an op-ed for the Times, or HuffPost, or something - I would be so interested in actually having the conversation of keeping actors like Laura, Nora Schell, and Adrian Bailey safe without the fear of being labeled "difficult."

[Tag]

Posted: 10/31/21 at 3:29pm

CindersGolightly said: "I wish she would have written this as an op-ed for the Times, or HuffPost, or something - I would be so interested in actually having the conversation of keeping actors like Laura, Nora Schell, and Adrian Bailey safe without the fear of being labeled "difficult.""

The Adrian Bailey accident is apples & oranges to Laura's situation.

[Boq101]

Posted: 11/1/21 at 10:32am

Totally different situation but Donna Murphy had similar backlash when health problems affected her run in Wonderful Town. She also tried to soldier thru for the show and then when she missed performances people loved to call out her "work ethic". I'm not sure that I can see something like this happen in the same way to male performers. 

[Tag]

Posted: 11/1/21 at 12:15pm

Boq101 said: "Totally different situation but Donna Murphy had similar backlash when health problems affected her run in Wonderful Town. She also tried to soldier thru for the show and then when she missed performances people loved to call out her "work ethic". I'm not sure that I can see something like this happen in the same way to male performers."

Donna's reply to Laura on Instagram:

"My dear brave,vulnerable, strong, beautiful, brilliant badass friend. I wish I could say that it is hard to believe that so many people disrespected you, hurt you, guilt tripped & manipulated you , dismissed you & tried to manifest an untruthful representation of you, professionally & personally.But sadly, I can’t. Because I know how this goes. It’s happened to me. Several times over . Maybe someday I’ll be brave enough to speak fully to it. 
But right now I want to say, Sister- I see you, I believe & feel your truth, your pain & your anger. And I honor & am inspired by your decision to speak of it in the honest, straightforward, no bull****, no people pleasing,mature, fearless way you have. They can’t touch your true self or your brilliant talent. But I am so sorry for your pain . I love you Laura."