Some example tweets that Donna Murphy is liking on this issue (each bullet is a separate tweet). She has worked with Scott Rudin at least twice (Passion & Hello, Dolly). It's hard not to believe that this provides some evidence she has had difficulties working with the man. To be honest, it's quite overwhelming and I had to stop looking because it's too much! Donna Murphy is following this very, very closely.
...
let's slow down for a millisecond. The Radar article, even if believed 100%, does NOT say he is quitting. It says he is "feeling pressure."
The production will have to be re-budgeted if he drops out, and not in a good way. Finding the advance will be like discovering water in the Sahara.
To me there are 2 viable scenarios:
1. It all blows over. (Sadly, this is the more likely.)
2. Rudin is pressured to withdraw. (I would envision that the show would be left in the hands of his big wig partners, bearing in mind that his trusted GM would executive produce. If it doesn't seem like it's blowing over, I'd further expect that he might slither away to the film side of his life for a while, where no one will give a rat's a$$.)
BrodyFosse, wrote in part: "....If his behavior bothers you, don’t take the job. Simple as that. I’ve worked with incredible artists who are total monsters and I knew what I was getting into. No regrets. No bitching or whining on my part as I went in fully aware of their behavior. Like all things, there were great times and a few bummed times but I loved working with them. You gotta take the good with the bad. Nothing in life is perfect."
Tell that to the women that H Weinstein sexually abused/extorted. If you're not aware, throwing objects at another human constitutes a crime, which Scott "Rude" got away with for too long. And just like his buddy Harvey and the ultimate orange crim, tRUMP, "Rude" paid for silence w/NDAs.
No one should endure this for a job. With that attitude, I guess using a worker as a slave would be okay too.
No, it's not out of bounds to mention Weinstein. And let's throw in the ultimate power player, the orange criminal tRUMP. And let's not forget Bill Cosby.
Sexual assault, physical assault, mental abuse & assault..... Do these to your spouse or partnerand it's jail time. Suggesting it's okay for an employer is beyond nonsense.
@Hogan, a couple of questions:
1. When you say "if he drops out" - are you referring to Rudin or Jackman? If you mean Rudin: it seems to me that funding shouldn't be too difficult to find if Jackman is still attached. If you mean Jackman dropping out, then yes, it seems likely that a huge portion of the backing money would wither away. However, it seems to me that plenty of big splashy musicals have been funded without a Jackman-level name attached. In fact, that's most cases. Especially considering Music Man has name recognition, and while I don't agree with Sutton Ross that Foster is a "household name," surely she counts for something, especially in tandem with the show title. [EDIT TO CLARIFY: I'm not claiming that it would be anywhere near as easy without Jackman attached, but if we're looking at it as a binary of "will they get enough funding to still play on Broadway with their remaining marketing assets, or will they not?" it seems like there's plenty of precedent in favor of the former.]
2. If Rudin were to drop out and hand over producing responsibilities, would he still draw a paycheck from the production through other means?
leefowler said: "If there was a sexual component to this, he'd be finished. If he made a pass at someone who was unwilling, he'd be cancelled.But all he did was exhibit unspeakable mental cruelty. So he'll be fine."
NO LEEFOWLER...... Throwing objects, one of which caused physical harm, is felonious assault at its worst or assault/battery at a minimum. You would be thrown in jail for doing the same.
This is NOT fine.
BrodyFosse, wrote in part: "....If his behavior bothers you, don’t take the job. Simple as that. I’ve worked with incredible artists who are total monsters and I knew what I was getting into. No regrets. No bitching or whining on my part as I went in fully aware of their behavior. Like all things, there were great times and a few bummed times but I loved working with them. You gotta take the good with the bad. Nothing in life is perfect."
Only a clueless, ignorant MAN would ever write that. How despicable.
Broadway Star Joined: 11/4/15
MannPhan24601 said: "Saw Heidi Schreck tweeted something. Good."
Links are always a good thing.:)
https://twitter.com/heidibschreck/status/1380464754196635648
JBroadway said: "@Hogan, a couple of questions:
Understand that I am just making this up as I go along so there are no "answers" in any definitive sense.
1. When you say "if he drops out" - are you referring to Rudin or Jackman?
Jackman. And in that case, yes some backers will wander, but also (and not unrelatedly) the prospect of massive (premium) ticket sales will wither. Yes it is doable but it will not seem like a blockbuster, at least not on paper.
2. If Rudin were to drop out and hand over producing responsibilities, would he still draw a paycheck from the production through other means?"
Again, I have no clue because this is uncharted terrain. I would think no producer fee check, but I would think that the deal that would be worked out (and I am not confident he would not just go full nuclear and blow the show up instead: there is precedent with him as we know) would be premised on revenue participation. It would be appealing to deny him that, but the fact is he DID build this production from the ground up. What that deal looks like I have no clue and I would not want to be in the room when it is negotiated.
If it's too late to pull the plug on Music Man I think it's more realistic to stop the West End transfer of TKAM.
JayElle said: "NO LEEFOWLER...... Throwing objects, one of which caused physical harm, is felonious assault at its worst or assault/battery at a minimum. You would be thrown in jail for doing the same.
This is NOT fine."
It is NOT fine, but it is dangerous talk to suggest that there is an equivalence between throwing something at someone and sex abuse. Come at this from the other end of the continuum and you should be able to appreciate why we make laws that differentiate between degrees of culpability. What Rudin is known to have done (some of which is totally unacceptable but, for better or worse, not criminal) is not as bad (legally or, imo, morally) as what Levine or Spacey or Weinstein or Trump or maybe Cuomo et al did. We don't lump it all into the same pot, nor should we. BTW, and not really relevant here, but I doubt Rudin would have been sent to jail for hitting an employee with office equipment (based on what has been reported).
There are so many what-ifs, but...
- If Rudin withdraws –– which he could, like he did with Clybourne Park –– he could transfer the rights to someone else. Such as Barry Diller (producing partner), Johnson/Wagner (GMs), the Shuberts (theatre owner), or Jackman himself. But also, if Rudin withdraws, that would signal to me that he is stepping away from Broadway as a whole, and it would also be a way of admitting defeat/wrongdoing...something that I doubt he is willing to do. As Hogan mentioned, his financial involvement remains a mystery. At the very least, he probably put up out-of-pocket development expenses that he would expect to be paid back by the new entity.
- If Jackman withdraws but Rudin stays, I would imagine it gets delayed but not scrapped entirely. They will need a new leading man, but there have been a LOT of expenses already. Costumes and set construction, workshops, marketing, option payments, deposits, etc. The replacement would not be of Jackman's name value, but maybe the show could still eke out a year on Broadway, close at a loss, then eventually get to 100% on the road.
I’ve taken a drubbing in this thread, and looking back I could have chosen some of my words more carefully.
I want to say something however about how many of you have tried to make this about this being another example of a man in power abusing people - whatever definition of abuse you want to go with.
It’s not just the movers and shakers in show business like Rudin that behave like this. Many, and I mean many of the actors, singers, composers, athletes and various celebrities exhibit many of these terrible traits. While they may not all send people to the hospital as in the one article referenced, they can be utter monsters behind the scenes. They belittle and at times humiliate the assistants and low level industry folk who toil very hard and make a sad fraction for what they do and put up with. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
Ten years ago my best friend and I attended a performance of a Tony winning best musical. A good friend of ours was in the cast and asked us backstage after the show for what should have been a lovely meet and greet with the cast. It was completely ruined by someone who is very well known to the Broadway community with some of the worst behavior I’ve ever seen. The cast was humiliated by this persons behavior. When the individual left the cast was left notably shaken by the outbursts and were understandably embarrassed for their guests. In recapping my trip that weekend, I posted about this incident. I saw the entire thing with my own eyes and ears-no second hand gossip. Before a single person had the chance to comment the post was removed by the mods and several days later I received a VERY strongly worded email from this persons representation. I’m being intentionally vague here so I don’t get myself in trouble again.
As stated above-Rudins behavior is so awful and crosses so many lines it’s not even funny. But as hard as this is for many of you to believe - or should I say accept- for all the wokeness and desire for people to act in a much more respectful manner- celebrities in general live in a world that most of us can’t even begin to comprehend. Their bad behavior is almost always accepted because of who they are and doesn’t correct usually until one or several of them in a short period of time get caught doing something that borders on criminal or actually results in charges. And I’m NOT saying it’s ok - but it is real and I don’t see it changing. If everyone knew the truth about a lot of those we adore-you’d feel very differently about a lot of them!
You can clobber me over the head and tell me I’m exaggerating-but I know way to many people who work and have worked in theater, film and television. It’s why to this day when I meet someone who is a literal SOMEONE in the business and there’s no acting no bs, their sincere and legit I’m pleasantly shocked. When I find out their also a joy to work with behind the scenes - I become a huge fan for life.
I got to know my all time favorite Broadway performer well - and it’s the worst move I’ve ever made. A total nightmare - and if their personal assistant ever spilled the beans it would make SOME of Rudins behavior look mild.
The last point I’m going to make here - we all have to answer to our own conscience. I fully expect major back and forth if the Michael Jackson musical ever opens. Who will be willing to look past the allegations that are really hard to deal with and who will go and not have it be a deciding factor for them. You can’t decide for everyone else - but you have to live with your own decision.
"BrodyFosse, wrote in part: "....If his behavior bothers you, don’t take the job. Simple as that. I’ve worked with incredible artists who are total monsters and I knew what I was getting into. No regrets. No bitching or whining on my part as I went in fully aware of their behavior. Like all things, there were great times and a few bummed times but I loved working with them. You gotta take the good with the bad. Nothing in life is perfect.
Yeah, he bashed my hand in with the office Mac monitor, but it’s okay because he is such a creative genius and I knew what I was getting into when I took the job, so in the end it’s all good cuz life ain’t fair. I type this out with one hand as my other is permanently damaged from the assault...
"
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/30/15
castlestreet said: "As stated above-Rudins behavior is so awful and crosses so many lines it’s not even funny. But as hard as this is for many of you to believe - or should I say accept- for all the wokeness and desire for people to act in a much more respectful manner- celebrities in general live in a world that most of us can’t even begin to comprehend. Their bad behavior is almost always accepted because of who they are and doesn’t correct usually until one or several of them in a short period of time get caught doing something that borders on criminal or actually results in charges. And I’m NOT saying it’s ok - but it is real and I don’t see it changing. If everyone knew the truth about a lot of those we adore-you’d feel very differently about a lot of them!"
We are talking about someone "doing something that borders on criminal." While we may never live in a world where everyone faces appropriate consequences for how their actions have hurt others, more people are. Things have been changing. Maybe not enough and maybe for some, their worst offenses have yet to be revealed to the general public. But some prominent people are facing consequences.
@castlestreet a more reasoned and therefore more appreciated response. A few reactions:
1. I don't think anyone denies that there are horrible people all over this (and many) industries. In other posts I have mentioned the importance of degree in evaluating conduct. When a performer (well known or not) makes an ass of themselves, that is a reason to give them a drubbing (stealing your word ), but that is of a different character than when one's employer does so. In between I suppose is a continuum related to relative power position. So it is good to highlight bad behavior wherever it arises, and criticize those who could do something about it and don't, so long as doing so does not diminish the severity of what has been reported here.
2. "Woke" is a word that has been appropriated by the radical racist right. You can use any word you want as far as I am concerned, but some words are likely to impair the reception to what you have to say. (This could be applied as well to your overall comments that led to the "drubbing."
3. Re MJ (which is really a stand-in for lots of similar situations), I think the judgments we make are more personal and less consequential. He's dead. I don't really have the slightest desire to see this show but unlike with Rudin, Michael Jackson's conduct is not subject to change nor can he be punished (at least not in this realm). Does that matter? That's what I think is personal. Certainly the effects of his conduct survive him. Enjoying his music? Personal. Celebrating a white-washed version of his life (if that's what this is)? Pathetic. ymmv
The situation between Rudin in Hollywood and Rudin in Broadway is sort of different. In Hollywood he is one of many big executives. On Broadway he is THE big executive. He monopolizes the Shubert Theatre chain and at any given season there might be several Rudin projects occurring simultaneously. So the power he wields is unbelievable.
Even when he's not being abusive he has so much power. See: the Beetlejuice eviction.
https://apple.news/ArW8qMehOTM-gzd7u580RGwFrom the Atlantic:
Article about the crickets reaction THR:
https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/after-scott-rudin-bullying-expose-there-are-mostly-crickets/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=owned_echobox_tw_m&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1618005976
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "- If Jackman withdraws but Rudin stays, I would imagine it gets delayed but not scrapped entirely. They will need a new leading man, but there have been a LOT of expenses already. Costumes and set construction, workshops, marketing, option payments, deposits, etc.The replacement would not be of Jackman's name value, but maybe the show could still eke out a year on Broadway, close at a loss, then eventually get to 100% on the road."
If Jackman drops out, no name nearly big enough to carry the show at the ticket prices it needs to make the investors the money they are looking to make back. I dare say it may even be downright foolish to even try. If Jackman leaves, the action can taint the whole thing. Anyone that goes in and takes on the role at that point is saying "I know why Hugh left, I know what's Rubin is doing, and I'm OKAY with it."
At this point the ONLY way that I see this production still going on, with Jackman, AND Rubin saving some face for himself is for him to turn over the producing rights to one of the others and play it off as something like... 'After the hard time Broadway has just had and the with the long road again, the production is important to those working on it onstage and off. Thus I want to see it carry on and succeed even if that is without me. Blah blah I will try to be better. Blah blah press agent approved heartfelt lies. I wish the production all the best.'
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/10/04
so he is mean...is this illegal? Did he do anything illegal?
Did everyone know he was a poop face when they signed on to work with him? Yes.
he is a poop face who has employed hundreds of thousands of people, created hundreds of thousands of jobs, given life to creatives, and has produced some of the most successful pieces of art in media and theater over the past 40 years.
Steve Jobs was a poop face as well. Edison was also a poop face, as was jp morgan, and rockefeller.
Mark Zuckerberg is a poop face too. As is Jeff Bezos.
Did any of these men do anything illegal? Or are people's feelings hurt?
who is John Galt?
Breaking the law is not the only way to abuse power, and it’s not the only thing that makes people deserve to lose their job. He committed fire-able offenses, but there’s no one to “fire” him except the people who he relies on to make money - so that’s what we are hoping they will do. But also, pretty sure physical assault is illegal?
And the other “great men” you mentioned could use a reckoning of their own (or in the case of the deceased ones, a re-examination of their legacy)
massofmen said: "so he is mean...is this illegal? Did he do anything illegal?
Did everyone know he was a poop face when they signed on to work with him? Yes.
he is a poop face who has employed hundreds of thousands of people, created hundreds of thousands of jobs, given life to creatives, and has produced some of the most successful pieces of art in media and theater over the past 40 years.
Steve Jobs was a poop face as well. Edison was also a poop face, as was jp morgan, and rockefeller.
Mark Zuckerberg is a poop face too. As is Jeff Bezos.
Did any of these men do anything illegal? Or are people's feelings hurt?
who is John Galt?"
Um, there's a difference between getting your feelings hurt and getting a trip to the ER because your boss smashed a computer monitor on your hand. I can;t believe you don't see the difference.
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