540 posts
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Post by freckles on Sept 21, 2016 10:15:56 GMT
Enjoyed this immensley last week, but have been too busy to post.A fun piece with an outstanding cast; three very talented and very funny ladies with great voices. Great to see Lizzie Connolly in a lead role at last, she has impressed me in everything so far, standing out even in minor roles. I loved all three of them and would recommmend catching it before it closes.
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1,192 posts
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Post by Steve on Sept 21, 2016 23:07:15 GMT
Saw this tonight, and absolutely LOVED it! I agree with everything Mallardo said, although perhaps I don't rate the book quite as highly. For me, it's a three star book, with 4 star music and lyrics, and an unmissable 5 star cast. The book trades in archetypes rather than fully realised characters, and certainly isn't as nuanced in it's depiction of the friendship and journey of three women through life, as, say, "Di, Viv and Rose." Nonetheless, I enjoyed this MUCH more than the aforementioned play, as the music and lyrics here are terrific, perfectly pitched between sincerity and camp, transparently aware of the limitations of the archetypes (reactionary, rebel, and control freak), exaggerating those archetypes for comic effect, yet completely sincere about the underlying sentiments of the characters. The reprised numbers, "Mystery" (sung 4 times with variations) and "An Organised Life" (sung three times, with variations) excellently sum up and structure the themes and progression of the characters over time. It is the perfectly cast performers who make this unmissable, however:- Lizzy Connolly has been amusing in her previous West End roles, but heretofore, only her fringe stints in "Jest End" and as the mischievous Calliope in "Xanadu" suggested how laugh-out-loud funny her comic timing and comic exaggerations can be. This is her breakout role, in which she takes an insufferable reactionary archetype of a lead character, Joanne, and alchemically turns her every smallminded utterance into hilarious oneliners. Her solo number, "The Same Old Music," in which she gets rolling drunk, uber judgmental, and heartbreakingly vulnerable, by subtlely incremental degrees, is an absolute tour de force, and had me belly laughing uncontrollably. Ashleigh Gray is astonishing in a different way. Her voice is like a caress. Even singing toe-curlingly awful lyrics about "cute boys with short haircuts," in her own solo, which she is compelled to dumbly repeat one too many times, she broke my heart, with her slow build of passion, and ability to stretch and deepen every sentiment of the song. If a song makes you cry, Ashleigh Gray and her magic voice will make you cry harder. Lauren Samuels was cleverly made the butt of a meta joke about her stint in the "Over the Rainbow" tv show, which flowed naturally from a reference in the musical's lyrics. But somehow, this joke felt unfair, given how far she has come since that tv show. Her ability to embody glacial bitterness, while simultaneously sympathetically suggesting how that ugliness stemmed from a tortured childhood, won me over completely. It's a seriously good dramatic performance, and her schizophrenic turns from ugliness to hope and back again, were beautifully embodied in her rendition of her solo, "Fly into the Future." Overall, due to the limited scope of the book, this production was more simplistic and silly than it could have been, but thanks to some apropos songs, that play on multiple levels (comic, dramatic, meta) and thanks to the best casting of a musical all year, this is one musical that afficionados of musicals should NOT miss! 4 and a half stars.
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1,103 posts
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Post by mallardo on Sept 22, 2016 12:44:19 GMT
Speaking of Lizzy Connolly, she has ben cast in Kaufman and Hart's Once in a Lifetime at the Young Vic. I predict she'll be hilarious.
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3,927 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Sept 22, 2016 18:59:38 GMT
People who have the cast recording, how are the performances on there compared to Trafalgar Studios? I'd like to hear some of the songs again but I'm not sure if I want to hear them sung by a different cast, especially as they might not be as good.
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4,369 posts
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Post by Michael on Sept 22, 2016 19:41:26 GMT
Equally good I'd say.
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Post by freckles on Sept 23, 2016 7:28:51 GMT
Lauren Samuels was cleverly made the butt of a meta joke about her stint in the "Over the Rainbow" tv show, which flowed naturally from a reference in the musical's lyrics I didn't pick that up at all. I remember the line, but didn't read anything into it. Interesting. Me neither, too subtle for me. How did it reference the TV show?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2016 13:22:57 GMT
I noticed more a line about Ashleigh Grey and being "green" or something like that. And several others in the audience noticed too as there was a smile and a few giggles from a couple of people in there.
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Post by charmedjean on Sept 23, 2016 14:06:54 GMT
I noticed more a line about Ashleigh Grey and being "green" or something like that. And several others in the audience noticed too as there was a smile and a few giggles from a couple of people in there. Unfortunately that line has been removed from the show... Ashleigh Gray* Also, if you look really closely, Ashleigh wears a pink flower in her hair #Popular
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2016 14:10:49 GMT
I noticed more a line about Ashleigh Grey and being "green" or something like that. And several others in the audience noticed too as there was a smile and a few giggles from a couple of people in there. Unfortunately that line has been removed from the show... Ashleigh Gray* Thank you for correcting me, I had only just woken up!
And on the subject of the line, that's a shame, I loved that little joke that only some would get hahah.
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1,192 posts
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Post by Steve on Sept 23, 2016 17:02:51 GMT
I didn't pick that up at all. I remember the line, but didn't read anything into it. Interesting. Me neither, too subtle for me. How did it reference the TV show? I'm doubting myself now lol, but here is what I remember: We are introduced to chatty Kathy's fetish for "Over the Rainbow" in her first rendition of "An Organised Life," in which she enthuses about decorating huge rainbows made out of chicken wire, her other fetish. She is chastised for the theme, on the grounds that it doesn't suit a football party. Later, in the show, I think in the book, the girls reminisce about "Over the Rainbow," but instead of Joanne and Mary rolling their eyes at Kathy, it is Kathy and Joanne who roll their eyes at Mary (Lauren Samuels, isolated on stage left), and they stage a big pause of a moment, staring at Mary until the audience laughs, except, the laugh can't be at Mary's expense, since "Over the Rainbow" was Kathy's thing, thus, the laugh must be a meta-easter-egg-of-a-joke at Lauren Samuels, a cheeky reminder at her having appeared in the "Over the Rainbow" tv show. Regardless of whether I'm right or wrong, I'm stocking up on chicken wire at B & Q to make my own rainbows.
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Post by charmedjean on Sept 23, 2016 17:20:12 GMT
Me neither, too subtle for me. How did it reference the TV show? I'm doubting myself now lol, but here is what I remember: We are introduced to chatty Kathy's fetish for "Over the Rainbow" in her first rendition of "An Organised Life," in which she enthuses about decorating huge rainbows made out of chicken wire, her other fetish. She is chastised for the theme, on the grounds that it doesn't suit a football party. Later, in the show, I think in the book, the girls reminisce about "Over the Rainbow," but instead of Joanne and Mary rolling their eyes at Kathy, it is Kathy and Joanne who roll their eyes at Mary (Lauren Samuels, isolated on stage left), In 1964(or 3) Kathy first suggests 'Over The Rainbow' for the football themesong (which happens during the song 'An Organised Life') In 1968, Kathy suggested that they should throw a wedding shower for Joanne and then Mary suggests 'Over The Rainbow' (which she says twice...)
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665 posts
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Post by westendcub on Sept 26, 2016 21:34:23 GMT
Adored this musical this evening, I went in fresh not knowing any numbers and not much about its story (aside from its tag line) and was blown away.
My second time in this space and it's great to be so close and feels almost like you are part of the show.
These three West-End ladies are all in the top of their game here and clearly see they love this show and the characters they play. Lauren was a real highlight really showing her range and Ashleigh stunned with 'Cute boys with short hair cuts'.
This is such a poignant tale about friendship through the years (it has a 'Beaches' vibe at times) and I loved the costumes and props (and wigs) to show the passage of time.
I now must track down a cast recording, tonight was a discovery and do recommend seeing before it closes on Saturday if you can!
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540 posts
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Post by freckles on Sept 27, 2016 9:43:12 GMT
I've been playing the cast recording. Fly into the Future really reminds me of Pulled (in a new direction) from Addams Family.
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Sept 30, 2016 18:15:11 GMT
I saw this yesterday and loved it. The three ladies are such great characters and there's so much humour, warmth and incredible singing thrown in too. What they can do in this small space is astonishing. If you can get to see it you really need to.
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Post by CBP1 on Sept 30, 2016 21:28:10 GMT
I love Lizzy Connolly. That is all.
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Post by theinvisiblegirl on Oct 1, 2016 16:45:04 GMT
I love Lizzy Connolly. That is all. Just saw the show and literally came into this thread to say exactly that!
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Post by showgirl on Oct 1, 2016 16:54:52 GMT
I've just seen it, too - don't know who any of the cast were but was she the wife-and-mother character?
Just as well I gave up my plan to go straight onto Our Ladies, as this show didn't end until nearly 5.15 pm.
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Oct 1, 2016 17:46:05 GMT
Yes, she was the wife with the kids!
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Post by sarahh on Oct 21, 2016 20:39:02 GMT
Hey Vanities Fans, Interval Productions are running a silent auction to raise money for their new British musical, Muted, and have a signed programme by all the Trafalgar Studios Cast up for grabs. If you fancy it, just go to: www.intervalproductions.com/auction and place a bid! Sarah x
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