Ramin Karimloo won't perform Thursday Evenings; Les Mis Rush Policy Announced

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 5:23pm

Ramin Karimloo won't perform Thursday Evenings; Les Mis Rush Policy Announced

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 5:28pm

Not sure why this warrants its own thread.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 7:47pm

I am SICK AND TIRED of these people not being able to deliver 8 performances a week because the role is "too demanding." Colm Wilkenson was able to do it, as was the guy in the recent revival. If you can't do 8 performances a week, you are obviously not up to the part. DON'T DO IT and limit yourself to doing shows you CAN do 8 performances a week. Lazy, lazy, lazy!

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 8:03pm

I wholeheartedly agree, Ed. I'm not sure why this is allowed to happen. I understand Carly Rae's schedule in Cinderella a bit more because they're only putting up with it because she's a "name," but not enough people know Ramin. He really should be able to do all of the performances.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 8:10pm

I don't care if you're a 'name' or not... 8 shows a week. That's the job.

In my humble opinion.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 8:14pm

I agree. Don't even necessarily think she is a "name" - she had one song. Was just saying that I assume that is their reasoning behind allowing her to have an altered schedule. Don't agree with it, but that's probably the reality.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 8:19pm

Personally, I think it's acceptable for roles like this. If Christine, Evita and Jekyll and Hyde can have alternates then Valjean can. It's not about not being able to handle 8 performances a week, it's about voice preservation. Opera singers get a day off between shows.

[suttonfoster]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 8:27pm

Such ignorance. Taking a show or two off a week for a major, demanding role like Jean Valjean is perfectly acceptable. Even with the best training, singing for the majority of an almost 3 hour show is not vocally healthy 8 times a week.

Updated On: 3/2/14 at 08:27 PM

[NYadgal]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 8:30pm

It's not ignorance.

It's a difference of opinion.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 8:44pm

It is better to warm ticket holders of this schedule rather than to have him spontaneously call out at least one performance a week.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 9:15pm

It's perfectly understandable for that role. I remember Audra McDonald took Wednesday evenings or matinees off from Porgy and Bess. No one seemed to complain then....

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 9:32pm

Don't forget that Audra altered that into the run. And I'm pretty sure that she'll be doing 8 performances a week for Lady Day.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 9:34pm

Lady Day is will have 7 performances a week.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 9:39pm

The whole mess started when Lea Salonga couldn't do 8 performances of Miss Saigon. Then whoever-she-was couldn't do 8 performances of Aspects of Love. If you can't do it, ladies, find another job.

[Tsao5]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 9:40pm

It's not so unusual. In the London production it is quite the norm. If a producer and director want an actor bad enough....which they do with Karimloo.........and it is announced ahead of time, it should be ok.

It has happened before on B'way with Les Miz. Valjean Dudu Fischer had Friday's off and the late J.C. Sheets was his alternate and Valjean Robert Marien's alternate was Ivan Rutherford. I believe Karimloo's alternate is Aaron Walpole, who people I know who have seen him, love.

It could be that Mr. Karimloo wanted to have a night off to be with his kids or do other projects, and as the creative/producing team love him, he got it. Good for him. One can say he earned it but showing the producers/creative team through his past work that he can play Valjean in this production the way they want, but would like a performance off.

By announcing it, it lets people know, those who were coming just to see him, that he won't be there, a responsible thing for the producers to do. THAT was not such the norm in the past for shows like LM, Miss Saigon or any other show for that matter that did not rely on a name. As Karimloo is not known outside theater, I say good for Mackintosh for basically telling those theater people who are a fan that he won't be on. He did not have to do that.

If the producers insisted on Raminloo doing it 8 times a week, he could. He is a strong and dedicated performer. But, as he does not have to, well, good for him.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 9:47pm

They should have announced it prior to tickets going on sale.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 9:49pm

"The whole mess started when Lea Salonga couldn't do 8 performances of Miss Saigon."

Actually it started with Mary Martin and Robert Preston not doing matinees of "I Do I Do". Then Patti "Andrew Lloyd Webber Hates Women" LuPone.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 10:49pm

The whole mess started when Lea Salonga couldn't do 8 performances of Miss Saigon.

Actually, they wanted an Asian American to do the show twice a week as a concession. They cast Kam Cheng.

BTW it isn't THAT normal for Valjean to take one show off a week -- they've done this around the world for 30 years without needing an alternate, for the most part. (And Dudu Fisher did it for religious reasons.)

I don't know why Ramin has to specifically say "vocal rest" on the website. At least that's what it said a couple of weeks ago.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 11:22pm

Actually it started with Mary Martin and Robert Preston not doing matinees of "I Do I Do". Then Patti "Andrew Lloyd Webber Hates Women" LuPone.

And LuPone had an alternate from the outset because Elaine Paige had one in London.

Updated On: 3/2/14 at 11:22 PM

[eyehrtfood]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 11:33pm

I saw Karimloo's understudy/alternate, Aaron Walpole, in Toronto - where Karimloo also didn't do Thursdays... I can't imagine anyone singing the role better than Walpole. He was fantastic, by any standard - and is a big guy, so had that larger than life Valjean quality. Unfortunately, we saw Walpole on the Saturday after Xmas - when the lobby cast board announced Karimloo as Valjean that night - but Walpole went on anyway. As we'd already checked the lobby board - we'd breathed a sigh of relief that Karimloo was on - we'd come 6 hours to see him - so it was a big letdown when (after no announcement) - Valjean was NOT Karimloo. Only then did we notice a full cast list insert in the program - not calling out an understudy - just noting all the roles - and that Walpole was Valjean. Karimloo had published absences that week - this was not one of them - and was a habitual "I'm not on tonight" Tweeter, when he was going to miss unexpectedly, so the dated cast list that seemed to sneak into the program seemed calculated to trick. Do they follow different "must notify in at least two of three ways" rules for understudies in Canada?



Updated On: 3/2/14 at 11:33 PM

[Tsao5]

Posted: 3/2/14 at 11:58pm

For the most part....and relatively speaking to those productions around the world that did 8 shows week and have had long runs..........there have not been alternates on a regular basis-though it certainly was not unusual to get that little piece of paper on matinees saying 'At this performance the role of Jean Valjean will be played by......".

I think the first real listed in the program Valjean alternate was Jimmy Keen in London in the late 80's. The first Valjean to have a listed alternate in the states was J.C. Sheets for Dudu Fischer (who observed the Sabbath). Not sure why Rutherford was alternating for Marien for the 10 anniversary cast but he was listed as the alternate.

But London as of late does usually have listed Valjean alternates. The current Valjean in London was listed as an alternate before taking over when the main Valjean went over to play the Phantom.

When the recent tour went out with Lawrence Clayton as Valjean, Mike Sharp was listed as the alternate. However, when Clayton left, there were no more listed alternates.

So, perhaps it depends on the individual contract of the actor and union rules and what the agents of the actors negotiates.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/3/14 at 12:12am

Ron Sharpe, not Mike Sharp.

[TimesSquared]

Posted: 3/3/14 at 1:01am

Many Valjeans have only had to do 7 a week. They got to choose their day off whenever they felt they needed it. At least people will know Ramin is out on Thursday. It's a seriously strenuous role to sing, as well as being very physically demanding. If they can get it in their contract, and many have, good for them. If you want to see Ramin, just don't come on Thursday.

[xyz789]

Posted: 3/3/14 at 1:21am

I have a lot of old play scripts and they list the cast list as well as the Wednesday matinee cast (For instance the first production of Long Day's Journey Into Night). I know we're talking about a musical, but I'm curious about the historical president of cast replacements.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/3/14 at 2:00am

I wonder why Thursdays? You'd think you'd want one of the double days off.