Article: SHUFFLE ALONG Producers Ask to Be Excused from Awards

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.

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

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...

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?

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? 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.

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.

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

Ay

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

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?

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.

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.