Janet Jackson in Bombay Dreams?!- Page 2

[SammyGal]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 2:42pm

ugh someone smack the casting director around and say NO NO NO!
I'm sick of almost seizing from passing that shiny sign. Scares me every time!

[magicfingers]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 2:45pm

why do you all assume that MICHAEL B.S. REIDEL is even telling the truth?

[SammyGal]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 2:50pm

It was on playbill.com too.

[magicfingers]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 2:57pm

from the playbill online article...

"The NEW YORK POST reports that the performer has been approached to star in the new musical at the Broadway Theatre, Bombay Dreams."


this is how gossip becomes fact

[magicfingers]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 2:58pm

anyway..since when is Reidel a REPORTER???

[SammyGal]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 3:01pm

since he bashed Taboo before it opened and then snuck into the opening night party to have a drink.

[eyeonbroadway]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 3:20pm

I always find MargoChanning's insight to be provocative. Though my initial reaction to the realization that I'd be considered a "tourist" (i.e. NYC outsider, I guess) was to bristle a little, I have to admit that making the journey to "theatre Mecca" inevitably involves making choices based on the time limitations that you have. For those of us tourists that are a little less shallow than the norm, it's a very tough decision when you'd really like to see the entire spectrum of what's there. I agree that the average tourist probably would not choose Assasins over Bombay Dreams when you can only see one show and that's an unfortunate reality. I hope you New Yorkers appreciate the exposure you have to the best of the best and the time to see as much as you can! For the rest of us, there's always a lot of compromise...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 3:52pm

I didn't mean to offend at all or belittle anyone's tastes, just to state simple realities -- most folks here on vacation don't want to see something that might depress them or make them angry. Vacations are fun and they want to see shows that are fun. A large percentage of out-of-towners are also families with children in tow -- most parents are not going to take a 5, 10, even 14 year old to see Assassins or Normal Heart or I Am My Own Wife. They want to see Wicked or Phantom or Lion King or, perhaps, Bombay Dreams -- and there's nothing wrong with that.

Two-thirds of Broadway tickets are bought by tourists these days and that's great. The problem is there used to be a very large group of regular adult theatre-goers, who lived here in the city or out in the suburbs who would, could and did support serious plays and challenging musicals. As time has gone on, it appears that much of that group of adventurous theatregoers has either died off or been priced out of the market by the runaway ticket prices -- whatever the reason, there aren't enough of them left to support serious theatre in this city anymore. The only way a commercial straight play apparently can turn a profit is to have tons of celebrities in it (Raisin w/ Rashad & Combs, Long Days w/ Redgrave and Denehey) so that the tourists will want to see it too, or for a play to have only one actor and win tons of awards (Wife -- though it hasn't turned a profit yet; Golda's Balcony still running, albeit at 50% capacity, after more than a year).

The not-for-profits do most of the truly interesting and provocative plays and musicals in the city, but shows there, by necessity, have to be limited engagements. "Bug," a straight play with a cast of 5 non-stars that has been playing for most of the year, is an anomaly -- a long-running commercial hit straight play, that has a full cast of actors who aren't celebrities.

Anyway, I'm way off topic, but, while I'm well aware that there are "less shallow" tourists coming into town all the time, there seem to be fewer of them than ever before, which will lead in the future to more brainless mega-spectacle shows and fewer attempts at stuff like "Assassins" because there just doesn't seem to be the audience to support it anymore.

Updated On: 7/9/04 at 03:52 PM

[eyeonbroadway]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 4:02pm

I really do appreciate the insight and no offense taken. My next question was going to be "what happened to the natives?" since New York is...after all New York! You covered that perspective pretty well, too. The rest of the country looks to New York to be our artistic "leading edge" and it's ironic that that's somewhat at the mercy of how the rest of us spend our money!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 5:21pm

Hmmm...what's next? Perhaps Michael Jackson will make his debut in Hairspray...

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 5:34pm

Millie.. I shal have to kill you for THAT one

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 5:38pm

LOL...I hope that Mike NEVER gets cast in a Broadway show...

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 5:43pm

I just watched the "maiking of" DVD for Bombay Dreams and I really want to see it. I like the score, the sets, lighting, costumes and choreography. I know it has a fluffy book, but so do most of the visually spectacular shows. So what? What I saw looked like great fun and highly entertaining. It put a smile on my face. Nothing wrong with that.

On the other hand, I would not give my money to see Janet Jackson in anything. After the backlash of her wardrobe malfunction, I'm surprised the producers approached her for the show. I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 5:51pm

Before the latest "accusations," the 45 year old Jackson desperately wanted play Peter Pan in a live-action movie (anybody else remember the Vanity Fair article which revealed that he paid $150,000 to a witch doctor to put a curse on Steven Spielberg after the director wouldn't cast him as Peter Pan in "Hook"?).

Maybe he can star in the next revival of the musical -- one can only imagine the sight of Jackson at an open casting call for "lost boys...."

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 5:53pm

oh my GAWD!

[saddle shoe side kick]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 7:05pm

In my weekly newsletter from broadwaynewyork.com, it said "The New York Post, reports that Janet Jackson has been approached to star on Broadway in “Bombay Dreams.”" This scares me. -Penny

[DAME]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 7:40pm

Sammy;
ust so you know how things work. The casting director probaly has nothing to do with the decison ( as bogus as it is) to bring Janet into the show. It is all the producers.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 8:29pm

I got that weekly newsletter too, saddle shoe. It also said that this was coming from the newpaper that misreported Kerry's choice for a running mate...

[SammyGal]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 10:44pm

thanks DAME. :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY btw!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 9:44pm

re: Peter Pan the Musical

Wherever the lost boys go, we see a Michael Jackson.