about BKLYN's saturday eve show.- Page 4

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 7:30pm

Yes. But your missing the point.
The fact of the matter is that they only had one understudy for Ramona in order to save money.

There is no other reason they would only have one.
And, in doing that, they made a huge mistake.

[Plum]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 7:33pm

They took a no doubt financially necessary chance, and this time it backfired. I'm not going to look too badly on the producers for that. There's plenty of other, more substantive stuff they did wrong.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 7:53pm

Not sure it was a necessary financial choice, plum. While the show's not doing well, it is making its nut. While I can certainly understand having only one understudy (not at all uncommon on Broadway), I don't understand why there wasn't a standby or swing.Other than that, I agree wholeheartedly to your post.

There's been discussion that the problem was that Paradice was black is part of the problem, which also makes no sense. In Rocky Horror, Lea Delaria (short white woman playing two different men) was understudied by a huge black actor whose name escapes me - he was excellent & it really didn't matter.I don't recall any specific line or reason that would require Paradice to be black.

ETA: I mentioned this on the cancelled matinee thread - this is a problem for shows with small casts. I have actually seen stage managers perform (on Broadway) in freak situations - one of the reasons they're members of Actors Equity. Updated On: 2/20/05 at 07:53 PM

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 7:57pm

Well, she does sing "I'll fly like a raven in a sky of doves"
But that lyric makes no sense to begin with because isn't there only one white person in the cast anyway?

Updated On: 2/20/05 at 07:57 PM

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 7:59pm

Because all the white people are outside flying like doves. And doves can't sing.

Duh.

Updated On: 2/20/05 at 07:59 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 8:01pm

STP - I think it's in the song "Raven"....

Anyway, emo, I think you need to understand what CHEAP means...

Cheap would mean the porducers let the show run, not caring what the actors do...like bringing scripts onstage, etc.

The producers made a big time mistake being CHEAP and not hiring more understudies...it isn't like the show has a HUGE ensemble and HUGE special effects...

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 8:03pm

*buzz* sorry priest...there are 3 white actors and two black ones in this show.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 8:05pm

there are 2 white, 2 blacks, one hispanic...

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 8:10pm

BSoBW2,
Paradice & Music Man are black. Faith & Brooklyn are mother & daughter & appeared white. Taylor is definately white. Not saying you're wrong - but - who's the hispanic?

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 8:11pm

I would say faith is hispanic...

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 8:14pm

I wouldn't have thought so but hey, why not? Josephine Baker was a famous non-white dancer in Paris, too. But what makes you think so?

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 8:16pm

The actress who plays her...

lol, sorry...

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 9:05pm

You bashers can say whatever you want, this is a free message board, where people express their opinions. Some agree, some don't, but the show with Romelda was absolutely a true magical Broadway experience for people who attended the show at the Plymouth yesterday and today. I'm just sorry that people who attended BKLYN for the first time saw the "revised" version.

Updated On: 2/20/05 at 09:05 PM

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 9:25pm

How was it magical?

Sure, she showed courage and stength.

But to say it was "magical" is a gross overstatement.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 9:28pm

tiny toon, I am not remotely a fan of the show, but I would have LOVED to be at last night's show - ya gotta love live theatre.

I'm glad so many people enjoy the show and lament that some who don't feel the need to bash them.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 9:33pm

What about the people who have never seen Brooklyn before and were expecting a professional show?

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 9:42pm

The situation was explained to them,and they were offered tix for an alternative night.And in this situation, a case could be made for refunds for out of towners.

I also agree with priest that "magical" is a bit much. Unique might be a better way of putting it. On the other hand, if it was magical to you, tinytoon, I'm not going to tell you it wasn't. Your experience does, after all, belong to you. Updated On: 2/20/05 at 09:42 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 9:44pm

Excuse me if I seem ignorant, but isn't Brooklyn's "father" the only white person in the show?

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 9:47pm

I just think 'magical' is something that happens wehn you see something like holiday tearing her heart open in 'And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going' or Kiley pushing forward in 'The Impossible Dream'

But seeing an actress perservere and learn and perform a role in a few hours shouldn't be classified as magical, per se. Special, maybe.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 9:51pm

Maybe if it were Angela Lansbury learning the role in 4 hrs it would be magical....

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 10:00pm

Don't know the answer of that question for sure, munk. Three actors appeared to me to be white, two actors appeared black. I never differentiated b/w white & hispanic, & if I'm wrong or have offended someone, I apologise.

My major point(which I actually made on the cancelled mat thread) is that it shouldn't matter. I don't recall anything in the show that specified any character to be any specific race. If a large black man can understudy for the short white female Lea Delaria in Rocky Horror, why couldn't a white (or hispanic, or hell native american) be a standby for Paradice? Updated On: 2/20/05 at 10:00 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 10:02pm

bleh bleh who cares....

they chose a ceratin race for a reason...sometimes it doesn't matter, sometimes it does...

I tend to think if an original is played my a minority, that's what they won't for the role - not a rule set in stone....

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 10:07pm

Well, there are couple of reasons why Paradice is black.
Remember she says "You can all kiss my BLACK ass!"

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 10:10pm

That's not what we're talking about - they're saying there's no reason WHY the character needs to have been written as a black woman.

And the only reason I asked the question, was because she sings about flying like a Raven in a sky of doves. It doesn't make sense racially - although it doesn't really matter at this point, that's just the point I was making.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 10:11pm

maybe if ravens flew with doves it would be a good line...i get what they are trying to say