WEST SIDE STORY (2019 Revival) Preview Thread- Page 15

[Globefan]

Posted: 12/22/19 at 9:23pm

JBroadway said: "Globefan said: "trpguyy said: "VotePeron said: "One thing I was wondering, is if having to perform in pouring rain for an hour each night will make the actors more prone to getting sick. The temperature changes, the wet/humidity, I can’t imagine it’s healthy. "

The rain is definitely going to contribute to injury and illness. Add in the long, gruelingpreview/rehearsal period, and they’re going to need a deep bench."

The rain will definitely have to go."



The rain is too central to the production to axe it so casually.

Also, while I personally don't know the methods behind it, there must bewaystomaintainthehealth of actors who have to perform wet. It's not like this is the first time in the entire history of live theatrethat an actor has had to get wet onstage during the winter."

They still have a lot of time to figure out how to resolve all these things. 

[802AFM]

Posted: 12/22/19 at 10:59pm

The original Bway WSS production had 31 musicians in the pit.

For today's revivial Tunick re-orchestrated the score for 25.

What's been cut: 1 violin, 2 cellos, the guitar, 2 percussionists.

 

 

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

Posted: 12/22/19 at 11:13pm

JBroadway said: "The rain is too central to the production to axe it so casually.

Also, while I personally don't know the methods behind it, there must bewaystomaintainthehealth of actors who have to perform wet. It's not like this is the first time in the entire history of live theatre that an actor has had to get wet onstage during the winter."

Equity actually has rules around this: the temperature of the water, filtration, plans for dying off etc.

[BJR]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 9:02am

I don't know what it is about Bway that makes people so conservative, but whether it be water, video or actor-musicians, these are all theatrical devices and vocabularies that have been used globally and in other genres 10x as much for decades, and in case of actor-musicians, even centuries.

It's only when it comes to Bway that somehow people think it's being invented, or can only be in one show every few years, etc. This from an artform that has 371 shows with tap numbers in them. It's a device. You can dislike video, you can dislike actor-musicians, you can dislike tap, but to act like they're a gimmick is silly.

(As for the safety of the water, you had better believe there are rules they're following.)

 

[temms]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 9:07am

A shame the guitar and two percussionists are gone, that must make a difference - I’m thinking of the layers of rhythm in the Mambo and the like.

But the cellos are no loss - the original production had to use the house musicians who came with the theatre and the two cellists were supposedly terrible players - there was a lot of that sort of thing, still is in some places beyond NYC.

So Bernstein wrote it for four cellos - two that actually play the important stuff and two that mostly play whole notes and things that stay out of the way, so he gave the non-parts to the house guys and hired his own people for the “real” books.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 9:19am

^^ there are still two percussionists with this production, they are just twice as busy as the four original players.
And yes, there are rules regarding the cleanliness and temperature of the water, and those rules are being followed. But water is still wet, and dancing on a wet stage is inherently dangerous. Heated “rain” mixed with high winds from fans still shocks the body.

[802AFM]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 10:16am

But the cellos are no loss - the original production had to use the house musicians who came with the theatre and the two cellists were supposedly terrible players - there was a lot of that sort of thing, still is in some places beyond NYC.

So Bernstein wrote it for four cellos - two that actually play the important stuff and two that mostly play whole notes and things that stay out of the way, so he gave the non-parts to the house guys and hired his own people for the “real” books."

Temms:  That's not quite the story I've heard.  It was the house violists who couldn't play and Bernstein eliminated their parts.  The original Cello 1 & 2 parts are written often quite high, as if to cover the viola lines.  Not one of the 4 original cello parts is easy.

 

[Peter2]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 2:35pm

Irv Kostal, as quoted in Steven Suskin’s “The Sound of Broadway”:

“One of the first things Lenny, Sid, and I did was to visit the Winter Garden Theatre to study the acoustics and also to hear the orchestra we might have to use. At that time, the Musicians’ Union insisted that each theatre designate four housemen, who had to play any show booked in that theatre. When Lenny heard the housemen at the Winter Garden, he groaned in despair. In particular, he could not stand the two cellists in the orchestra. He immediately dubbed them ‘the Shuberts.’ Then he asked us if we could hear the violists. We said no. At our next meeting, Lenny asked us how we felt about eliminating the violas from the orchestra. Sid and I had many times used all kinds of different instrumentations, and we readily agreed to a two-part string section, celli and violins. Now Lenny said, ‘What are we going to do about the two Shuberts?’ Between us, we decided to have two very good cellists play the difficult parts, and use the two mediocre players only on the loud parts, the tuttis, and, of course, the more simple parts, the potatoes (whole notes). That’s how major decisions are made! We could never mention any of this because, according to union rules, one musician is as good as another and it’s a punishable offense to infer otherwise. And other lies!”

[802AFM]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 4:36pm

Thanks Peter2!

Great to know the real story!

[Globefan]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 7:58pm

BJR said: "I don't know what it is about Bway that makes people so conservative, but whether it be water, video or actor-musicians, these are all theatrical devices and vocabularies that have been used globally and in other genres 10x as much for decades, and in case of actor-musicians, even centuries.

It's only when it comes to Bway that somehow people think it's being invented, or can only be in one show every few years, etc. This from an artform that has 371 shows with tap numbers in them. It's a device. You can dislike video, you can dislike actor-musicians, you can dislike tap, but to act like they're a gimmick is silly.

(As for the safety of the water, you had better believe there are rules they're following.)

"

I agree with you

[trpguyy]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 8:05pm

EthelMae said: "I really don’t care about the orchestrations or the video projections- how the hell is Mr. Isaac Powell? Two weeks into the show and the poor guy is injured already and missing performances? I hope he is OK and that the staging is being looked at. Extraordinary Risk Riders anyone?"

He'll be back for opening, even if it means moving opening.

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 8:11pm

Re: Wet performers

Yeah, it works in Vegas with performers and athletes who spend nearly 100% of their show in water, so why wouldn't it work in NYC?

I'm sure equity is more than on top of this.

[Globefan]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 8:17pm

trpguyy said: "EthelMae said: "I really don’t care about the orchestrations or the video projections- how the hell is Mr. Isaac Powell? Two weeks into the show and the poor guy is injured already and missing performances? I hope he is OK and that the staging is being looked at. Extraordinary Risk Riders anyone?"

He'll be back for opening, even if it means moving opening."

Opening night has actually been moved to 2/20 

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 8:22pm

Tell me this means they're making way for a new Bernardo!

[tombomb31]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 8:23pm

I have tickets for January 18...is it likely he will still be out then? I’d rather wait and see it when he’s back!

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 8:23pm

http://www.playbill.com/article/new-west-side-story-pushes-back-broadway-opening

Updated On: 12/23/19 at 08:23 PM

[Globefan]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 8:23pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Tell me this means they're making way for a new Bernardo!"

We can only hope that too. 

Updated On: 12/23/19 at 08:23 PM

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 8:57pm

Globefan said: "disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Tell me this means they're making way for a new Bernardo!"

We can only hope that too."

 

Why would either of you want that?  

 

Updated On: 12/23/19 at 08:57 PM

[Globefan]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 9:01pm

Highland Guy said: "Globefan said: "disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Tell me this means they're making way for a new Bernardo!"

We can only hope that too."



Why would either of you want that?

"

It's a long story that doesn't need to be re-litigated. 

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 9:10pm

Globefan said: "Highland Guy said: "Globefan said: "disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Tell me this means they're making way for a new Bernardo!"

We can only hope that too."



Why would either of you want that?

"

It's a long story that doesn't need to be re-litigated."

 

Then there was no reason for you to have brought it up, was there?

[Tag]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 9:16pm

Equity actually has rules around this: the temperature of the water, filtration, plans for dying off etc.

Can you point to that, I'm not seeing it in the Production Contract, but could be missing it.

[JPeterman]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 9:18pm

tombomb31 said: "I have tickets for January 18...is it likely he will still be out then? I’d rather wait and see it when he’s back!"

Based on the length of the delay, two weeks, and Rudin’s comment that he wants Powell to have as much preview experience as was originally planned, I would guess Powell will be out about two weeks, which would put him back performing roughly Saturday evening January 4th. I doubt they would have him do two shows on his first day back, so probably no matinee that day.  
 

Then he can see how he does overnight and make the call Sunday morning if he is ready to give it a go again.  Coming back for the Sunday matinee on the 5th is also a possibility.


I’m just making random guesses and assumptions lol, who knows ... maybe he’ll be back a lot sooner.

Updated On: 12/23/19 at 09:18 PM

[LuPita2]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 9:40pm

For anyone who was there last Friday, did anyone see when Isaac was injured? I am just wondering if the water had anything to do with it. How incredibly unfortunate, knee injuries are a bitch. I hope he is back to full strength soon!

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 10:16pm

Knee injuries (depending on how serious they are) are more than two weeks. I know Andy Karl wore a brace for the remainder of his Groundhog Day run when he injured his knee. 

And his character didn't have to do all the running that Powell apparently has to do.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 10:54pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Tell me this means they're making way for a new Bernardo!"

You realize if he were to be let go for any reason, his entire production contract would have to be paid in full, so he would still benefit a years Broadway salary. He’s in the show. It’s done.