Jeremy Jordan in Newsies- Page 2

[loliveve]

Posted: 8/24/12 at 11:27am

@Kelly2- I think Jenniferlyn knows Jeremy. She definitely is at least in contact with him... I vaguely remember reading that she runs his official website, with his permission. So, she does get to be his "defender and publicist."

And as for the "mental defectives waiting behind the barricade"-- aren't you being just a LITTLE dramatic given the fact that Disney completely incentivized going to the stage door to collect "Newsies" trading cards?!

Anyhow, just reading the boards it seems like he has made it to Tuesday performances, but not Wednesdays. So, hopefully you'll get to see him perform as you want.

[jenniferlyn]

Posted: 8/24/12 at 12:18pm

@Kelly2 - I'm sorry you feel that my "stalker photo" as you say stabs my credibility in the foot. I'm not going to go back and forth with you about this. I hope Jeremy is in the show when you attend.

@loliveve - Thank you and good memory :)

Updated On: 8/24/12 at 12:18 PM

[Vellekoop]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 8:54am

I would just like to say that I am truly happy how quickly this thread went from "What shows is Jordan doing?" to "You're a big poopiehead." How very IMDb...

[Ilovekevincahoon]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 10:47am

@kelly2 I am actually saddened by how you took this thread down a road where there seems to be so much anger.

As for Jeremy he has always focused on being in as many shows as possible. When the Smash opportunity arose there were obviously discussions with Disney and they were aware of the demands on doing both shows. His "exhaustion" does not come from playing Jack as his record will show, it is from long days filming sometimes until 2am. If you are not familiar with the filming schedule maybe you should look it up, or look at the tweets from Jeremy and the other actors. His role on Smash seems to be bigger than first anticipated, which is why he has decided to leave Newsies. He definitely would love to stay if it was possible but it is not. He is also leaving for his Wedding and Honeymoon soon and Smash has him filing even more since he will be away, unfortunately something has to give. I also hope he is in when you go.

As for Jenniferlyn, she does in fact know Jeremy and does run his official website, she has know him since his Broadway debut in Rock of Ages. Her reason for not knowing where the "alternate " label came from is pointless.. If you know the definitions of an alternate and stand-by you would know he is a stand-by who is going to be assuming the role full time when Jeremy leaves. Congrats to him, I hear he is great!

As for seeing certain performers, I have been disappointed many times by people being out for various reasons it is live theater and real life happens... Last week the entire show of Forbidden Broadway, that I was supposed to see was cancelled because no one came to unlock the building, we were given tickets to another performance. There are no guarantees in life or in theater...

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 11:35am

Yawn.

Updated On: 8/29/12 at 11:35 AM

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 3:15pm

I really don't understand why you're getting so pissy about this. I remember when Aaron Tveit had his role on Gossip Girl and he was still in Next to Normal it was not unusual for him to call out unexpectedly because conflicts would pop up. It seems like Jeremy's role on Smash is bigger than he expected, and maybe he originally thought he could do most of the performances or could handle balancing the two but now he cannot, hence why he is leaving Newsies.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 6:41pm

I just hate people with no work ethic. I mean, sorry, a Broadway actor makes 1700$ a week minimum to work for less than 3 hours every day. You're telling me it's that hard to take care of yourself accordingly and show up? Jeremy is probably making closer to 3-5k a week for Newsies. What a lovely salary. At my job, I get paid when I show up. And while paid vacation is obviously allowed (and I am assuming Jordan has taken scheduled vacations and I obviously don't begrudge him that) if I just randomly didn't show up once or twice a week because I was tired, it wouldn't matter what the reason was, I'd probably get fired.

I can't say enough how much I respect those in theatre who value showing up and who manage their time appropriately. I salute the Michael Cerveris types of this world. As an actress I knew once told me: "It makes me feel vain to think that people are showing up to only to see my performance, but if they're paying money to see me then it is my obligation to be there unless I'm laid up in bed dying."

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 7:17pm

You don't know that he hasn't taken a pay cut-- he cannot have racked up enough days off this early in the run.

You don't know that he didn't try to leave sooner but the producers WANTED him to stay.

Obviously they are ok with it, or it wouldn't be happening.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 8:34pm

When a fangirl starts telling this board what her crush is feeling (he's tired, he's weary) it gets really creepy.
I highly doubt jj is getting 5k a week, and once he is out of sick and vaca days he looses money when he misses.
(I believe)
The producers were obviously told mis-information about his SMASH scheduling or they would have let him go weeke ago.
It's a timimg thing that just didn't work out they way it was planned. DISNEY seems to want him out sooner, not later at this point.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 10:15pm

I think it's a bit rich of you to be saying he has no work ethic considering you don't know him and also that up to this point, his attendance record has been pretty good. I also seriously doubt it's his decision whether or not people know his schedule in advance...I'm sure the producers of the show are okay with what is happening, otherwise he would have been let out of his contract before now.

People in general get so nasty about actors missing performances when you don't know at all what's going on in their lives or how hard they're trying to be there. Some people don't take the job seriously enough and don't treat their bodies well and call out sick a lot, but the vast majority of people who are working on Broadway actually want to be there and get very upset when they have to miss shows. There are also a lot of them who would rather call out than give what they know will be a sub-par performance because they're physically just not up to it and don't want to hurt themselves or their voices by pushing too hard. And he's probably taking a pay cut for missing shows since he doesn't get paid for not being there.

[Back Row]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 11:55pm

Wow, a lot of foolishness in the latter part of this thread, much of it coming from the Kelly2. I don't know Jeremy Jordan, but I have followed the development of Newsies and have admired some of the innovative marketing they have used to turn what should have been a moderate hit into a monster hit. I admire people who do their jobs well, and the marketing people at Disney have done their jobs extremely well with Newsies. For that reason, I have been following developments in the show. And, like virtually every other person who has commented here (with the exception of Jennifer Lyn, who appears to be a friend of Jeremy Jordan), I know absolutely nothing of what was and wasn't planned regarding Jeremy Jordan's departure from Newsies.

However, I do know something about negotiating, and I know when you have a high powered and highly respected producer on one side (Disney), and an agency as formidable as ICM on the other, little is left to chance. Both parties cover every possible contingency during negotiations. So, as things change along the way, no one is caught flat footed. In the case of Jordan, if the role ends up being bigger than first expected, I'm sure there is a contingency for that. I'm sure there were firm dates and numbers that triggered other contingencies. These guys didn't just fall off the turnip truck. They are the best in the business. I seriously doubt that anything that has happened with regard to Jeremy Jordan and Newsies was not discussed between Disney and ICM when his departure was first negotiated.

I think Jeremy Jordan's work ethic is not even relevant to this discussion. As I said, I don't know him, and I assume that he has the same sound work ethic of most Broadway performers, but that's not even at issue here, because the inability of a performer to make himself available in two different places at the same time, working for two different producers, does not demonstrate an unwillingness to do the necessary work, but rather an inability to travel in time. I am not aware of the circumstances surrounding all his absences from Newsies, but there is evidence that most, and perhaps all, of those absences were due to his SMASH shooting schedule encroaching on or conflicting with the Newsies performance schedule. It wasn't a matter of being exhausted, which he may well have been. Exhaustion has been given as one of the reasons for making a decision to leave Newsies, but I am not aware of a circumstance where he called in because he was too tired to work. So, as much as his friends and fans may want to defend him due to the physical strain of his work schedule, it does not appear that Jordan himself is using that as an excuse for missing performances.

Kelly2 appears to be angry at Jordan because of the possibility that he may miss the performance for which she has tickets. I think her anger is be misdirected. If you go all the way back to the day when some of the new roles for Smash were announced, it seemed that one role was developed with only one actor in mind: Jordan. Shortly after that, Disney announced auditions for a Jack Kelly alternate, which was puzzling to some because at that point, Jordan had never missed a performance in any of the four Broadway shows he had been in. The timing of that announcement seems to indicate that Disney has been planning for the possibility that Jordan could be leaving Newsies for quite some time. They had a number of options available to them. None of those options included being completely open and fair with ticket buyers. It is conceivable that everything that has happened up to this point as been according to a plan developed by Disney: the inability or unwillingness to set actual performance schedules for Jordan and Corey Cott, the cancellation of Mary Poppins' Bryant Park performance in favor of creating a showcase for Cott, positive comments about Cott from from cast members and and others associated with the show to create a positive buzz, and a gradual transition whereby Jordan could exit the show without hurting ticket sales after Cott has been established as the new guy. All speculation, but their ticket sales have not suffered, and I do not think that is an accident.

Jeremy Jordan may or may not be performing on August 28, the day Kelly2 would like to see him perform. Indications are that his role on Smash is large enough to require his presence on most weekdays. TV shows, especially one hour dramas, have very long work days. If he's shooting that day, he's probably shooting into the early evening, too late to make it to Newsies. And if he doesn't perform that night, those are the breaks. When I was five, I wanted a pony. I didn't get it. But even as a five year old, I had enough sense not to blame the pony's work ethic when it didn't happen.

Posted: 8/26/12 at 12:27am

As an aside to the discussion over the work ethic/advanced schedule, i am a big jeremy jordan fan and got tickets to the friday august 24 show hoping to see him perform one last time. It ended up being Corey Cott which disappointed me but once the show started, well, i think he was better than JJ (who was also great). i know JJ is the big name but judging from what i saw, CC will be one and is already performing like one. so i'd personally say you'd better off with CC (and i'm a big JJ fan). and no, i don't run his website.

[ILuv2shop531]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 1:33am

Thank you spidernight. I think it is important for people to see that Newsies is a great show, with Jeremy, Corey or anyone else as Jack. There are people that would love to see the show right now and don't have the funds to do so. As it has been so highly discussed, Jeremy wishes he could be there, but his crazy and changing schedule sometimes prevents him to be. Anyone who is seeing the show should appreciate their experience and not be so upset just because one actor (as amazing as they are) isn't there.

I feel as if this is something that can equate to many shows. Over the years I have learned to appreciate a show for the beauty that is onstage and the overall talent, not for one actor. This came full circle when Audra wasn't on in Porgy and Bess back in the winter. I had the option to exchange for another date and am so happy i didn't. With or without Audra, Porgy and Bess is a ground breaking and great show. Although Newsies is no Porgy and Bess it is still a great show that should be defined by its ensemble not one actor.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 12:56pm

It's just funny that for all the grandstanding and pearl-clutching in this thread, no one has actually been able to refute any of my points with facts or logic instead of emotional hysteria.

And no, I can guarantee you personally Jordan has not only missed shows that conflict with his shooting schedule.

[Ilovekevincahoon]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 1:07pm

Ok... I feel the need to chime in one last time.. and no I am not a fangirl, I have only seen Newsies once on Broadway.

Kelly2 says she wants to see Jeremy very badly, but then bashes his work ethic and said she had only seen him in the Heather's concert..um ok...while I once hoped he would be in for you.. I no longer do.

Back row said it all, these negotiations were made with the producers not Jeremy, he is not that big of a name yet....So that being said, blame the producers who agreed to let him miss shows while filming or those who require him to be filming during show times.

I have seen Jeremy many times in Rock of Ages, West Side Story and Bonnie and Clyde..His record with the shows was near perfect as was in Newsies until he started filming. You have had months to see him but you wait until his last week...I tried to catch Beth Level in Mamma Mia her last week and I was also disappointed...

Life goes on their will be other shows...but you have really been unfair to an actor who you don't know at all.

I know Jenniferlyn and she would love to say more here but she is trying to maintain some professionalism, given her position...It seems Kelly2 has her mind made up and no one is going to change it or get threw to her...

Lastly as Back row said, his exhaustion statement was a reason for leaving Newsies , not a reason for missing shows, that has been purse scheduling conflict. They film all over NYC, including Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island..when they film past call time he simply can not be there and they film all week long, if you truly want to catch him I would suggest you go Saturday or Sunday your last chances...

[Back Row]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 6:02pm

Kelly2, your claim that no one has been able to refute any of your points with facts or logic is particularly amusing considering the fact that those points themselves appear to have been formulated without the use of any facts or logic. You take some speculation by a fan as to reasons for Jordan's missing shows, and immediately launch into an attack on Jordan's work ethic as if that information came from Jordan himself. There is certainly nothing logical about that. Hysterical and emotional, yes. But not logical.

You claim that Jordan's situation is identical to that of Elena Roger's when clearly it is not. One was negotiated into a contract before the show even opened, the other is a moving target with a performance schedule that is subject to whatever circumstances impact the shooting schedule of another project by another producer. So, that claim was made without facts. Probably that whole emotional and hysterical thing coming into play again.

And your claim that shooting schedules are "more predictable than you think" is pure fantasy. Anyone who has been in any business that involves the the coordination of personal schedules, several different union trades, weather, permitting and any number of other variables would tell you that the only thing that is predictable is when you start at the beginning of the day. Everything else is a controlled crapshoot. Sometimes you finish early, sometimes you finish late, and sometimes you don't finish. That's life in the big boy world.

And your repeated request for a published schedule has basically been answered by Jordan himself. He has said he will, barring illness, be there on Saturdays and Sundays. I assume he will try to make some weekday performances when he can, but the official schedule is Saturdays and Sundays. So, problem solved.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 7:14pm

Yawn.

Updated On: 8/29/12 at 07:14 PM

[Back Row]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 9:30pm

Kelly2, I guess what confuses me is why you would be angry at Jordan at all. Do you think he should have turned down the Smash gig, which offers much higher visibility and probably pays a lot more? As I pointed out earlier, the Smash job appeared to have been on Jordan's radar for a long time before it was announced, and before Newsies was announced as an open ended run. It makes sense that he would pursue it given the timing of events. None of us know the circumstances which led to Jordan announcing that he would continue to do Newsies as well, but I suspect that it was a combination of an experienced producer buying some time to find a replacement, and a naive performer actually believing he could pull it off. Disney may have been single mindedly doing anything and everything it could to maintain ticket sales, including being disingenuous with ticket buyers, but frankly, it did not appear to me that Jordan was doing anything but trying to please his fans and continue to perform a role which he has said many times he loves to do. If there is a villain here, it would be Disney.

And yes, I have worked around movie sets in the past, and I know that nobody is being worked to the bone, but Jordan is required to be there until shooting for the day is complete, and that appears to be what is causing him to miss shows. Again, like everyone else, I can only speculate.

I don't blame you for being ticked off about the possibility of not seeing the performer you want, but to openly question the work ethic of someone who you don't know anything about, and without any anecdotal evidence or specifics as to why he has missed shows, is extremely irresponsible. Get as angry as you want, but save your anger for the puppeteer, not the puppet.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 1:09am

Lots of sqibble-sqabble here.
Most actors as TONY nommed leads in their first big hit would never think of auditioning for another gig that would jeopardize missing shows:
Streisand: Oye, I have to leave FUNNY GIRL, I got a gig on BEWITCHED as the sister!
The Merm: See ya fellas, I'm leaving GYPSY to play Marlo's Mom on THAT GIRL!

I know those are silly comparisions, but you get the point.

But JJ did, he got the part and DISNEY agrred, dat's the story.
I don't think his work ethic is the question here, he's young and will prove that when times get slim again, as they usually do. Let's hope he's a big hit on SMASH and comes back to the BWay stage and stays awhile next time.

Oh, and I'm glad that fangirl #1 is acting professionally, what is her professional position? Is she on JJ's payroll?

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 1:56pm

Has anybody that has been to the theatre today seen if Jeremy will be on tonight? I know Smash is filming in Long Island today...

[tphiliboy152]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 4:19pm

Usually that is announced until about 2 hours prior to the show...^^

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 4:56pm

Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know! I'm heading in to the city tomorrow to see the show. So I was just curious to see if he'll be on tonight since Smash is filming today as well.

[tphiliboy152]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 5:56pm

Chances are Corey will perform tonight and tomorrow.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 8:56pm

Well, isn't that irritating? It's completely mind-blowing to me that someone as young and fit as Jeremy can't handle finishing out his last two weeks of performances, but I guess some people have less of a commitment to their work than others.

I personally respect the Michael Cerveris-es of the world who value their job and respect the audience enough to be present. It's always encouraging to see those rare few, though you'd hope it would be more actors who follow that example.

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 9:03pm

@Kelly2---They're filming at one of the theatres in Long Island today for Smash. Chances are Jeremy is still there filming for the show. Not to mention when the show films in Long Island it usually is for big musical numbers, meaning Jeremy has been singing and dancing his ass off for 12 hours today.