actors missing performances

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:15pm

i am fairly new to the board and i have been very disturbed by the lack of support given to actors who can't do an 8 show week because of illness. I myself had a chronic illness when i was playing a lead in a broadway show a few years ago...it IS incredibly upsetting as a performer to have to call out. do you guys realize that it is a dream fulfillment for a performer to get a leading role on broadway and it is TORTURE to have to miss a show...its the hardest call to make. most people in my show were not supportive and the fans weren't great about it either. ALTHOUGH..not as bad as fans have been to Sara Ramirez.
I speak to those who have posted SUCH MEAN and sarcastic things about her. I do not know Sara at all but i can't imagine that she was fine about calling out sick. ESPECIALLY since she won the Tony....we actors/singers have to take care of ourselves, we have to be careful not to injure ourselves vocally and end up like julie andrews, there is LIFE after whatever show we are in! AND we have a responsibility to the audiences. Nothing makes me MORE annoyed than when i go to see a Broadway show and one of the leads is singing through an illness/laryngitis (often a simple allergy attack causes laryngitis). i feel very jipped as an audience member and i have to work too hard to HOPE that they are able to get through the song!! i feel exhausted watching a sick performer on stage!
i would RATHER see an understudy..wouldn't you? its a fine line..either you get mad because the person is OUT of the show or come on the board and complain about how bad they were.
how many of you have performed an 8 show week for a year at a time?? its not easy no matter what the role. i take pride in the fact that in all of the years i have been performing i have never ONCE cracked on stage during a show...i would rather people be upset that i missed a show than come on here and say what i bad singer i am!
i don't know..i guess maybe its just me, but its a very sensitive subject and in the end...did it REALLY spoil YOUR life soo much that an actor called out sick? sooo tragic to you that you have to come on the board and say nasty things about them??
i can assure you its a much worse tragedy for the person missing a show...please keep that in mind next time you feel ticked off at someone for missing a show. and unless you have performed professionally in an 8 show a week situation for more than a couple of weeks at your community theaters.. then you REALLY have no room to criticize....
play nice is all i am saying...there is NO reason to be mean.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:17pm

I would definitely prefer to see a healthy understudy than a sick lead.

I agree with you. The tendency here to want to investigate and pry whenever ANYONE calls out is really strange. And uncalled for.

Updated On: 11/25/05 at 03:17 PM

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:17pm

I think its understandable when an actor misses preformances due to prior commitments, illness, exhaustion etc. I mean they do 8 SHOWS A WEEK, give them a break. They work hard. Everyone deserves a little R and R every once in awhile- right?
Updated On: 11/25/05 at 03:17 PM

[GClef2]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:18pm

What show were you in? who are you? PM me if you want to be private, I wont tell anyone, I just really want to know!!!!

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:19pm

On the other hand, you get to see someone like Kenita R. Miller who is amazing as LaChanze's understudy

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:21pm

i am so happy to see positive responses ALREADY...
its nice to know that there are good people out there..
thank you for your comments..i feel better already!

[cubbiegirl]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:22pm

I can totally understand someone's disappointment. I am a fan of Stephanie J Block and I would have been disappointed if I couldn't have seen her this past week.

That being said, there is a huge difference between feeling disappointed and coming onto a public board and being mean. If someone is sick, they are sick. If they have something to do, then they do. I don't work 7 days a week. If someone is sick, then I don't see how you can do anything but understand.

[ally_kay_on_broadway]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:25pm

people here are psychotic sometimes. Although everyone is entitled to an opinion, i STRONGLY agree with LC- i would much rather pay over +100 to see a healthy understudy than a poor sick lead.

that being said- anyone who rags on performers missing performances must NEVER call into work sick...EVER...

[GClef2]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:26pm

A few years ago, I saw a tour of sunset blvd and hated the Norma. I knew I was coming back to see the show with a student group and I was quite upset that I had to go back and see the show. When I sat down in the theater, to my delight, I found that the understudy was absolutely phenominal. I even wrote her a letter about how wonderful her performance was. A sick lead, even if they can sing but cannot commit fully to the part on a given night, should let the understudy take the role. What sarah is doing is perfectly fine, I feel. If the audience will not get 100% from her that night, then they should be able to get it from her understudy.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:28pm

Andrew, thanks for your perspective.

I think it only becomes a real issue here when it's excessive. It's pretty rare that people become upset because one actor missed one show that they had tickets for.

And of course if people have come from a distance and spent all that money and had their heart set on seeing a certain performer, it's very disappointing. It's not the same as an office worker missing a day and being replaced by a temp.

Updated On: 11/25/05 at 03:28 PM

[cubbiegirl]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:28pm

And whats even more, I wish people gave the understudies/ensemble more credit. They have more talent than I can imagine.

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:31pm

Without the ensemble or understudies, some of the greatest Broadway actors probably wouldnt have gotten their start.

[GClef2]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:32pm

I totally agree with you cubbiegirl. Lisa Brecia was absolutely AMAZING as marion and was forced to assume the role in a very short time. But by opening night, everyone had forgotten it. She was absolutely BRILLIANT in the role.

[cubbiegirl]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:46pm

"And of course if people have come from a distance and spent all that money and had their heart set on seeing a certain performer, it's very disappointing. It's not the same as an office worker missing a day and being replaced by a temp"

Yes..I can understand this. Totally. I had to travel 3 hours to see Wicked (we didn't get home til 3 am on Thanksgiving morning) and I would have been very disappointed to not see Stephanie in the role. BUT..that is my own issue, and not Stephanie's fault. It's not like someone calls out sick on purpose to spite the person who is traveling to see them.

If you are disappointed, it is totally understandable but no reason to put down the performer.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:52pm

"If you are disappointed, it is totally understandable but no reason to put down the performer."

I agree, cubbie.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 3:57pm

Right. There's also no reason to immediately run to BWW and huffily ask, "Was so-and-so sick? Doing a benefit? Had a family emergency? Car accident? WHY WERE THEY NOT ON?! TELL MEEEEEE. I NEED DO KNOW WHY THEY WERE OUT!!!!"

That's not a verbatim quote, but I'm sure it's pretty close...

[SirLiir]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 4:30pm

This is a pleasant topic on a board that has spawned some truly vile and unnecessary personal attack topics. People forget that Broadway actors have incredibly busy and tiring lives and I for one who not trade mine for theirs in a second. I appreciate all they do and respect them immensely. That being said, I am perfectly fine if they are sick for a show or two but I do get annoyed when their understudy does a poor job. They are there for a reason so they should always be prepared to give 100% every time. Alas, there have been times when I have seen understudies sleep walk through a part.
Updated On: 11/25/05 at 04:30 PM

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 4:31pm

andrew, thank you for posting that message. I completely agree with you. There is absolutely no reason to put down a performer just because they were sick and couldn't perform properly. A lot of broadway performers only give %110 and won't perform if they can't. There are so many variables that you have to keep track of while performing, I'm surprised that people are not out more often. It ain't easy! -- but of course you already know that.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 6:51pm

I think it is a fine line. Obviously, performers get sick. They are entitled to their sick days just like the rest of the world. Personally, I have never had to put down a performer for being absent because I only get to NYC every once in a while. However, excessive absences I'm sure is annoying. As I have heard that Sara has. There is a huge difference between someone being out because they are truly ill and someone having excessive absences. I do feel there is no need to be nasty about it though. Personally I can understand why people would be upset about missing performers. If I had missed Sherie Rene Scott in DRS, I would have been extremely upset. There are certain performers you want to see. But that also doesn't mean I'm going to come and post nasty things about them. I just think there's a difference between having a large number of absences and a few sick days. I don't know... Just my 2 cents.

Posted: 11/26/05 at 12:30am

from what i understood from friends in the industry...Sara HAS been sick...and she completely BLOWS her wad when she is there. perhaps it is a question of pacing...i myself did 150% EVERY performance in a vocally rangy role. HOWEVER...i had difficulty because of a chronic illness (unfortunately it went undiganosed until AFTER my show had closed, so everyone just thought i was a hypocondriac but i was really very ill and actually could have DIED..HELLO??!) the pressure is IMMENSE to go on no matter what.. especially if you LOOK FINE which i DID. the pressure comes from everywhere, from your peers, your producers, the composer of the show, your stage managers and even your wardrobe people who have to lug your understudy's costumes to your dressing room every time you call out...its hard on everyone involved..but honestly, the people LEAST affected are the audience members who really only suffer disappointment..and from what i know..disappoinment won't KILL YA! =)
its just a show after all!

[Aigoo]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 12:35am

I think there are just those who suffer from enormous amounts of disappointment when not being able to see the one they expected to see. Especially when they have traveled far distances or went out of their way to have time to see this show (or person). It's just human tendency to act out when not being able to get what is desired. I'm not saying that your post is wrong, Andrew, but I'm just trying to say that not all these "lashes" are all of blind anger or spite.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 12:38am

Maybe people should lower their expectations.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 12:41am

Keep in mind some of these "accusations" are embelished by people who don't know what they're talking about. Suddenly missing a performance here or there becomes a chronic problem.
Updated On: 11/26/05 at 12:41 AM

Posted: 11/26/05 at 12:42am

no not all lashes have been nasty..but obviously enough that i felt the urge to have to post
.i know that there is disappointment...but if people really love that certain performer so much then don't you think they should put their own cares aside care more about the person's well being than whether or not they were in the show??
in my opinion, it would be more constructive to send them a get well card and say you were sad to miss them. someone did that for me once..sent me a card and and some cookies they knew i liked and some hard candies that they thought would be good on my throat.. i was so moved by the kind and CARING gesture that i sent them a pair of tickets to come back and see me in the show along with a guided backstage tour..sometimes it pays to be nice.
o

Posted: 11/26/05 at 12:45am

one more thing i forgot to mention...its not the performers fault that the understudy is bad....i haven't always had the best understudies...(although ONE of my understudies happens to have gone on to a fabulous career and she is amazing!) as an actor you definately feel even MORE awful when your understudy can't cut it!
but the prodicers and the directors are the ones who are responsible for that...write them letters if you really feel the understudy is THAT bad! but don't blame the person who has to miss the show...