Yes , I scroll thourgh it also. The posters on that site have this high and mighty view of themselves and at times can be very nasty to others.  I have learned never to "listen" to what is being said. They seemed to hate Wicked  and Legally Blonde  and they are hits. They like Three Penny Opera and I thought it was the pits(biggest waste onf my money)

We'll late the haters go there and the lovers come here! Lovers have more fun!

If you haven't followed this whole saga - and felt like a part of it - it's hard to appreciate what L & M have already accomplished and how immensely talented they both are. 

This reality show audition process is so different from the usual casting mrthods.  It's easy to sit on the sidelines and sneer.  Yet, I know what Laura and Max bring to their roles and how they keep getting better and better under pressure.  It's a joy to watch their growth and their success. 

I can't get too upset with the theatrical traditionalists because this casting process was truly radical.  In the end all will see that, against all odds, it has worked beautifully.  Broadway will have two new stars.

I am both amused and understanding of the people who post so ridiculously negative on the board. I like a discussion that includes both positive and negative angles on any situation but many of the posts on that board are ridiculous. I would get annoyed if they weren't so entertaining, and transparent. The latest victim is Max now. They truly cannot give him a chance because he has attained the greatest prize that can be aspired to in their profession....and has not had to take the years, long, TRADITIONAL, arduous route  they did, in their eyes. That is hard to take for some people.

I think there was a quote from Max in an article that said something like - The nicest people you will meet on Broadway are the actors that are working and the meanest ones are the ones without jobs.
Something like that.
I would not worry about what they say and I know that Max does not dwell on it.  He is having the time of his life and cannot wait for the show to open.  Not so that he can show off, but to get to doing what he was born to do and that is to perform.
Max does not have any grand hopes of the critics being kind and that is okay.  This cast is extrordinarily in sync and are having so much fun, that the naysayers really don't matter at this point. 

I like Edwardian. Such a pleasant way of saying things! Also I might add that Andrew LLoyd Webber took a lot of similar criticism when he cast Maria in the Sound of Music in London via reality TV.  He and David Ian both spoke out afterwards saying something to the effect that it was hard to argue with the ultimate results.  Theatre seats were filling will thousands of new theatre-goers, which meant more actors worked longer, more orchestra members had work, more techies were employed.....bottom line...lots of people benefited as did "theatre" as a whole industry. And another ironic thing about the nay-saying argument is that they seem to imply that somehow Max and Laura just coasted in on a luxury liner!  Not quite! Every person on GYTOTIW talked about how grueling it was, how long, how sacrificial in some cases (even moving a wedding date), and most of them said they'd never do it again.  At the same time, I know many people who have taken and are taking that more "traditional" route of auditioning and auditioning for roles in New York and fighting that grueling battle.  Neither is a picnic.  Both deserve incredible respect.  Max and Laura had to go up against the whole country (not just other New York actors) and won.  It is hard to give much validity to any argument that somehow implies they don't deserve to be there. I think Max is probably right--those not working are the main ones with a bitter taste in their mouth.  And they're in an extremely competitive business where every audition they're up against hundreds of others and only one can win. Many, many times over the years I have said to Laura, "That is the way this industry is!  You will face it constantly. A day may come where you just can't stand it any more.  That's the day you go look for new work. Don't begin to hate what you have so long loved."  If I could, I would say the same thing to those who maybe are becoming embittered by the process. The industry and competition are NOT going to change and it is indeed vicious.  If you are losing your love of the industry, your love for others, and maybe even your joy in life itself, it may be time to get out.  This is why such a relative few survive having this job as a lifetime career.  My hat is off to all of them!  I could never do it!

Jane, Stan and Edwardian, I admire the three of you and the tone you bring to this forum. Your postings are consistently articulate and gently phrased as well as informative.

Jane and Mrs. N, thank you both for the compliments.  I also enjoy both of your posts tremendously and appreciate your contributions.  It took me awhile to find this board and to make the switch over from NBC.  I really enjoy the mature level of discussion that you all have here.

One of the qualities that I've appreciated in both Laura and Max is the level of humility with which they've travelled this path.  I've seen no sense of entitlement or resentment when things don't go their way, but a true willingness to accept criticism and to learn from it.  They don't seem to get frustrated and want to quit when things are rough, but buckle down and get determined to make themselves better.  That's a great indicator for long term success in even the toughest of industries.

So eloquently expressed. I agree that the humility that I saw expressed by Max and Laura during the whole process was one of the things that brought me back to watch GYTOTIW week after week,that and they are so increibly gifted.
When the panel of judges asked them to make changes they made them. Some of the others said that they would but never really did. One of the moments that will be forever etched in my mind it during the finale when they announced Laura and Max as the winners. In each case though they were ecstatic they both took time to comfort their friends who didn't win. This to me is the mark of a true professional, the ability to enjoy your success but to recognize how you got where you are and to be sensitive to those around you. I think an attitude of true humility will go a long way to melt hearts that are hardened and cold. It is a quality that draws people to us and allows us to share with them all that we are. If we really look at it closely the fact is that anything that we have
friends, family, love, talents gifts all of these things were given to us by God and without His help we could do nothing.