HELLO, DONNA! - Murphy begins performances

[dramamama611]

Jed2 said: "I keep thinking of the scene in Seinfeld at the theatre when her understudy goes in instead of her ... "what, no Bette Midler?"

 

I'm so glad Murphy is getting her own playbill and positive audience reviews - she deserves it!

 

"

Rochelle, Rochelle!

[PThespian]

bear88 said: "Pthespian wrote: Enforcing the policies Rudin has in place is extremely difficult. Dealing with disgruntled patrons is the worst part of ushering.

OK, now I'm curious. Dealing with disgruntled patrons would be miserable, and I imagine some people were surprised not to be seeing Bette Midler because they got their tickets outside normal channels or had someone else order them or thought they were getting a bargain.

But at a normal performance, with Midler, what's the biggest issue in terms of difficult policies to enforce? 

And is a Hello, Dolly show more likely to be an unpleasant one to work?

 

"

The most difficult one is people not being allowed to go to their seats when the show is on. 

When I worked the show there was no indication as to when the show was going to start and no indication as to when intermission was going to end (i.e. Lights flashing, bell ringing, etc). 

The ushers are not allowed to tell people about the policy or give them a heads up when the lights are going to go down. 

I got myself in a little bit of trouble working The Glass Menagerie (another Rudin show) for breaking those rules. 

People aren't happy when you tell them they can't take their seat given these circumstances. 

My friend works there. She told a patron who was late coming back from intermission that he couldn't go back to his seat. 

The guy pushed my friend (who weighs maybe 110 lbs soaking wet) up against the wall. Hard. The police had to be called. 

I don't know a single usher who doesn't wince at the mention of Scott Rudin's name. 

[IdinaBellFoster]

There is an audio on tumblr of the title song - she sounds TERRIFIC! A much more exciting vocal performance than Bette. I just saw the show yesterday with Bette (LOVED it!), but now I want to go back to see Donna.

[Dollypop]

Several weeks ago I bought a ticket at the box office for a Tuesday performance in August. The gentleman was very polite but made sure I knew I'd be seeing Donna Murphy and not Bette.

[Eliza2]

IdinaBellFoster said: "There is an audio on tumblr of the title song - she sounds TERRIFIC! A much more exciting vocal performance than Bette. I just saw the show yesterday with Bette (LOVED it!), but now I want to go back to see Donna."

I was there and kept thinking throughout the evening that she sounded so much better live than Bette does on the recording (I have not seen Bette live)

 

[Valentina3]

IdinaBellFoster said: "There is an audio on tumblr of the title song - she sounds TERRIFIC! A much more exciting vocal performance than Bette. I just saw the show yesterday with Bette (LOVED it!), but now I want to go back to see Donna."

I know this is wrong, oh so wrong - but I found the tumblr clip and am actually literally crying from happiness inside of me. This song is pure magic. I cannot tell if it creates happiness or finds it from corners of my mind I didn't know existed, but what a way to start this day.

 

[BWAY Baby2]

Donna Murphy is not really a star - and certainly not a superstar- andit is not surprising at all that her performances are not selling well- no matter how good she is in the role. People want to see Bette Midler- and the next huge star who will take over had better be that- a huge star with an avid fan base. This is a superstar show- and not mere mortal or beloved unknown Broadway entertainer can replay carry it. 

[IdinaBellFoster]

But what is the harm? Yes, sales will dip significantly when Bette is on extended vacation, but when Bette is doing 7 out of 8 shows, why not have someone like Murphy do the 8th show? The show will still bring in money, and Midler will offset any loss.

[Callum_brown1]

I'd say it was the ushers THEMSELVES that were most distracting when I saw it from the balcony. Constantly flashing their torches at one another from different aisles and walking up and down the aisles, blocking my view! I think someone tried to record Hello Dolly number and the ushers began with OTT torch flashes and then then started shouting 'Sir! Sir!' - all while Hello Dolly was being performed, the pinnacle of the show. Though it didn't hamper how great Bette was on stage, it was nevertheless very distracting. I get that they have to stop people recording but there's no need to be so intrusive for everyone else in the audience too.

[PThespian]

Callum_brown1 said: "I'd say it was the ushers THEMSELVES that were most distracting when I saw it from the balcony. Constantly flashing their torches at one another from different aisles and walking up and down the aisles, blocking my view! I think someone tried to record Hello Dolly number and the ushers began with OTT torch flashes and then then started shouting 'Sir! Sir!' - all while Hello Dolly was being performed, the pinnacle of the show. Though it didn't hamper how great Bette was on stage, it was nevertheless very distracting. I get that they have to stop people recording but there's no need to be so intrusive for everyone else in the audience too.

 

"

Any other suggestions on how to get people's attention other than by using a flashlight and calling out to them, especially during louder moments, would be greatly appreciated. 

It's the people breaking the law who are causing the distraction. 

I know very few ushers who purposely try to be distracting or aren't cognizant of their movements. They don't just randomly flash their lights. 

[ljay889]

If someone near me is recording the show, I want the usher involved immediately, flash all the lights needed to make it stop. In the long run, watching someone record the show is more distracting than the usher doing the right thing to stop them. 

[Cora Hoover Hooper]

Jed2 said: "I keep thinking of the scene in Seinfeld at the theatre when her understudy goes in instead of her ... "what, no Bette Midler?"

 

 

 

LMAO! I'd forgotten all about that Seinfeld episode. Hilarious.

"

 

[LizzieCurry]

ljay889 said: "If someone near me is recording the show, I want the usher involved immediately, flash all the lights needed to make it stop. In the long run, watching someone record the show is more distracting than the usher doing the right thing to stop them. "

You're assuming you're going to even notice the person recording the show.

[GeorgeandDot]

IdinaBellFoster said: "There is an audio on tumblr of the title song - she sounds TERRIFIC! A much more exciting vocal performance than Bette. I just saw the show yesterday with Bette (LOVED it!), but now I want to go back to see Donna.

If someone could just point me in the right direction.........

 

[Callum_brown1]

Yes - I didn't even notice anyone recording anything. But then the ushers got involved and started shouting at the man and distracted the hundreds of people sat in the balcony. I get that whomever is recording shouldn't be doing it and it's the job of the ushers to stop them but they could have been more considerate to audience members in the way they stopped it - especially during Hello Dolly itself. When you're trying to listen to the score and Bette's voice and all you can hear is someone shouting it's not great.

Also, there were a couple of ushers that would walk down the aisle to the front of the balcony, have a glance around, then walk back up. Not only did this block my view but it felt like we were being policed and patrolled, not nice. Especially when the ushers are no spring chickens and took their time going up and down the stairs!

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Wow.  How ridiculous is it that I wanted to give her a standing O after the Tumblr clip?

[phan24]

GeorgeandDot said: "IdinaBellFoster said: "There is an audio on tumblr of the title song - she sounds TERRIFIC! A much more exciting vocal performance than Bette. I just saw the show yesterday with Bette (LOVED it!), but now I want to go back to see Donna.

If someone could just point me in the right direction.........
 

"

PMd you 

[martysil]

I'm not sure if we're allowed to post links to this or not.

What I did this morning is go to https://www.tumblr.com/, click Search (upper left) and search for

donna murphy hello dolly

I did not even have to log in.

[PThespian]

Callum_brown1 said: "Yes - I didn't even notice anyone recording anything. But then the ushers got involved and started shouting at the man and distracted the hundreds of people sat in the balcony. I get that whomever is recording shouldn't be doing it and it's the job of the ushers to stop them but they could have been more considerate to audience members in the way they stopped it - especially during Hello Dolly itself. When you're trying to listen to the score and Bette's voice and all you can hear is someone shouting it's not great.

Also, there were a couple of ushers that would walk down the aisle to the front of the balcony, have a glance around, then walk back up. Not only did this block my view but it felt like we were being policed and patrolled, not nice. Especially when the ushers are no spring chickens and took their time going up and down the stairs!

 

"

Frequently if an usher is "policing" the audience (as in just standing at the bottom of an aisle and staring up without going after a specific offender) it's because an actor has complained to the Stage Manager about someone, and Stage Management has contacted the House Manager. 

It's not a lot of fun going up and down aisles in the dark, especially for the ushers who are "no spring chickens." 

If they do it it's usually for a good reason. 

 

[devonian.t]

She sounds AMAZING!

 

[ljay889]

LizzieCurry said: "ljay889 said: "If someone near me is recording the show, I want the usher involved immediately, flash all the lights needed to make it stop. In the long run, watching someone record the show is more distracting than the usher doing the right thing to stop them. "

You're assuming you're going to even notice the person recording the show.

 

"

I've witnessed people recording shows on their phones on multiple occasions. A bootlegger will obviously be more discreet. 

[ErikJ972]

"Any other suggestions on how to get people's attention other than by using a flashlight and calling out to them, especially during louder moments, would be greatly appreciated. "

Tranqulizer darts?

When I saw Hello Dolly from the Balcony the ushers constant running up and down the aisles flashing their lights was horribly distracting. Way more distracting then the phone itself. I wasn't mad at the ushers because I know they have to enforce the law. I just wish there was a better way to do it. But I don't know what that would be.

[Callum_brown1]

PThespian said:


Frequently if an usher is "policing" the audience it's because an actor has complained to the Stage Manager about someone, and Stage Management has contacted the House Manager. 

It's not a lot of fun going up and down aisles in the dark, especially for the ushers who are "no spring chickens." 

If they do it it's usually for a good reason. 

 

 

"

All the way in the balcony? But that's fair enough. I'm just visiting NYC from London and things usually happen differently in the West End - maybe I'm just picking up on them.

[qolbinau]

BWAY Baby2 said: "Donna Murphy is not really a star - and certainly not a superstar- andit is not surprising at all that her performances are not selling well- no matter how good she is in the role. People want to see Bette Midler- and the next huge star who will take over had better be that- a huge star with an avid fan base. This is a superstar show- and not mere mortal or beloved unknown Broadway entertainer can replay carry it. 

 

"

I know what you say is mostly true but still Donna Murphy is no Morgan James - she has won multiple Tony Awards and turned out some amazing leading performances time and time again. She is perfectly suited to doing 1 performance per week. And if she is good enough in the role hopefully there is enough word of mouth and attractive discounts to entice people to see the show and keep it floating - even if just above water - until Bette returns to the stage. 

I'm guessing the operating costs do not significantly increase for this extra performance - the rent has to be paid regardless and the performers might all be being paid for a full week regardless? 

[bk]

Stop blaming the ushers and start blaming the cretins who can't keep their stinking hands off their stupid phones and just watch a show.  These entitled pricks are sickening and need to be stopped.  They paid to see the show - that does not give them the right to whip out their phones and record it.  If caught, they should be ejected from the theater immediately.  No discussion.  You know who you are - just stop it.  

[qolbinau]

Mmm they are the worst. I umm, headed over to tumbr' to express my distaste for it.

Donna Murphy sounds great! She has the right balance of strong personality/speak-singing but also genuine vocal ability to make the song both fun and pleasant on the ears. Her ad-lib/comedy lines are really funny too ("omg you look fabulous Stanley".......("wow, wow, wow - fellas".

I wish I could see her.

Please no one record her full performance - that would be terrible.