What went wrong with Shuffle Along?- Page 3

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/3/16 at 11:33am

At the first preview, the book was truly bad.   I know it got a whole lot shorter, but did the libretto ever really improve very much?

[ageorges3]

Posted: 10/3/16 at 3:47pm

For folks that saw the show - were there specific things in the book you found intelligently and or poorly done?  I'm always interested with the writing process guys like Wolfe go through in retellings like this - you have to integrate elements of the actual story from the original production all those years ago compellingly (and Wolfe is really smart, I'm sure he pulled it off brilliantly - really do wish I'd been able to catch this one) along with the new aspects of the story (the making of the show, behind the scenes drama) they wanted this current revival to depict.  

[newintown]

Posted: 10/3/16 at 4:16pm

"...you have to integrate elements of the actual story from the original production all those years ago..."

I don't really remember much of the story of the original Shuffle Along being presented, except for one scene used to show how this would be the first time white audiences ever saw two black actors in a love scene, and how terrified they were that there would be a riot. I don't know how much veracity there was in any of that, but it was dramatically interesting (not the love scene itself, but Wolfe's invention around it).

The rest of the book (as I recall) dealt rather superficially/tritely with the lives of/relationships between the two songwriters, the two book writers, and the star - superficially, because there wasn't much time for anything else and the production numbers - and the creation of the show, and the disintegration of everything afterwards.

Posted: 10/3/16 at 7:31pm

neonlightsxo said: "I think if they had had another book writer or someone else in the room besides George it may have been a better result. I found the earlier, longer version to be much more interesting, though I guess objectively the second version was "better."

 

I saw the first preview and then saw it again two weeks later.  I was so excited by the first preview, long as it was -- everything was THERE.  Just needed shaping.  Two weeks later it was shorter, yet I knew I wouldn't go back again -- it had lost its fire.  There's probably no chance someone would tackle this again, but I sure wish they would try. 

 

[gooftroop]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 8:37am

This is a very interesting thread.  I will try and keep my reply short because I don't want to get slammed for any errors I make while trying to type on my phone.  Lol.   Shuffle Along was a project that I worked on for years and in the end it made for one of the greatest experiences of my career so far.   I am sure every cast member will have their own opinion about what happened or what went wrong etc.   I just want to say a few things from my perspective. 

 

1. I was part of the show for about a year before Audra, Billy, Brian, Brandon and Joshua.  The dynamic in the rehearsal, energy from the team, and love for the material or chatacter stories never really changed.  It was a matter of deciding what WE as a company wanted to tell, what moved us in rehearsal or what made us say "Hey George... can we tak more about this information I found last night at the library"

2. For many of us, myself included, it was surprising to see what developments came out of or after Shuffle Along and why, even as black performers, we knew very little about them.    For example, the Book.  Shuffle Along had a book, similar to what we think of as a Book Musical today (still surrounded by a vaudeville type show).  That ambitious idea began the shift in Musical Theatre to add a book.  Now the book for thw original Shuffle wasn't great at all,  but hey it led to something.   We tried so hard to keep more scenes from the show..... but trust me... we spared you some agony by todays standards.  You wanted more of the book, so now you see how huge that idea was in shaping musical theatre.

3. So much for this being short......lol

4. I felt the main goal of the show, for me, was to resurrect some of these names.   Their contribution to the artform was a huge part of the journey that makes it possible for audiences today to enjoy the works of minorities.  Prior to this is and the Harlem Renaissance that would not have been the case.   So.... if someone leaves the theatre with an interest in any of these people..... then our job is done.

5.  I loved that we did something that wasn't traditional.   We played, had fun and put something onstage that dared to change what we thought live theatre should or could be.   I was sad when we opened because that meant our creative  time of play was over.  Yet, that too was not the case because we continued to play and learn and rewrite all throught the short run.  However, in my opinion, our mission was accomplished because we got to, in a way, pay tribute to those performer's of yesterday..... yesteryear.... history.... (insert a better word for me please!)

6.  Best memory was hearing the family of some of these characters say to us "I am so honored that someone cared enough to remember my grandfather"  or "I always heard stories about my Aunt Lottie, now I feel like I met her"  

7.  So commercially it was not successful at all, but many of us took on this impossible project for different reasons.  Sometimes we measure success in a different way.   However, the fact that this thread exisits shows that we were successful in making people wonder about the show from 1921 called SHUFFLE ALONG.

 

[amm180]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 12:06pm

I am so glad someone from the cast has weighed in, and with great insight into the incredible work behind this show. I saw it four times, and wish I could go see it again and again. Each time I learned more, felt more, and wanted to know more. I am also someone who loves musicals featuring African Americans - Ain't Misbehavin', Sophisticated Ladies, and more recently, After Midnight - but nothing comes close to what I witnessed in Shuffle Along. The energy in the ensemble was palpable even before the curtain went up, when you could hear them warming up, tapping and laughing. The affection they had for each other was visible in the stage door smiles and hugs and their sincerity in meeting and greeting fans and posing for photos. Darlecia Cearcy, Audra's understudy, deserves a starring role so somebody please cast her. Audra was astounding, as she always is, but I never felt her bright light overpower the rest of the cast, and her chemistry with Brandon Victor Dixon was smoking hot, making her act two number hit me in the gut. This show will always hold a special place in my heart, and I'm so glad I got to see it four times.  

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 1:13pm

Saw it in previews and really enjoyed it. I had a ticket for the second week but my performance was cancelled and I went a few weeks later. I had really wanted to see this early on I previews to hopefully see things that they may have ended up cutting especially after seeing the interview with Audra and George and the piece on Sunday Morning.

Having finally been able to compare the choreography with the show that won, It boggles my mind how Shuffle Along did not take the Tony. The choreography and its execution was heart stopping.  JMO

[PopAria]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 2:16pm

amm180 said: "I saw it four times, and wish I could go see it again and again. Each time I learned more, felt more, and wanted to know more. .... This show will always hold a special place in my heart, and I'm so glad I got to see it four times.  

 

"

I'm so glad I got to see this show, too. It was the last performance and what I saw felt powerful and told a great story about different people from a different view, which helped keep it interesting.  The tap dancing and the singing throughout the entire show was also very powerful. The casting people did a great job casting this.  It didn't deserve to close so soon but it also shouldn't have stayed open for years and years...   

I'm wondering if the future of Broadway will be "limited runs" to get people to buy tickets sooner, rather than later.  And if that's truly the future, would Shuffle Along have benefited from this even with Audra's departure?  

 

 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 2:46pm

thanks for your words, gooftroop! do you have any clue as to whether the cast will eventually record the terrific score?