Playbill Bios: To Thank God or not?

[fflagg]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:09pm

More cast members of varying ages, beliefs, and backgrounds insist on thanking God in their bios. The latest example is a member of the SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM cast who includes references to scripture.

Why is this tolerated? Shouldn't there be some clause that tells actors and others that in Playbill to include your background, your creds, and thanks to Mom and Dad and your gay high school drama teacher, and no God??

[angelplays]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:18pm

Why shouldn't they be allowed to thank whomever they want. They're not trying to convert you to anything but merely expressing themselves. I'd honestly rather see that than some of the silliness that has been in other playbill bios (yes Haven Burton in Legally Blonde I'm looking at you). If they're within their allotted space or word count and want to thank their higher being, well, more power to them imo.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:19pm

Yeah I don't see what the big deal is at all.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:20pm

I've seen references to scripture in bios before. It's asinine, but whatevs.

I guess this means that god doesn't love the people who didn't get the part, huh? At least not as much.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:21pm

Why does it matter whom they thank? If actors want to thank Lord Xenu in their bio, that's their decision.

Updated On: 3/23/10 at 01:21 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:22pm

I'm guessing it's tolerated because anyone should be allowed to thank whomever they want to in their bios?

Tony Yazbeck and Jess Goldyn are amongst the performers who do this. Personally, I find it way past annoying, but not so much so that I think they should censor themselves. I doubt you do, either.

[Trainwreck]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:30pm

This thread is what should be censored. Seriously, who cares? Did they hurt you by doing it? It's their bio, their life, let them do what they want.

What a pointless OP.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:31pm

"I guess this means that god doesn't love the people who didn't get the part, huh? At least not as much"

Well said!!! LOL

I have to quote what Mitchell Jarvis(from Rock of Ages) says in his bio.

Mitchell Jarvis(Lonny):
A single father of a Lhasa Apso named Elroy looking for SWF. Experience in ceramics a plus. Plow experience a must. Enjoy lazy afternoons working in his raised-bed garden. Seeking a kindred spirit to spend rainy days reading Thoreau with a steamy mug of organic Tazo chai in his matching sage green Snuggies. If this is you, see you at the stage door after the show.

LOL!!! He doesn't even mentiuned he was in Fiddler on the Roof and other shows.

[darwhite915]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:34pm

That someone would ask on a theater message board why someone's free expression is "tolerated" astounds me.
Those who thanks their personal chosen higher powers are clearly far happier than those who belittle them for doing so.

[Calvin]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:34pm

Has anyone ever looked up the Bible verses? Were I writing a bio, I'd throw in 1 Samuel 18:27.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:37pm

Yep, that's exactly what they meant. If they thank God, they believe God essentially casted them and all the other actors that were up for the part are lesser creatures in His eyes.

[winston89]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:45pm

TalkinLoud, just a heads up. It's cast not casted. Second of all, I loath it when I read a playbill bio and a given performer thanks god in it. I understand thta it is their bio and that they can do with it what they please. However, I feel that if you're thanking god or any "higher power" then you're just selling yourself short of you actually being talented and realizing that you were just the best fit for a role.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:49pm

I find thanking god, or anyone annoying. That should show a resume, it's about WORK. I don't like to read that you need to thank your wife or your kids, maybe I could understand someone thanking a voice teacher or a dance teacher if that was essential for them to get the part, but it should be kept professional. I'm not telling anyone what to say in their bios, but that's the way it SHOULD be.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:50pm

I don't think that people who thank God are literally believing that they got the part due to God.

muscle, that is an interesting point.

[StarStruckGB]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:51pm

Muscle you beat me to it. Top notch bio.

While the bios that are dripping with thanks to God are not my favorite, I still don't think there's really anything that can/should be done to eliminate that.
Now Ace Young's bio, which begins with stating he has made love to everyone on the planet, that is something worth examining.

:-P

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:52pm

I don't think the cast of Hair should talk about their astrological signs, because I don't believe in that witchcraft nonsense.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:53pm

Personally, I find it kind of unseemly.

To quote Christopher Durang, 'God was silent on the Holocaust, but he involves himself with the Tony Awards???'

But of course people SHOULD be allowed to write whatever the hell they want.

[angelplays]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:55pm

"However, I feel that if you're thanking god or any "higher power" then you're just selling yourself short of you actually being talented and realizing that you were just the best fit for a role."

And then there are those who do believe that their talent is god-given.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:56pm

If they want to sell themselves short, they are more than welcome to do so. It's their bio. They can do whatever they want.

As SporkGoddess said, no one who puts that in their bio actually believes God gave them the role, nor even that he cares either way. For some people, a higher being plays a significant role in their lives, even moreso than a parent perhaps. Let them show their appreciation in their own way.

Geez, I guess the Sondheim Theatre was too much good news so we needed something stupid to complain about today.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 1:58pm

"Information in 'Who's Who in the Cast' is provided by the production. Where opinions are expressed, they are those of the players, not necessarily those of Playbill Magazine."

As long as they're not offensive, the bios can say whatever they want.

I actually love bios that are a little silly, and really enjoyed the cast bios from Hair, since they fit so perfectly with the show. People thanking God doesn't bother me, but I understand why it would bother some people. (what annoys me more are the bios filled with fluff and padding, praise for the actor's projects. I'm looking at you, Catherine Zeta-Jones.)

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 2:08pm

What does CZJ say? I throw my playbills away now.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 2:14pm

CATHERINE ZETA-JONES makes her Broadway debut in A Little Night Music. Zeta-Jones won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the notorious Velma Kelly in the screen adaptation of the Broadway musical Chicago. The film won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Picture; Zeta-Jones was nominated for a Golden Globe and took home the 2002 Critics’ Choice Award, the 2002 Screen Actors Guild Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. Upcoming, she will be seen opposite Justin Bartha in The Rebound, playing a newly divorced mother who captures the eye of her neighbor, a much younger man. Zeta-Jones recently starred with Aaron Eckhart in Warner Bros.’ hit romantic comedy No Reservations. She has worked opposite Hollywood’s leading men, including Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal, George Clooney in the Coen Brothers’ dark comedy Intolerable Cruelty as well as captivating audiences with screen legend Sean Connery in the romantic thriller Entrapment. She earned a Golden Globe nomination and the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture, for her portrayal of the wife of a drug-runner in Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic. She first captured international recognition in the action adventure film, The Mask of Zorro, opposite Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins. Born in Wales, Zeta-Jones began her career on the stage in London starring in 42nd Street and following that was cast in the popular television series, “The Darling Buds of May,” based on the novels of H.E. Bates.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 3:02pm

I see absolutely nothing wrong with Catherine's bio. Have you read Vanessa Williams' bio? This is how it appears on Sondheim on Sondheim's site. It may be shorter in the actual playbill, I do not remember.

VANESSA WILLIAMS is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment today. She has conquered the musical charts, Broadway, music videos, television and motion pictures. She has sold over four million albums worldwide and her skills as an actress on stage, in film and on television have earned critical praise. Performing – and music in particular – has always played an important role in Vanessa's life. Born in Millwood, New York, Vanessa's early years were spent surrounded by music. Her parents were music teachers who recognized her musical gifts early on and encouraged her to pursue her love of the arts. When she was young, she acted, danced, played piano and French horn in her high school orchestra, concert band and marching band and she sang in the concert choir and chorus. Her early interest in performing led to a passion for musical theatre. She won an NFAA scholarship was a finalist for a Presidential Scholarship in acting in 1981 and chose to continue her education at Syracuse University, where she majored in musical theatre. While at college in 1983, Vanessa was sought after by local talent scouts who invited her to participate in the Miss Greater Syracuse Pageant. Three months later, Vanessa won the 1983 Miss America title and the $30,000 scholarship that accompanied it. The controversy that followed only left Vanessa stronger and more empowered in her commitment to a career in the world of entertainment. Vanessa launched her recording career in 1988 with her first album, “The Right Stuff,” which went gold and earned her first three Grammy Award nominations. Her 1991 multi-million selling follow-up, “The Comfort Zone,” which featured the unforgettable “Save the Best For Last,” and her third album, “The Sweetest Days,” each yielded multiple hits and Grammy nominations. She was nominated for yet another Grammy for her hit single “Colors of the Wind,” from Disney's “Pocahontas,” which went on to win an Academy Award, Golden Globe and the Grammy for Best Song in a Motion Picture. Her numerous recordings also include two holiday albums, “Star Bright” and “Silver & Gold;” “Vanessa Williams Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years;” “Our Favorite Things,” with Tony Bennett, Placido Domingo and Charlotte Church and “Everlasting Love,” a collection of her favorite love songs from the 1970's. Concord Records released Vanessa's newest album, “The Real Thing,” in June. In 1994, Vanessa realized a life-long dream, taking Broadway by storm when she replaced Chita Rivera in Kiss of the Spider Woman. Her performance won critics over and was a box-office sensation, firmly establishing Vanessa as a multi-talented triple-threat. Vanessa also garnered rave reviews and was nominated for a Tony Award in the 2002 revival of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, taking a brief break from the production to headline a limited special engagement of the classic, Carmen Jones, at the Kennedy Center, playing to sold-out houses and achieving glowing notices. Previously, Vanessa captivated theatre-goers off-Broadway in One Man Band and in the Los Angeles production of Ron Milner's Checkmates. She also starred in the Encore! Series staged concert production of St. Louis Woman, which was also released as a cast recording. Vanessa made her film debut in 1986 in Under the Gun and she appeared in the films The Pick-Up Artist, Another You (with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder) and Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (with Mickey Rourke). She starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Warner Bros.' action thriller, Eraser, followed by a leading role opposite Laurence Fishburne and Andy Garcia in Hoodlum and an NAACP Image Award winning performance with the box-office hit, Soul Food. She has starred in the romantic dance-musical Dance With Me, Light It Up, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland and Shaft, opposite Samuel L. Jackson. She co-starred in Johnson Family Vacation with Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey. She starred recently in the independent features, My Brother and Somebody Like You and co-starred in Disney's feature film, Hannah Montana: The Movie. Vanessa has also played diverse roles on television, in such productions as “Stompin' at the Savoy,” “The Boy Who Loved Christmas” and “The Jacksons: An American Dream,” for which she won an NAACP Image Award. She commanded rave reviews for her performance in ABC's revival of “Bye, Bye Birdie” and starred in the mini-series “Nothing Lasts Forever” and the Emmy-nominated “The Odyssey,” which also garnered impressive ratings and an Image Award nomination for Vanessa. Vanessa starred opposite John Lithgow in TNT's “Don Quixote” and she executive produced and starred in “The Courage to Love” for Lifetime Television. She starred in the VH1 Original Movie, “A Diva's Christmas Carol,” which was the highest rated movie ever for VH1, their second highest rated telecast overall of in 2000 and their fourth highest rated telecast of all time. She co-starred in the Showtime movie “Keep the Faith, Baby”and the UPN drama, “South Beach” and garnered rave reviews for hosting the 2009 Daytime Emmy Awards. She currently stars in ABC's critically-acclaimed hit series, “Ugly Betty,” for which she has been nominated three times for the Emmy Award for her role and she and her co-stars and the show have won or been nominated for numerous individual and ensemble awards, including the Emmy, SAG Award, Golden Globe and NAACP Image Awards. Among Vanessa's many awards and honors, she was honored in 1996 with the coveted Lena Horne Career Achievement Award at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. In 2007, she achieved a career pinnacle, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her accomplishments as a performer. Vanessa's charitable contributions are many and varied, embracing and supporting such issues as education, homelessness, abuse, women's issues and health concerns, AIDS and anything having to do with children. Specifically, she is actively involved with such organizations as Green Chimneys, a working farm in Westchester County that provides educational and residential programs to help troubled inner-city adolescents; The Open Door, which provides walk-in medical care for homeless families; The Cottage School for displaced young women and the Special Olympics, among many others

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 3:12pm

Holy ****.

Yeah, let them write whatever they want.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 3:12pm

"no one who puts that in their bio actually believes God gave them the role, nor even that he cares either way."

As an actor who works in an out of NYC, I can state with absolute certainty that this is categorically untrue.