Is it true?

[bundy5000]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 9:49pm

i Am seeing the 2pm matiness on wed the 17th. I am seeing Mary Poppins. Does that increase the chance of a star actor/actress not showing?

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 9:52pm

No.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 9:52pm

No.

Contrary to popular belief...most Broadway actors don't view matinees as "optional" performances.

[Dibbledl01]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 10:35pm

i would think so because the matinee is usually used to give the understudies some stage time, many shows don't prefer to put on understudies at evening performances, but that's at the discretion of the management
Updated On: 1/14/07 at 10:35 PM

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 10:38pm

yes, because a lot of shows use the matinee as an oppurtunity to put on their understudies due to the casualness (if that's a word) of a matinee.

Excuse me? What are you smoking?

Do you mean to say a matinee audience is not worthy of seeing the actual leads? There are no "trial sessions" for understudies or standbys. They go on when the leads are sick or have schedules absences. Performers don't skip out on matinees because they're "casual."

[Dibbledl01]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 10:53pm

just as you said the understudies go on when the leads have "SCHEDULED ABSENCES" , and what are scheduled absenses to the understudies? STAGE TIME! usually during the matinees because they usually have a smaller crowd. is that true all the time, NO! which is why I said it's at the discretion of the management because they are the ones who know the show best and know when it is best to put understudies on. and i would really appreciate it if you did not make references to me smoking, i don't smoke.

and btw, if you think there is no difference to the management between a matinee and an evening show, think again. and when i said casual, that's for the audience, not the performer thank you.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 10:59pm

usually during the matinees because they usually have a smaller crowd. is that true all the time, NO! which is why I said it's at the discretion of the management because they are the ones who know the show best and know when it is best to put understudies on.

I've never known a performer to schedule an absence during the time of a matinee on purpose nor is it up to the management when a performer misses a show. The performer has a personal schedule with personal conflicts that the management doesn't control.

If anything, performers would want to miss a weeknight show. Especially during off season because that's when audiences are smaller.

and btw, if you think there is no difference to the management between a matinee and an evening show, think again.

Any management of a Broadway house is smart enough and professional enough not to discriminate between audiences. They know each audience member is important no matter how "casual" they may be.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 11:10pm

Some performers are contracted for 6-show weeks.

Currently, the only performer on Broadway contracted this way is John Lloyd Young in Jersey Boys.

Actors take absences at their own discretion, no matter what performance. There's no "preferred" time.

Ashley Brown is contracted for an 8-show week and, thus far in her short tenure as a Broadway performer, has a magnificent attendance record. Same for Gavin Lee and the entire Mary Poppins company, except for the children. The children, due to labor laws, have their own performance schedule.

Dibble - your statement is quite false. While an understudy-going-on is stage time, there is no difference between their going on for a matinee or evening. Traditionally, matinees have lower attendance, especially in the winter months, but there is no difference between that and an evening show.
A producer would like to have his performers there for all shows, but, inevitably, people get sick, injured, or just have a wedding to go to. They're all humans.
Updated On: 1/14/07 at 11:10 PM