How long are rehearsals for broadway

Ali Ewoldt's days consist of voice lessons, auditions, rehearsals, performances and the anxiety of not knowing when she'll land her next gig.

She has worked as an actress for eight years -- performing in musicals her biggest role was playing Cosette in Les Miserables on Broadway , as well as plays, movies and TV shows. No matter how much she earns acting, she tries to live frugally and takes on side jobs like babysitting to tuck away as much money as possible.

This month, she left Manhattan for her latest gig: a 2-week stint in Kansas playing Maria, the female lead in West Side Story. Time to wake up! We finished rehearsal of West Side Story with the Music Theatre Wichita at midnight last night, so I definitely feel a little worse for wear.

Luckily I have this adorable creature to greet me. Morning walk at our company-provided housing, the Hotel Waterwalk. What a luxury to have all of this green to ourselves! Because of my long rehearsal hours and the unfamiliar environment, Mia has been spending time at doggie daycare.

The ladies of Paws to Play have been wonderful with her! It takes a lot to stay vocally healthy enough to sing a show like West Side Story. Allergies are atrocious in Wichita, so in addition to my usual regimen of steam, apple cider vinegar, Emergen-C, Throat Coat, etc. Breakfast at The Good Egg! It's our cast members' 22nd birthday today, so we're having a celebratory breakfast.

The Music Man - begins performances December 20, The producers of this buzzy revival of The Music Man starring Tony winners Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster announced the production was rescheduled for late , with previews beginning on December 20, and opening night set for February 10, at the Winter Garden Theatre.

Paradise Square - begins performances February 22, The first new Broadway musical to be announced since the onset of the pandemic, Paradise Square is a music-and-tap-filled portrait of Five Points, an integrated 19th-century New York City neighborhood. Pass Over - begins performances August 4, A critically acclaimed hit at Lincoln Center Theater's smallest house in , Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu's searing examination of racism and brutality against Black bodies transfers to Broadway this summer, beginning previews on August 4, at the August Wilson Theatre, with an official opening date of August 22, The Phantom of the Opera - begins performances October 22, The longest-running Broadway show ever since !

Tony-winning actor John Benjamin Hickey directs the A-list couple in this romp. We could use some laughs after everything we've been through! Six - begins performances September 17, This international musical sensation, which was originally set to open the day Broadway shut down, has scheduled its royal return for Friday, September 17, at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, with an official opening night on Sunday, October 3. Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived indeed!

Skeleton Crew - begins performances December 21, Tony winner Phylicia Rashad headlines the Broadway debut of Skeleton Crew , Dominique Morisseau's Obie-winning play about embattled workers at a Detroit factory that manufactures automobile parts.

Previews begin at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on December 21, , with an official opening of January 12, This sprawling and fantastical comedy about human resilience was last seen on Broadway in Casting hasn't yet been announced, but the production will begin previews on March 31, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater and official open April 25, Slave Play - begins performances November 23 How do you follow up losing a record 12 Tony Awards a travesty, if you ask me : by bringing your polarizing play back for an encore run!

Written by provocateur, fashion rebel and Twitter star Jeremy O. Harris , Slave Play returns to Broadway for a limited engagement starring most of the cast from its original New York Theatre Workshop production. One exciting new addition: Antoinette Crowe-Legacy in the pivotal role of Kaneisha, a part Harris wrote for her when he was a student at Yale School of Drama and which she originated in Slave Play 's first developmental production in Robert O'Hara once again directs this raunchy, raw and real dissection of interracial relationships.

Springsteen on Broadway - begins performances June 26, The Boss is back! In a surprise but savvy move, the veteran rock star announced he was reviving his critically acclaimed autobiographical solo show at the St. James Theatre for a limited engagement from June 26, to September 4, , making it the first show back on Broadway! Glory days indeed. Take Me Out - begins March 9, Second Stage Theater announced that its revival of Richard Greenberg's Tony-winning baseball play, which was in rehearsals when the pandemic hit, will begin previews on March 9, at the Helen Hayes Theater in spring , with an official opening date of April 4, Adams are still set to star.

Thoughts of a Colored Man - begins performances October 1, Previously a hit regionally, Keenan Scott II's play fuses spoken word, slam poetry and rhythm to explore the vibrant inner lives of seven Black men in modern-day Brooklyn. Steve H. As the title diva, Tony nominee Adrienne Warren is simply the best, but you have to act fast: Her last performance is on October 31, !

To Kill a Mockingbird - begins performances October 5, One of the most financially successful plays in Broadway's history, Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation of Harper Lee's groundbreaking novel about racial injustice will resume performances at the Shubert Theatre on October 5, Someone who won't be returning: disgraced producer Scott Rudin.

Orin Wolf is slated to take over his duties. Trouble in Mind - begins performances October 29, Tony winner LaChanze stars in Roundabout Theatre Company's mounting of Alice Childress' play, a groundbreaking examination of racism in the theatre industry that's making its belated Broadway debut.

The satire centers on a Black actress starring in an anti-lynching drama on Broadway who challenges the show's all-white creative team. Talk about timely! This limited run begins previews on October 29, at the American Airlines Theatre, with an official opening date of November 18, Charles Randolph-Wright directs. Waitress - begins performances September 2, Yes, you read that correctly. Even though Waitress closed a few months before the pandemic began, Sara Bareilles' Tony-nominated musical is set to return to Broadway for a limited run, with previews starting on September 2, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

The songwriter herself will star in the show, about an aspiring baker trapped in an abusive relationship who longs for a different kind of life, until October Then pop singer Jennifer Nettles takes over through November The production is slated to run until January 9, Wicked - begins performances September 14, This popular musical about the unlikely friendship between Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West will reopen on September 14, at the Gershwin Theatre. Thank goodness!

As of this writing, the following shows haven't updated their statuses since the March 12 shutdown. We assume they plan to return, but will update this article as announcements are made. Sing Street Producers of this musical, which was a transfer from New York Theatre Workshop , announced it will be rescheduled for sometime between the winter of and We're glad they plan to keep on singing. Frozen Disney announced that its stage adaptation of its smash movie would not reopen on Broadway.

As one of the few family favorites on the Rialto, we're sorry to let it go. If your question is used in our column, you will receive a Playbill. Question: I teach middle school theatre and my students complain that they must attend every rehearsal in which their character is involved. What are the attendance rules for professional performers during the rehearsal process? How much notice must they give for a conflict and does the union provide for a certain number of absences?

The actors work for seven of those hours, and the rest is breaks. Big musicals rehearse in the studio for four to six weeks, while plays rehearse for less — David Mamet's new Broadway play November , for instance, rehearsed for a little over three weeks.

The company then moves to the theatre for tech rehearsal — which can last one-and-a-half to two weeks for a big musical — where the hours get longer. See the Sept. Musical rehearsals tend to go for all eight hours every day, but plays tend to be more flexible.

If you got really good work done in the morning hours, you may not want to do a full afternoon. Nathan Lane is in every scene and never leaves the stage. A rehearsal day for him was very long and very intense, so some days we wouldn't rehearse a full day because it would be an overload. You can have everyone sign this at the first rehearsal, or beforehand -- the sooner the better.

This is the time when directors both stage and musical must do their homework. Consider how you will approach every scene and song, at least in terms of the overall effect you want to achieve.

The cast and crew must always sense that you know the material and have clear goals. Unlike professionals, they are not paid to respect you. You will have to earn their respect. The best way to accomplish that is by demonstrating from day one that you are the person or persons to look to. Screaming won't do this. A calm, firm sense of command will. If this is a school production, make it clear from the get-go that everyone on the team is expected to keep their grades up. Many schools have a policy that students having academic problems will be removed from a production.

If you announce such a policy, be sure to stick to it. That could be tricky if you have to replace your lead one week to opening! In my opinion, a stern warning to maintain good grades will usually be enough.

Most students involved in dramatics have solid grades, and you may be surprised to see how many improve their grades while working on a show. There is tremendous excitement when the cast and crew come together for the first time. First rehearsal begins with presenting the production team.

The stage and musical directors make brief introductory remarks, followed by a full read through of the show by the cast. The stage manager or assistant director should put together a contact sheet with up to date phone numbers of all cast and crew.

This list should include both home and cell phone numbers, just in case. The first rehearsal is also a good time to get a list of emergency contacts for everyone -- and to ask anyone with health concerns to clue you in. Basically healthy people of all ages can be diabetic, hypoglycemic, epileptic or have other conditions that it behooves you to be aware of. If time allows and you can make sure that it does go right into blocking one of the ensemble scenes.

Make it clear that rehearsals will be busy events and that you will not be wasting time. The atmosphere should be upbeat and positive. Do not tolerate improper behavior. Make it clear that the way for everyone to have a good time at rehearsals is by going a good job. A director's sense of focus can be contagious. Set the right tone at this point and the entire rehearsal process will benefit from it.

Nip this in the bud! Be sure to correct behavior without humiliating anyone. If someone tries to pull a star trip, take them aside and make it clear that they can be replaced. After all, this is the easiest time to recast.

On the other hand, anyone creating a scene in front of others must be corrected on the spot. In such cases, be firm, not shrill. It must always be clear that anyone challenging your authority is wasting their time.

This is not about power, but about fulfilling your responsibilities. Those responsibilities include planning out each rehearsal, and starting on time. If cast and crew sit around doing nothing because of confusion and delays, they will start to wonder if its worth showing up at all. Weekend rehearsals must include reasonable meal breaks. For weeknight rehearsals, give your cast and crew a chance to eat dinner beforehand.

Many healthy people have conditions that require them to eat at regular times. Don't let a rehearse-a-thon compromise anyone's health.