Posted: 8/6/19 at 11:41am
I haven't noticed actors phoning it in when I've seen matinees (admittedly, I think the last one I saw was Dear Evan Hansen about a year ago), but I do notice the audience can be a mixed bag. You get an awful lot of groups- students, etc. who don't know how to behave in the theater. But that's really all I got in terms of matinees and what I've noticed about them.
Posted: 8/6/19 at 12:01pm
Posted: 8/6/19 at 2:18pm
Why do performers not give the same level of dedication to the afternoon shows that they do for evening ones? How many times have you gone to a show only to discover the featured star was not going on?
What? Professional actors on Broadway perform 8 times a week. They have always given the exact amount of enthusiasm for both matinee and evening shows in my experience. I have never had an alternate with any matinee show I have ever attended. Evening shows are a different story.
Updated On: 8/6/19 at 02:18 PM
Posted: 8/6/19 at 2:24pm
They aren't less respected. You (OP) just happen to respect them less. There is a very big difference.
Posted: 8/6/19 at 2:27pm
Armie3 said: "Why do performers not give the same level of dedication to the afternoon shows that they do for evening ones? How many times have you gone to a show only to discover the featured star was not going on?
People have paid for the tickets, at high prices, but yet it is far more likely that performers will be out "sick" for afternoon shows? I get that eight shows a week is demanding and an extremely rigorous schedule, but why is the matinee the one that bears the brunt?"
Specifically I dislike Wednesday Matinee audiences. Probably for the same reasons I dislike New Jersey.
Posted: 8/6/19 at 2:43pm
One of the most thrilling theater experiences I ever had was a matinee of FOLLIES in 1971. Yes, the matinee ladies were shuffling their shopping bags, but more importantly, they were talking about having seen Ethel Shutta in THE ZIEGFELD FOLLIES of 1919!
Each principal got at least two entrance applauses--when she entered and when she paraded with her sash during "Beautiful Girls".
I saw the show again the following year with a more mixed evening audience. The show itself was just as good, but the audience didn't compare to that first adventure into the future/past with the matinee ladies of 1971.
All of which is to say, "It depends." If you are seeing something difficult and less immediately accessible--I'm thinking THE BAND'S VISIT might be such a case--then you should expect to contend with a matinee audience of people exhausted from shopping and lunch. But if you attend something that touches an older audience, a matinee might be ideal.
Posted: 8/6/19 at 2:53pm
"I saw the show again the following year with a more mixed evening audience. The show itself was just as good, but the audience didn't compare to that first adventure into the future/past with the matinee ladies of 1971."
Might have also been because it was a little later in the run. Just like now; the audience vibe tends to change once the hardcore theatergoers are gone and the businessmen and tourists take over. But then again.. Follies didn't really bring in the tourists.. did it.
Posted: 8/6/19 at 3:18pm
Some of you have amazing memories of past performances. I can't remember yesterday !
Wednesday matinees are always considered a 'blue rinse' show which tends to lower the audience responses. Have heard performer reactions vary from 'we have to work harder to win them over', 'they were a tough lot today' to 'that was a waste of energy hope tonight is better'.
The performers react to your reaction.
I only attend matinees but I am influenced by the reactions of those around me--if they aren't giving out what I would like show I usually hold back as I don't want to 'stand out'.
If I am disappointed by a show it is usually because I didn't like it and I can't remember ever having seen an understudy.
In Australia we have so few REAL stars that the next level down, even though brilliant, they are so inter-changable that you really wouldn't know the difference--that's a big generalisation though.
Posted: 8/6/19 at 3:35pm
SweetLips22 said: "that's a big generalisation though."
Should fit perfectly in here, then... 
Posted: 8/6/19 at 4:30pm
YWick3 said: "I recall for OBC of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't perform on Sunday matinees (his alternate Javier Munoz did.)
For School of Rock, Alex Brightman performed every performance for several months but later in his run, I recall his alternate Will Blum would perform at one of the matinees.
For Dear Evan Hansen, a few monthsafter the Tony Awards they made it official thatBen Platt won't perform at Wed/Sat matinees (his alternate Michael Lee Brown would perform.)
For Miss Saigon, there was an alternate schedule as well but I can't remember which performancesEva Noblezada performed in."
Thank you for these examples and yes, include Eva Noblezada. I remember and she too did not perform the double day matinees. Her alternate/understudy performed on Wed and Saturday matinees in Miss Saigon.
Posted: 8/6/19 at 4:44pm
Didn't Laura Benanti not do any matinees during She Loves Me, too?
Posted: 8/6/19 at 4:46pm
barcelona20 said: "Examples?"
Patti LuPone, who refused to do matinees at all during the run of Evita.
Posted: 8/6/19 at 4:50pm
Mediamaven2 said: "Thank you for these examples and yes, include Eva Noblezada. I remember and she too did not perform the double day matinees. Her alternate/understudy performed on Wed and Saturday matinees in Miss Saigon."
Isn't this the opposite issue, though? The thread is about a lack of respect for matinee audiences, whereas ensuring singers in taxing roles can sing their best, on published schedules, seems to be respecting them by making sure someone can perform the role well... and skipping the matinees seems obvious as it would give people the longest recovery time since they had to sing the previous night?
Posted: 8/6/19 at 6:29pm
As an actor, I have always done the same performance in a matinee as I do in the evening. As a theater patron I have always seen performers do their best in a matinee. Are there actors today who want to negotiate to get someone else do the matinee? Sure. But that is not a trend or the rule. That is the exception. You should expect no less than a full out performance no matter what time of day you see the show.
Posted: 8/6/19 at 11:29pm
TheSassySam said: "Didn't Laura Benanti not do any matinees during She Loves Me, too?"
I went to a Saturday matinee and she was in. Turns out she was even pregnant at the time!
Posted: 8/7/19 at 6:13am
joevitus said: "barcelona20 said: "Examples?"
Patti LuPone, who refused to do matinees at all during the run of Evita."
That was decided for her by the producers, following the precedent started with Elaine Paige in London.
Posted: 8/7/19 at 9:41am
"How does one know when an actor isn’t “giving it their all” or is “phoning it in”? Maybe they were like that on opening night too, lol."
When one has seen a performer work wonders in other performances, and then seen that same performer delivering the laziest hackwork imaginable (I was sitting close enough to be able to see Nathan Lane actually scoping out the more than half-empty house at that appalling performance of THE FROGS), yeah, one can tell that an actor isn't exactly engaged.
Posted: 8/7/19 at 9:46am
Wick3 said: "I recall for OBC of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't perform on Sunday matinees (his alternate Javier Munoz did.)
For School of Rock, Alex Brightman performed every performance for several months but later in his run, I recall his alternate Will Blum would perform at one of the matinees.
For Dear Evan Hansen, a few monthsafter the Tony Awards they made it official thatBen Platt won't perform at Wed/Sat matinees (his alternate Michael Lee Brown would perform.)
For Miss Saigon, there was an alternate schedule as well but I can't remember which performancesEva Noblezada performed in."
I have probably seen 150 - 200 matinee performances. When I was young, my parents only let me go to matinees. (By the time the original production of Dolly closed, I had seen it 6 times, 5 matinees. I saw Name 5 times originally, all in matinees; Follies, 5 times, 4 at matinees, and etc). When I got older, matinee performances cost about 60 - 70% of what evening performances cost. If I really wanted to see something from decent to very good seats, I went to a matinee.
My biggest issue with matinees, at least long ago, is that the blue-haired ladies all talked through the overtures and sat on their hands throughout the show. My issue was never with what was happening on-stage. In the past 30 years, I attended matinees 25 - 35% of the time. I really don't think I ever noticed a difference, and I have seen many shows at matinee and evening performances.
Re the subject of people not performing matinees, I assume the main reason is the challenges of the roles (duh!), and I don't have an issue with that, as long as ticket-buyers are informed in advance. Re calling out, IMO that is much more common these days.., e.g., I saw Frozen with both leading ladies out 3 months after it opened, and they are not challenging roles. It didn't matter, but the afternoon I saw The Play That Went Wrong, in a May performance, two people were out (not one replacing the other...2 were out). I just don't think that some performers have the professionalism that existed in the past.
But, summing, the audiences at matinees are more of an issue than the performers.
Posted: 8/7/19 at 9:59am
Last spring, I saw "Everybody's Talking About Jamie," a show that a lot of people like and even love. My husband and I hated it so much that we fled the theatre at intermission. The actors seemed totally unengaged, full of trite and stale acting choices, running through dialog at neck-break speed, with song lyrics completely unintelligible ( I realize that's partly the regional accents they were affecting). I blamed it on the replacement company not being worthy of the reviews and buzz generated by the original cast, but this thread makes me wonder if we were simply victims of "Wednesday Matinee Syndrome."
Posted: 8/7/19 at 1:31pm
haterobics said: "Mediamaven2 said: "Thank you for these examples and yes, include Eva Noblezada. I remember and she too did not perform the double day matinees. Her alternate/understudy performed on Wed and Saturday matinees in Miss Saigon."
Isn't this the opposite issue, though? The thread is about a lack of respect for matinee audiences, whereas ensuring singers in taxing roles can sing their best, on published schedules, seems to be respecting them by making sure someone can perform the role
well... and skipping the matinees seems obvious as it would give people the longest recovery time since they had to sing the previous night?"
Fair enough. So not at all any purposeful dis by performers but rather it is as you say. Only it works out to disadvantage the matinee ticket buyer in general if what you want to see is the “original” cast/specific “starring” performer. Just a general observation that yes, odds better however slight to get obc in pm performance. I’ve been to lots of matinees where obc all have shown up and are great. I personally have never felt jipped [sp?]
Posted: 8/7/19 at 2:17pm
Mediamaven2 said: "Only it works out to disadvantage the matinee ticket buyer in general if what you want to see is the “original” cast/specific “starring” performer.Just a general observation that yes, odds better however slight to get obc in pm performance."
True, but you're blending performance schedules and call-outs into one thing. Most shows where the performer doesn't do matinees specifically mention it when ticketing (or you can find out here, as well). If someone who doesn't do matinees gets sick, there is just as much chance of them calling out at night.
Posted: 8/7/19 at 3:12pm
FWIW I saw Nathan Lane in a double header of Angels in America and I noticed no difference in energy levels. In fact he seemed to tire at the end of Perestroika and went up on a line or two.
Posted: 8/7/19 at 3:46pm
bwaylistener said: "TheSassySam said: "Didn't Laura Benanti not do any matinees during She Loves Me, too?"
I went toa Saturday matinee and shewas in. Turns out she was even pregnant at the time!"
I saw She Loves Me at a Wednesday matinee pretty late in its run after I lost the Hamilton lottery, and she was in then too. All the principals were. Sparse audience but fantastic performance!
Posted: 8/7/19 at 5:01pm
Posted: 8/7/19 at 5:47pm
