Steve Kazee -- In or out?

[saisai]

There's 2 sides to a coin. I've watched the show on 15 random dates and Steve's attendance has been 93%. Just sayin.

[ghostlight2]

"I worked on a show where one of the actresses would call out every other week for Saturday matinees because she liked to go out drinking with her friends on Friday. That is the kind of irresponsible crap I hate. "I don't feel like it" is very different than "I am deeply ill and if I perform I could injure myself or infect half my cast." "

Are you talking about an Equity actor, Kelly2? Because an on-going issue like that needs to be addressed by a stage manager, and would be, on Broadway. How often do you think that "irresponsible crap" goes on on Broadway, since you bring that up as an example?

Often many posters here (and elsewhere) seem to assume the worst, until shown otherwise. You yourself were all "get back to your show, girl" regarding Kazee, but now you've decided he's "commendable", now that you know the reasons. Laura Benanti was excoriated a few years back for frequent absences, until the truth eventually came out she was being treated for an injury that her producers forbade her to reveal.

Hell, even your highly-regarded Cerveris was bashed when he missed that Evita performance due to a late plane (people said he had no business traveling on his day off). Some people are just never happy.

All I'm saying is, could you maybe give these people the benefit of the doubt, unless you know better? They shouldn't have to reveal their private troubles or illnesses to the general public to make it "ok".


ETA: Thanks, dramamama!

[dramamama611]

{stands, applauding}

[quizking101]

If I remember reading correctly, Throughout Michael McKean's stage career, he boasted never missing a performance in any show him did until THE BEST MAN this year...when he was taken down by a car.

Now THAT's impeecable.

[Kelly2]

Ghostlight2, you seem to have interpreted my post in a really special way. When I said "Get back to your show, girl" I was joking, which was obvious since I was addressing broadwaydevil and inquiring as to whether or not he was Steve Kazee himself. The joke was that if he was posting on a message board, maybe he should get back to the theatre. It was just that, a joke. My criticism of Kazee stemmed from my own anecdotal evidence regarding his absences. Unlike some people on this board, when new facts are introduced to an argument, I'm happy to assess them and give credit where it is due. I don't really think that's a bad thing, but if you prefer willful obstinance then that's your deal.

As far as the incident I was referring to, yes, this was an Equity actor in a Broadway show. I don't think it goes on frequently, but it goes on enough that similar issues have been a topic of discussion on many a night out in the theatre district. Everybody's got stories about someone, I've heard many.

"Laura Benanti was excoriated a few years back for frequent absences, until the truth eventually came out she was being treated for an injury that her producers forbade her to reveal."

And you think most performances, like those mentioned in this thread named and unnamed, are missing constantly because of a serious injury that they are being forbidden to talk about? Come on. These are the exception, not the rule. And yes, if someone is absent frequently, I see nothing wrong with commenting on it, especially since people spent 100$+ to go see a show, sometimes only because they love a specific performer and want very badly to see them. There's no reason to demonize people for wanting to see the performer they love or the performer who won the Tony for their performance or whatever it may be.

I agree that it isn't fair to demonize actors who have an injury, illness, etc. that they cannot control. I have no problem eating my words and apologizing should I turn out to be wrong. I know others do, but it's not really anything I have an issue with.

"All I'm saying is, could you maybe give these people the benefit of the doubt, unless you know better? They shouldn't have to reveal their private troubles or illnesses to the general public to make it "ok". "

No one is asking anyone to reveal their private troubles every time they're out. Where are you getting that I feel like there should be a police squad questioning everyone who is even a minute late for half-hour? I'm referring to the types of cases brought up in this thread, for the hundredth time, regarding Amy Spanger in The Wedding Singer, Karen Olivo in West Side Story, and those who shall go unnamed that I have personally witnessed abusing their ability to call out over hangovers, boyfriend troubles, wanting to go on a vacation without telling anyone, etc.

Another example I heard from a well know director involved an actress who requested a day off and was not given that day off because of her past attendance and because some very important people were in the audience on that day. She faked sick, faked a doctor's note, and called out anyway. Pictures were later found on Facebook of her attending a friend's party. Oops?

[ghostlight2]

"Ghostlight2, you seem to have interpreted my post in a really special way. When I said "Get back to your show, girl" I was joking, which was obvious since I was addressing broadwaydevil and inquiring as to whether or not he was Steve Kazee himself. The joke was that if he was posting on a message board, maybe he should get back to the theatre.My criticism of Kazee stemmed from my own anecdotal evidence regarding his absences. Unlike some people on this board, when new facts are introduced to an argument, I'm happy to assess them and give credit where it is due. I don't really think that's a bad thing, but if you prefer willful obstinance then that's your deal."

I got the "joke", but the point being is that you did an about face when someone confronted you with the facts, and facts beat out "anecdotal evidence" (which are not facts) every time. I'm simply suggesting that you know the facts before you malign an actor.

"And you think most performances, like those mentioned in this thread named and unnamed, are missing constantly because of a serious injury that they are being forbidden to talk about? Come on. These are the exception, not the rule."

And you know this...how?

I don't know what to make of your bizarre assertion that I'd prefer willful obstinance. That sounds like an unwarranted personal attack.

"Sorry, rant over, but jesus, how hard is it for these two to show up? "

Apparently your rant is not quite over yet.

[someone.else's.story2]

I follow Steve Kazee on Twitter and he posted about an uncle passing away. Maybe that's why he was out. Regardless, he has an amazing track record of being there almost always. If he needs a night off, so be it.

[darion]

I saw one of laura dreyfuss's first performances this Summer and as I commented at the time was disappointed when I saw her name listed but she totally blew me away. She is a star in the making and should take over for Milioti when her contract comes up. I predict we will be talking about her as one of the truly great young talents as we once did about sutton and osnes.

[Visceral_Fella]

I wonder why Laura isn't on the website.

[ACL2006]

They haven't updated the cast list on the website. The two girls in the show(alternates), have changed, plus they've added Dreyfuss & two more understudies(Joe Carroll & Don Noble).

[mikem]

For what it's worth, I walked by the theater yesterday and the entire cast was in for the matinee.

I think part of the problem isn't the actors; it's the producers choosing not to tell anyone an actor has a planned absence. Michael Cerveris has only missed 1 or 2 performances in Evita that were unplanned, but he has missed several that were planned (for filming Fringe or other reasons). Cerveris apparently tweeted those dates, but there was nothing posted on the Evita website or on Ticketmaster for those performances. I know because I went to one of them.

The same is true for Kazee and Milioti. Some of their absences have been planned (vacation or filming) but the production doesn't tell anyone, so from the perspective of someone looking to see a particular performer, a planned absence equals an unplanned one.

And the actress who consistently called out because she was partying on Friday night is pretty foolish. She must be using up her sick days faster than she accumulates them. (Most Broadway actors get one sick day every four weeks.) And if she is below a certain salary cutoff, she would get paid for accumulated sick time when the show closes. Those are pretty expensive drinks she's having.

[Mildred Plotka]

For the record, Never-Miss-a-Show Cerveris was out of Evita when I saw it last month.

[wdwfreak]

^ I'm sure Michael's record was never called out. Vacations and scheduled days off were not taken in account. Michael has been out of Evita on scheduled days off for filming for the past couple of months.

[FindingNamo]

"I predict we will be talking about her as one of the truly great young talents as we once did about sutton and osnes."

Oh.

[ghostlight2]

"For the record, Never-Miss-a-Show Cerveris was out of Evita when I saw it last month. "

I do note your smiley, Mildred, but what wdwfreak says is true. Further, in his entire Broadway career, he has only had ONE unscheduled absence, the afore-mentioned one in Evita.

He does have a rich life beyond Broadway, though. The tv/films aside, he is a serious musician, and is in a band. He donates a great deal of his time to many benefits - but he schedules for all of it.

[steven22]

I don't understand why Girl has 2 understudies AND a stand by and Guy has 2 understudies...there must be logic behind it...?

[broadwaydevil]

ghostlight2- I think that was his point. Imagine all the people at the theatre when Cerveris was out (planned or unplanned) grumbling about how this Michael guy that plays Peron should really show up to work. People say those kinds of things every time and it highlights how ignorant most of the audience is about the reasons behind performers' absences and why performers call out.

[ElphabaRose]

Actually Guy has a standby and and understudy. They bumped Ben Hope up over the summer around the time they added Joe Carroll as a swing.

[ghostlight2]

"ghostlight2- I think that was his point. "

Hey, I noted the smiley, broadwaydevi! I was just clarifying. You and I are clearly on the same page here.

[broadwaydevil]

Gotcha :)

[Bettyboy72]

So who's this damn girl who parties too much?

[kikki327]

Once a performer uses their sick days, I was under the impression that if they miss a performance after that they don't get paid for it. Is this true? If it is then wouldn't actors only call out if they are truly unable to perform?

In Chad's case, I don't think many people knew the severity of his condition. His shoulder injury was unpredictable and if it flared up he was physically unable to perform due to the amount of pain he was in. Which is the reason he left Memphis and why his attendance was unpredictable for the last part of his run.

[dramamama611]

That's kind of the way sick days work for everyone. Sometimes, for really great employees, exceptions are made: they'll put it against future sick days - but it doesn't make a lot of sense since that just puts you in a hole. If you leave before you earn those days back, it gets deducted from your last check.

[Becks3]

rachel potter

[mmh1019]

I've seen Once twice and unfortunately missed Steve both times. The first time was the weekend his mom died, so it was an emotional performance from the whole cast. The 2nd time (Labor Day weekend) he had taken a vacation, and I just didn't hear about that in time. Ben Hope went on for both shows, and he was really really strong the 2nd time I saw it. The first time I think it was only his 2nd or 3rd time going on so he was visibly shaky & nervous.

[AC126748]

I saw the matinee yesterday and the full cast was in.