Mandy Patinkin to join THE GREAT COMET as Pierre for 3 week run!- Page 5

[Kinginthenorth]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:35pm

The biggest question is still, and always has been, what is happening after 9/3? 

[AuroratheGeek]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:35pm

I wouldn't be surprised if Patinkin was supposed to take over after Oak's original tenure, but then his schedule changed he told them that it had to be earlier or not at all. Personally I'm excited to see Patinkin but I feel bad for poor Oak.

I wonder if they would ask/be able to get Oak back after Patinkin is done. It seems like a hard role to cast for.

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:37pm

Kinginthenorth said: "The biggest question is still, and always has been, what is happening after 9/3? "

 ¯\_( ' . ' )_/¯

Updated On: 7/26/17 at 01:37 PM

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:37pm

Kinginthenorth said: "The biggest question is still, and always has been, what is happening after 9/3?"

I doubt it is a question for the production, since Malloy said he was sitting on the Patinkin news for a while.

[Anshel2]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:39pm

Bernadette or Patti as replacement Natashas!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:40pm

Schubox, I had wanted to see Oak. I have no desire to see Mandy Patinkin.  It's also the principal of the matter of dismissing Oak.

[hork]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:42pm

Mandy Pantinkin would be the one thing to get me to see this show again, if I were going to be in New York at that time (sadly, I'm going in November). To those complaining about his age: 1. this is not War and Peace, and is not beholden to references Tolstoy made to Pierre's age, and 2. Pierre isn't a "romantic role" to Natasha -- the whole idea is that he doesn't feel worthy of her because of his looks and his social status. So the actor's age is sort of irrelevant.

Updated On: 7/26/17 at 01:42 PM

[10086sunset]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:42pm

dramamama611 said: "I think he'll play the part wonderfully and can't wait to hear him sing the score.  Do I think he's too old?  Yes.  Do I actually care?  Nope."

 

Dramamama, could not agree more.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:42pm

I would imagine he doesn't/won't play any instruments. I mean, he gets to sing some pretty songs, minimal heavy lifting on his part, and it's 3 weeks. Sounds like a great gig!

[David10086]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:44pm

Maybe Oak needs time to rehearse before he replaces Bette Midler in "Hello Dolly" this winter? 

(Just kidding)

[schubox]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:47pm

dramamama611 said: "Itonlytakesajourney said: "I'm not necessarily opposed to this but? I'm kind of disappointed that Oak isn't doing this for longer. It's certainly kind of weird to see a 64-year old play a romantic role to a girl 40 years younger than him, but I'm willing to overlook it since he is a legend. Plus he isn't doing it for very long either. 

 

"

But there isn't romance between them until the very end....and the romance part of that can be played way down.   Its going to be more noticeable playing agains Helene, his wife.   But she's a gold digger, so it could work.

 

"

And not even really there. So many people act like they get together in the end. They don't. She's incredibly despressed and thinks her life is ruined and he says that if he were the perfect version of himself he would still want her. If you read the book it's still a couple years before they end up together. I kept hearing people taking about Natasha as some kind of slut jumping from guy to guy, just listen to the words 

[cdf1983]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:47pm

AuroratheGeek said: "I wouldn't be surprised if Patinkin was supposed to take over after Oak's original tenure, but then his schedule changed he told them that it had to be earlier or not at all. Personally I'm excited to see Patinkin but I feel bad for poor Oak.

I wonder if they would ask/be able to get Oak back after Patinkin is done. It seems like a hard role to cast for.

"

Well in the original Broadway.com article, they said Oak graciously agreed to this. But there are chances he could come back after Mandy leaves!

[schubox]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:49pm

DottieD'Luscia said: "Schubox, I had wanted to see Oak. I have no desire to see Mandy Patinkin.  It's also the principal of the matter of dismissing Oak.

 

"

That's fine. If you were all about Oak and that's why you wanted to see it I get it. It's a fantastic show though, and I would kill to see a lot of the OBC again. And seeing Patinkin would be amazing. If I had he money I'd fly out for a weekend for sure 

[asimplegal2]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:53pm

I wish they would stop switching up the Pierre actors and instead find a new Anatole...

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 1:58pm

asimplegal2 said: "I wish they would stop switching up the Pierre actors and instead find a new Anatole..."

Probably have to wait until his contract is up in a few months... even then, if the show is closing in January, maybe some of the long-timers will finish it off?

[schubox]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 2:00pm

asimplegal2 said: "I wish they would stop switching up the Pierre actors and instead find a new Anatole...

 

"

How dare you. Lucas Steele is a delight 

[TheThreadMaster]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 2:00pm

Y'all worry and speculate too much. I'm sure the show will be just fine.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 2:01pm

hork said: "the whole idea is that he doesn't feel worthy of her because of his looks and his social status."

That is not the idea at all.  Neither in War and Peace nor in The Great Comet.

Pierre is married to a Helene, who is, physically, a great beauty, and who also happens to be a princess.

Pierre is, at least, Natasha's equal in social status.  

He, like Natasha, is the child of a count.   Though unlike Natasha, Pierre's parents were not married, he is legitimized upon his father's death - at his father's request and by order of the Tsar no less!  That, and the immense wealth Pierre has inherited, land him firmly if awkwardly in high society.      

Pierre feels unworthy of Natasha's love.  But the reasons are spiritual and psychological.  They are about neither looks nor social status.

 

Updated On: 7/26/17 at 02:01 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 2:03pm

schubox said: "dramamama611 said: "Itonlytakesajourney said: "I'm not necessarily opposed to this but? I'm kind of disappointed that Oak isn't doing this for longer. It's certainly kind of weird to see a 64-year old play a romantic role to a girl 40 years younger than him, but I'm willing to overlook it since he is a legend. Plus he isn't doing it for very long either. 

 


But there isn't romance between them until the very end....and the romance part of that can be played way down.   Its going to be more noticeable playing agains Helene, his wife.   But she's a gold digger, so it could work.

 

"

And not even really there. So many people act like they get together in the end. They don't. She's incredibly despressed and thinks her life is ruined and he says that if he were the perfect version of himself he would still want her. If you read the book it's still a couple years before they end up together. I kept hearing people taking about Natasha as some kind of slut jumping from guy to guy, just listen to the words 

 

"

Oh, I 100% agree.  I've made the argument in other threads about that very thing.  He is there, supporting her and says the one thing that might give her hope.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 2:05pm

https://twitter.com/RafaelCasal/status/890236137100513280

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 2:07pm

^except The Great Comet is based on (one part of ) one of the most famous and oft-adapted novels ever written, at the conclusion of which Natasha and Pierre are in love and married.

While the adaptation is inventive, anachronistic and highly theatrical, and while there are some changes (as there are in most adaptations), it is actually quite loyal to Tolstoy's story.

 

Updated On: 7/26/17 at 02:07 PM

[nmlhats]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 2:07pm

I don't see firing someone just because you got a big name for three weeks. I am guessing they could be firing him and the person who is really replacing him is not available until after Labor Day and they convinced Mandy to fill in. Or they need to gin up flagging ticket sales. I have recently been booking clients into onstage tables without much trouble.

The other questions are who's coming after Labor Day and how long does the show run?

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 2:07pm

How long before Patinkin starts beating cast members in character 

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 2:14pm

dramamama611 said: "Itonlytakesajourney said: "I'm not necessarily opposed to this but? I'm kind of disappointed that Oak isn't doing this for longer. It's certainly kind of weird to see a 64-year old play a romantic role to a girl 40 years younger than him, but I'm willing to overlook it since he is a legend. Plus he isn't doing it for very long either. 

 

"

But there isn't romance between them until the very end....and the romance part of that can be played way down.   Its going to be more noticeable playing agains Helene, his wife.   But she's a gold digger, so it could work.

 

  Not necessarily a romantic role, no, but it still has the implications of desire/romance. Perhaps I worded my statement wrongly, however I would feel a bit strange watching Pierre and Natasha have their moment at the end knowing that Mandy is way older than Denee. I'm sure he will be fabulous in the role though.

 

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 7/26/17 at 2:15pm

LizzieCurry said: "https://twitter.com/RafaelCasal/status/890236137100513280"

I'm not really liking this for a few reasons. 

1.) He's making it out to sound like Oak's race had something to do with it? They're not replacing a black actor with a white actor (well, they are, but that's not the point), they're replacing a relative no one with Mandy Patinkin, which is a very different story. 

2.) He's straight up resorted to calling Great Comet bad (https://twitter.com/RafaelCasal/status/890245202375565313) which is honestly just immature and insulting to people like Dave Malloy and Rachel Chavkin, who probably had zero say in the matter beyond "Yeah, Mandy would be good." 

3.) He's claiming that Oak being pushed out is an example of the show only trying to be diverse "when it's financially convenient," which is just ?? Not true. And kind of insulting to a cast and crew who has done literally everything they could to make it diverse as possible. 

I'm upset with how this went down, too, but I think he's being very inappropriate in response to it.