Skip to main content
My Shows
News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

Welcome Guest. Please Login or Register.

#1

Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

Jerry Mitchell, director of the snubbed "Legally Blonde," went from dressing room to dressing room after Wednesday's matinee telling his cast "not to believe what you read in Michael Riedel's column."

Mitchell, sources say, insisted that "Legally Blonde" may yet get to perform on the Tonys.

"He was adamant about it," says a source. "He kept saying the fight isn't over yet."

As I reported - correctly, Jerry - "Legally Blonde" was first invited and then disinvited to be on the telecast.

Yesterday, a Tony source said CBS was still pushing for more musical numbers, and that, if "Legally Blonde" does get on, it will be as part of a montage of all the shows from the season - Laura Bell Bundy in pink, Stephanie J. Block in a pirate hat, Twyla Tharp with her closing notice, Michael Cerveris and Donna Murphy doing their Boris-and-Natasha routine from "LoveMusik."

"Legally Blonde" will not get its own segment.

"The Tony management committee made that crystal clear this week," my source says.
Riedel
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#2

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

"Michael Cerveris and Donna Murphy doing their Boris-and-Natasha routine from "LoveMusik."

Double OUCH. While hilarious, that was pretty harsh! Ehh, I got a good belly laugh out of it.
Happy...Everything! Kaye Thompson
#3

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

"Listen, the only way to save this year's show from being a total ratings bust is to open with Tony Soprano singing a medley from Guys and Dolls."

That cracked me up.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#6

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

This is why the Tonys may find hemselves shut out of any network after this year. What an utterly stupid decision. The telecast is really - let's face it - a huge advertisement for Broadway. Remember how many times they mention "come see a show in New York" or "we're bringing our shows to you" and then they decide to not show a scene from the only musical that the general public has even heard of ("Honey is that number from the masturbating teenagers over yet? When is Reese gonna sing?").

If I were an exec for ABC NBC CBS Fox I'd tell them to go back to Laura Bell on bended knee and ask her and her friends to help give the middle of the show a ratings boost (as in "and featuring musical numbers from blah, blah. blah AND LEGALLY BLONDE...." which may be the only reason the general viewing public stays tuned after they see the clip from Coram Boy).
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=972787#3631451 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=963561#3533883 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955158#3440952 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954269#3427915 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955012#3441622 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954344#3428699
#7

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

I don't know why we're all so worried -- The general public's going to be watching The Sopranos instead anyway...
Call the understudy / I can't go on tonight / I'm drinking with my buddy / I'm getting good and tight / Before they raise the curtain I'll be higher than a kite / So call the understudy I can't go on tonight
#10

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

What a sad little man who takes pleasure in others misfortune. They should call it the Schadenfreude column. That's so petty and stupid. God, I hate him.


"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." -Keen on Kean
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." - muscle23ftl
#11

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

<< "Michael Cerveris and Donna Murphy doing their Boris-and-Natasha routine from "LoveMusik."

Double OUCH. While hilarious, that was pretty harsh! Ehh, I got a good belly laugh out of it.
>>

Read that this morning on the train, and was cracking up !!

Great line !!
#12

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

I find the Twyla Tharp one even funnier - I still can't get over when her majesty "answered" our questions with "yes" "no" and "maybe".
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
#13

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

Time for us to enter into a BFA program, "Broadway Fans Anonymous" and take the first step and admit that the rest of the country is not like us. Why would anyone who does not have an interest in theatre watch the Tony Awards for more than 5 minutes, let alone 3 hours? We can argue and speculate over how to make the show better but as I posted in the other thread, does anyone really think that giving Legally Blonde 3 munites to perform a number is going to boost the ratings?
#16

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

The Tony nominators go out of their way to sabotage their own show. It's not the first time they have childishly refused to nominate this or that for their own childish reasons. Personally I don't think A number from Legally Blonde would bring in any viewers, though.

The Tonys need to go to cable or pay per view.
#17

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!


Dover...your msg made me laugh...

You "think" Jerry Mitchell could take Michael Riedel? Have you SEEN Michael Riedel? I'll bet Mitchell has six inches and 50 pounds of pure muscle over Riedel.

#18

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

But Riedel is the biggest gossip queen and has a newspaper to publish it in. And if Jerry Mitchell tried to do anything to Riedel I am sure Riedel could make it so that Mitchell will never work again.
#19

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

Size doesnt matter. Those two show queens fighting would be a sight !

Hmmmm.... "Two Show Queens Fighting" sounds like a show tune to me.
#20

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

The Tonys should just move to Bravo.

Bravo doesn't have enough programming to fill any given day so they could have a huge telecast in which every show could perform.

Tim Gunn watching the runway.

Then they could replay the whole thing once a week until next year.
#21

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

"Two Show Queens Fighting"

The opening number would be "God I'll Scratch Your Eyes Out" (Sung to the tune of "I Hope I Get It)

God I'll Scratch your eyes out!

I'll scratch your eyes out!

I'll scratch them till you cannot see
(I'll scratch them till you cannot seeee)


I really need my eyes
Dear God I need my eyes

I've got to have my eyyyyes!

Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder

Updated On: 5/25/07 at 02:29 PM

#23

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

Joe:

Youre right, the Tony Voters are sabotaging their own show. And of COURSE a number from Legally Blonde would bring in viewers, but they should do a few numbers from each show, and keep the awards as short as possible and they should spring for a REAL celebrity to host the show, even if they've never been on broadway.
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." -Keen on Kean
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." - muscle23ftl
#24

re: Riedel Puts Jerry Mitchell In His Place - Ouch!

I'm sorry, but Legally Blonde will not bring on any new viewers. Most people outside New York won't even know that they turned a fun to rent, mediocre movie into a musical, nor will they really care enough to mark it on their calendar.


"I've got to get me out of here This place is full of dirty old men And the navigators and their mappy maps And moldy heads and pissing on sugar cubes While you stare at your books."

BroadwayWorld TV


Ticket Central
Hot Show
Tickets From $59
Hot Show
Tickets From $95
Hot Show
Tickets From $65
Hot Show
Tickets From $192