Shuffle Along previews — Page 23

I think the real reason it has to be shortened is so they do not go overtime every night. I think that was one of the reasons the current Les Miz revival was shortened.



I like the bit of choreography where the dancers had flashing lights on their head looking like mini marquees with the names of long lost theaters of that period. The 3 hours did not seem like it although the 2 nd act did drag a bit. It was very hard to top the first act. No one show can satisfy everyone - never did in the past and never will now or in the future.

Updated On: 4/3/16 at 12:15 PM

Heather Headley? Uzo Aduba?

Thanks for the information about the Josephine Baker character being cut. That character wasn't in it on March 26th either, so that must have been an earlier cut. Who was the actress that played her? I wasn't clear from the posts.

2:40 is down about 20 minutes from when I saw it as well.

To those of you who saw it this past weekend, does Brooks still have two songs in act 2? Because they felt unnecessary to me. The story is not about Brooks Ashmanskas.

Updated On: 4/4/16 at 11:21 AM

When I was there, his two numbers were "The Buzz" sequence and "The Original Rag".

Brooks is absolutely wonderful in the first act. Toward the end of the second act, when he portrays the white gay critic Carl Van Vechten, who complained that Shuffle Along's blackface perpetuated minstrel stereotypes, his presence becomes eminently cuttable.

Here's an incredible video clip of 92-year-old Alberta Hunter and 100-year-old Eubie Blake reminiscing about the original production.

"The Buzz" does go on for a very long time. I thought his second number was far more effective, actually.

It also presents an interesting critique of academics/critics and attempting to analyze past works through the lens of contemporary values. Shuffle Along is, by contemporary standards, a racist musical. But it was written and performed by black artists and was a highly influential accomplishment- Langston Hughes credits it as the opening shot of the Harlem Renaissance.

It's a very heady number, something I've never seen before in a musical, and, as you say, somethingwicked, an important number in the show.

The first act is the accomplishment, the joyful and thrilling creation of black writers, composers, performers, artists.

The second act sees that accomplishment copied, stolen, and ultimately denigrated and rejected.

Wolfe will make the right decisions which some will agree with and some will not.

Interesting how divisive that scene/number is. I thought, "Ah, yes, finally, here we go." I'm not sure what the show means without it.



The Brooks number I would cut (has it been cut already?) is "Things Are Getting Dark on Old Broadway." It's interesting because it was an actual Follies number, but it seemed like fat to me.

Maybe if that "Getting Dark" number were gone, I wouldn't mind the Van Vechten as much. But it does seem to be one too many times that Brooks comes out as yet another unidentified voice of gloom and doom, when all I want to do is connect with the growing disappointments of the five characters I have come to love.

I'd be surprised if they switched back so soon (2 playbill changes before the show even opens!) but really hope that's the case! I'm seeing the show in May and that original playbill is beautiful!!

Yeah, it does seem strange to change them back so soon, but if you search the #ShuffleAlong hashtag on Instagram, there are multiple pictures from tonight of the original Playbill.

Caught the show tonight. And yes the playbill cover has returned to the original logo. So as it turns out, it's the tacky playbill with the legs on the cover that is going to be the collectors item!



Count me in the group that found it more impressive and admirable than something I loved. It's an artistic work put together by great artists, and yet I never truly became emotionally invested, and so I'm sad to say it left me at arms length. I understand from some people there tonight, that there were a number of new changes put in today. I of course cannot tell you exactly what they are, but I will say that there was no song in the second act called "Its Getting Dark on Old Broadway," so that may have been cut.



The cast is top notch, and yes indeed, good luck finding a replacement for Audra who can sing coloratura, be both funny and compelling, and tap dance! The production values are all first rate as well. It looks like no expense has been spared on the show.



I suspect this might win Tony awards for choreography and maybe costumes, and I think it will get nominated for a bunch others. An interesting history lesson, but at the end of the day, I felt it was more concerned with telling us history, then giving us a really great story.