Top 10 Broadway Behind-the-Scenes Controversies

[@MsMojo]

Check out our featured song: "One Wish" by Domenica Dee! kzbin.info/www/bejne/b32QpnWYnNpmi7c

[@jillianmyerly1818]

So... Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark turns up in the introduction, but doesn't make the list? Interesting. Okay, yeah, some of the biggest issues weren't so much controversies as undeniable injuries and things that can't be disputed, but still. Don't tease us like that Ms. Mojo!

[@Thommy2n]

Well, technically it wasn't really many backstage controversies with that show, they were all pretty much in full view. From the multiple injuries to the awful music and book. The closest thing to a backstage controversy was Julie Taymor getting booted mid production and her lawsuit. (The one part that really gets to me is the fact that the one experienced broadway producer they nearly had on board dropped dead from a heart condition in the few seconds right before he signed on. Literally right when they were looking for a working pen. If THAT'S not a bad omen, I don't know what is.)

[@alexrockey3101]

See Beetlejuice was especially unexpected because Presley Ryan was getting crazy good attention from TikTok and boosted their sales. It was all about money and the decision was made months before.

[@dave19cat]

That whole situation should be a lesson for producers: when you decide to close a show, announce it RIGHT THEN to avoid a controversy like that.

[@punkwrestle]

@@dave19cat also maybe try not to close a show that is making money…

[@WilliamBlakeHall]

@@punkwrestle it wasn't making enough money when they we're giving the closing notice. That's why they lost the theater.

[@merlesstorys]

@@WilliamBlakeHall they were, they just had two weeks when they didn’t. Wait in the Wings talks about it in his documentary about Beetlejuice ☺️

[@scarletttop.6976]

I went to school with her 😂

[@alexmeyer5260]

How could you not mention Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark?! That show was plagued with controversy from day one, particularly from going way overbudget and for several of its actors and stuntmen getting injured. That, combined with absolutely brutal reviews from critics, led to the show getting delayed for many months and even director Julie Taymor getting fired.

[@ArtsyChick24]

they literally started the whole video with it lmao

[@ashleydowney1222]

Did you not pay attention to the intro?

[@alexmeyer5260]

@@ashleydowney1222 I did. I just think they should've made an individual entry about it, that's all.

[@margarethmichelina5146]

And even it was made fun by South Park few years ago when Randy was wrecking the Broadway stage while dressing up as Spider-Man

[@aarongilmore1254]

Spiderman was used as click bait. FOR SHAME MS MOJO

[@ms.marvelous8156]

I saw The Great Comet with Oak as Pierre and absolutely loved his performance. It’s sad the show ended as it did and I wish it had gotten more recognition. I hope there’s a revival or a tour for it someday.

[@SimplyyLizzie]

Me too :(

[@monty609]

Everytime i think about Great Comet, I just get sad

[@erikdaniels0n]

Not surprised that the whole drama surrounding the Rebecca musical is on this list. You could honestly make a documentary series about all the drama with that production

[@IWillBeHers]

Wait in the Wings is already making a docu-series about it!

[@ashleydowney1222]

I didn't know that there was a Rebecca musical.

[@punkwrestle]

It sounds like someone paid attention to the Producers.

[@tananario]

There are several on KZbin.

[@themeltedchocolate]

What is it with Broadway always messing up the best German musicals?! They're such gems and then they get to Broadway and become a laughing stock.

[@AWlpsSHOW36]

When Beetlejuice comes back I hope they bring back the cast from the cancelled one. They should get a chance to finish it.

[@sammyjungwirth6993]

You could of also had Spiderman: Turn off The Dark and Julie Andrews declining her Tony Nomination in 1995 for Victor/Victoria

[@KingdomHeartsFan3211]

I’m still hoping that the issues with JLP can be rectified and the producers will make good on their promises. I haven’t heard anything from the Broadway production yet (I mean, it literally just reopened); but the recent announcement of the Australian cast, which includes a non-binary performer in the role of Jo, gives me a lot of hope. (BTW, Maggie McKenna is incredible! They are definitely going to bring the house down as Jo!)

[@maemaeslay]

I hope sofia comes back to play as lydia she was my fav one ;-; incredible talent

[@KingdomHeartsFan3211]

I really want to see the show (I have become absolutely enamored with the music, especially “You Oughta Know” and Lauren Patten’s version of it), but I first want to know for sure if everything is resolved. I have never been this torn about a musical in my life.

[@BroadwayMe]

@@KingdomHeartsFan3211 I was at reopening night, and I’m pretty sure they just outright removed any gender stuff with Jo, enby or cis. The only thing is the “female relationships” line in the opening monologue, but in context you can attribute that to MJ not really knowing Jo.

[@KingdomHeartsFan3211]

@@BroadwayMe I’ve heard that it was kind of like that at A.R.T. as well. With what you said in mind, would you recommend seeing the show now or just putting it off? I want to be sure before I do anything.

[@BroadwayMe]

@@KingdomHeartsFan3211 I honestly think they have at the very least TRIED to take the controversy into mind. They added a LOT of new lines (especially in the scene before Unprodigal Daughter. There was probably a minute and a half’s worth of powerful new material.) The show is still filled with fantastic performances and again, I feel it HAS changed, and I think when an enby or trans person is cast as Jo when Lauren leaves, they could revise again to make it fit their identity! This past year and a half has shown that shows are never truly frozen and can adapt with the times. People just aren’t giving it the proper chance to change.

[@elene.verley]

Lol Patti is so shady for naming her pool after ALW

[@alexmeyer5260]

Andrew Lloyd Webber really treated her like garbage, though. The way she found out that Glenn Close was replacing her on Broadway, in a gossip column no less, you can't blame Patti LuPone for reacting the way she did. I'd also have epically trashed my dressing room and filed a lawsuit too.

[@jg244]

Yeah, I'd replace the so-called Hamilton controversy with anything regarding Spider-Man...

[@seanian8986]

Hamilton being seriously reevaluated is long overdue but I don't think the controversy really stuck the landing.

[@pushingdasies1]

Beetlejuice had a lot of problems. The theater closing and the main actress leaving early was a problem with the show.

[@camhermann1413]

ngl the great comet stuff was a huge mess but oak allegedly came in extremely unprepared for the role and didn't get along with a lot of the cast, but comet was by far the most diverse and groundbreaking show on broadway, its end was unjust and i hope it can come back one day

[@kellyalves756]

I’m glad Mandy decided to mensch up.

[@alexmeyer5260]

I had a friend who had a friend that worked backstage at The Great Comet, and from what he heard, Oak definitely had problems getting along with his co-stars and the director, Rachel Chavkin, whom he fought with constantly.

[@simosa5842]

That's what I read too

[@soulmistin]

@@alexmeyer5260 This is also what I heard

[@kellyalves756]

@@alexmeyer5260 So they kicked it to Mandy, because he has such a great reputation for even- temperedness. 😁 I know, I know, he’s reformed.

[@CinnamonQuills]

It's really too bad about Rebecca the Musical, it was successfully staged in other parts of the world and was a big hit in South Korea, apparently. I've seen a video of the finale where the big central staircase gets lit on fire, whoever played Mrs. Danvers would've been a shoo-in for a Tony. I also saw Sunset Boulevard in LA with Glenn Close, and she was spectacular. The role is about more than belting and showboating, Norma Desmond needs to be larger than life in some moments, yes, but she also needs to come across as pathetic and sympathetic. It's more of an acting role than a vocal role. I can see how LuPone would've had problems with that angle, but Close knocked it out of the park and I vastly prefer her version of the cast recording.

[@thomasbradley4505]

I agree with both. I saw Glenn Close in LA pre-broadway from the first row and she was incredible. I love Patti Lupone and understand why she sued, but Glenn just fit the role better. And I’ve seen the KZbin clip of the finale of Rebecca and was blown away. Rebecca is one of my favorite books, and the Hitchcock move from 1940 is a classic. I remember the musical being announced and was thrilled. Then I was sad that it was canceled

[@lll.24601]

That’s Ock Joohyun!! She was a member of the Kpop girl group FinKL (and one of the Kpop idols I actually really like in theatre, the other one being Kim Junsu).

[@roberthudson1959]

Close's abilities are irrelevant. Lloyd Webber committed breach of contract.

[@AWlpsSHOW36]

Oh mah gosh!!! I've been doing 'Hair' with one of my local Amateur theatres this year. Our last show is Saturday night. I go so exited seeing it on the list! That musical was ahead of it's time and broke so many boundaries. I'm really proud to have been a part of it.

[@WaitintheWings]

Did someone say Broadway controversies?👀

[@sarahmargaret6498]

As soon as this video started with Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, I actually said “oh no” out loud

[@asterismos5451]

While it's not an excuse for their inadequate think-through, casting Patinkin was because he was famous and would bring the crowds Great Comet needed at this point when it was close to closing, whereas (despite being amazing), Oak was far less-well known and would not be able to resurrect the show. No excuse to ignore the racial aspects though. This stuff doesn't just go away when convenient.

[@Craze961]

I do get peoples concern for Hamilton when it come to historical inaccuracy, but you do have to keep in mind that entertainment based on history is not always 100% true. Shows like this you have to take with a grain of salt. It's like when a big box office horror movie comes out and says 'based on a true story'. It's not the retelling of an actual story verbatim. It's a movie 'inspired' by a true event and a story is made around it and manipulated to tell a more entertaining version of it. You can't watch something and believe everything is true off the bat. I adore Hamilton because it made me curious about that particular part of history and let me learn of the real events and politicians of the time for who they were, what they stood for, and what they did through textbooks and professors. It's like what English teachers say about movie adaptations of classic books: the movie is different from the original text.

[@Kahtisemo]

Not to mention the issue of trying to hold things up to modern standard. Even if the show is fairly recent, getting mad 5 or 6 years after its release for not addressing the current issue is a little unfair. Now with plays, a revival or overseas alteration could make some changes if they wanted to, but people seem to forget that also within the past decade was the anger and upheaval for protests as simple as kneeling during the National Anthem. So while more people have come around to it and supporting the movements NOW, while the show was in the works I'm sure the creators were aware that for the sake of time and public presentation, you have to pick your battles. Because they did still address lots of issues but it's a lot more subtle than people would like but it's also not where the show's focus is and already had some 20 years worth of storyline / history to cover. Plenty of things historically were glossed over because it had to be.

[@VictorianDemonica]

There were a couple of songs that were cut in which slavery was brought up - one of which I remember was another cabinet meeting and it was how they not only addressed slavery (with Hamilton himself admitting to having slaves), but also Hamilton argued that Jefferson had multiple kids with his mistress, who was also a slave, and then Madison savagely went back at Hamilton for his affair with Maria Reynolds and it ended with Washington saying ‘let’s hope the next generation has a better idea’. Now, do I think it was a song that had to be in the musical? Honestly, that’s a bit of a tricky answer; historically, it would be true, but in the context of the Hamilton musical, where slavery is a problem that the main characters don’t like, it would portray everyone in a bad light if they mentioned ‘oh yea we had slaves too’. At least that’s what I’m thinking the process is, but I could also easily be wrong.

[@punkwrestle]

@@VictorianDemonica The only true abolitionist founders were Adams and Franklin….

[@kareneastman9695]

And George WAshington was ashamed in a scene ,or more about them having slaves.

[@punkwrestle]

@@kareneastman9695 No he wasn’t. At the end of the Revolution he made the British give back all of the slaves they had set free when they lost. If rumors are true he didn’t even set the slave free who spied on the British in his spy ring. Jefferson knew it was wrong and yet he still kept his slaves, hell he didn’t even set Sally free when he died, just the kids they had together.

[@nicollegalligan5658]

This list not containing the Macy's casting of the revival of Annie in the early 1980's and the subsequent firing of the little girl who won is a crime against humanity.....

[@kyleorlando]

Same thing happened in the original production of Annie, and also for Annie Warbucks the sequel from the 90's. I don't think any of the first cast Annies made it to Broadway.

[@YaelleG]

Whoa! I haven’t heard about this. Or at least don’t remember it.

[@alexmeyer5260]

The revival you're talking about happened in the 1990s, not the 1980s.

[@alexmeyer5260]

@@YaelleG Look it up on KZbin. Barbara Walters even did a whole TV special about it.

[@TsWade2]

I was so upset that Rebecca musical got cancelled. I think that musical has potential to be a hit on Broadway.

[@dillonohlemiller9027]

It never even got a cast recording😑

[@FMAkers-jq2kh]

The behind-the-scenes drama with SUNSET BOULEVARD wasn't limited to Patti LuPone: Lloyd Webber also had to pay Faye Dunaway a bunch of money after he hired her for the Los Angeles production, decided she couldn't perform it, and then closed the production instead. Even Glenn Close didn't escape the fracas: at one point she took a two-week vacation from the Broadway production, and someone in Lloyd Webber's office decided to fiddle with the reported grosses so it looked like the box office didn't go down when she left. Because they didn't want it to seem like the show was dependent on her, you see - and she was... upset, let's say. So yeah, they managed to piss off everyone.

[@kemontgomery6201]

Perhaps there needs to be a “Part 2” to this video because there are a bunch of things left out. There is also the suicidal of Jeff Loeffelholz - he was a standby in “Chicago” who had a Run of the Play contract. He committed suicide when they bullied him to try to make him quit the show. Spoiler alert - they ended up firing the musical director but did nothing to the director or producers who engineered the bullying.

[@NateCarlson98]

I will never forgive Hamilton stans for killing Great Comet on Broadway. Oak wasn’t prepared and couldn’t sell tickets, stunt casting to save the show was the only viable option at the time. And so on behalf of a bunch of 16 year old morons who had never even listened to TGC, one of the most unique, diverse, and refreshing shows on Broadway went to an early grave. Truly a shame in so many ways- I would have loved to hear Mandy’s “Dust and Ashes”

[@fyeahgabs]

My unforgivable is how Cynthia Erivo decided to voice her opinion and then it came out how unprepared Oak was and that the show needed the money to keep running and then never apologized for being wrong.

[@KMoshTM]

There's quite a few of these "controversies" that are just repeating the one side that was publicized and not actual info from backstage or others involved with said shows.

[@trinaq]

I'm delighted that "Beetlejuice" is coming back next year, bigger than ever, despite its untimely closure. It's Showtime! 🤍🖤😍

[@seanhorace925]

Yeah limited time or not!

[@SonofTuscon99]

I want to see that Live! I LOVE Alex Brightman!

[@haroldkloran4323]

But no mention of Sophia Anne Caruso's sudden unannounced departure !?

[@Elizabeth-nb7kz]

Honestly it was bad timing with the stop clause of the shows contract. Also it wasn’t actually doing well pre-Tonys? I think it wasn’t doing well box office wise pre-Tony’s, then saw a huge bump in ticket sales. Either way, no reason to be rude or mean to anyone involved in The Music Man and just be happy it’s coming back. End of story :)

[@shiloreno9917]

I'm anxious to see if they use the same cast, or hire new ones. Restaurants do it all the time.

[@emilysanchez4584]

I think Spider-Man the musical would have been better as a circus show

[@alexmeyer5260]

I'm surprised they didn't even mention that, as that story got national attention with all of its behind-the-scenes problems.

[@krisrhood2127]

Doesn't surprise me that Spiderman would have so many issues. Unfortunately he was always noted for that

[@seanhorace925]

I would call Scott Rudin the worst EGOT in the world!

[@Elphaboy]

oooo absolutely!!!! my only issue with what Olivo did is that Rudin has literally NOTHING what so ever to do with Moulin Rouge. I appreciate her standing with the workers of the industry but seeing as the team who produces MR are actually regarded quite highly among the community she really kinda stuck it to the wrong ppl, and for what... something performative? so she looks "woke"? idk... Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman should have dropped out of Music Man and didn't. i mean Rudin has stepped down from his projects but KO didn't need to make MR scramble for a new leading actress, that was unnecessary.

[@phdantascanal]

@@Elphaboy karen said on "LAtimes" that it wasnt just because of scott that she quit MR. all the reasons are there, in an article on la times

[@Elphaboy]

@@phdantascanal and that’s totally fair but I will say I’m personally connected with more than a few ppl in the cast and crew of MR and I promise most of that was posturing cuz she actually just wanted a “reason” to not come back in general. The words in the article def look good for her but anyone who really knows Wuts happening knows she’s kind of inventing lot of her “issues” with the production... I bet she’s got some kind of tv deal she wanted to jump on. But I know a lot of her issues with MR were just bull shit

[@lilypolzin6162]

I'm honestly surprised they talked about Beetlejuice closing instead of the whole Sopia Anne Caruso incident

[@laurenshoffeitt334]

What happened with Sopia Anne Caruso?

[@jobethcampbell7422]

@@laurenshoffeitt334 i believe she was fired for repeatedly showing up to work high on weed.

[@atianahernandez7796]

@@jobethcampbell7422 what? No she left on her own accord, most likely to start her own solo career.

[@alexmeyer5260]

@@atianahernandez7796 According to Broadway insider Michael Riedel, she was fired because she was constantly showing up late, and behaving erratically, which put her at odds with other cast members, particularly Alex Brightman.

[@meldiyer3904]

I'm kind of shocked that the whole Wicked v. Avenue Q thing didn't make it.

[@Showtunediva]

The Scott Rudin controversy was awful and appalling.

[@isaacmartinez6904]

It comes to show that even on Broadway, there will be tons of drama. Literally.

[@racheld8920]

Bro I never noticed Washington's face when Eliza speaks out against slavery

[@jamesheatherly4209]

Can you please do top 10 dumbest decisions on reality shows that got contestants eliminated?

[@daneschmidt3706]

I know this is a musical theatre list, but a play that’s worth mentioning is The Laramie Project. That show has seen anti-gay groups screaming outside performance venues and attempting to barricade them so they can’t get in. Particularly the Westboro Baptist Church.

[@arrow_of_ravenclaw5155]

I’ve been seeing the jagged little pill conterversy everywhere

[@trinaq]

Me too, it seems to be inescapable recently!

[@erikdaniels0n]

It’s such a mess, honestly

[@Anna-bm3oe]

Wait, what controversy? I haven't seen it!

[@arrow_of_ravenclaw5155]

@@Anna-bm3oe all I know is it has something to do with transphobia

[@alexmeyer5260]

@@Anna-bm3oe Basically, it's two-fold. There's the controversy of Lauren Patten, a cisgender woman, playing an originally nonbinary character whose identity was changed from nonbinary to cisgender. There's also the controversy of an actual nonbinary cast member, Nora Schell, experiencing severe medical issues, and having none of their concerns taken seriously by the producers or creative team.

[@kyleorlando]

Tanz der Vampir was a major hit globally, but Michael Crawford's ego royally screwed Dance of the Vampires on Broadway.

[@heelhairflips]

YES THANK YOU i wish we could have gotten a good run of it !!

[@ajparsons2501]

We not gonna mention the West Side Story revival and it’s casting of Bernardo?

[@alexmeyer5260]

I know, right?

[@667mumble]

When I heard Scott Rudin threw a baked potato at someone, I was saying to myself in Dr. Evil's voice, "Who throws a potato? Honestly"?

[@mervyngreene6687]

It is amusing how dated Hair can appear. I remember that Sunset Boulevard had so many actresses were furious about the casting of Sunset Boulevard. I thought that both Lupone and Close were too young for the part.

[@thomasbradley4505]

I remember Faye Dunaway was announced to replace Glenn Close in LA once she left for broadway, but then she was fired for various reasons. She also sued ALW and won.

[@BeaufortRyan]

Spiderman: Turn off the Dark is what I'd like to call a "world of OSHA violation."

[@wuraolaolagunju]

I swear there should be a musical about the Rebecca scandal!!

[@ashleydowney1222]

They are a making a documentary about it.

[@tonyameredith7081]

?

[@punkwrestle]

It’s called the Producers…

[@otgenesis7410]

Honestly I wasn't too surprised about Jesus Christ Superstar.

[@AirForceFalcons_9922]

So it's ok to be blasphemous to the Lord God Jesus Christ, but Allah, Mohammad, Confucias,..... NOT SURPRISED!!

[@otgenesis7410]

I'll still never understand how that's possible😭😭😭

[@punkwrestle]

@@AirForceFalcons_9922 no one was blasphemous. They just told a story about a man. Also Confucius was also a man.

[@AnntheTheatreFan]

'Rebecca' is amazing! So sorry that all that thing has killed its chances on Broadway run. It definitely deserves English language production

[@Astrolionking]

That Hamilton thing was so stupid. Like, I get but that was so stupid.

[@ArtsyChick24]

I understand that because it was on Disney+ it was now more accessible, but the show had been out for 4 whole years at that point.

[@daphnieknapp2783]

Quick second to brag about my high schools alumni, my mom and dad both graduated with Lucas Steele who played Anatol in the show. It was absolutely amazing to see somebody from my itty-bitty town on a Broadway stage.

[@firstnamelastname5331]

God of Vengeance should've made the list. I mean the cast got arrested for performing the show on Broadway.

[@sadiepalmer3255]

Why did they get arrested?

[@firstnamelastname5331]

@@sadiepalmer3255 Local police deemed the play "indecent and obscene" due to its portrayal of lesbians and prostitutes

[@floowing7544]

This video left out a lot of important details surrounding the great commit

[@FMAkers-jq2kh]

Flop shows are a big source of drama, due to the fact that they are flops. For example, the BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S musical, starring Mary Tyler Moore, which went through three different bookwriters - the last of whom was Edward Albee, of all people - and, when it came to Broadway, lasted only a few previews before producer David Merrick called a press conference and announced he was closing the show "rather than subject the drama critics and the public to an excruciatingly boring evening".

[@wickedphant0m]

With the Miss Saigon situation... Equity didn't bow to pressure from the show or producers, it bowed to asian actors. Producing the show with one fewer asian performer in the OBC (Pryce) paved the way for DOZENS of asian performers over the 10 year Bway run of the show. Blocking the show because of Pryce meant none of those jobs would exist.

[@TheLadySilverMoon]

The production hell of Rebecca could be a movie/stage show of it's own.

[@sarahmargaret6498]

I’m kinda surprised there’s nothing mentioned on here about Diana: the Musical

[@ashleydowney1222]

Maybe because it's incredibly new.

[@sarahmargaret6498]

@@ashleydowney1222 good point

[@sarahmargaret6498]

@@alessia-adams Well, yeah. Some people think it’s a little strange to make a musical about her, and I’ve heard it’s gotten some pretty bad reviews

[@alexmeyer5260]

@@sarahmargaret6498 Bad reviews is an understatement. Brutal reviews would be accurate. Audience reviews of the show were also brutal. The musical closed on Broadway only a month after it opened. Every year there is always that one Broadway show that closes very quickly due to brutal critic and audience reception, and this year Diana was it.

[@crashvds777]

I know it’s not a show (but a film) but the Greatest Showman completely screwing over Jeremy Jordan.

[@jacobmcduffey8347]

He would have been so much better than Efron

[@booksandbrains3930]

How was the…everything of Tootsie omitted??

[@williamevans9426]

I was only four when Hair opened but, like most, I'm fully aware of its notoriety. I do, however, remember the Jonathan Pryce/Miss Saigon controversy, perhaps because, like Pryce, I'm Welsh. As Welsh people are used to having English presenters and actors giving poor impressions of our accents and making no attempt at correct pronunciations, of Welsh words, I'm sure Mr Pryce did not undertake this role lightly, nor without serious consideration of potential objections though I think the eye prosthetics were a bad choice. Taking of eyes, I was unaware of 'Rebecca' and boy, was your brief description an eye-opener - 'never considered the du Maurier novel to be material for a musical. 'The Producers' springs to mind!

[@ollieno971]

are you seriously comparing being welsh to being Asian...... lmao

[@tinylittlefrog]

yeah not even remotely the same thing

[@williamevans9426]

@@tinylittlefrog You're right - the Welsh were oppressed for hundreds of years. (Why do you think the English built all those castles?) Tell me, just how long were the Asian nations oppressed by their neighbours? Er, now let me see...

[@sarachello5318]

For the hamilton thing when they were talking about how they perceived slavery. How would you have like them to put it.... the way the history books are set up, they mostly talk about how most of them wanted to become slaves....

[@marydidyouknow5826]

I don't know what books you've been reading, but I've never seen anything like that in any history book or article I've read.

[@SEGASister]

Yeah, I'm not surprised that the #JaggedLittleProtest would get a mention.

[@markbeck8384]

I kinda knew all these stories; except I really didn't focus on the Scott Rudin stuff, for some reason.

[@countrygirlbeth1]

I really hope Beetlejuice tours

[@Showtunediva]

Me too

[@mackenzielynn4307]

They start the video with Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark. I can’t. Omg. I love Reeve Carney but that musical was terrible.

[@aarongilmore1254]

It seems that in most of these cases art tries to fight for what's right (no I'm not talking about mssssss lupone and her money) and even when one fight for what is right... Sometimes it isn't about that one win because one often loses. But that one is remembered for caring enough to take a stand and make some noise

[@dave19cat]

Why didn’t you include James Barbour being cast in Phantom? It’s one of the most popular shows on Broadway and what James did parallels the show a little too closely.

[@alexmeyer5260]

I guess they didn't want to get into too icky territory. But yeah, that was a stupid move on Phantom's part.

[@ollieno971]

Wait what happened?

[@alexmeyer5260]

@@ollieno971 He molested a teenage girl backstage in his dressing room in the early 2000s, and actually spent time in jail for it.

[@rocknroll20024]

I just wonder will Rebecca ever come to Broadway. I still love to see it

[@alexmeyer5260]

It's probably never going to happen at this point.

[@lumiere85]

There was so much more to the story with Sunset Blvd. Fay Dunnaway is supposed to replace Glenn in LA when she goes to NY but Lloyd Webber closes the LA production instead because her soaking wasn’t up to par. She got a million dollars. During Glenn’s 2 week vacation on Broadway he inflates the ticket sales number, Glenn got more money. Because of this and the expensive run costs, it costs so much money to run the show every week, even though it was a hit they had to close.

[@nobodytoworryaboutokay]

Wow this is the first video I watched from your channel and now I'm hooked

[@mydisneyfamilyvlogs5070]

1:15 You said his name three times

[@WardNightstone]

litarrly just watched a 2 part youtube video on Rebbeca that was INSANE it was liek a real live version of The Producers

[@NoLifeButTheater]

God what I wouldn’t give for Rebecca to finally come to Broadway!

[@madelinekothe2545]

I'm a simple person. I see Alex Brightman in a thumbnail and I click

[@penguinsrbirds2]

Pssshhht, the Hamilton thing wasn't even an actual controversy, lmao. It was probably just a few people on Twitter trying to "rEeVaLuAtE" something, or whatever.

[@quinnlegge1401]

No, I work as a theatre professional and the hamilton controversy is a real conversation we are still having. After all, the show asks people of color to portray slave owners as heros and then glosses over the subject so that we have sympathy and respect for george washington. It is rewriting history by omition. It doesn't make the show bad or ruin it but it does mean there are a lot of hard lines to walk when producing the show.

[@penguinsrbirds2]

@@quinnlegge1401 Tbh that sounds more like a very small , elite, "in the industry" problem, rather than an actual public outrage or something. I guess it's because people "in the industry" care a lot, but the common viewer couldn't give less of a shit and understand that it's fictionalized.

[@Portugal2025]

I saw Jonathan Pryce in London during the summer of 1990:and he was spectacular. I saw Miss Saigon again 25 years later with an Asian actor playing the Engineer who was very good, but did not have the magic that Jonathan created in that role.

[@CordeliaDoyle]

And you didn't include Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark because......?

[@katetoldness4220]

So we were deprived of Mandy Fuckin Patinkin's Pierre because casting panicked and handled it badly?!!!! Patinkin is one of my "I could listen to him sing the phone book" Broadway performers. This.... this is why we can't have nice things. We could have had a Comet run with both a fantastic performer of color AND Patinkin in the future. As it is, we got neither.

[@mgamero9199]

I'm a simple guy, I see Beetlejuice, I upvote

[@sararoberts2973]

They blackwashed Hamilton

[@sophiehanssel2017]

Amar Ramasar in West Side Story was very controversial

[@1996koke]

The irony of Jesus Christ superstar being banned for being too religious and not religious enough at the same time

[@TheTJW]

One word....Rebecca 😭😭😭

[@mollsnickel]

Oh yes, sunset boulevard! Friggin Webber, she should’ve gotten to preform on Broadway 😞!!

[@lauraafjs]

The #CancelHamilton is stupid. It's a musical not a documentary.

[@QuntessentialND]

Will they update this when The Music Man comes out? Considering that there is not one BIPOC in the entire cast.

[@WilliamBlakeHall]

Casting was just released with POC in the cast!

[@WilliamBlakeHall]

@Naikomi basically...non white people.

[@oneoxymoron2559]

Great comet did not have a diversity issue, it had an issue with oak being unprepared

[@clownfromspongebob3979]

An honorable mention should be how they’re ruining Broadway shows with terrible film remakes this year. (Excluding In The Heights, that was good)

[@Strangenews404]

I’m just waiting for Rebecca the musical the musical

[@heelhairflips]

i’m really surprised that rent/people in trouble isn’t on this list

[@jazzycat8917]

The real tragedy is Rebecca would have been fine and would have opened if the publicist hadn't decided to play cop and ruin the real investment that was going to save it from the scam

[@AirForceFalcons_9922]

Come thru Ms. Melba Moore!!

[@furfnut]

Was the chick from Jagged Little Pill hoping to play Beetlejuice for her next role?

[@dillonohlemiller9027]

Yeah right #cancelhamilton never really got any traction

[@juliasings6131]

Uhhhh Beetlejuice was planning to close even before covid happened The only sad thing is that they didn't get to have their official last show (but at least they get to reopen!) I mean, it's definitely strange that it closed, although Katherine Steele has made a video explaining why it probably was if you want a reason I'd say the much bigger controversy is Sophia Anne Caruso leaving the show suddenly, personally

[@kirstybrown1185]

That was a load of nonsense about Rebecca 😂😂 The con man, was the second producer, not just a random person. The publicist didn’t go to the authorities, he warned a future investor. The authorities got involved on their own and found out that the publicist had sent emails to the investor because he didn’t want anyone else defrauded. Super interesting story but that wasn’t it 😂😂😂

[@una724]

But why did Sophia Anne Carusso leave????

[@WilliamBlakeHall]

Because she and the male lead did not get along. And she turned into a diva from hell.

[@angelikajoy5673]

@@WilliamBlakeHall that was a rumour. it’s not confirmed by any of the cast why she left

[@WilliamBlakeHall]

@@angelikajoy5673 I have many friends who were working on Broadway who had heard that too. But you're right still just rumors. Can't imagine a young actor leaving a hit show but I guess it does happen.

[@alexmeyer5260]

@@WilliamBlakeHall That's pretty much what Broadway insider Michael Riedel confirmed.

[@rajek333]

I've only ever heard about the Patti Lupone one

[@elizabethbiermann8165]

#3 still pisses me off! Natasha and Pierre was an amazing show and it shouldn't have been brought down so early.

[@bryanesbertgo4718]

Starlight Express nominated for 8 but only 1 award won

[@alexmeyer5260]

That's not controversial. Other shows have gotten more Tony nominations and won nothing. In fact, The Scottsboro Boys and Mean Girls hold the record of biggest Tony shutouts. Each of them received 12 Tony nominations, and both went home with zero wins.

[@lenniedavis1294]

TBH I really wouldve loved to see Rebecca the musical. The original although I didn't understand a word is really breathtaking. Ive heard it wouldve been the new Phantom Of The Opera. But too bad it didn't happen.

[@raysmith8364]

So what was the reason for Beetlejuice you’ll never said

[@WilliamBlakeHall]

The contract stated that the show must make a certain amount of money a week to remain in the theater. For several weeks it did not meet the agreed upon amount so they were given the closing notice.

[@alim.9801]

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster are both great and talented, but who the HELL would want to see Music Man over Beetlejuice??? WHO WANTS TO SEE MUSIC MAN PERIOD???

[@alexmeyer5260]

Apparently a lot of people, as it's been doing pretty good at the box office so far.

[@HaunaMyKiki]

I like The Music Man. It's not an all-time favorite or anything, but it's fine enough. Wouldn't want to see _that_ specific production of it though, because of Hugh Jackman being a pompous ass as per usual..

[@alexmeyer5260]

@@HaunaMyKiki How is Hugh Jackman a pompous ass?

[@tdaetaunm]

It's a shame this video was made and released before the Beanie Feldstein/Lea Michele/Fanny Brice situation

[@xivonochabalala]

Justice for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812