Urban Legends and Anecdotes of the Theatre- Page 2

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 10:50am

Ms. Merman said that about *everyone*. LOL

[WOSQ]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 11:25am

Another horizontal mambo:
Maggie Smith discovering then-husband Robert Stephens mid-act with something like the understudy to the maid during the LA tryout run of Private Lives in 1975. Mr. Stephens left the company under a cloud, was replaced by his understudy and the production came to NY and was a major hit.

Barbra and Sydney Chaplin supposedly became chummy during the long and difficult try-out of Funny Girl, but after they came back into town they returned to their respective spouses. Barbra had a difficult time adjusting to this new relationship with her leading man, and Chaplin was bought out of his contract after 7-8 months.

And then SUPPOSEDLY:
a 16 year old Carrie Fisher who Momma put into the chorus of Irene went up to a chorus girl and said, "You keep away from (another female member of the chorus). That's my mother's girlfriend."

Who knows? I wasn't there.

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 1:31pm

I've heard some good ones about the original production of Chicago- allegedly, a story I've heard a few times from various people but never asked Ms. Nemetz herself, Lenora Nemetz, the "Queen of the Understudies," was understudy to Velma and Roxie in the original production. One night, due to unforeseen circumstances and highly unusual chain of events, she ended up playing Velma in one act, then going on for Roxie in the other when Velma had recovered, or vice versa.

Frankly it sounds made-up, but I know stranger things have happened throughout the years, and I've heard this one time and time again, so there COULD be some truth to it.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 1:53pm

It appears that the rumors of a group "encounter" involving the cast of "All Shook Up" are true. I remember reading about it in Cindy Adams' column. Maybe someone can find that particular report. Verrrry interrresting. from RC in Austin, Texas

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 2:08pm

I googled the story, and apparently it was broken to the newspaper by an anonymous writer known by the initials HJ who was trying to enter the stage door and confronted the orgy by mistake.

Entering by the stage door would imply either a production worker or a friend of the cast with clout enough to get in- some have jokingly suggested Hugh Jackman as the interloper.

[morosco]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 2:18pm

I've heard some good ones about the original production of Chicago- allegedly...Lenora Nemetz...was understudy to Velma and Roxy...ended up playing Velma in one act, then going on for Roxie in the other when Velma had recovered, or vice versa.

I never heard that but it is a fact that on at least one occasion she played one of the roles at the matinee and later that same day played the other role at the evening performance.

[OperaBwayLover]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 2:19pm

Here's another opera anecdote: supposedly on a recording of Madama Butterfly starring Enrico Caruso as Pinkerton and Geraldine Farrar as Butterfly, they had recorded in the morning, broke for lunch, then resumed recording in the afternoon. Supposedly Caruso had gotten tipsy, and during the big Act I love duet between Butterfly and Pinkerton, instead of singing one line in the libretto, Farrar sang "He had a HIGH-baaaaaaalllll!"

I doubt it's true. But it sure is a fun story.

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 5:16pm

We have forgotten one of the most famous anecdotes: Lord Sydmonton, known to the public as Andrew Lloyd Webber, composed "Phantom of the Opera 2" on a keyboard based workstation, before his cat ran along the control panel, wiping the hard drive and deleting the entire musical work. He then rewrote the piece in a substantially different form, and then renamed the new piece "Love Never Dies."

[Hex3]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 6:06pm

I have a friend who was in All Shook Up and I'm dying to ask if there's any truth to that story, though we haven't spoken in some time. And I don't think that "So tell me about that orgy!" should be the first thing he hears from me.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 6:26pm

Crawford during his New York run of Phantom, where he pulled the boat downstage, so he could start Music Of The Night

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 6:29pm

Ethel Merman and Mary Martin were performing at a benefit. As Mary was onstage performing, Ethel, standing backstage, turned to someone nearby and said "She's a dyke, y'know!"

Get the story right.

Ethel was standing backstage while Mary was singing, waiting for her cue to enter. Watching Mary, she said to a stage hand nearby, "Nice kid. Nice voice. Dyke, ya know."

And then she strode on.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 6:51pm

I once worked with someone from "All Shook Up" as well as someone from "Taboo" and we got on friendly terms and I had so so so many questions I wanted to ask but couldn't figure out a sane-sounding way to ask.

[Jane2]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 6:56pm

How about that one with Carol Channing and the Depends. I'm not going into the details, lol.

no, this is a different one than the corn but the basic topic (BM) is the same. What is it with Carol and poop?

[Playbilly]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 8:24pm

Hmmm. Guess it's just me. If I knew someone who could confirm these orgy stories, I wouldn't hesitate to ask for details.

Updated On: 3/27/13 at 08:24 PM

[all that jazz]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 8:37pm

^ Me neither!! Somebody please find out!!

Loving this thread, btw.

[Marcellus2]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 11:17pm

Jane2: I love the Carol Channing corn story. It cracks me up every time I think about it.

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 11:21pm

What are the corn and Depends stories? I have heard of them, but never really heard them told, merely alluded to. Share them here!

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 11:22pm

Another great TOSCA story involves the firing squad at the end of the opera. I mean, how difficult is it, right? You march on stage, shoot someone, then follow someone else offstage.

But apparently Dallas Civic Opera didnt get the rehearsal time and simply told them "Shoot the person singing and then follow the other principals offstage," because during the performance, they aimed their rifles at... Tosca, who apparently improvised with a trilling "Nononononononononono". They swung them at Jose, who, sensing a great moment in the making, replied with a "Nonononononononono". Eventually, they shot Tosca, but Jose fell anyway.

Okay, so far, so good. But then we get to the very end, when she rushes to the top of the wall and jumps off. What have they been told? "Follow the principal offstage", so apparently the entire firing squad proceeded to jump over the wall as well.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 3/27/13 at 11:28pm

Whoop...never mind.

Tammy Grimes once apparently hated a co-star so much she peed on his costume.

Updated On: 3/27/13 at 11:28 PM

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 2:48am

darquegk, Said the cat to Sir Lloyd Webber:

"But that's just not a hum-a-ma-ma-ma-ma-muuuumable melody!"

[Thparkaly]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 4:03am

Updated On: 11/8/17 at 04:03 AM

[bobs3]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 1:16pm

FACT or FICTION?

While appearing in WOMAN OF THE YEAR, Lauren Bacall finished her number, made her exit, walked to her dressing room for her costume change but the sound technician forgot to turn her microphone off and the sold out audience heard her drop a litany of F-bombs backstage.



Updated On: 3/28/13 at 01:16 PM

[all that jazz]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 1:36pm

Found this old thread on the orgy:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=868087&page=1

It contains a link to an article in the NY post, which was apperantly taken down.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 1:45pm

Did someone say H.J.?

[WOSQ]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 1:46pm

Ain't Misbehavin'
Nell and Armelia had one understudy at the start of the run (and this woman went on a lot) and Charlayne had an understudy only for her role.

However one night Nell and Armelia were both on, but both Charlayne and her understudy were unable to perform. Management thought they'd have to cancel a sold out performance.

However the Nell/Armelia understudy stepped forth and said, "I know the role." Unbeknownst to everybody she had gotten bored watching the show night after night and had learned the third role just for something to do.

They ran the dance numbers before the curtain, crossed their fingers and hoped for the best, and that lovely lady saved their ass. I wish I could remember her name. I met her, but only in passing. She was taller that Nell or Armelia and sturdily built but in no way could genuinely be termed fat--just a large healthy woman.

This understudy got a nice piece of change and after that they hired one-on-one understudies for all five principals.