No Michelle Williams

[Dr. Kitchell]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 2:53pm

Had tickets for "Cabaret" last night. Was very disappointed that Michelle Williams was out. Her understudy was very good but, I did want to see what Miss Williams brought to the part. I saw the show 16 years ago, Alan Cumming is still brilliant. The rest of the cast was excellent, too.

[ethan231h]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 2:59pm

You really didn't talk about her understudy Andrea Goss, how was she?

[Dr. Kitchell]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 5:05pm

She is very talented. I just felt that she was too polished a musical theater performer to fit in with the concept of the production.
My overall feeling was that the production was ground breaking 16 years ago. I was no longer shocked by the directorial concept.
I do think it is wonderful that a whole new generation will get to see it, but if I wasn't a subscriber, I wouldn't have gone again.

[Leah5290]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 6:56pm

She's been out since Thurs, anyone know what's going on? We had hiptix on Thurs that we couldn't reschedule until August (for worse seats), much to my frustration.

[east side story]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 7:34pm

Did she catch Alan's flu? Any other time when a lead is out, someone, somewhere gives us a play by play in regards to what is going on. That is, unless you're Donna Murphy circa 2004.

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 7:42pm

Sorry, but what happened with Donna Murphy in 2004?

[Steve721]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 7:50pm

Donna Murphy missed many performances of the revival of "Wonderful Town" in 2003-2004. (I saw that show twice and, by coincidence, she was there--and terrific--both times. On the other hand, I also saw Jersey Boys twice in an attempt to see John Lloyd Young, but he was out both times. You win some, you lose some.)

[east side story]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 7:54pm

I was referencing the producers of Wonderful Town, and how they allegedly told Donna Murphy to conceal the reason for her many absences.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 8:08pm

I believe Laura Benanti was told to keep quiet about her Into the Woods absences.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 8:20pm

Benanti was actually sued by the producers reportedly for falsifying her absence excuse but the suit was dropped. I think that's the story.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 8:26pm

As I recall neither the producers nor Laura realized at the time how severe the injuries she was sustaining during Into the Woods really were (I believe it was several pinched nerves that were left untreated). She felt the repercussions from that for years and it was said to be a factor in her spotty attendance record in The Wedding Singer as well until she was finally able to get the nerve damage corrected.

Edit: it was a herniated disc that went misdiagnosed and untreated at the time.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/78607-Nine-Star-Laura-Benanti-Recovers-from-Surgery Updated On: 4/12/14 at 08:26 PM

[east side story]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 8:28pm

I adore Benanti, but her missed performances in The Wedding Singer were not necessarily due to her broken neck injury from Into The Woods.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 8:33pm

^ Mmmmmmmm, yeah, yeah they were.

[east side story]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 8:37pm

No, no. Not entirely. She was dealing with another serious health problem at the time.
Updated On: 4/12/14 at 08:37 PM

[FlowerChild67]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 8:44pm

I'm curious, Dr. Kitchell (and anyone else who felt that this rival wasn't as daring/shocking/so on and so forth as it was 16 years ago) do you think that that is because you were already familiar with it, or just because, well, 16 years have gone by?

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 10:16pm

I don't think it is possible for something to be shocking across that many years, whether someone saw it or not, since if Cabaret pushed the needle back then, other shows like Spring Awakening or (insert some other example) were inspired to push it further because of Cabaret. So, it doesn't exist in a vacuum... just like Chorus Line may have shocked in the 70s, and Book of Mormon does now, so the line is always being advanced. Some people who were a bit surprised at A Chorus Line now might see a restaging and be happy to finally see a good old fashioned show again, etc.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 11:15pm

"Broken neck injuries"? "Pinched nerves"? Jesus! It's theater, not football. IF these people can't handle singing for two hours a night, they should look for another, less "perilous" line of work.

[beltingbaritone]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 11:24pm

^^Benanti sustained her back injuries from a "fake" fall down a set of stairs after Cinderella flees the ball. Apparently though, it wasn't very fake.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 11:26pm

"IF these people can't handle singing for two hours a night, they should look for another, less "perilous" line of work."

What a remarkably insightful comment. You're so right. I don't recall ever seeing any physical activity taking place on a Broadway stage. Why those folks in Pippin just stand there for 2 hours, barely move at all. Next actor injured on a show should be beaten severely as a sign of our displeasure until they are healthy enough to return.

[SweetLips]

Posted: 4/13/14 at 2:17am

What a silly comment SM2-every line of work has an element of 'danger'. An accountant can get a paper cut and bleed to death [or of boredom]. I was in a show and an overhead bar fell from the flies and knocked 6 chorus girls unconscious-no danger there eh! [strangely the audience didn't seem to notice-maybe they were all too bored as well.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/13/14 at 3:16am

Ignore SM2. All you need is one look at his profile to see that every single post he makes here is sarcastic and nasty.

Updated On: 4/13/14 at 03:16 AM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/13/14 at 5:13am

"I adore Benanti, but her missed performances in The Wedding Singer were not necessarily due to her broken neck injury from Into The Woods."

In the recent book NOTHING LIKE A DAME, Benanti herself states that the reason her attendance was spotty in shows post Into The Woods was because of the injuries she got from falling down the stairs. So yes, the missed performances were indeed from her misdiagnosed injuries.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/13/14 at 9:07am

The health problems Miss Benanti suffered during The Wedding Singer were caused by lingering effects of her Into The Woods accident. While not the same problem, they indeed are/were related.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/13/14 at 9:19am

Was she in the show last night?

[sadephram]

Posted: 4/13/14 at 11:50am

I'm seeing the matinee today, I would love to know if Michelle Williams was on last night as well. Thanks!