HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: gaujxl@samhain.fnma.com (Jacob Lifshitz)
Subject: Re: Les Mis plot question..
Organization: Fannie Mae, Washington, DC
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 12:25:24 GMT

In article <1992Jul21.003612.7090@ddsw1.mcs.com> whos@ddsw1.mcs.com (Ben Feen) writes:
>In article <l6b8afINNgc0@news.bbn.com> ahsiung@labs-n.bbn.com (Anita Hsiung) writes:
>>Scott McElfresh writes:
>>>Nora writes:
>>>> Then again, I have
>>>>always regarded Marius as one of the biggest twits in musical theater, so
>>>>this may have something to do with my view on the subject. Anyone agree
>>>>with me about the 'twit' reaction?
>>>
>>>Hmmm, I have always said that Cosette was one of the most boring characters in
>>>musical theater. 
>
>I agree. BIGTIME.  Fer the love of God, _Gavroche_ was better developed.
>Personally, I would have ditched Cosette for Eponine in about .02 seconds...
>Am I alone in this?  Did anyone else think 'Ponine was better than Cosette?
>
I too agree about Eponine, but I wonder if her character would be as strong 
without Cosette.  It is the contrast that makes one character shine over the
other.

Kobi
From: rjones@CORNELL-IOWA.EDU ("Rick Jones")
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: h/h
Date: 24 Jul 92 17:19:00 GMT

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Date: 24 Jul 92 10:46:00 CST
From: "Rick Jones" <rjones@cornell-iowa.edu>
To: "theatre-post" <theatre-post@world.std.com>

Joe:

Hope my comments may have helped a little.  There's nothing mystical
about "h/h": just shorthand for "his/her".  Sorry for the confusion.

Break a leg.

Rick
From: zitt!joe@dogface.austin.tx.us (Joe Zitt)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Directing Yourself
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 23:42:39 CDT
Organization: Metatron Press / Human Systems Performance Group, Austin, TX

tmd@austin.lockheed.com (Tom Davis) writes:

> I've done it 3 times so far, and the only time I've been successful
> was when I had someone stand in for me during the blocking and early
> rehearsals, which let me get a whole-stage view of things from the
> house. Then, at about lines-off time, I moved up onstage and took over
> from there.

Fortunately, I remain in one place, at a lectern, throughout the piece;
the other five do the actual dancing. I'm finding that the hardest part,
even when I'm looking right at them, is seeing what they're doing as I
recite the text. Fortunately, other members of the cast have been willing
to read the text in scenes where they'd be offstage. This has made it a 
>lot< easier to get a view of things.

--
"Go to an extreme and then retreat to a more useful position"  --  Brian Eno
Joe Zitt 	       ...cs.utexas.edu!kvue!zitt!joe  	       (512)450-1916
From: horne@amcl5.math.stolaf.edu (Charles C Horne)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Les Mis plot question..
Date: 21 Jul 92 07:14:50 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.1992Jul21.071450.4599
Organization: Paris Opera House

In article <Brq2BD.40D@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> ylnwai@cayley.waterloo.edu (Newton Wai) writes:
>	Personally, I found that every Eponine I've seen is prettier than 
>Cosette (her name reminds me of the term "coset" in Modern Algebra :-) ).
>Just by listening to "On my own" made me prefer Eponine to Cosette.
>
>	However, is the Eponine in the original novel as lovely as the one in
>the opera? And how is the original Cosette?
>
Good lord no.  I dug out my copy of the novel and found where they introduce
the adult Eponine.  She is described as follows:

It was a pale, puny, meager creature, nothing but a blouse and a skirt 
covered her shivering, chilled nudity.  A string for a belt, a string for a 
headdress, bony shoulders protruding from the blouse, a blond and lymphatic
pallor, dirty shoulderblades, red hands, the mouth open and sickly,
some teeth missing, the eyes dull, bold, and drooping, the form of a misshappen
young girl and the stare of a corrupted old woman...

Later her voice is described as being 'like a drunked convict'.  A couple pages
later:
And as if she were alone, she hummed snatches of vaudeville songs, light 
refrains made dismal by her harsh and guttural voice.

Not exactly how Frances Ruffelle sings the part, but I'm not complaining.:-)

As for Cosette, she is basically just as much of an air head in the novel,
maybe even more so (if you can imagine that).

O.G.
"Oh God it's high, this songs too high"
	---Forbidden Broadway Volume 2
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: myrab@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (myra.bronstein)
Subject: Re: Stars and refunds
Summary: Stars and refunds
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 21:33:34 GMT

In article <tvpm5l@lynx.unm.edu>, bevans@carina.unm.edu (Mathemagician) writes:
> In article <4pyxakp@rpi.edu> garrem@vccsouth16.its.rpi.edu (Matthew Olsen Garretson) writes:
> >...no one with
> >a clue would want to pay to see an understudy (unless they know it's a really
> >good understudy). Maybe during the stars' vacations, the show should just be
> >put on hold. They could extend the run to make up the lost $$.
> 
> I couldn't disagree more!
> 
> Oh, I'll admit that billing a star will do nothing but help a show and
> I do often go to see something because a certain person is in it, but
> I won't *not* see a show because the star isn't performing that night
> and it's the only night I can...

"Jelly's Last Jam" is one show I can't imagine seeing with an understudy
in the Jelly roll (sorry, the show title lends itself to cheap, 
obvious puns).  There would be no point seeing it without Gregory Hines.
This is an extreme example because "Jelly" is unusually dependent 
on the star, and Hines is unusually talented.

Being Hines' understudy in this show must be the most thankless
job in the world.  The man *no one* wants to see.

In fact that very Hinesunderstudyphobia resulted in one of my more
amusing collective non-verbal experiences.  Probably a real snooze
to read about though.  Hadda be there kinda thing.

The first time I saw "Jelly," an announcer came on the public address
system prior to the show and said "Ladies and Gentlemen, at today's
performance, the roll of..."

At this point there was a *very* audible intake of breath from every 
last person in the theatre as they waited for the dreaded news,
then the p.a. speaker finished:

..."bla bla (NOT Hines' roll) will be played by bla bla."

Upon hearing that the understudy wasn't Hines, again every 
last person in the theatre *very* audibly exhaled in relief,
then after a second when everyone noticed what had
happened, the entire audience burst into laughter which took a 
few seconds to die down.  I'm sure the laughter was a combination 
of the relief and the fact that it was such an obvious shared feeling.

Myra
From: bprofane@netcom.com (Gert Niewahr)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Directing Yourself
Date: 23 Jul 92 20:16:35 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)

In article <26kcoB2w163w@zitt> joe@zitt (Joe Zitt) writes:
>I'm in the tricky position of directing a dance/theatre performance that
>I appear in (and also wrote, scored, designed, etc, though those aren't
>significant to this problem). For those who have done that: How do you do
>it? It's difficult to see/hear the scene from the audience point of view 
>when you're in the middle of it.
>
>Any tips?

Yes.  Don't do it.  The whole purpose of a director is to have the
perspective of being outside of the piece.  You just can't do it
from inside the show.  Also, trying to keep track of what the other
performers are doing will keep you from properly developing your
own character.

The fact that you're doing everthing else and probably taking
tickets at the door only makes it worse.  You are going to have
ZERO objectivity about a show you created and are directing and acting
in.  One of the reasons so much "performance art" is terrible is
that there is no one to tell the creator/performer "No, that's not
working" with the authority to force changes.  And they, for the
most part, only have to keep track of themselves onstage.  They
aren't trying to mesh the work of a lot of other performers,
usually.

Historically, of course, there were no directors and shows were
created pretty much as you're doing it.  I'm talking about the
actor/manager companies that were the norm for most western theatre
up to the beginning of this century.  The lead actor of the troupe
essentially directed the shows, but all they usually did was tell
everyone else to get out of their way.  Blocking consisted of the
company lining up against the flats and taking turns going
downstage to give their lines.  We've come a long ways in terms of
"authentic" theatricality since then, and one of the major
innovations that has aided this is the role of the director.

It's a real bitch to give up control of your precious creation, but
you just have to.  No matter how talented you are, what you're
doing is a recipe for disaster.
From: joe@zitt (Joe Zitt)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Directing oneself
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 92 23:25:06 CDT
Organization: Metatron Press / Human Systems Performance Group, Austin, TX

rjones@CORNELL-IOWA.EDU ("Rick Jones") writes:

> So I'd offer three suggestions:  1). work everything out on
> paper before rehearsals.  Use models, graph paper, anything that will
> help you visualize the stage.  So get blocking worked out early.  

I've spent the past week doing just that. My script is starting to look
like a football diagram :-).

> 2). think a lot about how your character responds to what other people are
> doing... concentrate even more than usual on staying in the moment and
> reacting.  If you find yourself going in a direction you don't want to
> go, chances are it's the cues (in the broad sense of that term) you're
> getting from the other people on stage.  I know this is true for
> acting -- how well it translates to dance, I couldn't say.  

Interesting: these two would at first seem to contradict each other,
recommending planning everything yet being on my toes. After I thought
about it, though, they are compatible, and helped me look better at
what I could and couldn't plan.

> 3).  find someone, ANYONE, to sit out front and give you (privately) h/h
> comments.  This needn't be someone who knows a lot about
> theatre/dance, but it *does* need to be someone who is comfortable
> enough with you to say "that scene sucks bilgewater" if in fact it
> does.

Hmm... I'll have to track someone down. What does "h/h" mean?
--
"Go to an extreme and then retreat to a more useful position"  --  Brian Eno
Joe Zitt 	       ...cs.utexas.edu!kvue!zitt!joe  	       (512)450-1916
From: sasaer@unx.sas.com (Andy Ravenna)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Guys and Dolls Question...
Date: 23 Jul 92 14:00:53 GMT

Hi Netland,

I got to see Guys and Dolls about a week before it opened whilst Sarah 
(somebody) was playing one of the leads.  From what I've read, she was 
fired and opening night, Jose played that role... Does anybody know the 
full scoop ?  I'd be really curious to hear how somebody who labors 
through previews, gets canned on opening night !

Thanks,
Andy.

PS. I LOVE my G & D CD !
-- 
################################################################################
                 ##                                    ##
    Andy Ravenna   ##  "Some really clever or unusual    ##  SAS Institute Inc.
 SASAER@UNX.SAS.COM  ##                                    ##  SAS Campus Drive
       X-6120          ##        remark in quotations..."    ##  Cary, NC 27513
                         ##                                    ##
################################################################################

Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: KYWILSON@APOLLO.DAVIDSON.EDU (Kyle Wilson)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Cats
Date: 24 Jul 92 19:29:00 GMT

Does anyone out there have/know where I can find a copy of the libretto to 
_Cats_ online?  Thanks.

================================================================================
"Take your dying with some seriousness,  |   Kyle Wilson
 however.  Laughing on the way to your	 |   kywilson@apollo.davidson.edu
 execution is not generally understood   |   kywilson@davidson
 by less-advanced life-forms, and        |   P.O. Box 2166     
 they'll call you crazy."  --R. Bach     |   Davidson, NC 28036
================================================================================

Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: zitt!joe@dogface.austin.tx.us (Joe Zitt)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Directing Yourself
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 92 16:32:31 CDT
Organization: Metatron Press / Human Systems Performance Group, Austin, TX

bevans@carina.unm.edu (Mathemagician) writes:

> One thing I would have greatly appreciated in all of these instances
> is a video camera to tape the rehearsal and go over it.  That way, I'd
> be able to "let go" a bit and still be able to critique the rehearsal.

Good idea! I do have a video camera, and intend to try this out. Thanks.
--
"Go to an extreme and then retreat to a more useful position"  --  Brian Eno
Joe Zitt 	       ...cs.utexas.edu!kvue!zitt!joe  	       (512)450-1916
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: aku@leland.Stanford.EDU (Andrew Chia-Tso Ku)
Subject: Re: Hines / Jelly
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 21:41:40 GMT

In article <EeQ4UHm00io4IEdWxJ@andrew.cmu.edu> Anish Bharat Bhimani <ab4n+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>Does anyone know how long Gregory Hines plans to continue in "Jelly's
>Last Jam" and, also, what the ticket situation is like? Any info would
>be greatly appreciated.

I've heard that he has a one year contract; the show began previews in
late March.  It might be worth keeping in mind that he could take
vacations during the run, though.  I don't know if the people at
Telecharge could or would tell you in advance when he'll be away
(and there's no direct line to the theatre's boxoffice).  If he takes a
leave of absence, it will be obvious in the print ads, since his name
and picture will disappear from the ads for the duration.  

I don't believe it sells out every performance, but it has come close.
I attended a weekend performance last month, and that performance sold
out. 1/2 price tickets weren't available that weekend but I have a strong
suspicion that they may still be for early-week performances.

Andrew
From: larry@bradley.bradley.edu (L. D. Stratton)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: theatre software
Date: 30 Jul 92 14:09:01 GMT
Organization: Bradley University


   I'm in need of some suggestions for theatre software in the
   areas of CAD for set design and lighting design.     I have
   two leads in lighting:  Lightright by Roscoe and ARGUS by
   San Francisco Theatrical Supply ($500.)  Price is not a 
   factor at this time.

   The only requirement is that it reside on a Mac/Apple but
   that could be a Quatro950 if necessary.

   HELP!
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: rubin@watson.ibm.com (Bill Rubin)
Subject: Re: Guys and Dolls Question...
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 16:29:38 GMT
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

In  <1992Jul24.133111.11100@leland.Stanford.EDU>  aku@leland.Stanford.EDU (Andrew Chia-Tso Ku) writes:
> Curiously, Josie DeGuzman had the experience of being fired from a show
> herself, when she was dismissed during previews of Nick and Nora.

That's interesting, I didn't know that (not that it was a big loss for her
not being able to put N&N on her resume :-) ).

I recall that the first time I saw Josie DeGuzman in a show was in the
Broadway production of Runaways by Liz Swados (this was back when Swados was
starting out and doing commercial type stuff as opposed to the experimental
stuff she is doing today, and as an aside there was a picture of her in the
NY Times or NY Magazine a few weeks ago and boy did she look awful).
Anyway, I don't believe that she was in the original version that was done
at the Public Theatre (back when THEY did commercial quality stuff and not
the really bad stuff (with some exceptions) that they've been doing lately).
Anyway, I recall that they beefed up the Broadway cast of Runaways with some
professionals, including Ms DeGuzman, and Diane Lane, who now does films.

-- Bill rubin@watson.ibm.com
From: murray@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu (Thomas Murray)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Directing Yourself
Date: 28 Jul 92 15:15:39 GMT
Organization: The Institute for the Learning Sciences, Evanston, IL

In article <#4lm5bd.bprofane@netcom.com> bprofane@netcom.com (Gert Niewahr) writes:

>> Do you see any self-directed
>> shows above the semi-professional level?

This is too tempting to pass up!  

John Leguziamo recently performed his one person show SPIC-O-RAMA in
Chicago at the Goodman theatre (won Tony for regional theatre) lab
space, and later at the Briar Street Theatre for several months.  I
believe the show is in New York now.  Anyway, he wrote, directed,
produced, performed, everything.  And it was very successful from what
I hear.  I never saw it.  I couldn't get tickets.  Since this is a
one-person show, maybe the normal "rules" about directing yourself
don't apply.  One the other hand, Lily Tomlin was directed in her show
SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE...

I am also aware of a director at a professional summer stock theatre
in Indiana who regularly appears in about half of the productions in
the 3 play, 4 musical season.  And the roles he sometimes takes are
the leads, as in father in LIFE WITH FATER.  While I would never say
that he achieves new artistic heights, I would say that the shows seem
reasonably succesful.  I know in his case, he sometimes steps off the
stage, and says the lines from the house, forcing the actors to talk
to air.  I've never seen or heard the actors grumble about this, but
it would seem very difficult to do.

-tom
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: rjwill6@pbsdts.sdcrc.pacbell.com (Rod Williams)
Subject: Benefit Perf. of "Jeeves Takes Charge" in SF
Originator: rjwill6@pbsdts.sdcrc.pacbell.com
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Francisco
Distribution: sdnet
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 21:07:14 GMT

FREE THEATER TICKETS!

Edward Duke, the actor performing in the critically-acclaimed
one-man-show, "Jeeves Takes Charge", at the Marines Memorial
Theater in San Francisco, has offered to give a special
performance of the show, to benefit Project Inform, on this
Sunday, July 26, at 7:30 pm.

Project Inform is a highly-respected, San Francisco-based
organization, founded by Martin Delany, that publicizes,
monitors and carries out community-based clinical trials of
experimental AIDS treatments (I hope I got that right!).

Because of very short notice, Project Inform have been unable
to sell all 650 tickets, and have asked for help to fill the
house on Sunday evening!

Call Bill Rosen at 415/558-8669 (and tell him you heard about
it from me!) if you'd like to attend.  Project Inform will
ask people for contributions at the performance, but the
tickets themselves are free.

The Marines Memorial Theater is at 609 Sutter (at Mason).

Thanks!

-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
rod williams -=- pacific bell -=- san francisco -=- rjwill6@pacbell.com
From: golds_ss@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Stuart S Goldstone)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Andrea McArdle in EVITA? (was Re: Evita Recordings)
Date: 21 Jul 92 16:23:43 GMT
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore


	I've heard that Andrea McArdle (ANNIE from the original Broadway
production, and on the original Broadway cast recording) is going to be
in a production of EVITA somewhere in New Jersey.  Does anyone have any
more information on this?  Thanks...
-- 
         Stuart S. Goldstone	      |      "Christianity is like a shoe;
Internet: golds_ss@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu |	       if you don't fit into it,
       BITNET: golds_ss@jhuvms	      |	        we cut your toes off!"
         GEnie: S.GOLDSTONE1          |
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: bevans@carina.unm.edu (Mathemagician)
Subject: Re: MUSIC THEATRE PROGRAMS
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 14:28:28 GMT
Organization: Society for the Preservation of E. coli

In article <1992Jul29.123828.1@kean.ucs.mun.ca> kskinner@kean.ucs.mun.ca writes:
>Hi, a friend of mine graduated recently with a music degree and is
>interested in a career in music theatre - the performance end. If
>anybody has any information on any schools, particularly in Canada and
>the United States, that offer a good Music Theatre program could you please
>mail it to me at the above email address.

I'm going to post this as I think the rest of the net might be interested.

What area, specifically, is your friend looking for?  Music?  Lyrics?
Being up on stage singing this stuff?

San Diego State University has what I consider to be a wonderful
two-year program leading to a Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre.
It covers a lot including directing and interning at a theatre, but
focusses mainly upon actually performing onstage (you're in voice
class and dance class every semester and must be in the shows.)

I think the University of California at Irvine also has an MFA in
Musical Theatre program, but I can't recall.

However, what with the state of the economy of California being what
it is (the state didn't send out checks...it sent out IOU's), you
might be a bit cautious of California at this time.

However, in-state tuition for grad school at a Cal-State school is free
(at least it was at the time I applied as was rejected...but see the
above paragraph as a warning as to whether or not this will change)
while out-of-state tuition + room-&-board in '91 was something like
$6-7000.

What you might want to check is the _Peterson's Guide_ to Graduate
Programs.  It has 6 volumes broken down by major discipline (the Arts,
Sciences, Law, etc.)  They should be able to give you an idea of what
colleges offer what programs, what the costs are, some idea of what
the student body is like, when applications are due, who to talk to,
etc.

-- 
Brian Evans                |     "Bad mood, bad mood...Sure I'm in a bad mood!
bevans@carina.unm.edu      |      I haven't had sex...*EVER!*" -- Virgin Mary