I don't know why the physical proof of these kind of comments is so shocking to folks. Broadway can be a horrifically cruel business.
I learned first hand at a very young age. I was living in Cincinnati in the early 1990's when I went, as a personal challenge, to an open call of "Showboat." Many shows, as they tour, will hold calls in Cincinnati mostly due to talent at CCM.
Well, I auditioned on a lark, and actually had a very good experience. Didn't get me a job, but I came out of it unscathed and was proud that I hadn't gotten pooh pooh'd or cut off.
However, as I was first entering the audition room, I could hear the off handed comments that were being made about the person who had auditioned ahead of me. It was a middle-aged gal who had actually performed as Madame Thenadier. They must have known who she was because I was made privvy to several remarks being made about her demeanor, how she had become a "fattie" etc etc etc.
Ouch.
Now, who knows what they said about me after I left, and quite frankly who cares. But none-the-less, this kind of superior derrogatory attitude has existed far longer than "Twitter" ever will.
It doesn't make it right, but it's surely no surprise to anyone. Hasn't Simon Cowell made an entire career out of it?
Updated On: 8/14/09 at 12:58 PM