Raul and Boy George

[eva's boy2]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 9:12pm

Both out of Taboo tonight..How professional!

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 10:54pm

No more or less professional than when Euan and George were out on the same night.

Understudies exist to cover when leads can't go on. Neither of them have missed a lot of shows, so I think they can be cut a little slack. I doubt they sat around trying to figure out the best way to screw the paying audience, especially since George is having a ball during these final weeks.

[BroadwayNYC]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 10:55pm

Probably out looking for jobs.

[cbrown828]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 11:19pm

i heard raul is out alot. he was out the entire weekend when i saw in in early december. but his understudy was very good. who did u see in both roles.

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 11:37pm

Being out a whole weekend does not equal being out a lot. I'm almost positive he was only out that weekend and those few days before the show opened, maybe once or twice more. I know that Donnie has only gone on a small number of times, and I don't think the other understudy, Asa Somers, has gone on as Phillip at all. Updated On: 1/29/04 at 11:37 PM

[cabarethed]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 11:52pm

Asa Somers went on as the character of George either last week or the week before. Someone else (Bob Gaynor I think it was?) went on as Leigh the night it was revealed that Taboo's closing.

[WhatDoINeedWithLove?]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 12:07am

i saw the entire cast--on a sun mat. too--the cast is what was good about it so im glad i saw everyone

[Sunfish]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 12:44am

Donnie is standby for both Geroge AND Raul. He went on as Phillip, Raul's part. William Robert Gaynor went on as Leigh in place of George.

And, BroadwayNYC, both Raul and George already HAVE jobs...Raul has been cast in an off-Broadway production of "The Normal Heart" opening in April and Boy George has a West Coast tour of his DJ club act booked, also in April.

[mebice]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 1:10am

I saw the original cast...except for the original big sue who was out on maternity leave. I really can't say enough about this show...but from the grapevine...Raul was sick and should be back.

[robyn525600]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 9:35am

The guy at the box office told me that Raul has been having a very difficult time staying healthy (keeps getting the flu and colds) this winter.

[BroadwayNYC]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 11:46am

Good for them! Sunfish, thanks for letting me know!

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 11:51am

I'm seeing the show tonight and will be sorely disappointed if Boy George and Raul are out..... well...I'll be more disappointed if Raul is out :)

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 11:53am

post when you get back.... i'm going this weekend. I hope that they are in, especially Raul.

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 12:40pm

I defintely will let you know... if they aren't in it, then I'm getting a refund.

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 12:46pm

I'm pretty sure you can only get a refund if George is out, because his name is on the marquee. Raúl is yet to be refund-worthy (though I am sure the day will come when he is!).

I have to admit that I'm slightly bothered when people refuse to see a show because the "star" is out. In some cases it does make sense, especially if it's a specific fan of that star, but if you're going to see the show itself, why bother getting a refund? Shows without big names cost just as much, so you aren't paying for the stars, and if the understudies weren't qualified, they wouldn't be covering the role. I guess it's just a minor pet peeve of mine. I've been disappointed when a lead was out, but I've always enjoyed the understudies I've seen (in some cases, I liked the understudy more!).

[lc1965]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 12:47pm

Raul is NOT out "a lot". In fact, last night was his 1st night out, to the best of my knowledge, since early December, so let's not tell tales about someone's professionalism. That's a serious charge.

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 12:52pm

I actually love seeing understudies go on because they are usually fresh and bring a lot of energy to the role since they havent been doing it a lot... but for this particular show- I'm seeing the show for Raul because I have never actually had the chance to see him in a showm only heard him on recordings. And since the show is about Boy George and the marketing gimmick is that he is in the show playing someone else, its something I want to see. John Smith coming from mid america seeing his first broadway show doesnt know the difference between Kristen Chenowith or her understudy but I can guarantee they will know the difference if someone like Hugh Jackman is out.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 2:36pm

My take is this:

For a show struggling financially (and is closing), one absence is too much especially in Boy George's case where his absence means customers can get refunds. I am not making a judgment on the validity of his absences. I'm just saying his being out costs money.

I don't go to a show to see an understudy. I go to see the show the way it was advertised at the time I purchased the ticket. When I purchased my ticket for TMM , it didn't say come see TMM. It said, "come see Tony Winner Sutton Foster, Delta Burke, and Tony Winner Leslie Uggams in TMM." The understudies may be fine or even better, but that's hardly the point. If customers were simply buying tickets for the show and not performer(S), THE BOY FROM OZ (as an example) wouldn't be shutting down during Jackman's absence. The grosses for GYPSY wouldn't have dropped as much during Peters' short vacation. Updated On: 1/29/04 at 02:36 PM

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 3:36pm

Excellent points cmleidi!

You don't go into see a film advertised to star certain stars only to find it starring someone completely different... although in some films cases, I wish that were the case.. but i digress..

If a show is advertised with a NAME, then I'm paying to see THAT person.

[mamamia sammy]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 3:58pm

Great point!

[Sunfish]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 5:22pm

Remember, Shirley MacLaine was "discovered" by Alfred Hitchcock when she went on for the "star" Carol Haney in "The Pajama Game". You never know who you will see.

I'm kicking myself now for not going to see the "all-Latin" Evita tour, which starred...yup..Raul Esparza. I thought it was a gimmick. That'll teach me.

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 6:32pm

But what does that say for the work itself? By going to see the name (who, obviously is in the role to get people to come see the show, but that's another thing altogether) and asking for a refund when that name is not present, you're basically dismissing everything else about the show besides that star. The book is the same, the music is the same, the rest of the cast, the rest of the tech crew. Almost as if its not enough that all of those people work to put on a great show, because the star is not there.

Obviously, this is just my opinion. I respect that others feel differently. I also understand that people want to see the star, there's not really anything wrong with that, but really. I go to shows to see the SHOW. If there happens to be a star in it, great. They aren't the show. They're just PART of a huge unit, which I think is forgotten much more than it should be.

[cbrown828]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 10:55pm

people need to chill and not jump down everyone's throat when they dont agree with a post!

[cmleidi]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 11:30pm

Sometimes I've purchased a CD for one song. The CD was advertised as "containing"this certain song. While the other songs may be as good or better than this song, the other songs are just a bonus. If I get home, and that song (for which I bought the CD) is not on the CD, I would return it regardless of the quality of the songs on the CD. I feel the same way about broadway shows. Most shows lure you in with the promise of certain performers appearing, and then act as if they're entitled to your money when they meet the terms of their advertised promise.

I don't want to see an understudy. I want the advertised performer(s). I'm coming from Ohio, and if I come to New York, and a performer is out, it costs me a lot of money to be disappointed. I had one week where every show I attended had an understudy in the major role. I didn't pay for airfare, a hotel room, cabs, tickets, etc. to see the board announing "at this performance, the role of X will be played by..."

I might have more of a tolerance if I lived in the city, but I don't think it's too much to ask to expect a performer to appear with as few missed performances as possible (barring illness, family problems, etc.)

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 11:38pm

Asa Somers went on as Boy George on Jan 21st.

-Christina