MEAN GIRLS To Welcome Social Media Star Cameron Dallas For Four Week Run- Page 5

[copathetiic]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 7:24pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "copathetiic said: "According to grosses, attendance went up only 0.58% but average ticket price went up so they made only $81k more than last week. Still at only 83% of their gross potential."

It's also a holiday weekend that saw more shows go up than down. Not a major holiday, but 18 shows saw bumps and MG certainly had movable inventory and is an accessible tourist title."

This just kind of furthers the point that this “stunt casting” hasn’t been all that effective so far. 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 7:45pm

To be fair, with reports of his performance put to the side, the show increased its Gross Pot. %, Box Office Gross, and Cspacity % while others (Aladdin, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, etc..) didn’t. Whether this is because of his casting and whether that effect will continue for the next three weeks is anyone’s guess. Yes, the increases aren’t significant but they are increases. If they are because of him, the increases are still more than he is likely being paid. So in that sense, the casting economically was a smart move.

Updated On: 1/21/20 at 07:45 PM

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 8:13pm

No, it really wasn't.

This just kind of furthers the point that this “stunt casting” hasn’t been all that effective so far.

100%

[Browneyes142]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 10:06pm

I didn't look ahead to see the casting but it wouldn't have mattered as I got the ticket on Broadway roulette anyway. I will say I didn't see any empty seats, I'm sure there were some scattered around but the Mezz and rear mezz were packed. I only saw four people stand up when he did his curtain call so don't know how many were there for him. I hold out hope that it was just because he couldn't hear well. The balance seemed really off. I could barely understand Barrett because of the sound and it wasn't like that the last time I saw it. He wasn't as offkey in the second act but it was still bad enough that the people in the room in front of me and throw behind me were all laughing. Yes we cringed at him but he is such a small part and I still enjoyed the show.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 11:57pm

copathetiic said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "copathetiic said: "According to grosses, attendance went up only 0.58% but average ticket price went up so they made only $81k more than last week. Still at only 83% of their gross potential."

It's also a holiday weekend that saw more shows go up than down. Not a major holiday, but 18 shows saw bumps and MG certainly had movable inventory and is an accessible tourist title."

This just kind of furthers the point that this “stunt casting” hasn’t been all that effective so far."

I agree---I think there are VERY few people who know who Cameron Dallas is? I think when the casting was announced more people would have said "who?" than "OMG SO EXCITED!". I didn't think there would be a huge bump in sales. Although looking ahead to a few days from now ticket sales do look good...but who knows? People are more likely there for Erika and Renee, then Grey and Barrett (or some combination of those four), and then maybe Cameron. He doesn't fall high on the list of why the majority of ticket buyers are there. 

[EspinosaRoscioliBlock]

Posted: 1/22/20 at 6:19am

Just saw the show. Was expecting him to be decent or at least okay. After all this is Broadway. Nope. He was so awful that the entire time he was onstage I was cringing in my seat. Others around me were actually chuckling when he would sing. And he was really trying. Like you could tell he was giving it his all but that boy CANNOT SING. Not like he’s not as good as the other actors, like he actually cannot sing. At all. I feel really bad for Erika and the company. To have him as a scene partner must be a joke.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 1/22/20 at 7:24am

EspinosaRoscioliBlock said: "Just saw the show. Was expecting him to be decent or at least okay. After all this is Broadway. Nope. He was so awful that the entire time he was onstage I was cringing in my seat. Others around me were actually chuckling when he would sing. And he was really trying. Like you could tell he was giving it his all but that boy CANNOT SING. Not like he’s not as good as the other actors, like he actually cannot sing. At all. I feel really bad for Erika and the company. To have him as a scene partner must be a joke."

Oh man. I hate reading that people were laughing! That's horrible. 

[copathetiic]

Posted: 1/22/20 at 9:06am

magictodo123 said: I agree---I think there are VERY few people who know who Cameron Dallas is? I think when the casting was announced more people would have said "who?" than "OMG SO EXCITED!". I didn't think there would be a huge bump in sales. Although looking ahead to a few days from now ticket sales do look good...but who knows? People are more likely there for Erika and Renee, then Grey and Barrett (or some combination of those four), and then maybe Cameron. He doesn't fall high on the list of why the majority of ticket buyers are there."

I think more people are going to go to see Erika before she leaves than go to see an old Vine star who’s on stage for about 15 minutes

[magictodo123]

Posted: 1/22/20 at 9:55am

copathetiic said: "magictodo123 said: I agree---I think there are VERY few people who know who Cameron Dallas is? I think when the casting was announced more people would have said "who?" than "OMG SO EXCITED!". I didn't think there would be a huge bump in sales. Although looking ahead to a few days from now ticket sales do look good...but who knows? People are more likely there for Erika and Renee, then Grey and Barrett (or some combination of those four), and then maybe Cameron. He doesn't fall high on the list of why the majority of ticket buyers are there."

I think more people are going to go to see Erika before she leaves than go to see an old Vine star who’s on stage for about 15 minutes"

I completely agree!! And the musical is SO much more about Cady, her journey, than Aaron. Yet everyone is making him the sole focus right now. I went to see Renee and just happened to catch Camerons debut. I thought he was okay in the first act and improved in the second. He's not the focus of the show--the relationships between The Plastics, Cady, Janis and Damien--THOSE are what come before her relationship with Aaron. 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 1/27/20 at 11:36am

Interesting. This morning, he posted a photo from the airport on his IG Story with caption “Bye Bye NYC.” Maybe he’s just going back to the west coast for 24 hours or possibly Mean Girls ended his run early (although I believe they’d still have to pay him for remaining two weeks of his contract).

Update: he’s still listed on MG website. 

Updated On: 1/27/20 at 11:36 AM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/27/20 at 12:20pm

I mean, (most) broadway shows are dark Monday’s. So it’s probably just him going home for “the weekend.”

[GlenCoco]

Posted: 1/27/20 at 12:51pm

Miles2Go2 said: "Interesting. This morning, he posted a photo from the airport on his IG Story with caption “Bye Bye NYC.” Maybe he’s just going back to the west coast for 24 hours or possibly Mean Girls ended his run early (although I believe they’d still have to pay him for remaining two weeks of his contract).

Update: he’s still listed on MG website."

 

Apparently the stage door scene is chaotic, with all kinds of people shoving, forcing their phone in his hand, and grabbing him.  A girl on one of the FB groups mentioned she has cerebral palsy and was pushed over.

 

[JuneJune]

Posted: 1/27/20 at 1:28pm

I didn't know who Cameron Dallas was until I saw the show. I thought his acting was actually pretty good. He didn't steal any scenes, but I thought he had a good enough chemistry with Reneé and Erika. Some of his line deliveries were actually very similar to Kyle's (not a fault). He felt natural in the role and I didn't have a problem with his stage presence.

That is, until he started singing. Like many people have said, he just can't sing. I can appreciate that he was clearly giving his all and wasn't trying to half-heart anything, but a lack of vocal talent is just not so forgivable on a Broadway stage. He hardly ever hit a note correctly. And I hate to confirm it, but there were indeed a few chuckles around every time he tried to sing. It was probably for the best that they cut his vocal moments in Someone Gets Hurt and Do This Thing.

As for the stagedoor, when I went, it was relatively tame. 4–5 people deep, but I was never at the mercy of any pushing and shoving. Then again, the people around me that I made small talk with said they came for Erika or the show itself (not Cameron), and I was at the very end of the barricades. Could've been different at other sections closer to the physical stage door itself.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 1/27/20 at 6:11pm

It appears he is filming something horror-related today so he is likely flying back to NYC tonight or in the morning.

[inmyownlittlecorner]

Posted: 1/28/20 at 9:10am

More footage was put on Twitter and if I’m being honest, from the little clip I saw, I think his acting isn’t that bad, he’s really into it which is something Cody Simpson definitely can’t say.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 1/28/20 at 9:20am

JuneJune said: "I thought his acting was actually pretty good. He didn't steal any scenes, but I thought he had a good enough chemistry with Reneé and Erika. Some of his line deliveries were actually very similar to Kyle's (not a fault). He felt natural in the role and I didn't have a problem with his stage presence."

I’m wondering if his biggest problem is inconsistency, because when I saw Mean Girls on Saturday night there was nothing about his acting that would have been considered remotely acceptable for a real Broadway actor. His line readings were tentative and often hard to understand as he rushed to finish them. On a couple of occasions it looked like he was being led around the crowded stage by other actors. As you noted, his singing was very bad. I will say that the bit of dancing he did looked just fine to me. 

I was amused rather than irritated, since I’ve seen the show before, and Aaron isn’t exactly a huge role anyhow. And of course he looked pretty good when he executed his “diversion”!

ETA: I do agree with the previous poster that he was “into it.” Lack of dedication to his task wasn’t the problem. 

Updated On: 1/28/20 at 09:20 AM

[inmyownlittlecorner]

Posted: 1/28/20 at 9:27am

kdogg36 said: "JuneJune said: "I thought his acting was actually pretty good. He didn't steal any scenes, but I thought he had a good enough chemistry with Reneé and Erika. Some of his line deliveries were actually very similar to Kyle's (not a fault). He felt natural in the role and I didn't have a problem with his stage presence."

I’m wondering if his biggest problem is inconsistency, because when I saw Mean Girlson Saturday night there was nothing about his acting that would have been considered remotely acceptable for a real Broadway actor. Hisline readings were tentative and often hard to understand as he rushed to finish them. On a couple of occasions it looked like he was being led around the crowded stage by other actors. As you noted, his singing was very bad. I will say that the bit of dancing he did lookedjust fine to me.

I was amused rather than irritated,since I’ve seen the show before, and Aaron isn’t exactly a huge role anyhow. And of course he looked pretty good when he executed his “diversion”!"

The diversion clip was the one that was posted so maybe he just feels super comfortable with that part and nothing else yet? I’m not sure

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 1/28/20 at 12:26pm

Per his IG story, he’s back in town. And he doesn’t look pleased about it.

[OceansJenny]

Posted: 1/29/20 at 11:31am

Saw the show last night for the first time. Cameron seemed perfectly fine except for his part in More Is Better where his singing was noticeably lacking. But it almost even works since it’s a response line.

Separately - is it the current actors or has the diction for this show always been bad? It was hard to understand some of the words. Maybe it’s the style but I wasn’t big on Regina’s deep long drawn out words for her songs. It just made it hard to understand.

Besides those two things all of the actors were fabulous. However I feel like the book needs a bit of work. Even though the plot and some of the lines were the same, the movie was more cohesive and funny.

A fun night in the theater. Nothing to write home about.

[Amanda DeLalla]

Posted: 1/29/20 at 11:44am

I wouldn't be too pleased either if I knew handfuls of audience members were laughing at my non-comedic performance...

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 1/29/20 at 11:46am

^^^^^

That was me, sorry. I have no idea why my old account still exists and how I let myself accidentally login...

Posted: 1/29/20 at 1:03pm

I saw the show last night as well. Aaron is a pretty nothing role, so the bad singing and mediocre acting didn't affect the show as a whole. I do feel bad for the girls in front of me who weren't warned and walked out talking about how the guy who played Aaron couldn't sing.

The show as a whole is pretty much just the movie on stage but with pleasant enough songs. I thought Erika Henningsen and Renee Rapp were both great as Cady and Regina, and the original cast members who remained still were committed and bringing the laughs. I will say that the ending song to me was way too sappy. I can buy Cady singing it, but not the rest of the characters joining in and cheerily dancing together.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 1/29/20 at 1:24pm

amazingamandakate said: "I saw the show last night as well. Aaron is a pretty nothing role, so the bad singing and mediocre acting didn't affect the show as a whole. I do feel bad for the girls in front of me who weren't warned and walked out talking about how the guy who played Aaron couldn't sing.

The show as a whole is pretty much just the movie on stage but with pleasant enough songs. I thought Erika Henningsen and Renee Rapp were both great as Cady and Regina, and the original cast members who remained still were committed and bringing the laughs. I will say that the ending song to me was way too sappy. I can buy Cady singing it, but not the rest of the characters joining in and cheerily dancing together."

Now that I think about it, once they're in the post to take the photo, and Janis and Damien finish saying "so get off their d*cks" part. I don't think they had to keep going with the song....wow. I never thought about that before, but it really makes sense. 

[Luminaire2]

Posted: 1/29/20 at 10:17pm

I really do believe Broadway should be holding itself to higher standards...

[treblemakerz]

Posted: 1/29/20 at 11:32pm

I finally went to see the sight tonight out of morbid curiosity and...hooooo boy. Anyone who knows me knows that even for the most mediocre performances, I always have something nice to say. That is not the case here.

I don't think I've ever seen such tone-deaf singing on a Broadway stage in my life. He sounded like a preteen boy who was forced into the school musical because no one else would do it. Every time he spoke a line, it felt like he was playing Aaron five drinks in on a Friday night: he slurred his speech so much that were I not incredibly familiar with the show already, I would have had no idea what he was saying. I guess his dancing was not the absolute worst thing I've ever seen in my life.

Like others here have mentioned, much of the role was shaved down so Cameron was able to do it; but he still managed to absolutely butcher what he had left to do. He forgot half of his lines in act two, to the point where Erika Henningsen had to feed them to him. I have to admit, if nothing else, it was thoroughly entertaining. The bit before More Is Better in particular had me trying to contain my laughter in my seat.

How the scene is meant to go:

Aaron: I read that the Maasai don't celebrate birthdays. They just get older when they feel ready.

Cady: That's true. Why did you read that?

How it went tonight:

Aaron: I read that the Maasai................

Cady: ........

Aaron: ..........

Cady: .........

Aaron: They.........

Cady: ....they don't celebrate birthdays, they just get older when they feel ready?

Aaron: Yeah, right. Haha.

Cady: ......why did you read that?

Thank you, Mean Girls, for giving me some baffled amusement. And I'm so, so sorry to anyone who paid to see any level of actual competence in the role. I hope they enjoyed the rest of the wonderful cast, who are doing their best to make up for it. I'm glad I got to catch Cailen Fu's absolutely fantastic performance of Gretchen among all of this.

Updated On: 1/29/20 at 11:32 PM