WILL BROOKLYN SUCCEED ON BROADWAY??- Page 3

[BillyB]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:00pm

that is what i like about this show...virtually all unknowns

[BillyB]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:08pm

This show will succeed beyond anyones wildest dreams I just know. And I do not get a nickel for saying this....Or a free ticket lol

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:11pm

You have to freeze a show just out of fairness to the cast. During previews (and out of town beforehand), it's hard on actors having to learn new lines, songs, blocking, dance numbers, etc every single day and got out and perform the changes that night. At some point, the creative team has to decide that they're done, that the show is finished, so that the actors can then settle into the show and be able to perform the finished product as best they can. A show is frozen generally no later than a week or so before opening night, so the press office will set up the critics' preview a few days in advance of the opening. After opening night, the creative team scatters and leaves the show in the hands of the actors and the stage manager (who's in charge of brush up rehearsals periodically afterwards for the cast). Big directors have been known to literally have plane tickets and a vacation booked for the day after opening so that they aren't there for the fallout from the reviews (good or bad). Directors will generally pop in to see a show once every month or two for the rest of the run (the conscientious ones at least) to see the shape of the show and give notes to the cast, and then later oversee replacement auditions in the case of a long run.

The only exception I can remember to the above scenario was Michael Bennett and "Dreamgirls." Bennett was obsessed (in a good way) about tinkering and improving the show, which despite being a hit and receiving six Tony Awards, he was never fully satisified with. Even after the show was up and running to sold out houses, he was still holding rehearsals to restage various numbers (I saw no less than 5 different Act Two openings during the course of the original run). And when it was scheduled to open in LA, he restaged the entire show -- when the reviews came back raves, he then went back and restaged the Broadway production with the LA staging. He also came up with a simpler staging for the national tour that was less reliant on the state-of-the-art technology he and Robin Wagner had invented for the Imperial.

Updated On: 9/26/04 at 10:11 PM

[BillyB]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:12pm

margochanning you have great knowledge thanks!

[Testing1232]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:13pm

Billy,

Its a cast of 5, and Cleavant and Kevin Anderson are far from unknowns... thats 2 of 5

[BillyB]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:14pm

but both from la

[Plum]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:18pm

Actually, Amneris, I would say Brooklyn is part of the trend you deplore in your post because of the presence of one Ms. Espinosa.

And don't group Hugh Jackman in with those teeny-bopper heartthrobs. Please.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:18pm

Derricks won the Tony for Dreamgirls and was nominated for the Big Deal, Fosse's last show Broadway. Kevin Anderson was on Broadway opposite Vanessa Redgrave in Orpheis Descending and Brian Denehey in Death of A Salesman, among other shows. They may live in LA now, but neither are strangers to NY theatregoers.

[BillyB]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:19pm

fair enough

[BroadwayBOY3]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:25pm

And Also, i know not as big as Cleavant or Kevin, but Eden was known for playing Elphaba's understudy. I heard she did an amazing job as Elphaba.

[Plum]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:27pm

Espinosa is known here for being Menzel's understudy. But this place is so completely Wicked-obsessed it really doesn't count. Nobody gets truly well-known for being an understudy who almost never goes on.

[BroadwayBOY3]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:32pm

That is true, but i heard from friends who were obsessed with Menzel, that when they saw Eden perform Elphaba, she was way better (in their opinion) than Idina. I wish i would have seen her as Elphaba.

[Plum]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:43pm

Seeing as Espinosa doesn't have a voice that sounds like an angry cat's, she probably was an improvement on Menzel.

And yes, I know exactly what angry cats sound like. There's tons of strays in Israel.

[Amneris]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 10:53pm

plum your post made me laugh very hard about the cat.

thank you lolol

[etoile]

Posted: 9/26/04 at 11:48pm

Sometimes I wonder why people ask a question, or series of questions, I sense they already know the answer(s) to.

Nice twist.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 1:58pm

Oh etoile, is *that* what it is, a "twist"? Seemed pretty obvious to me. I'm glad BB thinks we're all daft.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 3:44pm

"And don't group Hugh Jackman in with those teeny-bopper heartthrobs. Please."

Teeny-bopper heartthrobs??!!! They're ALSO extremely talented actors, singers and dancers.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 3:53pm

BroadwayBoy3, if you were any more transparent I could wrap my leftovers in you.

[Amneris]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 4:02pm

i want a sandwich. If you people don't put a lid on it, I will have Tara Rubin cast The Olsen Twins as Young Cosette in the les miz tour...

[Phantom2]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 4:05pm

I'm holding out for Jessica Simpson. I love her and she's not as dumb as people think.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 4:07pm

I love Jess. She's so sweet and sexy that I would do her husband.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 4:10pm

What about her brother-in-law in RENT?? HAHA

[Matt_G]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 4:11pm

I would do him, too. At the same time. Now THAT would make a hot video.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 4:15pm

Sorry, back to Brooklyn. Shills your coffee break is over, now go postal!!!!!!! HAHA

[Matt_G]

Posted: 9/27/04 at 4:17pm

Shills take their coffe breaks from 8:30am until around 3pm when school gets out.