Raul and Boy George- Page 2

[cmleidi]

Posted: 1/29/04 at 11:44pm

"Almost as if its not enough that all of those people work to put on a great show, because the star is not there. "

That's the reality. It isn't enough for me at least. Like I wrote, I may have a more lenient policy if I lived in New York, but my expectations are higher since I have to go through a lot to see the show. I may never get another chance to see a show so I want to see the regular performers.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 12:01am

When I was checking to book tix for Cabaret, the Ticketcharge site had some dates stated in which Susan Egan was out, it was something like 4 performances that week. I checked very carefully and got a ticket for a date she was appearing. I had never seen her live and I had heard wonderful things about her, so i wanted to see her. Of course my main motive for the show was Adam Pascal, but the combination made me choose Cabaret over Avenue Q !!! I go to the theater and guess what ! She is not appearing ! Isn't that cheating ? Her understudy was nothing special ! Sure, i enjoyed my beloved Adam and the show, but i was very pissed off. I came all the way from Greece for that. Why on earth couldn't she stick with the schedule she gave ? It was not a matter of illness, since it was pre-planned. Just unprofessionalism in my opinion. And it was a SATURDAY EVENING show for Heaven's sake !!!!

Take care Updated On: 1/30/04 at 12:01 AM

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 2:48am

Okay, so I finally saw this show tonight. Raul was out and his stand by Donnie Keshawarz was on. My friend who was with me who has seen Raul said he actually preferred Donnie better. I was disappointed not to see him go on. Boy George was present tonight.

During the number "Ich bin kunst" Boy George does some patter with the audience. Tonight he said: "Don't look at it as a show closing, look at it as Rosie slamming her purse shut...." which got a huge laugh out of the audience.

I can see why this so isnt successful. Who's story is it? Leigh Bowery's or Boy George's? It ramps up to what I'm assuming is suppose to be an emotional moment about Leigh passing from AIDS but the story doesnt give you anything to relate to or care about. So when he does die, you're like "So what..." Even the video montage, baby photo included, does nothing to stir any emotion for this character since the show doesnt ever show any redeeming qualities about the man.

Euan Morton was amazing and has such a rich voice. The only problem I had is that he is SO tiny compared to everyone else in the show so it looks like a Mini Me Boy George on stage. Cary Shields also belts out some powerful notes in I See Through You and Liz McCartney nails it in Talk Amongst Yourselves. Overall, I was bored with most of the music except for Come On In From The Outside. I got REALLY tired of the overused reverb on every other song.

Oh yeah, I was in the orchestra and there were tons of empty seats...I guess even the closing notice isnt pumping extra sales.

[lc1965]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 11:24am

I understand people's -- paying audience members' -- frustration w/ paying to see an advertised performer & getting an understudy. That frustration IS perfectly understandable & should be a lesson to ASK about planned absences when purchasing tickets. But, ya know, these actors do not come in being at 8:00 p.m. They have lives, get sick, have family obligations, have emergencies, & sometimes need a day off unexpectedly for any number of reasons. I remember when people were ticked off that Bill Pullman had the temerity to take a vacation from The Goat -- how DARE he!? Well, um, actually, he works hard & needed a rest, was morally (if you will) & contractually entitled to it ... & if it was that important that Bill be in the show the ticket buyers should have asked in advance.

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 11:28am

oh boo hooo.. try sitting in an office from up to 14 hrs a day.. yes, people do get sick and i do understand that but lets not make it out that these are the hardest working people in the world. yes, performing isnt an easy gig and im not trying to knock it, im just putting it in perspective...

they work about 3-4 hrs a day and get to sleep till noon. they come in at 7 and leave by 11... not a paid day.

also, i forgot to mention in my "review"- the blatant rip off of the RENT set....

[lc1965]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 1:23pm

Don't hold back Broadwaylilhead -- tell us what you REALLY think! For my buck, I'd rather someone just stay away if they need to than come in & give a half-distracted performance because they're sick or whatever. And, yes, they work maybe 4 hours at the theatre, but it's not necessarily an easy 4 hours & performing can be very strenuous -- SHOULD be most times, if you do it right. And, don't pooh-pooh what they do outside of the theatre because that's part of the job.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 1:26pm

There is a marked difference between a performer who's sick and someone who has a habit of missing performances (for whatever reason). There is a marked difference between someone who takes a scheduled vacation and someone who has a poor attendance record. I don't expect performers to be superhuman, but I do expect performers to have a solid work ethic. Missing two months of performances during an eleven month run is unacceptable to me. Missing three weeks in a two week period is unacceptable to me. When you have a better chance of seeing the understudy than you do the actual star/performer, something is very wrong.

And if the job is so tiring for these performers, they should find other employment because there are a lot of unemployed actors who would jump at the chance to take on such a tiring job.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 1:31pm

I'm sick of Boy George, sick of Taboo and can't wait for the crappy thing to close so I don't have to hear about it anymore.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 2:10pm

That was a very mean comment. Who pissed in your Cherrios this morning?

Updated On: 1/30/04 at 02:10 PM

[Sunfish]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 2:18pm

cmleidi, I'm not sure what, or who, you are talking about here. Who has missed two months out of 11? No one in Taboo, it hasn't even been open that long, including previews. By all reports, Raul really IS sick, he was not able to hold his longest note on the last night he appeared, nor hit the highest one.

In another post here, you say something about someone missing three weeks out of two, which is, of course, impossible, and I know it was just a typo, but it WAS funny.

newyouuniq, the old wisdom still applies, if you are not interested, or in your case, are annoyed, by a topic, you can always skip it.....

broadwaylilhead, your report of tons of empty seats in the orch. is in direct discrepancy with another poster (first time attendee) on another major Broadway board, who stated the orch was full except for the back rows of the side orch. and about 40% of the side mezz. Curious how perceptions differ.

I'm in a hurry which is why I'm lumping all responses into one.

Cheers!

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 3:20pm

uhhh Sunfish take a look at the topic- The theme is being annoyed..and I am interested...in the show cloosinng :o
moving right along:) Updated On: 1/30/04 at 03:20 PM

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 3:23pm

Sunfish- for a show about to close in little over a week, there shouldnt be ANY empty seats. I didn't see the balcony so I'm only referring to the orchestra which was probably about 70-80% full. By ACT II, most of those were filled by people moving down from the balcony or moving up from back orchestra. To me, thats a ton of empty seats for a show that should be full.

Also, referring to the comment about Boy George. He isn't a great actor and most of the time I couldn't understand a word he was saying especially in the scene of Leigh on his deathbed in the hospital.

[Sunfish]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 3:42pm

Hmmm, I thought the topic was about Raul & Boy George's absences' specifically and, from that, actors' absences in general. Why open the thread when it is obviously about Taboo and you are so sick of it? (Be brave! Only a week to go! Perhaps you can resist impulse and save yourself further aggravation by not opening any more Taboo-likely threads!)

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 4:00pm

I didn't open the thread why don't you go look at who did. oy

[Maggie]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 4:16pm

Newyorkuniq...I think what Sunfish meant was...why did you bother to read this thread at all if you are sick of Taboo?

[Sunfish]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 4:20pm

"I'm sick of Boy George, sick of Taboo and can't wait for the crappy thing to close so I don't have to hear about it anymore."

I get it newyorkuniq...someone has you TIED YOU TO A CHAIR, WITH TOOTHPICKS HOLDING YOUR EYES OPEN, forcing you, FORCING YOU, I say, to read all these posts that have to do with this dreadful show Taboo, which you are so TIRED OF, which you cannot WAIT to close, which you cannot STAND to hear another word about, but NO, they are forcing you, FORCING YOU, , I say, to read all about it, against your greatest desires to be as far,far away from it all as possible....

My only point, dear, if you are already tired of the topic, don't open the thread in the first place. Comments like yours above contribute nothing to the conversation at hand. My comments back to you do not, either, but perhaps it just never occurred to you that you could avoid distasteful subjects and, even better, avoid throwing a comment that has nothing to do with anything into the middle of a thread.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 5:51pm

who died and make you god? If everyone on this board stopped posting there opinions there wouldn't be much of a board.

[Sunfish]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 6:55pm

oh, never mind. I deleted my pithy remark. Opine wherever, on whatever.

Meanwhile, I hope Raul is feeling better and will be back in the show soon, and I hear Boy George is doing well in his ad-lib portions of Taboo. Updated On: 1/30/04 at 06:55 PM

[cmleidi]

Posted: 1/30/04 at 10:22pm

"I'm not sure what, or who, you are talking about here. Who has missed two months out of 11? No one in Taboo, it hasn't even been open that long, including previews. By all reports, Raul really IS sick, he was not able to hold his longest note on the last night he appeared, nor hit the highest one."

I was not referring to anyone in TABOO. I was referring to another actor who was in another show. And the missing two months out of 11 was only those absences that I could verify. Several reviews for this show discussed the understudy because this person was missing performances.

I don't want truly sick performers to make themselves sicker, but I do think certain performers rely too heavily upon their understudies. There are performers who I think are fantastic, but it would take an inordinate amount of convincing for me to purchase a ticker for future performances because I have been burned by them on several occasions.

"In another post here, you say something about someone missing three weeks out of two, which is, of course, impossible, and I know it was just a typo, but it WAS funny."

It was meant to be two weeks out of three, and I wish I had meant it to be funny because it would have been a nice zinger in my rant. I just don't get the mindset that it's okay to miss so many performances (and I'm not referring to anyone specifically) that aren't based upon illness or family emergencies. Of course, we don't always know why a performer misses, but in nearly all of the cases that I have encountered, illness and family emergencies were not the reasons.