Riedel on more Comet Drama — Page 5

HogansHero said: "But to suggest that is why Oak was fired is a pure invention."

I understand that his run was ultimately cut short because they needed a bigger name to sell more tickets. However by that point, he was already making a bad name for himself (amongst Chavkin by not doing the work), and speculation was already floating about why he was starting a week late (because he didn't do the work). Why not control the narrative so that when someone asks Rachel how Oak was during the show and and she says "He didn't do the work", he already has an edge? "No, they fired me for a white star because they think black stars can't sell tickets!"

Side-note, black stars can sell tickets. Oak is not a star.

HogansHero said: "I realize you are just speculating but to suggest this is some conspiracy (and that's your speculation) has no foundation. (And to be clear, that comment is not intended to address the merits of the racism claims, in either direction.)"

I'm not saying it was a conspiracy to close the show, obviously no one wanted to do that. I just think Oak wanted to control the narrative for his own reputation.

"Who did I do it for, Oak!?" "I thought you did it for me, Rafael"

@raddersons ok but you are still imagining that there was a narrative needing control. It is a fact that the production did not bad mouth Oak when they fired him (because they didn't say anything at that point) and the first comment by a person in a position of knowledge came from Malloy and that certainly drove a Mack Truck through the notion that this was a firing based on Oak's performance in any sense other than (no surprise) that he wasn't selling many tickets and the show was in a death spiral. (A fact that plenty of folks here are in total denial about.)

Again, there are a lot of factors. No one person is responsible for this. Anyone solely blaming an actor or producer is wrong. But to act as if the backlash from the Oak/Rafael stuff had 0 to do with it closing on the third is naive or just ignorant. More than one thing can be true. And even if Oak is 100% innocent and a victim (he isn't) the stigma that is now attached to him now is going to adversely affect his career

I hope Oak gets boo'd at the stage door.

The bottom line is that if COMET were a great show that connected better with Broadway audiences, it wouldn't be closing.

The admirable ambition of its complex score doesn't make it tuneful.

And the hyper-energy of Rachel Chavkin's excellent direction doesn't make up for a Cliff Notes-level book that fails to stir the emotions.

Most of the people that I know who sacrificed the big $$ to see the show came away feeling "Meh" about it.

Updated On: 8/9/17 at 12:24 PM

Lucas Steele posted this on his twitter a little while ago: https://twitter.com/TheLucasSteele/status/895314677491671040

Really beautiful video. And because I'm literally drinking tea right now, couldn't help but notice Oak was nowhere to be seen.

Updated On: 8/9/17 at 12:40 PM

Dancingthrulife2 said: "If, I mean IF, this article is true, I wonder whether Chavkin would insist Mandy "play it as written, reminding him repeatedly that he was a 'replacement'" and how she would feel if Many would end up not being able to play the piano and accordion parts.

That's the difference between hiring a star and hiring another working actor. You're not going to say those kinds of things to Audra McDonald or Patti Lupone either. You hire a star to give that star's performance. You hire a replacement to fit into the show and serve the story. And as for whether he was ready to play those instruments (which has not been confirmed), he had much more time to prepare than Patinkin would have had.

I know for a fact that many of my Asian American friends are just as oblivious to issues such as race and gender as most people not negatively affected by them.

Um... EXCUSE me?

I'm an Asian-American who is not blind to issues of race and gender, thank you very much. I can clearly see blatant and systemic racism against black people, brown people, Asians, etc. I am not only aware of what affects me personally.

While this is a whole big mess and closing is the only option at this point, this is not a race issue and it never was. If it were, they would not have cast Denée or Oak or any of the multi-ethnic cast who understudy the principals. Mandy Patinkin is a celebrity of sorts and theatre royalty. Oak is not.

I do think it will haunt Oak for a long time after this, but it's not because of his color, it's because of the way things were handled. This would be true of any actor regardless of race. And it's unfortunate. This whole situation is a sad mess and I'm sad it happened to a show like this that deserves to be seen.

bear88, you are free to post what you want, wherever you want (that is your right). However, I would please ask that the discussion you are talking about (and I'm not saying it is an unworthy one) perhaps belongs on a different thread, where that is the focus. I would hope that this thread remains focused on what this thread is about- what caused the Comet controversy, and if Riedel's article is true. I worry that mixing different , and in my mind unrelated, issues only further muddles what actually happened here.

Suddenlyseymour3 wrote: "The admirable ambition of its complex score doesn't make it tuneful."

As a musician, I disagree strongly - the Comet score (although some may find it attractive) is far from "complex;" the music is actually extremely simple, and the lyrics are mostly plain prose or very repetitive.

Hellob, I wouldn't throw a pity party for Casal either. IMO, It seems like he was a willful accomplice at best, conspirator at worst.

Hellob said: "PaulWom said: "Hellob, I wouldn't throw a pity party for Casal either. IMO, It seems like he was a willful accomplice at best, conspirator at worst.



"

It's not a pity party, I was just thinking about the way most people spin things like this. The majority of people aren't honest with friends and family. Casal may have been played but in the end, it's still stupid for him to be so reactive until you're sure



"

That's fair... if Oak wasn't honest w his friends, that's even worse- he may have caused damage to their careers as well.