for love or money
 

Paige, also known as "He's soooo dreamy."

Old Broadway
 

She hasn't been getting rave reviews at all - everyone has been clamoring that she's too weak for the role, and that she's nearly exhausted by the end. She's already missed several shows for being "sick".

They were PRAYING she'd win the Tony to give the show some legs [she didn't] because the show costs something like a 1/2 million a week in production costs, and already, 1/2 the tickets are being sold for 1/2 price at TKTS.

That being said, although I loathe Broadway I'm tempted to see this one to see how my friends and the critics can be so far apart on this one.

My Rec - Go see La Boheme.

not7y("sucks" is too good for Rent)S

for love or money
 

I couldn't tell from the clips they had of her whether or not she had any personality though. She is clearly gorgeous and she exudes confidence. Just not sure if she has any substance.

n(which is better than Kelly, who I AM sure has no substance)cs

Old Broadway
 

The last time I was at the Met, at the end a bunch of tourists rose to their feet and someone yelled "sit down, this isn't Hairspray". Which was decidedly un-Met-like behavior, but made me laugh.

for love or money
 

She seemed quite neat.

for love or money
 

Neat, aside from the mustache. Am I the only one who sees that? Maybe it's a shadow.

Art Cooper, GQ editor, dies
 

This is the FB, so it seems appropriate to note his passing here. The man had an interesting career; he was an editor at both Penthouse and Family Weekly.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2003Jun9.html

Old Broadway
 

I read a Times review that was more than generous before buying tickets. I think after early preview showings, critics panned her, but after last month's opening, they reversed course. Hell, even the latest article about the lack of Tony success says the show will do fine.

"Despite the direction of Sam Mendes, a darling of the theater because of his production of "Cabaret"; despite the star power of Bernadette Peters in one of the greatest roles ever written for the musical theater; despite many reviews that proclaimed Ms. Peters's performance a psychologically nuanced revelation, Ms. Peters and the rest of this revival left Radio City Music Hall empty-handed after the Tony Awards Sunday night.

Although the show suffered from bad buzz before it opened, many critics agreed that the final result was a pleasant surprise. In part the show was hampered by Ms. Peters's absences because of illness; The New York Post suggested that she had shown up to perform selectively: for critics and Tony voters. The suspicions created some ill will along Broadway.

But many theater veterans predicted that the awards would not affect the show's sales. They also said that Ms. Peters's performance during the Tonys of the showstopper "Rose's Turn" — which brought the audience leaping to its feet — would sell tickets by itself. In addition Sunday night's award for best actress in a musical was a way to reward a newcomer, Marissa Jaret Winokur of "Hairspray." Ms. Peters has already won two Tonys.

"Gypsy" started with an advance of $7 million. For the week that ended June 8 it had a gross of $816,907; "Nine," by comparison, brought in $644,377."

(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/10/ar...er/10TONY.html)

And I don't know how production costs could be as high as you say unless they're paying Bernadette a million dollars a month. The set is sparse and the rest of the cast is subpar.

Other reviews:

http://www.curtainup.com/gypsyny.html

http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater...01-gypsy_x.htm [Flawless 'Gypsy' sparkles under Mendes' hand]

TM

Poll...
 

"It's human nature to want to be famous, even if it's short-lived, and reality shows make it so much easier these days. "

The reality article notes above that it is our nature to want to be famous.

I think that is an interesting statement. I have no wish to be famous at all. I hate being on camera, can't stand when it is forced on me, and never really feel the need to have all eyes on me when I walk in a room.

All the more irritating because I am on camera all the time, which I repeat I cannot stand, and frequently speaking in front of large groups, which is fine but hardly fame inducing.

Do you want to be famous? Why or why not?

I don't want to be famous, I don't need the grief that seems to come along with it in our society. It is too much to pay, too much loss of privacy, too much of people disecting your life.

Just not for me.

for love or money
 

She didn't have one on the show, so it is probably just a bad picture with a shadow.

Poll...
 

I only want to be famous if it comes with enough money for me to buy a compound and hire lots of staff to keep away the paparazzi.

Being famous and poor would suck ass.

Poll...
 

In an artist/writer way, sure. In an actor/politician "every lurid detail of my life ends up on the front page of the National Enquirer," hell no. Like I want my family to know all that shit?

Old Broadway
 

Was it a Saturday matinee?

I won't go - even if its a sold out Levine-conducted Wagnerian - because of what I like to call the "Pennsylvania Soda and Chips" crowd.

They bus 'em in and you hear them cracking sodas and munching on chips the whole damn time.

not7yS

Old Broadway
 

At last night's performance, this NJ/Penn/CT/whatever woman two rows in front of me kept talking throughout the whole first act. The guy two or three seats over from her was from NY. Before the second act started, he leaned over to her and asked her not to talk for the next half of the show. She said something I missed. He blew up and said, "Listen, I'm not paying $100 a ticket to hear you fucking yap! So, shut the hell up and watch the damn show. I don't want to hear it." (that is all but verbatim.) She got one of those "well I NEHver!" looks on her face, but was silent for the rest of the show.

Thurgreed(you gotta love New York)Marshall

Old Broadway
 

She was not from CT. We are brought to the Nutcracker every year (no matter our religious denomination) as soon as we are old enough to toddle around in a frilly dress and by age six we're all appropriately mute at the theater.

Not boys, who stay noisy and obnoxious for years. So their parents never take them anywhere nice.