Shia LaBeouf & Alec Baldwin to Lead ORPHANS on Broadway

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Ugh. I can't stand LaBeouf.

[Blockhead24]

Apparently Shia LaBeouf has backed out due to "creative differences"
https://twitter.com/ditzkoff/status/304295177198125057

[newintown]

Is anyone surprised? 2 actors with reputations for difficult behavior... one of them was likely to cut and run.

Interesting that ibdb identifies this as an "original" play, given that it's been around since 1983, there's a movie, and every college and amateur group with three guys has done it.

[Borstalboy]

This was an interesting mix of people to begin with:

Dan Sullivan, generally perceived to be one of the most laid-back directors around.

Alec Baldwin, temperamental but professional with a genuine dedication to the theater, little patience for f**k-ups.

Shia LaBeouf, chaotic, no theater experience to speak of.

ORPHANS can be a very satisfying play if done right. Baldwin seems perfect casting...hope all ends well.

[The Josh]

I'm interested to see who they bring in to replace him.

[newintown]

Remember that Jan Maxwell skated out of Entertaining Mister Sloane back in '09 because of Baldwin's hijinks. (I'm not implying that Baldwin had anything to do with L'affaire LaBeouf.)

[ucjrdude902]

They've contacted Jon Groff, wanted Andrew Garfield but Spiderman put a stop to that.

[FindingNamo]

I hope Jan and Shia can do a production of "Legends."

[EricMontreal22]

Shia has a pretty sketchy rep as well--I wouldn't lay this on Baldwin. I love the play--and have a (partly unfair) hate-on for Shia, so this makes me want to see it more.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Yeah, I'm gonna say it wasn't Baldwin's fault. Even if it was, I couldn't care less, I'm just glad that LaBeouf has nothing to do with this production at this point, good riddance!

[tazber]

^^^^
Me too. LaBeouf skeeves me out.

[RippedMan]

Because Groff will sell tickets?

[peachesr82]

I said this in the other thread but I've never heard anything particularly good about LeBeouf and anyway Tom Sturridge was probably going to act rings around him, he's a really gifted little stage actor.

[everythingtaboo]

@thecampaignbook creative differences pic.twitter.com/d8xvV2Hr

[everythingtaboo]

@thecampaignbook "acting has become a profession of the genteel class" - David Mamet pic.twitter.com/GC8AMKNs

[Jordan Catalano]

Is that first email a Maya Angelou poem?

[SporkGoddess]

Was the creative difference that they wanted LeBeouf to actually act?

[Kad]

Are those melodramatic, flowery emails legit?

[Matt Rogers]

A certain Post reporter is going to have a freaking field day with this one.

[tazber]

Highly doubtful.

[uncageg]

Jordan, I am falling out laughing.

I was not crazy about seeing LaBeouf onstage. Guess that is taken care of.

[willep]

They are from Shia's official twitter, so take that as you may. He also posted a link to a video of his audition for Orphans.

[Wildcard]

Well, those email images came off Shia's official Twitter account. I suppose as legit as that can get.

[willep]

NY Time says it was because of his "performance choices."

I wonder what the "disagreeable situation" was...the emails make it sound like something between Baldwin and LaBeouf...surprise, surprise...
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/shia-labeouf-withdraws-from-broadways-orphans/?smid=tw-nytimesarts&seid=auto

[EricMontreal22]

"Because Groff will sell tickets?"

And Shia would? As I said, I'm no fan, but whatever fanbase he had seems to be increasingly disappeared. His last few hits have not been hits because of his name...

Those emails are hysterical. Who's Sulyboy? And I must remember to never eat steak served by Shia (ironic given his last name).

[Leadingplayer]

Shia just tweeted a NY Times story about Baldwin's fight with Jan Maxwell.

Shia's mad!