Sean Combs in Raisin in the Sun

[Owen22]

Posted: 9/22/24 at 4:51pm

With all the attention thrust upon the arrest of P Diddy lately, it now seems bizarre that this awful man, while seemingly still involved in the major federal crimes he has been accused of, took time out to fund and star in a Broadway revival with Audra McDonald while also igniting the stage directing career of Kenny Leon...

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/22/24 at 5:08pm

Ego flex?

Tax reasons?

Was he good in it?

Why does another awful man (accused) have a whole Broadway show right now celebrating him 8 times a week?

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 9/22/24 at 5:08pm

Yeah awful people doing theatre is unheard of

[Kad]

Posted: 9/22/24 at 5:32pm

It was during a time in which he was trying to bolster his credibility and cultural legitimacy, an effort that worked for a while. These powerful abusers often use philanthropy, the arts, social causes, etc to burnish their images and reputations.

Updated On: 9/22/24 at 05:32 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/22/24 at 5:42pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "this season alone there are three people in Broadway shows accused of misconduct"

I told Patti that she couldn’t be the only power top at the Oh Mary party at the Eagle…but did she listen? NOOOOOOO

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/22/24 at 5:45pm

 

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 9/22/24 at 6:12pm

Speaking as someone who did see this production: loved it.  Combs filled the seats but Audra and Rashad made this a meaningful experience. I saw this towards the end of the run and it was pretty clear then that they learned how to lean into their performances to make his better.  He was actually fine, just way out of his depth.  
 

I remember reading a feature piece at the time about how his acting coach had convinced him to “eat the eggs on stage!” to show his realism. I laugh now, but realize how sophomoric this sounds now as acting guidance. 

[jagman106]

Posted: 9/22/24 at 7:00pm

If I recall correctly, it was at a time when he was trying to gain legitimacy across different demographics to enhance his career. As much as he was admired for bringing a great play back to Broadway, I found his performance to be the weakest part of the show. McDonald and Rashad deserved every accolade that season, and Lathan was excellent, but Combs' performance demonstrated his lack of acting chops. For me, any good he did by bringing the show back to the stage was offset by his poor performance. As Kad said, the overall good will didn't last very long.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 9/22/24 at 8:47pm

Shocked the reference to The Show About That Guy is still up--i think the moderators have a full time intern policing that conduct.

But until I hear that what P Diddy was accused of (credibly, in a major Federal complaint, unlike various other unsubstantiated rumors that gossipmongers like to discuss in these parts) was evident to the other people in the production, I'm not sure what the big deal is.