"Rent," Joyce DeWitt, dinner theater, Nashville = oddness brewing

[jpbran]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 12:57pm

This is so bizarre. Lots of he-said, she-said, and some ugly implications. Add a little "Three's Company" for added strangeness.

Seems like a mix of misunderstanding, deceit, 1980s-level paranoia and homophobia -- and are they infringing on the performance rights contract by cutting songs and scenes?
Nashville dinner theater

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 1:13pm

At first, I was hoping this was about Joyce DeWitt in a dinner theatre production of RENT in Nashville. That would be a whole bathtub full of horrifying and would likely get me on a plane to see it.

But this is even worse! It's brought out the ugliness ... no wait ... the TRUTH in everyone, and it paints a sad picture no different than it was when the AIDS epidemic first came into public consciousness. They have learned NOTHING ... because they choose to learn nothing.

And Joyce DeWitt? A "co-Director" of this Lawrence Welkian theatre who says they "needed to cut the sh*t out" of this musical to sanitize it for their audiences. What a mess!

Updated On: 4/21/11 at 01:13 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 1:20pm

DeWitt was reported as saying, “This show has to be cut to **** before it goes on.”

Maupin reported a confrontation with DeWitt after she scolded the cast saying “You’re not old enough to know what this show is about. You haven’t lived it enough.”

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 1:22pm

OK, like most things on Examiner.com, that article was just incomprehensible to me. But it did get me curious enough to check out that theatre's website, from which I took away two things.

1) Judging from the photo of the guy who plays Mark (in an earlier production of "The Odd Couple"), in a few years, social security should kick in to pay the back bills to Benny.
2) So THAT'S where Richard Moll has been!
Photos

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 1:32pm

Okay, so the guy on the left is currently playing Mark in Rent? And the guy on the right is Richard Moll from Night Court?

L.O.L.

The Odd Couple as played by the Sunshine Boys. Now I get what DeWitt (allegedly) meant by the Rent cast "hadn't lived it enough." For them, life begins at 70.

Updated On: 4/21/11 at 01:32 PM

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 1:36pm

Joyce DeWitt is directing dinner theatre in Nashville?

Suddenly, I feel pretty darn good about my career choices.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 1:38pm

I love the "Rent" disclaimer on the dinner theatre's home page:

In an attempt to reach the broad audience of locals and tourists that our new downtown venue is attracting, RENT was specifically chosen for an audience with a taste for theatre teetering on the edgy side of American culture. If you are offended by "f-bombs" or sexually alternative themes, please sit this one out. We hope to REACH everyone, but OFFEND no one.

Every effort has been made to uphold the classiness of the venue while honoring the work of the playwright and the artistic vision of the show's director (Patrick Kramer). Thank you for understanding.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 1:47pm

All you need to know is that it's Nashville. There are all sorts of crazy going on in their theater community.

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 1:48pm

Was Barbara Mandrell in The Odd Couple, too, or did she just show up to the premiere?

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 1:54pm

I'm thinking she walked the red carpet along with Dolly Parton's sister.

Where is Kathy Griffin when you need her?

[clever name]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:02pm

At first, I was hoping this was about Joyce DeWitt in a dinner theatre production of RENT in Nashville. That would be a whole bathtub full of horrifying and would likely get me on a plane to see it.



I would totally be on that plane with you, Besty!

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:03pm

I think she's more of a Maureen than a Mimi, don't you?

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:04pm

Her Mama Rose at the Bucks County Playhouse was magical.

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:08pm

I would happily fly to Nashville to moo with Joyce!

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:19pm

That's just a steaming pile of WOW!

[HistoryBoy2]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:21pm

I know the director/fella playing Mark a bit, and from what I gather, the entire thing is just a casserole of nonsense. I'd quite like to see this sh*t-bomb go off, but sadly I'll have to make do with photos of the hilariously inappropriate cast.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:30pm

Full dream cast at the Nashville Dinner Theatre:

Roger - Richard Moll
Mimi - Valerie Bertinelli
Maureen - Joyce DeWitt
Mark - Anson Williams
Angel - Desi Arnaz, Jr.
Joanne - Ja'Net Dubois
Tom - Ted Lange
Benny - Mr. T

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:32pm

And Estelle Winwood as Alexi Darling.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:33pm

In every professional production of ReNt I've seen, the affection between Collins and Angel has been so muted and benign. It's not like there's a scripted scene that two of them are going at it doggy style on the table. I mean there's (the cut) Contact, which is about as sexy as people chanting under a tarp can be, I suppose, but if you think your audience can't handle these things (not to mention the word "f*ck"), then why do the damn show in the first place?

I also think the article (and I don't know if it's from the writer or something that came from the theatre's powers that be) misconstrues what "Contact" is about.

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:43pm

Roger - Danny Bonaduce
Mimi - Eve Plumb
Maureen - Amanda Bearse
Mark - Marc Price
Angel - Ron Palillo
Joanne - Telma Hopkins
Tom - Demond Wilson
Benny - Alfonso Ribeiro

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:50pm

Your cast is way too young, madbiran.

They haven't "lived it enough" yet.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:53pm

Ja'Net DuBois as "Joanne" = Inspired casting.

"Take Me or Leave Me...Buffalo butt!!"

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 3:05pm

^ LIKE.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 3:06pm

If Joyce DeWitt were actually IN Rent, I suspect we could organize the first BWW field trip and rent a charter bus to take us all down to Nashville.

[crewdude]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 3:11pm

They must have the wrong date on the article. It sounds 2011 but I think it's from 1985.