Shuffle Along previews — Page 20

I saw the 4th preview and I enjoyed it a great deal, in spite of it being too long. This deal is great and I just got an aisle seat (Row G) center orchestra for next Friday. So excited to see it again: $52.25 with all the fees. Thanks to the original poster for sharing this info with us.

This $40 deal is amazing of them. The star's illness was a perfectly valid reason to cancel shows as long as the show was still too in flux to rehearse the standby. I'm very critical of theatre prices and would not have thought anything of the prices not changing in the wake of those cancelled performances. I'm so excited to see this affordably- from a great seat!

The UK website, Live Theatre UK, filed a piece about the production, seen at one of last week’s previews following Audra’s illness. The writer says it’s not a review, but it reads like a review anyway. Interestingly, he draws comparisons in Shuffle’s structure to that of Into the Woods. He finds that the delightful first act, is followed by a second act that contains most of the thematic thrust of the show itself. It may be the more difficult of the two acts, but it is also indispensible. In particular, the writer sheds some light on all that is happening in that second act, including cultural appropriation, creating art within the limitations imposed by racism, and the legacy of art itself.



http://www.livetheatreuk.com/index.php/opinion/572-don-t-shuffle-along-run-with-all-speed-to-broadway-s-the-music-box#.VviEAQ7t5Ol.mailto >

Question for those who have seen it spoiler







there was a part in act 1 where Billy seemed to have a pillow in his stomach and looked far. Did I miss something or was he fat all along?

How did the Chromolume change in Sunday?

And yes, I think the comparison to the Sondheim/Lapine shows is apt. Act 2 is more troubled, but it is also more interesting.

I thought these paragraphs from the Live Theatre UK review about Shuffle's second act are especially insightful:

"In the second Act, the characters cope explicitly with the ways, the many ways, in which the White world has exploited and assumed the treasures, glories and specifics of the non-White world. A section involving George Gershwin is both sobering and astonishing.

In a very dramatic and powerful way, the second Act blisteringly establishes the gulf between what white people make of the performances of black people and reality, and the ongoing pain experienced by black creatives struggling in a white world. Porter and Ashmanskas are particularly electric here, in words and action; equally, though Stokes Mitchell and McDonald, through silence, convey decades of shared pain, gestalt grief.

The presence of four true, great, black Broadway stars on stage as these climactic scenes play out is magical - and harrowing. Just them being there, with their shared skills, genius and status clear to all, lends authenticity, proportion, and deeply resonating honesty to the experience that plays out."

The second act is a bit "Merrily" esque. Look what would have happened if they had all just stayed friends. However, that's not what happened.

Nope.

FYI, the Friday(April 1) show is sold-out thanks to the ticket offer. I wonder if they'll still do rush tickets that day or possibly even SRO?

I saw the matinee last Saturday and thought it was terrific! And it was very well-received by the audience. Can the story/book be tightened a little? Maybe. But I didn't find anything overly troublesome about it. Even at this stage. In addition the choreography brought down the house at the Music Box, and the performances, led by McDonald, were simply outstanding. Even at 3 hours, I didn't find it even remotely boring, or excessively long, and definitely not an abomination...a word mentioned earlier. It was a very good show.

If you got tickets yesterday, when would one expect to get the e tix?



Thanks

Forgive me if this has been covered already, but is Audra scheduled to do all performances?



Thanks