NIKKI BLONSKY: From Hairspray to Cruise Ships- Page 2

[Neverandy]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 10:12pm

As a Headliner you can make some good coin performing on a ship. I think it is not out of ordinary for someone like her to put together a solo-act to book in regional PACs and venues like Ships and clubs. Sam Harris does it.
When I worked Ships in the production shows I made 1500 a week. Headliners (non-names) were making 3-5grand for one night. These headliners, were Broadway people (lots of Valjeans and Phantoms. We would also, occasionally get some "names" onboard as well- former singing stars and television personalities (John Davidson, members of the Lettermen, etc.)
You do that 40 weeks a year and thats 200 grand. Not bad for getting your room and board paid for, travelling, and only working 3 hours a week!

[missyrose87]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 10:20pm

they probably havent asked her to do hairspray because they know she cant do 8 shows a week.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 10:29pm

It is a chartered cruise, we get Lynard Skynard, Mercy Me, John Mayer, Motley Cru, and many many more on chartered cruises all the time on Carnival Cruise Lines, chartered cruises usually bring on their own entertainment, Nikki Blonsky is part of the entertainment hired out for a chartered cruise. Rosie frequently hires out big broadway names for her cruises and I don't hear anyone complaining about that.

[amoni]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 10:35pm

"An act? What, she's now a cabaret performer or a Vegas headliner? Who's writing for her? Bruce Vilanch?"

Nikki Blonsky putting act together is too much for you to fathom? I know there are alot here who think if someone's mother didn't squat in Shubert Alley and birth them precisely between the matinée and evening show they have no business on Broadway but please don't tell you think someone has to be born under Bobby Short's piano to dare do Cabaret. Cabaret is no different than cruise ships, just minus the Dramamine.

[MaronaDavies]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 10:38pm

What Neverandy said. Headliners on cruises are generally treated quite well, and a lot of big names go out on these charter voyages. It's not a step down. She's young and I see no reason why she shouldn't be exploring anything she wants to do and going out there in the world. Getting a free Caribbean vacation and being paid to sing at the same time doesn't sound like such a bad deal. :)

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 10:39pm

She did it for the free trip and the CA$H, like the rest of us would do!

It's a gay cruise and the bois will just eat her up when she comes out on stage in her big hair and sings songs from the Hairspray movie for an hour and 10 minutes.

Peformers on those cruises get a premium fee and usually only do one or two shows and an autograph session all week!

GO NIKKI!

Certainly no reason to feel sorry for her! Lots of bigger stars do it every week!

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 10:57pm

I think this will be great for Nikki!

[theatreguy]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 11:18pm

Why would she want to do Hairspray on Broadway? She already starred in the movie; you'd think she'd want to move on to other projects to show what else she's capable of.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 11:25pm

Um, judging by her appearance (in her Tracy Turnblad garb) at this past Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (a mere 3 1/2 months ago), I highly doubt she's ready to move away from anything HAIRSPRAY.



Let's hope she doesn't turn into another Jennifer Holliday, who's still playing Effie White whenever she can -- for over 25 years.

[NCGuy]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 11:42pm

Um, judging by her appearance (in her Tracy Turnblad garb) at this past Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (a mere 3 1/2 months ago), I highly doubt she's ready to move away from anything HAIRSPRAY.

Was that not to promote the DVD release of Hairspray, which had come out that same week?

[Switz78]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 11:55pm

Why has no one mentioned the lousy Lifetime movie Queen Sized that was on about a month ago. She was not all that great in it. Also she has not been asked to do the Broadway Hairspray probably because she is considerably larger than the other girls they have had doing the show and considering that most are being padded now, the Tracy's are averaging an 8 or a 10 which Nikki Blonsky is not. I'm not bashing her, I'm a big girl myself, I'm just saying.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 12:03am

I don't think she should play Tracy on Broadway. She needs to find other projects in order to be taken seriously. She also needs to move past the type-casting of the fat girl that isn't popular, understood, etc. I'd love to see her take on new, fresh projects so she has the chance to star. She's still very young, also.

[xoangel2789xo]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 12:09am

I was just going through my playbills and still have the one from when she was in Carmen >.<

I don't think it's such a bad thing that she's performing on a cruise. She's still a working actress, don't really see any shame in that.

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 12:21am

Funny.. some of these posts read like...

She should move on to more interesting roles... or she needs to do this kind of project .. she should appear in that play ..or she shouldn't do such and such part..

Grow up.

Acting isn't like painting or writing a novel.. you don't get to "choose" what you will do next. Acting, for the most part,is about what is the next paying gig. Be it a commercial for antacid.. be it an appearance at a sci-fi convention.. be it.. god forbid ... a stint on a cruise ship.

I say cash-in while the gettin' is good.

Updated On: 3/4/08 at 12:21 AM

[nyc_etoile2]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 2:26am

Yeah, smeone finally said it, she was in the movie on ABCFamily Queen Sized. Seriously, give her a break, or rather, be proud of her. The girl was a nobody and in two years, she's shot three movies, and is performing where people know her. I think she's doing pretty well.

[missyrose87]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 2:52am

i have always wondered if they use real fat girls or normal sized ones with padding for the broadway show.

[Neverandy]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 9:05am

They pad them nowadays. The rumor is that they would rather pad a girl that is in shape and can do the maximum number of shows a week, than use an out of shape girl who might only be able to do 5 or 6. I remember some girls being quite offended when they were called back for tracy for the non-eq tour. They got up in the morning thinking that they were going to velma von tussle, and they come home being told they are a tracy turnblad!!

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 9:13am

Saying that the current Tracys are an 8 or 10 is a bit of an exaggeration - a 12, maybe. They do tend to be padded, but that's generally to change the shape of their bodies, and not necessarily add excess girth - it's not a fat suit.

Also, "in shape" does not equal skinny, and "out of shape" does not equal fat.

[morosco]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 9:25am

Cruise ships have come a long way since The Poseidon.

Oh great. Now I have "there's got to be a morning after" stuck in my head.

[Christy323]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 2:38pm

She has been working on an album recently; it's most likely that she used this cruise to work out any kinks in her live performances and to test out new material.

Plus, like many of you said, it's a paid vacation....I'd take it :)

(Yes, Queen Sized wasn't that great of a movie; but I'd put that less on Nikki and more on the movie as a whole. I thought she was great in it, but she couldn't carry that whole movie on her shoulders by herself)

[fnyboi88]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 2:41pm

If I was her I wouldn't mind going on a cruise and getting paid for it.

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 4:52pm

Am I missing something? How do we KNOW it would be "impossible" for her to do the show 8 times a week?

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 8:11pm

Being a fat girl girl is just like being any non-white or non-conventionally attractive person. Unless they need to mention how fat/black/asian/ugly etc, you are, they don't bother with considering you. I think they're beginning to open it up with race but it still has a ways to go. Sadly, because it makes it easier for Casting Directors, many of them just stick to type casting. Only grab a fat girl when then read "FAT" or "OVERWEIGHT" on the page. Once in a while you see a fat actress and they weight is not mentioned every two seconds like Sookie on Gilmore Girls. She was a person who happened to be fat, she was not defined by her weight.

Nikki has a hard road ahead if she wants a career. It can be done, but that may mean small roles on TV and film. Most of the most successful character actors are they types where you don't know there names but you've seen their face around before.

Updated On: 3/4/08 at 08:11 PM

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 3/4/08 at 8:21pm

Also, "in shape" does not equal skinny, and "out of shape" does not equal fat.

Amen shesamarshmallow.

[Switz78]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 5:50pm

Why not just hire someone who is the right shape who can do it? The height requirement (under 5'3") is also a ridiculous in my opinion. I gotta say that I do 8 shows a week dancing(when I got a gig)and 3 miles plus on the elliptical 5 days a week and am still not a 10. So don't give me that an actual PLUS-SIZE girl can't do the role.
It's a bit annoying to go and watch a padded girl dancing around and nothing on them moves. I walk and my boobs move. It's just not very realistic. Also one of the current understudies who I happened to work with before her bway bow is a size 4. The new standby, can't think of her name but she was great, was definitely not a 12. Short and not thin does not equal fat.