STAR'S ABSENCES BREAK FANS' HEARTS Fantasia, star of "The Color Purple," has missed nearly 50 shows since summer, some say.


December 12, 2007 -- THE Broadway attendance police are on patrol, and this time we're giving out detention to - Fantasia. Since summer, the occasional star of "The Color Purple" has missed nearly 50 performances, production sources say. Following a three-week vacation caused by the strike, she dropped last Friday's performance, causing pandemonium in the lobby of the Broadway Theatre.

An 8-year-old girl sobbed uncontrollably when she heard Fantasia was not going to be in the show. "It was very sad," my lobby spy reports. "Her mother was trying to explain to her that Fantasia was sick, but the girl didn't understand and just kept crying."

A couple who had tickets that night asked the man at the box office how many performances Fantasia has missed. "Fifty," he sighed. "Fifty!" exclaimed the woman, startling everybody on the refund line. (Broadway's rule of thumb: If the star's out, you can either exchange your tickets for another day or get a refund.)

Fantasia's absences have wreaked havoc at the box office. When she took over the role of Celie last April from Tony winner LaChanze - hardly LaPerfect Attendance herself (40 no-shows, thank you very much!) - "The Color Purple" began grossing more than $1 million a week.

Since the American Idol began dropping performances, producers have refunded tens of thousands of dollars worth of tickets.

Fantasia did show up for work the day the strike hit and sang for disappointed fans outside the theater. News of her impromptu concert reached Sardi's, where a group of Shubert executives were lunching.

Said one, acidly: "There's no show, and she's out there singing. Now if we could get her to perform when there is a show, we'd be in business."

Sources say Fantasia's out a lot because she's simply not up to the grueling Broadway schedule.

How many ways can we think of that Elliott performs heads above every one else, on all levels? Our sweet "idol" showed even when he was sick! Some people are just diva's I guess! :1word:

I hear that Tasia is with child again. :shifty: Could this be why she is missing so many shows? An alumna from the university I currently attend is taking over Fantasia's role as Celie in January!

Wow, that is cool. Good luck to that person from your school! That's sad she has missed so many.

Fantasia Barrino is "not pregnant," a rep for her Broadway show, The Color Purple, tells Usmagazine.com. Several blogs recently reported that the American Idol champ, 23, and rapper Young Dro were expecting. "Fantasia is not pregnant and the Internet rumors are entirely untrue," Barrino's rep confirms to Us.

The New York Post also said that "an upcoming visit from the stork might explain the star's numerous absences from the Broadway smash The Color Purple."

But the show's rep tells Us:

"It is true that she has missed some performances because she has gotten sick from time to time over the nine months, but doing eight shows a week is a lot so she missed a few."