Austin Durant will take over Ziegler in MOULIN ROUGE for six weeks; Burstein on Medical Leave

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/10/19 at 1:40pm

http://www.playbill.com/article/austin-durant-fills-in-for-danny-burstein-in-broadways-moulin-rouge-beginning-december-10

Apparently he tore his meniscus...Ouch!

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/10/19 at 1:41pm

Also, Zidler***, before someone corrects me self-righteously.

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 12/10/19 at 1:50pm

Oh man, that sucks! I hope Danny heals up nicely and Austin kills it!

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/10/19 at 3:40pm

Too bad for audiences those six weeks.  I saw his understudy and I thought he was fine; but there was another whole dimension to Burstein's performance that he didn't get.  Came across a solid performance, but not a memorable one.

 

[thedrybandit]

Posted: 12/11/19 at 5:35pm

Jarethan said: "Too bad for audiences those six weeks. I saw his understudy and I thought he was fine; but there was another whole dimension to Burstein's performance that he didn't get. Came across a solid performance, but not a memorable one."

How is this too bad for audiences? Austin Durant is new to the company, and isn't the understudy.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/11/19 at 6:23pm

Hasn't Burstein been missing a good amount of shows before his injury?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/11/19 at 6:30pm

ACL2006 said: "Hasn't Burstein been missing a good amount of shows before his injury?"

Burstein said on Instagram that he tore his meniscus 4 months ago. So it's probably been bothering him throughout most of the run.

But IIRC, he also missed many performances as Tevye.

[hicaesar]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 2:36pm

ACL2006 said: "Hasn't Burstein been missing a good amount of shows before his injury?"

He wasn't in the night I saw the show in October. I tried to get my money back because of it... I paid full price for an orchestra seat and I chose that show because of the cast.  The manager I talked to was very nice but would only offer to scan me out and let me try to reschedule, which didn't really make sense since I don't live in the area.   

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 3:54pm

thedrybandit said: "Jarethan said: "Too bad for audiences those six weeks. I saw his understudy and I thought he was fine; but there was another whole dimension to Burstein's performance that he didn't get. Came across a solid performance, but not a memorable one."

How is this too bad for audiences? Austin Durant is new to the company, and isn't the understudy."

Because IMO they will get a solid performance vs. a memorable one.  Think of shows you have seen more than once over the years in which different performers have played a key role.  Some have brought more to it than others to the extent of enhancing the overall experience.  

Burstein is perfection in that role and as close as anyone comes to being the (admittedly sleazy) soul of MR.  He added a dimension that Durant did not (I do not have my Playbill in front of me, but I do believe that was the person who replaced him the last time I saw the show), and audiences will miss out on that extra dimension.  

To use another analogy, I have seen at least a dozen people play Dolly Levi.  IMO many gave fine performances and were appreciated by the audience.  But there were some, IMO Channing, Bailey, Murphy (and most would say Midler) who brought another dimension to the role and upped the ante on the entire experience.  I am not suggesting that Zidler's role is comparable to Dolly -- not by a mile -- but that he ups the (in the case of MR) delirium factor in a show that goes for delirium.

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 12/13/19 at 9:48am

Jarethan said: "Burstein is perfection in that role and as close as anyone comes to being the (admittedly sleazy)soulof MR. Headded a dimension that Durant did not (I do not have my Playbill in front of me, but I do believe that was the person who replaced him the last time I saw the show), and audiences will miss out on that extra dimension.
"

While I agree Burstein was wonderful, you really should check your Playbill because, as thedrybandit pointed out, Durant literally just joined the company this Tuesday, December 10. He was not the understudy prior to this, nor was he in the show in any role. That was thedrybandit's point. You're bashing Durant for someone else's performance.

Updated On: 12/13/19 at 09:48 AM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/13/19 at 6:45pm

MemorableUserName said: "Jarethan said: "Burstein is perfection in that role and as close as anyone comes to being the (admittedly sleazy)soulof MR. Headded a dimension that Durant did not (I do not have my Playbill in front of me, but I do believe that was the person who replaced him the last time I saw the show), and audiences will miss out on that extra dimension.
"

While I agree Burstein was wonderful, you really shouldcheck your Playbill because, as thedrybandit pointed out, Durant literally just joined the company this Tuesday, December 10. He was not the understudy prior to this, nor was he in the show in any role. That was thedrybandit's point. You're bashing Durant for someone else's performance."

If that is the case, I am wrong.  I would still say that I would rather see Olivo's or Tveit's understudy than Burstein's.  He is just so 'in tune' with the goings on in MR.

 

 

Updated On: 12/13/19 at 06:45 PM

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 12/14/19 at 9:42am

Jarethan said: "MemorableUserName said: "Jarethan said: "Burstein is perfection in that role and as close as anyone comes to being the (admittedly sleazy)soulof MR. Headded a dimension that Durant did not (I do not have my Playbill in front of me, but I do believe that was the person who replaced him the last time I saw the show), and audiences will miss out on that extra dimension.
"

While I agree Burstein was wonderful, you really shouldcheck your Playbill because, as thedrybandit pointed out, Durant literally just joined the company this Tuesday, December 10. He was not the understudy prior to this, nor was he in the show in any role. That was thedrybandit's point. You're bashing Durant for someone else's performance."

If that is the case, I am wrong. I would still say that I would rather seeOlivo's or Tveit's understudy than Burstein's. He is just so 'in tune' with the goings onin MR.

 

 

"

You're confusing terms and roles here.

An understudy is a performer who is already part of the cast of a production who is assigned to take over a particular role if the person who normally performs that role is unavailable or unable to do so.

A replacement is a performer who is not already part of the cast of a production who is brought in - either on a temporary or permanent basis - to perform in a particular role.

This Austin Durant person is a replacement, not an understudy, and it is therefore both premature and unfair to judge his worthiness to perform in this particular role without having actually seen him do so.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/14/19 at 10:12am

Also, I don't think Burstein's name is above the title so it was nice of them to even offer to past date you.

I flew into NYC excited to see Debra Monk in Curtains. Got here and realized she had injured herself the night before and would not be in. I was really disappointed but didn't try to get my money back. It was what it was. I wanted to see the show and saw it. The actress that took over the role was fine, she wasn't Monk, but she wasn't awful and I had a blast at the show. We can't always get what we want. Things happen. JMO