Posted: 5/17/16 at 12:50pm
I've seen the show twice already and agree that Jessie shines brightly. I'm baffled at her not being above title in this. A few years back, she replaced Kelli OHara for 3 months and her name was above title then in her first starring role. I find this very odd.
Posted: 5/17/16 at 2:18pm
I saw the show on Saturday night, and I agree with those who thought that Stephanie Torns did a great job. In the end, the audience didn't seem disappointed at all, me included.
That being said, I didn't like the show one little bit. Almost every character except for Jenna was amazingly annoying. I'm still shaking my head in disbelief that the terrifying stalker is portrayed in such a positive light. (I'm also perplexed that that awful acting earned someone a Tony nomination.) I think the show needed more heft and less sitcom idiocy, to allow us to really connect with the story.
Earlier comments indicated that Mueller lifts the show to a different level. I somehow doubt that the show's major problems would have been less noticeable if she had been playing Jenna, but I'll never know for sure!
Posted: 5/17/16 at 2:20pm
Islander_fan said:"Once again, I said, and others agreed that it was smart to not have the name of the character on the insert. They knew that equity says that you have to alert the audience when someone's out. They did do that. But, worded it in such as way sine they knew many people wouldn't be able to name the character Jessie is playing.
Once again, you're an ass. if you want to go tell me how to do my job and know what comes with doing it or not. Specially when you're scrambling what I wrote and getting it wrong, how about I come over to where you work, tell you what you know about your job is wrong. And, correct you despite having any basis of knowledge to turn to."
I'm not telling you how to do your job.
And yes kind sir or ma'am(by the way I'm female so don't call me a sir) I do have plenty of knowledge at how understudy slips work as I've been to over 500+ shows the past 22yrs. Thank you kindly for calling me an ass not once but twice(that got you reported).
Updated On: 5/17/16 at 02:20 PM
Posted: 5/17/16 at 2:33pm
ArtMan said: " Islander_fan, First, Val the mailhandler thought she was an expert on everything Wicked. Now I guess she thinks she's an expert on everything Waitress. If she could tell me why my magazines always come bent in the mail or why my mail is always late, maybe I'd pay attention to what she had to say."
Never claimed to be an expert on any show. Just trying to tell this person that understudy slips work the same way in most theatres when he/she thinks they were special in the way they did theirs.
Yes I could tell you why. The mail gets handled by heavy machines that sort over hundreds of thousands of pieces of mail a day and sometimes things get bent in them. Also the mail might be late do to the machines not reading the zip code correct and sending it to a different city/state first or by clerks that put them in the wrong slot or by carriers that misread the address and put them in the wrong mailbox. Hope that answers your questions about your mail.
Updated On: 5/17/16 at 02:33 PM
Posted: 5/17/16 at 2:44pm
Yes understudy slips to my knowledge never mention the actor that is out, just the character that will be portrayed by the person listed. Also On Your Feet does a full cast list daily as well. Those full lists make it harder to see cast changes as you really have to look for them.
i am guessing that Jessie's name is not above the title specifically so they would not have to refund tickets when she is out. She probably should be but there ya go. There are probably many names that should be above the title but aren't.
Posted: 5/17/16 at 3:04pm
mc1227 said: "I've seen the show twice already and agree that Jessie shines brightly. I'm baffled at her not being above title in this. A few years back, she replaced Kelli OHara for 3 months and her name was above title then in her first starring role. I find this very odd."
Perhaps someone can shed more light on the above the title treatment for me. As several of us have mentioned, including myself, Jessie is quite literally the face of Waitress and is essentially above the title without her name officially being there.
Other than the prestige of it and shows giving refunds when that person is out of the show, is there any real magic to being above the title?
Posted: 5/17/16 at 3:04pm
"Yes understudy slips to my knowledge never mention the actor that is out, just the character that will be portrayed by the person listed. Also On Your Feet does a full cast list daily as well. Those full lists make it harder to see cast changes as you really have to look for them."
http://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_o47k3gqUBC1spoykao1_1458259325_cover.jpg
Updated On: 5/17/16 at 03:04 PM
Posted: 5/17/16 at 3:27pm
No matter how the production notes people being out - they have to do it. Whether it's a la Les Mis/Mormon/Hamilton with a full cast slip, single At this performance Character A will be played by Actor/Actress B or a specific slip saying the role of Character A played usually by Actor A will be played by Actor B, as long as the producers are making it aware to their audience in that form, that's all they need to do. They need (as everyone has mentioned) to put it on the understudy board, make an announcement, or note it via a slip. Some are more specific than others, some are more vague. Waitress does it like option B and She Loves Me does it like option C. Both are correct, just different.
The end.
Posted: 5/17/16 at 3:29pm
Also some theatres tell you at the Box Office if so and so isn't in. They did when Ricky Martin was out of Evita.
Updated On: 5/17/16 at 03:29 PM
Posted: 5/17/16 at 4:05pm
Telling people at the box office is not a requirement, though. And as you can see from the example linked above, not ALL theatres have identical understudy slips even when putting full cast inserts aside.
Updated On: 5/17/16 at 04:05 PM
Posted: 5/17/16 at 4:12pm
Cupid Boy2 said: "No one was disputing the bulk of what you posted, Clumsydude. That example was posted to show mailhandler that not ALL theatres use identical slips like she had so vehemently argued earlier on this page."
I changed it to most because that other person insisted that that theatre was special in the way they did their slips when they didn't do anything special or out of the ordinary. They did a normal slip(that most theatres use) and posted it on the board which is what they are required to do.
Posted: 5/17/16 at 4:18pm
Warning --Waitress Bashing below. Do not read if you are sensitive to bashing.
I saw Waitress with Jessie Mueller. I thought it was a dull musical with music that all sounded alike. Jessie was fine but did not rescue the material. I particularly disliked the three shreaky ballads at the end of the musical that Mueller got to sing. (insert eyeroll here) I couldn't wait til those songs and this musical ended.
I'm sure if you saw a competent understudy as I am reasonably sure you did, the musical would have been the same dull musical. I cannot be saved by anyone. My opinion only. I thought the show livened up a bit with Christopher Fitzgerald and glad he was nominated.
I did like the smell of pie in the theatre. But I also smelled turkey
Can't understand why this musical is selling so well.
Posted: 5/17/16 at 4:23pm
While it is true that the slip they're using is very common, mailhandler, the point being made about attempting to prevent the audience from realizing she's out is definitely a possibility. Some very unique decisions were made by the producing team in their handling of the marketing of this show. Mueller is the face of Waitress on the majority of their materials, but for whatever reason, she did not receive the above the title treatment. In the world of commercial theatre, that reason often is money. Point is, with that in mind, it's fair to speculate that they intentionally didn't want to draw extra attention to her absences when they aren't going to be offering refunds.
Updated On: 5/17/16 at 04:23 PM
Posted: 5/17/16 at 4:30pm
Updated On: 5/17/16 at 04:30 PM
Posted: 5/17/16 at 4:46pm
mailhandler777 said: "It's not like Jessie is some huge star(I'm not bashing her in any way since I adore her and think she is amazing and well deserving of her Tony nomination) and people are going to flock to get a refund. Sure her name is a draw to theatre lovers but people outside have no clue who she is. Most of the people I was sitting around had no clue who she was. There were there because it was Sara Bareilles's musical."
I'm not going to argue that Mueller is a bigger name than Barielles, but there is no denying that Mueller's face is being used to sell the show. Heck, they took out a full-page ad in the Times with her on it; I'll post the link below. Even if they don't know who she is, some people are going to be disappointed to miss the actress whose face is plastered over almost everything Waitress. If they had the option, I'm sure some of the people in that camp would opt to come back to see the woman being marketed as the star.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BE3r-E7IbEG/?taken-by=waitressmusical
Posted: 5/17/16 at 11:09pm
mailhandler777
I never once said that anything that my theatre did in terms of inserts was anything special or anything that hadn't been done before. What was being said was that it was smart on the part of the production to word the inserts the way they did.
And, in case anyone was wondering, though her name isn't physically above the title, Jessie Muller is being treated as such. As I stated in my initial post we were informed by the house manager that if anyone saw the inserts, and chose to get a refund or exhang, we were instructed to direct them to the box office where they would be able to do so. And, as far as knowing what an usher does or doesn't do or what the can and can't do or should do etc, all I can say is this. Prior to working on Broadway I've been going to the theatre for twenty years. It's easy to criticize what the usher are doing or how they should go about doing things. But, from personal experience, a line from Company comes to mind. It's a lot different living it than looking at it.
Cupid Boy,
Believe it or not, the comment about Muller's face quite literally being the face of Waitress is exactly why that, although her name isn't literally above the title, she is still getting above the title treatmen. That's not uncommon and this wouldn't be the first time this has happene nor would it be the last. That's why the inserts were intentionally worded the way that they were. Of course none of the ushers said that Muller was out. We were only allowed to talk about it should an audience member approached us about it.
Posted: 5/17/16 at 11:48pm
goldenboy said: "Warning --Waitress Bashing below. Do not read if you are sensitive to bashing.
I saw Waitress with Jessie Mueller. I thought it was a dull musical with music that all sounded alike. Jessie was fine but did not rescue the material. I particularly disliked the three shreaky ballads at the end of the musical that Mueller got to sing. (insert eyeroll here) I couldn't wait til those songs and this musical ended.
I'm sure if you saw a competent understudy as I am reasonably sure you did, the musical would have been the same dull musical. I cannot be saved by anyone. My opinion only. I thought the show livened up a bit with Christopher Fitzgerald and glad he was nominated.
I did like the smell of pie in the theatre. But I also smelled turkey
Can't understand why this musical is selling so well.
Joining in in this view. Saw the show tonight and thought it was mediocre at best. A couple of well-written songs, but no narrative drive and the whole thing was pretty lowbrow. I was bored. Jessie was fine but didn't blow me away. I was disappointed as I had expected to like the show. Also, the security guys, the ticket takers and the ushers handled the crowd very rudely IMO. Lots of yelling at patrons to open their bags, present tickets together, get out of the aisle, etc. Unusual, in my experience, and "at these prices".
Posted: 5/18/16 at 12:14am
Islander_fan said: "Cupid Boy,
Believe it or not, the comment about Muller's face quite literally being the face of Waitress is exactly why that, although her name isn't literally above the title, she is still getting above the title treatmen. That's not uncommon and this wouldn't be the first time this has happene nor would it be the last. That's why the inserts were intentionally worded the way that they were. Of course none of the ushers said that Muller was out. We were only allowed to talk about it should an audience member approached us about it."
Very interesting! Thanks for shedding some light on the situation. I'm glad to hear refunds or exchanges are an option for those especially wanting to see Mueller.
