Kristen/Bebe Matinee performances- Page 2

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 3:28pm

I believe that you HAVE to join Equity in order to perform in a Broadway show (it's in the contracts), so yes, Jackman was Equity.

Spirtas was Jackman's primary standby (Halling was secondary), but I suppose after the critics hailed Jackman's performance as one of the greatest in the history of musical theatre (several longtime critics called it the best male performance they'd ever seen), the producers decided that since he was the show's main draw that they'd simply cancel if for some reason he couldn't go on. I assume Spirtas and Halling were retained only in the event that Jackman got injured mid-performance or for some reason couldn't finish. Perhaps, if he had suffered some illness or injury that would have necessitated him missing several performances, Spirtas may have gone on, but thankfully for Jackman (and the producers), that never happened.

[myManCape]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 3:34pm

It makes sense to cancel a show where an actors performance is the only drawing point for the show if the person is absent. Other wise it just isnt profitable to play to an empty house with an understudy and refund the entire audience. Its cheaper to cancel the performance and refund everyone anyway.

Margo- Thanks for the info on Jackman’s standbys. I thought there was a provision for big stars who aren’t equity that involved double casting the role. I still don’t really see the point of two standbys (good reviews or else wise) and two understudies.

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 3:54pm

myManCape-
I believe that Roundabout cancelled both performances on a Wednesday because Connick had to shoot scenes for the final episode of WILL AND GRACE.

cooperross-
There was never a matinee on the Wednesday that THE APPLE TREE started previews. It was never scheduled; instead, there was a Sunday evening performance, as is customary for the first week of all Roundabout shows.

Updated On: 1/2/07 at 03:54 PM

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 4:00pm

I understand why the producers would cancel the show, lets be honest people are going for 2 reasons
1) Love the show
2) Love Kristin and more fall in this one so I can understand why they would cancel

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 4:34pm

If a big star knows in advance that he or she can't be there, you might cancel a performance because you can probably schedule a replacement performance. Nowadays, theatres can usually contact most people who've bought tickets if there's enough advance notice.

But if someone gets sick and there's not enough time to contact people, and the understudy is ready to go on, I promise you that not every single person in the audience is going to ask for a refund or an exchange. In a theatre with a large subscriber base like the Roundabout, this is even more true. Many will, but a good many will also decide, "Oh, we're here alreaady. We might as well stay." Peters missed Gypsy performances and enough people stayed that it made sense to give a performance. Nathan Lane missed The Producers and enough people stayed that they gave performances.

And, as I wrote, I do think that if just one or two performances, they might cancel. But if she gets a bad flu and she's going to be out for several days or a week, I think it's pretty unlikely that the Roundabout will cancel all those performances. This is not an open-ended run (though it might extend). If she gets sick near the end of it, what are they going to do? The Roundabout will want to lose as little money as possible. Some people will ask for refunds, but some will stay. I'd be very surprised if under those circumstances, they'd cancel. It's possible, anything is possible, but it seems unlikely.

And to make a flat-out statement, "Oh, the understudy will never go on. They'll cancel," well, I don't see how you can make a prediction like that with such confidence.

[myManCape]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 4:44pm

You used Lane as an example, but you failed to remember that when Lane missed performances of The Odd Couple they canceled the first few performances then flew in Brad Garrett to understudy the remainder of the shows Lane missed. It is not profitable in anyway to run a performance with an understudy on, if a vast majority of the audience is going to request refunds. Shows canceled at the last minute, an example of this is 700 Sundays when Crystal got sick they posted notices on the doors that the show was canceled, and how to obtain refunds. They didn’t call every person who bought a ticket for that night. I realize a one man show is a different story but its just an example that they do not need to contact every audience member in order to cancel a show. Shows like Gypsy and The Producers are big enough to support them selves if one of the stars are out. The Apple Tree uses Chenoweth’s image as the logo and could not support its self in her extended absence.


Edit: Another example of a star needing an extended absence was James Earl Jones in the recent On Golden Pond revival. When he got sick and needed several weeks to recover, they canceled the first few performances, then used an understudy for about a week before announcing that the show would close. It was not able to keep an audience in the absence of its star.

Updated On: 1/2/07 at 04:44 PM

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 4:57pm

But you're just agreeing with what I said. They might cancel a performance or two, but that's it. If it has go on longer, the show goes on. With somebody.

And the difference here is that this is not a commercial production. The Roundabout can't decide on Thursday to post a closing notice for that weekend, as the producers On Golden Pond could. And that show had a limited advance and it was already struggling. The producers already knew that the Broadway run wasn't going to return its investment. The Roundabout just can't afford to cancel too many performances. A couple, perhaps. But more than that? I don't think so, especially later in the run when there's a limited number of performances to which people might be able to return (and I'm sure they hope a limited number of seats left with which to accommodate people). The will want to refund as few tickets as possible. If half the audience leaves, half stays. And that's a big difference to the Roundabout's box office.

Of course, if Chenoweth makes every performance, if she doesn't get sick, everything will be fine.
Updated On: 1/2/07 at 04:57 PM

[myManCape]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 5:09pm

There is a big difference between Brad Garrett, a multiple time Emmy winner and Sarah Jane Everman.

The majority of Roundabout's subscribers see the show in previews or shortly after the opening. If they had to cancel performances at the end of the run it would not affect their advance.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 5:27pm

Of course, it won't affect their advance (if anything it might help it, if it's not closing week). It will affect their receipts for that week, a loss that they will not be able to make up completely if it's late in the run. A very different case from The Odd Couple, a show that was almost completely sold out before it started previews and that was certain (barring something truly unexpected happening) to return its investment. And it even extended. Thus, people who had tickets for the performances that were cancelled had plenty of opportunities to exchange tickets rather than have no choice to but to take a refund.

It's clear that the Roundabout has produced this show on a tight budget. They don't want to lose any money that they can avoid.

Anyway, my main point from the beginning has been that it's crazy to make absolute predictions. And I wonder: IF (and admittedly it's a big if) Chenoweth got the flu and had to be out for a week, do you believe with certainly that the Roundabout would cancel all those performances?

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 5:43pm

Worth mentioning is that The Odd Couple canceled a total of two performances. And this was in January, by which time the run that had been originally scheduled to end in April had been extended till June, giving those who wished to reschedule plenty of opportunities.

And if anything, it seems to me that one reason that the producers of The Odd Couple did what they did was because they had an ace in the hole. When it looked like Lane would be out for more than a day or two, they called Garrett, who said he'd be able to be back and to go on in two days. The Roundabout has no ace in the hole that would allow them to cancel two performances confident that in two days, with or without the announced star draw, they had some sort of star draw. The Roundabout doesn't have that option. Updated On: 1/2/07 at 05:43 PM

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 3:04pm

Just a quick note. Someone made reference earlier to performances of I Am My Own Wife being canceled because Jefferson Mays was sick. This was because he had no understudy,

They used the Equity loophole of unique skills to justify him not having a replacement, the same thing they used for solo shows like Bridge & Tunnel. You'll recall that also had to shut down when Sarah Jones fell ill.

You can't have an understudy when something is that specialized most of the time. People just wouldn't want to see it with someone else.

I remember when I went to see Well last April, I thought it was bizarre that Lisa Kron had a standby for herself. How strange that would've been.

Also, will Audra be having an alternate for matinees for 110 in the Shade like she did for Marie Christine? That's something to think about.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/3/07 at 4:29pm

As I said in my post, Mays had no standby, although the producers did hold auditions for one. Other acclaimed solo performers have had standbys in the past (such as Mark Setlock in FULLY COMMITTED).

WELL had a standby because Kron's role is a character named "Lisa Kron" not Kron herself and in fact, Kron didn't star in a well-received production of WELL that opened at the Cleveland Playhouses right around the same time that the play opened on Broadway.

McDonald had a matinee alternate for MARIE CHRISTINE because of the particularly daunting demands of that role which borders on opera (similarly LuPone had a matinee alternate for EVITA and Barbara Harris had Phylis Newman do her matinees of THE APPLE TREE). McDonald has never had a matinee alternate for any of her other roles and won't have one for 110 IN THE SHADE since that role isn't so vocally taxing as to require one.

[Contributor]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 10:26am

Kristin does have an understudy. Read BWW's profile of her:
https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=15461

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 10:51am

Contributor, if you read the thread, we know she has an understudy...we were just discussing as to whether or not she will ever go on.

[ILUVTOMG]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 10:53am

kevin spirtas and michael halling never stood by for jackmam at the same time. spirtas left and was replaced by halling. and, i believe john hill left and brad anderson was bumped up to u/s. so jackman never had four covers at the same time.. only two.

[ILUVTOMG]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 10:53am

kevin spirtas and michael halling never stood by for jackmam at the same time. spirtas left and was replaced by halling. and, i believe john hill left and brad anderson was bumped up to u/s. so jackman never had four covers at the same time.. only two.