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re: Gates' odd mistake.

Posted by: FriendofDorothy 11:03 pm EDT 03/16/14
In reply to: Gates' odd mistake. - portenopete 06:37 pm EDT 03/16/14

Except for vacations, I think she also played all of the Broadway AGYG, 1147 performances. I know she took several vacations, one I think was a month. But she had no permanent replacement. Also, IBDB lists no standy/understudy for her (and it does list other understudies & replacements, so I don't think it's an incomplete record).


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re: Gates' odd mistake.

Posted by: AlanScott 12:17 am EDT 03/17/14
In reply to: re: Gates' odd mistake. - FriendofDorothy 11:03 pm EDT 03/16/14

It wasn't until the late 1940s that Broadway playbills generally began to list understudies.

Merman did take vacations from AGYG and one rather long medical leave that got extended. She was quite tired of performing the role by the time the show closed, really had not wanted to stay in it that long but felt an obligation to do so since it would close without her. She even missed some performances closing week (probably because she was so tired by then and it was during the winter).

Her original standby was Marjorie Knapp, but Mary Jane Walsh took over as standby shortly into the run. Walsh was paid $750 a week to be standby, a huge sum (probably unprecedented for a standby) at the time.


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re: Gates' odd mistake.

Posted by: FriendofDorothy 12:30 am EDT 03/17/14
In reply to: re: Gates' odd mistake. - AlanScott 12:17 am EDT 03/17/14

Thanks, Alan. I knew she felt pressured to stay in it, and I think that caused her rift with Rodgers. Any idea how many perfs she missed? Also, I wonder if South Pacific hadn't been in the works if they would have brought in Martin to be Merman's replacement?


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re: Gates' odd mistake.

Posted by: AlanScott 01:30 am EDT 03/17/14
In reply to: re: Gates' odd mistake. - FriendofDorothy 12:30 am EDT 03/17/14

She took a vacation in August 1947. I think that was two weeks. Then six weeks later she was out on what was supposed to have been a two-week medical leave that went into a third week. I think she was out three weeks altogether but I'm not sure.

Then she took a six-week vacation starting July 5, 1948, which you probably know about as it was what happened during this vacation that made her furious at Rodgers and Hammerstein. Receipts plunged sufficiently that they announced the show was in danger of closing, which caused the cast to petition Equity to allow salary cuts so the show would not close.

I guess she felt that the show had by that time made sufficient profit that they should have simply been willing to cover the losses during that period.

And she missed occasional performances here and there elsewhere, including at least two closing week.

Anyway, can you imagine if there had been an internet back then? First imagine the uproar when she took a medical leave just six weeks after her vacation and then the uproar when the leave went into a third week.

And the uproar when the show almost closed during her later vacation and the cast petitioning Equity.


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