SHUFFLE ALONG Sets Sudden Broadway Closing After Audra McDonald Departs

[Smaxie]

Those of you who don't know who Rhiannon Giddens is, you owe it to yourself to do a YouTube or Spotify search.  She's one of the most exciting and talented singers to appear on the scene in the last 10 years.  It's sad we won't get to hear her take on the Shuffle score, as I'm sure it would have been exciting to hear. She truly can (and does) sing anything. 

 

[Mr Roxy]

Glad we saw it when we did. Who would have thought it would have played a shorter run than the original one it was based on and with a powerhouse cast. Never should have opened it knowing Audra would be gone for a period after the show opened.. Add to that the juggernaut that probably cost it a Best Musical Tony. Imagine it opens next year with Audra in it with no restrictions and it having a clear field to the Tonys

[FlySkyHigh]

I can understand it being the right business move as well. I guess I'm just thrown by the fact that they weren't better prepared to take a financial hit during Audra's absence. The way they're describing the decline in sales makes it sound like they would've barely made it through the summer even with her scheduled September return. And though it might not have been intended, the press release seems to put it on one person's shoulders when there were miscalculations across the board.

[neonlightsxo]

NJ_BroadwayGirl said: "10086sunset said: "Tend to believe Rudin has to be pissed about the situation."

It's becoming more clear that Audra's absence for Lady Day may have been enough to close the show too. So perhaps he shouldn't have hired her in the first place or he should have done a better job with her replacement. I have nothing against the wonderfully talented Ms Giddens, but her name is not big enough. "

 

100%. Scott is blaming it on Audra but it's his fault. She was always supposed to be away for several months. He had 6 months to find a suitable box office replacement and he didn't do it. Really crappy to throw her under the bus like that, even for Scott Rudin.

 

[Call_me_jorge]

It would have been better if they had an out of town tryout this spring, then let Audra do whatever she wanted to do in the summer (whether it would be having a child or going over to lomdon) and then open next spring.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Rudin had A LOT of shows this season...but it looks like the only one that will recoup is THE HUMANS. Not sure the status of A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE as they co-produced with Lincoln Center didn't they?

[Kad]

I think this was ultimately a prudent decision to avoid a potentially costly decline in numbers following McDonald's departure.

I'm sad to see the show go so quickly. I thought it was a thrilling, magnificent piece of musical theatre, the scope of which we rarely see nowadays- flaws and all. It was far more daring, intelligent, and imagined than most new shows. I suspect its reputation will grow in time and I feel lucky for having seen it when I did.

[buhbuhbilly]

I would like to have seen this play into September.. A little bit more cash for all the artists slaying it in this awesome show. But at least everyone will have time to focus on new projects heading into the Fall

[best12bars]

Smaxie, thank you for posting that. Rhiannon Giddens is incredible, judging from that clip. When she switched to opera after the first few songs, I was blown away. Now that's versatility and range. Wow. So sad she won't get a chance in this show.

[Sertzo19]

So sad to see this go. As most have already said, the show had its flaws, but it really was spectacular. The choreography, sets and costumes were all beautiful and the rest of the cast was incredible. There was so much energy on that stage, it was exhilarating. I do understand that Audra was the box office draw, she was my #1 reason for buying my ticket, although I also did it because it felt like an event to see her, Billy Porter and Brian Stokes Mitchell on one stage with a book by George C Wolfe and choreography by Savion. The producers really should have made a greater effort from the start to market this as an ensemble show and it may have fared better. Praying that we get a soundtrack, a high quality recording of the original Shuffle Along gems with this cast NEEDS to be preserved. 

[DottieD'Luscia]

I'll admit I am not at all familiar with Rhiannon Giddens, but I was certainly going to buy a ticket for an August performance during her stint.  After watching that clip of her, I'm sorry we won't get an opportunity to see her in Shuffle Along.

[BroadwayConcierge]

I hope Adrienne Warren lands something next season. I admit I wasn't a fan of the show, but I thought she was a tremendous talent and delight.

[slumdogdelaware]

BroadwayConcierge said: "I hope Adrienne Warren lands something next season. I admit I wasn't a fan of the show, but I thought she was a tremendous talent and delight.

 

Agreed, she was one of my favorite parts of the show!

 

[Broadway Forever2]

I'm shocked to be honest. It was doing so well at the boxoffice.  I didnt realize that Audra was that big of a draw. 

[Hellob]

I think Glover could have been a draw IF they told us what he was doing. Some people here would have gone back no matter what but I and possibly many others would have if I knew that he had a decent sized part. It may not have been enough to keep open but how can they expect Glover to sell tickets without knowing what he's doing? 

[10086sunset]

What I'm puzzled by is the lack of a big name replacement for when Audra was going to London. 

Rudin knew all along and perhaps thought they could float until she returned. 

If they had a big name (someone who could legitimately sell tickets) in place, that person could have in theory extended when the pregnancy news broke...
 

[ChiTheaterFan]

BroadwayConcierge said: "I hope Adrienne Warren lands something next season. I admit I wasn't a fan of the show, but I thought she was a tremendous talent and delight.

 

"

What do you think of her as a potential replacement Peggy/Maria?  

[Robert16]

Honestly, is it so shocking and tragic? Besides the dance numbers the show was a bore. Audra sang the only two songs anyone was familiar with and Act 2 was a snooze. Too many talented people involved for the end product delivered - and that title - come on already!

[davet7462]

Robert16 said: "Honestly, is it so shocking and tragic? Besides the dance numbers the show was a bore. Audra sang the only two songs anyone was familiar with and Act 2 was a snooze. Too many talented people involved for the end product delivered - and that title - come on already!

Couldn't disagree more.  I thought Billy Porter had a great show-stopping song and for me - seeing what happened after the show closed to the characters involved was enlightening.  Its a history we know little about.

"

 

[Phantom of London]

An argument I have heard on here many times, where posters say "why don't they open the show in the Spring instead of the Fall", we have a good example here with the only Spring shows open:

Shuffe Along (Closing soon)

Bright Star (Closed)

Tuck Everlasting (Closed)

Paramour (Open)

Nerds: The Musical (Never Opened)

She Love Me (Open - Limited Engagement)

American Psycho (Closed)

Disaster (Closed)

Opposed to the Fall Opening:

Hamilton (Very Open)

School of Rock (Open)

The Color Purple (Open)

On Your Feet (Open)

Allegiance (Closed)

Dames at Sea (Closed)

Fiddler on the Roof (Open)

Spring Awakening (Closed)

 

[BroadwayBen]

This is also about the new reality of Broadway.  Broadway is now Las Vegas -- a destination to go for certain things, and certain shows.   And those shows are: Hamilton, LK, Wicked, Aladdin, Phantom, and Morman.  Once Frozen and Harry Potter enter into it, the majority of tourists will buy those shows because tickets are readily available, and that's what they know.   It's a very different Broadway than it was even a decade ago.  

[HogansHero]

There are many people here who adore the show, but the fact is, this demographic is not what sustains any show. My impression of the people here is that the book of a show is secondary if they enjoy the performances. My impression is that these people like tap dancing and the sort of showmanship on display in the show; the broader audience does not. This show appeals mostly to white left of center audiences. It has a narrower demo than Lady Day, but similar. Carrying this show until Audra returns (best case scenario) would require an additional investment in the range of 30%. That's nuts. Oh, and the reason we were not told what Savion was going to do in the show is that it was "not much." And he does not sell tickets. Even in Noise/Funk, it was the show not Glover who sold tickets. I saw Noise/Funk and I saw this. Noise/Funk was a work of art, a jewel, a masterpiece. This is no Noise/Funk.

[BroadwayMan5]

BroadwayBen said: "This is also about the new reality of Broadway.  Broadway is now Las Vegas -- a destination to go for certain things, and certain shows.   And those shows are: Hamilton, LK, Wicked, Aladdin, Phantom, and Morman.  Once Frozen and Harry Potter enter into it, the majority of tourists will buy those shows because tickets are readily available, and that's what they know.   It's a very different Broadway than it was even a decade ago.  

 

"

Yes and no... Hamilton only just joined this juggernaut list and it wasn't a pre-packaged known quantity beforehand. It is something completely different that has become one of the mainstays quickly. Same with Book of Mormon in 2011 and, to an extent, Wicked (though it had the Wizard of Oz connection). Those weren't shows that people were initially buying because it's "what they know"

 

[EvanK]

I cannot imagine the guilt Audra must feel right now, especially as the result of something so wonderful for her... So sad. It must be really weighing on her, it would be weighing on me. 

[MyFavoriteBrunette]

ChiTheaterFan said: What do you think of her as a potential replacement Peggy/Maria?  

She was up and singing The Schyler Sisters at the end of the Tony's, she'd be great!.  Someone asked on YouTube who is the lady standing and singing, unfamiliar with her.

I hope my friends make it to th show before closing.

 

[Call_me_jorge]

I think Adrienne would be better suited for Eliza and she has been in a show written by Lin before with bring it on so it is plausible.