On the town preview help

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On the town preview help

Posted: 9/7/14 at 9:47pm

Hi guys!

Im going to be up in new york on the night of the first preview for On the Town. Im going along with my parents and was just curious if the first preview will be stop and go at all? I know its probably extremely hard to tell but I'm just deciding on seeing this or something else while I'm up here. We are really interested in seeing On the town we just weren't sure what state it would be in on its first preview

On the town preview help

Posted: 9/7/14 at 9:52pm

Let's hope not. It will be my very first preview. This date is the only time I can see it.

On the town preview help

Posted: 9/7/14 at 10:09pm

While it might stop, it won't likely be constantly, but it is impossible to tell.

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

On the town preview help

Posted: 9/7/14 at 10:10pm

There is really know way to tell. My advice is to see something else, because you never know how a first preview will go. It could go perfectly or it could be a long night for the actors, the production team, and the audience.

On the town preview help

Posted: 9/7/14 at 10:11pm

My guess is no considering the set probably won't be too technical.

Anything regarding shows stated by this account is an attempt to convey opinion and not fact.

On the town preview help

Posted: 9/7/14 at 10:20pm

On the whole, first previews rarely stop. Even a highly intricate set might go off without a hitch only to malfunction later in the preview period; Rocky's first preview never stopped once, but I had friends at several previews weeks later that experienced pauses to fix the set.

The bigger issue will probably be the sound, which is almost never perfect at a first preview. They just can't figure out the correct balance until there's a house full of people.

I say go. You will never see the cast more enthused to have an audience in front of the them. You will be seeing people making Broadway debuts taking their first ever bows on a Broadway stage. You can never replicate that excitement, even on opening night.

Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

On the town preview help

Posted: 9/7/14 at 10:28pm

Any show can stop at any time for any number of reasons be it technical or otherwise - previews or not. I'd go with On the Town. The majority of the leads have worked on the show out of town. This will likely not feel like a first preview for those in attendance.

On the town preview help

Posted: 9/7/14 at 10:34pm

while technical-wise it's a first preview, for a good portion of the cast, they're returning to the show, so you'll be seeing honed performances heightened with that first preview excitement. And when will you hear an orchestra that large again in a Broadway house?

"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008

On the town preview help

Posted: 9/7/14 at 11:11pm

Granted it was in London, but I was at first previews for Miss Saigon, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Importance of Being Earnest, and Great Britain, and an early early preview for the theatre transfer of Curious Incident. There were no stoppages at any of them - even the highly technical aspects of Curious Incident and Great Britain. Miss Saigon has a few minor issues. Scoundrels had some sound issues
BUT there was nothing to compare to the energy that the actors gave in the first preview - that first audience which can be so forgiving - and the excitement in the audience and stage - especially for a beloved show like On the Town. It is "opening night" like in the movies - full of hope and anticipation. And if the show is good....it becomes even more memorable.

#10

On the town preview help

Posted: 9/7/14 at 11:48pm

Go but remember that shows get better during previews.

First-preview reviews on this board are often recanted on second viewing.

That said, five of the six principals played their roles in the production's "tryout" in the Berkshires last summer, and the sixth is a ballet star. The director and choreographer have been honing their vision of the show since the Encores production in 2008. So you won't see any major conceptual flaws.

I saw both the Encores and the Barrington Stage, liked the Encores and flipped over the Barrington Stage. I would say that you and your parents are in for a treat--especially if you or they are Leonard Bernstein fans.

#11

On the town preview help

Posted: 9/9/14 at 3:17pm

I've been to the Lyric twice (Ragtime and Jesus Christ Superstar) and even though we had good seats about halfway back in the middle orchestra, I remember feeling like I was a mile away from the stage. Has anyone ever sat in the front row at this theater? There are lots of front row tickets available for On The Town, and I'm considering it.

#12

On the town preview help

Posted: 9/10/14 at 12:51pm

I saw rehearsals at the theater 2 weeks ago and it looks like a lot of fun. They were doing a big renovation inside. Looks great.

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