William/Grissom: Of CSI & Beyond #14

Hello everyone! :)

Been awhile....wow it's March already!

I just want to wish a "Happy Belated Birthday Mr. Petersen! :)
Yes, my bad! I totally forgot. :)

I see, we are still around even though Grissom is gone. I really, really, really wish he would come back to television. Not as Grissom though. :eek:
A brand new character. :drool:

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Regarding Endgame, i'm kind of suspecting the play might be called off due to unsufficient ticket sales. i just went on the Steppenwolf website and tried a random day seat simulation and, ouch, i didn't think it would be that bad. maybe that explains why WP or anyone else hasn't mentioned the play. i wonder whether the bad sales are due to complete lack of marketing so far, the unappealing nature of the play, or maybe it's just early.

from what i've read about the play, it's quite flexible when it comes to different interpretations. it's a difficult play, and it's possible that the crew is still figuring out how to play it, which is why they are halting the marketing.
 
Or maybe they just don't want to see him anymore:confused: He's lost a lot of fans since his departure from CSI, and fans are burnt out and disappointed and disgusted with his actions. He seems to fading into obscurity since this drastic move. Just another theory:(
 
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Regarding Endgame, i'm kind of suspecting the play might be called off due to unsufficient ticket sales. i just went on the Steppenwolf website and tried a random day seat simulation and, ouch, i didn't think it would be that bad. maybe that explains why WP or anyone else hasn't mentioned the play. i wonder whether the bad sales are due to complete lack of marketing so far, the unappealing nature of the play, or maybe it's just early.

from what i've read about the play, it's quite flexible when it comes to different interpretations. it's a difficult play, and it's possible that the crew is still figuring out how to play it, which is why they are halting the marketing.

That is really too bad. I certainly don't think the low ticket sales have anything to do with Billy lacking "Star Power", but more as you said, because it is a difficult play and one that many people don't seem to understand.

I know for me,not going is more the timing than anything else. If "Endgame" had been playing this summer instead of April til June, I'm sure that my friends and I would have been going to Chicago again.

I have to admit that the lack of talk about the play has been mysterious. I really thought that by now we would have heard SOMETHING.

Or maybe they just don't want to see him anymore:confused: He's lost a lot of fans since his departure from CSI, and fans are burnt out and disappointed and disgusted with his actions. He seems to fading into obscurity since this drastic move. Just another theory:(

I certainly don't think that Billy has lost that many fans and I don't know why they should be disgusted with him. :wtf::confused:
I feel he paid his dues to CSI by staying 9 years, and now he's doing other stuff (good or bad) and growing as an actor.
I say, more power to him!!!:bolian::adore:
 
After reading Adz post, I had a look on the Steppenwolf site too. $55 a ticket. That's quite a lot. We didn't pay that for 'Blackbird.' Is Steppenwolf bigger than Victory Gardens? $55 is roughly £30-£35. That's a lot to pay for a ticket to regional theatre. In Sheffield it's usually between £15-25 for a play. £30 for a big musical. Maybe that's a reason the tickets aren't going as quickly? Not in this financial climate.

There wasn't much out for 'Blackbird' this far out from the play. I think the director will have already made performance decisions as to how he wants it played as sets, lighting, costume etc would all have needed to be designed in advance. PLG thinks they started rehearsals today. Let's see when the production shots come out.

'Endgame' is what I call 'serious theatre.' I believe it's quite high brow - Drama students study a lot of Beckett. It's not as open to a general theatre audience. It's not as accessible as 'Blackbird,' which has a clear moral code and signifier. Maybe it's not the general theatre going public of Chicago's thing? I don't know, not being American! That may be a generalisation!

Or maybe they just don't want to see him anymore:confused: He's lost a lot of fans since his departure from CSI, and fans are burnt out and disappointed and disgusted with his actions. He seems to fading into obscurity since this drastic move. Just another theory

Not many CSI fans went to Chicago. Certainly, there were some, but the nights we were there, it was an audience very much made up of Lincoln Park theatre goers who have attended Victory Gardens for decades, no matter who the star of the show is. Admittedly, we went because of CSI. Or certainly seeing Billy in it. But that was not the feelings of the majority of the people in the auditorium with us. 'Disgusted' is a bit harsh. Disappointed, maybe. But 'disgusted...?' ?!?!?!?!

I'm not going because it's expensive to come from the UK, knowing it's a play you're not keen on. It'll be about $1000. I'd rather save up and see him again in a play I want to access and enjoy as it's more realistic than theatre of the absurd. I'm a Stanislavsky fan!
 
There wasn't much out for 'Blackbird' this far out from the play.
that's good to know. i honestly hope it won't get called off (or shortened), b/c i'm quite interested in Steppenwolf's interpretation. i remember Billy saying once that he used to do a lot of Beckett plays in the past and he enjoyed the experience very much.
 
I don't think they will cancel it. It's UK theatre tradition that if there are more paying audience members than cast on stage, the show will go on. It will happen. Billy and Steppenwolf are too heavily involved to cancel. It may not be extended though, like 'Blackbird' was...

Billy is arty. They play is arty. Beckett is arty. It's a good combo for him! Lol!!
 
hah, somehow i feel like he would feel great if there were 5 people in the audience. it would remind him of the old days. ;)
 
Just to re-wind about Billy and his choices, I've been his biggest fan since I first laid eyes on him. No fan adored, admired, idolized and loved him more than I did. The most handsome man I've ever laid eyes on. I've never missed one episode that he's been in, and have watched "Jackpot" probably 25 times and have most of his movies. If any one has read anything I've ever said for a very long time, and comments I've made said about him it was always in awe and talking about how magnificent he was. People [family and friends ] would say "Are you going to talk about William Petersen, again" and would roll their eyes while I did. I was the one who constantly stated "he'll be back to CSI", till I finally came to terms with the fact that he'll proably not. I was dismayed, hurt and disturbed by is comments. NOT disgusted. I was talking in a 3rd person from comments I've read about him from fans on other sites. He stated that "I can't take Grissom any furthur" for me that was odd, beings he just got married, [lots of stories there] then the fantastic trilogy, that he could have done. From Miami, N.Y. to Las Vegas, How great he would have been. I figured he could have done one more season, that's not asking alot for the millions of fans who also wanted this, and brought his fame and fortune. So, he wants to leave, fine, he goes over to Paris also fine, I thought he'd talk about his play, beings that's what he left CSI to do. He goes over to Paris, and what does he talk about his play? NO, CSI. and his favorite episodes. :( I felt that was strange. Then the kicker, for me was I read that he stayed on as ex. producer for "the monetary aspect" so he wants to get paid for them using his name, but can't film the show anymore. What if all the cast members said that, they 'just didn't want to do it any longer" We'd have no show, would we? Then he pops up with Bobby McCullough and Marg, on the set but can't do an episode or two. All this was just a big fat disapointment. And he's doing other 'things' what other things? I haven't heard about him doing anything but this play, which has had low ticket sales, and was relating to that, in the prior post of mine. What he does is his business, beings I don't know him, or his agenda, as none of you do either. For me, I feel that he made an error in judgement, and a bad choice, and am entitled to post my views on this. It's not an insult, just reality. He's moved on, and I've moved on, and the new man, Laurence Fishburne he is doing a dynamite job as the new guy on CSI. I wish Billy the best of everything, and hope he's happy and satisfied with the decisions he's made. Good luck always, there will never be another Grissom, ever:thumbsup:
 
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Right, I really feel the need to post something, i've been loitering around for a while and this turn of events has really quite suprised me!

Firstly, i'm not going to endgame either, for two reasons. The play doesn't interest me whatsoever and is something that more seasoned theatre goers and drama students would appreciate. The second reason is the cost: sometimes real life has to take priority and I have wedding to save up for!!!!! :rolleyes: It'd be fantastic to see him in everything he does, but I simply cannot afford a regular trip to Chicago. It is not because I have gone off Billy (no Britters - I haven't gone onto to Kevin spacey so don't even think it!!!! :shifty:) or I am in any way annoyed at him for leaving CSI.

There's no way it'll get cancelled. I can remember reading an interview with Billy when he was talking about his early theatre days, and he used to do shows with only a few people in the audience. I firmly believe that sales will pick up, nearer the time, once more advertising is done and reviews of the play are in the press. Admittedly, maybe the hysteria of him doing a play has calmed down as he left CSI over a year ago now, so that may be another reason for slower ticket sales. But he has a very loyal theatre audience in Chicago, who never saw him in CSI.

I honestly do think that he'd done all he could with grissom. Thats 9 years playing a character. He wanted his life back. I know him and sara are now married, but Billy wasn't going to turn it into greys anatomy was he? We wouldn't have seen anything of that marriage - it just would've been business as usual on the show. Billy was strongly against it turning into the grissom/sara soap opera.

Regarding him being an executive producer on the show still, yes, it most likely is for the money. But thats the reason he did CSI in the first place. For the money. And thats precisely the reason why he stopped so long. He was dreaming of going back to the theatre from the first season! I think he does enjoy the production of the show, the background stuff. He still has a hand in the creative aspects of the show and i'm assuming keeps the reigns on to make sure it doesn't turn into CSI:miami. He will also have a financial interest in the show because he's most likely put his own money into it and so wants to see it's used correctly.
 
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There's a nice little blurb from Billy's speech given at the opening of the Richard Christiansen Theater over at WPAP
I just wish there had have been a picture of Billy with Christiansen accompanying the article. *sigh*
 
yeah too right! we need a picture!!!

Apparently the straight hair he has at the min is required for his theatre role, which me and britters suspected was the case.

Read it here:

http://jorjafox.net/wp/blog/2010/03/01/spotlight-humane-chicago-the-missuss-pov/

I don't normally go on JF websites, but I wanted to know what they thought of billy!

Oh, and they have def started rehearsals for Endgame, it was on the Steppenwolf blog. :bolian:

Oh, and the earlier mention of him maybe could've done the Trilogy crossover - there is literally no way Billy would've done that. I doubt it would've even gone ahead if Billy would've been still been in the show. He would've refused point blank to do it.
 
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