Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
#1Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:29am
Howdy. I've read posts about audience members who arrive late into a show. But, how about cast members who arrive late as his/her temporary replacement is doing his part? How often does that happen? Any stories to tell? Inquiring minds want to know.. from RC in Austin, Texas
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
Updated On: 6/5/07 at 11:29 AM
BSoBW2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/8/04
#2re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:34am
During the Broadway run of The Little Dog Laughed, White mistakenly believed that a 2pm matinee started at 3pm. She turned off her cell phone while shopping for linens and arrived at the theater some 40 minutes late; the curtain was held for her.
http://www.broadway.com/Tonys/Tonys_category.aspx?ci=548696&ct=529553
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#2re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:37am
I think that during previews for little dog laugh where there was a cast member (forgot who) who never realized that there was a preivew preformance. They looked all over for them and even called thier ex husband out in LA to figure out where they were. Apperently she was shopping and her phone was off. She didn't realize that there was a preview becasue there normally wasn't one scheduled for whatever time it took place.
But, you do get a HUGE fine if your at the theatre anytime after half hour till showtime.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#3re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:39am
Elaine Stritch tells a story about arriving late. You really have to watch "At Liberty" and see her tell it to appreciate the story.
She was understudying for Ethel Merman in "Call Me Madam" while playing Melba in a revival of "Pal Joey". "Pal Joey" was trying out in New Haven on its way to Broadway. Stritch always had to check in with Merman in NYC before boarding a train to New Haven to play Melba. One day there was a terrible snow blizzard. Stritch had a hard time getting to New Haven and had to bum a ride off of a bewildered family at the train station. She got to the theater seconds before her entrance, instead of wearing her costume she just went onstage in her street clothes. The one funny thing is that the understudy was about to enter and Stritch made the u/s take off her shoes so that Stritch could wear them.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#4re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 6/5/07 at 12:50pm
In her autobiography CALL ME ANNA, Patty Duke talks about forgetting a matinee time change when she was in THE MIRACLE WORKER on Broadway. She was shopping with her mom when she realized she had an earlier matinee that day. They bolted to the theatre. Upon arriving, her understudy was already in full costume and ready to go. She felt horrible she couldn't let her go on.
During her run in FUNNY GIRL on Broadway, Barbra Streisand was infamous for showing-up at the Winter Garden Theatre minutes before curtain -- her understudy was always ready to go on, but of course, she rarely got to go on.
#5re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 6/5/07 at 12:51pmlast week when i saw TCP- i was with a friend at the stage door while he was smoking at fantasia didnt get there till 7:37 to be exact and the show didnt start till 8:15........does that matter?!
#6re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 6/5/07 at 12:51pmThe understudy being Lainie Kazan?
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#7re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 6/5/07 at 12:54pm
RE: Barbra in FUNNY GIRL.
Nope. Lainie Kazan was never Barbra's understudy -- she was her standby, though she did appear in the ensemble of the show. Barbra did this last-minute show to the regular understudies -- Lainie was no longer in the show by then.
#8re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 6/5/07 at 1:06pmI love the Julie White story.
#9re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 6/5/07 at 2:32pmWasn't there some story last winter doing the rounds about Matt Caplan not turning up to a Rent matinee? Apparently he hadn't realised this extra matinee was scheduled for the Christmas season - and no-one realised he wasn't there until about 5 minutes before he was due to go on.
logan0215
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/05
#10re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 12:54pm
RE: Barbra in FUNNY GIRL.
Nope. Lainie Kazan was never Barbra's understudy -- she was her standby, though she did appear in the ensemble of the show. Barbra did this last-minute show to the regular understudies -- Lainie was no longer in the show by then.
As per Lainie at Broadway Backwards:
She was told she was going on, got into full costume and warmed up and Barbara showed up "5 minutes before curtain."
She said that when she wasn't on in Funny Girl she was a Ziegfeld's Showgirl. Also, there was no "understudy" just the standby for Barbara: Lainie.
#11re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 1:00pmI heard Jarrod Emick was an after half-hour sneak-in guy too--when he was in BOY FROM OZ.
#12re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 1:01pm
That Rent story is true, I was at that performance, it was December of 06. Caplan didn't show up for the added post-Christmas matinee and they had to put Justin (whose last name I can't remember) on for him at the last minute because no one realized he wasn't there.
I was also at a performance of Chicago when Ruthie Henshall was playing Velma and they held the curtain 20 minutes for "the arrival of a main cast member".
And hang on, when did you win the discus?
#13re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 1:05pmWhile Showboat was in Denver, it was not uncommon to see Cloris Leachman, and her dog, outside of the theater while people were taking their seats. I saw it twice and both times I saw her outside. One evening I saw her about 10 minutes before curtain. How she got in there and onstage ontime, I don't know. I heard that one evening she walked through the front lobby to get backstage instead of using the stage door.
Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder
#14re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 1:10pmWhen I walked by the Mary Poppins stage door one evening a few months ago the stage manager was outside and was telling someone that if he doesn't show up by 7:45 his understudy will have to go on for him. I don't know who the he was, but it was about 740 at the time, so unless he showed up in the next 5 minutes they must have sent the understudy on.
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#15re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 1:13pm
"I heard that one evening she walked through the front lobby to get backstage instead of using the stage door."
If Uta Hagen were still with us, she'd be appalled.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
MCfan2
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/29/06
#16re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 1:16pm
That's funny about Leachman. I wonder what she did with the dog! 
shesamarshmallow
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
#17re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 4:15pmI'm pretty sure that the call times for Jeb Brown (Vince Fontaine) and Steven Buntrock (Teen Angel) in Grease are much later than half hour, since they only appear in Act 2.
broadwayunderstudies.com - most underrated performers on broadway
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#18re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 4:25pm
"I'm pretty sure that the call times for Jeb Brown (Vince Fontaine) and Steven Buntrock (Teen Angel) in Grease are much later than half hour, since they only appear in Act 2."
As well as for Cynthia Nixon when she performed in "Hurlyburly" and "The Real Thing" at the same time.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
Updated On: 2/28/08 at 04:25 PM
#19re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 5:27pmWhen I saw "Spelling Bee" with the original cast, Dan came running through the lobby about 15 minutes until showtime. He shoved me out of the way to get into the theatre. I've never washed that arm.... Hahaha!
george95
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/1/08
#20re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 5:31pm
There is an article about this at playbill.com today.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115465.html
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#22re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/28/08 at 11:28pm"Give me your SHOOOOOOOOOOOOES!!!!"
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
#23re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/29/08 at 12:02amI know for the L.A. production of The Little Foxes Elisabeth Taylor was frequently late. Once actually keeping the audience waiting for 50 minutes.
What great ones do the less will prattle of
#24re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/29/08 at 12:59am
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
Updated On: 2/29/08 at 12:59 AM
#25re: Late Arrivals To Show: I'm Not Talking About Audience Members
Posted: 2/29/08 at 1:14amMany sign-in at half-hour and then either stay by the stage door (but most go elsewhere to get away from the entering audience) to go smoke.
"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
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