749 posts
|
Post by horton on May 28, 2016 13:09:08 GMT
Maybe someone's locked in his dressing room. Oops I didn't say that!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on May 28, 2016 14:34:14 GMT
I am old enough to have seen Michael Crawford in his "heyday". Billy, Fields of Ambrosia, Barnum and Phantom - an extroadinary performer with tons of charisma. Later with Woman in White and Wizard of Oz - less so.
So he is no particular draw for me in this although I fully understand youngsters wanting to see him. The show does not appeal especially, there has been no publicity or buzz for this - I will await reviews on here before I risk going. But I smell a flop I am afraid.
|
|
5,278 posts
|
Post by mrbarnaby on May 28, 2016 19:23:52 GMT
I don't imagine many youngsters know who he even is?!
|
|
2,812 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by couldileaveyou on May 28, 2016 22:12:04 GMT
I don't imagine many youngsters know who he even is?! I think we youngsters know him for originating the title role in Phantom of the Opera
|
|
4,631 posts
|
Post by Phantom of London on May 28, 2016 23:37:51 GMT
Oh Betty.
|
|
|
Post by d'James on May 28, 2016 23:43:06 GMT
I don't imagine many youngsters know who he even is?! I think we youngsters know him for originating the title role in Phantom of the Opera Yeah. Even then though, wasn't the single of the title song sung by someone else? I would recognise him but honestly, I'm not young and I've only really seen him on telly as part of Sport Relief this year. (I only know his singing voice because he recorded a song from Starlight Express.)
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 29, 2016 7:17:39 GMT
The single was sung by Steve Harley of Cockney Rebel. He assumed the role on stage was his, but it all changed when it was revealed that this was the only song in the show that had any pop/rock feel... I remember reading a lengthy article about it in a magazine or newspaper some years ago. He wasn't happy, by all accounts, so I think it's safe to assume he's another one who doesn't send Andy a Christmas card.
Michael Crawford... Surely everyone has heard of him, haven't they? Even if they've not seen him in one of his many theatre roles (wasn't a Vegas show created for him at the MGM Grand? FX or something like that...) they'll have seen him in one of the endless clips of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em on TV.
Oh, and looking forward to The Go-Between next week, although MC wasn't the draw. I loved the original film- a great story, and an even greater score by Michel Legrand, although I dare say we won't be getting of that in it!
|
|
6 posts
|
Post by Scripps on May 29, 2016 9:20:17 GMT
I am old enough to have seen Michael Crawford in his "heyday". Billy, Fields of Ambrosia. Fields of Ambrosia? Perhaps you mean Flowers for Algernon.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 29, 2016 9:28:48 GMT
I am old enough to have seen Michael Crawford in his "heyday". Billy, Fields of Ambrosia. Fields of Ambrosia? Perhaps you mean Flowers for Algernon. An easy slip... Ambrosia was the first song in Billy, wasn't it? Love your avatar, Scripps.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on May 29, 2016 9:46:34 GMT
Oh yes, sorry, Flowers For Algernon! It was a long time ago!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 29, 2016 9:48:54 GMT
Don't be ridiculous. Young people don't buy theatre tickets.
|
|
968 posts
|
Post by TheatreDust on May 29, 2016 10:57:06 GMT
Almost unexpectedly, I saw what ended up being the first preview of this last night. Bought tickets from TKTS about lunchtime. I spent the first 10 minutes thinking "I'm going to hate this" but then really liked it from that point on. It probably helped that I didn't know the source book/films so I was intrigued by the story and discovering where it would end. Michael Crawford as older Leo was on stage for the whole performance and I thought he was perfect - full of pathos and sadness. Presumably this mimics the approach in the films, but I loved the way his protagonist-as-narrator role was incorporated. It could have been gimmicky but you soon accepted him telling the story and very occasionally interacting with his younger self. A large weight of the production also sat on the shoulders of young Leo and the actor playing him was very strong. For a first preview I thought he and the actor playing his friend Marcus gave excellent and (as far as I could tell) faultless performances. The rest of the cast were also very good. The staging is simple but effective; I loved the dreamlike and ethereal quality the whole thing had. I thought the lighting particularly good. At one or two moments there was a touch of the Light Princess in the way Leo was lifted and manipulated by other cast members - but it was subtle. No dance to speak of, but quite a lot of carefully choreographed movement. I guess it is best described as a chamber musical, with a single pianist at a grand piano on stage (which blends in with the set quite well and is used a few times for the younger characters to scramble under). I didn't fall in love with any particular song but it was nice to hear them and particularly when Michael Crawford or Gemma Sutton were singing. The score provided an effective backdrop as the story and emotions built. If I had one gripe it would be... {Slight Spoiler - click to view}that in the final minutes, old Leo meets Marian many years after the original story. At that point she is a grandmother and presumably in her mid to late eighties. They did very little to age Gemma Sutton playing Marian - her voice was unchanged and she was just dressed in darker clothes, perched on a soft stool. I know I should have been able to suspend disbelief, but for that scene I would have chosen to put her in a wheelchair or a more obviously 'aged' chair and then backlit her so that her face and figure was largely obscured. Overall I really enjoyed this - partly because it is so different to anything else currently on the West End. A full standing ovation and Michael Crawford seemed visibly very moved by this.
|
|
5,278 posts
|
Post by mrbarnaby on May 29, 2016 13:54:19 GMT
How olds a youngster anyway? I'm 39 and certainly not a youngster! I don't imagine even if the younger generations know who he is will book to see this on his involvement. He ain't Kit Harington. I don't imagine many youngsters know who he even is?! I think we youngsters know him for originating the title role in Phantom of the Opera
|
|
|
Post by firefingers on May 29, 2016 13:59:13 GMT
24. Know him for Phantom, Wizard of Oz at Palladium and Some Mothers Do 'ave Em. But definitely not a draw to see a show.
|
|
2,812 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by couldileaveyou on May 29, 2016 14:37:07 GMT
20. And I know him for what firefingers mentioned and Hello Dolly movie. And I booked specifically to see him, tbh
|
|
3,766 posts
|
Post by anthony40 on May 29, 2016 14:44:04 GMT
I also know him because the Barnum musical DVD which I've had for many years
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 29, 2016 15:02:37 GMT
How olds a youngster anyway? I'm 39 and certainly not a youngster! I don't imagine even if the younger generations know who he is will book to see this on his involvement. He ain't Kit Harington. I think we youngsters know him for originating the title role in Phantom of the Opera 39? I always assumed you were a lot younger, mrb... Some of these ages are quite revealing.
|
|
5,278 posts
|
Post by mrbarnaby on May 29, 2016 18:20:17 GMT
I'm MUCH younger inside.... I can easily pass for 38. I was young once... Sigh..
|
|
3,766 posts
|
Post by anthony40 on May 29, 2016 18:31:21 GMT
Yeah, I was too. But I wasn't younger in London
|
|
2,812 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by couldileaveyou on Jun 1, 2016 22:57:14 GMT
So, I went to see it tonight. The first act is completely forgettable, the second is considerably better but again not particolarly rememberable. I found the Old Leo to be too obstrusive at time, I would have enjoyed the characters to speak more for themselves. The cast is good, but I didn't enjoy very much the performance of tonight Young Leo. I don't like talking bad of a child actor, but he was so uncharismatic, little Marcus outshone him in every single scene. His voice was quite lovely when he sang the extract from la belle dame sans merci at the beginning of act 2, tho.
I really liked the costumes and the scenery, it's a charming production and I'm glad they were brave enough to stage a chamber musical in the West End, too bad the score is nothing special. It's not a bad musical - I mean, it's not a grotesque monstruosity like wonder.land - it's just forgettable. You see it, you enjoy it, you never think of it again.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2016 23:15:06 GMT
So, I went to see it tonight. The first act is completely forgettable, the second is considerably better but again not particolarly rememberable. I found the Old Leo to be too obstrusive at time, I would have enjoyed the characters to speak more for themselves. The cast is good, but I didn't enjoy very much the performance of tonight Young Leo. I don't like talking bad of a child actor, but he was so uncharismatic, little Marcus outshone him in every single scene. His voice was quite lovely when he sang the extract from la belle dame sans merci at the beginning of act 2, tho. I really liked the costumes and the scenery, it's a charming production and I'm glad they were brave enough to stage a chamber musical in the West End, too bad the score is nothing special. It's not a bad musical - I mean, it's not a grotesque monstruosity like wonder.land - it's just forgettable. You see it, you enjoy it, you never think of it again. Many thanks for this posting You have saved me going to see it Again A thousand thanks
|
|
151 posts
|
Post by gra on Jun 1, 2016 23:22:05 GMT
Also saw it tonight.
Agree that it is charming but rather forgettable. Almost a chamber opera with a few decent songs.
Michael Crawford as the troubled 'older Leo' lurked throughout which, in my opinion, gave the show too much angst.
I preferred the first act and felt the second was too long, particularly towards the end.
|
|
4,594 posts
|
Post by Someone in a tree on Jun 2, 2016 7:03:11 GMT
I'm all for a single piano for a fringe musical but for the West End
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Jun 2, 2016 7:39:21 GMT
I'm all for a single piano for a fringe musical but for the West End Yes, when I heard that the show only had a single piano it really put me off. It just screams - cheap! It's not a Bill Kenwright production is it?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2016 9:26:54 GMT
I'm all for a single piano for a fringe musical but for the West End Yes, when I heard that the show only had a single piano it really put me off. It just screams - cheap! It's not a Bill Kenwright production is it? It is.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Jun 2, 2016 9:52:24 GMT
You're kidding me! I didn't know that! Only one piano makes sense now. LOL
|
|
|
Post by firefingers on Jun 2, 2016 10:46:51 GMT
You're kidding me! I didn't know that! Only one piano makes sense now. LOL But Bill normally fills out the rest of his scores with backing tracks. But for this even doing that is too expensive. Poor Bill has been ill for a while now, so I do wonder how much involvement he has in BKL stuff anyway.
|
|
1,720 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Jun 4, 2016 17:45:24 GMT
45 minutes before curtain up and there's currently the grand total of seven of us waiting to see this in the foyer at the Apollo.
|
|
3,057 posts
|
Post by ali973 on Jun 4, 2016 18:16:46 GMT
45 minutes before curtain up and there's currently the grand total of seven of us waiting to see this in the foyer at the Apollo. Sounds like Love Story. And Show Boat. And Imagine This.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2016 18:17:58 GMT
Except love story was at least a brilliant show
|
|