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Post by viserys on Mar 21, 2018 19:12:34 GMT
www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/NewLondonTheatre.htmThis has a very interesting brochure that shows pretty well how the auditorium worked. I think the coolest bit was that the audience (except those in the first rows on the revolve) would only see the back of the stage when they entered - they didn't see the proper "junkyard" stage until the first rows turned around during the overture. I was lucky enough to see Cats in there a few times and even got a private guided tour by a really nice backstage crew guy once.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 19:17:05 GMT
I’ve asked about this before but I still don’t really get it. What exactly happened with the seats at Cats? Are those seats, to this day, on some sort of mechanical turntable or was this done just for one production? And which seats moved because from being there last year for SoR I couldn’t see how it could happen. Ok. So heres the Auditorium. With the stage in show position. Stage > Thrust > Seats And if you look at the second half of this video (1.35 onwards), pre-show, you can see the front few rows of seats 180degrees around.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 21, 2018 19:31:02 GMT
Ok NOW I get it. Has it been used since Cats?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 21, 2018 20:51:31 GMT
In the tv program much was made of not having the budget to hire the New London. Maybe it would have been cheaper without the moving seats?
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Post by The Matthew on Mar 21, 2018 21:15:43 GMT
Do it on a budget: instead of a huge revolve have the front four rows of the audience pick up their seats and trudge round to the right place before they can sit down.
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Post by Jon on Mar 22, 2018 0:28:34 GMT
No, it hasn't, and I think the mechanism has been partly removed. The original theatre was designed to be "flexible" - they could move walls and there was a massive turntable. When Cats went in, the tyre part and front four rows of seats were built on the turntable. You went in and most of the audience faced a pile of junk. As the overture started, those in the front four rows found themselves moving slowly to the right, and the scenery assembled itself as in the photo above. I assume it's still flexible given that both War Horse and Showboat were done with thrust staging. It's a shame that the New London is such an ugly building but I suspect there isn't much they can do to make it look prettier.
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Post by viserys on Mar 22, 2018 10:04:02 GMT
At least you can watch it. I tried to access the iPlayer yesterday through my VPN and was once more told "Nope, you filthy foreigners cannot watch the BBC, go away"
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2018 10:41:34 GMT
At least you can watch it. I tried to access the iPlayer yesterday through my VPN and was once more told "Nope, you filthy foreigners cannot watch the BBC, go away" The version I tried to watch on iPlayer ended rather abruptly 80mins in so no great loss.
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Post by danb on Mar 22, 2018 10:54:28 GMT
At least you can watch it. I tried to access the iPlayer yesterday through my VPN and was once more told "Nope, you filthy foreigners cannot watch the BBC, go away" The version I tried to watch on iPlayer ended rather abruptly 80mins in so no great loss. I dropped off near the end, but his latter work was really brushed over wasn’t it?
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Post by Phantom of London on Mar 22, 2018 11:05:16 GMT
Michael Billington has done an interesting essay on him and it is clear they don't like each other and Michael doesn't hold his works in too much regards, he seems to be one of these people you either love Sondheim, therefore it is obligatory to hate Webber.
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Post by abitoftap on Mar 22, 2018 11:50:26 GMT
Oh I don’t know tm. I knew nothing about his early life, childhood and the “cuckoo in the nest” situ. It was an odd family which may explain why he’s a bit odd himself. Or the suicide attempt, the interest in architecture, the lone travelling as a 14 year old or the toy theatre Only the suicide hasn't been in any biography before. Even then, I rather objected to all the "stock footage" of old buses etc, without proof the film was even of travelling into Suffolk - could have been any view, anywhere. It just felt lazy. I can't comment on whether the Suffolk bus was a Suffolk bus, but Lavenham was Lavenham and the Whitby footage was Whitby (his NE trip), and as I lived there as a child and youth, seemed to be of the right vintage. I actually thought the archive film was generally pretty good. Not the usual stuff most of the time.
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Post by tysilio2 on Mar 22, 2018 12:49:46 GMT
Maybe it would have been cheaper without the moving seats? Wouldn't have made any difference as the equipment was always there, it was just putting to use what they had - and a great gimmick always sells tickets. I assume it's still flexible given that both War Horse and Showboat were done with thrust staging. Yes, fairly. They put one wall back after "Cats," and as I said, I think some revolve machinery went. the New London is such an ugly building but I suspect there isn't much they can do to make it look prettier. You try finding a 3 tonne tube of lipstick...Try asking Cherie Blair
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Post by CG on the loose on Mar 22, 2018 13:33:23 GMT
In the tv program much was made of not having the budget to hire the New London. Maybe it would have been cheaper without the moving seats? Can't recall if they said in the TV programme so apologies if I'm repeating what you already know, but at the New London event the other week, he explained that they had to guarantee the income to the building's owners for a full two year (I think) period, regardless of whether the show ran or not. It was, until Cats, being used as a TV studio, and they were worried that their business, once lost for the production, would be slow to return if it closed. Hence ALW remortgaging his house!
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Post by TallPaul on Mar 22, 2018 13:56:33 GMT
It's a shame that the New London is such an ugly building Beauty, as the saying goes, is in the eye of the beholder. Rather like Victor Kiam, ALW liked it so much, he bought it, or perhaps he just disliked paying rent to someone else!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2018 14:36:55 GMT
It's a shame that the New London is such an ugly building Beauty, as the saying goes, is in the eye of the beholder. I suspect he was hooked as he looked at the beauty underneath... (I’ve always liked it just because it’s different, and because it brings back great memories of seeing Cats there in the 80s.)
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Post by viserys on Mar 26, 2018 7:53:33 GMT
I'm about half-way through now where he's starting to work on Cats and Tell me on a Sunday.
I can't help wishing that the 4-CD-Box Set had included one CD with some of the demos and obscure songs we've never heard before, which he keeps mentioning (like the one by Elvis he did include on CD) and less of those that are ubiquitous. That would have been a true gem and gift to all his fans.
And it's strange indeed that nothing from The Likes of Us has been included, since this does exist on CD, so should have been easy to add.
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Post by andrew on Mar 30, 2018 14:37:26 GMT
Been given this for my birthday, looking forward to joining in the fun...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2018 16:30:13 GMT
Just had an email with the following info:
LLOYD WEBBER SONGS AS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD THEM! BBC RADIO 2 • THIS WEEKEND This Easter, BBC Radio 2 will broadcast a series of programmes to celebrate the 70th birthday of one of Britain’s most successful composers, Andrew Lloyd Webber.
THE SUPERSTAR STORY • SUNDAY 1 APRIL • 7PM Melanie C will present the story of this hit rock opera from the early seventies that shot Andrew Lloyd Webber to fame. We will see contributions from performers, producers, directors and critics including Tony Hadley, Murray Head, Paul Nicholas, Marcia Hines, Cameron Mackintosh, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber himself.
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER VARIATIONS • MONDAY 2 APRIL • 8PM Various artist have been selected to put their own spin on a Lloyd Webber song of their choice - including Mica Paris, Ronan Keating, Ricky Wilson, The Vamps, Seth Lakeman, Imelda May and loads more!
OTHER PROGRAMMING Jonathan Ross will contribute to the celebrations with Jonathan Ross On Andrew Lloyd Webber on Sunday at 1pm, and Michael Ball will introduce rarely-heard interviews with the composer from the 1970s in Andrew Lloyd Webber at The BBC on Friday at midday.
Happy Easter listening, fellow fans! 🐣
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 30, 2018 17:30:42 GMT
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Post by richey on Mar 30, 2018 17:38:28 GMT
There was another tribute show on Radio 2 earlier today presented by Michael Ball. It was ok but concentrated a lot on his earlier well known work and didn't have anything after Whistle Down the Wind.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2018 16:06:25 GMT
Listened to Jonathan Ross’s interview with ALW. Quite good. Funny moment when Wossy brought up the subject of his works on film. Andrew seemed to think the best was Evita, and that Phantom “wasn’t bad.” Wossy quickly puts him straight. “No... Phantom was awful.” Andrew contradicts him, “Well it wasn’t awful...” Wossy: “Andrew. It was awful.” LOL. There’s talk of someone having a second go at a film of Phantom apparently...
The Patti story came up. Mmm... (He’s quite bitchy about her in the book really.)
Looking forward to the Superstar special later, although Wishing It Wasn’t Somehow Mel C Again...
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Post by latefortheoverture on Apr 2, 2018 19:47:01 GMT
Just had an email with the following info: LLOYD WEBBER SONGS AS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD THEM! BBC RADIO 2 • THIS WEEKEND This Easter, BBC Radio 2 will broadcast a series of programmes to celebrate the 70th birthday of one of Britain’s most successful composers, Andrew Lloyd Webber. THE SUPERSTAR STORY • SUNDAY 1 APRIL • 7PM Melanie C will present the story of this hit rock opera from the early seventies that shot Andrew Lloyd Webber to fame. We will see contributions from performers, producers, directors and critics including Tony Hadley, Murray Head, Paul Nicholas, Marcia Hines, Cameron Mackintosh, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber himself. ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER VARIATIONS • MONDAY 2 APRIL • 8PM Various artist have been selected to put their own spin on a Lloyd Webber song of their choice - including Mica Paris, Ronan Keating, Ricky Wilson, The Vamps, Seth Lakeman, Imelda May and loads more! OTHER PROGRAMMING Jonathan Ross will contribute to the celebrations with Jonathan Ross On Andrew Lloyd Webber on Sunday at 1pm, and Michael Ball will introduce rarely-heard interviews with the composer from the 1970s in Andrew Lloyd Webber at The BBC on Friday at midday. Happy Easter listening, fellow fans! 🐣 Is all of this on BBC Radio 2?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2018 16:12:19 GMT
Yes, available on catch up.
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Post by distantcousin on Apr 3, 2018 20:16:01 GMT
It's a shame that Sunset Boulevard is being so overlooked in all these interviews. I understand that the book (unfortunately) only goes up to Phantom, but it seems School of Rock, Love Never Dies and Stephen Ward are getting more attention!!!
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Post by tmesis on Apr 5, 2018 17:19:09 GMT
I've just finished reading this and I recommend it highly. ALW is very self-aware; he's aware of his talents, but more importantly of his personal short comings and he deals with them with much humour. It's well written and an easy read. Inevitably he deals with many things that are familiar but there are many new nuggets of information and insights. I'm not an ALW fan at all, in fact I'd say I only like about 50% of his output, but I found this book fascinating about the creative process.
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Post by 49thand8th on Apr 5, 2018 17:43:57 GMT
I can't get over the lack of commas. But maybe that's a cultural thing.
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Post by Tibidabo on Jul 14, 2018 7:04:14 GMT
Just been reduced to £5.99 on Amazon - the hardback version. The paperback isn't out until March next year. From what I've seen of it, I can't imagine even the paperback will be small enough to fit into my handbag, so it's probably worth going for this.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2018 7:38:24 GMT
I can't get over the lack of commas. But maybe that's a cultural thing. I'm a big fan of overzealous use of commas, big fan.
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Post by steve10086 on Jul 19, 2018 10:05:35 GMT
Am really enjoying the Cats / Starlight period of his life / the book. Found the earlier life a little bit harder going. He seems to have raided By Jeeves for a lot of the expressions he uses.
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Post by Mark on Nov 21, 2018 21:35:27 GMT
Any idea when we might see "Unmasked Part 2"? Really enjoyed the first volume.
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