^ You mean, there wasn't an announcement before the show started? There's usually an announcement, a posting outside in the lobby on the cast board and (sometimes) a little slip of paper tucked inside the Playbill alerting audience members of any cast changes, *especially* those concerning a lead character/performer.
would someone tell me, who Raven is? I don't watch much TV I guess but who is she.......and am I missing the second coming if I don't see her in the show? I really didn't enjoy it the first time.
If you don't watch sitcoms, you've missed her career. She started out as a series regular on the Cosby Show when she was five years old and hasn't stopped since.
Oh, there was a slip and it was on the board. The issue is most people had no clue who Deloris was. They just didn't see the name Raven and didn't hear an announcement.
Remember the Merm's advice to Stritchie when she was about to take Call Me Madam (a demanding role, whether you think so or not) on the road: "You can play my part, Elaine, but you gotta live like a f**kin' nun!"
Something a lot of young performers, or those from the world of TV don't get - you have to take care of yourself when you're not on stage. No partying, watch the personal appearances, stay in shape. If you're doing that, you don't need an alternate for a role who sings and talks less than Mama Rose.
What's with all this "Ooooh, here we go!" crap? The woman is sick. People get so catty when people miss shows. I mean, yeah, I would have been majorly disappointed too if I went to just see her, but why think it's the role that's killing her? Maybe she's handling the role just fine, and she's just not feeling well. It's just unfortunate that she has to miss a performance or two. I don't think the producers are regretting their decision after only one performance absence so far...
I think people here forget that actors are actual human beings who can get sick, like anyone.
@blacktie- I hope that was a joke or sarcasm...or else you really can't read. The post before you says clearly that Patina was out sick so her attendance record was not perfect.
Patina tweeting about feeling ill and "looking forward to a day off" sounds like she was continuing to perform despite feeling ill and would rest on Monday or whatever night the production is dark.
TheLadyoftheWood...have some class about yourself.
Patina definitely missed performances. Vacation and illness related. Her record was still very strong though. It was months before she actually missed a show.
Patina gave over 200 performances before she missed her first show in New York. Performances started in March 2011. She didn't miss a performance until November. And that was her scheduled vacation.
She took two vacations, and her absences beyond those were less than two weeks worth of performances. She was nothing if not a consummate professional. And to highlight the quote from Merman that newintown posted, she said several times how she lived very carefully during her run, including exercise, a strict diet, avoiding alcohol, etc.
Instead of suggesting most shows get an alternate, maybe composers can go back to writing memorable, singable tunes rather than bombastic pop songs that have to sung over over amplified music.
Patti LuPone said Andrew Lloyd Webber hates woman and is a masochist, but clearly he's not the only one. Many scores today shred voices.
I've seen the show 5 times, including London and each time I saw it, Patina was fantastic. She has such a presence, and such energy. Felt bad for her when she wasn't feeling very well the last time I saw her in the show, but she was a trouper. She's human like the rest of us.
Thanks...I assumed she'd taken a few vacation days but I didn't know if she ever called out due to illness. I thought she may have been shooting for perfect attendance throughout her run a la Sean Hayes in "Promises, Promise."
I think Bettyboy's point are well stated regarding how scores are composed and the strain of blasting over huge orchestrations and ever-increasing amplification.
Some people think folks are beating up on Raven. Perhaps so. Perhaps not. Those of us of advanced age, like myself, who have followed Broadway closely for several decades don't recall a time, like now, when leading actors were missing performances so quickly into the run. I think Bettyboy's theories play a role, but I also believe it's a case of underdeveloped technique. Many stars whose primary work has been film or television (especially if they didn't start out in the theater) simply don't understand what sustaining a leading role in a big musical requires. Broadway is the closest thing we have to the Olympics.
Some people with bigger box office potential are not necessarily built for the job. Whether or not any of this applies to Raven-Symone, I cannot say. I think many of us here are simply reacting to a growing trend.
It all goes back to that aforementioned quote from Miss Merman.
Deloris should definitely have an alternate. Yes Broadway is an 8 show a week job, but composers these days aren't composing at all well for the voice. Belting up in the stratosphere, is just as taxing on the voice as classical singing, but producers aren't allowing the recovery time required for singers. After singing high in the voice for an extended period, it's only natural that the vocal folds are going to be swollen, as such that is why classical singers are given at least a day or two before another performance.
I saw Patina in both London and New York, and actually was stunned by how much her vocal technique had declined when seeing her in February. High notes were strained, she had enormous tension in her neck and jaw and she genuinely seemed to be in discomfort. It was a shame, because in London she was simply sensational and was vocally spot on. I kept on thinking "An alternate doing two shows a week would have stopped this happening".
I saw the matinee on Wednesday on a field trip. My class went to get souvenirs at intermission, and we asked the employees where raven was. They said she had not done a performance since Sunday and they had no clue why she wasn't there. Even though our school may have been upset that we would not be able to see one of our role models we had grown up with, we realized Rashidra was more experienced with the stage. She was fabulous, I couldn't even deal with it.
Jordan while i do not personally see her as a role model, she has been a young star who has stayed out of trouble, never has a major shortage of work, and she has never been ashamed of her status as a curvy woman.
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Posted: 4/5/12 at 07:33am