Jesus Hopped the A Train Signature

[Alfie6]

Posted: 10/8/17 at 10:53am

Performances started October 5th, anybody have some early reports? A bit disappointed that Reg E Cathey is no longer involved. Looking forward to this one!

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/8/17 at 8:14pm

I was looking forward to seeing this tonight, but the 7:30 performance was cancelled because an actor is sick. 

[Alfie6]

Posted: 10/8/17 at 10:11pm

Oh man sorry to hear that, hopefully whoever is sick recovers quickly. This show is off to a rocky start it appears...

[Melissa25]

Posted: 10/8/17 at 10:45pm

What happened to Cathey?  I was looking forward to seeing him in this. I have tickets for early November.

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/10/17 at 11:38am

I tried to rebook my tickets, but Signature wants to wait and see. The rep said the performer's medical condition is evolving, and Signature doesn't know when he or she will be cleared to come back to the show. I hope the situation isn't serious and that the person recovers quickly!

 

[Alfie6]

Posted: 10/10/17 at 5:57pm

The show tonight 10/10 is cancelled as well, e-mails went out to people. They are waiting to see whether the show proceeds at all before rebooking anyone to save the hassle of only rebooking again. 

[Ptesan]

Posted: 10/11/17 at 9:28pm

Tomorrow’s (10/12) show is cancelled too.  I really hope the actor is ok.  

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 10/11/17 at 10:38pm

Actor to be replaced. 

http://www.playbill.com/article/jesus-hopped-the-a-train-cancels-performances-prepares-for-cast-change

[AntV]

Posted: 10/12/17 at 1:47am

Per a retweet by the playwright, Sean Carvajal will replace Victor Rasuk.

[NYactor85]

Posted: 10/15/17 at 1:21am

Saw this tonight from second row center.  It was their second show with Sean. Thet said he may ask for line and will possibly be walking around with the script. He did. First act he maybe looked down twice. Second act was more. 

 

But it didnt matter, the show as a whole was lovely and swept you up. Ive read this show several times and really loved the journey and the performances by Angel and Lucius are fantastic. Another amazing show from Signature theatre

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/15/17 at 5:41pm

I saw the show Saturday afternoon, Carvajal's first performance. I agree he did very well. I have to hand it to him for stepping in like that to save the production. I think the artistic director said in her pre-curtain speech that he had been hired in Tuesday. I think he'll be up to full speed very quickly. 

He did refer to the script much more in Act 2, but regardless I give him high marks. 

I enjoyed the show a lot and look forward to seeing more of Guirgis's work at Signature. I don't know if he updated Jesus at all, since this is my first exposure to the play, but I think it is as relevant as ever.

The only drawback to the play as I see it is that it raises a lot of huge, philosophical questions but doesn't answer them. I guess it's up to us in the audience to come up with what we think.  

Spoilerish question for those who have seen the play: Regarding the "nice" guard...

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

...the one who brought Jenkins the cookies and was fired. He tells us at the end that he and his wife went down to Florida to show support at the execution. I thought that was so weird. He noted that Jenkins was high when he was killed. Someone else says at some point I think that the cookies contained drugs. So the nice guard was supplying inmates with drugs?

 

 

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 1:38am

macnyc said: "I saw the show Saturday afternoon, Carvajal's first performance. I agree he did very well. I have to hand it to him for stepping in like that to save the production. I think the artistic director said in her pre-curtain speech that he had been hired in Tuesday. I think he'll be up to full speed very quickly.

Hedid refer to the script much more in Act 2, but regardless I give him high marks.

I enjoyed the show a lot and look forward to seeing more of Guirgis's work at Signature. I don't know if he updated Jesus at all, since this is my first exposure to the play, but I think it is as relevant as ever.

The only drawback to the play as I see it is that it raises a lot of huge, philosophical questions but doesn't answer them. I guess it's up to us in the audience to come up with what we think.

Spoilerish question for those who have seen the play: Regarding the "nice" guard...

 

Click He momre To Toggle Spoiler Content

...the one who brought Jenkins the cookies and was fired. He tells us at the end that he and his wife went down to Florida to show support at the execution. I thought that was so weird. He noted that Jenkins was high when he was killed. Someone else says at some point I think that the cookies contained drugs. So the nice guard was supplying inmates with drugs?

 

I saw the Saturday evening performance as well and thought it was very good. Props to Sean for going on with only a few days to.learn the role. As the others have said, in the second act he had to rely much more on reading the script, at one point in a key exchange with another character, he barely was able to look up from reading it. To be absolutely clear, I have no issue with Sean. Once he fully learns the role, he will be terrific. He was already really good and fully inhabiting the character.  What he's done to get to that point in a few days is remarkable but his reading lessened the dramatic tension of the scene for me. Others may disagree but I believe Signature should have cancelled performances thru the weekend and given him the extra 3 days till Tuesday to get ready.
 

Regardless, it's a really good play and definitely worth seeing. In my mind Edi Gathegi as the other prisoner really stole the show. He was riveting in every scene he was in and his interplay with Ricardo Chavira the tough guard was fantastic.

With regard to the spoiler question, I didn't get that impression at all. It's pretty easy to score hard drugs in prison and even easier in a jail if you know who to ask. I think the nice guard just wanted to be liked by the inmates, that's all.

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT (Sorry having trouble using  the toggle feature with my phone:

If you recall, when the tough guard found the cookies and confronted the nice guard, after the nice guard left, he ate a few so if there was something in them, he would have reacted to that. And if a prisoner is being extradited from one state to another, they are searched thoroughly. Highly unlikely anything illegal makes the trip with them. So did not get the sense at all it was anything more than regular food cause the guard wanted to be liked. Others may disagree but that's my take.

[BJR]

Posted: 10/24/17 at 1:28am

Saw the show tonight, for Opening. Incredible. Some of the strongest performances I've seen this season so far. Sean is incredible and I'm gobsmacked he did that in so little time.

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/24/17 at 7:01am

A crtitic's pick from Jesse Green!

Review: It’s Law vs. Order in ‘Jesus Hopped the “A” Train’

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/theater/jesus-hopped-the-a-train-review.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share

I didn't realize that both the leads were late replacements! Incredible. 

Updated On: 10/24/17 at 07:01 AM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 10/24/17 at 11:01am

Saw the show on Sunday and thought it was riveting. One of the best things I've seen at Signature, and I generally like most of their stuff, so it's saying a lot. The whole cast was quite strong, but I agree that Edi Gathegi stole the show.

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/24/17 at 11:04am

If anyone is interested, there are still a few $30 seats available. For the extension, seats are $55 to $75. Worth seeing at these prices!

[Alfie6]

Posted: 11/5/17 at 11:33am

I thought the show was terrific and  Stephanie DiMaggio was really excellent, Im surprised I haven't seen her in anything before but will keep an eye out for her in future shows. At my performance somebody brought a baby, I have never seen this happen before and have seen hundreds of shows on Broadway/Off-Broadway. Heck, I've never seen babies at kid appropriate shows like Aladdin, Matilda where ok a parent is bringing a whole bunch of kids so it somewhat makes sense. The baby was making noise during the show which I'm sure was distracting to the actors. After the show there was a rush of audience members swarming the house staff to complain. Great play but please leave your infants at home. 

[little_sally]

Posted: 11/6/17 at 12:00pm

I really enjoyed this one. The production is definitely top-notch, and the cast is terrific from top to bottom (I would never have known the two leads were last minute replacements, they were that good.) Edi Gathegi is giving one of the best performances of the year IMO.

But please, leave your toddlers at home.

[macnyc]

Posted: 11/6/17 at 1:32pm

Everyone in the audience should have shouted at the baby,

SHUT THE F*** UP! 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 11/6/17 at 1:38pm

macnyc said: "Everyone in the audience should have shouted at the baby,

SHUT THE F*** UP!"

 

HA! That made me laugh out loud! 

[Ptesan]

Posted: 11/15/17 at 10:14am

Saw the play last night and it's as amazing as everyone said.  I rescheduled for one of the shows that had the 'talk back' after and they actor's were generous and patient with all the questions even though they must have been exhausted.