Shuffle Along previews

[Kad]

$40 is too good of a deal to pass up. I picked up a center orchestra seat.

[TFMH18]

Just bought an orchestra ticket for $40 (of course, with fees, it comes out to over $50, but still). WAY too good of a deal to pass up, my lord. So excited!

[PalJoey]

Just got two on the side of the orchestra. I think there were better seats available, but Telecharge seemed overwhelmed.

Here's wishing George and the cast and creatives the blessings of the muses!

 

[martysil]

I saw the 4th preview and I enjoyed it a great deal, in spite of it being too long.  This deal is great and I just got an aisle seat (Row G) center orchestra for next Friday.  So excited to see it again:  $52.25 with all the fees.  Thanks to the original poster for sharing this info with us.

[abbagirl]

Wow, the orch for that $40 Fri perf is almost completely gone now (that went fast), but there's still plenty of great mezz seats (center, even) available! I actually ran down to the Music Box a while ago to avoid paying fees, and got a great front mezz D aisle seat, yay!

[Alex10]

This $40 deal is amazing of them. The star's illness was a perfectly valid reason to cancel shows as long as the show was still too in flux to rehearse the standby. I'm very critical of theatre prices and would not have thought anything of the prices not changing in the wake of those cancelled performances. I'm so excited to see this affordably- from a great seat!

[10086sunset]

Great job by the Shuffle Along team. 

Happy it will benefit a great cause.

[Smaxie]

The UK website, Live Theatre UK, filed a piece about the production, seen at one of last week’s previews following Audra’s illness.  The writer says it’s not a review, but it reads like a review anyway.  Interestingly, he draws comparisons in Shuffle’s structure to that of Into the Woods.  He finds that the delightful first act, is followed by a second act that contains most of the thematic thrust of the show itself.  It may be the more difficult of the two acts, but it is also indispensible.  In particular, the writer sheds some light on all that is happening in that second act, including cultural appropriation, creating art within the limitations imposed by racism, and the legacy of art itself.  

 

http://www.livetheatreuk.com/index.php/opinion/572-don-t-shuffle-along-run-with-all-speed-to-broadway-s-the-music-box#.VviEAQ7t5Ol.mailto >

[uncageg]

Thank you for posting that Smaxie. Now I am even more excited to see it next week!

[Hellob]

Question for those who have seen it spoiler

 

 

 

there was a part in act 1 where Billy seemed to have a pillow in his stomach and looked far. Did I miss something or was he fat all along? 

[PalJoey]

 

I've been thinking that there was a comparison to Sunday in the Park's second act ever since I started hearing that the show had second-act troubles.

I hop, I hope, I HOPE they fixed it--at least as well as (or better than) Sondheim and Lapine fixed the Chromolume.

 

[Scarywarhol]

How did the Chromolume change in Sunday?

And yes, I think the comparison to the Sondheim/Lapine shows is apt. Act 2 is more troubled, but it is also more interesting. 

 

[ELP]

Hellob said: "Question for those who have seen it spoiler

 

 

 

there was a part in act 1 where Billy seemed to have a pillow in his stomach and looked far. Did I miss something or was he fat all along? 

 

"

Saw this past Saturday night. The 1st Act was absolutely spectacular. The tap dancing is mind-blowing - a must see to believe and Audra delivered another Tony nom, if not winning, performance. Savion is a lock for a Tony nom, and probably a win, in my opinion. There were other stand-out performers, as well. Not necessarily Stokes, sorry to say. Just an average performance by a truly talented actor/singer. Billy Porter sang a show-stopping number that people will never ever forget!! And, to the above poster, I, too, noticed that belly protrusion and wondered the same which was not very believable-looking to boot. However, for whatever reason, that "pillow" magically disappeared in the 2nd Act.

Speaking of which...

The 2nd Act was a complete abomination! I tip my hat to the team for tweaking time this week with no shows but was VERY disappointed they let this go on for almost 3 hours in total. I'm sure (pray) this will get fixed!

 

[Smaxie]

I thought these paragraphs from the Live Theatre UK review about Shuffle's second act are especially insightful:

"In the second Act, the characters cope explicitly with the ways, the many ways, in which the White world has exploited and assumed the treasures, glories and specifics of the non-White world. A section involving George Gershwin is both sobering and astonishing.

In a very dramatic and powerful way, the second Act blisteringly establishes the gulf between what white people make of the performances of black people and reality, and the ongoing pain experienced by black creatives struggling in a white world. Porter and Ashmanskas are particularly electric here, in words and action; equally, though Stokes Mitchell and McDonald, through silence, convey decades of shared pain, gestalt grief.

The presence of four true, great, black Broadway stars on stage as these climactic scenes play out is magical - and harrowing. Just them being there, with their shared skills, genius and status clear to all, lends authenticity, proportion, and deeply resonating honesty to the experience that plays out."

 

[Jish]

The stomach padding is part of his costume for the act that Miller and Lyles were doing. He also puts on the blackface which is part of that costume.

[neonlightsxo]

The second act is a bit "Merrily" esque. Look what would have happened if they had all just stayed friends. However, that's not what happened.

[Alexander Lamar]

For those that got tickets for Friday - did you recieve the email with your e-tickets yet?

[PalJoey]

Nope.

[ACL2006]

if this was for the following Friday(April , I'd grab a ticket. Such a shame I can't make it into NYC this Friday for this deal.

[ACL2006]

FYI, the Friday(April 1) show is sold-out thanks to the ticket offer. I wonder if they'll still do rush tickets that day or possibly even SRO?

[ChiTheaterFan]

Is anyone who saw it prior to this hiatus planning a repeat visit soon?  Would be interested to hear if they're making significant changes. I have tickets to a late preview and I imagine it will be pretty well set by then. Just curious. 

[theatreguy12]

I saw the matinee last Saturday and thought it was terrific! And it was very well-received by the audience. Can the story/book be tightened a little? Maybe. But I didn't find anything overly troublesome about it. Even at this stage.   In addition the choreography brought down the house at the Music Box, and the performances, led by McDonald, were simply outstanding. Even at 3 hours, I didn't find it even remotely boring, or excessively long, and definitely not an abomination...a word mentioned earlier. It was a very good show.

[Alexander Lamar]

If anyone needs a ticket for Friday please PM me. I won't be able to make it. 

[Mr Roxy]

If you got tickets yesterday, when would one expect to get the e tix? 

 

Thanks

[PalJoey]

Here we go!

[brian1973]

Forgive me if this has been covered already, but is Audra scheduled to do all performances? 

 

Thanks