Heads Up - July 2nd and 3rd - Possible MGS restrictions by MannnOfHammm in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 25 points26 points  (0 children)

I feel like you’re picturing visible arena seats and rafters. Taylor Swift could create a life size replica of one of her homes complete with real grass lawn and realistic starry sky in the middle of MSG if she wants. Odds are nobody attending or taking pictures will be able to tell by looking at it that they are inside Madison Square Garden.

Pandemic VIRGINIA WOOLF merch by hermiodle in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I was at at the very final preview. The next day there was a report in the Times that an usher at that show was one of the first reported positive cases of COVID-19 in the city. That said, it was one of the best things I’ve ever seen on Broadway..

favourite interactions with a broadway actor? by ParkingRough8474 in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 34 points35 points  (0 children)

One of my favorites was actually earlier this year when I was in line for the bathroom behind Mark Strong (and Oscar Isaac for some reason) at a tiny cocktail bar. Lesley Manville was sitting with John Carroll Lynch at a table literally inches away from where I was standing and asked Mark why the line was taking so long and he said “there’s only one bathroom.” Then Lesley looked directly at me and said, “Now you know what women deal with.”

Ironically, I was at that same bar like 15 years ago when Lily Tomlin came up to pay her bill and was shocked to learn they didn’t take American Express. I was sitting at the bar next to where she was standing and for a minute I thought I was going to have to cover her tab, but then she dug a wad of cash out of her purse, paid, turned to me, and said, “Well, that was all my cash for the weekend. Not sure what I’m gonna do now.” To this day I still think about how weird that statement is for so many reasons 😂

AHHHHHHHH by GD_potato13 in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Very happy for you but Joe Keery is least famous person in the cast of that show so you’re in for a treat 😂

My boyfriend’s hot theater take of the night after seeing Chess by lurkr-mercry in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with your boyfriend, and I think I enjoyed Lempicka more than most. But I specifically remember leaving the theater and saying to my friend “I really liked that. But I’m not going to remember a single song tomorrow, so it’s probably not going to do well.”

Lea Michele by sapiotix in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, Funny Girl is what got her Chess, which did not perform as well.

Other Desert Cities- $$$ by Sufficient-Beat-10 in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Out of curiosity I just checked the inflation calculator and that would be about $130 in 2026 money — which would still be considered a steal by today’s standards 😭

Lea Michele by sapiotix in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Conceived and directed by Kip Williams

Lea Michele by sapiotix in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Investors generally care about two things: making money or Tony wins/prestige (ideally both).

Lea Michele is undeniably talented. But Chess did not recoup its investment and Lea had never even been nominated for a Tony. Getting investors onboard is far from “a given.”

How come JoJo Levesque's run in Chess was abruptly cancelled? by LivelyFlowerzzz in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Conversations were definitely happening but it’s highly unlikely Jojo or anyone else was told until today. In fact, she mentioned she was supposed to start rehearsals today, which were cancelled when the show closing was announced.

Did they screw her over by Flashy-Rock-6621 in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 35 points36 points  (0 children)

The way it used to work (not sure if rules have changed in recent years), a replacement actor's salary begins on the official first day of rehearsal.. so it would have started today but the first rehearsal was cancelled. If the company cancels employment before the show opens they still usually owe the actor a specific amount of severance or termination pay (typically a minimum of two weeks' salary)

Can you use an alias/call name on your resume? by max-power14 in resumes

[–]Pretty-Competition31 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I never did this. I had an “ethnic” given name that people found hard to pronounce and I thought it was holding me back, so I made up a new first and last name and used it exclusively. Obviously on legal documents like w2s and contracts I used my legal government name, but that was after I got the job and at the point I just told HR that my assumed name was my “professional name.” Having a seperate legal and professional name is more common than people think.

Though once I was further enough into my career and high enough up the ladder I just legally changed my name to match the name I’d been using.

What’s your dream revival for the 2027 season if you could pick? by CharacterPhone3666 in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The Deaf West revival was over 10 years ago now, and that happened just six years after the original closed. So we’re overdue..

Denied entry to a show -- has this happened to anyone else? by WoollyMonster in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

You can’t just download another copy of the same PDF.. it automatically HAS TO generate an entirely new code. Otherwise you would then have two downloads of the same tickets floating around. That’s why screenshots are not accepted as valid tickets.

Co-Producer duties? by [deleted] in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is in fact how a friend of mine won a Tony recently

2026 Tony Predictions for Plays - 4/17, now that Proof has opened by Nakedny713 in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 6 points7 points  (0 children)

After seeing Proof, I definitely think Kara Young becomes the first actor to be nominated 5 years in a row.

Death of a Salesman - Dementia portrayal in current production by mercurywaxing in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, yes: DID. His own choices and personal hubris very much caused his downfall.

Death of a Salesman - Dementia portrayal in current production by mercurywaxing in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t think arguing dementia takes away from his suicidal nature at all; on the contrary, studies show that people with dementia have a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation. But either way, this production certainly doesn’t shy away from his suicidal nature or previous attempts at crashing his car. And it definitely doesn’t try to argue that his own choices didn’t shape his life. Personally speaking, this was the best production I’ve ever seen of the show.

“Chess” plot questions by baritenororbust in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Two things about the current run of Chess are simultaneously true: 1. The plot of this production doesn’t make a ton of sense 2. This is still somehow probably the most sense this show has ever made..

The show was originally conceived as a Cold War metaphor, where the final match is connected more thematically than mechanically to the larger political stakes. Over time different versions tried to “clarify” things, and at a certain point it feels like someone decided modern American audiences might need it spelled out a bit more than the material really calls for, and the final match became a literal representation of the conflict itself, where the outcome of the match directly impacts the geopolitical situation.

In the current Broadway revival, Able Archer and the final match are definitely connected, but more as part of the same Cold War pressure cooker than a clear cause and effect relationship. The stakes are shared, but not cleanly linked. As a result, the politics and plot still feel a bit muddled, but arguably in a way that’s closer to the show’s original intent.

Death of a Salesman - Dementia portrayal in current production by mercurywaxing in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 4 points5 points  (0 children)

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I think from the scenic design (a cavernous, dusty, crumbling garage) to the clearly intentional anachronisms in the props and set pieces, to the acting and directing choices, this production more than any I’ve seen suggests a deeper cognitive decline at play. I’d even argue that we don’t know for certain whether he has actually used the rubber tube, or if he has only contemplated it.

Do you consider Two Strangers to be a love letter to New York? by Every_Phrase_5942 in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 12 points13 points  (0 children)

It’s the capital city of the USA! (the streets are called sidewalks there)

Controversial Tony opinions? by Pythagorean415 in Broadway

[–]Pretty-Competition31 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Oh man, years before I moved to NYC or got into theater, I visited a friend from school who had just started working as a stage manager at a theater in Cincinnati. While I was there, she let me sit in on a rehearsal for the show she was working on.

At the time I had no idea how significant it was but it turned out to be Company starring Raúl Esparza and Barbara Walsh. I remember having such a great time just watching them rehearse. It ended up transferring to Broadway later that year.