Hamilton in Chicago

[toofunktastic2]

Jin Ha was on as Laurens/Phillip yesterday.  I'm not sure if it was his first time on or not. 

[puglife]

Any idea who was out last night? Already went hoping to see Karen once and missed her, and trying again tonight. Hoping for better luck and that she's back from her week away.

[Call_me_jorge]

From Instagram posts it seems like both Karen and Samantha were out last night

[ggersten]

I believe Karen Olivo is on a scheduled vacation through this week.

[puglife]

Thanks a ton guys. Looks like I'll try again next time.

[luvtheEmcee]

I'm not necessarily frustrated by the presence of understudies on stage, but I AM frustrated by what I feel like was a lack of information about who was performing. Maybe this is just ignorance on my part because I'm used to New York procedures, but I figured Broadway in Chicago would have the same standards? I went on the night of March 29th, and we had at least one understudy, I think two, but there was not a single visible or audible thing alerting us to this fact. No Playbill inserts, no announcement, and I scaled the theater lobby high and low looking for a cast board. I found that really weird, and super irritating. As soon as King George opened his mouth, I was like, well, that sure doesn't sound like Alex Gemignani, but there was nothing anywhere telling me that wasn't him, I was not sitting close enough to see faces very clearly, and it drove me f-ing bonkers. I can't imagine the powers that be think just because it's not Broadway nobody cares, and also, don't the Equity rules apply? I just want to know who I'm seeing!

[neonlightsxo]

luvtheEmcee, they have a digital cast board. It's on two tv screens, I saw it earlier this month. It's on the right hand side of the lobby. The top monitor is the whole cast's names and the bottom is AT THIS PERFORMANCE THE ROLE OF blank will be played by blank.

[Call_me_jorge]

And they do have an insert for every performance.

[luvtheEmcee]

WHERE?! I didn't notice it walking in, but then I went looking everywhere at intermission, and again after the show was over. Is it possible they only show the cast while people are entering and then the screen changes to something else since it's digital? I'm so curious about this newfangled thing, haha. 

[Call_me_jorge]

The screen is the in the room where you line up to get your ticket scanned. I don't believe it changes

[neonlightsxo]

". Is it possible they only show the cast while people are entering and then the screen changes to something else since it's digital? "

Possible but I don't know. I also had a full cast insert listing who was playing every role in my playbill.

[luvtheEmcee]

There was 30000000% not an insert in my Playbill, nor in any of my friends' Playbills and I went with a group of five. 

[neonlightsxo]

I don't know what to tell you except I guess the ushers aren't doing their jobs.

[Nycat63]

The two performances in Chicago I attended, including one recently, both had inserts.  I can't imagine there wasn't one at your show - perhaps you got the stray unstuffed Playbill or it accidentally fell out.  

And NY standards weren't so great when I saw the show a couple of weeks after Lin, et al left.  They had an insert but for several weeks - and for some roles months- audience members went in with no idea at all who they'd be seeing (and not just bc of understandable illnesses, etc)  It was just a series of rotating understudies and I can't say I was too impressed by that given that many people - myself included- had paid ridiculous amounts of money for their tickets before announcements were made.   I still suspect that much like in NY back then, there is something going on behind the scenes bc any 6 month contracts recently expired and they are trying to figure out how to handle the dissemination of information.  

[luvtheEmcee]

I'd have assumed it accidentally fell out if my entire group hadn't been without inserts, as well. They didn't accidentally fall out for all of us. It's possible we just got an unstuffed batch. Which shouldn't happen, but it's not the end of the world. I was just so confused. 

I didn't mean New York Hamilton standards, although I know shows that Jeffrey Seller produces usually do the full-cast inserts for every performance and not just the "at this performance" mini-slips. I meant New York as a whole, where it's (usually) very obvious, in multiple ways, that you're not seeing a regular cast member. I'm from New York and have almost 30 years of theatregoing memories from there, so it's not a stray observation.

[Nycat63]

luvtheEmcee said: "There was 30000000% not an insert in my Playbill, nor in any of my friends' Playbills and I went with a group of five. 

 

I hadn't seen this when I responded so I guess it wasn't random.  But makes me think that much more that there are contract issues - perhaps coupled with other cast members' vacations and illnesses - but I doubt that's all it is.  It's too similar to what happened in NY when OBC contracts were up.  I know they aren't obligated to give the public lots of notice or tell us anything at all (other than who is in the cast the evening you see it - I certainly agree with you on that) but it's frustrating nonetheless.  

 

[luvtheEmcee]

Maybe! That's not great, but I'm grateful for any kind of explanation, honestly -- it was just so weird to me. I spent the whole night being like, "... aren't they required to tell you?" But if I just didn't see the digital board, oh well for me, I guess.

[Browneyes142]

I was at the matinee yesterday and they had an insert and made an announcement at intermission for George Eaker.

I have a question though, is the sound always bad in Chicago or was it just yesterday or was it just where I was sitting?  The balance was really off.  At times, I could barely hear the harmonies and at times, one or two ensemble members were very prominent instead of well blended.  There were a few other issues as well.

[trpguyy]

Understudy notice isn't a NYCvs Chicago issue, it's pretty straightforward in the AEA contract. The audience is to be notified of an understudy in at least two of theee ways:

-Sign at every entrance to the theater 

-Program insert 

-PA announcement 

This is also why Paramour (which doesn't have programs) must do a live announcement any time an understudy is on. 

[Babe_Williams]

I was there on 3/31 and there was an inset. Someone must have screwed up the night you were there. 

[Babe_Williams]

Browneyes142 said: "I was at the matinee yesterday and they had an insert and made an announcement at intermission for George Eaker.

I have a question though, is the sound always bad in Chicago or was it just yesterday or was it just where I was sitting?  The balance was really off.  At times, I could barely hear the harmonies and at times, one or two ensemble members were very prominent instead of well blended.  There were a few other issues as well.

 

"

I felt like the sound was terrible too. At times, I felt like the vocals were so loud my ears would bleed. 

[bnp2641]

Just wanted to check to see if anyone had heard anything about Karen Olivo in the past few days... I know it was brought up a few days ago but wasn't sure if someone had an update- thanks! 

[Call_me_jorge]

I've noticed Ari and Joseph have been doing a ton of publicity together. About a month ago they went around Chicago to have some Chicago food. Last week they were at google in Chicago, today they are taking over the planned parenthood Instagram. Is Miguel just busy a lot and that's why he can't make it to these publicity stuff? I loved ari's and joseph's connection back when I saw it with him in October, btw. 

[toofunktastic2]

bnp2641 said: "Just wanted to check to see if anyone had heard anything about Karen Olivo in the past few days... I know it was brought up a few days ago but wasn't sure if someone had an update- thanks! 

 

"

https://twitter.com/karenolivo/status/850905105423532032

 

she'll be back the 18th.

 

 

[neonlightsxo]

"Is Miguel just busy a lot and that's why he can't make it to these publicity stuff?"

Miguel already does the majority of performances, plus he has two small children. Give him a break.

[Mister Matt]

I've seen it twice in Chicago.  Once in the front balcony (October) and once in the boxes (February).  Didn't experience any sound issues at all.