SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances - Page 4

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/22/16 at 12:19am

I'd say Hedwig and Rose in Gypsy are all on par with School of Rock, and I saw Lupoke mid-cold. She has a tissue up her sleeve and still killed it. Now that's a professional. 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/22/16 at 7:03am

Back in the day (circa '80), LuPone came under fire for doing only 6 "Evitas" a week, yet performing her club act on Saturday nights at Les Mouches over months.  The "Evita" schedule was laid down by the Stigwood organization, with one supposes, Prince's endorsement, not LuPone's contract.  At the time -- we had no cyber world -- people criticized her heavily for mocking the stringent demands of the role, "missing" matinees, while doing a vocally demanding cabaret act only 90 minutes after the Saturday curtain fell.  In truth, LuPone had zero to do with how many times she played Eva.  Her infamous vocal problems with the score, as she noted in the most lucid and truthful part of her book, weren't about her voice being taxed per se, but about negotiating the rangy demands.  She admitted she was as likely to blow out her voice on a Monday night as later in the week. It was about the nightly attack.

 

When people talk about "vocal" problems: I've heard singers say it's not what we non-singers believe; sometimes the voice can be more supple and in better shape later in a week than at the top, if one sings properly.  It can be tighter and less flexible at the start.  So it's not clear that buying seats on, say, a Tuesday or Wednesday means the star is experiencing better vocal health   

Updated On: 2/22/16 at 07:03 AM

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 2/22/16 at 7:10am

We don't have proof that Brightman was offered an alternate and refused do we? Is it educated speculation? Even so, if he did it seems the answer lies in the offering by the producers instead of mandating. He's not near a big enough star - or even experienced enough - to call the shots. 

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 2/24/16 at 9:08pm

He was out of today's matinee again.  Still enjoyed the show (the kids are fantastic!), but bummed that I missed what many of you said is a great performance.

[Jessetenny]

Posted: 2/24/16 at 9:26pm

I feel like its the way Idina missed many performances of If/Then, vocally it was a demanding role, but she did miss a lot of performances for being the Headliner.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/24/16 at 10:10pm

I saw Lupoke mid-cold. She has a tissue up her sleeve and still killed it. Now that's a professional. 

 

And that's the difference between the stars of the old school, and the "stars" of today. 

[mpkie]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 1:45am

Oh that's too bad

 

I got to see him at tonight's show and it was great! I remember seeing this thread but then forgot about it, which is good because no point is stressing if he was gonna be there or not, outta my control lol.

[elphaba.scares.me]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 8:41am

jv92 said: "I saw Lupoke mid-cold. She has a tissue up her sleeve and still killed it. Now that's a professional. 

And that's the difference between the stars of the old school, and the "stars" of today."

"Gypsy" is a monster of an acting role, but it's not as tough a sing as it has the reputation for being. Nowhere near as hard as "Evita," for example. Rose has two huge belting songs, and some midsize songs, but she also has a few quiet little gems--which are what's *actually* missing from today's musicals.  It's also not a rangy sing at all. Don't think it belts higher than a C or C sharp, although there may be the odd D in there.

 

The role definitely took a toll on Bernadette Peters, who is amazing but just has a smaller instrument. For someone like LuPone to sing it is kind of like rolling out of bed. It just suits her voice, like Reno Sweeney would suit her voice...far more than ANYONE's voice is suited to "Evita" (a fun sing nonetheless).

Updated On: 2/25/16 at 08:41 AM

[LarryD2]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 8:56am

The role definitely took a toll on Bernadette Peters, who is amazing but just has a smaller instrument. For someone like LuPone to sing it is kind of like rolling out of bed.

 

Yes, and despite her vocal problems, Peters actually missed very few performances aside from the much-publicized absences early in the run. I think she only missed 10 performances total over her yearlong run, with most of those occurring during the show's first 2 months.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 8:56am

Kad said: "RippedMan said: "Does his pay change? How does it work as an actor for his paycheck? "

 

He's paid per week, not per performance, so as long as he has allotted time off he can use,  and gives the producers enough time in advance, they probably won't dock pay"

This is incorrect. After an actor's annual sick days are used (I believe it's five), they do not get paid for shows they miss. Yes there is a weekly salary, but for every show called out, they are docked 1/8th of their salary. An understudy performing a role receives an additional 1/8 of his/her normal salary -- in other words, the understudy gets paid double time for that performance. 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 10:12am

Jessetenny said: "I feel like its the way Idina missed many performances of If/Then, vocally it was a demanding role, but she did miss a lot of performances for being the Headliner."

 

Alex has missed significantly more shows than Idina. It's not even fair to compare them on that level.

 

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 10:23am

He's been averaging two misses per week. Get an alternate. It's really not that hard.

I don't understand what the problem is. The only people who are suffering are the ticket buyers showing up expecting to see him. 

 

[Kad]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 10:24am

trpguyy said: "Kad said: "RippedMan said: "Does his pay change? How does it work as an actor for his paycheck? "

He's paid per week, not per performance, so as long as he has allotted time off he can use,  and gives the producers enough time in advance, they probably won't dock pay

This is incorrect. After an actor's annual sick days are used (I believe it's five), they do not get paid for shows they miss. Yes there is a weekly salary, but for every show called out, they are docked 1/8th of their salary. An understudy performing a role receives an additional 1/8 of his/her normal salary -- in other words, the understudy gets paid double time for that performance. "

 

I did include the caveat that as long as an actor has available time off, they won't be docked. 

[dfrillsnedit]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 4:12pm

As much as I adore Alex, and his role in this show, his absence doesn't surprise me in THE SLIGHTEST. Simply put, when you listen to the cast recording of the show versus the many live TV appearances and his performance in the actual shows, you can tell how much they changed the intense belting section and sharp key changes towards the end - particularly when he does "There's no way you can stop the School of Rock" - he goes a whole range lower in all the promotional material I've seen versus what is on the OCR.

If that isn't a sign that this is vocally taxing on him, I don't know what is. And I'm sure it won't be long before they have to officially give him an alternative/find a replacement. :/ 

Updated On: 2/25/16 at 04:12 PM

[Pootie2]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 4:31pm

Jessetenny said: "I feel like its the way Idina missed many performances of If/Then, vocally it was a demanding role, but she did miss a lot of performances for being the Headliner."

 

This is false. Menzel barely missed any in the year-plus (including tour) she had been in the role. Trying to compare her missing due to her kid bringing home some respiratory bug is vastly different from this guy missing at least once a week. What did happen was that in the rare times she did miss, the internet seemed to blow up.

[Mike66]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 4:43pm

May I suggest that someone create the STREISAND/MURPHY scale to rate performer's attendance?  Streisand famously never missed a performance of Funny Girl and Donna Murphy missed so many her last time out that it's likely to be the last time a producer invites her to perform.

I see that folks are also giving praise to Patti Lupone, so maybe we can include her somewhere on the scale. 

As to Mr. Brightman's not being at performances, I can only say that as someone who travels into NYC to see Broadway theatre and does not have the option to cash out a ticket and come back next week, I expect the performers to be on stage unless there is something "unexpected" -- like an injury or illness.  Otherwise, if the role is to rotate (and there's nothing wrong with that), it should be clearly announced way in advance -- either like Hamilton (with certain performances being performed by x), or Matilda/Billy Elliott where we all knew that we just were not going to know until we walked into the outer lobby and looked at the board.

 

 

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 4:58pm

This has nothing to do with Alex Brightman, but Donna Murphy has publicly stated that during Wonderful Town she underwent an injury to her vocal cords but was asked not to say anything to the press. From my understanding, she's a consummate professional who doesn't miss shows because she feels like it- it's not really fair to brand her as someone that doesn't show up. Also, she has worked numerous times after Wonderful Town, so it's not as if producers are unwilling to cast her. 

[Pootie2]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 5:31pm

Why would producers want to hush up something like a vocal injury?

 

But really, what performers DO (or did) frequently skip out simply because they don't want to perform a given day? Surely such a mindset must be exceedingly rare or limited to a subset of the performers who never pursued Broadway as a career staple to begin with.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 5:34pm

I think you'd be surprised. It's just like any other job. There's some days you don't wanna work. 

Does Brady have an alternate in Kinky Boots? I saw him at a preview of Disaster on a Wednesday night and thought that was odd. 

[bjh2114]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 5:35pm

Mike66 said: "Donna Murphy missed so many her last time out that it's likely to be the last time a producer invites her to perform."

 

What a moronic thing to say.  Not only did she have a vocal cord injury as stated above, but Wonderful Town wasn't even the last time she appeared in a major New York production.  Since then, she's appeared in Lovemusik and The People in the Picture on Broadway and Into the Woods in Central Park.  And she barely missed any performances during her run in any of those shows (not to mention that she was nominated for Tonys for both of the Broadway shows AND won a Drama Desk for Lovemusik).  Maybe you should think before you speak?

Updated On: 2/25/16 at 05:35 PM

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 5:39pm

RippedMan said: "I think you'd be surprised. It's just like any other job. There's some days you don't wanna work. 

 

Does Brady have an alternate in Kinky Boots? I saw him at a preview of Disaster on a Wednesday night and thought that was odd. 

 

"

KInky Boots is dark on Wednesday this time of year..it's their day off. If Wayne was there on a Wednesday, he did so on his own time.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 5:43pm

This is why I want to be a professional voice teacher and performer to bring back some of that healthy singing that seems to have escaped so many current Broadway actors.

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 5:59pm

RippedMan said: "I think you'd be surprised. It's just like any other job. There's some days you don't wanna work. 

 

Does Brady have an alternate in Kinky Boots? I saw him at a preview of Disaster on a Wednesday night and thought that was odd. 

 

"

I would love to know why Wayne Brady is checking out Disaster on his day off.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 10:15pm

Brightman is indeed currently on a 6 performances a week schedule. Not sure if it's permanent.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/03/11/theater/how-broadway-actors-stay-healthy.html?ref=theater&_r=1

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 10:35pm

^ Yes, indeed. The quote reads as follows:

 

"The demands have led him recently to scale back to six shows a week for his vocal health — and to take those baths — a technique, picked up from other actors, for releasing toxins from the body."

 

Rather annoying that audiences aren't told which performances he expects to be out of, though.