Waitress Without Mueller- Page 2

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 11:45am

I don't know how above the title works, but she's not above the marquee.

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/theatre-marquee-unveiling-for-the-new-sara-bareilles-news-photo/508049764

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 11:50am

Thanks for checking, rebeccmam! The inside billing is what I was trying to track down. Now I just have to hope she won't be out when I see the show because she was my main incentive for buying tickets.

It's strange to me that the producers didn't give her above the title billing, though, given how prominently featured she is in all of their marketing materials. And not to mention her last Broadway outing garnering her a Tony and all. Huh.

Updated On: 5/16/16 at 11:50 AM

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 12:44pm

Cupid Boy2 said: "Thanks for checking, rebeccmam! The inside billing is what I was trying to track down. Now I just have to hope she won't be out when I see the show because she was my main incentive for buying tickets.

It's strange to me that the producers didn't give her above the title billing, though, given how prominently featured she is in all of their marketing materials. And not to mention her last Broadway outing garnering her a Tony and all. Huh."

I agree with you.  She's definitely a big selling point. And I do think that the show suffered in her absence (though, as I said, I've not seen it with her in it).

 

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 3:00pm

rebeccmam31 said: "Cupid Boy2 said: "Thanks for checking, rebeccmam! The inside billing is what I was trying to track down. Now I just have to hope she won't be out when I see the show because she was my main incentive for buying tickets.

It's strange to me that the producers didn't give her above the title billing, though, given how prominently featured she is in all of their marketing materials. And not to mention her last Broadway outing garnering her a Tony and all. Huh."

I agree with you.  She's definitely a big selling point. And I do think that the show suffered in her absence (though, as I said, I've not seen it with her in it).

 

I am an usher who every so often works at Waitress. I wasn't there for the performance on Saturday evening but was there Saturday afternoon while she was out as well. We were told that there would be upset audience members who'd be upset when they found out that Muller wasn't going to be on.

Also, even though her name isn't literally  above the title. She still gets that treatment. She is the Tony nominated lead  coming off a Tony win, and her picture's not only on the playbill but on the billboards around Times Square. Interestingly enough, the producers were smart to have the inserts state that the role of Jenna was going to be played by Stephanie Torrens rather than the role of  Jenna usually played by Jessie Muller will be played by Stephanie Torrens

 

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 6:12pm

It's probably going to work out well for the producers who, as Islander_Fan said, are basically getting the benefits of having Mueller above the title without any of the negatives like having to give refunds if she is out. Her (photoshopped) face and name are everywhere.

Curious, Islander, did you have to deal with people who were upset?

[steven22]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 7:19pm

How was Stephanie Torns? Loved her in Wicked. 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 7:36pm

I would have loved to see Torns on on Sat. I talked to her last night after a show she did and she said she was still exhausted from doing both shows on Sat. 

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 7:45pm

mailhandler777 said: "I would have loved to see Torns on on Sat. I talked to her last night after a show she did and she said she was still exhausted from doing both shows on Sat. "

That role is very demanding, I can totally understand why she would be tired after going on twice in one day having not done it before.

In a comparison, Mueller certainly leaves big shoes to fill, as the OP noted, but I did see lots of favorable tweets that were along the lines of "saw the understudy but she was amazing."

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 7:48pm

NJ_BroadwayGirl said: "It's probably going to work out well for the producers who, as Islander_Fan said, are basically getting the benefits of having Mueller above the title without any of the negatives like having to give refunds if she is out. Her (photoshopped) face and name are everywhere.

Curious, Islander, did you have to deal with people who were upset?"

There were people seated around and beside me that were upset, but they confined it to complaining amongst themselves.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 8:04pm

I was at the matinee on Saturday.  Since it was my 1st time seeing it, I don't have anything to compare it to. I do agree that Stephanie Torns was good, but definitely the weak link next to the rest of the cast. I will give her a pass though because it was her very 1st time in the role.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 8:36pm

I was beyond disappointed by this show. Mueller carries it on her back. Without her, I would remember nothing. I love Bareilles' album, but the score is lost in the theatre. 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 9:40pm

Islander_fan said:  "Interestingly enough, the producers were smart to have the inserts state that the role of Jenna was going to be played by Stephanie Torrens rather than the role of  Jenna usually played by Jessie Muller will be played by Stephanie Torrens."

First off its Torns and not Torrens. Secondly all shows need to have one of the following. 1. Inserts with understudies going on. 2. Understudies listed on the understudy board. 3. An announcement made prior to act 1 that an understudy will be on if the notice is too late to do the other 2 things. Working at a theatre you should know this. Has nothing to do with producers being smart by putting the slips in. There was enough notice to get them ready and inserted. 

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 9:44pm

NJ_BroadwayGirl said: "It's probably going to work out well for the producers who, as Islander_Fan said, are basically getting the benefits of having Mueller above the title without any of the negatives like having to give refunds if she is out. Her (photoshopped) face and name are everywhere.

Curious, Islander, did you have to deal with people who were upset?

The whole aspect of dealing with folks who were upset thing was not at all as big an issue as I thought it would've been. I mean, seeing as this was the first time that Muller was out, none of the ushers either substitutes like myself or the permanent ones knew what to expect. I think that the intentionally misleading inserts helped out with that. And, for what it's worth having seen both Muller and now Torrens in the role, I thought Torrens did a great job considering that not only was it her first time on, but had big shoes to fill.

 

Now, for what it's worth, as someone who sees a lot of theatre, I'm not one to get an exchange or refund when a star is out though I understand why folks would. I can also understand that people would be annoyed by the intentionally misleading insert and though I wouldn't leave if I were an audience member, I'd be a tad bummed too. But, speaking as an usher I was glad that the inserts were misleading because it made my job easier.

 

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 10:34pm

With the heft of this role though, I wouldn't be surprised to see her miss matinees here and there later in the run. She's on stage the entire time and it has to be a bear to do 8 times a week. 

 

I think Patti missed about 5 performances during the run of Gypsy. In my opinion (and this is in general, not pointed at the very talented Miss Mueller), if you are having trouble performing the show 8 times a week, causing you to miss performances short notice, you should get a matinee alternate - just like Evita and, as of this season, School of Rock. I have very little tolerance for performers missing many shows with little notice, and, should she need to take a few shows off, I am sure she'll announce the dates a month or so in advance.

Updated On: 5/16/16 at 10:34 PM

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 10:43pm

Islander_fan said: "The whole aspect of dealing with folks who were upset thing was not at all as big an issue as I thought it would've been. I mean, seeing as this was the first time that Muller was out, none of the ushers either substitutes like myself or the permanent ones knew what to expect. I think that the intentionally misleading inserts helped out with that. And, for what it's worth having seen both Muller and now Torrens in the role, I thought Torrens did a great job considering that not only was it her first time on, but had big shoes to fill.

Thank you!  I appreciate your insight as an usher, someone who saw these performances and as a frequent theatregoer.

Heads up her last name is Torns. Stephanie Torns. And it's Mueller with an E.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 12:33am

NJ_BroadwayGirl said: "mailhandler777 said: "I would have loved to see Torns on on Sat. I talked to her last night after a show she did and she said she was still exhausted from doing both shows on Sat. "

That role is very demanding, I can totally understand why she would be tired after going on twice in one day having not done it before.

In a comparison, Mueller certainly leaves big shoes to fill, as the OP noted, but I did see lots of favorable tweets that were along the lines of "saw the understudy but she was amazing.""

 

Having seen the show 5 times between here and at A.R.T. I know how demanding that role is.

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 12:37am

I actually enjoyed this show quite a bit.   But I will admit that it is a one-timer for me. And I'm glad the time I saw it was with Mueller.  I'm a fan and it was nice to see her in the role.

[TracyLord]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 1:49am

"Jesse leaves the stage for maybe 90 seconds in WAITRESS. She's missed 2 shows in 3 months. "Questionable"? Give me a flipping break. She's one of the most dedicated performers working today. If you want to talk about "questionable" attendance, why not ask the lady at Studio 54 who's out often but still has time to perform at 54 Below?"

Did you finally realize that she isn't your BFF?

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 3:02am

mailhandler777 said: "Islander_fan said:  "Interestingly enough, the producers were smart to have the inserts state that the role of Jenna was going to be played by Stephanie Torrens rather than the role of  Jenna usually played by Jessie Muller will be played by Stephanie Torrens."

First off its Torns and not Torrens. Secondly all shows need to have one of the following. 1. Inserts with understudies going on. 2. Understudies listed on the understudy board. 3. An announcement made prior to act 1 that an understudy will be on if the notice is too late to do the other 2 things. Working at a theatre you should know this. Has nothing to do with producers being smart by putting the slips in. There was enough notice to get them ready and inserted. 

Ok, yes, I'll own up to the fact that I accidentally misspelled both names. But, I have to ask, did you even read my other post. We had both the understudy board as well as the inserts. We did this because more people see the inserts than look at the cast/understudy board. 

I never said that there was any issue regarding the production staff alerting the audience that Muller was going to be out. I did say, with regards to the inserts, having Muller's name not be on them was a clever way of alerting the public and putting themselves in a situation where refunds are not needed to be given. They didn't have to say that the role was usually played by Muller, the inserts simply had to say who was playing Jenna. I'm sure that pretty much all of those seeing it to see Muller most likely didn't know the name of her character. 

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 3:21am

iluvtheatertrash said: "If you want to talk about "questionable" attendance, why not ask the lady at Studio 54 who's out often but still has time to perform at 54 Below? "

Yikes. Even after she posted doctors notes and pictures of her legitimate ilness? Incredibly uneccecary to even bring her up. How pointed.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 5:17am

Islander_fan said:"Ok, yes, I'll own up to the fact that I accidentally misspelled both names. But, I have to ask, did you even read my other post. We had both the understudy board as well as the inserts. We did this because more people see the inserts than look at the cast/understudy board. 

I never said that there was any issue regarding the production staff alerting the audience that Muller was going to be out. I did say, with regards to the inserts, having Muller's name not be on them was a clever way of alerting the public and putting themselves in a situation where refunds are not needed to be given. They didn't have to say that the role was usually played by Muller, the inserts simply had to say who was playing Jenna. I'm sure that pretty much all of those seeing it to see Muller most likely didn't know the name of her character."

 

Again it's Mueller.

I read the whole thing. You said the producers were smart in putting the slips in. It's a freaking requirement to have 2 of the 3 things I mentioned. Also understudy slips wouldn't have Jessie's name on them anyway. It's not clever in any way. It's how they are at any theatre. They say "At this performance the role of Jenna Hunterson will be played by Stephanie Torns. Ragan's slip will have on that she is filling in for Stephanie since she is a swing and was on for someone in the ensemble. That one will say "At this performance the roles usually played by Stephanie Torns will be played by Ragan Pharris". 

If they see the show for Jessie I'm pretty sure most people know who she is playing. 

 

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 7:50am

mailhandler777 said: "Islander_fan said:"Ok, yes, I'll own up to the fact that I accidentally misspelled both names. But, I have to ask, did you even read my other post. We had both the understudy board as well as the inserts. We did this because more people see the inserts than look at the cast/understudy board. 

I never said that there was any issue regarding the production staff alerting the audience that Muller was going to be out. I did say, with regards to the inserts, having Muller's name not be on them was a clever way of alerting the public and putting themselves in a situation where refunds are not needed to be given. They didn't have to say that the role was usually played by Muller, the inserts simply had to say who was playing Jenna. I'm sure that pretty much all of those seeing it to see Muller most likely didn't know the name of her character."

 

Again it's Mueller.

I read the whole thing. You said the producers were smart in putting the slips in. It's a freaking requirement to have 2 of the 3 things I mentioned. Also understudy slips wouldn't have Jessie's name on them anyway. It's not clever in any way. It's how they are at any theatre. They say "At this performance the role of Jenna Hunterson will be played by Stephanie Torns. Ragan's slip will have on that she is filling in for Stephanie since she is a swing and was on for someone in the ensemble. That one will say "At this performance the roles usually played by Stephanie Torns will be played by Ragan Pharris". 

If they see the show for Jessie I'm pretty sure most people know who she is playing. 

 

 

"

You good sir, are an ass. No, most people do not know the name of her character prior to the show starting. The average person (I'm talking about those who live in the suburbs, local but only see a few shows year rather than seeing a show multiple times, being able to recite a particular performers last four shows they were in etc) doesn't know the name of Jessie's character. They do know, however, that Waitress is the show that stars Jessie Muller who won a Tony and is now nominated for another one. The insert stated only two things. One, Jessie was out, two, the usual actress who played the doctor's wife was also being played by an understudy. There was, count 'em one insert that stated those two things. 

 

Once again, I said, and others agreed that it was smart to not have the name of the character on the insert. They knew that equity says that you have to alert the audience when someone's out. They did do that. But, worded it in such as way sine they knew many people wouldn't be able to name the character Jessie is playing.

Once again, you're an ass. if you want to go tell me how to do my job and know what comes with doing it or not. Specially when you're scrambling what I wrote and getting it wrong, how about I come over to where you work, tell you what you know about your job is wrong. And, correct you despite having any basis of knowledge to turn to. 

[ArtMan]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 8:33am

Islander_fan said: "mailhandler777 said: "Islander_fan said:"Ok, yes, I'll own up to the fact that I accidentally misspelled both names. But, I have to ask, did you even read my other post. We had both the understudy board as well as the inserts. We did this because more people see the inserts than look at the cast/understudy board. 

I never said that there was any issue regarding the production staff alerting the audience that Muller was going to be out. I did say, with regards to the inserts, having Muller's name not be on them was a clever way of alerting the public and putting themselves in a situation where refunds are not needed to be given. They didn't have to say that the role was usually played by Muller, the inserts simply had to say who was playing Jenna. I'm sure that pretty much all of those seeing it to see Muller most likely didn't know the name of her character."

 

Again it's Mueller.

I read the whole thing. You said the producers were smart in putting the slips in. It's a freaking requirement to have 2 of the 3 things I mentioned. Also understudy slips wouldn't have Jessie's name on them anyway. It's not clever in any way. It's how they are at any theatre. They say "At this performance the role of Jenna Hunterson will be played by Stephanie Torns. Ragan's slip will have on that she is filling in for Stephanie since she is a swing and was on for someone in the ensemble. That one will say "At this performance the roles usually played by Stephanie Torns will be played by Ragan Pharris". 

If they see the show for Jessie I'm pretty sure most people know who she is playing. 

 

 

"

You good sir, are an ass. No, most people do not know the name of her character prior to the show starting. The average person (I'm talking about those who live in the suburbs, local but only see a few shows year rather than seeing a show multiple times, being able to recite a particular performers last four shows they were in etc) doesn't know the name of Jessie's character. They do know, however, that Waitress is the show that stars Jessie Muller who won a Tony and is now nominated for another one. The insert stated only two things. One, Jessie was out, two, the usual actress who played the doctor's wife was also being played by an understudy. There was, count 'em one insert that stated those two things. 

 

Once again, I said, and others agreed that it was smart to not have the name of the character on the insert. They knew that equity says that you have to alert the audience when someone's out. They did do that. But, worded it in such as way sine they knew many people wouldn't be able to name the character Jessie is playing.

Once again, you're an ass. if you want to go tell me how to do my job and know what comes with doing it or not. Specially when you're scrambling what I wrote and getting it wrong, how about I come over to where you work, tell you what you know about your job is wrong. And, correct you despite having any basis of knowledge to turn to. 

 

Islander_fan, First, Val the mailhandler thought she was an expert on everything Wicked.  Now I guess she thinks she's an expert on everything Waitress.  If she could tell me why my magazines always come bent in the mail or why my mail is always late, maybe I'd pay attention to what she had to say.

[zepka102]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 9:31am

I was there Saturday night and yes, I was pretty upset not seeing Jessie, as I don't know if I'll get back to the show. But I thought Stephanie did a fantastic job and while the audience didn't seem happy at first, she definitely won everyone over. I'm sure it's nerve-wrecking to be filling in for Jessie, but she stood up to the test for me. She has strong vocals and if it is true, you wouldn't have thought it was only her second time playing the role (and only a few hours after her first).

The show is a lot of fun. I love Jessie a lot, but I don't think it suffered without her. Everyone is doing an awesome job up there.

[noracharles89]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 10:17am

"Yikes. Even after she posted doctors notes and pictures of her legitimate ilness? Incredibly uneccecary to even bring her up. How pointed."

And Benanti didn't perform at Studio 54 until after she was back in the show, and she hasn't been out since. So iluvtheatertrash's point is moot.