Jim Parsons tripped onstage - Saturday Eve. performance cancelled

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 5:00pm

I got out of the matinee of Boys in the Band about an hour ago. At the end of the show, when the lights came up for the curtain call, Parsons had slipped on the confetti or something and had fallen. His fellow actors were helping him up. He limped downstage to take a quick bow, then hurried offstage - still with a nasty limp - way before the curtain call had finished. I heard one of the guards at the stage door say he was on his way to the doctor. Anyone know if he’s still going on tonight?

Updated On: 5/15/18 at 05:00 PM

[madela2]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 5:08pm

I was also there today. I was in the front and couldn’t see past the actors already standing so I wasn’t sure if he tripped on the step or what. I really hope he’s ok. It looked like he was in a lot of pain. It seemed like everyone else kind of bailed pretty quickly on the curtain call to go check on him. Or maybe it’s always that short idk. Anyway, best wishes to Jim today!!

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 6:26pm

I sat in mezz and saw that too! He nearly tripped on the telephone cord earlier during the play... then during curtain call he slipped going down the two steps and fell but was ok at first; did one bow and then left limping while the rest of the cast finished their bows.
I really really hope he is ok. He is practically onstage 95% of the time!

Updated On: 5/12/18 at 06:26 PM

[Golenboybway]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 6:50pm

Show is cancelled tonight

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 7:10pm

Golenboybway said: "Show is cancelled tonight "

Oh no!! Source?

[Theater3232]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 7:11pm

Performance no longer listed on Telecharge for tonight.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 7:18pm

Theater3232 said: "Performance no longer listed on Telecharge for tonight."

Are shows usually on Telecharge with less than an hour til curtain time?

[Eliza2]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 7:26pm

from the Telecharge page:

Due to a minor injury of a castmember, the Satevening performance has been canceled. 
Performances will resume Monday night.

https://www.telecharge.com/Broadway/The-Boys-in-the-Band/Overview

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 7:34pm

The show has understudies, and I think Matt McGrath is the cover for Jim Parsons.

However, I also forgot that a possible reason they opted to cancel is because the understudies may not have had enough time to rehearse. (Either that, or they think taking the L when one of the marquee stars is out was less of a headache than refunds en masse.)

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 7:56pm

F*ck me. I paid the most I have ever paid for these tickets and I only found this out because I checked this site ten minutes before curtain.

I hate to be selfish right now but this was a really important night. I wish JP all the best. I hope I can get a refund.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 8:18pm

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "F*ck me. I paid the most I have ever paid for these tickets and I only found this out because I checked this site ten minutes before curtain.

I hate to be selfish right now but this was a really important night. I wish JP all the best. I hope I can get a refund. "

Don’t worry, you’re not being selfish; it is perfectly reasonable to be disappointed over the the cancellation of a performance that you were looking forward to. 

You will certainly be able to get a refund, just contact your point of purchase and they will get you sorted out. 

[Jimmyb1969]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 8:55pm

I was there tonight as well! First off why didn't telecharge send out an email alert. Such an easy thing to do. Very poor customer service. Then the guards are outside telling folks randomly but its disorganized and chaotic and a mess....house management needed to handle this better...what if there is a real crisis? Just shameful and unprofessional. And then no access to the box office so folks could rebook? Sorry you can only call telecharge. I mean isn’t the box office the first line of customer service. I feel very badly for Jim but this whole incident was handled very poorly. So i call and am on the phone fo telecharge almost an hour and then i have to settle for bad seats when i was one of the first to purchase?
Bad bad bad! I expect better from broadway theatres. You’re supposed to be the pros. Not tonight! Not at this theatre!

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 9:09pm

Jimmyb1969 said: "I was there tonight as well! First off why didn't telecharge send out an email alert. Such an easy thing to do. Very poor customer service. Then the guards are outside telling folks randomly but its disorganized and chaotic and a mess....house management needed to handle this better...what if there is a real crisis? Just shameful and unprofessional. And then no access to the box office so folks could rebook? Sorry you can only call telecharge. I mean isn’t the box office the first line of customer service. I feel very badly for Jim but this whole incident was handled very poorly. So i call and am on the phone fo telecharge almost an hour and then i have to settle for bad seats when i was one of the first to purchase?
Bad bad bad! I expect better from broadway theatres. You’re supposed to be the pros. Not tonight! Not at this theatre!

"

How come everytime a performance is cancelled at some show you happen to be there, then trash telecharge?

[Jimmyb1969]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 9:16pm

First time a shows ever been cancelled on me. Get your facts straight you shubert shill.

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 9:16pm

Shubert shill? Werent you the one who said you picked up tickets and heard Bernadette’s before the parade passes by in rehersal?

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 10:42pm

Lord.

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 11:43pm

This whole thing shouldn't have been an issue. This is what understudies and swings are for. The show must go on! Poor Jim for injuring himself, but over 700 people now will need refunds because none of the understudies rose to the challenge. What a shame. And the way the house handed this sounds like one of the worst incidents I've heard about in awhile.

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/12/18 at 11:47pm

dearalanaaaa said: "This whole thing shouldn't have been an issue. This is what understudies and swings are for. The show must go on! Poor Jim for injuring himself, but over 700 people now will need refunds because none of the understudies rose to the challenge. What a shame. And the way the house handed this sounds like one of the worst incidents I've heard about in awhile."

After the show opens, I would agree with you. However, the show is still in previews and Jim Parsons has one of the biggest if not the biggest role in the play. He was out there on stage 95% of the time! 

Last year when Andy Karl got injured in Groundhog Day previews, the show also cancelled the next performance. 

Updated On: 5/13/18 at 11:47 PM

[EthelMae]

Posted: 5/13/18 at 12:02am

Yeah, I gotta go on the thought that Understudies are not given enough rehearsal time, ever, especially in Previews. And most of these guys are Understudying 3 roles! That’s insane, it saves Producers money from hiring more actors to cover the roles but it puts a tremendous pressure on the Understudy to be up to speed in the first or even second week of previews. So, I’m not surprised they had to cancel. What’s sounds worse was what happened at the theatre tonight. If these reports are accurate, sounds like BO and front of house weren’t prepared to deal with this. Then again, wasn’t it crazy over at the Shubert when Bette was out for a matinee? Sounded like chaos happened that day too. Maybe there isn’t a clear cut method that can handle these unforeseen circumstances.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 5/13/18 at 12:04am

I also recall an early performance of the most recent Cabaret revival being cancelled because Cumming had taken ill and his understudy was not prepared to go on yet. It’s reasonable that a show in previews wants to spend its time making sure that the show is ready to open in the first place before throwing tons of attention at actors who won’t be in the lead roles most nights.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 5/13/18 at 12:14am

dearalanaaaa said: "This whole thing shouldn't have been an issue. This is what understudies and swings are for. The show must go on! Poor Jim for injuring himself, but over 700 people now will need refunds because none of the understudies rose to the challenge. What a shame. And the way the house handed this sounds like one of the worst incidents I've heard about in awhile."

The show is in previews. There have likely been few, if any, understudy rehearsals at this point. If the show had opened, I’m certain they’d have carried on with an understudy this evening. I would imagine McGrath, or whoever, will spend tomorrow rehearsing in case they need him to perform Monday evening. 

When Andy Karl tore his ACL last year, they canceled a performance to give Andrew Call a day to rehearse, as the injury happened during a preview. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/13/18 at 7:28am

JIMMY: If there had been "a real crisis", I'm guessing your theater tickets wouldn't have seemed so important.

YES, it does sound like it was handled badly but some perspective might help.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/13/18 at 9:00am

was just checking who the standbys were for this show and I had no clue Kyle Dean Massey was one of them(Cowboy, Donald, Larry).

[EthelMae]

Posted: 5/13/18 at 10:09am

This situation reminds me of, first, when my partner toured in the National Tour of Beauty and the Beast, they got to a city and the actor playing the Beast got sick. The Understudy was told he didn't have to go on if he didn't want to as he hadn't had much rehearsal. He did go on in costumes too big for him and stumbled thru it but did get thru it. My partner said the audience probably didn't even realize what was going on. They had been touring for a while but Disney still hadn't rehearsed the Understudies sufficiently. And, second, when Mary Tyler Moore walked out prior to a matinee of Neil Simon's Rose's Dilemma. She had been served a letter of notes on her performance moments before going on and decided to walk. Her Understudy was asked if she felt she could go on but didn't have to because she hadn't had much rehearsal. In this instance, she went on as well and actually finished the run as Mary never returned to the production. In both cases the show could have been cancelled as the Understudies didn't have proper rehearsal time.

Updated On: 5/13/18 at 10:09 AM

[persephone88]

Posted: 5/13/18 at 10:20am

We were super disappointed. We came up from DC to see the show and found out 20 minutes to curtain it was cancelled. We'd love to still see it but the expense of repeat hotel and train tickets may prohibit us. Hope Jim Parsons is recovering, but really wish either Telecharge or the Booth would have emailed patrons in a more timely manner. It was a disorganized mess outside the theatre.