Violet Tony Performance Question

[myopinion]

Did it bother anyone else that the Violet Gospel number performed at the Tony's had many people that are NOT part of the cast. The actual number in the show is much much smaller. I know they were filling the Radio City stage, but I feel it was an unfair representation of what you would get if you bought a ticket. Anyone have any more information about who was on the stage?

[dramamama611]

A little bit -- i haven't seen it, so I wouldn't have known it without this thread. I remember thinking during the broadast, "Wow, I had no idea Violet was such a big show!"

However, I'm not so sure if I'd actually remember that once I get around to seeing it.

[Popular]

I'm sorry, can we please pause counting choir members to talk about Miss Rema Webb for a minute?!? Major highlight of the night for me. Holy smokes!

[dramamama611]

Then start your own thread -- THIS poster had a very specific question.

[KathyNYC2]

I understand what you are saying and yes there were more people on stage at the Tony's than on stage...it didn't really bother me.

They didn't do anything "different"... no extra dialogue, songs or scenes...so they didn't actually misrepresent what you see at Violet. It was the same number, with the same feeling and the same spirit as what you see.

But if you brought over the smaller choir, it might have been swallowed up on the huge Radio City Stage, when they in reality overtake the entire stage at the much smaller Roundabout.

I personally don't think anyone is going to be basing their decision to buy a ticket or not based on the number of chorus singers...so no I don't think it's a cop-out.

I mean is anyone not going to be purchasing a cast album of a show... that in many cases uses more musicians for the recording than actually play live at the theater to make the sound fuller and sound "better" for studio purposes? It doesn't mean the orchestra is not amazing in the smaller version live at the theater...

[Mister Matt]

Funny you mention this. My mother is going to NYC today and when we watched the Tonys, she balked at the size of the gospel chorus. Violet is one of her favorite shows and she was planning to buy a ticket, but considered skipping it if it was as big as the Tony performance (and as described in the odd Chris Jones review in the Chicago Tribune). Having just seen it, I reassured her that the choir was supplemented for the Tonys to fill the space and jazz up the performance for television. So yeah, it did influence her decision on buying a ticket, but that's probably inconsequential.

[willep]

That's like being bothered that Carole King was part of the Beautiful performance.

[Mister Matt]

Not really. Carole King's appearance was explained when she introduced the show.

[Kad]

I had heard that the production DID want a larger choir for that number but could not get clearance with Equity to use non-union singers.

Since Radio City and the Tonys are not under Equity jurisdiction, they could supplement.