Is Tony Yazbeck leaving A Chorus Line? — Page 2

Chryssie told me she's moving back to LA because more doors are opening up for her in film + tv, I hope she does well!
Someone I know asked Jessica when her contract is up and she said she is signing on for another year.

What about Deidre Goodwin?

Anybody know if Jason is leaving in July/August?

I think maybe the producers and the actors had some bad blood. There are ALWAYS people out of that show. I read the producers sat them down and told them to straighten up, but I've passed the theater many times since I moved here, and there continues to be three or four names on that understudy board a night.

You also have to consider how hard this show is on their bodies. Going from standing still for 20 mins to dancing full out isn't easy I'm guessing. I'm sure this has accounted for injuries and absences as well as people deciding over one year doing this was show was enough. They were in rehearsals this time last year.

Popular_elphie, it's not unusual for a show like A Chorus Line to have performers out numerous times each month. It was no different during the original run. To do that choreography full out 8 times a week is almost imppossible without taking a few days off here and there. Maybe there was bad blood for other reasons, but it's certainly not for their absences.

I'm not trying to say that the work's not easy, I'm just saying that I think they might have had excessive absences not just for rest and that's why they were talked to. I actually think someone said something about it on this board. Use the search option.

From what I understand, ten cast members were not given the option to renew their contracts; nine were. Eight accepted and have renewed their contracts, and the ten that were not asked back plus one that chose not to renew will not be returning.

My best guess for the reason as to why most were not asked back is attendance. This is not the kind of show that relies on names. What is most important to the producers is that whomever is listed in the Playbill as playing a particular role is there eight times a week performing and that the understudy board is empty as much as possible.

Audiences in general are disappointed when they see names on the understudy board because they feel like they're missing something or they're being cheated somehow. No matter who is in the cast -- if they are there performing eight times a week -- audiences will be happier and they will be more likely to report positive experiences to their friends (future ticket buyers).

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J. Elaine Marcos(Wedding Singer) is the new Connie.

I saaw the the show earlier this month and there were 4 understudies (Charlotte,Ken, Mara, and Natalie were all out). None of the understudies were awful, but I especially loved Ken's u/s David Baum. He was fantastic. Anybody know for sure who all is leaving, and who is staying yet?

What Foster and Fosse are talking about is what I was talking about. Has any tourist except for us Broadway nuts ever smiled at an understudy board? They want to see the full cast.

Sorry, I think my problem is in the use of the term "bad blood". I don't mean to say that absences aren't a concern for the producers and that it's not a factor in their decision not to renew contracts, but when I think of "bad blood" I think of Rosie and Raul or Patti and Lloyd Webber. I don't think that the absences have created bad blood between the producers and performers, but rather an undesireable inconvenience.