Actor Jeremy Piven apparently wasn’t so popular with his Broadway cast mates in the revival of David Mamet’s “Speed the Plow.”
After yesterday’s matinee, the remaining actors — Raul Esparza and Elizabeth Moss — bashed Piven to their audience after their curtain call.
Piven left the show last week, claiming he had mercury poisoning. He’d been playing opposite Esparza and Moss in the three character play for just a couple of months.
Sources say that when the matinee was finished yesterday, Esparza suddenly addressed the audience. (Actor Jordan Lage, Piven’s understudy, played the role of Bobby Gould.)
According to those who saw this, Esparza — famous for being outspoken — reamed Piven while Moss, my sources say, “sobbed.”
“’He said, I’m sure you’ve read the headlines about the silliness in our show.’ Then he said, Today was the first time I really enjoyed playing this show.’ I hope you weren’t expecting a big TV star.” It was pretty emotional.”
Esparza has a reputation for being lively — and much of a diva himself. A couple of years ago, I watched him walk out of the dress rehearsal for the musical “Taboo,” when he didn’t like something producer Rosie O’Donnell said to him from the orchestra. Esparza stormed off the stage, went home and took a bath. That’s Broadway, kids!
“Speed the Plow” will continue its run through February, with Oscar nominee William H. Macy, who’s performed the David Mamet play in the past, taking over for the duration of the run. First, Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz, who was so good in the Broadway musical “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” gets a crack at fast talking Bobby Gould for a couple of weeks.
(source)
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