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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2016 8:55:17 GMT
I'm not sure what this is about. But performers are human beings and don't have superhuman capabilities. If they can go to work, they will. If they won't, they won't. You do realize that they are doing this for a living and not just for sh*ts and giggles, and that they won't get paid for shows they miss, right? Yes, Jennifer Hudson did not miss a single show, which is fantastic for her and for the paying audience. But it would also be okay if she did miss a show. People have such gripe with Heather missing shows in London. She is a very proud performer, and if she was capable of going on, she would have.She's a mother with a toddler and had to relocate to a new city after absence from performing in a theatre nightly for over a decade. It was probably a stretch for her to perform this nightly and it probably challenged her silly and kicked her ass.
I'm not being an apologist, but people who treat her absence as the crime of the century is stupid, especially considering how she gave 150% when she was on and exceeded any performance by mediocre performers who are normally on the West End. Whilst I agree with what you are saying and that she was brilliant in the role (though not as good as Beverley in my opinion) we must also highlight the fact that this is her job. She knew what she was signing up for going into the role, including the relocating whilst having a child etc... and even had alternate days to accommodate both the role and her life. She was probably paid a huge sum of money and didn't deliver what was required of her a lot of weeks of her run whilst both Beverley and Alexandra had amazing track records in the show. I believe neither one missed a single performance of their respective runs?
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Post by Steffi on May 11, 2016 9:05:57 GMT
Beverly definitely missed a few performances due to illness (I remember people moaning on Twitter because they had "paid to see her" - the usual stuff). And that's totally fine. She's human. She was probably paid a huge sum of money too (money doesn't mean you aren't allowed to get ill though).
Heather is just human too. Yes, it is her job and I'm sure she was aware it would be a challenge when she signed up for the show. But she can't know in advance how the job and everything else (relocation and so on) will affect her health / her voice and so on. I'm not saying she didn't have a bad attendance rate. She definitely had. But it would be nice to not jump on that every time her name is mentioned.
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Post by ali973 on May 11, 2016 9:08:37 GMT
I don't agree that Beverley was better. They can perhaps compete when it comes to singing, but there is no way in hell a rookie like Beverley could compete with a Tony award winner, Olivier nominee and Heather's acting chops and Northwestern drama training, being one of the finest musical theatre programs in the US.
And I'm sure everyone can relate to making career choices that have challenged us and made us feel that we were not up to the role and not able to deliver-despite being well compensated and having a great supporting team. Seems like a very typical professional experience. I certainly can relate to taking work assignments that have proven to be much larger than what I thought I can handle and having moments of "I don't think I signed up for this."
That aside, yes it is her job and missed often and I'm sure felt like crap for not attending. But I'm sure she wasn't paid for not attending, either. Seems fair? Let's not forget that performing is not exactly saving people's lives, and making mistakes and missing shows is not like a drunk doctor operating on a sick patient.
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2016 9:12:10 GMT
Beverly definitely missed a few performances due to illness (I remember people moaning on Twitter because they had "paid to see her" - the usual stuff). And that's totally fine. She's human. She was probably paid a huge sum of money too (money doesn't mean you aren't allowed to get ill though).Heather is just human too. Yes, it is her job and I'm sure she was aware it would be a challenge when she signed up for the show. But she can't know in advance how the job and everything else (relocation and so on) will affect her health / her voice and so on. I'm not saying she didn't have a bad attendance rate. She definitely had. But it would be nice to not jump on that every time her name is mentioned. I am not usually one to go on the whole "Heather missed, lets hate her" bandwagon. I saw her once, she was good, that was enough for me. Whereas I saw Beverley and Alex multiple times because I enjoyed their performances a lot more. 
Also, completely agree with what I have highlighted in particular... I wish people would use this sentiment with other actresses in the West End in all honesty.
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2016 9:45:24 GMT
Was lovely to see they gave Jennifer the final bow on her last show as opposed to Cynthia. |
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Post by southstreet on May 11, 2016 10:38:24 GMT
I am not dissing Jennifer's track record at all, I am glad she was on all the time, though as previously said by many, I wouldn't judge her if she missed some shows, she is only human.
She definitely didn't disgrace herself, her singing was as great as I expected it to be and her acting was a mediocre as I expected it to be. But I still came out really disappointed in her performance due to her complete and utter lack of sexiness, which, as far as I am concerned, is quintessential for Shug Avery. Her movement was just so awkward and stiff, it just didn't work and that coupled with the mediocre acting just made me really dislike her take on the role. And it's not a look thing (Jennifer is a beautiful woman), it's a being able to act and move like a sexy, confident woman which Jennifer just couldn't do. The vast majority of the audience didn't care, but then they don't care about the acting ability (or lack thereof) for lots of highly rated performers, Kerry Ellis and especially Beverley Knight are prime examples of that.
So in a lot of ways it comes down to personal taste, if a great voice is all you need to enjoy a night out at the theatre (and there is no judgement in that statement), then JHud will have been fabulous for you, if you require someone to be able to act as well, then Heather Headley is a very welcome replacement. :-)
Anyway, this time in five weeks I will be sitting in a queue outside the theatre (or just be on my way there) to hopefully see Heather and (by then Tony-Award winner) Cynthia, cannot wait. :-)
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2016 5:13:25 GMT
Saw this today as I made it to NY in time to catch a matinee (such a shame this show isn't selling out, I got sixth row stalls 20 minutes before curtain), and I was hugely impressed. There will be no justice if Cynthia doesn't win the Tony, she was flawless.
Heather was off and her second understudy (whose name I've unfortunately forgotten!) was on. For someone who's probably had a handful of performances in the role at best (it might even have been her first show) she was fabulous. All the cast were brilliant, what a fantastic production.
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Post by ali973 on May 15, 2016 5:23:00 GMT
Here's a bitchy article by Reidel on the New York Post where he praises Headley and also for absolutely no reason whatsoever dissed JHud. I honestly think it has to be search engine engineered so that it would automatically get more hits and readership simply because its anti-Hudson. Actually, very little in the article specifically singles out Hudson. Titles are normally written by the editors and not the writers themselves, correct? nypost.com/2016/05/12/the-color-purple-will-only-get-better-without-jennifer-hudson/ |
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Post by horton on May 15, 2016 8:13:44 GMT
I'm doing my very best to see this- the cast look and sound amazing! I think HH's presence may well tip the balance for a Tony revival win.
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Post by Mark on May 15, 2016 10:57:51 GMT
Saw the show last night.
Headley was out (planned concerts) but her understudy was excellent.
What a performance Cynthia is giving!! Incredible and I only hope we are lucky enough to have her back in the West End in the not too distant future. I'd be very surprised if she doesn't win the Tony.
Danielle Brooks - such a well deivered and comical performance! Loved her.
The show itself has its flaws, moments of wow and moments which aren't so strong.
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Post by ali973 on May 20, 2016 14:48:19 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2016 16:34:17 GMT
That looks like her face has been photos hopped onto someone else's body
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2016 17:46:01 GMT
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Post by ali973 on May 23, 2016 3:45:12 GMT
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Post by westendwendy on May 23, 2016 13:18:47 GMT
Now THIS needs to come to the West End!
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2016 14:52:28 GMT
Now THIS needs to come to the West End! YESSS!! Please! I think it would do well in a theatre like the Noel Coward |
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Post by ali973 on May 23, 2016 19:05:54 GMT
I don't remember if I responded to hopeful wishes of a West End transfer, but I think we could be as cynical about CP registering with London audiences the way we question Hamilton's London appeal.
CP means a lot to Americans. Especially African American mainstream, which is the majority of the audiences at the CP, in stark difference to the other audiences attending Broadway shows. The novel and film are a big part of African American consciousness across generations, and the film has iconic lines in AA lexicon. It made a star of Oprah and young Whoopie Golderg. When I saw the original tour in Chicago, heaps and heaps of church congregations (not your everyday Broadway theatre-goer types) were arriving in big groups to see it. The demographic that is keeping CP going in America would see Tyler Perry theatre, not not Broadway theatre, and yet they are the ones who are keeping the box office alive.
Danielle Brooks, now a rising star because of Orange is the New Black and JHud were only the icing on the cake to add name recognition and making it "hot" to the younger crowd. But the title alone, and big Mama O's endorsement to the production is enough to make it a hit. (Is Oprah producing this production too or was she just producer in the original Broadway version?).
I just don't see it having such a wild mass appeal if it were in the West End. It did well at the Menier because of the size and because it's the Menier. I don't see the show having such a huge mass appeal if it will cross-over to the West End and have the automatic buy in the US has.
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Post by ali973 on Jun 2, 2016 14:52:16 GMT
She sounds great
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Post by bren on Feb 12, 2017 23:08:43 GMT
Any idea if there are plans to bring this to the West End?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2017 23:15:37 GMT
Any idea if there are plans to bring this to the West End? I hope so but would need to be done in an intimate theatre |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2017 23:16:12 GMT
Baz would have tweeted.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2017 23:18:08 GMT
Does he usually tweet rumours then as well as confirmed transfers? |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2017 23:19:54 GMT
Yes, unconfirmed plans are also tweeted by Baz. They don't all materialise. It's what his tweeting fingers were made for.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2017 23:28:53 GMT
Any idea if there are plans to bring this to the West End? Cynthia's been very open about the fact that she doesn't see herself doing the show again (which I guess is no surprise after doing the Menier and over a year on Broadway), so I suspect not given she was John Doyle's only choice to play Celie on Broadway... If they were going to transfer the Menier production to the West End they would have done it ages ago, but they chose to take it to Broadway instead, and it's now won Tonys and a Grammy, so I doubt they think they could top that by redoing it in the West End! |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2017 23:34:14 GMT
But if it's been winning TONYs and Grammys abroad, wouldn't that be an incentive to move it into a playhouse in London like the Noel Coward, Harold Pinter or Duke of Yorks?
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