Tryout (musical)

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The terms tryout (and preview ) denote the two phases of the specific previews of Broadway - musicals before the actual premiere , designed to reduce the financial risk of production. The director George Cukor was one of the first to practice this procedure. - However, previews at a different location were already common in Europe at the end of the 19th century, for example for operetta productions in exchange between Berlin, Vienna and Prague.

Because the success of a production largely depended on its premiere, not least because the theater criticism had a significant influence on attendance at the performances, it was common in the "classic" era of Broadway shows to rehearse after rehearsals in to show a series of public tryout performances outside of New York, for example in Boston or San Francisco, and to make changes and improvements based on audience reactions. After this phase, the production moved to the theater where the premiere was planned and the ensemble got used to the location of the premiere with a series of preview performances. - Unsuccessful productions were often given up during the tryouts.

Previews before the actual release are also common for other media products, such as films.

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