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| re: Prior casting miscalculation: Henry Goodman/Dreyfuss as Max Bialystock | |
| Last Edit: waterfall 01:42 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
| Posted by: waterfall 01:38 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
| In reply to: Prior casting miscalculation: Henry Goodman as Max Bialystock - Delvino 07:38 pm EDT 08/01/22 | |
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| "And the same issue with Richard Dreyfuss in London?" Those were two completely different situations. Dreyfuss was simply not up to the task, and not for the first time. He also dropped out of All That Jazz, for similar reasons. Goodman wasn't Nathan Lane's Bialystock, nor was he encouraged to be. He was quite good, as was Bloom, Steven Weber. They just weren't Lane and Broderick. I think perhaps the powers that be thought the material was stronger than it was, and that the show would survive the change in direction and cast. It quickly became evident that audiences did not want to see a different take of Max. They made a mistake, which they quickly rectified, by buying out Goodman's contract, $15,000 a week for 8 months. Brad Oscar took over the role, in the style of Lane's Max. Jim Borstelmann was briefly given Oscar's Franz Liebkind, and was even reviewed quite positively in the New York Times. That decision, too, was soon reversed, possibly because Borstelmann was too valuable in his role of Roger De Bris' choreographer, and his quite capable understudying of both De Bris and Franz. Goodman was poorly treated in his dismissal, imo, by the producers and even Lane himself. The week before Goodman was due to take over, Lane hit a point in the show where he usually got huge laughs. That night, the audience's response was lukewarm. Lane said, "Just wait until next week and we'll see how [expletive] funny that British guy is". It did not go over well, nor did the rest of that performance. |
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| I never got the love for Broderick's performance in this | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 06:14 pm EDT 08/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Prior casting miscalculation: Henry Goodman/Dreyfuss as Max Bialystock - waterfall 01:38 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
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| I know I'm in the minority but I found it cloying, affected in an unfunny way, and repetitive. Lane was non-stop perfect in the role and the show, but I find that Broderick then and in most other stage performances I've seen from him relies on a very small bag of usually annoying tricks... not true in his film work, but seems fairly consistent on stage. Ah well. I never did see anyone else in those roles (besides of course Zero and Gene). | |
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| re: Prior casting miscalculation: Henry Goodman/Dreyfuss as Max Bialystock | |
| Posted by: Delvino 11:18 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Prior casting miscalculation: Henry Goodman/Dreyfuss as Max Bialystock - waterfall 01:38 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
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| I realize that it was more of a Dunaway Sunset parallel, but it's too intriguing that it involved the same role. As was widely noted, he couldn't possibly sing it. | |
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| re: Prior casting miscalculation: Henry Goodman/Dreyfuss as Max Bialystock | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 05:28 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Prior casting miscalculation: Henry Goodman/Dreyfuss as Max Bialystock - waterfall 01:38 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
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| Yeah, they hired Goodman specifically because they wanted someone to break the mold, and then they found that audiences didn't want it broken. Truly, I think it's not a role that will work with something very different being done with it. My memory is that from the day his casting was announced, a lot of people thought it was a weird idea that was not likely to work too well. | |
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| re: Prior casting miscalculation: Henry Goodman/Dreyfuss as Max Bialystock | |
| Posted by: NewtonUK 07:51 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Prior casting miscalculation: Henry Goodman/Dreyfuss as Max Bialystock - AlanScott 05:28 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
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| Alan as I note in this thread, I saw Mr Goodmans final performance, and he was gamely trying to replicate Nathan's performance. My understanding is that the producers said one thing but when Mr Goodman arrived to rehearse, all they wanted was Nathan light. Or maybe they let Mr Goodman try a new take, then made him revert to Nathan - which seems unlikely to me. This was akin to the Funny Girl casting issue - what they were thinking? | |
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| I want THAT job | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 03:38 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Prior casting miscalculation: Henry Goodman/Dreyfuss as Max Bialystock - waterfall 01:38 am EDT 08/02/22 | |
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| $15K/week to do nothing for 8 months? Sign me up! | |
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