Trained animals on a Broadway Stage - Good Idea?

After seeing the snippet of Annaleigh Ashford and her dog on the Legally Blonde post, I am reminded of this.

I myself often get nervous when there is a real animal on a broadway stage. They can be trained, but as you've seen on "stupid pet tricks" you never know when they'll bite or pee on you.

In Legally Blonde, the exchange, i think, is really awkward, with Laura holding out her hand to (unsuccessfully) silence the dog.

But, on the other hand, the other option is a rolling Bessie the cow in Into the woods on wheels, or with two people operating the legs.

My question: How do you handle animals on stage? Live or Artificial?

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Updated On: 1/31/07 at 04:29 PM

Updated - thanks!

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During the original rehearsals of Phantom the producers and ALW originally wanted some live doves to fly across the stage during random moments in the show. the idea was scratched because the doves kept flying into the proscenium in the dark. that must have been a sight to see....

What was wrong with her hand? It looked well manicured. Nothing ghastly about that. Believe me, I've seen worse. Toe nail fungus, anyone?

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I've always been advised to never work with children or animals. This show is gonna tank without or with that dog.

Updated On: 1/31/07 at 05:52 PM

I grant you that. It just brought up my constant nerves with live and tempermental animals on a stage in a building full of people.

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I think the reason she held her hand out like that was part of the training trick

I think it all depends on the particular animal and the particular situation. The less the stage time for the animal the better. For instance (SPOILER...I guess it is still considered one) -- the cat in the Lieutenant of Inishmore worked great.

...but there can be the alternative...

My vocal coach in college, who used to perform with a professional opera company in NY, told me this story as his raison d'être for not using animals in any live shows:

During one opera he was performing in the director had an idea to use two poodles in the show's opening. The plan was that as the curtain rose, the poodles would run in from opposite sides of the stage, cross paths, and then continue into the wings. However..it didn't quite turn out that way...

The two poodles entered, met at center stage...and then...well...decided to start conceiving some future poodles there on center stage -- as the curtain rose on Act One. I can only imagine what the audience reaction was (of course someone probably thought that there was some hidden aesthetic meaning behind it).

The moral of the story is to either not use animals at all -- or make sure they are not of opposite sexes.

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"The moral of the story is to either not use animals at all -- or make sure they are not of opposite sexes."

What if they're gay? I mean, this is theater we're talkinga bout.

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belive me sometimes its easier to work with animals than actors

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I worked with a dog in a show once and I hated it, but then again it wasn't trained so we could never control it. I agree that they add in a nice cuteness factor, but I wouldn't want the animal upstaging the action going on.