Trained animals on a Broadway Stage - Good Idea?

[JustinRZB]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 4:29pm

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?

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

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 4:33pm

Why not have live animals? Theater is live for a reason. Spontaneity.

That was Annaleigh Ashford, by the way.

[JustinRZB]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 4:35pm

Updated - thanks!

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 4:37pm

Ok, yeah the hand was a tad annoying but I would perfer live to something that looks like crap. She also looked very cute with the dog and I am sure as they work longer together it will be a lot better. When the dog jumped into her arms...it was pretty damn cute.

[Dibbledl01]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 4:38pm

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....

[JustinRZB]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 5:14pm

Agreed THAT was pretty cute. But that hand. That damned hand...

[StageManager2]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 5:42pm

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

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 5:45pm

Geez SM2,

Your problems just never seem to end.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 5:52pm

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

[StageManager2]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 5:54pm

Who advised you, mejusthavingfun? W.C. Fields?

For the record: I don't have toe nail fungus!

[JustinRZB]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 5:55pm

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.

[CERULEAN19]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 6:19pm

I have worked in many shows with animals. All behaviors like the one seen in the Legally Blonde musical are typically food motivated. When she put her hand out to silence the dog, chances are she probably had some sort of reward between her fingers.

Working with animals onstage can be interesting and at times difficult - but the audience gets so much from the experience...it is always worth it - -- And if the "BRUISER" trainers can get those behaviors running smoother - it could be very entertaining...

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 7:04pm

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

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 7:13pm

Actually, dogs can be great to work with.. if you have a great trainer, which BLONDE does. Yes, there are lots of food based behaviors and tricks, and many hand signals that the actor/actress working with the animal has to know to get the dog to do certain things. I am NOT using this to criticize Laura Bell at all, but it an observation I have made from working with actors and animals in the same show. Quite often, if the dog doesn't do something, it is because the temperament of the human actor is off or they made an error in their handling or the animal or hand signals. A LOT of it comes down to bonding between the person and dog as well.

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 7:31pm

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.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 8:16pm

Enjolras, that is the funniest stage story I've heard in a LOOOOOOONG time

What opera was it, do you know?

[StageManager2]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 8:30pm

"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.

[justagirl2]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 8:34pm

^ True.

My dog made an appearance in Li'l Abner, and a chihuaha was also in the show. The damn thing decided to try to attack my basset hound one performance, scared the hell out of my dog, and he refused to even go into the theatre the next day. You have to be CAREFUL...it's so easy for something to go wrong.

But, Elvis got over his fear and was in Camelot that summer. He was also the only dog, though, so that helped.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 8:36pm

belive me sometimes its easier to work with animals than actors

[eb412]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 11:52pm

hahah i cant imagine a real cow in into the woods! i think it just depends on the show. sometimes it works sometiimes it doesnt. I havent seen legally blond...i have only seen the videos on broadway.com including the video preview and think the dog is the best option for that show...or write the dog out. I like the stylized feel of the cow in into the woods and preferred the rolling one to the person playing one. i really feel it depends on the show and the creativity...

[gumbo2]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 12:04am

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.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 12:04am

Double post. Updated On: 2/1/07 at 12:04 AM