Shuffle Along previews

[neonlightsxo]

laughingplace said: "Should I see American Psycho instead? It sounds like jack of all trade master of none"

 

I mean, that's apples and oranges.

 

[Peter2]

Audra McDonald performing "Memories of You"! Thanks, WhizzerMarvin, you made my day! And in an interview she mentioned she also gets the great "I'm Craving for that Kind of Love," so I'll be happy no matter what the problems may be. (An additional funny up-tempo song for her like "Hit the Road" would put me in seventh heaven.)

[BroadwayConcierge]

neonlightsxo said: "I mean, that's apples and oranges."

 

LOL exactly, that would be an understatement! 

[Peter2]

uncageg said: "Tuesday can't get here fast enough! I kind of hope not a lot is cut yet when I see it. Really wish I had been there last night. Even with the amount of time that was said will be shave off, it will still be a long show. But with that talent onstage, I am ok with that. I feel like it was a "should have been there" first preview."

 

I completely agree, and regret that I can't see it until week after next at the earliest. The title itself of the show is already tediously long--"ALL that Followed"?--and the comments about last night make me worry that the thing does indeed play out that way. But I'm sort of fascinated to see it in its current inchoate state and watch it evolve into whatever it winds up being on opening night. There is so much fantastic talent in it (not least of them the great Eubie Blake, of whom I'm a big fan) that I'm guessing I'll enjoy it no matter what, but I hope it all comes together by opening night so that everybody has a big, resounding hit. 

[neonlightsxo]

"Where I think the show struggles most is by telling us how influential and important the original production was without showing us many examples to see for ourselves. "

 

This is worrisome to me. Thanks, Whizzer.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Audra gets to sing Memories of You uninterrupted and in full. It's pretty magically.    I'm Craving That Kind of Love is not really her song, but Florence Mills'. Florence comes into the theater tentative and shy.  Lottie decides she will take Florence under her wing and coach the soon to be star. The song is sung by Mills with constant (sung) suggestions made by Lottie, including her resisting to simply take over the number outright. It's a funny scene, but we don't really get to hear the song sung without a lot of distraction, and we definitely don't see how the song functioned in the original Shuffle Along. 

[JBroadway]

I took a picture of the song list. Trying to post it but I can't seem to get it to work. Anyone else want to try? 

[Smaxie]

I debated that point up thread, neon.  There's quite a bit of tell, but also quite a bit of show.

Wolfe also quite famously put something like seven new numbers into Jelly's Last Jam during previews, so I expect him to work his usual magic. 

[neonlightsxo]

I saw, Smaxie, but I'm still concerned until I see it for myself. Thanks, though.

[WhizzerMarvin]

For the record, this is why it IS exciting to see first previews. You get to see the process at work- see a brilliant mind create and fix. I mean he has his hands full, but in a few weeks we'll see what Wolfe is able to do. 

 

A lot has changed though re: social media/internet reporting of previews between Jelly's Last Jam and now. I still think it would have been wise to have try-out somewhere in order to hone these ideas before a high-paying Broadway audience, but the comments alone from the producer that Christine reported show they are well aware that cuts need to be made, etc. 

[Peter2]

christinelavin said: "The way it ended was a surprise -- I expected one more number and the orchestra playing us out -- but neither happened.  Does anyone know if that is how they plan to end it, or is it that they haven't worked out the curtain call yet?"

 

Typically, the overture (if there is one) and the bows/exit music are written last (or derived from the utilities) since they don't know which songs will be in or out of the show until just before opening.

 

Having said that, this will be interesting. Jelly's Last Jam had one of the most terrific and original endings of any musical I've seen. Maybe they're still cobbling together something special?

 

[ACL2006]

I'm really curious to hear what cuts will be made between now & opening. I'd imagine they'd try and get the show down to under 3 hours,.

[jacobsnchz14]

Song List

https://instagram.com/p/BC_hQljQBl-/

https://instagram.com/p/BC_hTLiwBmG/

[henrikegerman]

It obviously needs serious cutting.  Unfortunately, the problem's much bigger.  It's only in epilogue that a picture begins to emerge.  It's an article of faith for Wolfe that Shuffle Along (1921) was an important show whose stock has fallen fairly and unfairly.   Cultural advancement killed it.  So has cultural appropriation.  This could be a great foundation for a backstage musical.  But one would hardly guess from its first 9/10ths that that's what Shuffle Along (2016) is about.  

What we get til then are the costs of putting on ANY risky musical, the joy of paydirt, and the hackneyed misadventures of show folk - doomed love with a married muse, not one but two carping writing teams (one with homoerotic overtones), petty intramural and extramural jealousies betwixt the two pairs of writers.   And there's nothing fresh in the way these well-trod tropes are served.

It seems far too ambitious that Wolfe could now rework the libretto for it to begin to meet the worthy ambitions hinted at in the final scenes.

What could he reasonably hope to do to make the show a lot better?  Bring the characters to life on the page.  Give them some individuality.  Some reason for us to be interested in them as people.  And the five leads something more to work with.  

[QueenAlice]

I've just booked to see the show the first Monday evening after the week they are taking off. I can't remember ever hearing of a show that has built in a week off of performances in the middle of previews, and I'm excited that may mean they will use that time to make the kind of grand overhaul changes that are now rare in NY previews. 

 

I suspect this was a cheaper solution than doing an out of town try out.

[Peter2]

jacobsnchz14 said: "Song List

https://instagram.com/p/BC_hQljQBl-/

https://instagram.com/p/BC_hTLiwBmG/

 

"
 

Bless you for that! It looks like many but not all of the songs from the original show are included. I'm kind of shocked that "Good Night Angeline," one of Eubie Blake's most familiar tunes, is not among them.

 

By the way, I noticed a re-release (finally!) of the old recording is available for pre-order--


http://harbingerrecords.com/

 

(Seems also to be available via Amazon.)

[vdirects]

This is why I prefer to see later preview shows, if possible. 

 

I HATE historical narration. It feels cheesy/ grade school history project. One of the few things I don't appreciate about Hamilton. 

[Peter2]

Sorry, here's a better link for the CD--

 

http://harbingerrecords.com/sissle-and-blake/

[Peter2]

vdirects said: "This is why I prefer to see later preview shows, if possible. 

 

I HATE historical narration. It feels cheesy/ grade school history project. One of the few things I don't appreciate about Hamilton. 

 

"

I agree with you. As soon as somebody steps forward and tells me, "And then this happened..." or "The significance is this..." or "Let me tell you the moral," I feel like the creators have failed. Show us, don't tell us; if you can't show us, leave it out.

 

But I have an idea George C. Wolfe knows this!

[ACL2006]

do you also have the u/s list??

[Hellob]

I'm happy to hear the dancing was great. I love Savion Glover so much and TBH, I was worried there was strife or something like that bc he never tweets about being involved. 

[PalJoey]

 

I'm still excited about this, and this is exactly why I (almost never) go to early previews and am uncomfortable with discussing them. Shows have been turned around in previews, and if anyone can turn this one around--particularly with this stellar cast--it is MacArthur Genius recipient George C. Wolfe.

 

 

[jacobsnchz14]

ACL2006 said: "do you also have the u/s list??

 

"

Don't have that at the moment. If this evening no one has posted it I'll try. 

[KJisgroovy]

It's so weird when people want to bury a show after the first preview... Especially when the director/bookwriter has such a strong history of risk taking and changes during development. It sounds like they have right pieces, I hope they're able to slide them all into place. 

[Scarywarhol]

Has anyone mentioned the fabulous insert "program" that comes in the playbill for the 63rd St Music Hall, with pictures of the original team? 

[jacobsnchz14]

It's a great 8-page insert! A few photos:

https://instagram.com/p/BC_hJvCQBlp/

https://instagram.com/p/BC_hQXeQBl9/