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Tuesday, July 21, 2026
In defence of the theatre preview
www.whatsonstage.com: There was a recurring refrain in the comments sections when we were covering the glitzy opening night at Jesus Christ Superstar earlier this month: “I saw that two weeks ago. How can it be opening tonight?”
1 comment:
Jackson Watts
said...
I agree with the article that there should be a clearer delineation between previews and opening. I think that especially with modern trends in the pricing of previews audience members don't understand the concept of previews. While as a theatre nerd I find it interesting to have the opportunity to get a sneak peak at theatre, I think that it is understandable for an audience that is paying nearly full price to expect a nearly finished product. But as the article discusses a show cannot be finished without taking audience perception into account. While I agree with the article that not inviting influencers to the show before official opening would help, I don't think that alone would be enough to convey the purpose of previews to the audience. Ultimately I think that the price of previews should not be equivalent to the finalized version of the show. I believe that when previews are priced similarly to the finalized version of the show it gives the impression that previews are some special performance for the audience to catch a glimpse of the finalized production before opening. If previews were priced lower it would help to manage expectations should something not go as intended during previews.
1 comment:
I agree with the article that there should be a clearer delineation between previews and opening. I think that especially with modern trends in the pricing of previews audience members don't understand the concept of previews. While as a theatre nerd I find it interesting to have the opportunity to get a sneak peak at theatre, I think that it is understandable for an audience that is paying nearly full price to expect a nearly finished product. But as the article discusses a show cannot be finished without taking audience perception into account. While I agree with the article that not inviting influencers to the show before official opening would help, I don't think that alone would be enough to convey the purpose of previews to the audience. Ultimately I think that the price of previews should not be equivalent to the finalized version of the show. I believe that when previews are priced similarly to the finalized version of the show it gives the impression that previews are some special performance for the audience to catch a glimpse of the finalized production before opening. If previews were priced lower it would help to manage expectations should something not go as intended during previews.
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