Waitress - Adelphi Theatre / U.K. Tour / Cinema

For sure the whole situation hasn't helped Ashley, as having people basically expecting you to fail and ready to call you out the moment you put a foot wrong cannot do much good to your nerves.  And yet... she must have been aware she was unfit and unprepared for this kind of job, right?   

I'll try to make it clearer with an example... Let's say that, a few years ago, you worked for some time at a small cafe which used to serve the typical brunch items, and enjoyed a certain success and popularity.  Everybody loved to go there on a Sunday, although it was mostly because the owner made a really great bloody Mary and was charming AF, while you were mostly in the kitchen making scrambled eggs.  

Cue to today, you haven't worked as a cook in a while, yet for some reason you're offered to go work for a couple of months at a Michelin star restaurant, and of course you're going to have to deliver that kind of quality each night of the week.  It also happens that the patrons have fallen in love with the delicacies the sous chef who's going to be off during that time would cook as specials. 

Would you really accept the job on a whim?  What can ever make you think it'll all be just fine?  You have to know from the start you're highly likely to screw things up! 

The general feeling in the building is that Ashley is a very nice person but dire in the role. She can’t sing and she can’t act. They are just hoping the show survives long enough for Laura Baldwin to resume the role. Truth is, it’s days are really numbered. There is so much bad feeling towards the show after the way the Producers treated LB.

That means nothing. Shows announce booking extensions all the time to try and give the impression they are doing well. And then close 2 weeks later.

If the show was doing badly, surely it would just close. Why bother extending the booking period?

Interestingly this is the only thread that I’ve seen it suggested that a booking extension is meaningless- it’s almost as if people will raise any unsubstantiated criticism for the sake of it. I was going to do a timeline of the absurd things that have been written in this thread but I’d rather not spend the negative energy on it.

I’m coming from this at a slightly different angle. I avoid stunt casted shows for this reason. I do not suggest that these performers have NO talent. My issue is, have they got MORE talent than the people being replaced or denied their chance to shine?  It is slightly different I know with this one as Ashley is clearly replacing a more talented performer so the question is irrelevant however a prime example of the worst kind of stunt casting is Amber Davis. Ok, she went to Urdang from the age of 15-18. She had absolutely no prior experience in a show. Look at her bio in 9-5 programme. Her only claim to fame was her appearance in TV reality Love Island. From that appearance, in her own words on TV, She was given the role in 9-5 with only an hours workshop!!! 
I have been watching talented ensembles for over 35 years and despise it when they are overlooked for a TV personality. I don’t include Blake or Lucie in this post as they both have very good credentials.  

What’s weird to me is that the booking extension is only until Dec 7th .... aren’t the weeks leading up to Xmas some of the busiest times for theatre ticket sales, so why cut them off then?! I don’t know the ins and outs and the economics of all of this. People were saying the show wouldn’t last through May and yet here we are, and the last few weeks the show has sold really well, especially last week, with Sat’s show a sellout. I know people will have been wanting to catch Kat and the OG cast while they could but still .... But then just looking at dates in the upcoming months the advance sales aren’t great, and they’ve already closed off the upper circle for sales for next Monday’s and Tuesday’s shows which isn’t particularly encouraging 😬

But as others have said, Waitress on Broadway has continued despite all the naysayers and recent poor ticket sales so I’m not gonna write the show off until it’s officially closed 😆😭

Just heard When He Sees Me.