Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
BigDisneyFan
Swing Joined: 10/5/15
#1Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/5/15 at 10:07pm
Long time lurker, first time poster.
I know this complaint won't be met favorably by a lot of people on here, but I have to say this somewhere. I have complete respect for theatre and everyone that works to make a show come together.
Last night I was able to take my entire family to see Aladdin. There were five of us and I believe our tickets were around $150 and they were in the orchestra. I'm pretty familiar with the film and things like the Tony performance.
When the show began I noticed that when the characters were delivering lines, it was at a hastened pace. One actor would deliver a line and the next line came right out of the next actors mouth. I know some parts are meant to be fast-talking, but there were stretches of conversations where it was just line delivery. No sense of real communication by the speaker or the spoken too. There was also a general lack of emotion. I didn't feel a connection between any of the characters. There was very little energy or a sense of enthusiasm throughout. Special effects would happen but just fall flat because the actors were seemingly racing through the show. The genie's big number didn't really get much of a sustained applause.
I know I'm going to get grief about this complaint on here. I'm just really disappointed in what I saw take place. I know the cast had an earlier performance, is this common when there is a matinée? We walked away talking about the beautiful sets but disappointed overall.
*edit for date, I had 10/5
Updated On: 10/5/15 at 10:07 PM
#2Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/5/15 at 10:14pm
Could've just been an off performance, but I'm sorry you had to pay for that type of performance. especially 150 dollars.
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FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#3Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/5/15 at 10:16pm
I know I'm going to get grief about this complaint on here.
Actually, what you wrote sounds pretty awful. Like something a Rosie O'Donnell would do because she was pissed off at the producers.
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Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#4Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/5/15 at 10:53pm
Hey, sometimes it just happens. Actors are people too. Why I remember all the complaints about Idina and Kristin during Wicked. Some nights they wouldn't even look at each other and you could just tell there was backstage drama. Kristin was going around wearing a diamond studded neck brace and Idina was having none of it.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#5Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/5/15 at 11:10pm
Well, it SHOULDNT be the norm just because they had two shows. Sounds awful.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#6Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/5/15 at 11:18pm
The length of performances are very closely monitored by stage management (the start and end times are usually recorded) and any deviation from the set running time by more than a minute or two would surely be noticed. I wasn't at the performance in question, so I can't speak to what happened that particular evening, but it sounds like you got an off performance.
I'm most surprised to hear Iglehart was seemingly off, as I've yet to hear one negative comment about his performance, even from those who disliked the show. Wasn't Friend Like Me getting standing ovations at one point?
#7Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/5/15 at 11:19pm
Everyone has an off day. Very sorry you had that. I'm sure it wasn't intentional.
asmith0307
Broadway Star Joined: 8/5/14
#8Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/5/15 at 11:24pm
adamgreer said: "I'm most surprised to hear Iglehart was seemingly off, as I've yet to hear one negative comment about his performance, even from those who disliked the show. Wasn't Friend Like Me getting standing ovations at one point? "
Iglehart was out both shows yesterday. His standby was on.
#9Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/5/15 at 11:45pm
Iglehart was out both shows yesterday. His standby was on.
That could explain the lack of energy for the Genie. Nerves.
#10Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/5/15 at 11:46pm
Has he gone on much before? He's not entirely new to the show.
http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/126007/Trevor-Dion-Nicholas
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#11Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/6/15 at 12:18am
Iglehart was just on vacation for a bit, so his understudy has gone on before.
#12Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/6/15 at 4:47pm
I would contact Disney Theatrics, chances are you are not the only person who was disappointed by the performance. They are on 42d stret and have a contact information through google and their website. Also contact the box and office and ask to speak to the manager.
BroadwayBen
Broadway Star Joined: 6/5/03
#13Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/6/15 at 4:49pm
When I saw Alladin. They did the same thing. I think that's the style of the show. It's not really about the book.
#14Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/6/15 at 5:48pm
^Especially the Genie. That is the style of his role
A1st
Featured Actor Joined: 5/5/14
#15Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/6/15 at 6:07pm
Iglehart is actually out a decent amount- his standby posts every time he goes on, and it seems like Trevor goes on maybe once or twice a week...
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#16Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/6/15 at 6:28pm
The box office has nothing to do with the production, makes no sense to tell them.
I didn't know about the logging of time, AdamGreer, so thanks for that info.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#17Aladdin cast rushing through 10/4 evening performance
Posted: 10/6/15 at 9:08pm
The stage managers take notes during every performance as a part of the 'performance report' that must be submitted every night so there is a record of every show. The stage manager who calls the show records the start time, the break time for intermission, the start of Act II, and the end time. When I job shadowed the stage manager of The Lion King, she noticed that one of the bird puppets was upside down when it was being waved and recorded it in the report. Absolutely everything that happens during a performance is logged so if a problem is reported it can be corrected before the next performance. Some performances are just better than others. When you pay for a ticket to a live performance you are not paying for the guarantee that that performance will be like the last. It's called theater. Seeing the evening show on a two show day (in my experience) is always the worst because everyone is exhausted from the matinee. Saturday nights aren't that bad because audiences tend to be more enthusiastic and the company feeds off that energy.
Maybe the company had a less than satisfactory rehearsal earlier that day? Long running shows like Aladdin are constantly in rehearsal. Typically, when they are not performing for a paid audience, they're in rehearsal. I took a friend to see an evening show of Aladdin back in February and the show was running 15 minutes behind schedule because rehearsal in the theater was running later than originally intended.
"Mostly, I loved the size of these people's emotions. Nobody has emotions this size anymore. Outsized emotions. Operatic emotions. Kushemski and Vanda are like Tristan and Isolde, they're Paolo and Francesca. Nobody's in total thrall like this anymore. Nobody's overcome by passion like this, or goes through this kind of rage." Thomas, Venus in Fur
