Shuffle Along lawsuit- resolution?

Updated On: 7/10/18 at 11:17 PM

1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marchershberg/2016/11/14/audra-mcdonald-stars-in-new-lawsuit/#2d851e6254c2

2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marchershberg/2016/12/24/new-claims-in-audra-mcdonald-case/#de52e895f9cc

Juicy.

God, that whole thing was so gross.

Alex Kulak2 said: "As long as I live I’ll never understand why they didn’t just replace McDonald. Obviously, she’s Audra Freaking McDonald, she’s irreplaceable, but they didn’t even try."

Yes they did. Rhiannon Giddens was announced and rehearsed - but then never performed.

LLoyd's claims are inconsistent (not nec. a criticism, sometimes you can successfully corner an opponent in by inconsistent arguments because they invite inconsistent responses... by trying to have it both ways, a defendant can point out that the claimafnt's case falls for the equal and opposite inconsistency).

Anyway...

Lloyd's says that a pregnancy is not an illness so that it's not covered under the policy.
In a 180 they claim that McDonald was obligated to declare her pregnancy as a pre-existing illness.

My take:
McDonald legitimately did not declare her pregnancy because it was not an illness. (Lloyd's argument on that score fails).
However, because McDonald's pregnancy was not an illness or accident, Lloyd is not liable to cover the claim.

@henrikegerman not inconsistent, just alternative. And remember that you are relying (I presume) on a second hand report of a pleading. Good practice would always be to include the alternative, particularly where as here the characterization of not-illness has a little bit of a legal minefield to traverse. There was a case involving pregnancy as an illness for disability purposes years ago. The Supreme Court ruled it was not and the law was amended. I confess I don't know everything that's transpired since then beyond that context, but there is enough of a colorable argument that no good lawyer would not plead it.

@Tag That's not necessarily inconsistent as there is no assurance of a return date from a pregnancy. That said, looming much larger is that the show was not doing nearly as well as one would have hoped at the time of the 3 month leave announcement. I don't think it would have made it through the summer anyway. Rudin was already looking for the exit door.

gypsy101 said: "so they didn’t get any money?

i’m still mad they didn’t produce a cast recording if only for the fact that Adrienne Warren’s performance of I’m Craving for That Kind of Love still haunts my memories 4.5 years later and the fact that it went unrecorded is a crime against humanity on par with human trafficking."

I wish they had too! I really enjoyed the show.

theatreguy12 said: "HogansHero said: "Alex Kulak2 said: "As long as I live I’ll never understand why they didn’t just replace McDonald. Obviously, she’s Audra Freaking McDonald, she’s irreplaceable, but they didn’t even try."

the show was a misfire WITH her."

Which is what makes theater so great. Totally subjective and open to personal tastes.

I know there are those who didn't like it for one reason or another as stated on these boards in past years, but the audience I saw it with was eating it up. No one walking out of theaterwas looking at each other with the look of 'What the hell was that?' Just the opposite.

Similarly, walking by the theater a couple of evenings later to meet friends for dinner, the crowd coming out of the Music Box didn't have that look either. Pure enjoyment.

It's all about personal taste. Much like my thinking that Urinetown was the most ridiculous thing I ever saw. But many obviouslydid not agree."

Exactly. The audience I saw it with loved it also. I had hoped to see it again and I would have seen it again without Audra. And quite honestly, I was more excited about seeing Brian Stokes Mitchell's return to Broadway (And I love Audra!).

That was another thing that kind of got me with the tv promos. They were touting Audra's "return" to Broadway and she had only been gone for about a year and a half. Stokes had been gone for about 5 years. I was just scratching my head on that one. But I guess more people are more familiar with her name. Just my thoughts.

I had forgotten the show's falloff after the Tonys, not because they couldn't fill seats but because the average ticket price dropped a lot. Rudin had to look at that, see Audra McDonald's departure looming and decide to cut his losses even though it was an ensemble show.

While that season was a strong one for musicals, and I ended up not seeing several good shows during our spring trip, I'm still glad I saw Shuffle Along in previews. The cast was fantastic, "Pennsylvania Graveyard Shuffle" was my favorite tap choreography I've ever seen, and the first act was wildly entertaining. And yes, Adrienne Warren was ridiculously good - a standout in a cast of standouts.

I thought it was a fascinating but flawed show, and I didn't see the final version. I wish there were more shows that were so thought-provoking.