Lindsay Mendez in Merrily We Roll Along- Page 6

[Springtime]

Posted: 1/17/24 at 7:10pm

Lindsay out of the Wednesday evening performance but did the matinee. 

[bwayjoey]

Posted: 1/19/24 at 3:31pm

Where's Michael Riedel when you need him?

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 1/20/24 at 6:33pm

Sorry if this has already been discussed - who is Lindsay's understudy and how does her performance compare? 

[Springtime]

Posted: 1/20/24 at 6:38pm

Lindsay out of the matinee again today (has missed 44 shows). Her understudies seem to now rotate the work equally - Jamila Sabres-Klemm and Sherz Aletaha. 

Updated On: 1/20/24 at 06:38 PM

[MezzA101]

Posted: 1/20/24 at 6:46pm

I first saw Mendez and then her primary understudy Jamila Sabares-Klemm. It's a difficult role, pulling off the neediness, selfishness, and craziness. I felt Mendez did a better job of it. JS-K came across as more mature and normal. Her singing voice was good. I don't think someone just seeing her would realize what they are missing. The second understudy is Sherz Aletaha,  who made some waves during the BCEFA pitch. Google her name, Radcliffe, auction.

[yyys]

Posted: 1/21/24 at 10:00am

How are you keeping score?  Work for the Hudson?

Are there any days when Lindsay is always or more often in?  Let me know...

 

Springtime said: "Lindsay out of the matinee again today (has missed 44 shows). Her understudies seem to now rotate the work equally - Jamila Sabres-Klemm and Sherz Aletaha."

 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 1/21/24 at 1:17pm

Springtime said: "Lindsay out of the matinee again today (has missed 44 shows). Her understudies seem to now rotate the work equally - Jamila Sabres-Klemm and Sherz Aletaha."

So, dude how do you know when she's out of a performance and why are you keeping count of shows she's missing? Does it really matter?

[jeffrey2]

Posted: 1/21/24 at 4:09pm

She was at the evening performance  Sat 1/20 , and before you went in they announced there would be no stage door. I don’t remember that announcement before you went in before. It was brutally cold in NYC this weekend.

[Springtime]

Posted: 1/21/24 at 5:25pm

Lately she is missing either the matinee or evening performance on Wednesdays and Saturdays of each week. I'll keep monitoring her attendance record while producers choose not to announce her clearly scheduled absences. The frustration/anger on social media from attendees who keep missing her is also increasing.

[veronicamae]

Posted: 1/21/24 at 6:14pm

Springtime said: "Lately she is missing either the matinee or evening performance on Wednesdays and Saturdays of each week. I'll keep monitoring her attendance record while producers choose not to announce her clearly scheduled absences. The frustration/anger on social media from attendees who keep missing her is also increasing."

Thank goodness you are monitoring and reporting here as the producers have no idea about audience feedback on social media because they aren't paying people to run their social media and report back every week.

What would we all do without you?

[lynoln122]

Posted: 1/26/24 at 11:56pm

Lindsay was out for the Friday 1/26 evening performance and box office said she would also be out for the Sat 1/27 matinee. Sherz Aletaha was covering on Fri night.

Updated On: 1/27/24 at 11:56 PM

[EthelMae]

Posted: 1/27/24 at 12:00am

The way the Producers are dealing with this issue is abominable. Just give us the dates of the planned absences. Not the reason- just the dates. Do a Press Release and post it anywhere tickets are sold. 

I love Ms. Mendez.

Updated On: 1/27/24 at 12:00 AM

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 1/27/24 at 12:55pm

no ill will towards Ms. Mendez but shes not exactly being transparent about it either, im guessing at the producers' direction. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 1/27/24 at 1:10pm

This whole thing is making a mockery of the professionalism and respect of an audience that the performers and producers of decades ago held themselves to. 
If this is how it’s now “to be done” then the industry at large deserves every bit of failure it’s getting. And ironically this is one show that isn’t failing. 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 1/27/24 at 1:50pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "This whole thing is making a mockery of the professionalism and respect of an audience that the performers and producers of decades ago held themselves to.
If this is how it’s now “to be done” then the industry at large deserves every bit of failure it’s getting. And ironically this is one show that isn’t failing."

This is so dramatic, oh my god. Relax yourself before you pull a muscle.

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 1/27/24 at 3:12pm

ColorTheHours048 said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "This whole thing is making a mockery of the professionalism and respect of an audience that the performers and producers of decades ago held themselves to.
If this is how it’s now “to be done” then the industry at large deserves every bit of failure it’s getting. And ironically this is one show that isn’t failing."

This is so dramatic, oh my god. Relax yourself before you pull a muscle."

“Relaxing” and having no limits is exactly how things eventually turn to crap. Seems to be the current trend I guess.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 1/27/24 at 3:51pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "ColorTheHours048 said: "This is so dramatic, oh my god. Relax yourself before you pull a muscle."

“Relaxing” and having no limits is exactly how things eventually turn to crap. Seems to be the current trend I guess."

Yes, Broadway is failing because of the overabundance of understudies. Get a grip.

 

[The Other One]

Posted: 1/27/24 at 4:01pm

It's a well-known title, features a glorious score by Stephen Sondheim and co-stars Jonathon Groff and Daniel Radcliffe.  Does anyone think there's a stampede to the box office if Lindsay Mendez is not performing on a particular day?  I doubt it's happened once.

[mshalo18]

Posted: 1/27/24 at 4:13pm

This was brought up on another Broadway site earlier, so I'll reiterate what I said there.

Here’s my take: first, let me start with it’s none of our business why she’s out. That said, I agree they production is not handling whatever the issue is correctly (and I get the feeling that Lindsey is being told not to post on her socials when she’s going to be out). Since she’s above the title, people are entitled to a refund- but it appears very few people are taking that option.

The show is consistently sold out, and it’s pretty clear Lindsey isn’t the draw (although she was fabulous)- so production is perfectly content with leaving things as they are.

[EthelMae]

Posted: 1/28/24 at 10:48am

But we, the paying public, is not satisfied leaving things the way they are.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/28/24 at 4:27pm

EthelMae said: "But we, the paying public, is not satisfied leaving things the way they are."

Given that this issue is not really making any ground whatsoever outside of niche fan boards, I don’t think the greater paying public cares. 

[Springtime]

Posted: 1/28/24 at 5:08pm

Lindsay was only in for three shows this week (49 shows now missed). 

[suicidalmickeymouse]

Posted: 1/28/24 at 8:42pm

I came in here to say that over the past week or so I’ve seen a lot more people talking about the absences on Facebook and Instagram on Merrily’s ads. Just an observation that it seems to be reaching the “wider public” and that they’re not happy it was a surprise even though they enjoyed the understudy. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 1/28/24 at 9:18pm

People keep arguing with the same straw man again and again.

The producers are free to cast whoever they want, to do 3 shows a week. We have no say in casting. And shes above title, so if people are there to see her, and not the show, they can get a refund, and I havent heard of the producers welching on that deal, or people even taking them up on it. We know all this.

its STILL out of the ordinary / not great for a smash hit to make no comment/statement about one of its three leads missing more than half the performances. And there seems to be a concerted decision to keep this information secret, since there are multiple social media accounts that cover this very thing and are all mum on Mendez being out.

Its the producers choice. They have every right. But so do we have the right to notice.

[theatrefan18]

Posted: 1/28/24 at 10:33pm

I agree with the last post.  I saw the show with my daughter a couple of weeks ago when Mendez was out.  We are big broadway fans and have seem many shows. We saw Lindsay in Wicked as well as other shows.  Her understudy was fine, but we both kept thinking how great she would have been in the role.  
If we had known in advance, we would have picked another sate..  But we did not ask for a refund because we were there already and my daughter was leaving town soon after.  And if we picked another show, there was no way to know if she would be in that one since we had heard she has missed so many shows.

Just disappointing and I think the producers are to blame.  At those prices, you should at least have the opportunity to see the 3 stars above the title more than two thirds of the time.