NY Daily News - June 30th 2008,

[Jules]

David Hyde Pierce picks stage over screen with 'Accent on Youth'

Original text here


While David Hyde Pierce was singing and dancing on Broadway, producers were trying to woo him back to prime-time. "People have approached me about going back to TV," he said. "Basically, I said to them, 'I'm happy to look at scripts, but I don't want to go back to television.'"

At age 49, Pierce wants to do more theater.

"Curtains," the musical whodunit he starred in and won a Tony Award for, ended a 16-month run yesterday. In the spring, he returns to Broadway in a revival of the 1934 comedy "Accent on Youth."

"In between, I'll take some time off," he said. "I haven't had a break since 'Frasier.'"

For fans of the sitcom, Pierce will always be Niles Crane. During the show's 11-year run, he won four Emmy Awards playing the fussy Seattle shrink.

But it's not a role he wants to revisit.

"I don't think a reunion show is a good idea," Pierce said. "People understandably have a desire for more of these characters, but the reality won't meet the dream."

[rose]

I like this one.And I think he is right.As much as I'd love to see a reunion,I don't think it would be the same thing.I'm really glad he wants to be in plays.It's a good decision!=)

[iluvcioffiiluvtea]

I'm also glad he wants to do plays. Great article and thanks for posting!

[lemur]

He is dead right about the reunion show. We'd all be ever so excited, and we'd all watch, but I think we'd all feel vaguely cheated afterwards.

There's rumours of a Friends movie now, after the huge success of SATC. I hope they don't do it. Besides everything else Friends was a sitcom, a totally different format to a movie - it just wouldn't feel right.

[rose]

I agree with you.I felt the same way when I heard rumours about a Friends movie.I just don't think that it would work as a movie!

[nycisbliss]

I must say that I'm thrilled that he's sticking to theater right now. I love that I can hop on a plane and see him in person. Recently the thought of a Frasier reunion popped into my head, and I got rather excited that maybe sometime in the future it would happen. I guess that's pretty much out of the question now, and it probably would be slightly disappointing. I'd never argue with the chance to see Niles and Frasier again though. Who knows what the future holds though?

[ironic maiden]

Jul 8, 2008 14:30:00 GMT -5 nycisbliss said:

I'd never argue with the chance to see Niles and Frasier again though. Who knows what the future holds though?

I know I've said this before. Switch Niles and Frasier to DHP and KG and I quite agree. Part of the appeal of Frasier and, indeed, Frasier and Niles, is the incredible chemistry of the cast. If they did another project together (a play so we can see both of them live), I've no doubt it would be equally great.