Christmas week casting

[sparklingtonic2]

Posted: 10/2/22 at 6:12pm

HI there,

I'm thinking about traveling to NYC during Christmas week and am hoping to see several shows, including Funny Girl, which is the one I'm most excited about -- super-excited to see Lea!

However, does anyone know whether there tend to be casting changes during the holidays? I'm slightly concerned about whether the stars want to (understandably) take time off during the holidays. Or is it common that they perform during this time?

I did read that Julie Benko performs on Thursdays, so we'll keep that in mind when we are booking our tickets.

But -- separately from that -- I've never visited Broadway during the holidays, so I have no idea whether to expect holiday-related changes.

Thanks so much for any insights.

Updated On: 10/2/22 at 06:12 PM

[jagman1062]

Posted: 10/2/22 at 8:38pm

I've been attending Broadway shows since 1974 and I don't remember one instance where regular cast members didn't perform over the holidays. If a "name" is going to be out, I believe it's usually advertised that that performer wouldn't be performing during that time.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/2/22 at 8:50pm

They are expected to be there and when I've attended the theater on Summer holidays, the entire cast has always been in. It's quite noticeable if they just decide to take the day off.

No one would ever do that unless they are unprofessional and don't belong in a leading role to begin with.......

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 10/2/22 at 8:58pm

Christmas week, Lea Michele is not performing Tuesday 12/20, but is performing Thursday 12/22. She's also off for the matinee on Monday 12/26.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/2/22 at 9:07pm

Yeah, Im referring to the actual holiday, not days around it. OP, it's a same bet everyone will be on. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/2/22 at 9:15pm

In my experience, some shows have expanded or rearranged performance weeks in order to accommodate cancelled shows on the major holidays like Christmas, New Years, and their respective Eves.

It may be likely that you’ll get a better deal on a ticket for a performance that’s not on their regular schedule (like a weekday matinee),  but I also find the likelihood of catching at least one understudy is higher. 

[sparklingtonic2]

Posted: 10/2/22 at 11:23pm

Thanks to everyone for your responses! They're really helpful!

Thanks especially to TaffyDavenport for those additional details. The 22nd is my birthday, so it would be perfect to see the show then. :)

[CatLady3]

Posted: 10/3/22 at 8:57am

TaffyDavenport said: "Christmas week, Lea Michele is not performing Tuesday 12/20, but is performing Thursday 12/22. She's also off for the matinee on Monday 12/26."

I wonder why she's the one performing on 12/22?