Seeing previews vs after show opens

[A Canadian in NYC]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 6:28pm

I’m always reading on this board how many of you jump to see previews of new shows - some multiple times and I’m wondering why that is? Versus waiting to see it once it’s opened.  Or is it that you do both and like to see what changes were made?

Coming in from out of town I see shows that fit my dates. Sometimes they are still in preview but most of the time it’s after opening. 
 

Curious if there’s more to it than just personal preference. 
 

Cheers!

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 6:32pm

My one experience being able to see a show on Broadway was when I saw Once during previews, and that was mostly because I loved the movie and it was available for me to see during my visit to NYC (the other option I considered was the Death of a Salesman revival with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield).

[sondheim94]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 6:43pm

"And we all found out what a bum decision THAT turned out to be"

 

IMO, unless it's a new work, there's no reason to see early previews. Unless you're really invested in the show and want to see a certain actor grow into the character.

[jagman1062]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 6:54pm

There was a time when ticket prices for preview performances were less expensive than tickets prices once a show opened. Financially, it was a good option for people mindful of their budget. It was especially wonderful, if you got to see a show before it became a runaway hit, but you also ran the risk of seeing a show that looked good on paper, but not on stage. Around the early 90s, preview prices were no longer discounted. Since then, I've seen shows in previews, but usually later in their preview period so that the cast were more settled in their roles, technical problems were remedied,  and hopefully, most changes were made to the show. For the most part, I've seen some very good preview performances, but I've also seen my share of clunkers. I tend to be drawn to revivals of plays during previews more frequently, because the overall show itself is unlikely to be changed. 

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 7:07pm

Lenk's performances during previews and months after opening were pretty different, with the latter being much more fleshed out and lived in and overall a Bobbie that makes the production truly special.

Shuffle Along was a recent one that I saw during the preview that underwent extensive changes before it opened. It was raw and messy and clearly both the performers and the director/writer were trying to figure out the piece, but this also made it memorable especially with all the "extra" stuff performed by the stellar cast such as Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and such that people seeing it after opening were not able to experience. 

Then there were shows that barely changed since preview. Either they were good enough from the get-go or were so bad that they were incorrigible during the preview period.

Each performance is unique in one way or another, but for good performers it always gets better with more performances under their belt. But for me, I would never let previews put me off from seeing a show. If I love it, I'll go back after the opening to see how it has transformed. 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 7:35pm

My performances of choice for my first time seeing a show are within 5-6 days of opening, mostly because main cast absences are nil, since critics are there to review. Accidents happen, of course, and COVID has thrown a small wrench into it, but it's still almost completely reliable. Also, since the production is frozen at that point, I'm seeing the show as it will be presented on opening night, so, when the reviews come out, I'm able to read them having just seen the show within a few days, and, many times, the day before.

There are exceptions once in a while, but I usually stick to this plan for my initial visits, and, although I'm not really a first preview person, I'll make an exception for an event like the 11/15/22 performance of Company, and I did buy a ticket to Sweeney Todd on 2/26, in addition to one on the final day of previews. 

 

 

 

 

Updated On: 9/7/22 at 07:35 PM

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 11:58pm

I love seeing things during previews, especially during the first few! Helps me get excited for the show, and I often see new works. I noticed Spongebob had a lot of changes during previews, but all of the other shows I've seen I notice don't have massive, game-changing adjustments made by opening. Harry Potter is the only show I can think of that I saw in the first few previews then came back due to extensive changes (that was the ones over covid, I mean). If I don't see a show within previews or the first month or so of opening, I end up waiting until it hits TDF, TKTS, Rush, or however else I'll get a discount.