Threaded Order Chronological Order
| Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already | |
| Posted by: mikem 12:29 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
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| Once on This Island opened Dec 3, and Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Jan 7. Norm Lewis and Tamyra Gray are taking their place. Dandridge is in a TV series; I don't know what Darrington is doing next. What are other examples of actors leaving a Broadway show so quickly after opening? Dean Jones left Company about a month after it opened. Brad Garrett left the most recent revival of The Odd Couple about 2 months after opening. |
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| re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already | |
| Posted by: theaterisok 02:07 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
| In reply to: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already - mikem 12:29 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
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| Tamyra Gray will sing the role better than Merle. But Merle definitely brings something that Tamyra doesn't have. | |
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| re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already | |
| Posted by: Hair 01:03 am EST 12/20/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already - theaterisok 02:07 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
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| I disagree. I didn't know Merle Dandridge at all when I saw OOTI. She gave the best performance in the show and the strongest vocals. Gray doesn't have the power or timbre and will be pretty average, in my opinion. I'd advise people to wait until Merle comes back (if she does..the article I read implied it was just a break to film a series) | |
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| re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already | |
| Last Edit: GrumpyMorningBoy 10:04 am EST 12/20/17 | |
| Posted by: GrumpyMorningBoy 10:04 am EST 12/20/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already - Hair 01:03 am EST 12/20/17 | |
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| Put me in the "yay for both of 'em" camp. Ms. Dandridge was unknown to me until I caught a few episodes of her Oprah Winfrey Network show "Greenleaf," and she's a great performer on the small screen. I was surprised to see that she sings so well. But I'm extra happy that Ms. Gray has a job in New York. She was one of my "American Idol" favorites, and friends who did the DREAMGIRLS national tour a few years ago had nothing but great things to say about her personality and professionalism. i'd like to think that Broadway would have steady work for women who sing as gorgeously as she can. - GMB |
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| Norm Lewis? Yay! | |
| Posted by: wisebear 06:33 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already - theaterisok 02:07 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
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| Certainly a high-caliber replacement! No disrespect to anyone's taste, but some of us may consider this a casting upgrade. I'm excited to see it in February. | |
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| re: Norm Lewis? Yay! | |
| Posted by: GrumpyMorningBoy 10:06 am EST 12/20/17 | |
| In reply to: Norm Lewis? Yay! - wisebear 06:33 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
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| Norm Lewis is certainly more well known, and it's a big get for the show. He's really such a delight in anything he's in. I'd wanted to see it again; this moves me to buy tickets during this window. - GMB |
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| re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already | |
| Posted by: EvFoDr 01:22 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
| In reply to: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already - mikem 12:29 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
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| Bernadette Peters only did the first six months of Into the Woods. It was always known she would only be available for a limited time. She returned to film the show for PBS. | |
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| re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already | |
| Posted by: Delvino 01:35 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already - EvFoDr 01:22 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
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| And today, six months is respectable. It was more of a surprise then. | |
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| re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already | |
| Posted by: dottie20 12:31 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
| In reply to: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already - mikem 12:29 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
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| I'm bummed. I had planned on seeing this 1/13, and was looking forward to seeing both Merle and Quentin. I'm wondering why he's leaving as well, as he was with Cats for over a year. | |
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| re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already | |
| Posted by: sirpupnyc 12:39 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already - dottie20 12:31 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
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| The release says it's "contractual leave" for both and that they'll return. She's shooting a TV show; his reason is unspecified. | |
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| re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already | |
| Posted by: Ncassidine 12:40 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already - sirpupnyc 12:39 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
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| Yeah, I don't see how this should be construed as leaving. | |
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| re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already | |
| Posted by: mikem 12:53 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Merle Dandridge and Quentin Earl Darrington are leaving Once on This Island already - Ncassidine 12:40 pm EST 12/19/17 | |
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| It's odd to me because they're not announcing a return date. So are they actually coming back? Jonathan Groff was on leave from Hamilton starting about 2 months after opening, but his return date was announced at the same time his leave was announced. | |
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