Hugh Jackman stops play for ringing phone

Tue, 29 Sept 2009, 01:57 pm

If only we all had this much courage. Taken from: http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/2009/09/29/1253989898907.html Pity the theatregoer whose persistently ringing mobile phone caused Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig to stop their Broadway show and ask it be answered. The actors, two of Hollywood's biggest stars, were part-way through a preview performance of intense two-hander A Steady Rain in New York last Wednesday when a mobile phone's high-pitched trill became too much. A video of the performance surfaced overnight on celebrity gossip website TMZ.com. It shows Jackman, still in character as a Chicago cop pacing the stage and halfway through a monologue, address the audience member directly, saying: "You wanna get that?" "You wanna get it, grab it, I don't care, grab it, grab your phone, it doesn't matter." Co-star Craig, seated at the time, watched on as the phone kept ringing. Jackman, 40, eventually pleaded, to rousing applause: "Come on just turn it off ... it doesn't matter, unless you got a better story, you want to get up and tell your stories". As the phone kept ringing, 41-year-old Craig relieved his frustrated co-star, asking the audience member to answer their phone. "Can you get that, whoever that is, can you get it," he asked. "We can wait, just get the phone." The phone was eventually silenced. A relieved Craig said: "Denny [Jackman's character's name] took it hard." The audience inside the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre applauded again. Producers of A Steady Rain could not be reached for comment. The interruption occurred during an intense moment in the play, when Jackman's character, a Chicago policeman, reveals haunting memories. A customary loudspeaker announcement reminds theatregoers to turn off their phones. Since the incident, ushers who seat patrons and pass out playbills at Schoenfeld are also instructing patrons to silence their phones. A Steady Rain, a taut drama about the relationship between two policemen, opens on Tuesday for a 12-week run through to December 6. The play by Keith Huff already has proven to be a potent box-office winner, playing to capacity audiences since it began previews on September 10. Jackman won a Tony Award in 2004 for his performance as Peter Allen in the musical The Boy from Oz. Craig, filmdom's latest James Bond, is making his Broadway debut.

Thread (16 posts)

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Daniel KershawTue, 29 Sept 2009, 01:57 pm

LabrugTue, 29 Sept 2009, 02:16 pm

Applaude

Knew there was a good reason I liked the man. Hurrah!

Absit invidia (and DFT :nono:)

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jmuzzTue, 29 Sept 2009, 02:27 pm

That's a crack up

Sounds like they handled it v-e-r-y politely

NormaTue, 29 Sept 2009, 08:03 pm

Applaude!

Don't wish to be cynical but........................ could it possibly have been a set-up??????

LabrugTue, 29 Sept 2009, 09:05 pm

Apparent

Seems unlikely but is possible...

Absit invidia (and DFT :nono:)

Jeff Watkins
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Daniel KershawWed, 30 Sept 2009, 09:51 am

Hey Norma, Cynical? You?

Hey Norma, Cynical? You? Never. I do admire your no crap approach to most things. It is quite refreshing and much needed in the bitchy realms of theatre. In response to your claim: If you watch the video, you will clearly see that Hugh is distracted and annoyed. And why would they set it up? Promotion? Why would Hugh Jackman and Daniel Graig need to pull a publicity stunt? And why would they do it at the climax of the play - I doubt somehow that two very successful and dedicated actors would resort to that. Thanks.

NormaWed, 30 Sept 2009, 04:43 pm

Cynical-you?

I stand admonished.

I'm Scorpio, that's the trouble!!

LogosWed, 30 Sept 2009, 09:30 pm

Stories

I am reminded of a story I was told some years ago. Gielgud was playing a Shakespeare at Stratford and they had a particularly difficult and loud schools matinee. He stopped the play about ten minutes in and walked to the front of the stage and said: "From now on every time I am interrupted I shall go back to the beginning of the play and start again. I have all the time in the world." The audience was as quiet as a mouse from then on. Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing. www.tonymoore.id.au

crgwllmsThu, 1 Oct 2009, 09:39 am

On hold

Excellent. Perfect because it didn't lower his status in any way. It mattered not to him. If he'd been flustered, and shown that the students had the upper hand, they'd have eaten him for breakfast and the interruptions would probably have increased. I think it's perfectly possible to interrupt a show to remove a distraction. I've been in shows that were stopped due to lighting failures, fire drills, to admonish students that were throwing things, or to allow medics to remove someone in distress from the audience. Each time the show has picked up where it left off, and the audience and actors were perfectly capable of continuing to suspend their disbelief and just got right back into the drama as if nothing had interrupted. It's no different from taking a commercial break in the middle of a TV movie. In the case of the phone ringing, Hugh was letting the culprit know that they could all put the moment 'on hold' while the phone was taken care of, because that was more important than allowing it to ring through crucial dialogue. But the trick is, like Gielgud above, to be in control of the situation, and not let the distraction control you. While Hugh sounded obviously annoyed, if it was clear that he was doing it on behalf of the audience (who must have been equally distracted by the phone but not felt empowered to do anything about it) then the audience would forgive and appreciate the only person there with the power to do anything taking charge and removing the distraction. They'd respect his action, and allow the play to continue without it much effecting their evening...in fact their experience was most likely better for it. Cheers, Craig ~<8>-/====\---------

jmuzzThu, 1 Oct 2009, 09:53 am

Reminds me of the time...

...I went to see Blak Yak's production of Picasso's Women and some poor lad had a fainting fit halfway through Melissa's monologue. Melissa could see he was being helped to his feet and out the theatre so she simply stopped, stayed motionless, and once the light-headed chap was out the door she simply restarted from the point she had paused as if nothing had happened. Not sure it wouldn't have thrown me.

crgwllmsThu, 1 Oct 2009, 04:00 pm

The sign of a good actor,

The sign of a good actor, to be aware of and responsive to the needs of the audience. Cheers, Craig ~<8>-/====\---------

Tim ProsserThu, 1 Oct 2009, 11:15 pm

'Effecting their evening',

'Effecting their evening', Craig? I'm surprised that you let that one get past you! 'Affecting', surely! ;-)

I despise mobile telephones...passionately...and would take great delight in singling out any audience member rude enough to allow one to interrupt my performance on stage. Not that I'd be really nasty about it....:naughty:

Per Ardua Ad Astra

JoeMcFri, 2 Oct 2009, 08:48 am

I hope this does not start

I hope this does not start a trend, where by warm props start to stop shows off hand. For no good reason other than themselves & to extend the old adage;-

"the difference between a good actor & a great one.

is in the lenght of thier pause"

crgwllmsFri, 2 Oct 2009, 09:33 am

We didn't start the fire

"I hope this does not start a trend" Quite right. Just because I advocate that an actor HAS the power, doesn't absolve their responsibility to use it wisely and sparingly. In fact, in the vast majority of cases, the policy of "the show must go on" is the best one to use....if in doubt, we plough on; regardless of the distraction. But you realise that we didn't start this trend, we're reacting to it. Audiences with mobile phones are the instigator at fault. The show must go on...but only if the audience will follow. Cheers, Craig ~<8>-/====\---------

JoeMcFri, 2 Oct 2009, 12:29 pm

the only time I could be

the only time I could be effected, is if it stuffs up the cue squence.

But I think as there is far too many Gloria Swansons out there, that could try to cag a lift on this wagon & might start spitting the dummy!

Walter PlingeSat, 3 Oct 2009, 06:22 am

Im sure Hugh Jackman will

Im sure Hugh Jackman will appreciate your wisdom!

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