Karen Olivo: NYPD issues APB for your apprehension and return to the Palace- Page 2
Karen Olivo: NYPD issues APB for your apprehension and return to the Palace
ghostlight2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/04
#25Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 7:54pm
"my basis is the consistency of her absences as reported by others".
Your basis for what? Labeling her as unprofessional? You still don't have any facts to support that. All you have for facts is that she's had a lot of absences. Anyone who saw her accept her award at the Tonys could plainly see and hear she was very ill. I don't know if you remember some time back when Laura Benanti had frequent absences, and she was attacked on these boards in much the same way. Later it was disclosed that she had a medical problem that the producers would not allow her to talk about. Perhaps there's something of that nature going on. We don't know (that was for emphasis).
As to my not taking you so seriously because of your name, that's an opinion, not an attack. I'd feel the same way if it was I<3ephelba4evr. I'm sure you thought your thread title was clever. I thought it was just silly, misleading, and National Enquirer-ish. Also an opinion. Just like I think it's silly to be so up in arms about a performer being out when you had every reason to believe that it was pretty likely she'd be out. And it's out and out wrong and irresponsible to suggest that a performer go on if she's ill. Obviously, there's an issue, and clearly it needs to be addressed. If she's unable to continue they need to do something about it - but calling her disrespectful to her colleagues and unprofessional when you have no basis in saying so? I take issue with that.
#26Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 7:55pmCapnHook, Professionalism should be the standard, I completely agree. All I meant was, with her Tony being the only Tony award for WSS, it's undoubtedly a draw for theatergoers. And I would think being honored with a Tony would lead an actor to feel an urgency to perform the role that they were recognized for by the Tony committee on a somewhat consistent basis. It's not that KO was my only motivation to see the show, but sure I would've liked to have seen her and because I didnt get to - I think I have a right to express some sort of disappointment with respect to that.
CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#27Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 7:55pm
"She probably had the blessings of the producers to take the night off"
One of the most ridiculous things I have read here, especially with her record of absencesses on this show and the fact that there is a portion of the audience, maybe small, that want to see the only Tony winner from the show.
And taking a night off to be with your man who is leaving for LA is the worst excuse (if true) to miss a show, with all the couples in Show Biz if everyone missed a show for that reason, there would be No shows, TV or Movies being made at all.
I find it funny that people are actually chatting up Olivo as a possible EVITA, not only is she 100% wrong for the show, it is a 100% more difficult role and she is obviously not up to that.
I wish her luck.
#28Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 7:58pm
Anyway, KO's understudy Yanira was phenomenal in my opinion.
Well, THAT is a first.
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#29Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 7:59pm
I'm fairly certain rehearsals start on Monday in CA. I think many are leaving tonight. Additionally, the cast has been at Vassar for the last 2weeks rehearsing as well....so he's already been away. (I'm sure he's been home on weekends, but she's been busy then.)
I don't think there are too many professions that are important enough to not be able to take a personal day.
Sure...Patti Lupone missed very few performances....if she did, the producers would have to refund a poop load of money. I'm sure that big stars like that have quite a bit of incentive NOT to miss performances....but that's just a guess.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#30Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 7:59pm
ghostlight2, I respect your opinion. Feel free to continue to "take issue" with my points. I'm not backing down for them, I dont expect you to either from yours. I agree to disagree.
dramamama611, I would think keeping my job would be an incentive, but to each his/her own.
Updated On: 7/26/09 at 07:59 PM
#31Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:01pm
Evita gets an alternate. That's a poor example.
She's never had problems with absences before, it's well known that most of them have been related to illness. But believe you want. Laura Benanti and Donna Murphy went through the same thing, and their careers have been just fine!
Updated On: 7/26/09 at 08:01 PM
#32Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:05pmYes, Featured Actress was one of the harder categories to predict...but what does that have to do with what I said? I said that they were all good/fair but none were stand-outs. There was no stand-out winner, hence Olivo had equal competition. It could have easily gone to any one of them. Personally, I would have given it to Jennifer Damiano.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
#33Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:07pm
You said there wasn't strong competition. And that's not true at all.
Updated On: 7/26/09 at 08:07 PM
itsahopi
Understudy Joined: 11/19/06
#34Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:10pmShe won an award for a role Chita wasn't even NOMINATED for..... She can afford the 3 hours away from her boyfriend.
#36Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:12pm
ljay889, and that is what irks me the most, is that Tony winning actors are in a sense guaranteed work due to their accolades and yet when someone criticizes absences that person is the bad guy. I would think in the entertainment business, and especially in theater where there are so many actors dying to set foot on a Broadway stage, there would be a little more regard for the advantage/luckiness/blessing (whatever you want to call it) to be able to perform on stage for a living.
Illness is inescapable, and a reality of the business but if you're ill, then be ill and take the necessary time off. I dont get the problem with making a statement that an actor will be taking an extended period of time off for illness, or personal reasons even. I'm not asking KO to take the stand and explain herself, but if she needs to be out for - legitimate - reasons, for an ongoing, prolonged issue then take the necessary time off. KO and Benanti win recent Tonys and what? that gives them a free pass to do as they wish? There's no point in winning a Tony, and advertising that fact to death, if theatergoers cant see that performance.
Perhaps it wasnt my lucky weekend, it would've been nice to see her - but I'm not going to lose sleep over it.
Updated On: 7/26/09 at 08:12 PM
#37Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:17pm
Anyway, KO's understudy Yanira was phenomenal in my opinion.
Well, THAT is a first.
Indeed, a first! What did we miss when went!?
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
Updated On: 7/26/09 at 08:17 PM
#38Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:20pm
ljay, I think Dramamama was referring to Gypsy. And, to be fair, Patti was the reason the show was on Broadway in the first place. Can the audience get their money back since Karen is not above the title?
And, dshnookie, my question for you is this. If you are fine with her being gone for legitimate reasons or a planned absence, which you are not sure of, and you're not losing any sleep over it, then why did you spend such time to start such a strongly titled, thought out, and formated thread?
"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert
Updated On: 7/26/09 at 08:20 PM
#39Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:22pm
It amazes me how most people on this board will give Donna Murphy, Laura Benanti, and Audra McDonald get a free pass when it comes to attendance. But, someone like Olivo gets raked over the coals.
Not sure why. Just an observation.
And for the record, I'm not a "fan" of Olivo, or any of those women. I've enjoyed individual performances they've all given at some point, but I'm mostly indifferent about them.
ghostlight2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/04
#40Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:23pm
" KO and Benanti win recent Tonys and what? that gives them a free pass to do as they wish? There's no point in winning a Tony, and advertising that fact to death, if theatergoers cant see that performance".
Again, in Benanti's case, she was forbidden by the producers to speak about it. Might be the same here. Perhaps your issue is with the producers, not the performers.
#41Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:29pm
I would be surprised if this were a planned absence -- Josefina is out for 2 weeks and I agree with the poster who said that the producers typically would not allow two of the three leads to take planned absences at the same time unless there was some serious issue (which could be happening and we just don't know about it). No one is saying she can't take time off, but just that she should be coordinating it with her co-workers. Most people have to do that.
I obviously don't know Karen at all, but she seems pretty smart and I don't think she would be skipping for a reason like that given how much controversy has been generated about her schedule and that Josefina was going to be out as well. She already had at least one other absence in the past couple of weeks (both Matt and Karen were out for the July 12th performance; again, 2 leads were out). If she has planned absences, she should be using broadwayunderstudies.com or some other method of publicizing it. If she did that, there would be no controversy. Even though Josefina has had more absences than she has, broadwayunderstudies is telling us that she's scheduled to be out for 2 weeks so no one is feeling like she's being tricky.
My personal theory (based on nothing): Karen was sick, and she and her husband were walking on the street because they went to the drugstore or something, not because they were out on the town.
And I do think that part of the problem is the refusal of the producers to be flexible about refunds/exchanges when someone is out.
Does Audra McDonald have a bad track record for missing performances? I didn't know that.
"What was the name of that cheese that I like?"
"you can't run away forever...but there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start"
"well I hope and I pray, that maybe someday, you'll walk in the room with my heart"
Updated On: 7/26/09 at 08:29 PM
bwaylvsong
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/28/05
#42Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:30pmIs it not possible that she is too sick to perform but not sick enough to be unable to walk outside? Let's say she had a cold or a sore throat. That may prevent her from being able to perform, but it would not affect her ability to walk outside. Maybe she was on her way to the doctor!
#43Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:32pm
If she has planned absences, she should be using broadwayunderstudies.com or some other method of publicizing it.
She doesn't have to do any such thing, nor should she be required to. Plus, I'm almost 100% positive that just about all of the announcing on that website comes from the understudy who's going on, not the performer going to be out. The site was designed as a way for understudies to publicize their appearances, not for regular performers to announce their absences.
Updated On: 7/26/09 at 08:32 PM
#44Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:35pmI didn't mean "should" as "obligatory" but that it would be savvy of her to do that. Why get blamed for a misunderstanding when you have an easy way of avoiding it?
"What was the name of that cheese that I like?"
"you can't run away forever...but there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start"
"well I hope and I pray, that maybe someday, you'll walk in the room with my heart"
#45Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:38pmsingtopher, because I wanted healthy, interesting debate such as this.
#46Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:42pmFair enough, but I find your OP to be a little obnoxious for a healthy, interesting debate.
"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert
#47Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:50pm
My response was filled with sarcasm, if it wasn't obvious.
My gripes are:
1. KO is missing performances, scattered and inconsistently - why?
2. If she is ill, and it is prolonged and ongoing - why not make an official statement? (which doesnt have to be detailed, "personal time" or "illnes" is sufficient).
3. Producers knowingly giving leads time off when other leads are on vacation is unacceptable.
4. If producers are prohibiting KO from speaking about her issues, performance/health whatever they may be - that in itself is shameful.
5. If KO is missing performances for the hell of it, and the producers are fine with it - so be it, and good luck to all of them for running a bang up show (again, sarcasm).
bethnor
Broadway Star Joined: 10/15/08
#48Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:55pmI am fairly confident that even if Karen made an official announcement, ppl will believe whatever they want to believe.
#49Oh brother.
Posted: 7/26/09 at 8:55pm
What show(s) did Donna Murphy miss performances in? (I don't know, hence ask).
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
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