Seeing previews vs after show opens

I’m always reading on this board how many of you jump to see previews of new shows - some multiple times and I’m wondering why that is? Versus waiting to see it once it’s opened. Or is it that you do both and like to see what changes were made?

Coming in from out of town I see shows that fit my dates. Sometimes they are still in preview but most of the time it’s after opening.


Curious if there’s more to it than just personal preference.


Cheers!

"And we all found out what a bum decision THAT turned out to be"



IMO, unless it's a new work, there's no reason to see early previews. Unless you're really invested in the show and want to see a certain actor grow into the character.

Lenk's performances during previews and months after opening were pretty different, with the latter being much more fleshed out and lived in and overall a Bobbie that makes the production truly special.

Shuffle Along was a recent one that I saw during the preview that underwent extensive changes before it opened. It was raw and messy and clearly both the performers and the director/writer were trying to figure out the piece, but this also made it memorable especially with all the "extra" stuff performed by the stellar cast such as Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and such that people seeing it after opening were not able to experience.

Then there were shows that barely changed since preview. Either they were good enough from the get-go or were so bad that they were incorrigible during the preview period.

Each performance is unique in one way or another, but for good performers it always gets better with more performances under their belt. But for me, I would never let previews put me off from seeing a show. If I love it, I'll go back after the opening to see how it has transformed.

I love seeing things during previews, especially during the first few! Helps me get excited for the show, and I often see new works. I noticed Spongebob had a lot of changes during previews, but all of the other shows I've seen I notice don't have massive, game-changing adjustments made by opening. Harry Potter is the only show I can think of that I saw in the first few previews then came back due to extensive changes (that was the ones over covid, I mean). If I don't see a show within previews or the first month or so of opening, I end up waiting until it hits TDF, TKTS, Rush, or however else I'll get a discount.