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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 18, 2017 7:57:05 GMT
Yes we already knew. I'm not getting her in Manchester (good!). I don't think we've established who takes over.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 18, 2017 7:57:58 GMT
If Michelle is "looking forward to doing comedy" what does she think she was doing in Chitty?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2017 7:59:51 GMT
Yes we already knew. I'm not getting her in Manchester (good!). I don't think we've established who takes over. Ah thank you, I wasn't sure if it had been confirmed.
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Post by westendwendy on Jan 18, 2017 8:10:46 GMT
Ooooo interesting to hear on her interview with This Morning that Michelle is only doing the tour for the first 6 weeks. Was this announced already? Do we know who is taking her over yet? Michelle "the singing I'm..... Ok with.... The dancing is not really my thing". Philip; "so the show is about the white slave trade?" Michelle; "yes it's not really PC but it's a lot of fun. Adding that the whole show is under rehearsed (low budget) and she doesn't really know her part if I was the producer or involved in PR I would be furious!!!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2017 8:24:22 GMT
Ooooo interesting to hear on her interview with This Morning that Michelle is only doing the tour for the first 6 weeks. Was this announced already? Do we know who is taking her over yet? Michelle "the singing I'm..... Ok with.... The dancing is not really my thing". Philip; "so the show is about the white slave trade?" Michelle; "yes it's not really PC but it's a lot of fun. Adding that the whole show is under rehearsed (low budget) and she doesn't really know her part if I was the producer or involved in PR I would be furious!!!!! I must admit, usually I am very benefit of the doubt/peace and love regarding promo... but my first thought watching this was "damn, she isn't really selling it well is she?!"
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Post by Mark on Jan 18, 2017 12:56:37 GMT
Overall thought the show was very good. Didn't realise how bizarre the storyline was just from listening to the CD. Joanne was ok, obviously no Sutton Foster with the vocals but her dancing was very good. She just didn't pack a big punch in those big numbers (although this was slightly due to the whole thing not being loud enough). Forget about the boy in particular was a bit of a let down. Other leads very good, Michelle did just fine. Really liked the Jimmy. Some slight sound issues but it was the first preview so understandable.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2017 13:16:59 GMT
Ooooo interesting to hear on her interview with This Morning that Michelle is only doing the tour for the first 6 weeks. Was this announced already? Do we know who is taking her over yet? It's not that interesting Given she has been cast at Park Theatre from 7th march in a play which was done before the musical casting She can't appear in 2 places at the same time
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2017 13:56:37 GMT
Ooooo interesting to hear on her interview with This Morning that Michelle is only doing the tour for the first 6 weeks. Was this announced already? Do we know who is taking her over yet? It's not that interesting Given she has been cast at Park Theatre from 7th march in a play which was done before the musical casting She can't appear in 2 places at the same time Interesting to me love, just cause I didn't know.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2017 13:58:31 GMT
It's not that interesting Given she has been cast at Park Theatre from 7th march in a play which was done before the musical casting She can't appear in 2 places at the same time Interesting to me love, just cause I didn't know. I shall report back soon 👯👯
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2017 22:38:21 GMT
Moderate
Mainly the pauper staging and set let it down
The show doesn't need lavish effects
But the sets should be elegant and classy
The costumes are also a pale imitation of the original WEa and Broadway productions
It's a shame the show didn't fly in London like it did in NY
And I wonder how much of that was down to miscasting Amanda Holden and people wanting to spite her
Michelle Collins gives a truly panto turn bordering on the bizarre but she improved vastly in the second half and Mrs Meers is a very strange role I suppose
The other main cast members are evidently very talented and the singing standard is good the acting fine (as far as goes in this sort of 2D show) and the dancing is excellent possibly better than the original staging
But for me the cheapness of the staging did let down the show
However it was nice to hear the songs again as I think it was one of first "new" musicals I saw when it was actually new back in NY so I have a familiarity with it
Worth seeing if it comes near you
And I will be interested to see who takes over Mrs Meers although I found Michelle Collins morbidly fascinating and it is not such a bad performance She at least knows all her lines which isn't a given these days and given the lack of rehearsals we are lead to believe for this musical
Overall I do love the bizarre and politically incorrect story!
Added- the actor playing Mr Graydon was very good indeed
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Post by theatrefan77 on Jan 19, 2017 8:57:39 GMT
Saw this last night. I thought Joanne Clifton was very good, she's not only an excellent dancer but also a decent singer and dancer. I got the impression the she modeled herself on Sutton Foster's performance in the original production which is not a bad thing, maybe she's been watching her on YouTube.
Michelle Collins on the other hand was IMHO truly awful. She doesn't have any comic timing and delivered her lines in screeches, mumbling most of them. Dreadful performance. Compared to her, Sarah Harding in Ghost gave a masterclass in acting. The rest of the cast were fortunately quite good with top marks for Jimmy, Miss Dorothy, Mazzie and Mr Graydon. It's a very small cast for this kind of production and the stage looks quite empty in the big musical numbers.
The set was cheap and tacky looking, the costumes a mix bag, some ok, some terrible and unflattering. In the first scene Millie's awful dress makes her look like the mad woman in the attic who has just escaped from her captors.
The choreography was good in places. A couple of nice numbers but nothing compared the brilliantly slick work that Rob Ashford did in the original production. Forget About the Boy was a missed opportunity, really ridiculous with all the boys in drag doing the tap dancing, it looked desperate.
Overall, entertaining enough in spite of its many flaws.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Jan 19, 2017 13:35:01 GMT
Michelle Collins on the other hand was IMHO truly awful. She doesn't have any comic timing and delivered her lines in screeches, mumbling most of them. Dreadful performance. Compared to her, Sarah Harding in Ghost gave a masterclass in acting. The casting of Michelle Collins in this really baffles me. I can understand casting Joanne Clifton - I'm sure that her success on Strictly will help ticket sales and it's great that the initial response to her performances is positive. However, would anyone really book primarily to see Michelle Collins? It's a similar situation to the casting of Maureen Nolan on the Footloose tour and Sarah Harding in Ghost. What's the point of casting someone who's unlikely to have any (positive) impact on audience numbers, just because they're a familiar face off TV or in the media, when it only drags the production down and the difference in performance level compared to the rest of the cast is so striking?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 21, 2017 8:43:29 GMT
Because by the time people realise how rubbish these celeb actors are, the tickets are already sold off the back of the name. I imagine.
Also I wonder if there's an element of "oh look, her off the telly is in it, it MUST be good. Let's try it".
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jan 21, 2017 8:56:03 GMT
With the exception of Cindy Beale - terrible at comedy I really enjoyed this production
Joanne Clifton was really good and has a great set of lungs on her. The other principals are also all great
The cast work very hard and really shine in the big dance numbers.
The set is simple but elegant and I also liked it.
Is it just me who finds the inclusion of famous bits of classical music into the score a bit pointless? The remaining score is good and is stands well on its own.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2017 13:03:08 GMT
With the exception of Cindy Beale - terrible at comedy I really enjoyed this production Joanne Clifton was really good and has a great set of lungs on her. The other principals are also all great The cast work very hard and really shine in the big dance numbers. The set is simple but elegant and I also liked it. Is it just me who finds the inclusion of famous bits of classical music into the score a bit pointless? The remaining score is good and is stands well on its own. So sad to be all alone in the world 😂😂😂 I want a recorded clip of her And use it as a phone ring
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Post by staygee on Jan 24, 2017 10:28:43 GMT
Overall thought the show was very good. Didn't realise how bizarre the storyline was just from listening to the CD. Joanne was ok, obviously no Sutton Foster with the vocals but her dancing was very good. She just didn't pack a big punch in those big numbers (although this was slightly due to the whole thing not being loud enough). Forget about the boy in particular was a bit of a let down. Other leads very good, Michelle did just fine. Really liked the Jimmy. Some slight sound issues but it was the first preview so understandable. This review was almost exactly how I felt about the production! I usually am a fan of Racky Plews' work and this didn't disappoint. Overall I had a great time. The only disappointing ones were Joanne and Michelle. Joanne did a good enough job but she didn't have the power on the big moment. Michelle wasn't terrible but she made what is a brilliant role very second-fiddle. I suspect whoever replaces her in a few weeks will sort that out. Loved the Jimmy - I saw Sam Barrett in Moby Dick and was impressed then as well. Jenny Fitzpatrick as Muzzy was a real treat. If it's coming to town I'd give it a shot.
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Post by duncan on Feb 3, 2017 20:59:54 GMT
At the interval, and there is nothing wrong with the show but I'm finding it a struggle. Not sure why, it's just not connecting with me.
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Post by duncan on Feb 3, 2017 22:33:28 GMT
Second half is 1000 times better. Enjoyable fluff by the end. 6/10
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Post by duncan on Feb 3, 2017 23:40:53 GMT
Thoroughly Modern Millie - Playhouse Edinburgh
The first half just didn’t engage with me at all, Not sure why I wasn’t enjoying it as the cast were good and the songs were nice but come the interval I was thinking that this was a dud. The show has within the first 20 minutes or so a bizarre scene of Michelle Collins doing yellowface which is paid off at the end of the scene (where it turns out she is a white American actress who is on the run and is hiding out by pretending to be Japanese) but for 5 minutes or so it came across as a horribly racist attempt to shoehorn in a famous name. I'm not sure if that was why I was having issues with the show for the first 80 minutes or so.
Things were thankfully amped up in the second half as they introduced comedy and the songs started to shine. The minor characters came to the fore as they rescued both the show and the characters who had been kidnapped for the slavery racket and thankfully this made the last hour very entertaining. Although the ending is a massive cop out with a lot of characters interacting in ways that make you think about the happenstance of it all but I'll let it slide because that second half was terrific.
Strictly winner Joanne Clifton is playing Millie, I'm not familiar with her work but here she showed she is certainly more than a dancer.
6/10 - there is potential here but its squandered in a torpid first half.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 4, 2017 9:43:35 GMT
Any info on who is taking over from Collins?
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Feb 5, 2017 10:27:38 GMT
One star review from the Mail on Sunday. Describes the show as "a thoroughly past-it Millie" which hits rock bottom with "Michelle Collins's squawking". Ouch.
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Post by theatremadness on Feb 7, 2017 16:33:52 GMT
Just gonna plant a little (slightly informed) seed that maybe the next Mrs Meers might be male. Has that been done before?
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Post by groupbooker on Feb 8, 2017 0:57:08 GMT
Perhaps it's Craig Revel Horwood - then he could have the entire cast sing, dance and play musical instruments all at the same time!! Wonderful!
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Post by lou105 on Feb 11, 2017 9:38:31 GMT
Any info on who is taking over from Collins? It looks like they've taken the first night in York off sale (Feb 27th). I think that's about the right time for the replacement to be starting, so I'm wondering if they've dropped a performance for a rehearsal day? Still no name.
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Post by zsazsa on Feb 11, 2017 9:48:39 GMT
I saw this on Thursday. I was impressed with Joanne Clifton as Millie although she tends to over gesture during her ballads. Sam Barrett sings the role of Jimmy beautifully. One of the biggest applauses of the night was for Jenny Fitzpartick's rendition of 'Only In New York.'
The audience also loved Graham MacDuff as Trevor but for me I felt at times he was milking it a bit too much.
Michelle Collins is definitely the weak link. Her performance comes across as a celeb who has been thrown into a panto with just a day's rehearsal.
For just an 8 piece band the music still sounded quite full. I do suspect there was some click tracking going on.
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Post by ianm on Feb 11, 2017 13:43:18 GMT
Any info on who is taking over from Collins? It looks like they've taken the first night in York off sale (Feb 27th). I think that's about the right time for the replacement to be starting, so I'm wondering if they've dropped a performance for a rehearsal day? Still no name. As the first night (Monday 30 January) of the run in Edinburgh was also cancelled, I suspect it is more likely to be for technical reasons to do with the get in.
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Post by lou105 on Feb 11, 2017 14:04:56 GMT
Fair enough. York is notorious for limited space, I believe. I haven't booked but I'm wondering if they will now offer the more generous Members' first night discount on the Tuesday instead!
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Post by ianm on Feb 11, 2017 14:12:44 GMT
Fair enough. York is notorious for limited space, I believe. I haven't booked but I'm wondering if they will now offer the more generous Members' first night discount on the Tuesday instead! Doubt it. In Edinburgh they honoured the first night discount when transferring a previouly purchased ticket to the new opening night, but the website still showed the original second night prices for those still to buy a ticket. Worth asking at the Box Office though, as the Tuesday has now become the opening night.
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Post by aldolpho on Feb 13, 2017 14:40:18 GMT
Saw the show on Saturday evening. Generally impressed with the cast and some really lovely stuff going on in the numbers and the scenes. Joanne was great and Katherine Glover (as Dorothy) and Graham MacDuff (Graydon) were standouts.
Two main issues: Michelle Collins was well below par as Meers. Part of the blame lies with her (for example, knowing her lines /lyrics and singing in tune would be a start) but surely the director should have intervened before allowing such a performance to hit the stage.
Secondly I was underwhelmed by the band. It should have rocked along nicely despite the small number of players, but virtually every number had a click track (not for vocals but for additional recorded instruments). As such the live band were essentially "playing along" - they all had headsets in - and the MD wasn't even conducting from Keys 1. The whole thing was very bland and uninvolving from a musical perspective to be honest, and such a sharp contrast to the last UK tour which had a fabulous 10 piece fully live band which brought so much more energy to the show.
There was a tech issue on Saturday night - think it was with the MD's keyboard - which caused a show stop within the first minute during the opening number.
Enjoyable show but could have been so much better.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2017 20:48:33 GMT
Collins finishes her run next Saturday. Still no new Mrs Meers?
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