|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2017 10:50:01 GMT
I'm calling it now, no joke, Half a Sixpence's closing night gave a Wicked cast change a run for its money! It was deafening! 4 standing ovations and numerous bursts of applause throughout scenes, not must songs, it was insane! But so deserved! And two rows of people standing at the back of the Upper, they crammed people in!
|
|
2,763 posts
|
Post by daniel on Sept 5, 2017 12:47:57 GMT
A13/14 and A35/36 are available online at £31.75 each for tonight - I can't remember the last time I saw unsold day seats online, and it's a surprise given that tonight is press night!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Sept 5, 2017 14:23:50 GMT
A13/14 and A35/36 are available online at £31.75 each for tonight - I can't remember the last time I saw unsold day seats online, and it's a surprise given that tonight is press night! The crazies are all back at school so can't queue from 6am everyday now!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2017 16:00:51 GMT
Alice now has new holiday dates for September, November and January on the website! Glad to see she will get some rest before her inital holiday dates!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2017 16:54:59 GMT
Just collected my ticket for tonight and am shocked to see no superfans at stage door as they seem to be there around the clock!
No one got to witness Sophie attempt to take a photo of her friend and drop her phone! She coulda got a new one if any of them saw it! 😅
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2017 17:01:32 GMT
Just collected my ticket for tonight and am shocked to see no superfans at stage door as they seem to be there around the clock! No one got to witness Sophie attempt to take a photo of her friend and drop her phone! She coulda got a new one if any of them saw it! 😅 They could have stalked her friend to get to Sophie.
|
|
4,361 posts
|
Post by shady23 on Sept 5, 2017 17:18:54 GMT
Just collected my ticket for tonight and am shocked to see no superfans at stage door as they seem to be there around the clock! No one got to witness Sophie attempt to take a photo of her friend and drop her phone! She coulda got a new one if any of them saw it! 😅 And you are there reporting for us all in the name of "research" I expect?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2017 17:21:18 GMT
Just collected my ticket for tonight and am shocked to see no superfans at stage door as they seem to be there around the clock! No one got to witness Sophie attempt to take a photo of her friend and drop her phone! She coulda got a new one if any of them saw it! 😅 And you are there reporting for us all in the name of "research" I expect? When there are no fans at stage door 2 hours before the performance, its worth reporting! That never happens 😂😂
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Sept 5, 2017 17:53:26 GMT
A quick twitter stalk and the crazies are definitely in watching....... maybe they're in Pret charging their phones!
|
|
4,361 posts
|
Post by shady23 on Sept 5, 2017 18:30:12 GMT
I love media nights and the "stars" on the green carpet. "Oh Shiz.... A fitness blogger has just arrived!" Twitter world "in that case, I must buy a ticket immediately"
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Sept 5, 2017 18:34:55 GMT
They're on fire tonight with Linda whatsherface off of birds of a feather and Amanda Barrie off of Corrie! Wow!
|
|
4,361 posts
|
Post by shady23 on Sept 5, 2017 18:43:00 GMT
Oh is Linda Robson there? She's always there! Though she is a Kerry Ellis fangirl at heart. Aren't we all 😂
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Sept 5, 2017 19:01:55 GMT
Though she is a Kerry Ellis fangirl at heart. Aren't we all 😂 No dear...
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2017 20:02:32 GMT
Rosa on for Nessa again, Sarah clearly does no cast change or press nights haha!
Jack is a great Boq, very natural.
Bradley has a fabulous voice.
Melanie is so fabulous and sassy she's great.
Alice is better than expected. But she isn't unique or special in any way. She's great, she does the role fine. I wish shed just sign as well, rather than riff her way through a whole song. She even riffed during I'm Not That Girl, who does that?!
Sophie on the other hand... how did she get this role?! I mean really, her voice is beautiful but she stops just short of the end of the notes, when she sings high she looks in pain and she hasn't got a funny bone in her body! None of the jokes are really landing for me and clearly no one around me. I mean, she's good, just a bit of a shame!
Good show though, will hopefully be reviewed well for them!
|
|
4,361 posts
|
Post by shady23 on Sept 5, 2017 20:17:35 GMT
Sarah is out with a long term injury!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2017 20:19:12 GMT
Sarah is out with a long term injury! Me and daniel suspected this, as she wasn't at the cast change either. Main thing, keep Sophie her contract, give her a year to improve or bump her out.
|
|
4,361 posts
|
Post by shady23 on Sept 5, 2017 20:21:56 GMT
Ouch! Brutal! 😂
|
|
4,361 posts
|
Post by shady23 on Sept 5, 2017 20:24:26 GMT
I've heard a few mention the humour, or lack of. I've not seen her yet so can't really comment.
Though if you've seen Dianne Pilkington in Young Frankenstein, there is an example of someone who can slay the humour time and time again.
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Sept 5, 2017 20:32:46 GMT
Sarah is out with a long term injury! Me and daniel suspected this, as she wasn't at the cast change either. Main thing, keep Sophie her contract, give her a year to improve or bump her out. I think she's only doing a year anyway, as she's signed up for that Celebrity Cruise that BurlyBeaR was organising a cabin for!
|
|
18,805 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 5, 2017 20:41:44 GMT
Just one? That would be a squash!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2017 20:59:59 GMT
Thank you danieljohnson14 for the review! I've only really seen the crazies saying how great the cast are, it's nice to hear an honest opinion! You didn't really miss much with Sarah, she was very lackluster when I saw her! 🤔
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2017 22:21:46 GMT
Well whoever cast Sophie in this needs shooting, they really do. Beautiful voice, but wooden acting and not one single laugh. The audience laughed at Alice more, it was just embarassing. And its sad because Sophie is so talented, shes just not Glinda. Shes fine in the role, she gets through it and god loves a trier! Alice was fine. She riffed a bit too much where it didn't fit, and her afting in Act 2 was a tad questionable but she sang the role well and did fine. Love Jack, Bradley and Melanie... this is a year for supporting actors sadly at Wicked. Good show, enjoyed it and generally the cast did well. Wanna see Laura Pick, and I'll give both girls a second chance because I wanna see if Sophie especially improves.
|
|
2,763 posts
|
Post by daniel on Sept 5, 2017 22:33:32 GMT
Just got in from the show...my thoughts:
Alice Fearn - credit where credit is due, she's very good. No Good Deed was by far her strongest song. Her acting is very very good. I like Elphabi who really act through their singing - Alice for me was the first to really do that since Nikki DJ. Of course that's not to say that the others don't act during their songs, of course they do, but there's a certain something that I can't quite put my finger on that makes me connect to an Elphaba's act/singing, and it's only really been Nikki and now Alice that I've felt that. That said, before this turns into a 5* review of Alice (which it isn't), she has some serious downfalls to her performance which really bugged me. First up, the r**fs. They worked fine in No Good Deed, it suits the song and the general mood, Elphaba is on a bit of a mad one so it makes sense. But all through the show it felt she was chucking in riffs at every possible moment. Keep it in a concert please. Some of them ("flying solo" during DG comes to mind) really jarred, and broke the flow for me. It's really quite frustrating as she has a bloody good voice. If she'd sang the part to score, and literally just belted the crap out of it, she'd probably be getting plaudits from me. The other thing that bugged me was that at times I felt she was rushing. The most memorable was during the cat fight scene - she was jumping ahead of Glinda so much so that she couldn't even finish her lines. Obviously I know the show, but I wonder if it would be confusing for a first timer. So, summary of Alice Fearn - she's good. Very good. But a few things stopping her from being great. I know everyone loves a good Elphaba ranking, Alice sits in the middle, somewhere between Willemijn/Louise and Jemma Alexander.
Now, Sophie Evans. Dear oh dear. I don't want to be disrespectful, but she's so woefully miscast in this. She has a lovely voice and can clearly act, but she just is not funny. All of the humour was so forced. I just couldn't get on board with it. Generally wooden performance. Her Thank Goodness was very strong vocally, but I would say that all of her other songs where somewhat under par. Even in the opening number, she was cutting lines short. Sadly under par, and probably the weakest Glinda I've seen.
Bradley Jason is a very good Fiyero. Probably the strongest vocally we've had, I'm still not 100% sure on some of his acting. He can be a bit shouty at times, which part of me likes and part of me doesn't. A good addition to the cast overall I'd say.
Boq - no idea who the actor was, but he was just a standard Boq. Nothing new, nothing special and nothing bad. Just like most Boq's before him!
Really liked the new Wizard, it's always nice when we get one who can actually sing. Still miss Clive Carter though all these years later.
Melanie La Barrie a very good Morrible. Not as scary as Sue Kelvin but a heck of a lot sassier. I liked it.
Orchestra a little ropey tonight sadly. I love the score, but there were a good few blips through the show, and I swear the timing was briefly out during the flying section at the end of Act I.
All in all, the new cast are good. Just good. I don't think that they're going to provide a much needed injection of energy like the 10th anniversary cast did, but it's still early days. I will try and head black later in their contract to see if there's been any change in the performances.
|
|
|
Post by singularsensation10 on Sept 5, 2017 23:23:24 GMT
Just on the tube home from the cast party (yup, I know. My inner 14 year old self was dying) so first chance I've had to properly debrief.
My main thoughts are that the cast as a whole is pretty strong, the show is in great shape heading into its 12th year etc etc etc...
Bradley looks super short but actually both of the girls are pretty tall so they're all the same size. That's all I could think of with him - his voice is fine, his acting was fine, he's pretty fit and looks good with a manbun, but looks short next to the girls.
Sophie - I either LOVED her or HATED her. No in between. Her voice is very sweet but has a thin timbre. I think with the show having been open for such a long time, we are now getting into the terriory of actresses (namely Sophie) just becoming a derivation of previous actresses to play the role. It was almost like "ok I've got a funny line coming up so I'll have to turn my head and deliver it to the audience" kind of thing. Also her Welsh accent came out twice, when she said "that Winkie prince whose reputation" and "gratitution" both said with her accent. Didn't love her, didn't hate her. She's certainly very young.
Alice. Holy mother of Jesus that girl can act. Everything was so believable. I believed every word she said. Her voice is like silk which is even more stunning when juxtaposed with her acting. Her act 1 Elphaba shows more geekiness and vulnerability than I've ever seen, and then we follow her journey to her strong, pissed off act 2 Elphaba. Her acting is even better than her vocals which is saying something as her singing is so effortlessly incredible. There have been a few comments about her vocal technique and that her voice will be ruined by the end of her run? Nah. Not this girl. She's got her technique down to a T and is singing it with ease and clarity. Incredibly placed and thought out on her part.
Few things I noticed - the comments about it being UnlimiTED? Not anymore, it's 100% unlimiTID, almost to the point of a charicature. Ensemble mics were turned up far too loud. Melanie Le Barrie sounds like she's from Birmingham - I like the dress though (especially made for black skin tone) The posh seats in the middle are incredible. No wonder they're worth £90+. Amazing view, amazing sound. I don't think ticket prices should be that high but they are certainly premium. Anyone that hasn't seen alice yet - please go and see for yourself how effortless her vocals are, and how believable her acting is.
Ps Carina's pregnant!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2017 0:31:00 GMT
I'm clearly in a minority over Alice's acting. It was fine, if a bit hammy for me, but each to their own! Also two things to note. During the Sentimental Man Reprise with the Mother and Salesman in the background, there was no vocals at all, which made for a very awkward moment of silence with them just dancing before that little piece of music comes in! And when did they change the curtain call so that Fiyero bows last before the girls rather than the Wizard? Is it a recent change with this cast?
|
|
2,763 posts
|
Post by daniel on Sept 6, 2017 0:36:48 GMT
I'm clearly in a minority over Alice's acting. It was fine, if a bit hammy for me, but each to their own! Also two things to note. During the Sentimental Man Reprise with the Mother and Salesman in the background, there was no vocals at all, which made for a very awkward moment of silence with them just dancing before that little piece of music comes in! And when did they change the curtain call so that Fiyero bows last before the girls rather than the Wizard? Is it a recent change with this cast? Re Sentimental Man reprise - my guess is that it was an issue with the recorded vocals! Re the bows - in all the times I've seen the show I can't say I've ever noticed who bows when other than the girls being last!
|
|
488 posts
|
Post by AliceFearnFan2212 on Sept 6, 2017 1:53:53 GMT
CARINAS PREGNANT!?!?!?!?!?!?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2017 5:37:46 GMT
I'm clearly in a minority over Alice's acting. It was fine, if a bit hammy for me, but each to their own! Also two things to note. During the Sentimental Man Reprise with the Mother and Salesman in the background, there was no vocals at all, which made for a very awkward moment of silence with them just dancing before that little piece of music comes in! And when did they change the curtain call so that Fiyero bows last before the girls rather than the Wizard? Is it a recent change with this cast? Re Sentimental Man reprise - my guess is that it was an issue with the recorded vocals! Re the bows - in all the times I've seen the show I can't say I've ever noticed who bows when other than the girls being last! I assumed the same. It was an awkward moment haha. Well usually its Fiyero that bows, followed by The Wizard. The reason it was designed that way was because of Joel Grey being in the Original Cast, as he is a big star on Broadway and blah but I'm pretty sure this was the first time I noticed in London that Fiyero was the last of the Support cast was right. Totally right of course, because he is the leading man!
|
|
1,905 posts
|
Post by LaLuPone on Sept 6, 2017 6:11:55 GMT
Re Sentimental Man reprise - my guess is that it was an issue with the recorded vocals! Re the bows - in all the times I've seen the show I can't say I've ever noticed who bows when other than the girls being last! I assumed the same. It was an awkward moment haha. Well usually its Fiyero that bows, followed by The Wizard. The reason it was designed that way was because of Joel Grey being in the Original Cast, as he is a big star on Broadway and blah but I'm pretty sure this was the first time I noticed in London that Fiyero was the last of the Support cast was right. Totally right of course, because he is the leading man! When I saw the show on Broadway in August, The Wizard bowed first and then Fiyero. I assumed it was that Ashley Parker Angel wasn't ready or something but it obviously must be a change they've put into all the productions recently. Odd to randomly do it now.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2017 10:17:00 GMT
All 214 times I've seen the show the Wizard has gone last, but I've been saying for years (maybe even on this board actually) that it should be Fiyero, so I'm glad if they've finally changed it. I'm also glad Carina's pregnant because it's the only valid reason for her turning up to work but not actually doing her job for the last few months. Sophie Linder-Lee to cover her maternity leave please? Hope everyone had a fun time. I'm still yet to see this cast but am glad to hear that Alice is still slaying (I've heard a couple of superfan reviewers online declare her their favourite Elphaba which is a pleasant surprise) and I'm glad that even if they're a little unremarkable across the board, the new lot are doing a good enough job. Really tired of hearing everyone talk about how Wicked is flying into its eleventh spellbinding year. It flew into its eleventh year after the 10th anniversary performance on 27th September 2016. Everyone else is just out of date.
|
|