Didn't realize Chanté Adams is in this. She's in the movie A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN right now opposite Michael B. Jordan, which looks like a treacly mess going by the trailer despite its top-tier creative team (directed by Denzel Washington and written by Mudbound's Virgil Williams)
There's been no press for this, so I'm not surprised that it's not selling.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
I get that MTC and 2nd Stage need to open a play this time of year if they want to get 3 shows into one theatre per season, but this is always such an awful time of year to open a nonmusical play –– especially in 2021. CLYDE'S opened the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, a time of year when no frequent theatergoers will be looking at reviews; SKELETON CREW opens in the dead of January.
On top of that, I suspect MTC had plans for Phylicia Rashad to be the "spokesperson" of the play and do lots of press appearances, but the Bill Cosby situation scuttled those plans. I don't expect to see her doing more than softball or group press now (not unlike WSS and Ansel Elgort).
Edit: Just realized this is 2nd Stage's first show in the [Helen] Hayes post-Covid, so this schedule is a leadership issue and not a real estate issue.
No matter how great the play might be, the opinion expressed by leading thespian of production in the summer was going to be a great turn off to many potential audience.
The show has now played what, 4 performances and has had to cancel for a second time? For another week. What a shame. I do think it’s an important play that needs to be seen. Not sure now is the right time though as we all continue to live through this pandemic.
I know the cancellations are for completely different and valid reasons, but Ruben Santiago Hudson really does not have a good track record for making it through performance weeks this season!!!
I was able to redeem for this on Audience Rewards for 1,000 points plus $42. It's been so long that I almost forgot I had points to burn. I was also able to get How I Learned to Drive and DEH (still hoping for Jordan).
I'm very much looking forward to this as someone who had a parent in the auto industry.
TotallyEffed said: "She recently defended Bill Cosby on Twitter and it caused a huge controversy. It was extremely distasteful."
But even more recently she ticked off Howard Students where she is now the Dean of the Chadwick Boseman School of Fine Arts. She apologized to the University for the Cosby tweet and then this happened...And we loved Debbie for it...there is a video in the article....
TotallyEffed said: "I lost all interest in this after that stuntPhylicia Rashad pulled."
I totally forgot this show started, but my chiropractor mentioned he saw it and loved it, and he's not a fan of hers even before the Cosby kerfuffle. Still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but now I really want to buy tickets.
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008
WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Is this really running 2.5 hours? MTC’s site is listing a running time of 110 minutes with one intermission."
Split the difference. I saw the matinee Saturday, we were on the street by 4:15. We were surprised because the League’s site also lists the 110 runtime.
"I just want a story and a few good songs that will take me away. I just want to be entertained. I mean, isn't that the point?"
Raspberry said: "WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Is this really running 2.5 hours? MTC’s site is listing a running time of 110 minutes with one intermission."
Split the difference. I saw the matinee Saturday,we were on the street by 4:15. We were surprised because the League’s site also lists the 110 runtime."
The 110 minutes does not include intermission. So, 2 hrs 5 total. The show definitely started around 5-10 mins late as well, like all shows do. Your experience sounds about right.
This is the second production of this show I have seen (The Geffen was the first)
and both times I just kind of felt...neutral
the story is very thin and goes in circles a bit and feels like it could be shaved to a 90 minute one act and have more of a punch
this production was a bit flashier then the one in LA, I don't think I have ever seen projections used like that, my one warning is if you sit too far back in the mezz you are going to miss part of the fantastic movement sequences
performances are good, I thought Brandon J Dirden was the best of the four, his performance had a lot of layers, Phyllisa Rashad seems to to be just walking through the role until the very end, also wasn't sure if it was because we sat far back but we couldnt make out some of her lines
For anyone who saw this at the Atlantic, how different is this production from that one?