Weissler's DIRT

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 4:44pm

So, I'm curious as to why all the hate for the Weisslers? Are there notorious stories.....has anyone heard "things"? As someone on the West coast, I'm anxious to know.

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 4:45pm

all they care about is money and sacrifice aart in order to make it.

[Amneris]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 4:47pm

We can all make fun of them till we're blue in the face but, they are A) major success stories.. sometimes for the wrong reasons
B) We might wind up working for them someday

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 4:51pm

What did they produce that was such unforgivable crap?

[lildogs]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 4:53pm

I met Fran in a salon once and I thought she was very nice--tough to please, but she was nice to me!

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 4:59pm

Borstal, they are responsible for the current production of Sweet Charity, Putting Melanie Griffith in Chicago, Suessical, all the crap pseudo celebrities that were in the Grease Revival of the 90s and other theatrical atrocities.

[Craig]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:01pm

Yeah.. Let's all bash two producers who have employed thousands and have a love of the theater.

[DAME]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:02pm

I was just going to say that.

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:05pm

Craig, love for money=/=love for theatre.

and yeah, employing all those actors is great, but when they pass over genuine, good actors for stunt casting awful celebrities, they don't deseve praise.


and I don't care how much heart or how adorable christina applegate is, she is not right for braodway. Her charity is weak.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:08pm

"Are there notorious stories.....has anyone heard "things"?"

I have a few friends who have worked for them. No love lost on the actor's part.

"Let's all bash two producers who have employed thousands and have a love of the theater."

Love of the theater in a sado-masochistic way.

[DAME]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:08pm

Oh thats horse s**t. They have found a good balance of making artisticaly good, commercial theater. And they are good, savy , buisness people.

Updated On: 11/30/05 at 05:08 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:19pm

If money was their only goal, they sure as hell woudn't be producing theatre to achieve it.

[DAME]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:24pm

THAT'S RIGHT.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:32pm

I agree with Craig, and Dame.

Thanks to Barry & Fran we have the hugely successful revival of CHICAGO. The most successful, and longest running revival in history. They had some stunt casting flubs, but they also had some VERY successful stunt casting. They are much better at stunt casting than the producers of a certain show who put Scary Spice, Joey Fatone, and Drew Lachey in their show!

They do love theatre, and I really don't believe they are as "evil" as some of you try to make them out to be. I've spoken to several people who have worked for them, and they never said anything terrible about them.

I know I can always count on the Weisslers for reviving a great family classic show.

Updated On: 11/30/05 at 05:32 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:35pm

"Thanks to Barry & Fran we have the hugely successful revival of CHICAGO."

Technically, it's due to City Center Encores that we have the Chicago revival.

[Craig]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:36pm

Amen..

It's (too) easy to attack the "big guy" - they're in good company - microsoft, disney, walmart, etc etc.

For every "story" about them, I am sure there are at least the same if not more about less successful producers, directors, etc.

And Zone - like others have said - if it was just a money issue - they would be in a different business. I can tell you for a FACT that they have a genuine LOVE and PASSION for the theater. Do I agree with all their casting, no... but that's not unique to them. They just happen to be very visable in our community.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:36pm

Technically yes. But they are the producers who won the rights to the show. And have kept it running very successfully for almost 10 years now. Much of the CHICAGO success is because of them.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:37pm

Amen my friend! Speak the truth!

[Craig]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:38pm

"Technically, it's due to City Center Encores that we have the Chicago revival."

But gotham - city center didn't spend millions on opening up the revival and keeping it going. Not saying CCE's role wasn't important - but let's not use that to discredit the Weissler's contributions

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:39pm

^ Exactly.



There they are. I happen to REALLY respect these two.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:44pm

I guess it's all in how you look at things. If you think Broadway should be nothing but gimmicky revivals, then yes the Weisslers are good people. If you think Broadway should be the world leader in new musicals, then the Weisslers really haven't contributed much.

[lildogs]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:47pm

I think Broadway should be full of people watching shows of varying degrees of quality and style...there's room for everyone--they have to compete with Disney for chrissakes...

[Craig]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:52pm

FYI, While revivals seem to be the Weissler's "gig" (and revivals are just as risky as original works) they have produced some not revivals such as

Seussical
My Thing Of Love
Falsettos
Haarlem Nocturne

[Craig]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:52pm

p.s. and they also have a few projects "in the wings" that are not revivals..

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 5:53pm

Well the CHICAGO revival is quite a groundbreaking revival. I would not call it a gimmicky revival.

And Borstal asked what shows they produced.. from earliest to recent.

Othello
Medea
Your Arms Too Short To Box With God
Zorba
Andre DeShield's Haarlem Nocturne
Cabaret
Macbeth
Gypsy
Cat On a Hot Tin Roof
Fiddler On The Roof
Falsettos
My Fair Lady
Grease
My Thing Of Love
Chicago
Annie Get Your Gun
Seussical
Wonderful Town
Sweet Charity

A LOT of those are theatre CLASSICS. Shows like Gypsy, Cabaret, Chicago, Fiddler, My Fair Lady, Wonderful Town, and Charity.. are not "unforgivable crap."