Riedel on Diana Rigg being annoyed Ambrose misses Sundays- Page 10

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 11:03am

The way Elaine Stritch relayed that story it was Ethel Merman talking about musical theatre generally. Kristin Chenoweth said the same thing. She thought The Apple Tree was the hardest thing she had done until she did On the Twentieth Century. She has been open about her daily regimen when she does an 8-show a week schedule. She doesn't do much other than prepare for the performance, do her voice lessons, shower, and not speak until like the afternoon.

I don't know what roles you played or how demanding they were to you. Maybe you just have a higher constitution than many leading ladies, but it's not as if it's a rare occurrence when veteran stage performers talk about the 8 show schedule and how they have to cloister themselves to ensure they can give a consistent performance.

There were some posts about movie actors being weaker or whatever, and maybe it's not the same stamina ask that doing 8 shows a week is, but I'm sure film acting has its own challenges that is unique to that medium. I remember watching audio commentary of The Hours and Meryl Streep talked about having to do her big crying scene over and over again until she looked like hamburger just to get the right look for the camera and then having to do it again in different angles and said how nothing in theatre asks for that from an actor. Television schedules are also pretty grueling as well, especially for an old-school network program that has like 24 episodes a season.

Updated On: 7/11/18 at 11:03 AM

[broadway86]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 11:11am

newintown said: "I also confess that I find a nonentity like Stitt telling off a major star like Rigg to be not only hilarious, but utterly in tune with her husband's delusions of grandeur."

But was she wrong?

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 11:44am

This seems like a less extreme version of what happened to Madeline Kahn. Nobody doubts Kahn's talent and her comedic abilities, but she left the show completely after 9 weeks and Judy Kaye, who was more equipped to handle the demands of the Broadway schedule, took over the role and seems to have no real issues. Some even said her voice was better suited to the role of Lily Garland than Kahn's was despite Kahn being a really great singer in her own right (love her on the cast album). Kaye's only problem was that she came on the scene in 1978 and they were not making shows to utilize her talents in the way it would have been used like two decades prior.

Kahn probably went through a tough time in the community after that with snarky people making jokes about her ability to handle a Broadway schedule, but it seems she came back to the theatre and was nominated for two more Tony awards and winning one.

I say this is a less extreme example because Ambrose did the 8 show schedule longer than nine weeks and is still doing the show, just with one less performance a week.

Updated On: 7/11/18 at 11:44 AM

[newintown]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 11:53am

broadway86 wrote "newintown said: "I also confess that I find a nonentity like Stitt telling off a major star like Rigg to be not only hilarious, but utterly in tune with her husband's delusions of grandeur."

But was she wrong?"

I don't think so, but that's just my opinion.

I also don't think LuPone was "wrong" when she screamed at Sherie Rene Scott in the theatre about calling out frequently during Women On The Verge, etc. I don't think criticizing younger, less-experienced co-workers for a less-than-desirable work ethic is "disrespectful." It's sometimes just what someone needs to hear.

[DAME]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 12:24pm

ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "DAME said: "wendy72 said: "So everyone is mad that the powers-that-be aren't just firing and replacing her? Then why so much outrage directly at Ambrose, when she's just doing the best she can in the circumstances?"



Who is mad? People are just discussing and commenting. Thats what we do here. I have no investment in the show. I could actually give a rats a*s.

"

Could have fooled me with your posting history. I missed it when you used to end every post with "Hussy"."

Theres a difference between me giving my bitchy opinion and being really vested in any of this .  HUSSY!  

Updated On: 7/11/18 at 12:24 PM

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 12:49pm

DAME said: "ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "DAME said: "wendy72 said: "So everyone is mad that the powers-that-be aren't just firing and replacing her? Then why so much outrage directly at Ambrose, when she's just doing the best she can in the circumstances?"



Who is mad? People are just discussing and commenting. Thats what we do here. I have no investment in the show. I could actually give a rats a*s.

"

Could have fooled me with your posting history. I missed it when you used to end every post with "Hussy"."

Theres a difference between me giving my bitchy opinion and being really vested in any of this . HUSSY!"

You do not know how happy you made me just now. Thank you!

[Fosse76]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 1:49pm

newintown said: "I also confess that I find a nonentity like Stitt telling off a major star like Rigg to be not only hilarious, but utterly in tune with her husband's delusions of grandeur."

What makes your opinion any more legit? You are criticizing Stitt, but here you are, commenting on the matter as well. What makes your opinion more important? While I know you aren't directing your comments to Stiit herself, but that doesn't make the comment any less hypocritical. And I say this to a multitude of the people criticizing Ambrose while dismissing criticism of their criticism for the same hypocritical reason. 

[newintown]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 1:58pm

"What makes your opinion any more legit? You are criticizing Stitt, but here you are, commenting on the matter as well. What makes your opinion more important? While I know you aren't directing your comments to Stiit [sic] herself, but that doesn't make the comment any less hypocritical. And I say this to a multitude of the people criticizing Ambrose while dismissing criticism of their criticism for the same hypocritical reason."

Well, I suppose that's a certain kind of logic...

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 3:11pm

DAME said: "ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "DAME said: "wendy72 said: "So everyone is mad that the powers-that-be aren't just firing and replacing her? Then why so much outrage directly at Ambrose, when she's just doing the best she can in the circumstances?"



Who is mad? People are just discussing and commenting. Thats what we do here. I have no investment in the show. I could actually give a rats a*s.

"

Could have fooled me with your posting history. I missed it when you used to end every post with "Hussy"."

Theres a difference between me giving my bitchy opinion and being really vested in any of this . HUSSY!"

 

Ahhh DAME, how do I love thee. Let me count the ways: One HUSSY, Two HUSSY, Three HUSSY...Four!

xoxo

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 3:38pm

I remember when Marc Shaiman did a BWW tribute playing various "characters" that were based on the more colorful posters here to the tune of "Pick-a-Little" from The Music Man. Dame was one of them and Marc would just go "hussy!". I wish that video was available now.

Here's a link to the video that does not work hosted by BWW: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-TV-Marc-Shaimans-Pick-a-Little-Post-a-LittleGood-Morning-BroadwayWorld-20110509

Could a moderator do something to fix the link?

Updated On: 7/11/18 at 03:38 PM

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 3:44pm

Thank you! You solved my issue.

Updated On: 7/11/18 at 03:44 PM

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 4:31pm

I have sympathy for Ambrose. I found her endearing as Eliza. People must have seen that interview with Idina Menzel here in which she said what a relief it was to be in a straight play so that she didn't have to do a voice check every morning when she woke up. But the sympathy wouldn't extend to dropping a performance just to spend more time with her family.  She knew that she would have to make that sacrifice when she took the role.

I would also love to see Laura Benanti take over when Ambrose leaves. If Sher can't live with that, then another one of the many talented actresses in New York who work so hard trying to land a good role and are usually rejected. I can understand why there would be resentment against an outsider getting such a plum role.

 

 

[DAME]

Posted: 7/11/18 at 5:04pm

ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "I remember when Marc Shaiman did a BWW tribute playing various "characters" that were based on the more colorful posters here to the tune of "Pick-a-Little" fromThe Music Man. Dame was one of them and Marc would just go "hussy!". I wish that video was available now.

Here's a link to the video that does not work hosted by BWW:https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-TV-Marc-Shaimans-Pick-a-Little-Post-a-LittleGood-Morning-BroadwayWorld-20110509

Could a moderator do something to fix the link?"

I feel so old.

[jakebloke]

Posted: 7/14/18 at 2:55pm

I finally saw MFL last night and personally thought Lauren Ambrose was wonderful. I went into the show knowing about this Diana Rigg comment, and found myself thinking ‘this woman (Rigg) is barely on stage, she should keep her mouth shut about Ambrose and how in the hell did this ‘performance’ deserve a Tony nomination?’