Author Topic: RUNNING: Show CAN'T Go On: Tell your stories here  (Read 5221 times)

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MatthewShiner

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RUNNING: Show CAN'T Go On: Tell your stories here
« on: Feb 20, 2010, 05:19 pm »
So, when can't the show go on?

Today, 17 minutes into a 3 hour 17 minute show, we ended up sending the trap through the sun roof (the sun roof cue didn't happen, but somehow the trap went up), ripping up the center of the deck, snapping a chain on the sun roof, and leave a 2 foot hole in the middle of the stage . . .

after a 35 minute hold, we canceled the show . . .

other times I have had to cancel a show . . .

4,000 seat outdoor amphitheater at night . . . lost power . . . no mics . . . apparently it's illegal to assemble that many people in an area without power . . .

Last scene of Othello . . . water pouring down from the ceiling . . . unsafe for electrics, couldn't do the last fight, could here Othello talking . . .

Share stories . . . as I am "enjoying" a little afternoon down time.

Added label & formatting to subject line-Rebbe
« Last Edit: Feb 21, 2010, 10:25 pm by Rebbe »
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

KMC

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Re: SHOW CAN'T GO ON: Tell your stories here
« Reply #1 on: Feb 21, 2010, 01:59 pm »
~10 meter seas.  Hard for dancers to stay upright in those conditions!

I postponed the show until the next night.  In its place we put on a variety show with a couple of big band numbers from the orchestra, a 15 minute set with a comedian and a few numbers with the singers from the cast and the orchestra.
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

loebtmc

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Re: SHOW CAN'T GO ON: Tell your stories here
« Reply #2 on: Feb 21, 2010, 03:48 pm »
Places for both shows in both (adjacent) theaters had been called when the entire section of the city went dark with a power outage. My cast went to the other house and, with flashlights, the two shows joined in the larger house and explained to the audience what was going on, offering them either future tickets OR to hang in and wait til we knew what was going on. Three of the actors being cabaret artists, we held mags on them and they sang and did jokes and improv and led the audience in singalongs for about an hour until it was clear the situation was hopeless. The audience had a blast. Then everyone went home.


nmno

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Re: SHOW CAN'T GO ON: Tell your stories here
« Reply #3 on: Feb 21, 2010, 09:38 pm »
At intermission, a box was found in the alley, leaning up against a door to the stage, implying that it was a bomb.  Cast evacuated then the house was quietly evacuated.  After about 20 minutes, once the police determined that they couldn't rule it out as a bomb and would need to implode it, the audience was told the show was cancelled and they could get tickets to another show. Despite many other technical problems, that's the only show that's ever been out and out cancelled.

kallulah

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Re: RUNNING: Show CAN'T Go On: Tell your stories here
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2010, 10:08 am »
Well this show went on but I just think it's humourous.

Hello Dolly, last show of the run.  In between musical numbers the lead actress in a "I'm on top of the world" high forgot that she was not yet done with the show and had proceeded to remove her costume. 

The scene starts with Horace sweeping the stage and he just had to keep on sweeping.  On the headsets the SM is trying to figure out where Dolly is.  She's in the bathroom. 

About 3 long minutes afterwards Dolly runs on stage.  Her corset is completely loose and she's tripping and stumbling over her lines as well as her feet.  As she starts her lines she is none to subtley rebuttoning her dress and tucking in her undergarments.

She was in complete tears by the end of the show, not ten minutes later. 

jman255

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Re: RUNNING: Show CAN'T Go On: Tell your stories here
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2010, 07:56 pm »
There was a bee infestation in the theatre! There was no one willing to combat the bees. We had to call a professional.

maximillionx

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Re: RUNNING: Show CAN'T Go On: Tell your stories here
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2010, 09:42 pm »
Snow...lots of snow...well maybe not that much, but enough to make the entire state of RI drive like: a jittery teenager who just got their permit/a stereotypical elderly person/insert your idea of a bad driver here.... Even though I like driving in the snow, it didn't stop my car from lodging itself into a snow bank on the way home from getting some iced coffee the morning after the blizzard...but I digress.  We extended the run of the show as to allow people to reschedule.

damjamkato

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Re: RUNNING: Show CAN'T Go On: Tell your stories here
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2010, 09:51 pm »
Snow...lots of snow...well maybe not that much, but enough to make the entire state of RI drive like: a jittery teenager who just got their permit/a stereotypical elderly person/insert your idea of a bad driver here.... Even though I like driving in the snow, it didn't stop my car from lodging itself into a snow bank on the way home from getting some iced coffee the morning after the blizzard...but I digress.  We extended the run of the show as to allow people to reschedule.

As a fellow Rhode Islander, I remember that storm all too well.  School was canceled, and although we didn't have to cancel any performances, the school closings put is seriously behind in our rehearsal schedule.