Shuffle Along previews- Page 26

[Patash]

Posted: 4/14/16 at 9:09am

Saw the matinee yesterday. What a brilliant collection of wonderful songs and amazing dancing.  Sensational.  But surely this won't win any awards for "book".  What was the point of the entire show, when all is said and done?  To try to convince everyone that Shuffle Along was one of the greatest musicals of all time?  Well, that was stated clearly at the beginning and emphasized and emphasized and emphasized.  Yet no effort was made to tell us anything about the show itself (other than it had a love song).  And  I somehow never became invested in what happened to the two teams of writers after Shuffle Along, and didn't really see why it was all so important except for the  idea of what they might have accomplished if they had all continued to work together.  OK, so I get that -- but practically an entire act telling us that? Still, it was a wonderful afternoon of musical theatre by an amazing team. 

Audra McDonald is a true wonder! 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/14/16 at 10:03am

MX888 said: "Audra didn't come out of stage door tonight - she might have hurt herself when she stumbled while trying to step off of the piano bench;  Brandon caught and tried to steady her. They played if off very well (I initially thought it was part of the show). Hopefully it's not serious but it looked very scary.

So happy they went back to the original playbills too!"

Audra said on social media that she does not stage door on week nights because her commute is nearly an hour and it's a school night for her kiddos.

 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:08pm

I saw the show this evening and I thought it was an absolutely perfect evening of theater from beginning to end. I was stunned and eternally grateful. Bravo and thank you to all involved.

[MX888]

Posted: 4/19/16 at 12:52am

jacobsnchz14 said:

"Audra said on social media that she does not stage door on week nights because her commute is nearly an hour and it's a school night for her kiddos."

Cool. Thanks for that info!

[wolfwriter2]

Posted: 4/19/16 at 1:09am

If ever a show screamed for an out-of-town tryout, this is the one.

I looked forward to seeing this show more than any other, including Hamilton, and after seeing it, tonight, there is no way this can be "fixed" and turned into what I had hoped it would be.

The good: the cast, the cast and the cast. There is so much talent on that stage, it's truly astonishing. The lighting design, which I hardly ever notice, is exceptional and works very effectively. The tap dancing is excellent. Brooks Ashmanskas, whom I never warmed to until he made me laugh in Something Rotten, is remarkably good, here and has won me over, as a fan.

The bad: The book is a mess. Act One is more entertaining than Act Two, but it is simply a paint-by numbers "telling not showing" (..and then we did this..and then we did that)...at no point did the book make me care about any of the characters (if we care, it's because of their place in history and what we know they accomplished, not the show making us care). There is too much tap-dancing and no other kind of dancing. It is repetitive and, while, exceptionally performed, it all becomes the same thing. I love tap, but, I was aching for a soft-shoe or something other than tap (I would have even settled for a dream ballet). The epilogue is endless and, while, important, should be streamlined and move more quickly.

I had to fight to stay awake during Act Two. I was, simply bored (and so disappointed). The series of well-done and well-delivered 11 o'clock numbers in the second act seem in line with the way the evening has gone. Nobody has earned their number, least of all, the wonderful Billy Porter. At some point in act two, I started to think which actress would beat Audra for the Tony, this year, because this is not material, with which, she can win.

The audience reacted enthusiastically to much of the show, but I couldn't tell if it was the parts of the show or the whole.

In all, I'm glad I saw it, but I would rather have just seen a revival of Shuffle Along, so I could see what is so wonderful about it, instead of just hearing about it from the cast of characters.

[Jish]

Posted: 4/19/16 at 8:54am

wolfwriter2 said: "

In all, I'm glad I saw it, but I would rather have just seen a revival of Shuffle Along, so I could see what is so wonderful about it, instead of just hearing about it from the cast of characters.

"

Obviously everybody has their own opinion, but I would just point out one thing about the request to see more of the original "Shuffle Along" in the show (which others have also mentioned).

What this team has put together is a show which teaches us why the original Shuffle Along was so important. They outright list during the show all the things which didn't exist on stage before Shuffle (a black love story on stage, syncopation, new dance styles, etc) and also highlight how it, at least for a time, changed the business of broadway (a black show with equal ticket prices, african americans sitting as close as the fifth row, etc). 

The original Shuffle Along was not a great show from a traditional "book musical" perspective, but it was a ground-breaking show. The lack of quality of the original book is also hinted at during this version particularly in the Carl van Vechten parts. If they put more of the original Shuffle it would not be as entertaining (if you think this book is bad that would be worse) and audiences wouldn't understand what aspects of the show really were ground-breaking.

Just my two cents - nobody has to like it, but they very consciously are not showing more of the original Shuffle because the story they are telling is about the impact of the show, not the show itself. 

 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 4/19/16 at 9:03am

The complaint is just what you just repeated: they LIST what was so special about Shuffle Along but they don't really show us.

[Jish]

Posted: 4/19/16 at 9:04am

neonlightsxo said: "The complaint is just what you just repeated: they LIST what was so special about Shuffle Along but they don't really show us.

"

OK. They do show us the music and the dancing and the love story (actually more than in the original) and several of the other aspects.

What they don't show is the exact book and staging of the original with a couple exceptions.

[wolfwriter2]

Posted: 4/19/16 at 12:06pm

Jish, what you say is true about how groundbreaking the show was and the doors it opened, but neonlightsxo is exactly right. I want to be shown not told.

I care about these people in the real world because of their creativity and accomplishments, but in the world of the show (the one on stage at the Music Box), I'm never shown a reason to care. For me, if they aren't going to show instead of tell, there is no reason for me to see this story in a theater. It could be a program on PBS. I do think it's a book problem and it's a huge problem for the show.

It's probably my own fault for feeling so disappointed, as my expectations for this show were probably unreasonably high. But, I can still cherish the thrill of seeing so much talent on one stage and that's nothing to sneeze at.

[FlySkyHigh]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 4:25pm

Can anyone tell me if center orchestra, Row J are considered good seats? Is it too far to see the actors' facial expressions? I initially wanted to purchase seats closer to the stage but was afraid I would miss the footwork due to the high stage. I hope I didn't make a mistake.

Updated On: 4/21/16 at 04:25 PM

[Jish]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 4:28pm

FlySkyHigh said: "Can anyone tell me if center orchestra, Row J are considered good seats? It it too far to see the actors' facial expressions? I initially wanted to purchase seats closer to the stage but was afraid I would miss the footwork due to the high stage. I hope I didn't make a mistake.

 

"

Should be great. I could see facial expressions from rear mezz!

[Peter2]

Posted: 4/22/16 at 3:48pm

I've been recommending the show to everybody because the performers are just so great, and the musical numbers rewarding, especially in the first act. It's a highly enjoyable show all the way through, even the problematical second act. The audience has a wonderful time.

 

A couple of criticisms. What makes these characters we're watching interesting and important in the first act is that as a team they created, against all odds, an apparently joyous, pathbreaking, and much-loved show called Shuffle Along (wish we got to see more of it); and the brutal truth is the second act's story about their subsequent breakup and individual failure is trite. Porter and McDonald have great, emotional numbers in the second act, but they come out of nowhere. 

 

My other wish is that we got more songs presented uninterrupted in their entirety. 

 

But I'll go back happily!  And when the cast album comes out, it'll be playing a lot on my stereo system.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/22/16 at 4:00pm

I'm seeing it tomorrow. Is the show "frozen" yet?

[RogerMoore]

Posted: 4/24/16 at 8:55am

I saw Shuffle Along for the third time last night. Audra was out, but her understudy, Darlesia Cearcy, was incredible. She flubbed a few lines, but most probably didn't notice. I was blown away by how good she was, despite performing the show so few times.

Anyway, they REALLY did a number on Act 2 since the last time I saw it, April 1. 

I'll spoiler tag this, though it's nothing serious:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Act 1 remains basically the same, from what I remember. The first half of Act 2 is also the same, but the second half has been completely re-tooled (not in terms of the story, but in terms of how they tell it).

First, 'It's Getting Dark on Old Broadway' is completely gone, as are the dancers in the big headdresses with the names of old theaters on them. 

What once was the song where Brooks mocks Shuffle Along as the Original Broadway Color Show (with the ensemble seated in a line, dancing with their gloved hands) now takes place in front of a scrim, while the ensemble dances and sings behind the principals, echoing 'no one will remember you'. It looks great. They quickly make the point that Shuffle Along lead to Cabin in the Sky, Ain't Misbehavin, etc. I don't think George name-checked any of his own shows in that list. 

The goodbye to Florence Mills is significantly shorter, there are no reporters hounding her, she just comes out and they say how she died and she does a shorter version of her wordless song. 

The 'Buddy's Blues'-esque version of 'Shuffle Along' that Brian Stokes Mitchell sang in half blackface is totally gone. He still does paint a portion of his face black, but then simply narrates what happened with Aubrey. 

The final song 'Shuffle Off This Mortal Coil' is now 'Shuffle Off of Shuffle Along'. They added a minor tap number to explain what happens to the dancers and they all shout out what age they died, which I thought worked very well. 

Anyway, the girl I went with liked Act 1 a lot, but LOVED Act 2. I had yet to hear that reaction from anybody. Perhaps that bodes well. 

Half the cast was dancing and drinking the night away at Glass House, so they seem to be in good spirits. I left at 2 AM. 

[willrogers2008]

Posted: 4/24/16 at 12:10pm

The first video online with actual scenes of Shuffle Along with costumes and sets at the stage of The Music Box Theatre: CBS Sunday morning segment called "Broadway babies" join the cast of "Shuffle Along". Here is the link. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/8zX0lG0M7E8

[Kad]

Posted: 4/24/16 at 12:47pm

Wow, I'm surprised they made such large changes to the second act! I may need to revisit it. 

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 4/24/16 at 1:02pm

When I saw the show on Wednesday night, the second act seemed to be in pretty good shape, though I hadn't seen the show at an earlier performance. Given the amount of storytelling that has to happen, I don't think it will ever be a perfect book, but it's still very affecting and I always found myself engaging with the material. The one minor change I do hope they make is during F.E.'s last speech to the critic character- as he's saying it, Amber Iman is upstage doing a sort of gospel riff/wail. It's not a bad choice, but her singing (which is gorgeous) was overpowering the speech, and that seems like the more important thing in the moment. 

[RogerMoore]

Posted: 4/24/16 at 1:11pm

That Amber Iman gospel solo is new, it was not part of the show the first two times I saw it. 

Another change I remembered is the whole sequence where the ensemble are holding masks of the various celebrities who came to see Shuffle Along - that's gone. Look for those masks at the Flea Market, I guess. 

Also, the scene between Lottie and Eubie backstage before Lottie sings 'Memories of You' (I think Audra threw something or dropped something he gave her if I remember correctly) is gone. It's BSM explaining how distraught he was when Aubrey left and BANG 'Ladies and Gentlemen ... Lottie Gee'. It really works for me. 

The thing that struck me as more profound this viewing was Lottie's heartbreak over the career that Florence Mills had - which she felt she could have had. Again, as they trim away, things get clearer and the weight shifts (for me, anyway). 


In my opinion, it's really tightening up. 

Updated On: 4/24/16 at 01:11 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/24/16 at 2:07pm

My mom and I saw the matinee yesterday.  Although we were disappointed that Audra was out, Darlesia Cearcy did a wonderful job as Lottie Gee.  Apparently the last 10 minutes or so of the show were new and added to the show Friday night. I was also informed, that the show is not frozen.  I went in expecting not to like Act 2 at all, and I thought it was quite compelling.  I would have loved of full out rendition of the song, Shuffle Along.  To counter that, I would have ended the show with a wistful version of the same song.  I liked the show and would definitely like to see it again.  The tapping ensemble - absolutely wonderful!  In my book, there could never be enough tap.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 4/25/16 at 9:11am

Those act 2 changes sound very good. That's promising.

[TBone]

Posted: 4/25/16 at 9:17am

Have tickets for tonight. I'm hoping Audra is back.

[BellaB2]

Posted: 4/25/16 at 3:32pm

I hope Audra is back too, I'm rushing it tomorrow

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/25/16 at 3:56pm

RogerMoore--thank you for that report of the changes to Act Two.

Sounds like George and his colleagues have been doing everything right.

I look forward to seeing it again.

[TBone]

Posted: 4/26/16 at 12:34am

BellaB2 said: "I hope Audra is back too, I'm rushing it tomorrow"

Audra was in tonight and she was great. I can't get over that ensemble...incredible stuff!!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/26/16 at 9:55am

shows rarely change material/scenes after opening, but might SHUFFLE ALONG be an exception?