Is it time to revive the forgotten Broadway custom of NOT commenting on shows in previews? — Page 3

^ That's generally a good rule of thumb. I usually give a show 5 previews before I head over. Unless it's a show called IN MY LIFE. Then...first preview was required.

It's more of a do as I say, not as I do kinda situation we got here.

I also think that that posting here is giving your thoughts to people that specifically come to read those opinions. We're not writing letters to the editor, or accosting folks going into the theater to ruin their evening.

The very small percentage of potential audience members that is cognizant of our existence isn't going to make or break any show.

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Sondheimites, can't live with them, can't shoo them away with a rolled up Playbill. If this had been anything but a Sondheim show, there would be jokes, glee and calls for abandoning the show immediately. Kiss any thought of a transfer goodbye, besides the fact Amy Adams must have seen this disaster coming and signed for a new film this fall during rehearsals. Ha.

Amoni,

Yes, that is true.

Yay! Moratarium lifted!!!

^ Werq b!tch!

Ugh. Traffic was so c*nting awful! Took forever to get home!

What was I saying?

Oh yes...no. It has nothing to do with Sondheim. It has to do with the fact that this is a free show. Done at the Delacorte, which is notorious for sound issues. For which everyone is making very little money. And for which the tech process was truncated due to the awful weather that we had last week, leaving the cast not a single opportunity to run the show in front a friendly crowd completely with all the tech elements in place. Were it CAROUSEL, I'd say the same thing. Were it FIDDLER, I'd say the same. Same for A CHORUS LINE, or any other beloved piece of musical theatre performing under those same circumstances.

Exactly. The creative team sees what works and what doesn't work and invites an audience to do the same.

I actually had no idea that the majority of previews now charge full price. My experience with various regional theatres (in Canada as well as the US) is always that previews are significantly cheaper, even sometimes half price, which makes a lot more sense to me.

Gaveston, you're right--that famous critique of Oklahoma! was from the out of town try-outs... I just finished reading Tim Carter's exhaustive making of book Oklahoma!: The Making of an American Musical which quotes the full message.

Thanks for the confirmation, Eric. I do own and have read the book, but I'm determined not to research my posts here. I'm afraid that once I start looking to confirm every statement, that's all I'll have time to do. (Actually I've made a few exceptions, but I'm keeping them rare.)

I agree with dramamama, but I bet the initial majority of shows that got slammed on these boards were shows that bombed or just didn't catch on and visa versa. A B&C sometimes upsets the cart but that is a rarity.
And people really get ****y when you try to take their internets away.

We can do it, just don't announce how much something sucked on twitter where all of your peers and fans can see it

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Yes: It is a good idea, in theory. No: It is highly impractical. from RC in Austin, Texas

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