Equity Principal Auditions/Chorus Calls next week for GREASE Revival Tour

MrE1111 · Guru

Equity Principal Auditions/Chorus Calls next week for GREASE Revival Tour

shell8422 · Veteran Member

interesting....I'm interpretting this as neither Max or Laura will be touring OR they need to re-audition???

MrE1111 · Guru

Even when you have a big star doing a role in the tryout and will bring it to Broadway, there has to be a round of auditions as a formality.

But GREASE is no CURTAINS, and Max/Laura are no David Hyde Pierce/Debra Monk. The release leads me to believe that all the roles are up for grabs.

Zuko Fan · Member

where did you find this audition notice??

Hello799 · Senior Member

MrE1111 wrote:
Even when you have a big star doing a role in the tryout and will bring it to Broadway, there has to be a round of auditions as a formality.

But GREASE is no CURTAINS, and Max/Laura are no David Hyde Pierce/Debra Monk. The release leads me to believe that all the roles are up for grabs.

I understand that all the roles are up for grabs, but I would think that if anyone from the current production auditioned for the role that they are playing, that they would get it.

MrE1111 · Guru

You'd be surprised. The original cast members of A CHORUS LINE had to audition for (and didn't necessarily get) the parts that were actually based on their lives.

Laura Mom · Senior Member

I would say at this point that nobody's ruled out and nobody's "ruled in" for the Grease tour. Even if Max and Laura or others of the current cast think they would like to tour they would have to be offered contracts that also hold terms they are willing to accept. Being offered the contract is step 1, getting terms they're willing to accept is part 2. It seems these things take months which blows my mind. I don't understand how people in that industry can play the audition game for so many weeks and months. Who lives like that in any other industry?

-- Edited by Laura Mom at 22:55, 2008-04-03

DogsandBirds · Guru

Guess that is why they say, "There's no business like show business!"

MrE1111 · Guru

Jane - one of the many reasons why I've never had the inclination to become an actor was exactly that. You rehearse and rehearse, same thing over and over, and then you get on stage and do the same thing over and over and over for at least 6 months. I don't have the patience! My friends who are actors all enjoy that aspect and can't see where I'm coming from. Fortunately, I can't see where they're coming from, so we're even!

Laura Mom · Senior Member

I have corrected my previous post as I meant to say how can anyone play the "audition" game for weeks and months. The rehearsal part and performance part months on end I can understand because I've watched someone like Laura who loves it so much. But the audition game--my goodness--weeks and months of an audition process with tons of waiting in between....meanwhile no job...meanwhile New York level expenses....how can people do it?

-- Edited by Laura Mom at 23:00, 2008-04-03

greatwhiteway · Senior Member

But GREASE is no CURTAINS, and Max/Laura are no David Hyde Pierce/Debra Monk. The release leads me to believe that all the roles are up for grabs.

Really? Could not tell by the recent ticket sales....Max and Laura seem to be doing quite well.

MrE1111 · Guru

I meant that they're not nearly as well known as David Hyde Pierce.

DogsandBirds · Guru

Laura Mom wrote:

I have corrected my previous post as I meant to say how can anyone play the "audition" game for weeks and months. The rehearsal part and performance part months on end I can understand because I've watched someone like Laura who loves it so much. But the audition game--my goodness--weeks and months of an audition process with tons of waiting in between....meanwhile no job...meanwhile New York level expenses....how can people do it?

-- Edited by Laura Mom at 23:00, 2008-04-03

They have day jobs. They do anything and everything to make ends meet and they save while they are working for the lean times. They struggle and survive!

They answered that question in the show, A Chorus Line, in the song, What I did for love. You have to have a passion and a determination to get anywhere in this business. A thick skin doesn't hurt either!

-- Edited by DogsandBirds at 03:35, 2008-04-04

greatwhiteway · Senior Member

I meant that they're not nearly as well known as David Hyde Pie

On Broadway, I'd say they are more well known.

MrE1111 · Guru

Not on the Broadway in NYC.

greatwhiteway · Senior Member

If you polled the country more people would know who was starring in Grease than Curtains...if they even knew Curtains was on Broadway...in NYC, that is.

MrE1111 · Guru

Not in this Country.

Ray · Senior Member

Here's a wrinkle that may fit this discourse.....

I saw the show on Valentine's Day, Feb.14. Anna received no applause at her entrance, which was understandable. I expected the high-energy, packed house to erupt at Max's entrance. But there were only 3 or 4 scattered, single claps, which died instantly. So there was my hero, suddenly without the aura of a star about him. I could see him dig in, determined to show all present who was boss...and indeed he did, even getting a couple of house laughs, no mean feat in this dim-witted production.

I asked an usher about it later, and she said that sometimes he does get entrance applause. So it appears that the audience is shifting from a Max/Laura audience to a Grease audience. I would assume that this applies only to NY, and not at all to the vast untapped nationwide market.

DogsandBirds · Guru

I saw the show in January. Neither Laura nor Max were given entrance applause, but the audience did like their performances and seemed to like the show in general.

Ray · Senior Member

Same here. The audience gave a very enthusiastic, sitting ovation at the end.

MrE1111 · Guru

The Max/Laura crowds are gone. Everyone who wanted to see it has. If they're lucky, they'll get a "Best Revival" Tony nomination by default, since it's the 4th show and there are 4 slots.

And regarding a "sitting ovation" - incredibly surprising, considering even the worst shows get standing ovations.

Eris · Guru

"And regarding a "sitting ovation" - incredibly surprising, considering even the worst shows get standing ovations."

I've seen a lot of "sitting ovations" lately. I had to start the standing ovation when I saw Grease in January. And even then it was only a few people who stood. Not a single person stood when I saw Chicago and I had to start the standing ovation for Hairspray as well. Also at Drowsy Chaperone in November.

I don't know if people don't want to the first one up or what but I've been seeing a lot of people not stand in recent months.

MrE1111 · Guru

You're talking about shows that have should have closed long ago (Chicago, God bless it for being such a cashcow, I wish I had $$ invested, but the production by now is so extremely tired...same as Hairspray. Drowsy Chaperone was very underwhelming during its final weeks, as well.)

Nad · Senior Member

Well... I an from Canada and ask me about Grease cast (Laura and Max and I know them) but do not ask about David Who???????????????????????????????

Ray · Senior Member

"Audience" is a singular noun and becomes a single entity when sufficiently captivated.....

I went to Baltimore on Friday to see "Romeo and Juliet" (the opera). At the end of a beautiful performance, the audience gave a tumultuous, rapturous, standing ovation, lasting for some minutes, screaming and shouting "Bravo!" from the farthest reaches of the house. The matter of who would stand first never entered the mind. IT stood and cheered!

A note of interest.....I happened to pass a theater in Baltimore called The Hippodrome, which houses touring shows. The marquee read... Lou Diamond Phillips in Camelot ... WOW! Camelot is still out there, charming audiences and making money!

MrE1111 · Guru

Funny, I just watched Romeo et Juliette on PBS this afternoon.

And regarding Camelot - it's been on tour for the past year or so, started with Michael York, Rachel York (no relation), and Jim Barbour (who's finishing up a 90-day engagement at Rikers Island, unfortunately). I guess Philips is leading the tour now.

I do know the NY Philharmonic will be staging a week of performances in early May, to be broadcast on PBS May 8, starring Gabriel Byrne, Marin Mazzie, Chrisopher Lloyd, and Fran Drescher.

I'll take 20 revivals of quality theater like Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, and Camelot in rotating rep, no problem.

Eris · Guru

MrE1111 wrote:
Jim Barbour (who's finishing up a 90-day engagement at Rikers Island, unfortunately).

60-day

MrE1111 · Guru

Same difference. And let's not get that debate started.

Laura Mom · Senior Member

Can Grease really be classified as a standing ovation type of show? You may be surprised to hear ME ask that, but as has been discussed so many times here--it's fun, it gets your toes tappin' and you're smiling throughout, but is it greatness? I doubt few would say so. The rich, rich stories of some of the newer musicals make some of these older simple stories hard to compete in the "greatness" vein. But gosh, like we've all said--we're still having a heck of a lot of fun with Grease--that's what Grease is! I don't care if they don't stand up, people had fun being there (for the most part at least) and enjoyed a fun, entertaining show. And Mr. E., I don't think the fans from the TV show are all done coming yet. We have over 20 coming from here again in a couple weeks and high schools and colleges are still heading out over their spring breaks to see it. I think warmer weather might bring more fans to New York yet this spring too. I would agree that it's very unlikely it will be as voricious as the crowds were last fall, but I don't think it's done yet.

Nad · Senior Member

What makes the strength of Grease is the music, hapiness that you feel when you watch it... Hey if it is not greatness it is not far... The show exist since the beginig of the 70`s and still working 30 and more years later....

Nadia

GREASE IS STILL THE WORD!!!!!

stlgreaser · Veteran Member

When in New York I was amazed by how there are no standing ovations. At grease, they bow so quickly as soon as I stood up, I was told to sit down so the people behind me could see the finale and right at the end I stood back up because I was just awestruck at Laura after I had watched and voted for her so much.. And Legally Blonde, oh how I loved that show, I was in the Mezannine and when they had all taken a bow, I just had to stand, I didnt care about anyone behind me.
It just cracked me up because here in St. Louis at the Fox Theatre and the Muny (and even local school productions) there is ALWAYS a standing ovation and everyone is on their feet before the leads even come out - all 11,000 people at the Muny (for those that dont know its a large outdoor theatre located in Forest Park) ; I guess the theatres are just different everywhere.

karidaberixx · Senior Member

every broadway, off-broadway, regional, college, high school, and camp show i have gone to has had a standing ovation at the end. as a fellow performer...i would feel rude not standing. actors deserve to see that they did an awesome job and that the audience appreciated all they did.

the only time i have ever seen a standing ovation DURING a show wasn't in one of the big shows i've seen (wicked, phantom, etc), but during altar boyz. after ryan j. ratliff did "epiphany" (those who have seen the show know what i am talking about lol), the whole crowd stood up. he was AMAZING!

i believe every show deserves a standing ovation. i really don't understand why people won't stand for grease any more. when i went, the entire audience stood up for the finale. my friend and i were dancing and singing like crazy with the rest of the teenage girls. max, laura, and the rest of the cast totally deserved it.

i'm going to see jersey boys on sunday!!! sorry...i just had to put that out there haha

bottom line...STAND UP! hahaha

Argh · Member

karidaberixx wrote:
every broadway, off-broadway, regional, college, high school, and camp show i have gone to has had a standing ovation at the end. as a fellow performer...i would feel rude not standing. actors deserve to see that they did an awesome job and that the audience appreciated all they did.

the only time i have ever seen a standing ovation DURING a show wasn't in one of the big shows i've seen (wicked, phantom, etc), but during altar boyz. after ryan j. ratliff did "epiphany" (those who have seen the show know what i am talking about lol), the whole crowd stood up. he was AMAZING!

i believe every show deserves a standing ovation. i really don't understand why people won't stand for grease any more. when i went, the entire audience stood up for the finale. my friend and i were dancing and singing like crazy with the rest of the teenage girls. max, laura, and the rest of the cast totally deserved it.

i'm going to see jersey boys on sunday!!! sorry...i just had to put that out there haha

bottom line...STAND UP! hahaha

This is actually one of those things that bounces around in my head every now & then ....should there be a standing O for every performance of every show? In some ways in my mind, it parallels the concept of tipping at a restaurant regardless of the level of service....should you do it or not?

Being a performer with hundreds of amateur & professional shows under my belt, I look at the basic applause after a show as the obligatory tip for going out there & working hard. If however, an audience member is so moved by a performance that they simply can stay in their seat, they jump to their feet and viola!! A standing O is born (kind of like a really big tip for superior service).

Personally I appreciate a standing O more when I dont get one every night. It shows that the people really mean it and did not feel obligated to stand. Performers on stage can definitely tell the difference between a forced standing O and one that is born of sheer exuberance.

I dont see it as rude not to stand and I actually think it is a bit presumptuous of a performer (me included) to expect the audience to rise to their feet even if they were not terribly moved. If on the other hand, a standing O is deserved, then it most likely will happen spontaneously.

Just my thoughts.

Nad · Senior Member

I am in row g orchestra and I hope they are going to have an ovation... I have not seen the show yet but I am sure they deserve it....

Nadia

Hello799 · Senior Member

Nad, go to the show and if you enjoy it and thought the performers were awesome, then go ahead and stand and make some noise!!!!!!!!!!!! They will appreciate it, regardless of what anyone else is doing. (Be prepared to stand, you are going to LOVE the show)

-- Edited by Hello799 at 18:00, 2008-04-10

Ray · Senior Member

To stand or not to stand.....that is the question.
Here's why I think there was no standing ovation at the end of the Feb.14 performance of GREASE.
Danny and Sandy have an arguing scene near the end of Act 1.

If my memory serves me (from an earlier performance), Laura's fragile character does negligible damage here. But Anna's stronger, no-nonsense approach turned it into a serious, adult confrontation. The house-mood went from laughing and giggling to serious and silent, and it never recovered fully. There were certainly no more house laughs. The first act finale, "We Go Together", with Max's cute bits, seemed inappropriate under the circumstances.

Act 2 has no such pitfall and went better. Anna is a strong belter, though not a virtuoso singer, like Laura and Lindsay. She has some rudimentary acting skill, but her emotional system does not engage in any of her work. She has nowhere near the effectiveness of Laura...except in the finale, where she carried over her same character and behavior, adding just a touch of sexiness. This made Max's reactions seem real, spontaneous and believable.

However, it was too little, too late, to create enough exuberance and joy in the audience to bring them to their feet. The show had a heaviness that I think is misplaced in Grease, and I can't help but trace it back to that arguing scene.

-- Edited by Ray at 07:49, 2008-04-11

DogsandBirds · Guru

Ray? Are you talking about Grease? Who is Anna? Arguing scene?

LauraFan1 · Senior Member

DogsandBirds wrote:
Ray? Are you talking about Grease? Who is Anna? Arguing scene?

I think Ray is referring to Anna Aimee White, one of Laura's understudies, correct?

Laura Mom · Senior Member

Ray, you lost me too. Even if you were discussing Laura's understudy I didn't understand what point you wanted to make. Want to clarify for us?

MrE1111 · Guru

I assume the arguing scene he's referring to is the one before the first act finale. And I assume Anna referrs to the understudy. I think the point he was trying to make was that the audience reaction varies by the way the roles are performed.

Nad · Senior Member

Ray I haven`t seen the show yet... you lost me please could you clarify... Maybe it could help me understanding the show more....

Nadia

MrE1111 · Guru

There are different ways to approach roles. Some people can play a role tough as nails, others can play the same role as sad and forlorn, others can play it as a comic scene stealer.

Ray · Senior Member

Sorry..... I thought everybody knew that Anna was Laura's No. 2 Understudy on her vacation week. Anna's third and final performance was on Thursday, Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, which is the performance I attended.
We had been discussing standing vs. sitting ovations. If I had a point, I suppose it was...what makes an audience react as it does at the end of a performance?

The "Romeo and Juliet" that I saw in Baltimore had the audience so deeply involved emotionally that when the young lovers were finally dead, the audience just had to stand up and go berserk for a while. Similarly, at the end of the final preview of Grease, which I saw, the audience was so excited, enthusiastic and joyful, they bolted out of their seats and cheered wildly! But much has changed, and it was unrealistic to expect the same spark seven months later.

Ray · Senior Member

My post above, which starts with "To stand or not to stand...", got sidetracked into a review of sorts. I clarified it a bit. Sorry for the confusion.

-- Edited by Ray at 07:56, 2008-04-11

Laura Mom · Senior Member

Very interesting to read Ray, now that I understand what you're talking about. I hadn't heard anything about Laura's understudy the week she was gone from anyone on here so that was an interesting comment. An understudy can't help but bring their own uniqueness to a role and it can also cause the rest of the cast to respond back to that uniqueness in a slightly different way too--indeed altering at least to some degree the scene as a whole. Would anyone with acting experience care to respond--is being an understudy anything like being a substitute teacher? Is it hard to find your OWN way? Are you more nervous so that could also diminish your effectiveness? I don't know about those things. I know times I've seen an understudy and thought to myself, "How could the regular person be better than THAT person I saw?" I thought they were absolutely great in the part. But at least on a couple other occasions I've seen an understudy and felt like I probably really missed something--they just didn't do that great of a job in the role. Personally, I think it would be hard to be an understudy and jump in (especially on short notice) and really rock the part.

DogsandBirds · Guru

There is NOTHING like being a substitute teacher - a very difficult job indeed! At least the understudies get a chance to rehearse with the cast of characters they work with, not just thrown into a room with as many as 33 students, all interested in nothing you have to say.

I only wish that students respected substitutes the way the cast does understudies!

Nad · Senior Member

I used to be a substitute medical secretary at an hospital and often they would ask me to go at one department (that you do not know anything about and have a clinic with 6 or 8 doctors with 30 patient average by doctors it is like crazy and I am a perfectionist so ... but now I`ve got my own department and every time I have to be replace I make sure the replacment knows the basic....

All that to say that beeing an understudy must not always be fun... because everybody wants you to be like the one you replace... but you cant

Nadia