Leslie Odom Jr Leaving Hamilton - Page 6

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 10:48pm

I have no idea what happened but Leslie seems like an incredibly humble and gracious man. And he is tremendously talented. All the best to him.  He deserves success. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 10:57pm

Hellob said: "Blaxx- most people don't go to the Avengers or started watching big bang theory or ncis bc of the stars. Like Hamilton, it's the story but the actors get rewarded anyway. There's a saying- big stars don't make great entertainment, great entertainment makes big stars. They should have kept him but it's over now. The truth will be in the papers soon enough. Letting him go after raising prices seems shady af though. 

ETA I hope Odom doesn't do a sick out or anything like that. 

 

It's ok, I see you don't get it. This show is already with the revenue. The films and TV shows live day by day. This show has already collected the $. If the producers cast their families to be in the show starting tomorrow, the show will still be sold out for a year and the money has been made. It makes no difference who's in it now. 

 

 

[MinervaMoon]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 10:57pm

gypsy101 said: I hadn't seen that article from 10 days ago, the last one I had seen about the topic said he would be making 10% of the weekly gross after the show recouped (which it certainly has by this point). Either way, he is making bank.

I don't want to run this into the ground but for the sake of accuracy, he only (well, "only" gets an extra 0.5% after 110% recoup, which is a bump of about $7.5K/wk. However, by the end of his life he'll probably have made $111 billionty dollars on this show alone, so I bet the fact that he can currently pay 4 years of my tuition by simply existing for 14 days will look negligible in comparison.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:09pm

once again, I haven't read any article on the topic in a few months. I just recalled that was what I read had said (10% of weekly gross).

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:11pm

RippedMan said: "Listened to the OCR for the first time and I wouldn't mind missing Lin. He's not..a singer... Or an actor "

I think he's a very capable actor.

[Hellob]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 1:15am

blaxx said: "Hellob said: "Blaxx- most people don't go to the Avengers or started watching big bang theory or ncis bc of the stars. Like Hamilton, it's the story but the actors get rewarded anyway. There's a saying- big stars don't make great entertainment, great entertainment makes big stars. They should have kept him but it's over now. The truth will be in the papers soon enough. Letting him go after raising prices seems shady af though. 

ETA I hope Odom doesn't do a sick out or anything like that. 

 

It's ok, I see you don't get it. This show is already with the revenue. The films and TV shows live day by day. This show has already collected the $. If the producers cast their families to be in the show starting tomorrow, the show will still be sold out for a year and the money has been made. It makes no difference who's in it now. 

 

 

 

"

It's not that I don't get it, I totally get it but it's a scam. Seller raised the price under the guise of saving us from the scalpers and to use part of the money to get people to stay. So if that's the case, why are people suddenly expendable? He had an idea of what Odom wanted before the new batch went on sale and the likelihood of it working out. I feel like he never had any intention of doing anything but lining his pockets and hustled people. That's why I said before, I'd rather give a scalper $850 than this phony. But I'm never going back to Hamilton anyway so I guess I should be quiet! Lol 

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 1:26am

When was it ever said/implied that they raised the prices so they could keep the actors?

[bear88]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 1:58am

There is obviously something unresolved with Leslie Odom Jr. appearing in the filmed versions of the show, or else he wouldn't have raised the possibility of not being in them. That's two performances between now and July 9, so they will need to figure it out soon. As with everything connected to the show, there is undoubtedly money involved - either because Odom wants compensation for however the footage is eventually used, or because of bad feelings about contract negotiations over an extension. The former actually seems more likely to me, and it seems like a legitimate issue, although also one that could be resolved. And Odom doesn't say it he won't be in the filmed performance, just that he might not be. 

We've heard for months, and I've seen commercials in the San Francisco Bay Area, about Odom's upcoming concert appearance July 23. So it's not surprising at all that he's leaving.

The Hamilton producers don't need my sympathies, Odom should have a fine career (in part thanks to the show), and so my only interest is a selfish one. I would rather have good filmed performances of as much of the OBC as possible, just because I would like to see a non-bootlegged version of the show someday. And because Leslie Odom Jr. was so fantastic in the role, I would like to have a record of that. It's in the show's long-term interest (even if they don't need Odom to sell tickets now), and it's in Odom's interest too. Great Broadway musicals are ephemeral. They exist in the moment you see them and poof, they're gone forever. That's part of the magic of the theater, but for a show about history, it would be a shame to lose this piece of it.

Updated On: 6/20/16 at 01:58 AM

[Hellob]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 1:59am

aaaaaa15 said: "When was it ever said/implied that they raised the prices so they could keep the actors?

 

"

In the ticket thread iirc gypsy said hope they use the money to pay the cast and someone replied that was part of the producers' intention. 

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 2:03am

Hellob said: "In the ticket thread iirc gypsy said hope they use the money to pay the cast and someone replied that was part of the producers' intention."

Well hopefully whoever said that will come to this thread and confirm it as the only reason I've seen the producers give is to help to stop scalpers.

[Margo319]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 2:30am

He has been involved in Hamilton for two full years counting the long rehearsal process, the Public, and on Broadway.  He probably wants a break or to do something else.  

Not having him in the film would be a giant disservice to the show.  He is Aaron Burr.  No one can play it like he can. 

The show is the star but only if the actors on stage are actually good.  These were the best people and they are all leaving.  It will affect resale ticket prices in a major way.  

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 2:39am

ZZZZZ. These are NOT the best people just because they got there first. Other people can play the part as well or BETTER than he can. It will NOT affect resale prices when actor unknown to the world leaves the show people want to see (as if they were only there to see him; or had any idea who he was beforehand).

Groupies are so annoying. At least Hamiltonians are better behaved than ReNtheadz. Those were super aggressive. Does anyone remember when ReNtheadz thought there would be no more Broadway after Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp left the show and the world would just end?  Yeah that happened.

Updated On: 6/20/16 at 02:39 AM

[Margo319]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 2:42am

I didn't say Leslie.  I said all of them.  As in all of them. It will absolutely affect resale prices.

 

They are the best of the best.  That's my view.  This is a message board for OPINIONS.  People who don't understand what an opinion means are SO annoying. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Updated On: 6/20/16 at 02:42 AM

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 2:43am

Your opinion is that a group of people are the best when NOBODY else has ever played the part?  Ok, good opinion.

[Margo319]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 2:46am

ROFL.  Flew over your head.  It's probably past your bedtime though.  Night night!!

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 2:49am

Goodnight love. Hope you are camping outside the Rodgers right now, The Hamiltonpocalypse is coming! Crappy actors will take over. Be very afraid!

[devonian.t]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 4:20am

I look forward to the books that will be written about this period.  There's drama backstage, it is pretty clear

[belrowley]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 4:40am

I'm sure there will be many wonderful replacements in the years to come, as well as talented unknowns filling out the touring/sit-down companies. That doesn't change the fact that Leslie MADE the character. I really do believe that Burr will be remembered as one of the iconic characters in theater, and it would be such a shame if Leslie's performance weren't recorded and preserved in an official way.

As for the producers' decision, of course they don't owe the public anything. The tickets are already sold, and the show will go on with or without the OBC. Still, it would have been nice for the ticketholders to have the OBC exit in a staggered schedule - that way, you might miss Lin or Pippa, but you still get to see Leslie or Renee.

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 4:47am

There is no confirmation on Renee, Daveed, Chris, Jasmine, Anthony or Oak so let's not get ahead of ourselves. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 4:56am

And original cast members often leave on groups.  

 

And taking someone's word here that the producers said rising costs had anything to do ticket prices is silly.  

[Barbara Ellis]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 6:11am

Ticket price conversation around the 2:50 mark. The insinuation is mumbled before the explanation: http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live/season-13/episode-102/videos/after-show-leslie-on-hamilton-ticket-prices

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 7:01am

Sounds to me like Leslie has a shark of an agent or manager (or both), and they're holding out for more money. Leslie doesn't have a track record for selling tickets on his own name (yet). He's in no position to play hardball with his salary.

I wish him luck. And I hope he's in the filmed version.

[schubox]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 7:15am

Sucks but not surprising. As has been said by others in here, there is no reason for the producers to shell out more money for him to stay. Other than loyalty and, come on. I really do hope he does the recorded performances though. I don't know the guy at all but I imagine skipping that might be something he would regret later. Either way I am sure all the replacements will be fantastic. I've see the show twice with the OBC (minus Groff) and have tickets in October and am actually excited to see Javier and whoever else replaces the OBC. Although I do hope Daveed sticks around

[pickles2]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 7:21am

devonian.t said: "I look forward to the books that will be written about this period.  There's drama backstage, it is pretty clear

 

"

I wish I could be alive to see Hamilton, Or The Making Of The Musical Sensation Of 2015 And All That Followed sweep the Tony Awards in the year 2115

Updated On: 6/20/16 at 07:21 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 7:42am

I will say this:  They need his signature for him to appear in the documentary.  If that contract doesn't include payment for whatever else they might DO with the footage after the documentary, I don't blame him one bit.  Are they trying to get the actors to sign away their rights? If the footage were ONLY going to be used for the documentary, then fine.  But if they want to eventually SELL that, each actor should be getting compensated.  

ARTISTS SHOULD BE PAID FOR THEIR WORK.  Every bit of their work.

 

And if they aren't willing to pay him what he believes he's worth, he's right to walk.   We will likely never know exactly how things transpired.  Were they unwilling to negotiate?   Were they being cheap?  Was Leslie asking for too much?  Was HE unwilling to negotiate?  Either side digging their heels in will likely not produce any sort of compromise.

 

I totally respect Odom's stance on this, regardless of who's to "blame".  It might, however, make his future more difficult.