La Cage wierd occurance!- Page 4

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 11/29/04 at 9:16am

There is absolutely NOTHING unprofessional about discovering you are too sick to finish a song while you're in the middle of it. That is why professional productions have swings, standbys and understudies, to cover such unfortunate circumstances - and that is why it's called LIVE theatre... you pay your money and you take your chances - you can never be gauranteed of a particular type of performance from one evening to the next.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 11/29/04 at 9:38am

why must we focus on the professionalism and work ethic of daniel davis, and not at all on the excellent work of Hillner, the understudy? whether or not he was as good as davis or had any kind of chemistry with beach, the fact remains that the man had NEVER REHEARSED THE ROLE and was able to pull it off when called upon.

focus on the fact that anything can happen in live theatre and this whole incident is a great story, what with fierstein killing time while hillner learned the dances and the stagehands with scripts waiting in the wings after each scene so he could "load up" on info before going on again.

you might love the show or hate it, and you may or may not see this as a bad reflection on Davis. but either way, it's a great theatre story, and anyone here who has been involved in theatre should be able to appreciate it. I don't think anyone's posted the link in this thread, so here it is:

http://www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=503034

if you haven't read it, please do. as for davis, I'm fully confident that he can be trusted to make his own decisions as to whether he's healthy enough to give a proper performance. that had to be an embarrassing, difficult thing to do and he had to know it would wind up on the big theatre news sites. I seriously doubt he's going to be pulling a Donna Murphy on us.

[SamIAm]

Posted: 11/29/04 at 10:01am

Yes, Sam is back but not to consider this silly tangent about Lane, merely to say that I'm glad that Broadway.com has published some statment about the Hillner/Davis thing. Perhaps this will chill the ridiculous rumors about Davis being a diva.

Also to point out that, contrary to the statement made here about my not being able to see Lane's flaws, I DO know he has flaws. He is a complex, troubled man and a creative genius. I did not say he was not flawed (who among us is not?) I merely said that he is not a diva. NOT signing playbills at the stage door does not make him a diva...adlibbing on stage does not make him a diva. He has said some things that he probably regrets, as we all have. Unfortunately, celebrities are in the spotlight so when they say it it gets circulated and becomes legend.

Clearly, I have a different interpretation of the word 'diva' than some of you...so let's just put it to rest.

And I hope Daniel Davis is well and back on the boards soon. In the meantime, Hillner seems to be doing a great job.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 11/29/04 at 2:29pm

I've always been a fan of the musicals with the least bit of dancing for the main reason that dance just... doesn't thrill me. I suppose you could say is, as someone who has very little dance training, I just don't appreciate it.

Although I enjoyed a bot of the dancing in this production - the Cagelles were wonderful - it was beginning to strain on me. I was starting to feel like the dance numbers wouldn't end and I wouldn't get out of the theater until midnight. Perhaps it was an off night, but the show just seemed to drag.

[robbiej]

Posted: 11/29/04 at 2:39pm

Why do people show up when they are too sick?

Because a**holes on theatre message boards will villify and crucify them...ESPECIALLY when a show is in previews.

Yes...attendance rates have become terrible. And yes, we all wish it was 'like the old days' when stars would just show up no matter what.

But to take this man to task for doing his best to do his job and realizing he just couldn't do it is horribly rude and shows a true lack of respect for performers and theatre in general.

Shame.

[Millie42]

Posted: 11/29/04 at 4:07pm

I feel nothing but sympathy for him. I can't imagine stopping mid-song but I am sure he did it because there was no choice.

What is to be remembered about previews is the insane schedule. Usually for a week before previews begin most days are 10 out of 12 (meaning, cast works 10 out of 12 hours)... and usually until around midnight. Davis is not a young man so I cant imagine how exhausting it is for him knowing how tiring it is for someone like me in their 20s. Plus, many of the shows have rehearsals before them. And no one wants to miss previews. I think I would have forced myself to go on too b/c I would hate to throw that all on the understudy unless I just could go NO further.

Not to mention, leads have so much pressure on them in the start of a show... especially ones with lots of buzz or popular revivals. Stress + all the work is enough to make anyone sick.

What I think is amazing is the understudy! Thats so incredible of him. It is one thing to watch a character... and even see the blocking and know the lines, but to actually do it is a whole 'nother ballgame. And not even being able to mentally prepare. Major props to him for pulling that off!

[Mamie]

Posted: 11/29/04 at 4:38pm

I mentioned before that I saw Daniel Davis perform in Wrong Mountain and discovered later at the stage door that he had a terrible cold. He could hardly talk and was coughing a lot. How in the world he was able to pull off that performance amazes me to this day.

This guy is absolutely NO DIVA. Knowing he worked before when he was that sick makes me think that he must be really bad now. I'm hoping and praying that it's just the laryngitis and that he is able to return to the show very, very soon. (I'm seeing it next week and I WANT HIM THERE!)

In the meantime - bravo Mr. Hillner.