Karen Olivo Out Of Moulin Rouge Sat Night - No Audience Notice

[Evita@theBroadway]

Saw Moulin Rouge last night at 8 and was disappointed to see that Karen Olivo was out. However there was no notice in my playbill and no pre-show announcement made. I thought it was equity rules that you have to notify the audience if someone is out and also who will be going on in their place.

Am I wrong? For the record her understudy was awesome.

[FANtomFollies]

I thought that was the rule as well. I saw Phantom a few weeks ago and there was an understudy on for Raoul with no slip or announcement either. 

[BrodyFosse123]

It was posted on the cast board in the lobby. A friend got a refund when he saw that and walked over to the box office. Refund issued with no problem.

[viagalactica6]

Evita@theBroadway said: "Saw Moulin Rouge last night at 8 and was disappointed to see that Karen Olivo was out. However there was no notice in my playbill and no pre-show announcement made. I thought it was equity rules that you have to notify the audience if someone is out and also who will be going on in their place.

Am I wrong? For the record her understudy was awesome."

I definitely thought that that was a rule. It gives the theater goer the option to go to the box office and request another date to attend the performance. That is what happened to me when I went to see Billy Porter in Kinky Boots and he was absent.

[GreasedLightning]

I believe the rule, and correct me if I’m wrong, is that the audience must be notified one of three ways: a Playbill insert, an announcement or the understudy board in the lobby of a theater. Whether they do one, two or all three is up to the production but I believe not all three are necessary.

In this case, I assume it was listed on the digital understudy board in the lobby/box office of the Hirschfeld, which can be easy to miss in the hustle-and-bustle of entering the venue with the metal detectors and all.

[ahhrealmonsters]

GreasedLightning said: "I believe the rule, and correct me if I’m wrong, is that the audience must be notified one of three ways: a Playbill insert, an announcement or the understudy board in the lobby of a theater. Whether they do one, two or all three is up to the production but I believe not all three are necessary.

In this case, I assume it was listed on the digital understudy board in the lobby/box office of the Hirschfeld, which can be easy to miss in the hustle-and-bustle of entering the venue with the metal detectors and all."

The rule is 2/3 ways.

[UncleCharlie]

ahhrealmonsters said: "The rule is 2/3 ways."

That was my impression as well.

[Skip23]

Who is the understudy?

 

I'd love to see another take on the role.

 

 

[Mr Roxy]

To the original poster What do you expect expect for your $400 or whatever you paid for it? Only kidding. By the way understudies are sometimes better than the star. Case in point Anne Runalfson went on for Julie Andrews in Victor Victoria and was great. Whatever happened to her anyway ?

[Evita@theBroadway]

There was no way I saw the lobby board in the cattle call of the three metal detector lines to enter the Hirschfeld.

Here’s the thing - my Playbill insert had her listed as going on.  So that’s what was odd?

 

 

[HogansHero]

There should have been an insert. Did you ask anyone else if they had no insert? I ask because obviously it is a manual process and one could be skipped, or it could have fallen out perhaps, or they maybe screwed up bigtime. 

[IAMREADING]

I’ve had the opposite happen at Chicago. The playbill had a slip saying an understudy was going on for Christie Brinkley but Christie was in the show. She had been out earlier in the week so I guess reused already stuffed Playbills? My out of town hauled us to see her so it disappointed her to see.

[Evita@theBroadway]

HoganHero - I asked one of the House Staff and she responded, “Oh my god, I’m sorry. This should be listed on the insert.”

She then proceeded to apologize and tell me how they take stuff like this seriously.

[HogansHero]

Not half as seriously as Equity does!

[MaddieBB12]

Perhaps it was so last minute that the Playbills were already stuffed by the time the decisions was officially made? Just a thought!

Glad you enjoyed the show! I'll win the lotto one of these days :)

[Rainah]

I had the same thing happen at Hadestown, Timothy Hughes was out. Not a main cast member, but no announcement or insert.

[Bill Snibson]

Typically the only time a live announcement is made is when the actor calls out after half hour where the ushers aren’t able to stuff the inserts. I think maybe you got the random playbill that got overlooked. As far as Hadestown (Timothy Hughes) Unless he has a specialty they are not required to do an insert.

[Blockhead24]

Skip23 said: "Who is the understudy?



I'd love to see another take on the role.
"

Ashley Loren is the standby. I saw her last month and loved her.

[JBroadway]

I have no idea if this is true, but I distinctly remember reading a post on this board several years ago about the “2 our of 3” rule being put into effect because producers would try to fool audience members into thinking the star was still in, by being sneaky with the announcements. The example given was that when one of the stars who played Dolly was out of the show, they would only make an announcement before the show that “Mrs. Levi” (not “Dolly Levi”) would be played by [insert name].

I’m sorry that I don’t remember who posted that or what thread it was in, or even if it’s true, but I remember finding the story very funny when I read it.

[TBone]

I saw the matinee yesterday and Karen was in, though Danny was out - Kevyn Morrow went on for him. Apparently it was his first time on.
Was Danny in for the evening performance?

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Nope he was out tonight too

https://twitter.com/moulinvogue/status/1181003380165971968?s=21

[Chowd95]

When I saw Ain't Too Proud this summer the lead role was played by a swing. There was no announcement and no insert, I only knew because I saw it on the cast board leaving the theater. Come From Away was the same. Beverly, Oz and Janice were all understudies. The Miss Saigon tour didn't have an announcement or insert either even though Thuy and Kim were understudies. Maybe it's just something they don't do anymore? I really don't care who I see as long as they're good, but I could understand being disappointed if you're going for a specific performer.

[Plannietink08]

I thought you were being passive aggressive and saying Karen was out but no one in the audience noticed.

[WldKingdomHM]

It was definitely on the board she was out. People get sick, people have emergencies. She works her butt off in the show maybe she needed a break. Life

[ModernMillie3]

I always look at the board as soon as I enter a theater, but an announcement before the show is also helpful. I prefer that over wasting paper. Karen is a tough one to see, I never could catch her in her previous Broadway shows, I hope she is okay though.