Riedel on Diana Rigg being annoyed Ambrose misses Sundays

[10086sunset]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 10:41pm

https://nypost.com/2018/07/05/diana-rigg-annoyed-that-my-fair-lady-star-is-taking-sundays-off/

[Leadingplayer]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 10:46pm

Will at least I know Ms. Rigg will be there when I attend. She is the principal I'm most interested in seeing. 

[10086sunset]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 10:52pm

This is not meant as an attempt to throw any shade on Ambrose.

That said, I admire Rigg and her generation of actor.

The expression "the show must go on" is their only way of life.

 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:01pm

I wonder what her work ethic says about publicly undermining a fellow member of her cast. It’s admirable (however ill-advised) that Ms. Rigg went through with every performance of Medea despite the damage to her vocal chords. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this revival. However, I give kudos to Ms. Ambrose for her vocal performance. Perhaps as somehow who isn’t a seasoned musical actress, 8 performances a week is too much for her. Would Ms. Rigg prefer Ms. Ambrose do all eight performances at the risk of having to take extended time off later or do irreparable damage to her vocal chords? In an effort to be tactful, I did not mention this in my mini-review after I saw the show, but I found the performance of Ms. Rigg to be the most inconsistent and lacking the night I saw the show. I’d also say it’s easy for her to be judgmental of Ms. Ambrose for taking off one matinee a week when Ms. Rigg has the easiest role in the show. Regardless, while not unprecedented by others I imagine, Ms. Rigg’s conduct is highly unprofessional.

Updated On: 7/5/18 at 11:01 PM

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:03pm

I think it's sh!ttier that Riedel leaked the email.

I thought he was trying to be a force for good now?  

I wonder what his username is on here, Michael let's chat.

What are you lacking in your life that causes you to put this persona on?

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:07pm

So her email wasn’t to Riedel? It was an internal email he leaked? That does soften my feelings a bit towards her. But what a hack job he is.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:08pm

Sondheimite said: "I think it's sh!ttier that Riedel leaked the email.

I thought he was trying to be a force for good now?

I wonder what his username is on here, Michael let's chat.

What are you lacking in your life that causes you to put this persona on?"

If Rigg had an issue with the email leaking, she very easily could have refused to comment or even denied it. Her follow up seems to indicate that she’s not all that concerned or upset that it leaked. 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:14pm

God I miss Riedel's twice-weekly column.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:15pm

I wonder if there is a personal conduct clause in her contract about publicly criticizing members of the cast or creative team.

[Solipsist234]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:20pm

...I'm sorry, but did I miss something? 10086sunset is the one always posting threads about Michael Riedel and his "articles", which has always made me believe that he's Riedel himself. But what do I know?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:30pm

I don't think she said anything too defaming. But it is interesting see the older performers. I remember Patti Lupone carrying a tissue around during Gypsy, she'd turn upstage and blow her nose, and then go back to the scene. And she was still note-to-note fabulous, and I always use that as my barometer. But that said, as an actor, 8 shows a week is no joke. You literally have no life. 

[Mediamaven2]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:31pm

Ahhh bless the 79 year old Diana Rigg! One thing about being that age (and I hope I get there and am still going strong then like her):  you say exactly what you think and you really don' t give a damn where it lands. There's nothing more she needs from any of these people in the way of future work/career. She's free to say it like it is! No one else in that cast  really is!

Updated On: 7/5/18 at 11:31 PM

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:49pm

Honestly, it's probably better that LCT announced it in advance, rather than Ambrose calling out when she felt under the weather. A 7-show schedule would have helped some other recent performers who were missing a lot of shows by the end of their runs.

And with ALL due respect to the hard-working, talented Dame Diana Rigg: she has never had a role as vocally-demanding as this.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:52pm

Those with sturdy constitutions usually just don't understand how stress can affect some people and certainly wouldn't understand it if a person had a "breakdown" while trying to gut it out. 

It's on the director if he took the risk of casting a woman in her forties with no prior experience with musicals and put her in such a demanding role. Have you seen the nearby interview with Idina Menzel where she tells us what a relief it is to be in a straight play where she does not have to wake every morning and do a voice check?

Of course is she is really concerned about not being home enough then that's on her. And those thousands who bought tickets thinking they were to see a Tony nominee should be offered a refund or exchange.

Watching Lauren's last Sunday matinee, I thought that the 2nd act confrontations between Lauren and Harry just keep getting better and that Higgins was evolving into a more sympathetic character by play's end.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 12:02am

SomethingPeculiar said: "And with ALL due respect to the hard-working, talentedDame Diana Rigg: she has never had a role as vocally-demanding as this."

 

Obviously, you never saw her do Medea.

Good for Ms.Rigg

Good for Riedel.

If Ms. Ambrose is doing 7 shows  because of vocal problems, then I understand (well, not really. Every other actress who has done this part has managed to do 8 shows a week). If it's because she isn't spending enough time with her family, she needs another job.

 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 12:03am

There are certain roles like Evita, Christine, Jekyll/Hyde that have historically used an alternate and I don’t have a problem with it especially when it is announced in advance. Having said that, as far as I’m aware, Eliza has never been one of those roles. Julie Andrews may have commented on the difficulty of the role at some point but she still performed 8 shows a week. And if Ambrose wanted to spend more time with her family then she shouldn’t have committed to 8 shows a week in the first place.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 12:13am

It was perfectly okay for Ms. Rigg to express her thoughts in an internal email that unfortunately got leaked. It is NOT okay for Ms. Rigg to continue to talk to Mr. Riedel. Horribly tacky. 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 12:13am

I agree that if the only reason that Ms. Ambrose is taking off the matinee is to spend more time with her family then that isn’t a good reason as she knew the demands when she signed up for the job. However, I don’t see how publicly criticizing her accomplishes anything other than creating unnecessary backstage friction. The internal email was fine. The rest was not.

[Mediamaven2]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 12:24am

Seems the "leak" was very purposefully put out there. Diana Rigg may be the only cast member who is free to speak, but she may speak  for more than just herself. 

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 12:41am

It's really simple. If you want to be sure your big name co-stars are not upset, disappointed and annoyed and everything is kept in house, don't make them find out about this from the newspaper and don't have staff that leak e-mails to gossip columnists.

Rock on, Mrs. Peel.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 12:57am

I personally just think it's super tacky of Diana Rigg to talk about this, seems super distasteful to trash-talk your costars in a newspaper.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 12:59am

first of all, the number of people who give a rat's behind about this subject who have not posted in this thread is 7. 

secondly, if an actor is taking off one show a week to be with family, that's what is contracted. You don't get to take off days in the theatre just because you feel like it any more than you do for your shifts at McDonalds. So there is some sort of disconnect here. 

thirdly, old people who think its cool that they don't have editing devices in the mouth are only entertaining in plays, and we've all already seen Three Tall Women.

finally, the only reason Riedel posted this is because he is the laziest man in the world, and this dropped in his lap. 

[Elegance101]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 2:03am

After seeing her performance exactly a week ago, I wasn't surprised to hear Ambrose was going to be missing Sunday shows from now on. I could see her taking off more days in the future, in fact. She seemed incredibly off and like she had no idea how to sing this show. 8 shows a week is hard, we all know this. But I have yet to meet a person in real life who enjoyed her performance and felt that she could handle the songs (she's fine in the book scenes). I could literally see the strain on her face; she was never Eliza, only Lauren Ambrose singing some Lerner and Lowe songs.

Anyway, I'm excited to see Kerstin on a Sunday in the future. 

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 3:14am

I just know from folks who work at LC that audience members are more upset when Norbert or Diana are not on. Many audience members have no idea who Ambrose is.

The big name that has been batted around most to help sell the production is that of its director.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 4:07am

If I remember correctly, Harvey Fierstein made it very well known during his Hairspray days he was shocked by the absenteeism there.