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Pinza's absences

Posted by:	AlanScott 07:18 pm EDT 08/10/14
In reply to:	re: Of course not... - JohnDunlop 03:57 pm EDT 08/10/14

Yes, he was reported to have missed a massive number of performances of South Pacific, 50 in the first six months alone. And a few months before his final performance, letters were coming in to the Times complaining about his constant absences so it seems not to have gotten better (or not much better) after the first six months. One letter writer suggested that they should just put Ray Middleton into the show immediately because at least then people wouldn't come to the theatre expecting to see Pinza and then be disappointed. In some book, but I can't remember which one, it's said that when Merrick hired him for Fanny, he got Pinza to agree to sign a contract that stipulated that Pinza would be docked pay for each performance he missed. With the result that Pinza missed very few performances.

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