Article: SHUFFLE ALONG Producers Ask to Be Excused from Awards

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 6:49pm

https://www.showbiz411.com/2016/04/19/broadway-shuffle-along-producers-tell-ask-to-be-excused-from-awards-not-ready

Anyone know if this is legitimate?  

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“Shuffle Along” was not included in today’s Outer Critics Circle nominations. That’s because producer Scott Rudin told the group the multi million dollar musical directed by George C. Wolfe is not ready. The show opens on April 28th, in 9 days.

The Drama Desk was told the same thing, for “Shuffle Along” not be included in their awards too.

Basically no nominators have seen the musical starring Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Billy Porter.

The show “locks” on April 25th for press, and opens three days later. The Tony voters will have just a couple of days to see it and decide what to do.

“Shuffle Along” certainly wasn’t ready when I saw it on April 1st. It lacked a cohesive second act and an actual ending. The show’s whole point was delivered in Act 1.

A week later, on April 8, nothing had changed according to observers. It’s been ten days since then. Maybe there have been a lot of improvements. But the show I saw, and was seen on April 8th, ran three hours including a 15 minute intermission.

On top of that, Audra McDonald will leave the show after six weeks. She had already agreed to perform “Lady Day at the Emerson Bar and Grill” in London for three months. Who’s going to replace her for ticket buyers? That’s a tough job.

Not being ready on April 19th for awards nominations is like saying My dog ate my homework. This doesn’t bode well for what is otherwise a buoyant celebration of Eubie Blake’s famed 1921 musical.

The OCC voted “Hamilton” Best Musical last year when it was off Broadway, so the show wasn’t eligible again.

[laughingplace]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 6:54pm

Should I get rid of my tickets

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 6:55pm

No see it. We saw it a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 7:06pm

Good! It's so refreshing to see a musical actually take advantage of its preview period. It has already changed drastically. Personally, I really admired it on an intellectual level, and I enjoyed the pure song-and-dance elements tremendously. Looking forward to seeing where it lands as a complete piece of musical theatre. 

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 7:11pm

Can they just "ask" not to be included? I thought both the OCC and the Drama Desk have cut off dates just like the Tonys, and they just missed them. It's happened before, Grey Gardens comes to mind. Shows just wanna meet the Tony Deadline and don't care so much about the other awards.

 

I saw it last night and it feels to me like a) it changed a lot as I felt act 2 was definitely stronger than act 1, but I still think it needs a lot more work to tighten the story and tell it in a more coherently way...

But I also think it wouldn't be the first show to tweak and make changes right until the day the press comes in...

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 7:29pm

"I thought both the OCC and the Drama Desk have cut off dates just like the Tonys, and they just missed them. It's happened before, Grey Gardens comes to mind."

 

Actually, Grey Gardens MADE the Drama Desk and OCC deadline for the year it was off-Broadway (spring 2006). In fact, it won Best Off-Broadway Musical at the OCC, and Christine Ebersole won every award under the sun that season (including the Drama League), except for the Tony for obvious reasons.  She beat out LaChanze for The Color Purple, Patti for Sweeney Todd, Sutton for Drowsy Chaperone, and Kelli for Pajama Game at all of the lead up awards, making the Best Actress award at the Tonys hard to predict that year.  The following year it wasn't eligible for any of the awards leading up to the Tonys since it had been the year before.  It didn't miss any deadlines one way or the other.

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 7:43pm

I don't blame them at all. These awards don't have much of an impact on sales anyhow. Why give away prime seats to the nominators when it's already selling so well? 

[Sleepwalker]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 7:57pm

I saw it on Monday.  There is so much talent on the stage and the first act was enjoyable,  featurung creative tap and strong vocals (duh) from Audra and BSM. The second act totally lost me. It was meandering and untimely pointless. Billy Porter's blues number was impressive, but other than that for me the conclusion had no emotional impact.  Tweaking doesn't seem to be enough. Maybe radical surgery, like incorporating bits iof act 2 into act 1 and creating a two hour show.  That's unlikely.  I wish them the best, but would not recommend the show to a casual theatergoer. 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 8:30pm

I saw it on Monday too and thought the whole show - including act 2 - was phenomenal. One of the best shows I've seen. Great season for musicals.

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 8:32pm

I would like to see how this show does at the Tonys.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 8:37pm

¿Macavity? said: "I would like to see how this show does at the Tonys."

Considering how successful a number of other shows are this season (even excluding Hamilton), I really am not seeing anything huge for them. They'll pick up a couple of performance noms, choreography, maybe a few other production elements... As for wins? Not all that optimistic. 

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 9:40pm

Now I saw one of the first previews and haven't been back so it may have changed...but I just don't get any of this. The casting, with Audra leaving, trying to push it as a revival, and now this.

I think they tried to push it into this season and it did them a huge disservice.

[TFMH18]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 9:49pm

The casting, with Audra leaving, trying to push it as a revival, and now this.

I think they tried to push it into this season and it did them a huge disservice.

Yes, this exactly. It seems like this was so not the right time for this show-- the fact that Audra is leaving for a massive chunk of time months into the run? Not to mention the countless other logistical issues.

i attended an earlier preview (the evening that $40 tickets were available) and certainly enjoyed moments. Audra is exquisite and some of the tap dancing is as good as Broadway gets. But I got completely lost in act 2, and I hardly consider myself too inept to follow a storyline. It needed more time to iron out the kinks, and it's looking as though that ain't happening. 

 

[Johnnywhatwhat2]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 9:58pm

I think there's a decent possibility the April 28 opening date gets pushed (especially if they don't get the revival category that Rudin is pushing for). 50/50 chance, IMO 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 10:03pm

What are the odds they postpone the opening until Audra comes back so they can also work on it over the summer.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 10:49pm

Do we call this "pulling a Spiderman"?

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 11:08pm

Ay

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 11:23pm

I believe someone on here in another thread indicated that Audra's replacement was already cast and was "an exciting choice." If they postpone the opening until her return, would that person still be interested in filling in during what amounts to an extended preview period?

That being said, if they don't get ruled a revival, it may be in their best interest to avoid the Hamilton juggernaut altogether and delay the opening so they'd be considered next season. 

[holdyourbatboy]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 11:27pm

I'm finally seeing the show tomorrow night. I guess it won't be frozen yet?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 11:29pm

Between Audra's hiatus, their revival petition, the delaying of the other awards, the controversial Playbill change (and subsequent change back), and the quality of the show itself, my overarching response is just a big resounding "What a mess!" I don't even mean necessarily that the production is a total mess, it's just an abnormal number of bizarre messy things. 

[AuntSuzzy]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 11:38pm

NYTimes reporting that the Tony committee will decide if it's treated as a revival on 4/29, the day after the 4/28 opening, so it would seem they have to open without knowing their Tony category. But really, how on earth can this be a revival when the book is entirely different and it's explicitly about the making of, and aftermath of, the original production?

[gypsy101]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 11:45pm

JBroadway said: "Between Audra's hiatus, their revival petition, the delaying of the other awards, the controversial Playbill change (and subsequent change back), and the quality of the show itself, my overarching response is just a big resounding "What a mess!" I don't even mean necessarily that the production is a total mess, it's just an abnormal number of bizarre messy things. "

 

It's almost like these producers have never put on a show before! When is the cut-off for Tony nominations this year?

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 4/20/16 at 11:55pm

It is pretty interesting the stories that have come up with regard to this show.

I saw it early in previews, after it got cut back to just shy of 3 hours....and loved every minute of it.

Too bad these other stories are overshadowing the fact it's a great show.

[wolfwriter2]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 12:05am

Aside from the slightly odd request to be excused from award consideration, there is nothing about this show that is a revival. I would have preferred a revival of Shuffle Along, as opposed to the mess that this is.

I hope they figure out how to pull this together. There is so much under-utilized talent on that stage, it seems a waste not to open the best show possible, even if it takes additional time to get it right.

As I mentioned, before, this show is the poster child for needing an out-of-town tryout.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 8:01am

This show was a colossal mess and disappointment of epic proportions. I honestly see no way of salvaging this. It's long, tedious, meandering, and bloated. The choreography is out of this world and definitely worthy of a Tony win, though.