Melissa Errico Fired From PASSION?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:08pm

So she says in her blog.

http://melissaerrico.com/blog-4/

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:13pm

Was she trying to write a one woman show? That thing was looooong and meandering.

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:22pm

She never signed and returned her contracts or even submitted a W-2?! Never heard of a company letting someone start work without returning those documents.

And the direct deposit for that $555 a week - how was this woman able to feed her three kids?! Bet they held her checks back.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:23pm

I was confused about the unsigned documents, too. How was she allowed to start working?

[MusicalMo]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:28pm

It's not uncommon to start rehearsals without contracts signed. They are usually given out the first day. But indeed, some stage manager or employee from CSC should have reminded her, no question. As for the money, I am sure she was fine. Her husband is Patrick McEnroe, tennis sportscaster (and brother of John McEnroe). Not insinuating they are uber rich, but I think they are fine. It's all very unfortunate, really. I thought the three leads in PASSION were really great. No doubt there are probably two sides to this story, so we'll never really know.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:29pm

It says to wait till blog 5 for the rest of the story, but I tried getting there the old-fashioned way (i.e., replace "4" in the linked URL with "5") and it's password-protected. Does this mean we don't get to see the other half, or it's not ready yet, or what?

[philly03]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:30pm

I think Errico has a lovely voice (and is actually a great actress), but CSC HAD to expect this from her when they signed her on.

My Fair Lady, DRACULA, and I believe even High Society she had vocal problems that I think have plagued her career.

I'm curious to read the fifth part as well. Updated On: 6/11/13 at 10:30 PM

[binau]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:35pm

I'm confused what the issue is. They replaced her because she couldn't perform?

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:35pm

I gave up after a couple of sentences, and she's added another part. Fark me!

[jackieoh]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:44pm

I feel for her as it seems this production was very important to her but I think it is silly for her to play the victim here. There were TWO WEEKS left in the run.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:45pm

I cracked up at the photo caption stating she doesn't understand a direct deposit form. If she never filled out a W-4 I'd imagine she never actually got paid as they wouldn't know how to tax her.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:48pm

She didn't fill out a W4 or I9? That's illegal. How does she file taxes? There is definitely actions that were taken without her knowledge or understanding. It's impossible to pay someone with their tax documents, so she must have signed them at some point.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:48pm

They can't not pay her. I believe that they have to take out the maximum taxes out of the check, however.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:50pm

Errico was clearly paid as she states how much she earned every week after agent commissions early in the blog post. As others have said, they probably just deducted the maximum possible deductions from her check.

Updated On: 6/11/13 at 10:50 PM

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:52pm

^You're right, it's just processed as if they claimed no exemptions. I just find it weird that nobody in Payroll thought to investigate further. OR They went to her with another set of forms and she just kept the original blank forms.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 10:55pm

I cracked up at the photo caption stating she doesn't understand a direct deposit form. If she never filled out a W-4 I'd imagine she never actually got paid as they wouldn't know how to tax her.

I always have to ask someone for help whenever I fill out a W-4, but a direct deposit form is the easiest pre-employment form to complete.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 11:05pm

I'm sure the fact of her being paid isn't the main thrust of her blog.

It's kind of worth reading the whole thing-- incredibly honest and naked tale of that one terrible day when she got the news. I think it's immaterial that there were only 2 weeks left in the run. (There was also the cast recording to consider, which would be the permanent record of the show for posterity.) I feel for her, particularly since I saw her shine in that early press performance that was posted on BWW, but missed seeing her full onstage performance when I went to the show. No disrespect to Amy Justman, but in the show I saw, the part of Clara was a marked weakness in the dynamic of the show's triangle. I hope one day I get to hear Melissa Errico have another shot at the part.

Updated On: 6/11/13 at 11:05 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 11:11pm

"Now that I’ve told you where I live, please don’t come visit me."

This is why people shouldn't write.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 11:15pm

I'm confused. If she was fired and let go from the company, what was all of that nonsense of pushing back the cast recording for HER? Did they intend for her to record the part after firing her??/

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 11:22pm

ljay, if you read her earlier blogs, she says the initial postponement of the cast recording happened prior to her firing. Since she claims she was well enough vocally to go back into the show before the end of the run, it's clear now that the decision to ultimately replace her for the recording with Rebecca Luker later on was made due to the circumstances surrounding Errico's "departure" from the show, not her vocal health.

I can almost guarantee that her anger over being left off the recording is what has spurned her to out this whole story publicly, since she could have otherwise let people continue to believe that her not going back into the show was entirely medically related.

Updated On: 6/12/13 at 11:22 PM

[bigbelterbaby]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 11:22pm

Melissa is cursed . She has had so much bad luck in her career. I really feel for her.

[jackieoh]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 11:24pm

I, too, just read the rest of her blog. When I made my earlier comment I did not realize that the cast recording was still a factor.

Her understanding of Clara was truly remarkable and her dedication to the piece really shows through in her writing. It's a shame that she didn't get to record it but you have to look at it objectively. In any other workplace, if someone is out of the job for an extended period of time, you have to promote someone to get the job done. Amy stepped in when Melissa couldn't and that's life.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 11:38pm

Oh my God. I read the first paragraph and quit. Jesus Christ. Comparing herself to a "good little deaf girl" was a bit much. I stopped there.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 11:41pm

As for the money, I am sure she was fine.

Her blog says she was paying $950 a week for strobes. If that's what I think they are (meaning I searched the internet and I think it has something to do with reiki - but it's different from "heart-healing" whatever that is). So yeah, it sounds like money's not a problem.

I feel for her on one hand, but one the other I laughed at her for seemingly being flummoxed by a direct deposit form, but if I read all that and the seemingly GOOD stuff is on an enrypted page, then I can't say I have too many f*cks to give.

Also,I have to confess, after that Aaron Tveit thread fracas, I'm not sure what performers are considered acceptable to speak of in nothing but glowing terms.


Updated On: 6/11/13 at 11:41 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/11/13 at 11:51pm

This is why people shouldn't write.

This is why people should hire press agents.