"Censored " Shows

[ArtMan]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 8:39am

We are going to see a matinee performance of the touring company of Avenue Q next week In Jacksonville, Florida. My friend asked me would it be "edited" since it is a matinee. I told him of course not. But it got me thinking....when touring companies travel throughout the United States...are some shows edited for content and/or nudity? Or are they not allowed to change the show in any form?

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 8:42am

the only thing that I think would censor a show would be High School Productions.. take Rent for High School... highly changed and censored

but i would HIGHLY doubt they would censor it lol
that would take away all the fun of ave. q

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 8:55am

Wildhorn's DRACULA was infamous for their "no nudity" matinees. Of course, there shouldn't have been nudity at any performance, as it was entirely unnecessary. Though seeing Errico's chest and O'Hara totally in the buff made the show almost close to watchable.

[once a month]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 10:01am

I saw a tour of Grease that was severely censored, believe it or not! Of course, that was over 30 years ago. More recently, a west coast pal saw the tour of Love, Valour Compassion, and didn't even know segments were done nude.

[Anakela]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 10:04am

Didn't THE WEDDING SINGER have different language in matinee shows vs evening shows? I seem to remember reading something about that while it was on Broadway.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 10:11am

My friend asked me would it be "edited" since it is a matinee.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 10:18am

"the only thing that I think would censor a show would be High School Productions.. take Rent for High School... highly changed and censored"

That's a different situation. A high school production of RENT is the school edition, it isn't the original show. The changes were made by the producers to tailor it to a school edition. Censoring an original show for a matinee perforance isn't the same thing.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 10:30am

Didn't THE WEDDING SINGER have different language in matinee shows vs evening shows? I seem to remember reading something about that while it was on Broadway.

Yes, it did. "Somebody Kill Me" was hilarious for a whole different reason.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 3:41pm

Historically the term "Banned in Boston" also meant heavily censored in Beantown as well.

In the 70s I was working backstage at Grease for one day, a Wednesday afternoon. On the call board was written "Today is 'clean day'". The cast was also reminded of this at half hour and at places.

Due at the matinee were representatives of the UK consulate to review the show to ascertain if it was appropriate for the young-at-the-time Princes Andrew and Edward. Every single even mild expletive was removed.

Apparently Grease was judged to be okay because I read later that the young royals attended.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 3:56pm

I saw Les Miz the evening of the Columbine incident in Denver and they cut a scene involving the kids in the show. An announcement mas made from the stage before the performance started. It had been so long I didn't remember exactly what happens in the scene. But doesn't a child get hurt or shot in the show?

[Colle]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 4:10pm

Yes Uncageg, a child named Gavroche(who is 10 years old)does get shot and killed in Les Mis. Another character that gets shot and killed, Eponine, is 16 years old(the same age as some of those who were killed at Columbine). I guess I can understand why they would be sensative at that time, and at least cut out part where Gavroche gets killed, at Denver then.
Updated On: 12/5/08 at 04:10 PM

[Jon]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 4:49pm

In the original Broadway production of OLIVER, the murder of Nancy was staged in a less explicit manner for the matinees - darker lighting, altered blocking, etc. - so as not to traumatize the kids as much.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 4:50pm

Thanks Colle. That was what they cut.

Updated On: 12/5/08 at 04:50 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 4:53pm

I heard from someone who was IN THE TOUR at the time and he swears NOTHING was cut due to Columbine.

FWIW.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 4:56pm

Well it was that night. The President of the DCPA came out before the show and announced it. There was also a minute of silence before the show started.

[Scott Briefer]

Posted: 12/6/08 at 12:02am

Let us not forget that The Vagina Monologues had it's title changed.