Steve Schalchlin and Jim Brochu Leaving THE BIG VOICE on 3/11

Hmmm. Unless it's Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, I don't see this show lasting.

Personally, I don't believe it stands on its own. A major building block of the success and interest is that it's being performed by the people who experienced it.

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Exactly my thoughts Rath.

I'm still not sure if it's only for a limited time and then they're coming back, or it's final. I know that Jim will be performing hs play Zero Hour in Houston in late April. So maybe they are just leaving for that. Steve didn't go into details when I asked him.

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Jim is an extremely talented guy with stage presence to spare.

However, I found the show long and tedious at points, and it's not going to be helped when you have "actors" onstage, not the original writers.

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Well, I knew from reading the program. It's not like you have to do a research project - aren't people interested in what they're about to see?

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LOL!

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I'll definitely be curious to see who they cast.

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Just a little note here -- and I don't mind at all the criticisms of the show, btw. You'd be surprised how many people I've met -- experienced theatergoers -- who PURPOSELY do not read the program ahead of time. They don't want to know anything about it until the lights go down, so that the piece completely speaks for itself. So, it's mistaken to assume that people who don't read the program are doing so because they're ignorant or negligent. I'm kind of the same way. I don't want the program telling me about the show. I want the show to tell me about the show. I read the program after I get home.

I'm personally very excited to see the show performed by great New York actors. They will bring things to it that we, frankly, do not, or cannot bring. While I think us doing it probably lends a little authenticity in the moment, there's nothing unusual about actors playing real life people on a stage. In fact, that's what they do anytime they get on a stage to perform a piece taken from real life. The only difference here is that we, being performers, opened the show ourselves.

Samuel French has licensed the musical for stock and amateur, so they obviously saw the piece as a musical that can stand independent of the authors. I don't see it as being that different from The Last Session, our first musical which was also based upon real people. The only difference was that the situation was fictional and we used different names.

I think audiences who come to the piece "new" will just accept what they see. I also know New York has the best actors in the world.
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Oh, I never thought of it that way.... I guess I'm too much of a spoiler queen to NOT read about a show beforehand, :)

Hi Rathnait. BTW, we've done some very strategic cuts of the play during its run. We also felt it ran just a tad long. Also, I think if it got "boring" in places, it was more because of my bad acting than anything else. :) I can't WAIT to see a really GOOD actor playing my role.

I also don't think us being in it added that much box office value, given the fact that Jim and I aren't that famous. Insider theater audiences, like those who read these boards, might know our names (kinda), but the general public doesn't. I don't think our names really sold that many tickets. People come to see a show because of a friend of theirs saw it and told them to go.
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i never read the program beforehand (or reviews, if i can help it)...i like to see the show fresh & then savor the program notes afterwards.

> Steve, my point was more that it was the two of you sharing your own experiences that is a big part of the show itself.

I totally get that. I really do. But, again, the larger issue mentioned above was that only Nathan and Matthew could keep it open, as if having us on the stage sells that many tickets. I'm not sure, at this point, whether it does or not. I think the show stands on its own. Most of the incredible reviews we're garnered have been mostly about the writing and the story.

So, we'll see.
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We've just had offers to do the show in Tucson, Arizona and San Francisco. So, keep an eye on my blog for updated information.
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