Buckley out again in Dolly

[theatregeek6]

Got to the theatre in Orlando and there is an insert. Disappointed. She seems to be missing a lot of shows

[CATSNYrevival]

She seems to be? How many has she actually missed?

[adamgreer]

CATSNYrevival said: "She seems to be? How many has she actually missed?"

Except for the opening night, she’s missed ever show in Orlando. She also missed a bunch in Cleveland. 

[bwayphreak234]

I wonder if she will actually stick with the tour through the rest of 2019 stops at this point. She has really missed a great deal of performances.

[Jmyachi77]

You guys need better sources! Buckley did not miss any shows in Cleveland. She missed a few in Chicago. She did the first 2 nights in Orlando. According to people I know on the crew, everyone is sick. Jessica Sheridan missed a week in Cleveland and almost all of Miami. The ensemble is rotating through everyone being sick.

[quizking101]

It’s cold and flu season, guys. The same thing happens with Broadway shows each year and nobody ever questions if a cast member is going to make it through their run. And if they do perform sick, people then complain about them not sounding up to par or not going to the stage door after.

I get that tour stops are limited engagements, but sheesh, that’s the theatre!

[Dollypop]

Carol Channing never missed a scheduled performance.

Thank you very much.

[EthelMae]

"It's a prison sentence, isn't it? Because if you don't play it's a terrible disappointment to the audience if you're a star. I played on tour in Much Ado with 102 degree temperature. It wouldn't go down. And I think if you're really concentrated, you don't feel that. That's how you can play if you're sick". Katharine Hepburn, Dick Cavett, 1973

[theatregeek6]

Sheesh. I said I was disappointed. That’s all. It just seems she has missed most of Orlando as well as some other tour stops. Yes it’s cold and flu season. I understand. Doesn’t mean I can’t de disappointed. Except here.

So if you paid to see Beyoncé you wouldn’t get her understudy and be ‘exoected’ To not be disappointed

That’s all

[BwayLB]

This worries me a bit just in case I go to the show in Costa Mesa.

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

BwayLB said: "This worries me a bit just in case I go to the show in Costa Mesa."

I am very ambivalent about BB in the show, having seen BM, DM and BP on Broadway.  That said, my group will be attending 30 or 40 strong in San Francisco come March 8, 2019.  In my dreams Ms. M will play "la" and SF engagements.  Bernadette or Donna would be great also ... or Faith Prince ... or Victoria Clarke ... or [insert your favorite Broadway diva here].

 

[adamgreer]

Jmyachi77 said: "She did the first 2 nights in Orlando."

She did not. And it’s bad form to be missing shows while simultaneously posting photos of your sightseeing around town. 

Regardless, Midler missed one scheduled performance. Donna Murphy and Bernadette Peters missed none.  Channing’s record speaks for itself. As it was discussed in the other thread, Buckley seems quite socially active in all these places for someone playing a marathon of a role.

[Mike Barrett]

I wonder if she's going to make it to Boston, which is the final stop of the tour. I'm not sure who they could get to replace her however

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Mike Barrett said: "I wonder if she's going to make it to Boston, which is the final stop of the tour. I'm not sure who they could get to replace her however"

Mimi Hines?

Sorry .. my attempt at mordant humor.  Couldn't resist.

 

 

[Gizmo6]

I hate these threads as a kid I dreamed about the theatre from as long as I have memories.

Theatre is my life, work and play, thankfully.

When I was younger theatre had respect yet we rarely had ‘stars’.

I have never bemoaned a ‘star’ not being in. Sometimes understudies are a revelation and you get to see that person, who has waits diligently to get on. Stage for your entertainment.

‘Stars’ are human too and the American obsession, which thankfully isn’t as extreme in the West End is not healthy.

I went to see M. Butterfly last year and Owen was out. I love Owen from his performance in Bent but i haven’t thought about it since the announcement. The understudy was great, I didn’t feel I lost out and I got to see a piece of theatre rarely performed in a revised production (that’s a whole other criticism).

Liza cancelled a UK performance a few years ago I had tickets too, I was disappointed but I don’t expect anything from her, I hope I’d get to see her in my lifetime but my entertainment is not important compared to her health and well-being. These actors are not performing monkeys!

I do blame producers though I couldn’t get a ticket in the NT for Angels because of the casting of Garfield, I honestly would prefer actors who have dedicated their lives to the stage rather than ‘celebs’ because it just pushes up prices and makes theatre more elitist.

I would love to see Buckley live, she’s a grand dame of the theatre but it’s life and hopefully she’ll perform at another performance.

[dbird]

Gizmo6 said: "
I do blame producers though I couldn’t get a ticket in the NT for Angels because of the casting of Garfield, I honestly would prefer actors who have dedicated their lives to the stage rather than ‘celebs’ because it just pushes up prices and makes theatre more elitist.

I would love to see Buckley live, she’s a grand dame of the theatre but it’s life and hopefully she’ll perform at another performance."

I disagree with your point here - he trained at one of the best drama programs in the UK, did plenty of theatre early in his career and had a Tony nomination under his belt prior AiA. He is a genuinely good actor and he proved that in Angels in America, it's rather unfair to hold his rather well-deserved fame against him. Getting tickets for AiA even at the National was not unrealistically hard BTW - they didn't price people out and kept the usual day seat policy so you could line up and get front row for £15-18 per show.

Regarding Buckley - agree with a previous poster. Sickness happens but maybe limit the posts about having fun while calling in sick for work.

[qolbinau]

"‘Stars’ are human too and the American obsession, which thankfully isn’t as extreme in the West End is not healthy. "

The west end is a whole other extreme, at least in America you are sure to get a refund if a star is out. In the money-grubbing, bait-and-switch scam that is the West End, you can pay hundreds of pounds to see Glenn Close in SUNSET BOULEVARD only to catch an understudy. Appalling, appalling. 

As for Buckley, I guess she has basically come out of retirement and hasn't had an extended performance schedule like this for a <bulletsoverbroadway>very, very, very long time</bulletsoverbroadway). Plus the travelling etc. - it must be tough. Was everyone involved naive into thinking she could handle the demands?

[DAME]

qolbinau said: ""?Stars’ are human too and the American obsession, which thankfully isn’t as extreme in the West End is not healthy. "

The west end is a whole other extreme, at least in America you are sure to get a refund if a star is out. In the money-grubbing, bait-and-switch scam that is the West End, you can pay hundreds of pounds to see Glenn Close in SUNSET BOULEVARD only to catch an understudy. Appalling, appalling.

As for Buckley, I guess she has basically come out of retirement and hasn't had an extended performance schedule like this for a very, very, very long time"

She has not been in any kind of retirement.  She did a  long engagement of Grey Gardens and has been doing plenty of tv and film work which constitutes of very long and hard days .

 

[nealb1]

Sorry to hear that she was out. As we all know and can relate to - it's no fun being sick.

Does she go on when she's sick, get worse and disappoint an audience because she's obviously sounding not her best?  Or, does she take a sick day or 2 - like we all have, and get better - and still people will kvetch?  She's damned if she does, and damned if she doesn't. 

[Gizmo6]

dbird said: "Gizmo6 said: "
I do blame producers though I couldn’t get a ticket in the NT for Angels because of the casting of Garfield, I honestly would prefer actors who have dedicated their lives to the stage rather than ?celebs’ because it just pushes up prices and makes theatre more elitist.

I would love to see Buckley live, she’s a grand dame of the theatre but it’s life and hopefully she’ll perform at another performance."

I disagree with your point here - he trained at one of the best drama programs in the UK, did plenty of theatre early in his career and had a Tony nomination under his belt prior AiA. He is a genuinely good actor and he proved that in Angels in America, it's rather unfair to hold his rather well-deserved fame against him. Getting tickets for AiA even at the National was not unrealistically hard BTW - they didn't price people out and kept the usual day seat policy so you could line up and get front row for £15-18 per show.

Regarding Buckley - agree with a previous poster. Sickness happens but maybe limit the posts about having fun while calling in sick for work."

Garfield was awful, I say that as a gay man and a queer performance academic!

I got a seat but if you cannot see how problematic these castings are then you are blind. 

[Jarethan]

qolbinau said: ""?Stars’ are human too and the American obsession, which thankfully isn’t as extreme in the West End is not healthy. "

The west end is a whole other extreme, at least in America you are sure to get a refund if a star is out. In the money-grubbing, bait-and-switch scam that is the West End, you can pay hundreds of pounds to see Glenn Close in SUNSET BOULEVARD only to catch an understudy. Appalling, appalling.

As for Buckley, I guess she has basically come out of retirement and hasn't had an extended performance schedule like this for a very, very, very long time"

 

Re 'money-grubbing, bait-and-switch scam that is the West End', so you are annoyed that you missed seeing someone...we all have been.  Couple of observations:

-- The West End is so much more reasonably priced than Broadway that is it ridiculous.  Money grubbing is not a phrase that has EVER crossed my mind to describe it.

-- I have had to sit though performances of several shows on Broadway because their Tony nominated lead wasn't billed above the title.  Talk about a ridiculous technicality.  Have to admit that I would be pissed if Glenn Close was out the day I went to see SB; however, it wouldn't lead me to blast the entire 'money-grubbing, bait-and-switch scam that is the West End'.  If it is a standard policy -- one that I imagine all regular WE theatergoers know about -- I may not like it, but I know it.

Re Buckley, I suspect that she does not have the professionalism of the Channings, Mermans, Peters, etc., re 'the show must go on'.  Based on the above data, it appears that she has missed performances in multiple cities.  Posting fun doings on Facebook when you are cancelling performances on the same day seems incredibly unprofessional, downright arrogant, to me. Dolly is one of the smaller great roles IMO...hell, she doesn't even show up in Act 2 for 20 minutes and she is frequently off stage during the first act.  People with far less impressive voices then her have won awards for playing Dolly...she needs to try a little harder.  (I seem to remember reading on this board recently about A+ star -- I think it was Patti Lupone -- who was carrying a hankie around, and using it frequently, while giving the audience her all.  Some people are troopers and some people are not).

PS -- I have to admit that I have never liked Buckley, and the key reason is that she has always been a cold performer on-stage to me and (nothing to do with her performances) I have a friend who works in a high-end store at which she shops; he said she is a bitch-on-wheels and acts like she is Norma Desmond.  This seems very consistent to me with posting fun events on Facebookon the same day you are cancelling yet again a performance.

 

 

[ACL2006]

If it becomes a common occurrence, maybe they have Sheridan become the alternate?

[Gizmo6]

qolbinau said: ""?Stars’ are human too and the American obsession, which thankfully isn’t as extreme in the West End is not healthy. "

The west end is a whole other extreme, at least in America you are sure to get a refund if a star is out. In the money-grubbing, bait-and-switch scam that is the West End, you can pay hundreds of pounds to see Glenn Close in SUNSET BOULEVARD only to catch an understudy. Appalling, appalling.

As for Buckley, I guess she has basically come out of retirement and hasn't had an extended performance schedule like this for a very, very, very long time"

You either know nothing about the West End or are disingenuous in your comments. 

There are tickets for the Company revival in the stalls for $30 These aren't rush or lottery these are standard priced tickets. This is the West End. This is theatre and this is accessibility to the arts for all! 

If you want to pay $1000 to see Star XYZ, fine, but you're not part of the production of culture you're part of the production of celebrity and capitalism and that isn't art. 

 

[pmensky]

Where is she posting photos of her sightseeing while she is sick?  I didn't see anything on her FB, Twitter or Instagram.

[qolbinau]

Gizmo6 said: "qolbinau said: ""?Stars’ are human too and the American obsession, which thankfully isn’t as extreme in the West End is not healthy. "

The west end is a whole other extreme, at least in America you are sure to get a refund if a star is out. In the money-grubbing, bait-and-switch scam that is the West End, you can pay hundreds of pounds to see Glenn Close in SUNSET BOULEVARD only to catch an understudy. Appalling, appalling.

As for Buckley, I guess she has basically come out of retirement and hasn't had an extended performance schedule like this for a very, very, very long time"

You either know nothingabout the West End or aredisingenuous in your comments.

There are tickets for the Company revival in the stalls for $30 These aren't rush or lottery these are standard priced tickets. This is the West End. This is theatre and this isaccessibility to the arts for all!

If you want to pay $1000 to see Star XYZ, fine, but you're notpart of the production ofculture you're part of the production of celebrity and capitalism and thatisn't art.

"

That $30 comment is so disengenious. Where are those seats in the theatre? The Company stalls seats are expensive, maybe not quite Broadway premium but close to Broadway full price. And we can’t forget that London have lower wages than New York so it’s not as if it’s a one to one comparison. Not offering refunds for Sheridan Smith or Glenn Close in their respective shows is pure scam to protect the financial interests of the show. No need to have any kind of intellectual gymnastics to excuse it. 

I agree any Broadway show advertising a Tony winner below the title and then not refunding if they can’t offer the service is also a scam. You shouldn’t be allowed to market shows like this if you can’t deliver. You can’t have your cake and eat it.