This reminds me of the time that Matthew Broderick was out of the Producers because he wasn't well enough to perform but kept a preexisting commitment to do the Chatterbox and got skewered for it. Sitting and talking is a lot different than performinig for 2.5 hrs.
If Murphy has this commitment and bails, everyone would be ticked off. If she keeps it because she can handle THAT but can't handle the 8 shows a week, people are still ticked off.
A friend and I have been talking lately about the fact that her absence in this show seems to indicate something more serious and though that something may not have been announced to the public (frankly, it is none of our business) all of the chatter on this board and ATC may be something people will feel badly about if, in the end, we find out her illness is serious and extends beyond her ability to perform in a Broadway show.
We all need to remember that these people do this for a living and that, in most cases, if they are out of the show it isn't because they are lazy or have a bad work ethic or want to take a vacation. In MOST cases, the actor is more upset about being out than the audience is because good, committed stage actors relish their work and are very dedicated.
Murphy has been around a long time and judging her dedication by this show is the same as judging Nathan Lane's dedication by his absence from the end of the first run of the Producers.
Leave the woman alone!
"Life is a lesson in humility"
