ONCE ON THIS ISLAND (2017) Previews- Page 7

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 11/29/17 at 4:07pm

I've been to the Circle twice: Once, to see THE RIVER and again to see FUN HOME. Was wondering where the "center section" is -- The 100's section? I'm looking for a "full-on" view of the show.

[Bobster159]

Posted: 11/29/17 at 4:25pm

It's staged fully in the round so there literally is no center section or "full-on" view. I'd argue the 200s are probably the most balanced but I imagine you could make the case for the 100s as well (you're just further from the action at times because it's an oval not a circle). The 400s have one song with a different perspective but otherwise are much the same.

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 11/29/17 at 4:36pm

rjm516 said: "Mind you the only thing I ever knew about this show was Audra's rendition of "Come Down From That Tree" which wasn't even in this production!"

It actually wasn't in the original production in 1990 either - it was cut at some point in the development process, but has found new life through Audra's (and Lillias White's) cover. 

[Patty3]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 9:35am

I have tickets for the last preview which is Sunday Dec 3 at 3 pm before the 7:30 opening night performance. I didn't realize the date when I bought the tickets and I am a little concerned that we'll open the Playbill and a bunch of little white pieces of paper will fall out. Nothing wrong with understudies but I am concerned that the majority of the leads will be taking the afternoon off. Does anyone have experience with a 2 show day opening night? Thinking of trying to switch the date although Dec 3 was the date that worked best for us.

[MyLife]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 9:45am

I do not think you have to worry about understudies. No one will take off unless they're unable to perform.

And there will be so much excitement in that theater all of December 3 the cast will want to be with each other through all of it.

[Patty3]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 9:49am

MyLife said: "I do not think you have to worry about understudies. No one will take off unless they're unable to perform.

And there will be so much excitement in that theater all of December 3 the cast will want to be with each other through all of it."

Thanks - I was hoping for a high energy show. I am looking forward to reading all the reviews that night which I hope will be phenomenal based on the comments on this thread.

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 11:02am

I really enjoyed this beautifully-staged and thoughtfully-directed production. Here's a link to my listing on A View From My Seat:

https://aviewfrommyseat.com/photo/80053/Circle+in+the+Square+Theatre/section-Orchestra/row-H/seat-141/

 

Updated On: 11/30/17 at 11:02 AM

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 12:07pm

CT2NYC said: "I really enjoyed this beautifully-staged and thoughtfully-directedproduction. Here's a link to my listing on A View From My Seat:

https://aviewfrommyseat.com/photo/80053/Circle+in+the+Square+Theatre/section-Orchestra/row-H/seat-141/

"

Also, when purchasing tickets using the Telecharge seating chart, be aware that the seats which appear to be aisle seats in rows G-K of the 100s sections are NOT, in fact, on the aisle. There are 2 additional seats next to these seats on the far ends of these rows, closest to the 200s, that don't appear on Telecharge.

Updated On: 11/30/17 at 12:07 PM

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 1:00pm

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this before, but, for what it's worth, and however unlikely it is, casting Alex Newell as "Effie" in Dreamgirls is something that would get me interested in the revival.

[behindthescenes2]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 1:45pm

To the testament of the dedication of these actors to bring this production to life, it is astonishing that no reports have been made that the producers are so cheap, that the actors literally have to dress themselves and apply their own make up because the producers do not want to hire enough crew and that people are running up and down stairs to make quick changes and that one of dancer's foot was sliced open due to the floor on the stage, which now had to be replaced, but too late for the dancer because he is out.  It is almost like union busting is going on there.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 2:10pm

^Oh, my........

[VotePeron]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 2:15pm

 

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Is that why this weekend, when they pulled up the tarp under the sand, they performed the rest of the show awkwardly on a carpet, instead of the tiled floor seen in promo materials?

 

[Daddy Warbucks]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 2:17pm

behindthescenes2 said: "the actors literally have to dress themselves and apply their own make up"

First world problems in a musical about third world problems.

[phan24]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 2:21pm

 

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They have always had 3 floor sets: the sand, then the carpet, and then the tiles. (then they go back to sand)

 

[VotePeron]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 2:30pm

They never took the carpet off the floor on Sunday's Matinee performance. It was really awkward watching them dance on the carpet.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 2:55pm

MOST productions have actors do their own makeup -- someone designs it, and teaches them what to do, but it is the norm that they do their own make up. Even in Cats (at least the original production, anyway).  I remember a tv actor being surprised he was expected to do his own make up when he made his Bway debut. (This is recently.)

 

And as far as costumes go....usually the only actors with "dressers" are those with costume changes any time other than at intermission.  (At least my understanding.)

[PatrickDennis92]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 3:28pm

I already got yelled at for not telling the emperor how fab he looked in his box office smash, but I wouldn’t call these producers “cheap” when they are likely looking at losses. Cheap implies that there’s money to be cheap about, and so far there isn’t any. The grosses thus far can’t sustain the show, so reviews and word of mouth are the only hope this show has. By not hiring a ton of extra staff, the producers are doing the right thing because these things add up and could ultimately close the production faster, before they have a chance to see if word of mouth will work. Producing theatre is not easy and making a profit is very difficult. We would all like conveniences to make our jobs easier, but I would hardly call anyone “cheap” who is likely looking at a multi-million dollar loss, lost creating art. That sounds actually kind of generous to these old ears.

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 7:40pm

Speaking of word of mouth, I saw the show last night. I loved it! I went in not knowing the show or the story and I was won over. It took me a good 30 minutes to get into it and I did have some issues with the staging, but I’m very happy I went.

I’ve read a lot about this being a sexist story. I absolutely disagree. It’s a story about class! It’s class differences. This is vital to discuss!

Finally, as a response to a previous poster, the actors do costume changes in full view as part of the show. It’s also standard for actors to apply their own makeup.

Cheers to all involved in this!

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 9:30pm

Uh I have a friend who is a swing in a Broadway production that is a long-running smash hit that still rakes in over a million a week. She took me backstage after a performance and I was surprised at how, well, run down and cheap the theatre looked. The characters change costumes in a tiny crevice the size of Manhattan kitchen and costumes are piled on top of each other. There was junk everywhere. Actors between scenes have to run down a tiny set of stairs to the tinier backstage area where they re-apply makeup or get their costume change in a common "dressing room" area. 

This show isn't hurting for money. But I think if you go backstage to many theatres of many musicals you'll be surprised at how run down and gritty they are. Maybe Bette Midler gets her own dressing room. Everyone else seems to be on their own.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 9:35pm

Ice in the basin, la la la
Cracks in the plaster, la la la
Mice in the hallway, la la la
Hi-ho, the glamorous life!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/30/17 at 11:39pm

Yeah none of that sounds worrying. And besides Broadway, regional houses are far worse. Or tours. They're fine.

[behindthescenes2]

Posted: 12/2/17 at 5:57pm

Not so fin, another dance out due to the floor and what about the actors meeting and opting not to renew their contracts and the dressers they did have, quit to move to other shows like Frozen - I suspect they’ll be lucky the actors stay until opening

[Feste]

Posted: 12/3/17 at 12:16am

Saw it this afternoon.  It's been my favorite musical since seeing LaChanze and the original cast when I first moved to NYC.  This production is absolutely stunning and perfectly cast right down to the person.  

I have more to say, but I'm still basking in what I saw today.  I wish them all a wonderful opening. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/2/18 at 4:52pm

Bumping for Brandon Victor Dixon's thoughtful take:

https://www.facebook.com/brandonvdixon/posts/10214279190431767

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/2/18 at 5:14pm

I agree with BVD that the show is problematic, but I think some of the evidence he sites doesn't exactly support his case. Those lyrics in "Some Girls" and Daniel's subsequent spurning of Ti Moune are not meant to be taken as good things at all. Daniel is a classist, patronizing a-hole, and the writers deliberately paint him as such. That doesn't change the fact that she dies for him, and is praised for it. On that matter, I agree with BVD. 

I think Arden was trying to spin the ending to be more about her effort to bridge class/color boundaries, rather than her subservience to him. The group of children who came in at the end were of many races, all playing happily together. But now, as I understand it, the children have been cut from the show, so I can see why his attempt to spin it has been rendered completely ineffective.