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| And Lanie Kazan from two shows. | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 07:52 pm EDT 08/01/22 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 07:51 pm EDT 08/01/22 | |
| In reply to: Prior casting miscalculation: Henry Goodman as Max Bialystock - Delvino 07:38 pm EDT 08/01/22 | |
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| “… I got fired because the show was in trouble and I think I was used as a scapegoat. They used the fact that I had been ill and that I had gained some weight as something to fire me with although I had lost a lot of weight because I danced my ass off if I must say!” Also fired were the director and the choreographer and hired Michael Bennett as his first real directing job. “He fired 26 people at intermission one night and I was among them. It was devastation. It was the cruelest act. And he never came to see me, he wouldn’t have a meeting with me. It was probably the lowest point of my life and they replaced me with one of my best friends, Michele Lee (pictured with Lainie above). It was beyond awkward. She would be rehearsing all day in the theater then I would go on at night. They said to me, ‘You can be a real mensch and stay with the show or you can leave but we’re going to replace you.” My name was above the title: ‘Lanie Kazan in Seasaw’ and I think he wanted it to be ‘Michael Bennett Presents Seasaw.’ It was my comeback and it was very painful. I didn’t recuperated very well. I stayed in New York, I lost my home, my husband and I separated. It was the worst time of my life – the worst.” Another Broadway show fell through {The Women} Lanie’s marriage broke up, she lost her house and had to hit the road to and started to work in, what she calls, “the toilets of America” in little nightclubs on the south side of Chicago and in Milwakee. She just had one gown that she was constantly recycling.” |
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| Link | http://blogs.dailynews.com/outinhollywood/2008/02/18/part-2-lanie-kazan-talks-about/ |
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| Lanie and Michelle talked about this at length in 2020 | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 04:48 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
| In reply to: And Lanie Kazan from two shows. - Delvino 07:51 pm EDT 08/01/22 | |
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| I don't know why the YouTube algorithm recommended this to me. I wasn't familiar with Billy Masters and, honestly, only new Lanie Kazan and Michelle Lee from their biggest TV/film hits. But, they both recorded an extended Zoom interview with Billy Masters at the height of pandemic Zoom shows and interviews and fundraisers. I'm not the biggest fan of that 'genre', but I got totally sucked in and watched all 2+ hours. A very entertaining and (at times) extremely candid conversation. | |
| Link | Lanie and Michelle in 2020 |
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| re: And Lanie Kazan from two shows. | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 08:07 pm EDT 08/01/22 | |
| In reply to: And Lanie Kazan from two shows. - Delvino 07:51 pm EDT 08/01/22 | |
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| This NYT article (linked below) on the whole story of saving Seesaw is a great read. Methinks Kazan tended to bring trouble with a capital T with her wherever she went. That happens. |
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| Link | The Fight To Save Seesaw |
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| a great read! | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 06:21 pm EDT 08/02/22 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 06:20 pm EDT 08/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: And Lanie Kazan from two shows. - Chromolume 08:07 pm EDT 08/01/22 | |
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| Thanks for posting, a fascinating show/history. I could read a whole (short) book about the creative journey and production journey of this particular show (and not because I think it's SO great, I don't) | |
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| re: And Lanie Kazan from two shows. | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 11:26 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 11:23 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: And Lanie Kazan from two shows. - Chromolume 08:07 pm EDT 08/01/22 | |
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| Fascinating. I saw it on B'way, and the much better streamlined iteration that toured and revealed Lucie Arnaz as a triple threat. She reminted the show for me. And others. This jumped out, as something unlikely to be said today, at least not by the Times: "Seesaw,” starring zaftig nightclub singer Lainie Kazan as bohemian dancer Gittel Mosca and Ken Howard as Wasp Nebraska lawyer Jerry Ryan, began rehearsals under Edwin Sherin's direction on November 20, 1972." Zaftig. But even this: "The consensus of opinion was that she didn't look like a dancer or move like a dancer. She was also some 40 pounds overweight. “When we cast Lainie, she promised she'd lose those 40 pounds,” Coleman recalled. “She said she'd have it written into her contract that if she didn't lose the weight, we could fire her. Unfortunately we never checked to see if that stipulation was in the contract.” |
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