| It's really a complicated issue because circumstances today, especially social media, has radically changed the ballgame when it comes to making the public aware of absences. Insiders and/or historians have noted that respected stage performers like Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Alfred Drake, and (notoriously) Liza Minnelli missed many performances due to demanding roles that exhausted them but also because of illness and health concerns. Merman, on the other hand, was known to walk through performances when she was worn out. Verdon and Brynner on occasion would delete demanding musical numbers from certain shows when they just weren't able to get through them. |
