THE GREAT COMET Announces September Broadway Closing; Final Performers for Role of 'Pierre'

[Stage Door Sally]

Elvis would have been hilarious as Horace Vandergelder. I could see him during the dinner scene when Dolly is trying to force him to eat beets, "No thank you, no thank you very much."

[JayElle]

Bear88 said, "The producers screwed up in many ways, but I just don't see how the show as it's now constituted could ever have succeeded as a big-budget Broadway show unless they had a bunch of stunt casting replacements lined up. And with the partial exception of Ingrid Michaelson, they didn't even have one. They had Hercules Mulligan from Hamilton, and we see how that turned out. "

 I agree with everything he said. For me, the opera scene was "too busy" & totally unnecessary.  It could've just been the queen/king crooning at each other and cut to Lucas leaving w/Denee. It's as if they threw everything at the wall and hoped to see what stuck. Sonya singing about contrabass & gravestones which Malloy said he took from the book. And two mostly naked actors prancing & groaning as he held her. Made no sense to me.   Still don't know what that was about as often as I've seen the show.  If someone does, please let me know.

And from the day they announced Oak,  I shook my head "no way" while the BWW hordes dismissed me. I told a box office man (unknowingly Howard Kagan) that I didn't see the fit. Two enormously different voices & styles.With the exception of the Pierre lead, I thought the cast worked seamlessly together much like the OC of Ham.  

Yesterday I searched all I could read on Comet in mags & newspaper.  I also agree with Hogan'sHero that it was destined to fail.  It started with a shaky foundation when I read the stories about the Hagans burning bridges with other producers in the industry. 

The thick, murky cesspool of politics isn't just in WashDC.  It's alive and well everywhere, and apparently  also in the theater world.  I read many Tony voters would not vote for Hagan's Comet, but only for the artistic side of the program.  Then I understood how a show that garnered 12 nominations could fail so miserably to only obtain 2 to a very simple show in DEH..  Add to that the planning for leads,  apparently personality clashes,  some serious editing,  marketing, rehearsals.  Then add salt to the wounds with a massive line outside Comet's front door with fans screaming as they await the DEH cast.  What an optic.

Even Sally Fields recognized the politics of it all when she won her Oscar for Places in the Heart and said (in part) to the Academy members, "you like me; you really like me."  Obviously the Hagans couldn't use that line.   

Still sorry to see it go. 

[JayElle]

Unfortunately, PoisonIvy, Elvis was sadly dumpy at death.  I didn't know he was a baritone. Is Lucas a tenor?

[JayElle]

Well I guess I have the honor of being blocked by Cynthia.  I tweeted that words matter from folks in her position and asked if she was happy that the diverse cast is jobless.  No reply; just a block.

 

[poisonivy2]

JayElle said: "Unfortunately, PoisonIvy, Elvis was sadly dumpy at death.  I didn't know he was a baritone. Is Lucas a tenor?

"

Anatole is definitely a tenor role. I think Elvis would have been great as Pierre. And I know this won't happen because of GHD but man, Andy Karl would sound great singing Pierre's music too.