Topic Sunday Times Article from the Theatre Chat forum.
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 PA Fan
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11/6/2003 | posted: 12/18/2004 at 2:30:52 PM ET
For those of you who read the Sunday New York Times Arts & Leisure section, Tomorrow there's to be an article on how stars on Broadway are not showing up for performances. Should be interesting.
|  Jean
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6/7/2003 | posted: 12/18/2004 at 2:48:22 PM ET
I just finished reading both the NY Times article and the lively discussion on ATC about it. I think the article is quite thought-provoking, if somewhat narrow and shallow.
Am I procrastinating doing my Saturday chores/shopping/reading? You betcha.
| Karen
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5/3/2002 | posted: 12/18/2004 at 4:01:22 PM ET
One thing that annoys me is when people sometimes lump together the attendance records of Donna Murphy and Bernadette, as though they are somehow similar.
During the Gypsy previews, Bernadette had one well-documented bout of flu that caused her to miss something like 9 performances. After that, her attendance was virtually perfect for the year that it played (only one sick day).
By way of contrast, Murphy was out for weeks at a time throughout her Wonderful Town run, with no concrete reason ever publicly provided. She didn't show up even once during what was advertised as her final six weeks. I don't know if it was her fault or the producers' fault or what exactly was going on, but it bore no comparison whatsoever with Bernadette's Gypsy experience.
I resent it when the two of them are frequently held up in the same sentence as examples of absenteeism. Very bad and faulty comparison.
|  Mandy
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8/14/2003 | posted: 12/18/2004 at 4:28:50 PM ET
Very well stated, Karen. This isn't the first time the comparison has been made and I think it is absurd as well! Their absences should in no way be considered similar in nature.
I also think it is interesting the same people keep coming up again and again when absences are spoken of. Donna Murphy, I think, may be stuck with her track record for Wonderful Town. My question is what about the fact that there are quite a few solo shows out now, that are missing performances-first coming to mind now is Whoopi-last weekend. There was a big discussion on ATC that Whoopi had a Christmas party last weekend that was discussed on The View, while she was supposedly out "sick." How come she is not chastised for being out?
Oh, and one last thing: (*takes a moment to get off soap box*) Bernadette seemed to be put down a lot by papers and the media for only her early missed performances yet it was quite obvious she was ill. You would think that when someone can tell that a performer is either getting over an illness or just coming down with one that a little slack would would be granted. She obviously wasn't off on a tropical island sipping drinks with umbrellas in them...let the woman be sick and recover so she can get back to the people that want to see her do what she does best!
EDIT: I should have mentioned that if she were sipping her fruity beverages on a tropical island...she would definitely be sitting under a parasol!
"I'm not upset about losing the money, it's losing all the stuff."
| Anonymous
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68.9.252.x | posted: 12/18/2004 at 5:40:24 PM ET
I agree that it is rediculous to criticize Bernadette for missing performances... Seeing as she missed, what, about 9 or 10 performances out of over 450...
I mean, how many days of school or work does the average person miss a year... along with getting 2 days off on weekends rather than the 1 day theater performers get off, not to mention holidays most people get off while performers are working...and Bernadette did work, seeing as I saw her in Gypsy on both new years eve and valentines day last year...
the average person definitely has well over 9 days off of work!
| Jean
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6/7/2003 | posted: 12/18/2004 at 6:28:06 PM ET
Oh yes, Karen and Mandy (and anon too), this just is so unfair and misleading. Last summer there was one of those chats on ATC on this subject and I posted the following: (I'm not posting this here so you can read my glorious prose, but because I also added, for my own use, a count of illness/vacation/personal time--so here for future reference)
------
"Good point, WriterWatcher. "Gypsy" played a total of 484 performances (that includes 33 previews). Bernadette took a 1-week vacation Sept 9-Oct. 4, 2003 (8 performances) and a 1-performance night off to be with her husband in July 2003. My count may be off by one or two, but: she was out sick for 10 performances (in April and May 2003 and once on May 9, 2004). The facts belie the constant carping about Ms. Peters' being "missing"."
Posted 8/9/04 to ATC by Jean (aka “starone6)
------------------
7/21/03-husband’s surgery
9/29/03-10/4/03-vacation
out sick
4/21/03
4/22/03
4/23/03 (2)
5/5/03
5/6/03
5/7/03 (2)
5/8/03
5/10/03 (matinee)
5/9/04–injury
(so that is a total of 11 missed performances due to illness out of 451 performances and 33 previews)
======
Mandy-parasol-
| Karen
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5/3/2002 | posted: 12/18/2004 at 6:31:33 PM ET
Yay, for Chip! I just noticed that he posted in the ATC thread, pointing out the facts about Bernadette's attendance record. It's so important to keep things straight, because history has a tendency to be rewritten, and then forever misremembered, unless people are vigilant.
Geez, I just realized I sound like I'm talking about the Holocaust or Stalinism. LOL. Okay, so maybe this isn't the most important thing ever, but still...even the little things in life deserve to be remembered the way they really happened.
| jmslsu01
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Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 12/19/2004 at 11:01:11 AM ET
quote:
because history has a tendency to be rewritten, and then forever misremembered, unless people are vigilant.
Or disremember,as the President would say.
And Ethel Merman did not have a perfect attendance record. The lady burst a blood vessel in her throat during the Gypsy run,for cryin' out loud! This is not casting aspersions on the poor lady,since it wasn't a secret,but the "perfect attendance" thingy is a myth. Imagine-Ethel Merman was human.
Jenn
|  Chip1012
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Registered:
7/13/2003
From:
Boston | posted: 12/20/2004 at 4:04:48 AM ET
I just had to post that on ATC.
Let me just say I think this NY Times article is shallow (as Jean said) and so unnecessary. It will prove to be nothing but hurtful for Ms. Murphy and all the peformers it discusses.
Everyone knows their attendance records (if you keep up with the message boards, as I think a lot of us do).
It does bring out a good point though-about how Merman would do a new show every year. To have the kind of record she had (and Carol Channing I believe did not miss a single performance of Dolly), you have to build up a special kind of stamina. This develops from working every season.
You can't expect to take 2 years off and then go to the olympics, right?
Does what I'm saying make any sense?
It's just a different time.
"The child is so sweet and the girls are so rapturous. Isn't it lovely how artist's can capture us?~" Sunday in the Park with George
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 12/20/2004 at 8:46:28 AM ET
quote:
Does what I'm saying make any sense?
Sure. And if backstage at many of the Broadway houses is as filthy as others have said,all that dust and mold can really cause problems.
Jenn
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