Fantasia out again Thursday 10/25

[paphillyguy]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 11:05pm

Had 2 free tickets to the show tonight. Got there and the board was up and the special notice sign that said Fantasia was out of The Color Purple was up. There were some very mad people waiting in the refund line. The line was very long. The usher said that this was a very regular occurence and the box office staff will be happy in Jan when she is gone. She also said that half of the time she does not even give the proper notice, calling out just prior to curtain.

I decided to stay but left at intermission. Not so much because of the show but more due to the very rude audience. There were way to many people talking back to the action on the stage. This is not interactive theater. I do not know how anyone would put up with that.

I usually do not talk bad about people being out of shows but from everything I read, this type of behavior by a so called professional is unacceptable.

Updated On: 10/25/07 at 11:05 PM

[Gpvegas]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 11:32pm

I have a friend at TCP and she said the same thing about the call outs. That is what you get when you hire a reality show winner, I guess. Not very professional, but the producers allow it.

[Just_John]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 11:56pm

Tuesday night they said she was on vacation for two weeks.

[paphillyguy]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 8:40am

Well if that was the truth then they really should psot that on Telecharge and on their website. I looked both places and nothing listed. One other item, the usher also said that Fantasia has been out over 30 times since she started. That to me is just unprofessional.

[dream on]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 9:08am

It cracks me up how the ushers are bad mouthing Fantasia. They have no idea how hard that role is - and I'm not talking about the singing. Tony award winner and Broadway Vet LaChanze was absent more than Fantasia has been. So I guess Broadway vets have no more "professionalism" than a "reality" show winner. Fantasia has been in the business for over 4 years and has always been very professional while touring. She is also very respected in the music industry. 10 to 1 her absences are always justified. And the producers will not always announce her absence when they know ahead of time. I wonder if she is working on promoting her new soon to be Grammy nominated song with Aretha Franklin? I know they give Elizabeth Withers time off to promote her music.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 9:22am

Does she do Sunday Matinees? I am planning on possibly seeing it again on December 9th with friends from Philly who are meeting me in NY.

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 10:14am

uncageg,
Saw her in last Sunday's matinee.


dream on,
It doesn't surprise me in the least that the producers of the show may not want the public to know about her planned absences from the show. Remember Donna Murphy's absences and Wonderful Town? Fantasia gets ripped to shreds by the armchair quarterbacks on this board and the ushers apparrently, while the show's producers keep mum and count their $$$. Deja vu all over again.

[paphillyguy]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 10:55am

Dream-On - LaChanze has the reputation of not having great attendance. Also, how can you say that role IS SO difficult that a professional would not be able to perform it 7 shows a week. Please give me a break. If I was to call out that much in my VERY stressful job and then still take a 2 week vacation, I do not think I would be employed very much longer.

That being said. The producers do not annouce this because of money. The majority of the people will not (or do not know they can) ask for a refund.

If you are going to advertise a "star" is in the show then I feel you need to annouce when she is out for scheduled absenences.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 11:09am

"It cracks me up how the ushers are bad mouthing Fantasia. They have no idea how hard that role is - and I'm not talking about the singing."

Ushers know a lot more about the roles in a show than some of the actors. Most of the ones on Broadway have been doing it for decades and have seen it all. They know a lot more than you people give them credit for.

[dream on]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 12:24pm

They sound disgruntled and jealous to me.

So many people can't let go of her "American Idol" beginnnings. If she was a nobody doing this role, there would not be a post for every show that she missed. It goes beyond ridiculous to me.

[commasplice]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 12:32pm

"They sound disgruntled and jealous to me."

Responding to criticism of a performer with "ur just jelus!!1" = FAIL.
Updated On: 10/26/07 at 12:32 PM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 1:52pm

Unlike many "fans" of shows, the ushers will see every actor perform the role at some point. They are in a much better position to "judge" a performance than most "fans." But also, they can be the most biased. After seeing the same person perform a certain role hundreds of times will make it harder for them to judge new performers on their own merits. But generally speaking, they know there stuff (and they like to share)!

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 2:25pm

Fantasia was out Wednesday 10/24. I think many people entered the theatre not knowing she was out and a woman I spoke to said it was not announced prior to curtain, just posted in the lobby, which many people dont read. People were losing their minds the night I was there trying to get refunds. I have attempted to see Fantasia twice, three months apart and both times she was out. I dont count it as anything other than bad luck. Although the woman in front of me said that she has tried to see Fantasia four times and is giving up. I am not attacking Fantasia for missing, I dont know her reasons, but it is too bad that the producers just keep touting her and she is on every flyer as well on the videos playing outside the Bway Theatre just promoting the hell out of her-so when she doesnt show up it is a chaotic mess. She's not easy to replace, especially when her notices are so good and everyone who has seen have just loved her. It makes it all the more disappointing to folks,especially those who made a special trip to see her. It's just too bad-not blaming Tasia.

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 2:56pm

Was that Wednesday matinee or evening?

She's not scheduled for Wednesday matinees till mid-December.

[Kev]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 3:30pm

She was out both Wednesday matinee and evening.

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 4:15pm

Momentary old-age memory lapse, SIGH; of course, she'd be out both performances if she's on vacation.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 10/27/07 at 12:55am

She wasnt listed on vacation when I purchased the tickets 2 weeks ago.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/27/07 at 2:21am

dream on should know.

dream on has never seen THE COLOR PURPLE.

[BwayLeadman]

Posted: 10/27/07 at 4:48am

when i saw it (not too long ago), it was a Wed Matinee and she was in (but has missed Tues night's performance)

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 10/27/07 at 11:15am

Only recently (well like a month) Fantasia was not scheduled to perform Wed. matinees.

[KellyW]

Posted: 10/27/07 at 12:19pm

I'm sure TCP producers are putting up with the last minute call ins due to the $ she's brought in and the reviews she's gotten. She gets the kid glove treatment until the end of her run. At that point it will be interesting to see if her lack of respect for the fans and her show (I don't know what else to refer to it other than disrespect) damages her reputation enough that future shows are hesitant to hire her. I'd have to question the professionalism of a person who seems to be losing interest in her role three months before her end date.

It's sad that people were so receptive to her and she repaid them by getting bored with it all.
Updated On: 10/27/07 at 12:19 PM

[KellyW]

Posted: 10/27/07 at 12:20pm

That posted twice. Sorry. Updated On: 10/27/07 at 12:20 PM

[dream on]

Posted: 10/27/07 at 12:51pm

Foster - you are confusing me with someone else.

I have seen the Color Purple with Kenita and with Fantasia.

I think its unprofessional for people working at the Theatre to be bashing their co worker like they are. If I did that at my job I would be fired immediately.

I don't think Fantasia is losing interest. She was very sick a few months ago and never took a vacation. I think its the Producer's fault for not notifying the public if she is on vacation now.

Im sure Fantasia is being courted by many people to do another Broadway show. I personally would like to see her take a year off and do her music. People are lined up for years wanting to work with Fantasia. Its too bad some are having the wrong impression of her.

Also to the person complaining about the audience talking back in the show - the cast members enjoy it. Maybe you need to relax a little - its a fun show and parts of it do call for the audience to react. Its not shakespeare.
Updated On: 10/27/07 at 12:51 PM

[paphillyguy]

Posted: 10/27/07 at 2:03pm

Dream On - your are insane if you believe that people yelling comments out in the middle of a Broadway theater is acceptable. And may I ask how you know that the actors on stage enjoy it?

As a theatergoer, I find it disrepectful for anyone to yell out comments like, you tell him girl and you go girl. To me it is classless. I find this to be just as bad as a cell phone ringing. People have paid good money to see the actors on the stage not some lady from Kansas yelling out.

As regarding the comments made by co workers, I am not sure where you work but this type of behavior happens every where, not that it makes it right.

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 10/27/07 at 2:52pm

KellyW,

"losing interest" is only in your mind and your explanation.
you don't know what is REALLY going on.

you think that Fantasia is "acting up" and that the producers are "putting up with it"

My guess is that her missing some shows may be perfectly known to them upfront, and that there is an unofficial agreement that she may do so. And that this understanding is something that they are choosing not tell anyone.

These same producers may have "put up with the same" from LaChanze during her time in the show.