Riedel on vultures circling ‘Great Comet’

[SarahNYC2]

Honestly I have no idea what to believe but I find the whole thing sad. Back in December I saw the show-JG was Pierre. I was amazed at the whole show, like others, never having seen anything like it. In late June I was back in NYC with my daughter who is 9 and mom-we had a heavy schedule of shows. My daughter was sad about not getting to see DEH with Ben Platt so my mom and I decided to add Comet since she loved Josh Groban. She was completely in love with the show.

She and I had an unexpected overnight in NYC last night. I at first thought of taking her to Prince of Broadway. However she asked to see Comet again. I was so glad we saw it. Oak was excellent-obviously not Josh, but this is a show where you can have different actors for Pierre and the show is still amazing. And as I watched the show I was saddened to think it could close soon. I don't think there will ever be another show like this. Plus it's a show you can see multiple times. Both my daughter and I sat in different areas the last time we saw it and our experience was different this time. not better or worse just different.

I wish they could have worked it so that Oak and Mandy could have gotten potential theater goers and past ones excited about both of them getting to see the show. The marketing should have been to encourage multiple seeings of the show with different Pierres.

[SarahNYC2]

RippedMan said: "I just get such an icky feeling from Oak. First, his bio in the Playbill says "I've done other things besides Hamilton." What a dick. Be PROUD that you're in one of the biggest shows of the past decade and beyond. That's just utterly infuriating. 

I will say I was kind of taken aback when I was reading the Playbill. He should be so proud he was in Hamilton. I got to see Hamilton this summer and it is another completely amazing piece of theater. Why say something like that!

 

"

 

[haterobics]

bear88 said: "This is one of those times when the fact that Riedel is the only source of information is frustrating."

Well, the entire cast/creative team is on Twitter and obviously not wanting to step into this land mine, so a bunch of off-the-record reporting sounds like the best we're going to get on this situation.

[Dave28282]

So Oak agreed with the show-saving situation at first, and then when the race loonies went loose on twitter he stopped reacting to the producers. The only thing that could have saved this situation is if Oak would have made a public statement a week ago, saying that he is "fully accepting of the situation, that it's a routine fact of Broadway life and that he will do all the publicity with Patinkin and most of all, that this, of course, has nothing to do with race. And kindly ask the people to stop saying that". But instead he had private get-togethers in dressing rooms with Casal and did not make a statement at all. Oak is to blame for this situation.

It seems that the race pressure rises above any sense of sanity for him.

Even if that means completely trashing the show.

[haterobics]

Lot666 said: "Rainah said: "haterobics said: "We have to pick sides?"

Poor choice of words."

Rainah, there really is no need to explain; everyone knew what you meant."

I'll try to add more smiley faces so you don't take everything I say literally.

[Dave28282]

bisous3 said: "Oak could absolutely save this show by 1- agreeing to stay on through his original dates and 2- making a public statement absolving the management/producers/directors of any wrongdoing or racism. But here's the thing. There's pressure on him in a way to use this opportunity to bring attention to the racism/lack of diversity on Broadway in general. So he either doesn't do anything to help the show stay open or he faces a possible backlash from people who want him to take a stand. Not an easy position to be in."

I think you hit the nail on it's head here.

We are not dealing with sane human beings in this case. We are dealing with people who think only in race and everything else in life has to make place for that.

Even if that ruins the show.

When people are raised by, surrounded by, friends with people who think alike, they may start to believe that race is all there is in life and that everything evolves around that. They simply can not comprehend anything that goes beyond race. Showing here.
 

[bisous3]

Keep in mind, Oak is very young. He isn't even listening to his management at this point. What is very sad is there are many people with rent to pay and kids to feed that will be out of a job.

[Dave28282]

Off topic: Any actor who screams at his director should be fired immediately.

[schubox]

bisous3 said: "Keep in mind, Oak is very young. He isn't even listening to his management at this point. What is very sad is there are many people with rent to pay and kids to feed that will be out of a job.

 

"

Very young? He'll be 30 in a couple of weeks 

[raddersons]

bisous3 said: "Keep in mind, Oak is very young. He isn't even listening to his management at this point. What is very sad is there are many people with rent to pay and kids to feed that will be out of a job."

What's killing me is that race was used as a platform to raise a stir, but the cause of this is ego, not race. Looks like Oak was pissed off that a bigger star than him was taking his spot and played the race card to cause a stir. Sure you were in Hamilton, but honey, can you sell tickets?

[bisous3]

And contrary to Cynthia Erivo's original tweet, ticket sales override EVERYTHING.

[bisous3]

schubox said: "bisous3 said: "Keep in mind, Oak is very young. He isn't even listening to his management at this point. What is very sad is there are many people with rent to pay and kids to feed that will be out of a job.

 

"
Very young? He'll be 30 in a couple of weeks 

 

"

 

Really? Welp.... there goes that excuse... 

 

[raddersons]

Sidebar, I also don't appreciate this situation making me feel like I'm a Trump supporting, "down with snowflakes", anti-PC conservative. I am VERY liberal. But I don't think someone's ego should get roped in with actual racial issues on Broadway or the world at large -- that's just blurring the lines of actual issues and making racial issues seem less legitimate.

[schubox]

raddersons said: "Sidebar, I also don't appreciate this situation making me feel like I'm a Trump supporting, "down with snowflakes", anti-PC conservative. I am VERY liberal. But I don't think someone's ego should get roped in with actual racial issues on Broadway or the world at large -- that's just blurring the lines of actual issues and making racial issues seem less legitimate.

 

"

People have gone too far the other way. Virtue signaling and trying to be the most woke on twitter has lead to this outrage culture that causes **** like this 

[SarahNYC2]

I'm sorry, Oak being young, and I actually don't think he is that young is no excuse. This is a tough business and honestly in any business you should always know everyone is replaceable. 

[schubox]

His birthday is August 16, 1987. He's basically 30 

[Lot666]

haterobics said: "Lot666 said: "Rainah said: "haterobics said: "We have to pick sides?"

Poor choice of words."

Rainah, there really is no need to explain; everyone knew what you meant."

I'll try to add more smiley faces so you don't take everything I say literally. "

Are you replying to me, or Rainah? Obviously we both took your statement at face value.

[IdinaBellFoster]

I don't believe they've only returned 20% of the investment. Some basic calculations prove that even with advertising/marketing accounted for, they've returned over 50% of the investment.

[bisous3]

SarahNYC2 said: "I'm sorry, Oak being young, and I actually don't think he is that young is no excuse. This is a tough business and honestly in any business you should always know everyone is replaceable. 

 

"

I guess young is relative... lol... I'm about 20 years older than him so for me he is young.  But you are correct. It's a business and ticket sales dictate everything.

[schubox]

IdinaBellFoster said: "I don't believe they've only returned 20% of the investment. Some basic calculations prove that even with advertising/marketing accounted for, they've returned over 50% of the investment.

 

"

Is that just the Broadway numbers? Didn't someone yesterday say the producers rolled up all of the off-Broadway money in to this as well. Making the number higher to recoup 

[AlwaysDefyingGravity]

You know, when Groban was Pierre, the cast was CONSTANTLY posting pics with him and raving about what a professional he was and how much they loved working with him. I've seen some of that about Ingrid, too. But I don't feel like I've seen much of the same about Oak. Not sure of the relevancy, but it's interesting there seems to be a lack of interaction between him and the rest of the cast. 

I'm just hoping the show survives. I'm supposed to see it on my birthday on September 16th. But more importantly, the cast works SO hard and I want the show to survive for them. 

Also... This article would explain the statement of the producers misunderstanding how he felt about the situation. If he played along until it went public. I don't know. Just thinking. 

[bisous3]

" Also... This article would explain the statement of the producers misunderstanding how he felt about the situation. If he played along until it went public. I don't know. Just thinking. 

 

"

 

It also might not have occurred to him to view it the way others did until people like Cazal and Orivo posted those tweets. Who knows? But now he is kind of between a rock and a hard place. 

 

[Babe_Williams]

A bunch of unnamed sources are now putting this situation on Oak? K. 

[Dancingthrulife2]

At least, the producers should know that keeping a show that is not a mammoth like Hamilton or Dear Evan Hansen running at a weekly cost of 700k is an extremely risky business. While it's great that they are willing to take the risk, they should've had better plans for the show after JG's departure if they knew the business well enough or at least did enough research. 

[neonlightsxo]

Fighting with Rachel Chavkin? Is that part true?

 

"I don't believe they've only returned 20% of the investment. Some basic calculations prove that even with advertising/marketing accounted for, they've returned over 50% of the investment."

No way. Your math doesn't check out.

[Phillytheatreguy10]

^Unnamed sources as to not damage their careers as others here have noted. You can't get black balled if they don't know who you are. In any case, it's time to let this go and wait for an announcement. Endless speculation and gossip does nothing- buy a damn ticket.We here will never know the truth, we weren't there.  There seems to be evidence to point to both sides being at fault here.  All that having been said, i fail to see how the part has a stigma attached to it at this point- Oak has formally withdrawn any future with it as has Mandy- someone can step in, name or not, rent needs to be paid and food needs to be put on the table- i don't buy there's no one that wants to do this. Tell me who to call, I'll be more then willing to do it!