Haines His Way

What, you don't make your own mayo?  

I have made it, but really prefer Best Foods.  

I played for a minute - back to work.

I meant to post this yesterday and then forgot.  In yesterday's New York Times Arts and Leisure on one page there was an ad for an Audra McDonald concert at Lincoln Center this week.  On another page there was an ad for an Audra McDonald concert at Carnegie Hall next week.  And on a third page there was an ad for Audra McDonald in A RAISIN IN THE SUN playing eight times a week this week and next week (and beyond).  Ms. McDonald is excellent in RAISIN (and also Tony nominated).  Is it fair for audiences to see her understudy just so she can make concert appearances.  And is it fair to continue featuring her name in the ads when it is known that she will not be appearing regularly for at least the next two weeks?  Does the Equity contract require so many "vacation days"  for a show with a limited 11-week run?  If her concert appearances were previously arranged didn't she have an "out" clause where she could reschedule them after RAISIN's limited run.  Ms. McDonald is one of the most talented performers on Broadway today, but her unwillingness to commit to every performance of a play (health willing) for such a limited run is a disgrace.  I realize that she is not the only one of the current Broadway performers to take off on a regular basis, but these ads coming page after page certainly make it the most blatent display of clack of ommitment I can ever recall having seen.  Are people who buy tickets for RAISIN at least informed of this?

I don't know how Ms. McDonald's contract is structured, but I suspect that she had her concert obligations well before her "Raisin" run (and that the producers were aware of them). Rescheduling a concert would probably not be feasible (her co-performers have other commitments too!).

As to how fair this is: well, it's unfortunately part of what it takes to get a star. I can't imagine that Audra's getting big bucks for "Raisin" (esp. considering her co-stars with bigger name appeal), and often the only way to nab a star of that caliber is to accomodate other commitments. Irish Rep had a similar problem with their production of "Finian's Rainbow," where Melissa Errico had to cut out before the run (actually, I think she might have finished the original planned length, and just left before the extension). I don't know that the people coming to see "Raisin" are primarily motivated by Audra's performance, but I would imagine that, since her name is above the title, theatergoers could transfer tickets for another performance if they wanted.

Ideal? No, but your alternative is for Audra to cancel or reschedule a concert commitment (which I would imagine carries a very high cost), or for "Raisin" to have a lesser cast. The producers of "Raisin" (again, going on the assumption that they knew of her schedule beforehand) decided that having Audra on for most performances was better than someone else going on for all of them.

A friend in NYC - has informed me that the iconic Miss Allison Hayes in the guise of her 50 Foot Woman persona is being featured on the sides of busses extolling the virtues of a telephone co?

Have any metropolitan HHW'ers seen these ads....Allison would be pleased, I am sure by the recognition, although she never realized her ambition of performing St Joan on the New York Stage.

I must be off to do errand in Medford.  Not my favorite place to go, but I do need things for my big trip coming up next month.  I’m looking for a dual voltage flatiron for my hair.  If I can’t find one today I will have to order something online.  Keith just ordered a new digital camera that is about the size of a deck of cards.  I think I’m beginning to get excited now.    

I don’t have time to list my favorite songs but I’m sure they have all been named by now.

We returned a little while ago from a long (Victoria Day) weekend in tornado territory. (Yesterday, two tornados touched down outside Stratford, Ont.)

I just finished catching up on three days of posts (reading them in order). Welcome and Welcome Back to our New Faces.

Speacking of New Faces ('52), I've always liked "It's Raining Memories." Other rain-song favorites include "Right as the Rain" (Bloomer Girl), "Don't Rain on My Parade" (Funny Girl), and (a stretch?) "I've Got a Rainbow Working for Me" (Darling of the Day).

Kurt Weill songs? There are so many wonderful ones, among them, Surabaya Johnny, Mack the Knife, A Stranger Here Myself, The Alabama Song, Lost in the Stars, and September Song.

Best of health vibes to DR Emily's grandmother.

(DR Panni - I just sent you an e-mail.)

Elan---
What I find most upsetting is that the producers of RAISIN are still advertising her.  They should have a line in the display ad stating "Audra McDonald will not be appearing on this date and this date".  I have seen that done occasionally (all initial LaMANCHA revisal ads listed the dates that Stokes had prior commitments) but it seems to be the exception rather than the rule.  This is known as "truth in advertising", and to advertise a star as appearing in a show for performances when it is known that he or she will not be appearing is really not the truth.

DR JRand, you might be interested in the poster for a show which recently visited Philly: Venus Attacks.  I haven't seen it, but it's received good reviews.



You can view a full-sized image at www.societyhillplayhouse.com

Fav Kurt Weill:  Speak Low

Some Rain Favs:  Rain by Frank Sinatra; Raindrops by Dee Clark (Did Dee Clark ever have another hit?); Blue Rain; The Wind & The Rain in Your Hair

Charles,

Ignore the Juliana's Journel link.  Got to the main page of HHW http://www.haineshisway.com/community/ and go to the big heading below the Daily Discussions.  That is where you will find the current entries of Juliana Journal.

There was math involved in that movie???

Well... One plus One... plus a hot day... plus no A/C....

Unfortunately, all shirts stayed on here today...  Ah, well...

Also, unfortunately, it now looks like part of the kitchen ceiling is starting to cave in.. well, more like fall out.  Initially, you could tell that the latex paint was holding everything in - like a bra for lack of a better mental picture - but as the hours have gone by, you can - well, I can and the repair man - see that the dry wall has actually "fallen" and is being held up in place by the latex paint.

He "thinks" he fixed the problem with the A/C, but since he doesn't deal with structural stuff, he's not really sure just how much longer the ceiling will be saggin, leaking and dripping.  He also said there could be anywhere from 1 to 20 gallons up there right now.  We were presented with the option of going ahead and opening up a larger hole so that everything could drain, but if there happens to be a LOT of water up, that course of action would not be a good thing.  But, then, of course, that part of the ceiling could end up falling in sometime sooner... or later..  UGH!... Ah, well...

I did get out for lunch with my friend Mike.  We headed over to Great Wraps - good, but just good.  Then I walked him over to the French bakery across the street which he hadn't been to before.  He had an "alummette" - puff pastry, vanilla pastry cream, strawberries and almonds; and I had a slice of the very decadent Opera cake - chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!!! -And then I got a few almond macaroons to go.  

Jrand: If I see the ads on a bus, I'll take a picture of it for you. I have my camera with me at all times, though I must admit, I rarely use it.

Elan, it's lovely to meet you and I hope we hear a lot more from you in the days, months and years to come. And it's always nice to have another New Yorker on this here site that seems to be swamped with West Coasters. I concur with TCB or whoever suggested it--we need a roll call.

WEL: I don't know about Carnegie Hall, but at the Met, singers are booked 4-5 years in advance. I'm sure when Audra was hired for RAISIN the producers knew she'd have to miss. As unfair as it might be to the audience members of RAISIN (who, by the way, would still get to see two of the three headliners), wouldn't it be equally unfair to the people who planned to see Audra in a solo concert if she rescheduled so she wouldn't have to miss RAISIN? Let's face it, Broadway stars don't make a tenth of what TV and movie stars make, even when they're being paid $100,000/wk (which she's not). I can't really blame Ms. McDonald for trying to make a few extra bucks when she can. And, unfortunately, Broadway doesn't hold the place of esteem it used to in the entertainment field anymore, so it makes business sense for her to be pursuing other branches of the industry. Should the producers give fair warning? Yes. Should her manager pay closer attention to her dates? Yes. Is this "trend" going to change in the near future? No--it would appear that this is the new face of the Broadway star--and we can either accept it and continue to enjoy live theatre, or get flustered over it and taint our experiences. I'd prefer to accept it and move on.

OK - Time for our younger readers and posters to cover their eyes...

There was math involved in that movie???

What I should have said is:

Well, if you're dealing with inches, isn't that math?

 
 
 
 
 

Behave yourself, Jose.

Society Hill Playhouse! Dan-the-Man,  eons ago...early eighties...they did a production of my 1930's mystery/comedy, Whodunnit, Darling? ( A title I have always hated, by the by...but we could never come up with anything better).  I wrote it with Larry Drake.  Very Nick and Nora. Lots of clever conversation over cocktails and corpses.  Played several dinner theatres and community theatres.

Some reviews (not from the Philly production):

"...this comedy/mystery moves along smartly...The clues in the play come as fast as the barbs...It's the rapier-witted repartee of the 30's written in the eighties..."

"The wry comedy-mystery...revives the notion of fashionable felons and flatfoots...quite an enjoyable work..."

"...bright, fast-paced and eminently entertaining..."

"The show just seems to sparkle..."

Charles,

I would love to read that play.  Who holds the rights to it?  Samuel French?