what is the difference between a preview and a regular performance

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:19pm

I am thinking about seeing Les Miserables before it opens November 9. What is the difference between seeing a preview and a regular official performance.

Will I have a lot of understudies in a preview? Do the actors use a preview as a rehearsal? Will I get the same quality with a preview?

[ashbash1990]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:39pm

previews are a way for the creative team to see how a broadway audience reacts to a show before its comercial run... Its pretty much the same as a regular preformace otherwise... With something classic like Les Miz, it won't really make a difference because no real changes except blocking are really gonna happen, and tickets may be easier to find...

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:43pm

I am sure others will go into more detail for you, but previews are a time when a show can do its tweaking to bring it to a point that it is "frozen" (Meaning where they want it to be for opening night or for the critics). I have attended many shows during previews. I can only remember having an understudy at a preview once (The Color Purple last November). I have never had a problem with quality. When I go to shows that are in the preview period, I usually go about a week before they open. I figure the show is pretty much where it is going to be on opening night. (That's just my thinking!) Just my thoughts.

Updated On: 10/21/06 at 02:43 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:47pm

Basically, the 'previews' stage for a play is for the creative team to 'test' the show -- it's a regular performance but it's being monitored by the creative team to see where the slow spots are, is a particular song working, etc. Things can be cut during this period. Several weeks later when the show officially 'opens' (Opening Night performance), the show can no longer be 'fixed'/'changed'. The show is 'frozen' on Opening Night, which means that performance is the FINAL version and no more changes can be made to the show. This explains why reviews come out AFTER Opening Night and not during previews. They have to review the 'final' version of the play, which is what is performed on Opening Night.

As for "Les Miserables". Just like the post above, nothing is being changed, just blocking or not even that.

Hope this helped to answer your inquiry.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 3:05pm

I know people keep saying shows are 'frozen', but for example, there were many changes made after John Lithgow left Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Then some were changed back (like the cut dialogue during "What Was A Woman To Do", it was put back in when Rachel York came)

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 3:14pm

When I mentioned frozen, I meant for the critics and opening night.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 3:19pm

Actually show are frozen at least a week prior to opening night, which is when the critics' previews begin. Since the creative team usually wants to give the actors a few chances to perform the "final" version of the show before the critics get there, there typically are no (or only extremely minor) changes in the show from about 10 days before the opening onward.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 3:35pm

Margo...I seem to remember reading your post on that in another thread and was going to mention that. But I was hoping you would post here as I didn't want to get it wrong!