Shuffle Along previews

[TBone]

BellaB2 said: "I hope Audra is back too, I'm rushing it tomorrow"

Audra was in tonight and she was great. I can't get over that ensemble...incredible stuff!!

[ACL2006]

shows rarely change material/scenes after opening, but might SHUFFLE ALONG be an exception?

[bear88]

Thanks for the updates on the changes to the second act. I have never seen a show in previews before, so hearing about how Wolfe and company are tweaking the show is rather fascinating. Some of the changes sound like good ideas, others I'm not sure about, but it's just interesting to monitor what this group of talented people are doing to fix problems, especially when some of the "fixes" are pretty major.

I saw it April 4th, so the second half of Act 2 sounds quite a bit different. The show has its flaws, and suffered because we saw Hamilton the next night. Both are historical; Shuffle Along feels too much like a lesson. But I enjoyed a lot about the show, and I was struck by the enthusiastic reception it received. Whatever happened to the aloof Broadway audiences of my youth? 

I really did appreciate the show's ambition, and as others have said, I would see it again just to watch that amazing "suitcase dance" and Mitchell's first act song. And yeah, Audra McDonald was wonderful. Brandon Victor Dixon doesn't get enough credit as Eubie. He deserves more Tony consideration than he seems to be getting.

[marknyc]

Saw it last night and had mixed feelings.  The cast is great, of course.  But it was strange to hear all the exposition about how great SA was and then to see nothing of the actual show. 

Crucify me, but I felt Audra was miscast - it felt like an opera singer doing jazz, and she didn't do it as well as she did as Billie Holiday.  Billy Porter's solo in Act 2 was the first time I felt I was hearing these songs the way they were meant to be heard.

Glover's choreography had a sameness to it - it was all group tap, and he gave few individual dancers  opportunities to solo or duet.  He also offered few of the big moments that make an audience burst into applause, like a kick line does  (Inappropriate for this show, of course, but just an example of how that can happen).

I thought making Carl Van Vechten the bad guy was uncalled for - he was a champion of Harlem and blacks in the arts, and his criticisms of the SA book were correct, as shown by the fact that not a single word of it is used in this show.

I'll be curious to read the reviews tomorrow!

[Trish2]

Audra was out again for yesterday's matinee! My second attempt at seeing the show. Ugh. I wonder if she'll play tonight?

[neonlightsxo]

She has to, for Tony eligibility.

[wonderfulwizard11]

"Billy Porter's solo in Act 2 was the first time I felt I was hearing these songs the way they were meant to be heard."

I'm surprised to hear that- when I saw the show, I thought Porter's acting was excellent, but I didn't care for his solo at all. He without a doubt has an impressive voice, but at the end of the number it sounded like it was ready to give out because of all the vocal pyrotechnics he was using. At a certain point, it didn't feel like an actor connecting with the number and it just became an actor showing off. I found Audra's voice better suited to the part then you did, but I never found her to be self-indulgent in her singing. 

[Trish2]

neonlightsxo said: "She has to, for Tony eligibility.

 

I was kidding, of course.

 

[FlySkyHigh]

marknyc said: Crucify me, but I felt Audra was miscast - it felt like an opera singer doing jazz, and she didn't do it as well as she did as Billie Holiday.  Billy Porter's solo in Act 2 was the first time I felt I was hearing these songs the way they were meant to be heard."

 

 

The operatic sound is intentional. I have not seen the show yet, but I do remember watching a Times talk interview with Audra and George. Based on press clippings they were able to find regarding the original show, Lottie Gee was known for not having a traditional jazz sound. I can't quite remember if her voice was described as being operatic but she definitely was a soprano. Here's the interview if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJDbK03o6d8

 

[neonlightsxo]

Trish2 said: "neonlightsxo said: "She has to, for Tony eligibility.

 

I was kidding, of course."

 

It wasn't clear.

 

[maxkko]

I was looking through my Shuffle Along preview playbill and saw Felicia Boswelll's headshot on the principle page, and then later listed as "Red Hot Mama". In my playbill from July, however; her and the role are both not listed. Was she/ her role once in the show, then cut during previews? I never knew she was in the show, and I'm very confused. 

[whatdoesntkillme]

Interesting situation. IBDB lists the credit, but Playbill does not. It's on her website, though as Josephine Baker. The Times review lists her in the cast, though. I don't know anything other than these preliminary searches and am intrigued to learn more if anyone has any more information. 

[JBroadway]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, or if anyone has more detailed information, but as I understand it:

Felicia Boswell had a supporting role in the show originally. She played "Freda," who later becomes Josephine Baker. She had a whole number/sequence in Act 2 showing her rise to success. It seems that the character and entire story tangent were cut, and as a result, Boswell was out of a job. I remember the same thing happening to some actors in Spider-Man. In retrospect, I'm surprised they didn't offer her a role in the ensemble. Although, maybe they did and she just turned it down. In any case, it's still a legitimate Broadway credit for her to put on her resumé, as she did perform the role on Broadway. But at the same time, the role was not in the show in its completed form, nor was it in the Playbill after opening night, which I'm guessing is why the Playbill Vault doesn't have it. 

[maxkko]

JBroadway said: "Please correct me if I'm wrong, or if anyone has more detailed information, but as I understand it:

Felicia Boswell had a supporting role in the show originally. She played "Freda," who later becomes Josephine Baker. She had a whole number/sequence in Act 2 showing her rise to success. It seems that the character and entire story tangent were cut, and as a result, Boswell was out of a job. I remember the same thing happening to some actors in Spider-Man. In retrospect, I'm surprised they didn't offer her a role in the ensemble. Although, maybe they did and she just turned it down. In any case, it's still a legitimate Broadway credit for her to put on her resumé, as she did perform the role on Broadway. But at the same time, the role was not in the show in its completed form, nor was it in the Playbill after opening night, which I'm guessing is why the Playbill Vault doesn't have it. "

Do you know what the number was called?

 

[LaneBryant]

Her role was written out. She also played Eubie Blake's wife (a role that was cut early in previews), and another male character "Onions", who was also subsequently cut. It wouldn't make sense to offer her a role in a "dancing ensemble" when she's an actress/singer, that would be a huge slap in the face. They wrote out her role, probably gave her a lovely settlement, and kept moving. Sad business. Her number was called, "That Comedy Chorus Gal".