Naked Boys Singing- Page 3

[Almira]

Posted: 12/15/10 at 5:06pm

Oh laugh a little.

And thanks for shayna punim. I had to look that up.

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 12/15/10 at 5:08pm

Did I miss something? Or is it a requirement that if you've worked in NAKED BOYS SINGING, you MUST put it on your resume, like some scarlet letter?

I don't think you can prove one way or the other that NAKED BOYS SINGING is a career killer...or builder. It's a job, and all of us in this business know that sometimes you take jobs out of necessity, not for their artistic merit or career building possibilities.

If those were the only reasons for working..then there would be 5 or 6 shows on Broadway...and none of them would have a chorus. Because, let's face it...taking an ensemble job in a Broadway show is no guarantee that you won't have to take a job at NAKED BOYS SINGING when that Broadway show closes. Sometimes a job is just a job and we're damn thankful for having it.

Updated On: 12/15/10 at 05:08 PM

[Almira]

Posted: 12/15/10 at 5:20pm

I remember Donna Murphy telling the story of how when she got her first on Broadway job - playing one of the "voices" in THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG - instead of congratulations from her fellow acting school classmates she got disdain and contempt.

They thought it was beneath her and essential not a wise career move if she was ever to be taken seriously.

I wonder how many of them have two Tonys?

Updated On: 12/15/10 at 05:20 PM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/15/10 at 6:27pm

"Careful, Diva, your snark is showing."

And your distain for a popular, long running show is also showing.

I think Almira might have something, because I also sense some bitterness in your posts.

I know a guy who did pporn, and is making a very nice living doing musical theatre now. You can't judge everything by your narrow views.

[parker russel]

Posted: 12/16/10 at 8:14am

Newintown...do you know how many working actors would LOVE to be in a Broadway tour or on Broadway in the chorus of any show. To most actors getting WSS on their resume would be a dream come true. You're talking like all these actors are going on to be "stars" or even actors who have a small Broadway following. Most actors aren't lucky enough to make career "moves"...they're just lucky to book the job. I'd say 95% of actors on Broadway don't get to calculate their next move, they just audition for what would be a great next job/paycheck.

Get a clue about the industry before judging people's resume...and I have a strong feeling Aaron Lazar would still be where he is if he had NBS on his resume (and probably a few fun stories to go with it).

[darquegk]

Posted: 12/16/10 at 9:13am

Sylvester Stallone. There's your example.

He did porn and still managed to advance his career beyond it. Updated On: 12/16/10 at 09:13 AM

[goldenboy]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 10:48pm

Okay.
Here is some Naked Boys Singing History.
Robert Schrock, the creator and director and the idea man
behind Naked Boys Singing was the Artistic Director at
Celebration Theatre in Los Angeles for a good long time. (if im not mistaken 10 years or so.)

He directed and produced many artistic shows. He is a very good director. He often did not get paid because the theatre was struggling and did not have funds to pay him.

He noticed the shows that did draw audience were shows that contained nudity. Also musicals sold well. Hmmm he thought.


So he wanted a cash cow.

Almost as a joke he came up with the idea of Naked Boys Singing.
He asked theatre writers and song writers to contribute to the score and the sketches.

It has some really interesting music and is quite entertaining.
I've seen it twice and heteros and homos both smile and have a good time. The music and lyrics are from a myriad of some of Los Angeles' Best Theatre composers.

The result? Robert Schrock got his cash cow. He finally got paid his back salary at Celebration. And as the owner of the rights to that play finally got the money he richly deserved directing it accross the country and off Broadway where it continues to run.

Mr Schrock tried show art. He was very good at it. He is an excellent director, directing for Celebrations such shows as
The End of the World Party and many many more.

But he got the jackpot with this exploitive yet very fun and creative Naked Boys Singing.

The show is quite fun, charming and harmless.

I saw the original cast 10 years ago in Los Angeles. They were charming. I don't know the calibre of the cast now.

And to answer the other post....most actors start off broadway or in regional theatre. Good actors act. and work. that's what they do. NBS is nothing to be ashamed about. No show is anything to be shamed about. Being a working actor is something to be proud about.

[Kevn520]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 10:52pm

Thanks for that little bit of history, goldenboy. I love these little gems that pop up on the boards every now and again.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:29pm

Hey add Chuck Conners to your porn actors done good! The Rifleman did bump uglies for the cameras.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 10:11am

Didn't Vanessa Williams do some lesbian soft porn?

[darquegk]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 12:22pm

Also, Angelina Jolie, Shannon Elizabeth and Milla Jovovitch did lesbian softcore too.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 11:15pm

and Carol Channing... er no sorry i got that wrong.

[billyboyA]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 12:14pm

Ok, to risk be barbecued to a crisp by those who love a good message board lynching (c'mon, you know who you are - and you love a good opportunity for online drama!!)...

In my humble opinion, Naked Boys Singing WOULD sell more tickets if they made their cast lists available and especially if the rotating list of actors and their headshots were made available on their website.

Let's be honest here - not EVERY person who wants to enjoy the bodies of attractive actors performing in the nude is a total perv. Some of us just enjoy the beauty of the male body and how fun to enjoy it in a non-pornographic or skeevy backroom kind of way.

And what is wrong with wanting to know who you're gonna see drop trou at the show you're paying 50 bucks for?

I saw the show last month, and there were maybe 30 people in the audience - TOPS. The cast seemed visibly embarrassed as they started the show - almost apologetic. Not at being naked, but at the small house and the fact that they weren't about to give us Moliere.

Now, SOME of those guys on the stage were definitely worth the 50 bucks to enjoy seeing their bodies. Others... well, not so much. I can only say a couple of them are brave to let it all "hang" out there like that. (And by "hang", I use that word generously!)

There was some talent, certainly. Tony Neidenbach stands out FOR SURE. He was adorable and funny and has a great voice and can dance. Body was fun to enjoy as well, I'll admit. But he single handedly saved the show that night with his monologue to the audience about the nudity.

Dave August is sort of billed as the star - and he has a star quality body. But I was almost embarrassed FOR him for all of his repeated disappearing acts that were clearly "fluffing" moments. Every time he showed up back on stage again he'd obviously been coaxing the turtle out of the shell, which would last about 3 minutes and it would go back to hiding again. Now, granted, I've only seen the show once - and don't know it intimately, but there were some exits that seemed more about fluffing that about scripted exits. But I could be wrong.

Ok, all that of SAID - yes, I DID go to see the show out of curiosity and because I wanted to enjoy seeing some beautiful bodies on stage.

And for the record, I'm in my 30's and in VERY good shape, so I'm not a lonely old perv with no hopes of seeing good bodies in real life.

And although I thought the show's material catered to the lowest common denominator and was more about "how gay CAN we be" than about nudity, I would even consider seeing it again if I knew who was going to be in it, and if it were actors I wanted to pay 50 bucks to see naked.

And before the high and might on the boards blast me for my opinion: how many of YOU have not sat out in audience watching Nick Adams or John Carroll and thought "man, I'd LOVE to see HIM out of his costume"? We're ALL curious about what's underneath... and there's nothing wrong with being curious WHO you're going see get naked in a show that has "Naked Boys" IN THE TITLE...

I honestly couldn't sit through it again a second time based on the merit of the material. I got a headache just trying NOT to roll my eyes half the time. BUT, I WOULD sit through it again if it meant seeing someone like Timothy John Mandala coming back to perform naked (who I WISH I had seen!!).

And I have to wonder how many OTHER people would plunk their 50 bucks down again a second time if they saw a picture of a hottie who was appearing in the show for a week or two as a cast replacement, simply because the guy IS a hottie.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 12:50pm

"and their headshots were made available on their website."

*Avoids making jokes...*

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 3:11pm

So, you could hardly sit through the show because of the material, but you'd be willing to see it again, depending on who is getting naked?

Sorry, but that does make you a perv.

[billyboyA]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 5:17pm

No, small minded nincompoop... it would make me a perv if I self gratified while watching... but enjoying the beauty of a beautiful nude body makes me something who appreciates the aesthetic.

Do you consider the great photographers like Bruce Weber's to be perv's because they chose to photograph beautiful nude men? Don't recall a lot of overweight droopy skinned people making their 100 dollar coffee table books.

Go back to the pilgrims you idiotic puritan...

a person CAN enjoy seeing beautiful nudity and NOT have it be sexual dumba**...

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 5:49pm

How many names can you call me in one post, perv?

[goldenboy]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 2:44pm

If I counted correctly, 7.

[tommyboy]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 3:10pm

And that's only using the toes on my left foot.

P.S. There once was a show off-Broadway that launched the careers of many. It moved uptown and stayed there for a little while. It was called A Chorus Line.