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| I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: Michaels 11:40 pm EST 02/13/19 | |
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| It appears to me that in many cases there has been a significant change in the manner audiences are notified of performer absences. Instead of an insert stating that “at this performance the part of —- will be played by —-, today’s program for The Cher Show” included a full page insert listing the cast for this performance. In order to learn that Stephanie J Block was out, you would have to compare the entire cast list in the playbill against the insert. I don’t think that most of the audience would do this and therefore would not be aware of the change. There was an announcement by the cast list (stating, incidentally that at this performance Star would be played by Dee Roscioli). However, the sign was placed by the box office and would not be seen by 95 percent of the audience who bypass the box office when entering the theater. Also, even if you were to see the sign, I don’t think it would allow most people to understand that, in fact, the lead was out. There was no announcement as the theater had accommodated 2 of the 3 required options, however confusingly. This was not the first time I had a revised cast list in place of an understudy announcement so I believe this will become more common. I found out Ms. Block would be out by asking the ticket taker. I asked the box office if I could be allowed a”past date” courtesy, but was told it could not be provided with a discounted ticket. I feel that the theater handled the whole situation dishonestly and I am concerned about what I see as an effort to confuse audiences regarding the absence of performers they have come to see and also offering no accommodation if you wished to see the performer at another performance. Incidentally, Ms. Roscioli was fine, but I don’t feel that her very good performance changes my feelings regarding how the lead’s absence was handled. |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: mattyp4 11:28 am EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - Michaels 11:40 pm EST 02/13/19 | |
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| That happened on Tuesday when I saw The Band's Visit & Katrina Lenk was out. I have to admit she was a big reason as to why I bought a ticket. But her name wasn't above the marquee, we were already in our seats & we braved the lousy weather so I just stayed put. Still kind of bummed though. | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: mikem 03:57 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - mattyp4 11:28 am EST 02/14/19 | |
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| mattyp, were you at The Band's Visit this past Tuesday (2 days ago)? I know Katrina Lenk had a scheduled week off at the end of January and also one in the fall. I had heard that her planned vacation in the fall was the first time she was out of the show at all. I would be bummed if she was out as well. I don't know if shows are more demanding than they used to be, but in the past few years, I've noticed that the usual times when it's somewhat safe that the full cast will be there are not as true as they used to be (previews, the first couple of months after opening, Tony season). |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: mattyp4 05:19 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - mikem 03:57 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
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| Yes I was there 2 days ago. I bought tickets a month or two ago. I was on Telecharge looking for the best availability but eventually went to the box office to buy the tickets. Didn't see anything about scheduled absences on the website & they definitely didn't mention anything at the box office. So I assume that was just an unplanned absence. EDIT: Yeah. She tweeted yesterday at 5:30pm about getting influenza. Oh well. Wish I saw that yesterday but not sure if I would have been able to exchange. Hope she feels better though. |
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| Link | Katrina Lenk on Twitter |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: mikem 08:04 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - mattyp4 05:19 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
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| mattyp, thanks for clarifying. It's unfortunate, but it doesn't sound like it was avoidable. | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Last Edit: JereNYC 10:56 am EST 02/14/19 | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 10:53 am EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - Michaels 11:40 pm EST 02/13/19 | |
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| I imagine that most audience members at THE CHER SHOW have no idea who Stephanie J. Block is and don't care if they're seeing her or Dee Roscioli or anyone else. They've come to see "Cher." And hear all the hits. In a case like this, where the star of the show is the character, not any particular performer, the producers don't feel a need to haul out spotlights to highlight the cast change. As long as they've fulfilled their contractually mandated responsibilities to let the audience know, that's all they're going to do. When it does matter, producers do step up. At HELLO, DOLLY!, Scott Rudin went to extraordinary lengths to inform audiences that they were seeing Donna Murphy and not Bette Midler. Murphy's name was even on the tickets. And there were signs placed outside the theatre proclaiming that Murphy was on that day. The situation you describe here is hardly the Weisslers trying to cover up Donna Murphy's absence/departure from WONDERFUL TOWN, the one time in recent history I can recall that producers were actually called out on trying to purposely mislead audiences. I almost always especially seek out the board in the lobby on my way into the theatre to see if anyone is listed as being out of the show. Many times I don't care, but I'm just curious, so that's me taking responsibility for my own curiosity. If such things matter to you, I'd advise making doing that a habit. It's tough if you can't make it to theatre until curtain time and you need to rush in to take your seat, but, again, if such things matter to you, it might be worth planning to arrive 10 or 15 minutes earlier than you might otherwise do to allow yourself time to pause in the lobby and check the board. |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 07:25 am EST 02/15/19 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 07:24 am EST 02/15/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - JereNYC 10:53 am EST 02/14/19 | |
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| When the practice of including a full cast for "this performance" began, it became much harder to ascertain replacements. In general, it used to be more common for shows like "Rent," and even"Les Miz"'s later iterations, when it seemed as if there was fluidity among the leads. But I noticed the insert at "Great Comet," even though everyone was in but a single swing replacement, and of course "Hamilton," which I saw in the first two months on B'way. I have begun to rather appreciate the inserts, and depend on them, but agree with all of the other posts: they obfuscate change outs in known but not star performers. | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 11:35 am EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - JereNYC 10:53 am EST 02/14/19 | |
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| "In a case like this, where the star of the show is the character, not any particular performer, the producers don't feel a need to haul out spotlights to highlight the cast change. As long as they've fulfilled their contractually mandated responsibilities to let the audience know, that's all they're going to do. When it does matter, producers do step up. " I must strongly disagree with your implication that it "doesn't matter" in this case, as it seems to me that many reviews cited Stephanie J. Block's performance as one of the highlights of the show. In fact, it seems to me that her performance and Bob Mackie's costumes were the only aspects of the show that received almost consistently great reviews. |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: Delvino 07:27 am EST 02/15/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - Michael_Portantiere 11:35 am EST 02/14/19 | |
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| Having heard two interviews with Block about her extensive preparation for the role, I agree fully. Seeing what she's carved out of so much research would be part of the appeal. It's not really the same as, say, a different Jean Val Jean, though we all know plenty of people who have strong feelings about such roles and who plays them. A performance like Block's in this show is a unique synthesis of actor prep and chemistry with the other players. | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 12:33 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - Michael_Portantiere 11:35 am EST 02/14/19 | |
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| Sorry if I gave the implication that it "doesn't matter." Of course, it matters, which is why AEA mandates that producers must inform the audience in, at least, 2 out of 3 acceptable ways. What I meant to highlight was that audiences know Bette Midler and her attendance at any given performance of HELLO, DOLLY! was likely a factor in the ticket purchase. General audiences probably don't know Stephanie J. Block and I doubt that many of them bought their tickets especially to see her. She's what I call a "New York Name," someone that we know here at ATC and someone that regular NYC metro area theatre goers should know, but not someone that a member of the general public elsewhere or a non-regular theatregoer is going to recognize. So, given that, I would not expect any special effort on the part of the producers of THE CHER SHOW to alert audiences when Block is out of the show, other than what they are required to do by AEA. The original poster did not say how many people he saw trying to reschedule their tickets in order to see Block. I wonder if there were any at all. |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 02:06 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - JereNYC 12:33 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
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| *Sorry if I gave the implication that it "doesn't matter." Of course, it matters, which is why AEA mandates that producers must inform the audience in, at least, 2 out of 3 acceptable ways. What I meant to highlight was that audiences know Bette Midler and her attendance at any given performance of HELLO, DOLLY! was likely a factor in the ticket purchase. General audiences probably don't know Stephanie J. Block and I doubt that many of them bought their tickets especially to see her. She's what I call a "New York Name," someone that we know here at ATC and someone that regular NYC metro area theatre goers should know, but not someone that a member of the general public elsewhere or a non-regular theatregoer is going to recognize. So, given that, I would not expect any special effort on the part of the producers of THE CHER SHOW to alert audiences when Block is out of the show, other than what they are required to do by AEA.* I understand all of that. But what I meant was that especially in this case, where the performance in question is one of the few aspects of the production that was almost unanimously well reviewed, it would have been a nice courtesy for the signs and notices to say that the role normally played by Stephanie J. Block would be be played by someone else, rather than announcing the understudy or cover in a way that doesn't actually name the performer who's not performing. I realize this is not specifically mandated by Equity, but I do think it's a courtesy that should reasonably be expected by an audience. I also realize this situation is not new. As I'm sure I've mentioned here before, years ago I purchased a ticket for LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR only to arrive at the theater and find a notice in the lobby reading that "at this performance the role of Max Prince will be played by [ACTOR}," without also stating that this was the role normally played by Nathan Lane. Does that "normally played by" type of notice ever happen anymore, or is it a thing of the past? Or do they only do that for the big, name-above-the-title stars like Bette Midler? |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 02:28 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - Michael_Portantiere 02:06 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
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| Some of the theatre lobby boards have 3 columns: "The Role of" "Usually Played By" "Will Be Played By" I agree that those are the most useful. I thought these were fairly standard, but I guess not. |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 03:51 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - JereNYC 02:28 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
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| *Some of the theatre lobby boards have 3 columns: "The Role of" "Usually Played By" "Will Be Played By"* Thanks, I wasn't sure if any of the boards were still like that. |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: mikem 03:52 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - Michael_Portantiere 03:51 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
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| The Beaumont still has that. I'm not sure if others do. | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: StageLover 09:38 am EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - Michaels 11:40 pm EST 02/13/19 | |
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| I can sympathize. I went to see both ANYTHING GOES & DROOD, and she was out both nights. It happens... |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: CamMacFan 12:04 am EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - Michaels 11:40 pm EST 02/13/19 | |
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| I remember full page cast lists as far back as Rent (or maybe it was just the cast board in the lobby). I remember hearing that it saved money since Ushers were paid extra for each insert that they stuffed. I just thought it was because there were so many understudies on such a regular basis that they just didn't want the audience to know they weren't seeing the regular cast | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 10:39 am EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - CamMacFan 12:04 am EST 02/14/19 | |
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| I believe RENT was the first show to start doing this. What I heard at the time was the original cast was so young, raw, and unused to performing 8 times a week that, once the show settled in for its run and the first excitement of previews and opening was past, at least one cast member was out of the show at nearly every performance and it became difficult to actually see the lauded original cast all performing together. (The first time I went it was Adam Pascal who was out...no memory who I saw as Roger.) So rather than fill the PLAYBILL every night with understudy slips, they started printing up full page inserts with the cast that was performing at that particular performance. | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Last Edit: bmc 04:41 am EST 02/14/19 | |
| Posted by: bmc 04:34 am EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - CamMacFan 12:04 am EST 02/14/19 | |
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| When I was taken to see the Nat Co. of Molly Brown in Boston in summer of '62, there was a knee high placard in the small lobby of the Shubert. It stated 'at this performance the role of Molly Tobin will be played by Karen Morrow'. My godmother asked me if I wanted to get tix to see Tammy Grimes at another date I said no- I can't remember if there was an announcement from the stage- but from our seats in the first row of the balcony, we noticed an empty box seat and my godmother asked the usher at intermission if we could switch to the box, so that's where we sat. And of course Miss Morrow and Harve Presnell were just wonderful.........But what I remember especially was that while my godmother was at the boxoffice window,buying tix for my mother and sister to see the show the following week, I noticed that sign and said "Tammy Grimes isn't on today"(I knew Molly Tobin was the same as Molly Brown-I knew the cast album by heart) and when I said Tammy Grimes isn't on today, I heard several "What?s and the line at the box office got longer. | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: James99 08:36 am EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - bmc 04:34 am EST 02/14/19 | |
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| My first time in a Boston theater was a birthday present to see the same National Company of "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" ....Tammy Grimes was happily on that September day. But I do recall the same placard in the Shubert lobby many years later announcing that Margaret Hamilton was out that evening in the tour of "A Little Night Music" and would be replaced by Hermione Gingold! A spoken announcement was also made saying she had taken the Amtrak up from NY to do the show. So I saw Jean Simmons and Hermione Gingold together before the London production....and got to see HG play Madame Armfeldt for a 3rd time after seeing her twice in the pre-Broadway tryout at the Colonial! | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: bmc 01:08 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - James99 08:36 am EST 02/14/19 | |
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| An amazing story, James! The only time I saw LaGingold on stage was when she toured with SIDE BY SIDE WITH SONDHEIM. In this case the replacement occurred After intermission, when a new Guy came onstage. Also Gingold's solo was not "Liasons" from ALNM, But "The Madam's Song" from the Seven Per Cent SOLUTION | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: Kjisgroovy 11:48 pm EST 02/13/19 | |
| In reply to: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - Michaels 11:40 pm EST 02/13/19 | |
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| Jeffrey Seller has been using this method of Playbill insert for quite some time. I remember it when seeing the (almost) original cast of Avenue Q and In the Heights... and that was some time ago. | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: jjbkvm 08:26 am EST 02/14/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - Kjisgroovy 11:48 pm EST 02/13/19 | |
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| I was in London recently and saw TINA, it wasn’ until Tina’s fist entrance that I realised we were not seeing Adrienne Warren. At intermission I asked an usher in the lobby how we were supposed to know another actress was playing the part and he showed me a digital display which listed that evenings cast. The problem was the display had 3-4 rotating announcements so if you didn’t walk past at the appropriate moment you missed the announcement. Luckily Aiasha Jawando was terrific and now I have an excuse to see it on Broadway with Adrienne. | |
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| re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... | |
| Posted by: bmc (bmccabe67@comcast.net) 08:29 am EST 02/15/19 | |
| In reply to: re: I believe theaters are becoming more evasive regarding performer absences.... - jjbkvm 08:26 am EST 02/14/19 | |
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| Due to some confusion when I recently used FDS as an acronym for Flower Drum Song, I was guessing what TINA stood for. Transcendental Inspiration?The innocent night Awake"? then I realized Tina was the first name of Tina Turner(Doh!) | |
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