Donald V. Calamia (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} critic_don) wrote,@ 2009-11-04 10:06:00 |
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TO PREVIEW OR NOT TO PREVIEW, THAT IS THE QUESTION
I've had probably a half-dozen or more conversations this past week and a half (or so) with area theater executives and theatergoers regarding whether or not theaters should schedule one or more previews of their shows before they officially open and invite the critics in to review their work.
On top of that, I also responded to a couple of e-mails I received this week from Encore Michigan readers who were commenting on reviews that are currently on the site, and in particular, why the performances they saw didn't match the reviews.
In case you haven't guessed, the two go hand in hand with each other.
Most of the state's larger producing theaters schedule at least one preview performance (and generally more) of their shows during which audiences are invited to attend the show (usually at a discounted ticket price, and often with extra goodies such as talk backs) to see what's basically a dress rehearsal in front of paying guests. This allows the theater to work out the technical bugs before opening night, and it also gives the cast a chance to get used to an audience and see what works and what DOESN'T work, so that changes can be made prior to opening night.
Because - theoretically, at least - every aspect of a production should be finely tuned, perfected and ready to go full-blast on opening night when those nit-picky critics are supposedly in the house. (And also their subscribers and other paying customers, of course!)
But many theaters don't bother with previews - something I've never understood.
Why? Because if I was a producer, I'd want to make sure the best product possible was on my stage on opening night. And far too often, that's NOT what happens on many Michigan stages.
Offhand, I can think of at least three productions I reviewed recently that suffered from major technical problems and/or overly anxious and nervous actors - and the one thing they all had in common was a lack of a preview performance. And since it's my job to review the performance I saw and not the performance I envision happening a day or two later, I noted the problems, which resulted in less than stellar reviews.
So it doesn't surprise me, then, when I get e-mails from theatergoers who saw a later performance of a show I reviewed on opening night that basically says, "None of the problems noted in your review matched my experience." The inference, of course, is easy to figure out.
I'm thrilled, of course, that some theaters DO take critics' constructive comments seriously and make adjustments to their shows when they're needed, or that actors get more comfortable with their roles as they get more performances under their belts, or technical issues eventually get resolved. But ALL of that should happen BEFORE opening night and NOT after!
As I've told many theaterfolk over the years: You only get one chance to make a good impression, and waiting till AFTER your opening night to resolve all your technical, directorial and acting issues isn't the way to do that.
So as theater managers begin planning their 2010-11 seasons, I hope more of them add at least ONE preview performance to each of their production schedules. That way, the critical feedback they get is from the PREVIEW audiences rather than the cranky critics, the result of which would be a far more positive experience at the theater for EVERYONE, theatergoers, critics and thespians alike - from opening night onward!
I've had probably a half-dozen or more conversations this past week and a half (or so) with area theater executives and theatergoers regarding whether or not theaters should schedule one or more previews of their shows before they officially open and invite the critics in to review their work.
On top of that, I also responded to a couple of e-mails I received this week from Encore Michigan readers who were commenting on reviews that are currently on the site, and in particular, why the performances they saw didn't match the reviews.
In case you haven't guessed, the two go hand in hand with each other.
Most of the state's larger producing theaters schedule at least one preview performance (and generally more) of their shows during which audiences are invited to attend the show (usually at a discounted ticket price, and often with extra goodies such as talk backs) to see what's basically a dress rehearsal in front of paying guests. This allows the theater to work out the technical bugs before opening night, and it also gives the cast a chance to get used to an audience and see what works and what DOESN'T work, so that changes can be made prior to opening night.
Because - theoretically, at least - every aspect of a production should be finely tuned, perfected and ready to go full-blast on opening night when those nit-picky critics are supposedly in the house. (And also their subscribers and other paying customers, of course!)
But many theaters don't bother with previews - something I've never understood.
Why? Because if I was a producer, I'd want to make sure the best product possible was on my stage on opening night. And far too often, that's NOT what happens on many Michigan stages.
Offhand, I can think of at least three productions I reviewed recently that suffered from major technical problems and/or overly anxious and nervous actors - and the one thing they all had in common was a lack of a preview performance. And since it's my job to review the performance I saw and not the performance I envision happening a day or two later, I noted the problems, which resulted in less than stellar reviews.
So it doesn't surprise me, then, when I get e-mails from theatergoers who saw a later performance of a show I reviewed on opening night that basically says, "None of the problems noted in your review matched my experience." The inference, of course, is easy to figure out.
I'm thrilled, of course, that some theaters DO take critics' constructive comments seriously and make adjustments to their shows when they're needed, or that actors get more comfortable with their roles as they get more performances under their belts, or technical issues eventually get resolved. But ALL of that should happen BEFORE opening night and NOT after!
As I've told many theaterfolk over the years: You only get one chance to make a good impression, and waiting till AFTER your opening night to resolve all your technical, directorial and acting issues isn't the way to do that.
So as theater managers begin planning their 2010-11 seasons, I hope more of them add at least ONE preview performance to each of their production schedules. That way, the critical feedback they get is from the PREVIEW audiences rather than the cranky critics, the result of which would be a far more positive experience at the theater for EVERYONE, theatergoers, critics and thespians alike - from opening night onward!
