Jeremy Jordan To Depart NEWSIES for SMASH; Corey Cott Takes Over on 9/5- Page 2

[winston89]

Posted: 8/14/12 at 9:56pm

I happend to catch Corey's first performance (by chance) last Wednesday afternoon. He was good. And, the playbill had a color insert for him that listed him as Jack Kelly Standby. Starting tomorrow, the guy would have been with the show for a week. For all we know, he's just doing Wednesday afternoons. Not all alternates have to do two shows a week, this is Disney, not a Webber musical.

[tphiliboy152]

Posted: 8/14/12 at 10:41pm

Corey actually did the Wednesday matinee and evening show last week.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 8/14/12 at 10:52pm

Does Jordan have top billing? I ask because alternates void the name above the title return policy. Standbys do not. This may have been done in an effort to save money, though to my knowledge Jordan has good attendance. I'm surprised that more shows don't refer to their understudies and standbys as alternates.

[tphiliboy152]

Posted: 8/14/12 at 11:03pm

^Jeremy Jordan was never billed above the title. Disney shows do not do this.

[broadway_show_fan]

Posted: 8/14/12 at 11:16pm

I agree that Cott seems to act just like a standby.

Clumsy, I was never trying to be harsh/bitchy - just showing you the official press release wording. :)

[notzach2]

Posted: 8/14/12 at 11:22pm

Well, they sure have a funny definition of alternate, because Corey has only gone on once and doesn't have a regular alternate schedule. By definition - he's a standby, but I guess Disney is the king of redefining things.

Corey went on both shows on Wednesday, and then he also went on Sunday afternoon and yesterday (Monday) evening. A minor thing, but he has gone on more than once and it does seem like he's going to be doing at least two shows a week until he takes over, just based on how his first week went.

I'm not altogether surprised that Jeremy is leaving, I'm mostly just surprised by the timing. I just would have expected a little bit more notice for him leaving, or even that he'd stick it out a little bit longer. But the workload is probably just too much, what with rehearsals, filming, and then making it back to the theatre from wherever they're filming that day. It's tough.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 8/14/12 at 11:41pm

I don't think people are giving Jeremy nearly enough credit. I've never seen one single actor take on this much in such a short amount of time. He has been nonstop working for an entire year. He was doing Newsies at Papermill and rehearsing for Bonnie & Clyde at the same time. Then he did Bonnie & Clyde, which is a very demanding show for Clyde (and he didn't miss a single show). Then right after that closed he went straight into Newsies. Newsies is also an exhausting show and he has only missed a handful of performances. And then recently he has been doing Smash during the day and Newsies at night. I completely respect him for really giving his all and trying to juggle so many projects. I think he has done a great job.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 8/15/12 at 12:40am

broadwayshowfan: I totally didn't take it like that, and I'm sorry if you thought I did, for that I apologize. I just find it weird they basically have a standby being called an alternate, when he's basically a standby.

Drunk Chita - Preach. Guy needs a break, I respect him for his work ethic and stamina, but when you need to focus on one thing - you gotta do what you gotta do.

[tphiliboy152]

Posted: 8/15/12 at 12:45am

Technically.. Corey Cott is the Jack Kelly alternate. It's listed like that.

http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/CurrentCast/13858/Newsies-at-Nederlander-Theatre

Where as shows that have standbys (Wicked) have it billed like this.
http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/CurrentCast/11020/Wicked-at-George-Gershwin-Theatre

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 8/15/12 at 1:02am

Corey Cott is being billed as an alternate because they know he's going to be going on regularly, which is what differentiates him from a standby, who only goes on in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

What makes this situation unique is that they don't know in advance when or how regularly Cott will perform, since television shows don't usually give actors their shooting schedule until the night before they have to work (which is why the network "owns" you when you go under contract for a TV show.) In order to not make it look like Jordan is missing performances recklessly (since the producers knew he'd be missing them regularly,) they've elected to bill Cott as an alternate, which was smart.

Updated On: 8/15/12 at 01:02 AM

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 8/15/12 at 1:04am

He's also listed on the main site as Jack Kelly alternate.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/15/12 at 1:44am

It has been a heady year for JJ, and he should concentrate on one project, especially one as huge as SMASH.
Still it would be nice if he gave the show that got him a TONY nod as best Actor and his breakthrough role at least a year,
But I can only imagine the difference in $$$, considering what DISNEY pays.
Hs should "Sieze the Pay!"

[sundayclothes2]

Posted: 8/15/12 at 2:24am

But I can only imagine the difference in $$$, considering what DISNEY pays.
Hs should "Sieze the Pay!"

I always thought that Disney paid their actors relatively well which is why so many repeatedly work with them.



Updated On: 8/15/12 at 02:24 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/15/12 at 2:29am

nope

[broadwayfever]

Posted: 8/15/12 at 3:54am

I knew this kid was going to be a 'smash' ever since I first saw him perform in Bonnie & Clyde.

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 8/15/12 at 8:02am

Here are the two numbers Corey Cott sang from Newsies, including Santa Fe, at the Broadway in Bryant Park concert. Not bad, I'd say.
New Newsies Newsboy Leader: Jeremy Jordan replaced by Corey Cott

[peachesr82]

Posted: 8/15/12 at 3:28pm

Jeremy has served Newsies well, I mean he's been with it since Papermill and vice versa really. He's had one hell of a year, two Broadway leads (he wasn't the problem in B+C)and snagging a role in a big tv show, I suppose even the release of that Dolly Parton film he did has served him in some way. Wasn't he rehearsing Bonnie & Clyde at the same time as performing Newsies or am I imagining that?
I admire him juggling everything the way he has, I don't think anyone blames him for moving on to concentrate on just one project. I just hope he isn't going to be another talent that slowly disappears from the stage in favour of tv and film work.

[Sugar78]

Posted: 8/15/12 at 4:30pm

In addition to admiring his stamina, I also respect him for the fact that he seemed able to handle all of that with such grace. I remember when they announced Newsies was coming to Broadway, with Jeremy in the middle of previews for B&C, within minutes it seemed his Facebook was bombarded with people demanding to know if/when he was going to leave B&C to do Newsies. I felt so bad for him being pulled in different directions like that, but I think he handled it well and remained loyal to both shows. Even after the unfortunate situation with B&C closing so quickly, he's always remained loyal and proud of it even though he moved on to a hit show. I think that says a lot about his character.

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 8/16/12 at 8:33pm

Jeremy and Ashley Spencer are also getting married on 9/8 (same day as me!) so that is also probably part of the reason for this particular departure date...