ALL IN: COMEDY ABOUT LOVE Previews

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 12/10/24 at 12:00am

Love is in the air!

The very highly anticipated All In: Comedy About Love starts its Broadway run tomorrow evening (December 11) at the Hudson Theatre. Written by Simon Rich, the play will feature rotating casts of four throughout the run, featuring some of the funniest comedians in entertainment. The company for the preview period includes John Mulaney, Fred Armisen, Richard Kind, and Renée Elise Goldsberry; later in the run, look for appearances from Chloe Fineman, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Aidy Bryant, Nick Kroll, Andrew Rannells, Jimmy Fallon, Annaleigh Ashford, Tim Meadows, David Cross, and Hank Azaria. All In opens on December 22 and runs until February 16; Alex Timbers directs.

“Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is complicated… and so is All In: Comedy About Love, a series of hilarious short stories about dating, heartbreak, marriage and that sort of thing — written by Simon Rich — and read live by some of the funniest people on the planet, with different groups of four taking the stage each week.

In some stories, the stars will portray pirates, in others they will play dogs, and in one, we make them talk in British accents. But even though the show’s kind of all over the place, it’s meant to tell one simple story: that the most important part of life is who we share it with. We hope everybody will relate to it, even if it was their date’s idea to come and they are starting out from a place of quiet resentment.”

Who’s going All In?!

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 12/10/24 at 11:48am

I will be at first preview

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 12:56am

Once anybody knows about hte cancellation line/rush policy/student tickets please let me know. Because if not this is becoming my splurge of the season, I adore one of the cast lineups! 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 1:47am

this show is pretty well sold, I would be surprised if there was rush/lottery....

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 6:04pm

There will be a $45 digital lottery on TodayTix launching tomorrow.

Runtime should be around 90 minutes, no intermission. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 8:17pm

Can't wait to hear some early takes on this as I've found Simon Rich's work very hit or miss.  Hoping for the former here.

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 9:18pm

I heard from a friend at first preview that its staged so they all have their scripts in hand. Sounds more like a staged reading?

[willep]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 10:19pm

That’s disappointing if true

[Dan6]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 10:22pm

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "I heard from a friend at first preview that its staged so they all have their scripts in hand. Sounds more like a staged reading?"

I found that to be a terribly distracting (and distancing) directorial choice in Pre-Existing Condition, the last thing I saw with a rotating cast. 

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 10:23pm

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "I heard from a friend at first preview that its staged so they all have their scripts in hand. Sounds more like a staged reading?"

So they're charging $200 a ticket so we can watch a glorified rehearsal?

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 10:27pm

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "I heard from a friend at first preview that its staged so they all have their scripts in hand. Sounds more like a staged reading?"

I mean, it does say the following in the show description in the press release in the first post: “written by Simon Rich — and read live by some of the funniest people on the planet”

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 10:28pm

Photo on Reddit makes it looks like it's not staged. Just four chairs onstage for the cast to sit in while they read?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/comments/1hcbz2p/all_in_first_preview/

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 10:34pm

jacobtsf said: "GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "I heard from a friend at first preview that its staged so they all have their scripts in hand. Sounds more like a staged reading?"

I mean, it does say the following in the show description in the press release in the first post: “written by Simon Rich — and read live by some of the funniest people on the planet”"

I don't fault anyone who went into the most famous theater district in the world, paid hundreds of dollars for a ticket, and had inaccurately assumed that they'd be watching a play.

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 11:41pm

Lordy, looks like my weekend just opened up... once I flip some tickets.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 12/12/24 at 12:01am

I was at first preview tonight and I can't remember the last time I sat at a show and kept checking my watch, and I say that as a big fan of all involved.

This felt like a glorified 92Y event, charging people upwards of $400 to watch famous people read from binders in chairs doesn't really match up, I would have much rather seen people act out the stories like a Christopher Durang kind of evening

I have a ticket for later in the run which I will likely flip.

 

[steve.sometime]

Posted: 12/12/24 at 1:00am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "I was at first preview tonight and I can't remember the last time I sat at a show and kept checking my watch, and I say that asa big fan of all involved.

This felt like a glorified 92Y event, charging people upwards of $400 to watch famous people read from binders in chairs doesn't really match up, I would have much rather seen people act out the stories like a Christopher Durang kind of evening

I havea ticket for later in the run which I will likely flip.

"

How did the Bengsons do? I'm a big fan of theirs. I actually bought my ticket for them. 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 12/12/24 at 1:06am

honestly, it could have been anyone, I love them but I feel like I would have enjoyed them performing original songs versus covering someone else...

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 12/12/24 at 10:02am

I thought myself savvy until now (oops) but it was not clear at all to me that this is a staged reading. I had assumed these were little playlets made out of Rich's stories, like The Good Doctor, based on the way it's been described. Even calling it "a comedy" feels like a slight misdirection. Sounds like it could still be a pretty swell time I just wonder why it wasn't clear this was a Love Letters situation from the get-go.

And/or I'm just an idiot (most likely!)

Updated On: 12/12/24 at 10:02 AM

[EmceeHammer]

Posted: 12/12/24 at 10:06am

jacobtsf said: "I mean, it does say the following in the show description in the press release in the first post: “written by Simon Rich — and read live by some of the funniest people on the planet”"

Oof, I somehow missed this in the show description. I definitely remembered, "...the stars will portray pirates, in others they play dogs, and in one, we make them talk in British accents," which indicates some level of actual acting and stagecraft. 

I have tix to see this next Thursday. I paid $400 for reader's theater? 

I'm trying to keep an open mind, but am preemptively annoyed. With a rotating cast of mostly non-Broadway celebs and a short rehearsal period, I wasn't expecting anything polished. With the high ticket price and the involvement of Alex Timbers, I assumed there'd at least be more to the production than chairs and story time.  

At the very least, I'll be one actor closer to fulfilling my goal of seeing the 'Beau is Afraid' supporting cast live on stage. And it's always nice to sit inside the Hudson. 

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 12/12/24 at 10:08am

I see now it just says "Comedy About Love" and not "A Comedy About Love." Haha. So. I guess it is what it is. 

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 12/12/24 at 11:52am

Pretty glad we didn't get tix to this yet.   I can't imagine it is worth the cost.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 12/12/24 at 12:02pm

KJisgroovy said: "I see now it just says "Comedy About Love" and not "A Comedy About Love." Haha. So. I guess it is what it is."

Unless every article about the show has been edited in the last 12 hours, it was always just "Comedy About Love," no "A".

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 12/12/24 at 12:04pm

Yes that was meant to indicate I read it incorrectly. I was not implying conspiracy. 

Also. It's entirely possible (even likely) that this is a warm, lovely show. The certainly look like very opulent chairs. I wouldn't hate to have stories read to me by celebrities I like. Just. You know. Not what I (or I think anyone else) was expecting.

Updated On: 12/12/24 at 12:04 PM

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 12/12/24 at 12:06pm

KJisgroovy said: "Yes that was meant to indicate I read it incorrectly. I was not implying conspiracy."

In my mind, I added the "A," as well.

[EmceeHammer]

Posted: 12/12/24 at 12:38pm

jacobtsf said: "I mean, it does say the following in the show description in the press release in the first post: “written by Simon Rich — and read live by some of the funniest people on the planet”"

To clarify, the original synopsis provided by the production did say, "...performed by a rotating cast of some of the funniest people on the planet." (emphasis mine)

Not sure when they changed the "performed by" to "read by." According to what's available on the wayback machine, the language was updated on the 'All In' website sometime between September 24 and October 1. (Tickets went on sale on September 30.) Even after the synopsis was changed to accurately reflect that this is a reading, the subheader on the site continued to promote, "All In is performed by..."

I hope the "performers" and the production impresses within the context of a reading, but you can't blame ticket buyers for feeling mislead, especially at these prices. What a marketing misfire. If I was in the cast, I'd be pissed that the pre-show promo did not appropriately set expectations. I suspect they'll be facing a lot of disappointed and disinterested audiences.