Other than "Boy from OZ" has any other show closed during the star's vacation?

[HJAJtheFirst]

Posted: 2/5/04 at 12:01pm

Just Curious, .

[MusicMan]

Posted: 2/5/04 at 1:15pm

"Carol Burnett became unhappy with FADE OUT-FADE IN and when no other comedieence could be recruited, the show closed after 271 performances, divided into two runs by a three-month hiatus."
---American Musical Theatre (Bordman)

I also believe one of Gertude Lawrence's shows closed when the star took her vacation but I can't find the corroboration for this. I'm sure there are other examples as well.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/5/04 at 1:55pm

In the 60s:
Funny Girl laid off at least one Passover week that Barbra was playing;
I Had a Ball with Buddy Hackett did the same;
I think What Makes Sammy Run? may have laid off a week in there.

In the early 70s Irene with Debbie Reynolds laid off during Debbie's vacation.

In 1963 a comedy called Dear Me, The Sky Is Falling closed prematurely into a fairly successful run when star Gertrude Berg got sick. She did tour the following season and they made their money back then.

Fade Out, Fade In closed 6 months into a smash run when Carol had to leave the show due to a whiplash. It was hardly a vacation. There was a lawsuit when she recovered and the show reopened although the reopening was not successful. I think there's much more about this in "Not Since Carrie" by Ken Mandelbaum.

Into the early 50s (pre-air conditioning) shows routinely laid off at least part of the time from July 4 to Labor Day and everyone had a vacation of sorts. These were probably unpaid.

I don't know if the Equity production contract and the other union contracts even have clauses for lay-offs any more.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/5/04 at 2:49pm

Now wait a minute....Betty Hutton replaced Carol Burnett for about a week in FADE OUT FADE IN. However, I do recall the show closing for a while.

WOMAN OF THE YEAR closed for about a month between Raquel Welch and Debbie Reynolds in the lead.

There was also an Irish play that starred Alec Guinness that closed during the Christian Holy Days (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday). Guinness had it written into his contract that he would not perform on those days.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/5/04 at 3:32pm

Betty Hutton did perform Fade Out, Fade In for a week when Carol took off for intensive treatment that eventually didn't work. Again hardly a vacation. The gross went so far south that week you could hear Dixie.

Woman of the Year took a hiatus because they couldn't find a star to replace Raquel right away. The show lost whatever momentum it had and folded about three weeks into Debbie's run.

Never knew about the Alec Guinness dates. The play was probably Dylan in 1964, an Irish play about a Welshman written by an American, Sidney Michaels. Guinness' last show in NY and a Tony Award.

[bially082]

Posted: 2/5/04 at 6:02pm

The Boy From Oz hassn't closed yet. Why do you say "other than the Boy From OZ"?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 2/5/04 at 6:22pm

Um.. because it has been VERY well publicized that the show would close during Hugh's vacation for two weeks.... it was even a joke in Urinetown's Gypsy Of The Year skit.. "But Officer Lockstock, without a theatre we'll be as pointless as Boy From Oz without Hugh Jackman"

[MusicMan]

Posted: 2/5/04 at 11:10pm

Uh, WOSQ, nobody said Burnett took a literal vacation so your twice-emphasized umbrage is misplaced. She did, however, "vacate" the show.