Star failures

[Zach_the-boy]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 1:40am

So--with the whole Daniel Davis mid-song exit generating so much discussion, tell us: Have you ever seen a lead performer experience a mid-song failure/departure?

[Razz77]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 2:10am

In July I saw "Wonderful Town" and Donna Murphy went up on her words mid-way through "100 Easy Ways To Lose A Man" -- so she stopped the orchestra and apologized to the audience and got them to start back up again -- said something like "It's live theatre, folks!". Then she forgot her words AGAIN once the orchestra started up and just turned to the audience and said "What a night!" and something about how fabulous live theatre was. The audience basically gave her a standing ovation and she carried on with the show -- she was naturally INCREDIBLE -- and so nice and courteous after the show -- hung out for about 15 minutes just to chat probably because she felt so guilty about ruining her big number.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 3:19am

WEll i never saw it, but i can remember reading about Donny Osmond in the tour of Joseph, that he stopped the orchestra in Close Every Door and asked for a drink of water. Then after he was brought a drink, the show resumed as normal.

[pab]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 3:28am

It was not a line screw up but it was the same thing that happened in La Cage the other night. The show was "Ain't Misbehavin'" and Andre De Shields had to leave before the end of the first act due to illness. That also happened to an actor in "The Iceman Cometh" (the production with Jason Robards).

[magruder]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 9:56am

I made a return visit to Chicago to see Ute Lemper as Velma. Right after "Roxie" before the set-up for "I Can't Do It Alone," the curtain came down and there was an announcement that Ute Lemper could not continue and they had to pause for a few minutes while standby Nancy Hess prepared to go on. Lemper did not seem in ill health, but really at that point, you've only seen Velma do the opening number and "Cell Block Tango," so perhaps something was seriously wrong. I was rather bummed about it. Though I'm not sure anyone has been as sharp as Bebe Neuwirth in this revival version, Lemper was pretty one-of-a-kind. Extremely strange and out there. I regretted not seeing her full performance.

[luvWICKED416]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 10:59am

When I saw Joey Fatone in RENT he missed one of his entrances, and said a few of his lines from backstage. I think i might have been before Le Vie Boheme because it was like right before he tripped trying to jump onto one of the chairs.

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 1:53pm

IN the 1943 revival of CONNECTICT YANKEE Vivienne Segl was overcome by grief at the news of Lorenz Hart's death. She went up on the lyrics of TO KEEP MY LOVE ALIVE, apologized to the audience and walked offstage. She returned a few moments later and began the song again. Quite a trouper!

Miriam

[Mythus]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 1:55pm

I feel like an idiot, but what does it mean to go "up" on the lyrics? I'm awfully slow today.

[bta212]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 2:09pm

Miriam--that's a good one--were you in the theatre that night?

Mythus--It means to forget your lyrics or lose your place so badly that you have to stop.

[Mythus]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 3:05pm

Danke, bta212. I don't feel as stupid now.

[minettamandy]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 5:01pm

i saw andrea mcardle in a matinee of BATB. Her first performance after she got back from vacation...disaster! Forgot song lyrics, stopped singing all together at certain points...bad

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 5:03pm

i saw a perf of annie get your gun where both bernadette and tom forgot the lyrics to old fashioned wedding....then they were playing games with each other on stage, trying to screw each other up....good times

[Broadway is life04]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 5:25pm

Well i went to go see "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and Sherrl Lee Ralph or someone like that was up on stage at the part where she was pretending to be a new girl to get the hotel owner caught and she jjust broke out laughing and couldn't stop for like 5 minutes...it was hysterical.


When i saw phantom of the opera, i saw the Wedensday matinee so i had the Wedensday Matinee and Saturday Matinee girl and she kindof got lost at the end of the first act and when the chandilere came crashing down she didn't know and Raul had to pull her out of the way, it almost hit her!!

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 5:34pm

Razz77,
thats really cool, and its good that she handled it so well. its never good to see someone mess up, but when the audience doesn't get upset thats great.
the only time i have ever seen anything remotely like that was when I saw The Foreinger. Matthew Broderick was doing something really funny, and the other casts members had to wait to do their lines becuase they were laughing so much
. Updated On: 11/28/04 at 05:34 PM

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 5:38pm

And yes, Donna Murphy is a very nice person. After the show she is never rude to fans!

[Broadway is life04]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 5:40pm

Oh yes, and i saw wicked and Joey Macentire missed his enterance and Idina and Jennifer were adlibbing like "Where could Fieyro be?" and blah blah and then when he finally got on like 3 minutes later, as Idina and Jennifer are doing their little Cutesie talking Idina goes "And Now i forget my line" all happy and cheerful...it was so funny.