The star's who can't deliver- Page 2

[west end artist1]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:28pm

Ok well i meant celebs who haven't tread the boards before lol

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:36pm

Lucille Ball in Wildcat. The night I saw it the announcement was made that "Miss Ball has decided not to come to the theater tonight." No mention that she was ill or had a prior commitment. I would guess that more than 60% of the audience left as the overture was playing. I've never seen anything like it. I had nothing better to do so I stayed and her stand-in, Betty Jane Watson, was wonderful.

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:39pm

Maria Friedman missed a LOT of shows during the Woman in White's run, but you can't say anything against her because there was a valid reason.

[west end artist1]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:40pm

WOW Thanks fot that Tom, thats a great story

lol

[west end artist1]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:42pm

What was her reason LuckyDave?

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:44pm

Cancer

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:49pm

Apart from recent examples like Ramirez and Murphy, going back in time we find examples like Kim Stanley, who could not deal with long runs and would miss lots of performances or somehow find a way to leave a show after two or three months (and, of course, she was in lots of shows that didn't run all that long but even in those she'd sometimes leave before they closed), Barbara Harris in The Apple Tree, Carol Burnett in Fade Out—Fade In, Madeline Kahn in On the Twetieth Century, and Lucille Ball in Wildcat. And I've heard that Glynis Johns was out a lot in A LIttle Night Music, though she was there each of the three times I saw it. Kahn missed like 10 performances in two months, which might not be enough to get her in trouble today, but it was then. (Though there were other issues there as well.)

And even some people who were generally very dependable sometimes had problems, like Alfred Drake in Kean, who missed about half the performances because of illness, contributing to its short run..

Never heard that Lavin missed a lot of performances in Gypsy.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:55pm

Maria Friedman pretty much missed every Wednesday and Saturday matinee and missed about 20 other shows due to surgeries. But she was a trouper though, and had very good attendance for someone in her situation.

Updated On: 7/8/06 at 11:55 PM

[west end artist1]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:57pm

Thats a trooper lol

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 7/8/06 at 12:03am

^Thanks for the correction...I'm a little tired right now, sorry.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 7/8/06 at 12:11am

When referring to an actor (or someone dependable), it's trouper.

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 7/8/06 at 12:49am

I only know one Star who can't deliver, and she just got fired from The View.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/8/06 at 12:48pm

Being able to "deliver" is different from not being able to make it to the show.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 7/8/06 at 12:50pm

Nobody: Thanks...I'm going to change it again. Thank you.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 7/8/06 at 2:28pm

Again, this is getting out of hand, if I *understood* correctly, wasn't the original posters question about STARS who couldn't cut it once they got on the boards? To my recollection, Ramirez was a complete unknown before she got into Spamalot outside of the theater world and even to an extent, in the theater community. WHY would she be in every answer since? And Donna Murphy? Not a household name by any means. Why are these the names you people are answering with?

[Ruth Sherwood]

Posted: 7/8/06 at 8:57pm

I have read, with a great deal of disgust, the musings of many of you relative to stars who can't deliver. I have been a theatregoer for 30 years, and I can say that many of today's Broadway performers do not understand the theatre work ethic; however, to place Donna Murphy in the same category as Sara Ramirez is not only ridiculous, but incredibly ignorant.
For the record, Murphy has been a rock solid Broadway professional since her days in "They're Playing Our Song," back in 1978. The only time Ms. Murphy had "attendance" issues was with the run of "Wonderful Town." Did it not occur to any of you that a professional with an impeccable work history might be having health problems? Has any one of you ever had a run of poor health? I do not know Ms. Murphy personally, but I will go on her professional record. I am sickened by the continual battering of this Broadway performer. You might recall that at one performance, Murphy played the first act, only to be taken ill, and unable to go on for the second act. I still can't get over how many people, and some newspaper columnist, decided that Murphy was faking it...who, I ask you who, comes to the theatre to play the first act and not play the second act? Let's think about this...to prepare for the first (or second act) the makeup has to go on, the wigs, the costumes, the vocal warming up, the physical limbering up, etc...it is time that people let up on Donna Murphy.
As for not being a household name, that is true, but to sincere theatregoers, who understand the art, Donna Murphy is a respected name...a two time Tony winner who ran into health problems...I don't call that not being able to deliver...I call that being human...it's time to stop this continual bashing of Donna Murphy...let her overall work record guide your perceptions and comments...and if you don't know Donna's resume, I suggest you learn about her impeccable history, and then hope she returns to Broadway...where she has more than earned her place.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 7/8/06 at 10:16pm

RuthSherwood, I think you're overreacting more than a little. Nobody said anything terrible about Murphy (except for the little joke about her missing more shows than she performed), except to mention that she missed an awful lot of shows, which I don't think is in dispute.

In the end, didn't she miss something like 100 performances in a year, if you count the fact that she didn't perform at all the last two or three weeks of her contract even though her name was still on the marquee and in the cast list in the theatre? (And that was really the Weisslers' fault, it seems.)

And didn't she have some attendance issues in Song of Singapore? They may have been caused by health problems, but I know there was some problem.

Like it or not, she certainly missed a lot of performances in WT. To acknowledge that is not to say, in and of itself, anything unfair about her.

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 7/8/06 at 11:16pm

Also, Ruth Sherwood, you could make the same arguement about Sara Ramirez. Didn't she injure her ankle as well as have some other health problems? She didn't just choose not to show up.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/8/06 at 11:39pm

Nobody is denying that Murhpy is a brilliant talent. Just all the outs dissapointed so many fans, and it got very annoying. Back in the old days, stars like Ethel Merman would not miss one performance, and I'm sure they had to perform with illness at one point. But since we don't know what Murhphy's illness was/is, I don't have room to make assumptions that she could've performed with the illness.

Anyone I'm just greatful Brooke saved the show, and truth be told, she was a much better fit for the role than Murphy. Brooke had a style of physical comedy similar to Roz Russell, the original. Plus Brooke isn't that great of a singer, just like Roz. So it was a perfect fit.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 7/8/06 at 11:45pm

I know that many are upset at the horrible attendance records of today...I am, for one...but I find myself scratching my head when people like Carol Channiong decide to perform a show in a wheelchair...would you really want to see Dolly in a wheelchair? I think that's unfair to the audience.

I think actors of today need to find a happy medium. If they are terribly ill, then they shouldn't be worried about missing shows...if they are moderately sick, they should plow through unless, God forbid, something happens.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 12:09am

I don't know of Channing ever having performed Hello, Dolly! in a wheelchair. Maybe I just don't know about it. Or maybe you somehow have Channing mixed up with Danny Kaye in Two by Two.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 12:34am

How can you say someone like Michael Ball? We all know how he got sick. And based on his previous track record, I would say he didn't just TAKE off because the role was too strenuous. Same for LaChanze, to a degree.

Oh, so you have a health problem. Then don't count on a lead on Broadway. Even if you are THAT good.

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 1:41am

UNfortunately, I was one of the "lucky few" to see Ricky Martin in Les Miz. Twas a shame too, because otherwise it was the best cast of the show I have seen.
Runner up nods, go to Alan Thicke in the road company of Chicago.
Ugh and lets not forget James Naughton's one man show,Street of Dreams or something like that. Street of yawns.
OOOOOhhhh... and a cabaret performance by Judy Kuhn who sang all this folk crap Judy collins baloney , and not ONE theatre song. REFUND!!!!!!!!

[Ruth Sherwood]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 10:46am

NobodyHome- I don't believe I was overreacting. I did not deny that DM missed a lot of shows; I was merely suggesting that she does not belong in the "lack of work ethic" category, which is where some posters were placing her. As for "Song of Singapore," I don't recall there being as much anger from the public back then...this show was 15 years ago, and it is quite possible that she had some health issues back then too.

Quibbler- I did not realize Ramirez had injured her ankle. Sorry.

Ljay- We must remember that the theatres were in SIGNIFICANTLY better condition back in the days of Ethel Merman. Back then, the theatres were new, and at least somewhat clean. Now, we have tubes coming out of the Richard Rodgers Theatre because the air quality is so terrible. Ethel Merman did not have to deal with that. I also want to say that there were statements made identifying what illness DM had...she had the flu at one point (I believe there was an article on playbill.com saying this) and in the Downstage Center interview with DM, she said she had sinus infections. As for Brooke Shields being better in "WT," I respect your opinion, but I felt Shields was stiff and brinking on unbelievable in the role. I don't believe she deserves to be compared to Rosalind Russell.


I am so sick of these threads because they not only serve no purpose, but they repeatedly attack the same performers. Why is it that Donna Murphy is constantly on these threads and Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, and Gwen Verdon are rarely ever mentioned?

Updated On: 7/9/06 at 10:46 AM

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 1:03pm

In regards to the older theatres being in better condition..there may be pipes in the Richard Rodgers with bad air, but also bear in mind the performers are miked so effectively that they barely have to open their mouths to sing. The old timers had to be heard in the back row, with no mikes, 8 shows a week. So I really can't go with that excuse.