Riedel: Arthur Laurents turns on Matt Cavenaugh

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 1:58am

Not surprising...

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/west_side_whack_ZnVeviiV4uQv3B0pJNJqPL

ps: PalJoey you warned all of us about this (Arthur turning on people).
Updated On: 11/6/09 at 01:58 AM

[binau]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 2:04am

I'm imagining Arthur Laurents in drag throwing Matt Cavanaugh down a trap door while performing "And Eve was weak".

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 2:10am

Interesting about Spiderman blowing off the Tony deadline and going for the summer opening. We'll see if its true.

[gustof777]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 2:27am

qolbinau- HAHAHAH!!! Perfect visual

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 2:45am

So, he turned on him because he is no longer turned on by him?

[Q]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 3:01am

"Cavenaugh recently married"

That's certainly a problem for the shriveled one.

"his performance has been savaged on theater Web sites."

Why, whatever could he mean?

I hope Matt finds a worthy project to move forward with - one deserving of his talents.

And getting away from Laurents could in no way be seen as a bad thing. It's like dancing with the devil.

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 4:56am

"So, he turned on him because he is no longer turned on by him?"

That phrase came into my head too.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 6:15am

I just assumed that Matt stopped putting out once he got married. That's probably why Arthur is mad at him.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 6:40am

Can't see any other reason why he got the job.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 6:47am

That is sick. SICK

Posted: 11/6/09 at 6:51am

Notice how Laurents was wrong to cast Cavanuagh, wrong to stand by him and now is wrong to replace him. Nice trick.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 10:06am

Yeah, that's sort of what's making me scratch my head, too.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 12:07pm

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Arthur Laurents had the good fortune to be involved in the creation of two of Broadway's real winners. He was NOT the reason for those shows' success. From the get-go, even devout WSS fans have admitted that the weak link, if there was one, was the book. It's the music and the dancing that make that beloved show soar and have placed it in the Broadway pantheon. The original Gypsy owed much to the super-charged performance of Ethel Merman and subsequent productions have followed suit: no Rose, no show, period. Mr. L. WANTS to believe he was the motor but he wasn't. And what else do we have: Time of the Cuckoo? Invitation to a March? He's a nasty, mean-spirited SOB who, on two occasions, lucked out, IMO. And he's a dirty old man, into the bargain.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 1:48pm

As I said when this casting was announced, at an "audition" Arthur cares a lot less about what you do with your 8 bars and a lot more about what you do with your 8-pack.

C'mon, PalJoey - ONE new horror story from Arthur's casting couch? Pretty please?!

P

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 1:52pm

So I assume Olivo and Scaglione renewed their contracts? I think it would have been announced with Cavenaugh if they did not renew.
Updated On: 11/6/09 at 01:52 PM

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 2:09pm

"As I said when this casting was announced, at an "audition" Arthur cares a lot less about what you do with your 8 bars and a lot more about what you do with your 8-pack"

This literally made me laugh at loud.

Is Laurents really that wrapped up in his male actors appearances?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 2:12pm

I haven't seen the new WSS yet but on my recent flight to Barcelona, the cast album was one of the audio choices and I gave it a good listen. I was very impressed--especially with Cavenaugh's vocalizing. On the CD, his "Maria" is probably the best-sung version I've heard of the song. The rest of the cast comes across extremely well on the recording, too.

I'd like to seethe show before he leaves.

[A Director]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 2:37pm

Why doesn't someone turn on Arthur Laurents?

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 2:54pm

Reminds me of George S. Kaufman's comment about Jed Harris being called his own worst enemy, to which Kaufman retorted, "Not while I'm alive."

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 3:08pm

A Director, thats exactly what I was thinking. Gotta love double entendres!

[Pgenre]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 3:28pm

Dollypop, I felt the same way (and also listened to it on a plane the first time, this one to Hawai'i tho) and posted a long review that was eventually deleted because Cavenaugh-hating people showed up. This is the best recording of WSS if only for Karen's Anita (sorry Chita!) and I will now listen to this over any of the others. The recording is ELECTRIC. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but it is my favorite recording of the score now, too.

P

[Dollypop]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 4:45pm

I have several recordings of WSS (the WORST is the Bernstein-led studio recording with Kiri Te Kanawa and Jose Carreras--what were they thinking?)

The new WSS sounds sensational. Yes, "electric" is the right word. However I know that in a recording studio there are many takes before the product is finalized. Even then, bits and pieces of other takes are frequently augmented to make a quality product.

I'm hoping to find this new CD in my stocking on Christmas morning.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 5:05pm

I agree he's too old, his acting is uninspiring, and his voice is wrong for this show. I'm not sure how it got cast and through all those producers.

[legally_popular]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 6:56pm

"So, he turned on him because he is no longer turned on by him?"

That phrase came into my head too.

LOL! This also reminds me of a Will & Grace quote. Let me re-phrase...

Arthur turned his back on Matt, and not in the good way!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/6/09 at 6:57pm

We need Laurents to get involved in Spiderman now. That would make the whole debacle really interesting.