#firstpreview

[sondheims-hat]

March 19, 2010: First preview of Sondheim on Sondheim at Studio 54.

[d-criss-news]

broadwaypolaroids: invited dress rehearsal for @ maybehappyending in nyc 😊🤖 #maybehappyending #broadway #theatre #firstpreview #inviteddress #inviteddressrehearsal #dressrehearsal #darrencriss #darrencrissedit #glee #gleek #warblers #warbler #blaineanderson #helenjshen #andrewbarthfeldman #dearevanhansen #nohardfeelings #hedwigandtheangryinch #hedwig #polaroid #polaroids #celebs #celebrities #celebrity #film #kurtandblaine #openingnight #preview #show

[a-forger-and-a-point-man]

re: the first preview of norma jeane baker of troy, plus a guide to the shed

at least four people got up walked out of the show, and this was before ben whishaw pranced around the stage in just lingerie and heels. 

as you know from my previous posts of this nature, this won't be a review as much as it is a bunch of scattered notes about the whole experience. 

i hope this post can be helpful to those of you planning to come a long way to see the show, and to others who are on the fence about seeing it at all. 

norma jeane baker of troy is not a show i would normally choose to see, because the subject matter doesn't interest me. this is very much unlike the last time ben whishaw was in nyc; that was an arthur miller play that was an established success. i’m very much open to trying new things but all in all this production bored me. i was not fond of the writing because I didn’t read and therefore couldn’t appreciate euripedes’ helen. i’m not really excited by greek mythology I guess. thank god it was just 90 mins. i found it hard to follow so i am really looking forward to the reviews from folks who are tapped into the story. 

it's worth the money to see ben’s transformation into marilyn monroe. he looks spectacular. at one point he dances seductively in heels and a corset and he looks divine. and that's before he strips down to his sexy underwear! what even is that bod! i wanted to throw money at him tbh. when did he get this ripped?! someone has been working out big time. and yet his waist remains the tiniest thing! but he's all muscle now. 1000% worth the time and money. he plays a ukulele too and he sings and his voice is amazing holy shit. do you know what it takes to sing in front of renee fleming?

ben’s american accent was fine. you can hear his own accent coming through at times. it's much stronger in the recorded portions of the performance, when there's voice recorder playback. 

renee, who is an opera legend, sounded incredible - but i was left wondering why she would want a part like this where she plays second fiddle to ben. it was very interesting because all eyes were on ben’s very physical performance. he commands the stage anyway, just as himself, as many of us have come to learn - but in this role you can't take your eyes off him. 

the stage lighting is basically made up of two desk lamps, and at times i wished things were exposed more, but i know it was meant to be mood lighting. if you have tickets from the 7th row back, you're in luck - it seems you'll have far better views and the lighting is better too. those seats are all raised. my parents sat there while my partner and i had the floor seats. they're full price yet the damn onstage desks obscure so much! 

the seats were comfy though and it seemed like a mostly full house. normally i wouldn't recommend seeing a first preview and i try to avoid them because that's when a show is at its worst tbh. there's nerves and kinks are still being worked out. but i didnt have the luxury of choice this time. four people did walk out, which i’ve never witnessed before. at least four. unrelated, different rows, and at different points in the show. one of them was in the front row and ben watched him walk out! that was when i knew i wasn't alone in tuning out of the discussion happening onstage. i didn't really catch on but that's okay - for me, the actors made it worth it. if you don't give a shit who they are, then yeah, this show is a total waste of time for you. 

i could see camera flashes during the bows so i’m sure pics of ben in full marilyn garb are already online! 

also I should mention that my boyfriend, who isn't the type to comment on these things and is generally a man of few words, said the following, and i quote: “[ben] should just exist in that corset.”

a peek into the playbill:

ONTO THE VENUE- 

april 6 also happened to be the first day of operations for the shed, which is a brand new arts venue on the west side in hudson yards. construction continues on the outside. the inside is very sparse, and the signs aren't even all up. I didn't know where the will call line was, or the theater itself! it was kind of a hot mess because a dozen of us stood for about 15 mins in line to pick up our tickets, only to be told the system was down and staff had no idea what to do. it was everyone's first day but that frustrated a few people. only after I got to the front did i realize my ticket was emailed to me, and there is no physical ticket pickup if you booked online! duh! so check your emails and flag them and don't waste time like i did. 

the bar/cafe wasn't even open - it was completely bare! i think it opens on the 22nd of april. they gave us tickets for free drinks after the opening, which was great. anyone can go in there to get a snack or coffee btw - you don't need a ticket to a show. in lieu of bar service at the moment, there is free bottled water, bottled diet coke, and popcorn tubs you can scoop from. definitely go early and enjoy the lobby! there are outlets underneath the bar to charge your phones. thus far the gift shop is just a cool bookstore in the corner, which is neat. the bathrooms in the lobby are nice and spacious but not gender neutral, unless i missed something. the soap dispensers weren't even set up yet - clearly someone ran out to the drug store and bought random assorted brands of hand soap lol. as for accessibility -  norma jeane baker of troy is on the 6th floor, so give yourself plenty of time to take several escalators up. there is an elevator too.

since this was such a beautiful warm day, we walked the 30 mins across the high line to the shed. that's definitely my recommended route! the high line is basically an elevated park that used to be a rail line. 

this is the intersection where the high line begins:

here's what the shed looks like as you approach it: 

you'll find it where the high line terminates. the entrance is on the other side, so walk around the construction! it looks like this: 

i don't know where the stage door is, as i figured after the first preview everyone will just want to go home. but don't be shy - ask the staff where it is and wait there for the actors if you want. it's a normal part of theater-going in nyc but just be sure to have zero expectations: actors may leave through a back door to avoid people, or they may be rushing to dinner plans, or they may say it's cool to sign but no pics... there are several possibilities. no harm in waiting though! you may end up getting the opportunity for a chat, so take the chance 😉

i hope this post has been helpful. don't hesitate to ask me questions! i really look forward to seeing all your reviews and discussing the show as a fandom 🤗

[splashbroadcasting]

The Outlast Trials: The First Preview

[camerondecades]

Everybody Rise! #CompanyBroadway #FirstPreview⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Thrilling to be at the first Broadway preview of the London transfer of Marianne Elliot’s gender-revised revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Company starring #KatrinaLenk and #PattiLuPone. I saw it in London in 2018. You must see it in NYC in 2020. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #StephenSondheim #Broadway #ILOVEMusicals #Sondheim⁣ @tallysessions (at Company Broadway) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9RXiI2BPtX/?igshid=1e18bmxuobo3k

[rickyounger]

Hanging with #TinaFey at the after party of the #FirstPreview of #MeanGirlsTheMusical at the #NationalTheatre in #WashingtonDC! #MrDuvall #MeanGirls #MeanGirlsDC #MeanGirlsBway

[missdylanjones]

First preview is tonight #pwyc • @sonofsemele First Preview for 4.48 Psychosis is tonight! We've got a few Pay What You Will tickets! #lathtr #448psychosis #semelefan #sarahkane #actorslife #firstpreview #paywhatyoucan #theatrelover #dontmissthis #groundbreaking #experimentaltheatre #physicaltheatre #tourdeforce #ensemble #alloutshow https://www.instagram.com/p/B3QW2V2pzO3/?igshid=1typjf3q2cjvl

[lothiriel-01]

Reposted from @zawe (@get_regrann) - What we do in the shadows. @jamielloydco See you tomorrow night....💔 #betrayalbroadway #betrayal #broadway #firstpreview #august14th #dressrehearsal - #regrann https://www.instagram.com/p/B1IWv8yIt_o/?igshid=zf1pellv86qa

[jeffparkeractor]

#firstpreview #MammaMiaDL (at Drury Lane Theatre & Conference Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtmfxdThvXj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=dzjkcby8vmec

[heathaakosuaphotos]

#Repost @derbytheatre (@get_repost) ・・・ Showtime! #NoughtsAndCrosses #OandX #FirstPreview @derbytheatre such a joy to be a part of this wonderful play. 1 down 85 to gooooo!!! https://www.instagram.com/p/BtWt-o4AJPXbXZw1TnA1q7CC3BzcTYFBp7elpc0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rqqtkezjgxhe

[leonheartedboy]

Last night Josh and I got to swim down to Bikini Bottom for the first preview performance of Spongebob Squarepants the Musical. So. Much. Fun. 🍍 🍍 🍍 #broadway #theatre #nyc #nickelodeon #spongebob #cartoon #90skid #fun #happiness #friends #gay #bestdayever #bikinibottom #firstpreview (at SpongeBob Broadway)

[a-forger-and-a-point-man]

standby: my post on the first preview of norma jeane baker of troy is coming in the next couple of hours. the show ended 5 minutes ago (it started 10 mins late) and we’re going to get dinner...

[maryxglz]

eddiearnoldz: "Anywhere I go I make the gang go @betrayalbwy"

zawe: "What we do in the shadows. @jamielloydco. See you tomorrow night....💔 #betrayalbroadway #betrayal #broadway #firstpreview #august14th #dressrehearsal"

[christinealtomare]

anastasiabway: First Preview at @hartfordstage is happening now!!! @maxmclayton & @jamesbrowniii takeover the official social media handles for #AnastasiaMusical #MaxandJB3Takeover #theater #firstpreview