Stars who have regular days off
Stars who have regular days off
#1Stars who have regular days off
Posted: 7/6/18 at 8:17pm
With the news about Diana Rigg’s comments about Lauren Ambrose’s taking Sunday matinees off, I had a few questions:
1) When a star of a show has a schedule where they work fewer than 8 shows a week, is that Information put on the play’s website? And/or the appropriate Ticketmaster/Telecharge site? If not, should it be? (Shouldn’t the buyer be made aware?)
2) I know no one is ever guaranteed to see a star, but it seems that when a star has a predictable day off, there’s close to 0% chance the buyer will see that star. That’s different from an expected star who calls out sick on occasion. Shouldn’t the buyer be made aware of known details of a star’s schedule, including reduced schedules? Is this routinely done with shows?
3) The over-the-title vs under-the-title rule.(Refunds/ticket exchanges for absence of over-the-title actors, but not the others). Is that true? Is this just for Broadway? And what title are we talking about —not the marquee, right? The title page of the playbill?
Anyway, thanks for indulging my curiosity!
#2Stars who have regular days off
Posted: 7/7/18 at 2:53am
The only instance of this that I know of (and I am sure there are others, I'm just not aware of them) is the way Bette Midler has done her stints in Hello, Dolly! In that case, there were always large signs outside the Shubert that made clear that Donna Murphy was going on that evening (Tuesdays), as well as during Bette's scheduled vacation period last year. When you went to order on the Telecharge website, there was also a red disclaimer at the top of where you picked your ticket that said Donna Murphy would be playing Dolly on any Tuesday evening show (except, naturally, the added Tuesday evening show on 12/26/17).
The same is true for the upcoming run: Telecharge has a red disclaimer on the seat selection page notifying potential buyers that Donna Murphy is going on as Dolly during Sunday matinees. The official show website also noted dates Donna would be on instead of Bette with an asterisk and, if memory serves, they were in a different color during the 2017 run.
To me, that seems like the right way to handle it, and for as much grief as Rudin has gotten over the years, I think it's a marvelous way to ensure people have the information they need. Some people will still miss the disclaimer and might end up disappointed, but in my opinion, you should read the site carefully when ordering tickets as pricey as these (though the disclaimer could stand to, at least, be bolded)!
As to your second question, I think that as long as the information is disclosed in some form, that's enough. While the theatre/ticketing website/production team should make every effort to get information about a star's schedule out there, buyers have at least some obligation to double-check before completing their purchase, especially in today's age where info is basically a social media post away, if not a quick Google search.
Not sure on your third question, but I always assumed it was above-the-title on the Playbill (which usually is the same as the marquee, unless there are more than a couple major stars involved).
taylortrensch
Leading Actor Joined: 1/20/18
#3Stars who have regular days off
Posted: 7/7/18 at 3:03am
Taylor Trensch of Dear Evan Hansen has set performances off. Taylor does not perform at Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Michael Lee Brown plays Evan at those performances.
1) This information is on Dear Evan Hansen's Telecharge page and is either not on the show's website or very difficult to find.
2) I agree with msmp's answer and I'd also like to add that I went into Dear Evan Hansen's July 4th Wednesday matinee to see Michael Lee Brown but a Taylor slip was in the Playbill. A pleasant surprise.
don't message me thinking im taylor trensch?? what would he be doing on bww?? you can't possibly be that dumb bye
#4Stars who have regular days off
Posted: 7/7/18 at 3:13am
taylortrensch said: "Taylor Trensch of Dear Evan Hansen has set performances off. Taylor does not perform at Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Michael Lee Brown plays Evan at those performances.
1) This information is on Dear Evan Hansen's Telecharge page and is either not on the show's website or very difficult to find.
2) I agree with msmp's answer and I'd also like to add that I went into Dear Evan Hansen's July 4th Wednesday matinee to see Michael Lee Brown but a Taylor slip was in the Playbill. A pleasant surprise."
That's cool! I'd never heard of a principal being on a slip in the Playbill. I'm assuming DEH has two versions of their Playbill, then, one with Taylor and one with Michael Lee Brown for the matinees?
taylortrensch
Leading Actor Joined: 1/20/18
#5Stars who have regular days off
Posted: 7/7/18 at 3:18am
msmp said: "That's cool! I'd never heard of a principal being on a slip in the Playbill. I'm assuming DEH has two versions of their Playbill, then, one with Taylor and one with Michael Lee Brown for the matinees?"
Me too! I think they put him on the slip since people were expecting to see Michael Lee Brown, myself included. Dear Evan Hansen only has 1 Playbill and they're actually still using the current Gaybills from last month - which was also a great surprise too! Their complete cast is listed on one page (principals & understudies/alternates) with Taylor being the first photo listed in his own row. Did Donna have her own Playbills?
don't message me thinking im taylor trensch?? what would he be doing on bww?? you can't possibly be that dumb bye
#6Stars who have regular days off
Posted: 7/7/18 at 3:32am
taylortrensch said: "msmp said: "That's cool! I'd never heard of a principal being on a slip in the Playbill. I'm assuming DEH has two versions of their Playbill, then, one with Taylor and one with Michael Lee Brown for the matinees?"
Me too! I think they put him on the slip since people were expecting to see Michael Lee Brown, myself included. Dear Evan Hansen only has 1 Playbill and they're actually still using the current Gaybills from last month - which was also a great surprise too! Their complete cast is listed on one page (principals & understudies/alternates) with Taylor being the first photo listed in his own row.Did Donna have her own Playbills?"
Yes, she did! It was a really nice touch, I thought. They also reprinted the Playbill for the few weeks Santino Fontana was in for Gavin Creel, so there are two Bernadette Peters-led versions now too.
#7Stars who have regular days off
Posted: 7/7/18 at 10:06amIs the Phantom in POTO still on a seven performance contract with the floating show off? From my understanding they could choose one performance a week to take off, and an understudy could expect to go on regularly. I believe it was the same with Jean Valjean in the original Les Miz.
#8Stars who have regular days off
Posted: 7/7/18 at 11:13am
For the US national tour of The Bodyguard, Deborah Cox was not scheduled to perform in Saturday matinees and Sunday evenings.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
#9Stars who have regular days off
Posted: 7/9/18 at 10:17am
The Distinctive Baritone said: "Is the Phantom in POTO still on a seven performance contract with the floating show off? From my understanding they could choose one performance a week to take off, and an understudy could expect to go on regularly. I believe it was the same with Jean Valjean in the original Les Miz."
To the best of my knowledge, the Phantom is currently scheduled for eight shows per week. I'm acquainted with all of the covers and swings for the role, and they usually post to social media when they're on, and that doesn't happen with any predictable (i.e., weekly) regularity.
I believe only Christine is routinely scheduled to have shows off every week (Wednesday evening and Saturday matinee).
"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene"
- Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
Videos