DRS tonight (4/15) - BIG oops!

[Katecab99]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 2:17am

so, i just did a quick scan of the current posts, and didn't see anyone post about this yet (which surprised me), so i'll share the fun that happened at DRS tonight!

i was sitting in the orchestra, row b, in what is considered the "partial view" seats (which i was really excited about because i only paid $41.25 for them). i had brought two of my friends who had never seen it before and the show was as fabulous as usual...

...and then all of a sudden joanna gleason's mic started acting up, but i don't think anyone thought it was a big deal. but THEN, as we're nearing the end of the first act and we get to the point where the bellboy crosses the stage "paging dr. shuffhausen", the chair set piece is supposed to come out with "dr. shuffhausen" sitting on it facing backstage, but something went wrong and the set never came out!

i don't think anyone realized that there was something really wrong until rachel york didn't make her next entrance and the entire cast just stood on the stage looking at each other and giggling for a good 30 seconds before a voice announced "ladies and gentlemen, we're having some technical difficulites, so we are going to go back and do that over in just a couple of minutes"!

now, i've seen this show at least 8 or 9 times, and i couldn't figure out what exactly caused the problem, but when they went back and did the scene over, it appeared that it was rachel's entrance that threw things off. i could totally be wrong about that, but it appeared that way. in any case, they went back to the middle of the scene, started again, and giggled a lot for the remainder of the show.

it's not everyday that you see a mistake that causes a show to have to stop, and in this case, due to the nature of the show, it was amusing.

just thought i would share


EDIT - by the way, rachel is great, but i miss sherie
Updated On: 4/16/06 at 02:17 AM

[dirty rotten guy]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 6:25am

Darn, they didnt include a mention in Jbara cam. However, he did a roving cam and showed everyone on stage with all of these technitians, so I am assuming that is what that is about.

I have heard about other problems (The big carpet snagging props) but this is the biggest tech error I have heard about yet. Hope you still loved the show!

[JasonM12480]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 6:26am

First of all, why on earth have you seen this show 8 or 9 times? Save your money. See it once - let the memory linger.

Second, it dissapoints me that people are paying $100 to see supposedly professional actors on stage, and they giggle if something goes wrong. I was always taught that if someone doesn't make an entrance, or a set doesn't come on, or whatever - you keep going in character, recover as best you can, ad-lib if you can, and be professional about it. I think it's uncalled for, and in some ways - rude to the audience. But - if everyone was enjoying themselves, and the cast found it funny, and the audience found it hysterical - then go for it! But as a professional performer myself, I would not have been pleased if my fellow cast-mates had done that in front of a live audience.

[DreamFlyer22]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 8:49am

I feel like being polite, so I won't say what FIRST came to my mind, but please come down off your high horse. It actually sounds like they handled it pretty well considering an entire important set didn't roll on.

And, wow... is this a deja vu thread, or what? Time for the stories of the Wicked mistakes to be hauled out.... the people on the professional conduct behavior vs. mistakes happen people to go at each other... Hmmm

*grabs some popcorn*

[Katecab99]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 8:54am

i've seen it that many times because, well a)it's hysterical and thoroughly entertaining and b)it's been a really good show to take my non-theatre going friends to.

anyway, i don't think that there was a way for them to continue without her entrance. she introduces the next character, and without the introduction, the rest of the scene wouldn't have made sense. they also said they were having "technical difficulties"...perhaps between the mics giving out and the set pieces not coming in, they were having bigger problems backstage - who knows?

i totally agree with you - people are paying $100 to see professionals, and i'm sure there were probably a few dissapointed audience members out there last night. but in this situation i don't know if there was anything they could have done. plus, the nature of this show is so funny and goofy to begin with that it just kind of worked for them.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 11:47am

Jason, I have seen it over ten times and it has been worth my money EVERY single time. And yes, I see other shows. Everyone is allowed to have a favorite and if you are a fan of the show, then you can understand why you would see it some many times. It's still funnier than most of the shows on Broadway and its a huge crowd pleaser. But again, its our money and if we want to spend it on repeated viewings, what is wrong with that?

It is more a testiment to the power and strength of the show's book that the actors continue to have a great time despite this rather funny incident (wish I was there!). When the actors are enjoying themselves, so does the audience. Judging from that, both are having a ball every night.
Updated On: 4/16/06 at 11:47 AM

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 11:50am

Katecab, please don't justify yourself.

Posted: 4/16/06 at 12:15pm

I see nothing wrong with seeing a show several times, especially if you really enjoy it. Where's the harm in that? I have seen DRS several times myself (original cast and the current cast) and I notice a little something different each time I go. I have noticed that on occasion, JP and NLB crack each other up, and I think that's part of the charm of the show. They are that comfortable and in sync with each other, they can get the extra grins and giggles from the audience. I mean after all, this is not a Shakespearean tragedy.. It's not meant to be taken seriously, and it's just good, clean fun (including seeing NLB's bare butt)
If people want to see their favorites, more power to 'em. :)

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 12:21pm

If you want to shell out $1000+ just to see a show multiple times, that is your money you are wasting.

In the long run (cause I assume most people who do that are under 30, I hope...), you are just setting a bad spending trend for yourself, and you will pay for it greatly come your mid-life crisis, when you have 1000 OCR's, but no home to call your own.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 12:26pm

Thesbijean, most (smart) people who see certain shows a certain numbers of times know how to get cheaper tickets. I myself haven't paid $100 for the show since my first visit. Use TKS and lotto to your advantage. In fact, learning these tricks now can really help make theater going a less costly venture when you do reach 30 and have...1000 OCRS is it?

[Dre2387]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 1:34pm

Hey, I'm another big fan of DRS and I have never paid over $30 for it and I have seen it 6 times. And every time, it is so worth it.

As with professional actors, nobody is perfect. And they do the show 8 times a week. sometimes they need something to make it entertaining. Not saying that the technical difficulties were done on purpose.

but with a technical difficulity that is important to the scene, it is sort of hard to improve it. unless, i guess the bellboy pointed offstage and said that Schuffhausen was over there. or if someone backstage said "that's me." I don't know.

[GretchaSketh]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 1:52pm

Things happen! Sets don't work right at times! It's a fact of life in theatre! The actors were trying to make light of the situation. It makes the audience more at ease if they turn it into something funny. What do you propose they did instead...what would have been more "professional"??

[Katurian2]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 2:17pm

Personally, I sort of like it when something goes wrong. That's theatre, people! If you want perfection, go see a movie when there is a little thing called editing. Part of the magic of the stage is fixing things. My favorite part of a show is when something didn't turn out well, and seeing how the performers fix it. I loved when I saw The Odd Couple, and Nathan had a problem remembering one of his lines. He stood there for a second, SPIT in Matthew's face, started laughing, and then walked off trying to compose himself. Matthew went on trying to cover, but Nathan eventually recalled his cue. Best theatre moment of the year for me.

Updated On: 4/16/06 at 02:17 PM

[Elphaba]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 2:22pm

we saw this pre-Broadway in San Diego.......when John Lithgow went to sit in the beach chair near the end, it broke, he fell to the floor, and both he and Norbert start laughing....then the audience started laughing.....then Norbet looks at the audience and says "and this is really the next line"....looks at John and says "and you are so suave" (or something like that, and we all started laughing again

[Dre2387]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 2:24pm

kat, that is hilarious! that is a reason to see live theatre. the only time you can see that in a movie is in the bloopers. and not all movies have that.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 2:25pm

Yes, Katurian, the magic of live theater!

Oh and Elphaba, your Easter avatar is realllllllllly freaky. Nice job haaha

[Elphaba]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 5:38pm

true dre, and seeing the "ottakes" on a dvd just aren't the same

thanks Sir...I wanted something different.....

[Mamie]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 6:41pm

DRS is a show that has the destruction of the fourth wall written into it - quite a few times. It is such a funny, lighthearted show that it would have been completely wrong to play that scene any other way. By the time you reach this point in the show, you're usually bent over double from laughing anyway. Play it seriously? Not here folks.

By the way, this is also a show that has actually improved over time. I haven't seen it as many times as others here, but if I could, I probably would. One thing I know for sure - my money would definitely be buying me a night of great entertainment.

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 8:55pm

Gang, HERE is the real story of what happened at DRS last night, straight from the mouth (or rather email typing fingers of) Gregory Jbara (who should know):

START QUOTE:
"It was an automation malfunction that stopped the show. The hardrive controlling the turntable and set palettes randomly jumped backward three cues causing the turntable to turn in the wrong direction. Rachel York had the common sense to not return onstage in an unsafe environment."
END QUOTE

[Katecab99]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 10:22pm

and there you have it

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 10:26pm

Talent, beauty and brains. Good for her. I'm glad no one was hurt.

lc

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 10:54pm

I think it's awesome that you guys enjoy seeing a show multiple times- it's great for the Broadway economy, and everyone should be thanking you! My personal limit is 4 times...

[Katecab99]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 11:12pm

it really depends on the show...i see just about everything at least once and then i go through phases where i see certain things multiple times, especially if there's a specific performer i really admire in it.

plus, i never pay $100 for anything...thank goodness for lotteries and student tix

[bestnurse]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 11:24pm

Jason: I have seen Rent maybe 10 times and will probably see it several more times. I see most musicals at least twice. What's the problem with people returning to shows if it makes them happy? Isn't that what Broadway is all about,entertainment? As far as oops moments making the cast giggle, you need to relax. Life is far from perfect and a cast giggling is something incidental. Remember audiences understand things might go wrong during a live performance. If you are so structured and stiff, maybe you should consider acting in TV or movies where you can have many takes so the audience will never know if you make a mistake. If you want to take something seriously get involved with injured soldiers or homeless people. Remember, everyone makes mistakes and I'm happy to laugh right along with the cast. After all, it's just a show.