OTHELLO Previews- Page 3

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:08am

Stritch didn’t know one full line or lyric in A Little Night Music. And I’d give anything to see it one more time.

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:09am

MasterThespian 2 said: "Between this, Al Pacino’s struggles in China Doll, Tayne Daly dropping out of Doubt with an “illness,” and George Clooney stressing about blanking onhis lines, makes me think Broadway is a young person's game. For those who have been attending Broadway shows for years, has older performers forgetting their lines always been a thing? Or a more recent occurrence?"

Tyne Daly was actually hospitalized. Why are you putting scare quotes around illness?

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:09am

Was this ever an issue with Glenda Jackson in Lear?

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:12am

chrishuyen said: "Was this ever an issue with Glenda Jackson in Lear?"

I saw it in previews and she was off book

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:12am

"For those who have been attending Broadway shows for years, has older performers forgetting their lines always been a thing?"

Yes. Quite a few actors retire when they realize they can't get the lines down anymore. This is very common. There are also medicines that are somewhat common these days that can affect this kind of memory recall. Earpieces are increasingly common, even for younger performers. 

Does all that mean that there's an excuse? I don't think so. While I greatly enjoyed Stritch in Night Music, it caused me a great deal of anxiety and ultimately did not feel like I was seeing the same show I saw with Lansbury. Anytime Stritch was on stage you could feel the audience clench their buttholes collectively.

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:34am

Shakespeare also has iambic pentameter rhythm so every word and enunciation is important.

For a musical or non-Shakespeare play, one can hide it more if you forgot a line or makeup a line.

Younger actors forget lines too. Back in 2018, Children of a Lesser God had supertitles and Joshua Jackson would at times forget his lines.  

For Great Comet, I recall Oak's first performance was postponed a week since the director didn't feel he was ready.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:38am

VotePeron said: "This production has been signed & and in the works since this time last year. There is no excuse for not being off book."

Yeah, if I was paying 900 dollars for an actor to scream "LINE!" in the middle of a show, completing taking the audience out of the show, I would be pretty pissed. There is zero excuse. 

My friend's kid bit it in the park today and broke his arm. She doesn't do the apps so she is just giving me her ticket but if I hear him asking for a line tonight? Yeah, nothing will happen and I won't leave, but I will be pretty bummed out that a person who has been talking about this forever and has been acting his entire life is not prepared. 

Updated On: 2/25/25 at 11:38 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:43am

Age affects everyone differently - I certainly will never forget a 90 year old Estelle Parsons crawling through a window in the 2018 revival of Bright Room Called Day with as much vigor and ease as someone a third her age- but it is very surprising to hear that somebody who is constantly working like Washington is struggling with lines, particularly with a text he’s had for a long time. 

Updated On: 2/25/25 at 11:43 AM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:52am

Damn. I don’t want to be judge someone who is 70 struggling with lines—who knows what my memory will be like at that age? It affects everyone differently and I imagine is deeply frustrating for anyone who starts to see their memory go. Has Washington struggled with lines in the past?

 

At the same time, as someone who has performed a lot of it, I’d say that Shakespearean verse is usually one of the easier things to memorize because it has a rhythm and feels more like remember song lyrics than amorphous prose—there’s a structure is clicks into that makes it easier, and I think most actors who aren’t doing Shakespeare for the first time would agree.

 

While I can feel for the struggle of someone’s memory declining, I’d be incredibly disappointed to pay even the low end of these ticket prices to see an actor call line. I hope he can get it together soon.

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:53am

As someone pointed out above, Tyne Daly (not "Tayne") was hospitalized and withdrew from Doubt for legit health reasons. To suggest that she secretly couldn't handle the show is beyond rude and based in nothing. 

Washington forgetting lines is surprising though. This is usually more of a problem with folks who don't do theater that often. But Washington has been on stage fairly regularly. Still age affects everyone's brain differently and even stage vets can be affected. Joel Grey once forgot the words to Mr. Cellophane so much that he couldn't continue and just walked off stage mid song in Chicago. Angela Lansbury really wanted her final stage appearance to be Caucasian Chalk Circle, but had to give up that dream because she just couldn't keep lines memorized like she used to.

Shakespeare requires an actor to be precise, its difficult language. I wonder if this will reach a point where the opening night is pushed. 

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:54am

FWIW, there are still zero people in this thread confirming he called for a line.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 11:57am

pagereynolds said: "FWIW, there are still zero people in this thread confirming he called for a line."

CapeTwirlofDoom confirmed he called line enough during the final dress that it was concerning, which is also still too late in the process for that. 

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 12:01pm

People getting pressed about about giving up their phones like...

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 12:03pm

pagereynolds said: "FWIW, there are still zero people in this thread confirming he called for a line."

There is a thread on Reddit about the first preview and an attendee confirmed he called for line several times 

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 12:06pm

pagereynolds said: "FWIW, there are still zero people in this thread confirming he called for a line."

I'm sorry, am I chopped liver? Or not a legitimate source for you? I wasn't exactly counting how many lines he called. But it was more than a few. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 12:35pm

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "pagereynolds said: "FWIW, there are still zero people in this thread confirming he called for a line."

I'm sorry, am I chopped liver? Or not a legitimate source for you? I wasn't exactly counting how many lines he called. But it was more than a few."

Not sure who "invited" you on Saturday (or were you one of the "got an extra ticket" regulars hovering outside?), but either way, it's incredibly ill-mannered and obnoxious for you to be posting about what went on in a "Friends and Family only" invited dress.  I'd say you should be ashamed -- but I know that the concept of shame no longer exists in society.

Just gross behavior.

 

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 12:37pm

JSquared2 said: "GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "pagereynolds said: "FWIW, there are still zero people in this thread confirming he called for a line."

I'm sorry, am I chopped liver? Or not a legitimate source for you? I wasn't exactly counting how many lines he called. But it was more than a few."

Not sure who "invited" you on Saturday(or were you one of the "gotan extra ticket" regulars hovering outside?), but either way, it's incredibly ill-mannered and obnoxious for you to be posting about what went on in a "Friends and Family only" invited dress. I'd say you should be ashamed -- but I know that the concept of shame no longer exists in society.

Just gross behavior.

"

I went to first preview the other night. And paid for my ticket. Sorry. Won't answer questions people have on this board again. I'll just go **** off.

Updated On: 2/25/25 at 12:37 PM

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 12:43pm

JSquared2 said: "GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "pagereynolds said: "FWIW, there are still zero people in this thread confirming he called for a line."

I'm sorry, am I chopped liver? Or not a legitimate source for you? I wasn't exactly counting how many lines he called. But it was more than a few."

Not sure who "invited" you on Saturday(or were you one of the "gotan extra ticket" regulars hovering outside?), but either way, it's incredibly ill-mannered and obnoxious for you to be posting about what went on in a "Friends and Family only" invited dress. I'd say you should be ashamed -- but I know that the concept of shame no longer exists in society.

Just gross behavior."

 

Girl hush lol

[Kad]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 12:46pm

JSquared2 said: "GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "pagereynolds said: "FWIW, there are still zero people in this thread confirming he called for a line."

I'm sorry, am I chopped liver? Or not a legitimate source for you? I wasn't exactly counting how many lines he called. But it was more than a few."

Not sure who "invited" you on Saturday(or were you one of the "gotan extra ticket" regulars hovering outside?), but either way, it's incredibly ill-mannered and obnoxious for you to be posting about what went on in a "Friends and Family only" invited dress. I'd say you should be ashamed -- but I know that the concept of shame no longer exists in society.

Just gross behavior.

"

You really don’t need to post every thought that pops into your head.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 1:08pm

JSquared2 said: "GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "pagereynolds said: "FWIW, there are still zero people in this thread confirming he called for a line."

I'm sorry, am I chopped liver? Or not a legitimate source for you? I wasn't exactly counting how many lines he called. But it was more than a few."

Not sure who "invited" you on Saturday(or were you one of the "gotan extra ticket" regulars hovering outside?), but either way, it's incredibly ill-mannered and obnoxious for you to be posting about what went on in a "Friends and Family only" invited dress. I'd say you should be ashamed -- but I know that the concept of shame no longer exists in society.

Just gross behavior."

Wrong as usual. Cape Twirl of Doom is the poster who attended the invited dress Saturday. Last night was the first preview, and its audience is free to post whatever they want. 

 

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 1:44pm

Yup. And I only posted about calling for lines during the dress because from what PAID attendees have said, he still did it a lot last night. Had he been totally off-book by last night what I saw would have had no relevance. One report on r/Broadway said it was around 10 times.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 2:01pm

Kad said: "JSquared2 said: "GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "pagereynolds said: "FWIW, there are still zero people in this thread confirming he called for a line."

I'm sorry, am I chopped liver? Or not a legitimate source for you? I wasn't exactly counting how many lines he called. But it was more than a few."

Not sure who "invited" you on Saturday(or were you one of the "gotan extra ticket" regulars hovering outside?), but either way, it's incredibly ill-mannered and obnoxious for you to be posting about what went on in a "Friends and Family only" invited dress. I'd say you should be ashamed -- but I know that the concept of shame no longer exists in society.

Just gross behavior.

"

You really don’t need to post every thought that pops into your head."

 

Nor do you -- but here we are!

 

[Dan6]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 2:03pm

I would still love to hear from someone who was there about the production and performances, apart from the missed lines. 

[The Other One]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 3:28pm

MasterThespian 2 said: "Between this, Al Pacino’s struggles in China Doll, Tayne Daly dropping out of Doubt with an “illness,” and George Clooney stressing about blanking onhis lines, makes me think Broadway is a young person's game. For those who have been attending Broadway shows for years, has older performers forgetting their lines always been a thing? Or a more recent occurrence?


Wick3 said: "GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "So, how many times can Denzel call line before that $300+ seat's price tag starts to really sting? Because it's one time too many for me."

Oh wow. He is 70 years old so it may be harder to memorize lines. Since this is a double billing, I can see Denzel fans forgiving him but Jake fans may think otherwise. I applaud Denzel for keeping the first preview as scheduled. In other productions, they would have postponed previews a few days or even a week if the actor or producers felt they weren't ready."

Denzel called for lines through most of the preview period of The Iceman Cometh. Hickey, of course, is an enormous role.  By most accounts, he was on very solid ground with his lines by the time the play opened officially. 

 

 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 6:20pm

The Other One said: "Denzel called for lines through most of the preview period of The Iceman Cometh.Hickey, of course, is an enormous role. By most accounts, he was on very solid ground with his lines by the time the play opened officially."

Then he needed to start studying the script a few weeks earlier than he did. The preview period exists so that the director can make adjustments based on audience reaction; it isn't to give well-paid professional actors extra time to learn their lines in front of people paying for expensive tickets.