Rachel York out of Dessa Sat night....

[Madame X]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 2:28am

....anyone have any insight why she was out?

[BroadwayPer4mer03]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 11:16am

Well, my 2 friends play Edgar and the Little Girl in Ragtime at Papermill and they had tech rehearsal that night so thats why Rachel was out, however she will be in for closing night.

[caligrl]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 1:50pm

That's a bunch of crap. Kenita Miller and David Hess are also both in Ragtime and both were at Dessa Rose on Saturday night - not at a tech rehearsal for Ragtime. Rachel is doing too much and is overextended and was out bec. of vocal fatigue.

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 1:52pm

She is on vocal rest.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 3:41pm

A better question would be: Are York and LaChanze ever in DESSA ROSE?

[Princeton78]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 4:06pm

Sounds like getting them both in the show at the same time is quite the feat.

[Ebonic_Singer]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 4:35pm

I heard the understudy was quite fabulous.

[LucilleAndLeoFrank]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 4:50pm

I saw the show in mid-March, about a week and a half before it officially opened. Both were in, and they were astonishing. The second time I went, about one month later, York was in but LaChanze was out. Her understudy, Kenita Miller, didn't do it for me.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 8:44pm

I had both of them, but Norm Lewis was out. According to Stephen Flaherty who I spoke to at the Kennedy Center, it was the one performance he was ever out of.

[lna]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 9:04pm

I saw the show on Thursday. Everyone was in.

[hannahshule]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 9:06pm

And I'm assuming she was there at today's matinee, and tonight's perf. considering it's their last. Did anyone see these two performances?

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 9:24pm

I saw them both on Friday and they both where amazing!

[Madame X]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 12:45pm

Thanks for the info on Ragtime tech and vocal rest. Joan Hess held her own, but still sucked that in the final Saturday Rachel was out.

FWIW - I saw Dessa twice and once LaChanze was out and the other time Rachel was out.

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 1:39pm

I saw Dessa Rose with Rachel York but there was an understudy for LaChanze, and she was amazing. I've never seen LaChanze perform so I guess I don't know what I'm missing, but I was fine with the understudy. She did a great job!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 1:49pm

I personally thought La Chanze's understudy was mediocre at best. She wasn't bad, but she has no real spark, which completely brought the show down completely. Rachel York was also in bad voice the night I saw Dessa. I think Dessa is really a mediocre piece, from 2 of my favorite musical theatre writers, and having the cast constantly out of the show, doesn't bode well for the production.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 1:51pm

I saw the show last night. The most intense night of theatre I have ever had. Show was amazing, the cast was amazing, and I was sitting right in front of Victoria Clark...