|
Post by steg on Apr 13, 2019 9:33:16 GMT
Worth seeing to tick off the list. Cheaper than at the Hope Mill too. I was here on the same night. Went in knowing virtually nothing about the show. Very unimpressed with the sound design, struggled to make out quite a lot from front-ish in the stalls. Some of the quieter moments were pleasant. The ending was strong, most of the cast were quite good. I've been listening to the London cast album and I feel I might enjoy it more on a second viewing having the songs already baked into my brain. Overall I'd give this a miss if you're not familiar with the show already. Was disappointed given how the Hope Mill reviews went. I saw this on Thursday evening and too went in knowing fairly little about the show. About a third of the way through the first act I gave up trying to work our what was going on and decided to just enjoy it as a performance. The second act seemed to make rather more sense and the finale is excellent fun. I too struggled to make out the words being sung during a number of songs due to the vocals being overwhelmed by the music. I left the theatre thinking that I would probably have enjoyed it more knowing what was going on a bit more, and that a second viewing would be worthwhile. I'll see if any good deals come up for Liverpool next month.
|
|
|
Post by kzf on Apr 13, 2019 14:29:54 GMT
I'll see if any good deals come up for Liverpool next month. I'm planning on doing the same. Selling poorly so I think there's a good chance. Post back here if you hear anything! [This is @nolion who posted above, I had managed to register two accounts and have deleted the second one]
|
|
122 posts
|
Post by kirstylovesmusicals on Apr 24, 2019 9:43:14 GMT
Had an email from Sunderland Empire that the Wednesday evening performance is cancelled and they want to refund my ticket. Tickets still available for the matinee. But I guess it isn’t selling well. I’m still seeing it the Monday, Thursday and Friday so it’s not like i’m Missing out but I always think it’s such a shame when tours have to do that 😕
|
|
3,054 posts
|
Post by Dr Tom on Apr 30, 2019 8:23:39 GMT
Caught the first night at the Alexandra in Birmingham yesterday.
Excellent as always and this came across as an intimate venue. I only ended up on the second row despite booking well in advance. Had a good chat with people around and some got the discounted front row at the last minute. I need to learn to play the dynamic pricing at the Alex a lot better, where they now tend to start off the front row at premium prices (and ineligible for discounts). The view is still good from the second row and you're less likely to be involved in the audience interaction.
Only the Stalls and Dress Circle were open, although the Stalls seemed fairly full from what I could see.
Tom Bales was away, so David Heywood covered a lot of his track, with Bradley Judge taking the role of Margaret Mead (as well as his usual Woof). He was very funny as Margaret, although the elderly gentlemen he picked to play Hubert seemed completely mortified. To be fair to Bradley, it would have been difficult to find anyone else suitable who wasn't also of pensionable age.
Still lots of availability for the rest of the week, including some bargain seats if you have a TheatreCard and book in pairs.
|
|
|
Post by xanady on Apr 30, 2019 16:09:45 GMT
Thanks for this Dr Tom,am seeing it later in the week.Am expecting an half-empty house.Will have to practise clapping like a crazy seal to support the performers.
|
|
16 posts
|
Post by robmac on May 1, 2019 18:06:11 GMT
I'll see if any good deals come up for Liverpool next month. I'm planning on doing the same. Selling poorly so I think there's a good chance. Post back here if you hear anything! [This is @nolion who posted above, I had managed to register two accounts and have deleted the second one] £15 quote FLOWER
|
|
|
Post by steg on May 2, 2019 5:16:33 GMT
Thanks. Booked my trip down to Liverpool to see if it makes more sense this time! Having looked through the availability for the week it is selling very poorly. Hope it fills up a bit.
|
|
|
Post by xanady on May 3, 2019 22:25:24 GMT
Took a trip(!) to the Alex in Brum and paid £13 in the front stalls slips and had one of the best nights in the theatre for a long time.Seen HAIR many,many times over the years but this is the definitive version in my humble opinion.Flawless from start to finish and I even got on the stage at the end for a boogie with Jake and co.The cast were amazing and obviously loving every minute.Loved the set with the multi-coloured streamers everywhere and the bamboo houses for the band.Real sense of Eastern(Tibetan?) mysticism in the design.Loved the references to Trump at the beginning and in a world full of anger and hatred thought the message of peace,love and understanding in the show shone really bright.The plot is paper-thin but the soundtrack has a good dozen bangers at least.An easy 5 stars.
|
|
122 posts
|
Post by kirstylovesmusicals on May 6, 2019 18:44:25 GMT
Press night here in Sunderland and never seen a theatre so dead. Top two levels are closed and coming up to now 15 mins late. Not sure what the reason is. Will report back further later
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 6, 2019 18:51:30 GMT
Does every tour have a press night at every stop off, or is it just Hair milking it?
|
|
|
Post by firefingers on May 6, 2019 19:01:23 GMT
Does every tour have a press night at every stop off, or is it just Hair milking it? No it's pretty standard. Most will do a big press night in a venue near London early-ish in the run (where national papers etc come) but first performance at each venue will have a regional press night so the Whitstible evening courier and the Sundertown bugle can have a free glass of wine and write a minimum of three star review, to keep the wine and tickets and advertising revenue coming in return for the publicity.
|
|
|
Post by xanady on May 6, 2019 19:29:00 GMT
^Really sad about the situation in Sunderland.As posted a few days ago this was a fabulous version of the show imo and deserves a big audience.
|
|
3,070 posts
|
Post by david on May 6, 2019 19:43:36 GMT
Just had a look at ticket sales for Liverpool. I’ve booked for the Monday night and there are still large areas of the auditorium unsold both for that night and the rest of that week. Ok, there is still a fortnight to go before the tour arrives, so hopefully sales will pick up beforehand.
|
|
4,361 posts
|
Post by shady23 on May 6, 2019 19:59:54 GMT
Press night here in Sunderland and never seen a theatre so dead. Top two levels are closed and coming up to now 15 mins late. Not sure what the reason is. Will report back further later That is really sad. It just has not sold. I'm going tomorrow but I have barely seen any advertising or buzz for the tour. It's a real lull time of the year for Sunderland Empire. This, Hormonal Housewives, an Elvis tribute night, a Spice Girls tribute night and then, when you are really wanting something in next to boost sales... Club Tropicana. Save us all. When up the road in Newcastle in the last few weeks they've had Annie, Joseph and Swan Lake. People don't have endless money and they have to make choices.
|
|
18,770 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on May 6, 2019 20:04:22 GMT
Very disappointing for Aria/Hope Mill not t9 mention the losses. Do producers take out insurance against bad sales?. I don’t think this was the right show to send out on a large tour. Yes, the 50th anniversary was a landmark and enough to sustain a run at The Vaults but clearly Hair doesn’t have the appeal needed to fill large theatres nationwide. The hippy movement doesn’t have (in my opinion) the nostalgia factor that you need for a period piece to draw people. Having seen it at the tiny Hope Mill and enjoying the raw, quite gritty approach I didn’t feel the need to see it again in the glossed-up, sized-up version.
Aria/Hope Mill are running another fundraiser for Mame with Tracey Bennet.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 6, 2019 20:17:56 GMT
Very disappointing for Aria/Hope Mill not t9 mention the losses. Do producers take out insurance against bad sales?. I don’t think this was the right show to send out on a large tour. Yes, the 50th anniversary was a landmark and enough to sustain a run at The Vaults but clearly Hair doesn’t have the appeal needed to fill large theatres nationwide. The hippy movement doesn’t have (in my opinion) the nostalgia factor that you need for a period piece to draw people. Having seen it at the tiny Hope Mill and enjoying the raw, quite gritty approach I didn’t feel the need to see it again in the glossed-up, sized-up version. Aria/Hope Mill are running another fundraiser for Mame with Tracey Bennet. I think you may have seen a musical recently about just that!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 6, 2019 20:20:17 GMT
Also there are quite a few bill footers involved, not just Hope Mill and Aria, so they feel the hit completely. I would hope when the tour was planned and booked they weren't budgeting for full houses every night of the run, hence the set of 'ribbons', no flys, one followspot etc.
|
|
18,770 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on May 6, 2019 20:20:24 GMT
Lol
Tonee! Tonee! Tonee!
|
|
18,770 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on May 6, 2019 20:27:42 GMT
Also there are quite a few bill footers involved, not just Hope Mill and Aria, so they feel the hit completely. I would hope when the tour was planned and booked they weren't budgeting for full houses every night of the run, hence the set of 'ribbons', no flys, one followspot etc. I have no idea how the finances work but in that case why not just go for smaller theatres? The costs associated with taking out the Palace for a week must be huge. Why not take your ribbons and one spot to a mid sized theatre where (no insult intended) they don’t get all the West End tours?
|
|
3,070 posts
|
Post by david on May 6, 2019 20:31:39 GMT
I would think theatres like the Lowry’s Quay theatre or the Liverpool Playhouse and Everyman would be ideal NW venues. Small auditoriums to give you that similar Hope Mill intimate setting which is probably lost in the much larger venues.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 6, 2019 20:46:39 GMT
Also there are quite a few bill footers involved, not just Hope Mill and Aria, so they feel the hit completely. I would hope when the tour was planned and booked they weren't budgeting for full houses every night of the run, hence the set of 'ribbons', no flys, one followspot etc. I have no idea how the finances work but in that case why not just go for smaller theatres? The costs associated with taking out the Palace for a week must be huge. Why not take your ribbons and one spot to a mid sized theatre where (no insult intended) they don’t get all the West End tours? Great point. The vast majority of venues are ATG houses, so there's something there I think, someone linking them up, some involvement. Also maybe there's a case of running before they can walk? Having the run do well in MCR and London, they may have gotten blind-sighted by the success and overly ambitious.
|
|
122 posts
|
Post by kirstylovesmusicals on May 7, 2019 11:33:48 GMT
Sorry guys, my phone died and I couldn’t reply back last night. So after 25 mins some music started to play and hippies walked up the side of the stalls and onto the stage standing in a line. Then another hippy came on from the wings and told everyone to leave the stage. Cue another 10 mins of waiting and then the show actually started again with the music but the hippies just walked once from the wings. From what I could gather, the fault was that the house lights in the Empire wouldn’t go off.
All the cast are really good. Jake quickenden was impressive as Berger but I feel like he lacks the manic craziness Berger needs, he is just a little too reserved and controlled for my liking. Daisy as Sheila was gorgeous and o enjoyed her performance. Was very impressed by the girl playing Dionne, she and the Jeanie were my faves! Marcus Collins -pffft. Don’t like him, that’s just a personal thing. Wil actually buy a programme for £2 on Thursday when I return. And as a side note, wrap up warm in the Empire theatre, it was bloody freezing!
|
|
4,950 posts
|
Post by TallPaul on May 7, 2019 11:50:58 GMT
Okay, I've done a little digging over luncheon. I've also searched the Companies House website. 😂
There was a company called Hair The Musical Ltd, but that was dissolved at the very start of 2019.
A company called Aquarius Tour Ltd was incorporated in August 2018, with Katy Lipson as sole director.
However, the agent that created the company is called (and I hope this is an in-joke) Runaway Entertainment Ltd. The sole director of Runaway Entertainment is one Charlie Parsons, who co-created The Big Breakfast, and sold the Survivor format globally.
|
|
1,718 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on May 7, 2019 12:09:10 GMT
So after 25 mins some music started to play and hippies walked up the side of the stalls and onto the stage standing in a line. Then another hippy came on from the wings and told everyone to leave the stage. Disgraceful behaviour from the audience members concerned.
|
|
745 posts
|
Post by horton on May 7, 2019 13:31:26 GMT
And as a side note, wrap up warm in the Empire theatre, it was bloody freezing! I hope this is not a subtle dig at the male cast during the nude scene!
|
|
|
Post by oxfordsimon on May 7, 2019 13:49:41 GMT
I have just looked at sales for Oxford (end of June)
and they are very, very low
I am talking under 100 seats sold in a 1800 capacity theatre for most performances (at a quick glance)
Somehow can't see it making it here.
|
|
122 posts
|
Post by kirstylovesmusicals on May 7, 2019 22:22:26 GMT
And as a side note, wrap up warm in the Empire theatre, it was bloody freezing! I hope this is not a subtle dig at the male cast during the nude scene! It wasn’t but have to say none of the male cast members have anything to worry about 😝
|
|
|
Post by firefingers on May 7, 2019 22:52:59 GMT
Sorry guys, my phone died and I couldn’t reply back last night. So after 25 mins some music started to play and hippies walked up the side of the stalls and onto the stage standing in a line. Then another hippy came on from the wings and told everyone to leave the stage. Cue another 10 mins of waiting and then the show actually started again with the music but the hippies just walked once from the wings. From what I could gather, the fault was that the house lights in the Empire wouldn’t go off. Think I know how this happened. So house lights at pretty much every venue have a a few ways of being controlled (so that they can be switched on from being on stage, auditorium entrances but also controlled by a lighting desk for the actual show). You have to give control of house lights over to let the lighting desk do it (default being on switches to make easier for cleaners, front of house setting up etc). But before you open the house you'll do a black out check which is essentially where the lighting operator turns off all the lights under his control to ensure they all actually go off (thus proving he can control them). Sounds like house tech hadn't given lighting control of the house lights but they had no time for a black out check so it didn't get picked up. Not having time to do that suggests they are struggling to get the show in in the time allowed. Or maybe someone just messed up. Funny though.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 10, 2019 14:33:29 GMT
|
|
4,361 posts
|
Post by shady23 on May 10, 2019 15:30:46 GMT
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to circumstances beyond our control, tonight's performance of Hair the Musical has been cancelled. All customers are currently being contacted directly by telephone to be given a chance to attend either performance tomorrow.
|
|