Is the 2.30 performance of a show worse than the 7.30..

[garjobo]

 Just curious, shows like Hamiton, & Juliet, Newsies...

Im aware all relative, and plenty of factors taken into consideration..but on average...are the 7.30 shows just better overall / ideally the cast proper are out for that showing?

[robertb213]

It should be exactly the same unless the leads are contracted to be off. Generally the energy/performance levels are just as good.

[garjobo]

Good to know, i suspect then some of the leads wont do both shows in a do.

Must be like sheep though for them, the same performance over and over - its tough/glassy eyed no doubt / beats sitting behind a desk i suppose.

[Mark]

I see a lot of matinee performances and never have any issues with energy levels etc

[theatrefan62]

They should be the same and I've never noticed a difference personally.

But I do remember Luke Evans saying on Graham Norton how you should never go to a matinee as basically the cast are saving themselves/can't be bothered. But to be honest he just came across as an arrogant dick.

[alece10]

The performances should be the same, the difference I find is the audience. A Saturday night audience tends to be more responsive than a matinee audience in my opinion.
Saying that I don't do Saturday night shows in the West End as I don't like being in town on a Saturday night with the crowds and the drunks when travelling home.

[anxiousoctopus]

I go to a lot of matinees because it’s easier to get home (evening shows I often get home past midnight because trains) - and honestly performance-wise you often can’t tell, the performers are professionals after all! Sometimes energy levels aren’t as intense as evening shows, but it’s not something you really notice unless you’re a regular.

Audience-wise you might get some more interesting (read: vocal, chatty, theatre-etiquette breakers) but it really is the luck of the draw mostly

[saral]

I usually do a matinee and haven't noticed any difference

I was at the stage door for Sunset Blvd back in the day and John Barrowman was telling someone he had been in trouble for messing around wearing silly little hats in the matinee

[Seriously]

Doesn't sound the worst thing Barrowman's ever done.

[appoul]

Dec 17, 2022 20:29:19 GMT saral said:

I usually do a matinee and haven't noticed any difference

I was at the stage door for Sunset Blvd back in the day and John Barrowman was telling someone he had been in trouble for messing around wearing silly little hats in the matinee

I think doing silly things during the matinee is a tradition if the show is closing on a 2-show day (I believe they wouldn't do silly things if the matinee were the last show of the run).


Also I've noticed in recent years that some matinees are more expensive than the evening show--and I'm not talking only about shows like Mary Poppins that aim at children. Especially premium or top price tickets.

[Dr Tom]

I think casts are generally professional. I do know some are rather tired by the evening performance, especially after three shows in a row (Friday evening, plus two on Saturday), or even five where there are two Sunday shows.

The audience is often worse at a matinee, if that's a consideration.

For some shows, there are alternates used to help the lead maintain their voice. Jersey Boys, for instance, never has the same Frankie on twice in a day (the alternate usually does the matinee, but sometimes they do the evening). But it's not always the matinee where the alternate gets swapped out. Get Up Stand Up has the lead on for the Sunday matinee and the alternate on Sunday evening.

Around Christmas, with the changed schedules, there will be lots of random swapping around and covers going on, especially with the performance schedules being condensed and people wanting breaks.

Personally, I generally find the shows fresher when some of the covers are on. I would think it makes it more interesting and dynamic for the cast too. But I know there are people desperate to see all the leads, which is easier said than done at this time of the year, for many reasons.

[stagedoorsally]

I tend to do matinees as well and they’re fine. Never noticed any difference in terms of the energy of the cast, although I think weekday matinees are more likely to have alternates etc - which I don’t personally mind, as I tend to book for the show rather than specific cast members.

My preference would actually be a weekday evening in terms of other people, but that’s difficult with trains / work. I have found more issues with the behaviour of others on Friday and Saturday evenings than any matinees, but you can be lucky or unlucky with any performance.

[141920grm]

Really think this purported mat/eve difference should be the last thing to worry about (personally don't think it exists)!

Also lots of other things that can't be forecast that will affect individual performances & overall cast energy- debuts or covers/swings on (especially around holiday season), family/friends/industry people in the audience, some random backstage happening that influences the vibe of the day, making everyone perform at their 200%...

One of the best performances of a show I see regularly was a random weekday matinee (then at my other regular, the dullest performance I've ever sat through), so I usually just pick any show that suits my schedule then go in and enjoy!

[fossil]

I usually go to matinees, only going to evening performances when good rush seats become available. I have never noticed the difference. Very occasionally I have gone to some well reviewed shows which were well into their run or tour and thought that perhaps the director has not been in for a while as the performances were somewhat lacklustre.

This raises the question, is it best to go to a production earlier or later in the run?

[anxiousoctopus]

Dec 18, 2022 13:20:57 GMT fossil said:

I usually go to matinees, only going to evening performances when good rush seats become available. I have never noticed the difference. Very occasionally I have gone to some well reviewed shows which were well into their run or tour and thought that perhaps the director has not been in for a while as the performances were somewhat lacklustre.

This raises the question, is it best to go to a production earlier or later in the run?

I don’t know honestly, there’s pros and cons.

Pros: The cast haven’t fallen into a routine yet, being in the show is still a novelty. The show might not be frozen so you get extra bits that get cut.

Cons: Potentially more mistakes. The cast might not have fully fleshed out their characterisation. If the show isn’t frozen yet there might be bits that don’t work / you don’t get the same experience of someone seeing the show later.

[karloscar]

It's live theatre. Every performance is slightly different depending on the cast (band, crew) and importantly the audience. Whether they're sluggish or responsive, rowdy or reverential, full or half empty, that affects what's happening on stage hugely. And then there's stuff that happens on the day that can't be foreseen or controlled. It makes no difference whether it's a matinee or evening show. Either could be a triumph or a disaster for those onstage, and you in the audience might not notice the difference if they've managed to maintain the illusion for a couple of hours.

[artea]

"is it best to go to a production earlier or later in the run?"

I saw Judi Dench at the beginning and at the end of the run of A Little Night Music at the NT. At the start of the run, I thought she was good, but not special. At the end of the run, I found her extraordinary. Everything about the performance had deepened, she had become her character completely; so much more real, alive and even mesmerizing. Only time this happened to me to such a degree.
I'd say don't go to previews. They're in draft form, works in progress and haven't had time to settle in. One preview I went to years ago, didn't even include the ending.

[sukhavati]

Dec 17, 2022 20:14:11 GMT alece10 said:

Saying that I don't do Saturday night shows in the West End as I don't like being in town on a Saturday night with the crowds and the drunks when travelling home.

Oh the drunks. I don't know what's worse: the puddles of sick around Soho late at night, the girls trying to stagger down the pavement in their extra high heels failing miserably to hold each other up, or the lads passed out in the underground carriages/stations...

[garjobo]

Having seen 3x 2.30 showing and twice 7.30 showing this last week, have to say, levels appeared the same. Perhaps..the 1pm christmas eve show maybe had a little more energy..hard to say..a few errors crept in there, the young lad who gets hoisted up the rope didnt work ( think too long to be clipped in ), and a short scene missed - according to daughter - i didnt notice that.

So, apart from a short goodbye, thanks from Cameron at the 7.30 showings, both shows seemed fine. And cast came out, happy at both 2.30 and 7.30. Couple of the other actors didnt really stop..personally i loved there grounded scenes, but the girls all dig the dancers i guess. Seeing them occasionally in Wemberly , lunch, laughing one another etc...great they all seem to get along.

[hamiltonstradition]

Friday Matinee of & Juliet is always better, as Zara MacIntosh is the titular character, and the cast seems to have a special love for her.

[kathryn]

As long as Luke Evans isn’t in it!