Yes, she was and there were some really annoyed audience members and quite a few empty seats at the top of the show.
There was a sign next to the box office that she wouldn't be on tonight and slips of paper in the Playbills.
Betsy Morgan was on and she was great. She seemed really comfortable in the role. Has she been on often? Watanabe was very difficult to understand, unfortunately....
"It's not where you start, it's where you finish!"
This is what happened when I saw "Light in the Piazza" at Lincoln Center. Posted by the box office was news that Victoria Clark would not play the Sunday matinee I attended. In her place was the wonderful Patti Cohenour. And her support: actors named Kelli O'Hara and Matthew Morrison. I stayed. That wasn't so long ago, was it? Last night, had Victoria Clark missed "Gigi," would similar uproar had ensued? Some interesting lessons about career, timing, roles, and shows.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
I would have requested a refund/exchange. The only interest I have in this show is Kelli. I hope she's okay. I have a ticket for Sunday that I bought months ago
Anyone going to the matinee/evening show today (Saturday)?
I wouldn't exchange the ticket - but I live here and can save my money and go back to see Kelli another day. I understand if you can't do that - or the sole interest in the show would be seeing Kelli - you might exchange your ticket.
That said, it does work in reverse at times. I simply LOVED Sydney Lucas in Fun Home - but the minute I hear rumblings that she is missing a particular show, if i am around, I am going to race over the theater to try to catch her understudy, the wonderful Gabby Pizzolo. Of course I have no idea if that theater would allow for ticket exchanges officially because Sydney's name is not above the title but I would hope I could find a ticket somehow..
Kathy-I'm with you. I'd love to see Gabby go on as Young/Small Alison. The only actors over the title in Fun Home are Michael Cerveris and Judy Kuhn, so if one of them was out, you'd be able to ask for your money back or an exchange.
Kelli was out the matinee and is out tonight, as well. I got a rush ticket and am really excited to see the show since it's one of few Rodgers and Hammerstein shows I don't know much about. I'm also excited to see Betsy Morgan since I missed her as Fantine on tour, plus I plan to see Kelli in the future.
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
I'm here right now and I can conform that Kelli is out and Besty Morgan will beAnna. Very disappointed that I won't see her Tony winning performance, but the dance shall go on for me. I'm not here for Anna. I'm here for a great show
Well, it's the week after her Tony win, so yeah. She's the "hot" thing on Broadway right now. Had it been sometime in October? Maybe not. But I get it.
Saw Kelli at the king and I cast recording signing Thursday afternoon. She sang Hello Young Lovers beautifully but you could tell she wasn't feeling well. When we went to speak to her, her speaking voice was so rough and she told my friends she didn't think she'd make it to the show Friday evening (they had tickets). She was so upset to miss shows, especially the weekend after her Tony win. Kelli must really be pretty sick to miss 3 shows, seeing as she usually has a pretty good track record. Hopefully she'll be back for tomorrow's matinee. I saw the refunds line for tonight's performance and it was pretty long...
So, my knowledge of King and I is very limited - in fact, I hadn't seen the movie until just a few days ago, and I actually didn't finish it before I saw the show today. Ever since the Tony performance, I've been really wanting to see the show and when a friend of mine and I walked up to Lincoln Center and found out they were selling rush because Kelli was out, I was hoping to get my chance to see it for the evening.
I got a rush ticket - F 203 in the orchestra, which made me feel so part of what was going on around with me with how close the entrances and exits were. From the top of the show when the boat came on, I instantly felt like I was on the stage, and it was thrilling and magical. The whole production is gorgeous and I had never been in the Beaumont before tonight and I just loved it.
As I said I don't have anything to compare in terms of performances as Anna, but I loved Betsy. Betsy was warm, stern, and charming as Ms. Anna. From the moment Betsy appeared on the ship, the audience was definitely giving her a boost with entrance applause. Vocally and acting wise, I loved Betsy and I'm sure Kelli is fabulous in the role, but as someone said above you cannot go with Betsy either. Her chemistry with Ken was great, and she connected so well with all of her scene partners and all the adorable children. Despite this being only her third time on, you'd never have known it with how gracefully she took the reigns.
I really liked Ken a lot - yes, sometimes it was a little hard to understand him, but he connected and made so many great acting choices that I felt out sold the short comings in terms of diction. Again, his chemistry with Betsy was terrific and they sold the tender moments as well as the harder moments.
Ruthie Ann Miles is an absolute star, and I adored her and I felt like she made so much of the role of Lady Thiang in a way I didn't feel like I got from the movie adaption. Her version of "Something Wonderful" had me in tears and she just truly captured so much in what she was given. Same can be said for Ashley Park, who I previously saw in the Cinderella tour, who gave so much to her role as Tuptim. Her passion and emotion really shined during the ballet of Uncle Tom's Cabin. I loved Conrad Ricamora as Lun Tha and I felt like he again made the most of what he was given in terms of material.
I adore a good Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and I never once doubted I wouldn't love The King and I, but I truly loved this gorgeous production.
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
I had a ticket to the matinee but exchanged it; I can only afford to see the show once, and I had been really looking forward to seeing Kelli. If financial constraints weren't at play, I would have loved to see Betsy. Sounds like she was great.
Well, I had a full on review until my phone deleted it :/ So the short version: The show was magnificent. Betsy was a fantastic replacement for Kelli. She was warm, intelligent, classy,and graceful as Anna and the show is just as great with or without Kelli. Love to see people appulad her when she came out. Ruthie was wonderful as Lady Thaing. Mature, stern, graceful, and powerful with a real royal presence. Ken and Ashely were the stars to me. Ashely is a star in the making. I was moved by her more than Ruthie TBH. Her voice is gorgeous and she was very sweet, passionate, and heartbreaking as Tuptim. Ken was perfect as the King. I understood him fine. He was also passionate, and delivered the right confusion and misguidance for The King while delivering sweetness and actually adorableness and childlike excitement. No matter who is starring, the show is a must see!