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Post by fiyero on May 14, 2019 17:08:40 GMT
I spotted the cocktails when I went a couple of weeks back, I was more taken aback by the downstairs bar being fully reserved for VIPs - not sure Us and Them is in the spirit of the show?
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Post by sf on May 14, 2019 17:45:01 GMT
I spotted the cocktails when I went a couple of weeks back, I was more taken aback by the downstairs bar being fully reserved for VIPs - not sure Us and Them is in the spirit of the show?
Half the downstairs bar was open to us unwashed (metaphorically, I am of course always pristine) plebs on Saturday afternoon, and half of it was not-very-subtly curtained off. Also tacky, but not as tacky as the cocktails.
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Post by squidward on May 14, 2019 19:03:02 GMT
This must be a very dark joke surely? And what/whom is Mordcha? Has the perpetrator of said joke struggled to spell Mordechai perhaps? I can't imagine even Mr Moneybags of Menier fame would consent to something as low as this. What next? Audience selfies atop the carts being pushed out of Anatevka? I'mu utterly gobsmacked and just hoping that this isn't actually a real thing.
Mordcha is the innkeeper, and I'm afraid this is absolutely real. I took the picture in the theatre before the show on Saturday afternoon.
Well in all my years of listening to Fiddler (i was practically raised listening to the soundtrack on repeat) and seeing various different productions, I never knew the innkeeper had that name. You learn something new every day. I hope someone puts in a complaint to ATG/Menier/SFP about this appallingly tasteless money-spinner Honestly, it's like something Chris Morris would have thought-up for his TV show 'Brass Eye' (Sutcliffe -The Musical anyone?). Shame on whoever came up with this idea and the people who went along with it and good work for pointing it out sf.
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Post by Gregor on May 16, 2019 19:35:32 GMT
It now seems Judy Kuhn is finishing on Saturday 8 June, with Maria Friedman starting on Tuesday 18 June?
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on May 16, 2019 19:42:35 GMT
This is so disappointing. I booked for the 15th June a little while ago before the cast change announcement and was so relieved I'd just catch her but now I'm going to miss her anyway? Hopefully it's some kind of mistake.
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Post by alece10 on May 16, 2019 19:56:37 GMT
Who is doing the performances inbetween?
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Post by Oleanna on May 16, 2019 20:38:39 GMT
Judy Kuhn will also not be appearing 29th May through June 1st.
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Post by Someone in a tree on May 16, 2019 22:05:06 GMT
It now seems Judy Kuhn is finishing on Saturday 8 June, with Maria Friedman starting on Tuesday 18 June? We need a dislike button
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Post by TallPaul on May 17, 2019 12:45:00 GMT
Judy Kuhn will also not be appearing 29th May through June 1st. Guess who is going on 30 May, mainly, though not wholly, to see Judy Kuhn?
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Post by Oleanna on May 17, 2019 13:49:43 GMT
Judy Kuhn will also not be appearing 29th May through June 1st. Guess who is going on 30 May, mainly, though not wholly, to see Judy Kuhn? I feel your pain, I’m the same with June 1st!
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Post by alece10 on May 17, 2019 14:50:46 GMT
Guess who is going on 30 May, mainly, though not wholly, to see Judy Kuhn? I feel your pain, I’m the same with June I'm not having much luck that weekend. No Leyton in Jamie and now no Judy in this. Fortunately the person I'm taking doesn't know who either of them are so it wont matter for her.
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Post by missthelma on May 25, 2019 12:08:25 GMT
It amazes me that I have reached the age of XX (redcated due to sensitive nature) and never seen a live version of Fiddler. I've seen the film many times and it seems the kind of thing I would have been dragged to as a child but clearly not.
This is a wonderful production and one I enjoyed far more than I thought I would. It's certainly long but completely flew by. The Playhouse Theatre looks fabulous and was a real surprise to me, in terms of the effort made and how effective it is. It works really well how they have staged it. The music is of course marvellous and I had forgotten how many of the songs I knew. All the performances were good but I didn't think the daughters made as much of an impression as their suitors which unbalanced it a little bit.
Not sure if this is a spoiler but it's hands down the most depressing second act I've ever sat through which dampened my enthusiasm a little as at the interval I was on such a high. Reading this morning though that they actually 'lightened' the ending from the original source. Probably wise
I was in one of the £20 back row of the stalls seats (Row N) which are superb value, two of the three have no issues but the third is probably best for people about the rough height of Kristin Chenoweth.
I do think it's a shame that Judy Kuhn barely sings in this, given her majestic voice, but hey that's the role and I'm glad to have seen her live. I would say that to people who have booked for her (as I partly did) that you wont be missing out on much from her. They have her CD's for sale but I can't see people rushing to buy them given the paucity of her singing parts in this. Ah well, I'll stick with my video of Passion and my CD's of her. And hope she does another concert before she jets back to US
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Post by latefortheoverture on May 25, 2019 19:57:48 GMT
Do we deffo know Judy is off on Tuesday? Was gonna go mainly to catch her.
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Post by dippy on May 25, 2019 20:40:46 GMT
As mentioned above I think she's meant to be doing Tuesday:
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Post by latefortheoverture on May 25, 2019 21:20:11 GMT
Thank you!
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Post by showtoones on May 26, 2019 0:46:05 GMT
Is this show going to extend past September?
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Post by xanady on May 31, 2019 9:04:22 GMT
Saw this with my daughter this week in stalls G row in the middle-great seats! Wow! We both loved the immersive style of the show and I am glad we were in the stalls as you really do feel part of the action.Met Andy Nyman at stage door.What an absolutely lovely guy....he told my daughter about how the story resonates with him because of his own family heritage.A very humble guy who it was a pleasure to meet!
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Post by TallPaul on May 31, 2019 9:46:24 GMT
I didn't realise that our very own @theatremonkey had been drafted in to update the book, rather like Stephen Fry did with Me and My Girl.
"You want hair, marry a monkey."
You'll be pleased to learn, TM, that the two young women to my left found almost every line hilarious. 🤣
A production of two halves, I thought. Completely agree with the previous posts about accents. Very powerful ending.
Seems to be selling well, unlike its closest theatrical neighbour. It's hardly a half-term treat, so that can't be the reason (though there were a smattering of bored kiddiwinks). Although not quite as long as the security queue, the number of people waiting outside the Box Office would suggest that, despite the usual matinee demographic 👵, many had booked last minute, using modern technology.
I hope there weren't any pushers-in. 😉
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Post by alece10 on Jun 1, 2019 7:10:05 GMT
Saw this last night from the bargain £20 seats stalls N18 and N19. Leg room pretty bad but I took N18 and kind of sat sideways which meant I could put my legs under the seat in front and there is no rake so had so do a lot of moving from side to side to avoid the head in front of me. As there is no one behind you it means that you aren't disturbing anyone behind. Love what they have done with the stalls and makes it quite immersive. I dont think I enjoyed it as much as at the Menier which, because of its size, made the whole experience more intimate. Judy Kuhn was off and he understudy was nowhere near as good but she played the part fine. Standing ovation from the stalls at the end. No merch at all apart from programme and so couldn't get my fridge magnet which I now collect instead of mugs and, more bizarrely, they dont sell ice cream at the interval only "freshly made bagels!!!" Which no one seemed to buy. I know its Russia and Jewish and all that but I think it's a very strange sales decision. They were even trying to flog them as we came out. All in all a nice evening.
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Post by TallPaul on Jun 1, 2019 9:42:06 GMT
They were selling ice cream on Thursday afternoon, and doing a roaring trade because it was so hot. I was surrounded by people still noisely scraping their tubs five minutes into Act 2!
Perhaps they'd sold out? They'll be furious at ATG head office. ☹
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Post by pianowithsam on Jun 1, 2019 10:44:09 GMT
Saw this last night from the bargain £20 seats stalls N18 and N19. Leg room pretty bad but I took N18 and kind of sat sideways which meant I could put my legs under the seat in front and there is no rake so had so do a lot of moving from side to side to avoid the head in front of me. As there is no one behind you it means that you aren't disturbing anyone behind. Love what they have done with the stalls and makes it quite immersive. I dont think I enjoyed it as much as at the Menier which, because of its size, made the whole experience more intimate. Judy Kuhn was off and he understudy was nowhere near as good but she played the part fine. Standing ovation from the stalls at the end. No merch at all apart from programme and so couldn't get my fridge magnet which I now collect instead of mugs and, more bizarrely, they dont sell ice cream at the interval only "freshly made bagels!!!" Which no one seemed to buy. I know its Russia and Jewish and all that but I think it's a very strange sales decision. They were even trying to flog them as we came out. All in all a nice evening. Freshly made bagels!! Lol, made me laugh.
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Post by xanady on Jun 1, 2019 11:14:54 GMT
Freshly made bagels are actually referenced in the show itself when a market trader approaches a few audience members just off the central walkway,myself included.I declined as I had just had eaten al fresco in the Embankment Gardens lol.
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Post by squidward on Jun 1, 2019 13:56:22 GMT
As if the Pogrom/Shtetl based cocktails weren’t enough of an embarrassment, now they’re selling bagels? Classy move Mr Babani & his ATG cohorts.
I very much doubt The Barbican will be offering a Last Supper meal deal during their JCS run.
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Post by Oleanna on Jun 1, 2019 16:45:36 GMT
Fresh bagels are offered at all ATG venues.
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Post by showtoones on Jun 1, 2019 20:20:44 GMT
I very much doubt The Barbican will be offering a Last Supper meal deal during their JCS run. Free carafe of wine with every pitcher of water purchased. Buy one tuna sandwich, get 4,999 free. If you are going for tasteless, you may as well get it right, I guess. They’ll give out chocolate wafers and have a confession available in the back before the Sunday matinee. Killing two birds with one stone (pun intended)
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Post by latefortheoverture on Jun 4, 2019 23:22:02 GMT
Very glad I went to see this before Judy Khun leaves. A stunning production, that was my first introduction to Fiddler.
The set and lighting worked extremely well to give this piece a lot of emotion I felt. I'm not normally a big lover of static sets, but in this case, it did the trick. Loved the water pump! The whole stalls auditorium was themed beautifully, making me feel as though I was sat in the middle of Anatevka.
Managed to get 2 row H seat's in the stalls for £34 each thanks to dynamic pricing. Perfect view but oh my lord the legroom was shocking!!! Has to be one of the worst in the West End, surely! I'm 6' 3" and really did struggle, but surprisingly it didn't hinder my enjoyment of it what so ever. The 100-minute first act flew by.
Judy Khun was my standout and I agree is terribly underused singing wise, but makes up for it acting. Maria has got a lot to live up to hear! Andy Nyman also great as Tevye, couldn't fault him. The girls who played the 3 daughters had stunning and soaring voices between them. Molly Osbourne as Tzeitel was amazing. I noticed some real nuances in scenes, and one particular scene, can't remember when but in the second act, I was transfixed by her. She drew me in and showed real emotion to the serious scene being played out in front of her. A really talented woman, can't wait to see what she does next!
All the cast are great actors and singers, but with the exception of a few of the leading cast, don't seem to know which accent to do! Did anyone else notice this? Seems as if Golde, Tevye, one of the daughters, the tailor's son and the matchmaker had the same, sort of Yiddish/English accent. Others were American, Irish, one sounded Dutch another strangely Australian! Shame as all acted and sung wonderfully.
Many in tears by the end of it- I got choked up! A really beautiful gem, of an old classic musical!
Bagels at the interval caught me off guard- who in ATG thought that would be fun!
Also worth adding that I am now on team no sweeties or plastic wrappers in the theatre! I don't know what the woman near the front had but my lord she rattled her plastic from start to end, through every scene and song. Can't believe nobody said any, or no FOH said anything. I've not heard anything quite like it!!!
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Post by theatregeek on Jun 10, 2019 10:32:11 GMT
Well I survived my experience of being inside a little house in Anatevka on Saturday - just! I almost pooped my pants when a cast member entered my box (steady) and started acting with me and went on stage through my window! As latefortheoverture said above, some of the nuances were terrific and being in the stalls box I actually heard the actors speaking in crowd scenes and trust me, everything was Anatevka-related. No "fancy a beer after this show?" Etc etc. I loved being in those seats but I did miss a lot of the action because people were standing in front of me a lot so I didn't see who was speaking/singing etc, and I never saw the fiddler until the end and back wall of the set at all. I would definitely go back but take a normal stalls seat next time. Agree with the accents being all over the place but then again, I don't know what a Russian/Jewish accent is supposed to sound like anyway so it didn't spoil it for me. Judy Kuhn - what a pro, she oozed class and experience and Andy Nyman brought so much more to Tevye than I've seen in the past. Oh and Far From The Home I Love crept up on me and got me sobbing - I forgot how sad that part was. Great to see it revived so well.
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Post by Stasia on Jun 10, 2019 13:52:00 GMT
Speaking of accents, I seriously don't get why English-speaking people expect Russian accents from the characters, who are supposed to be Russian (in this case - Russian Empire citizens, but there were the same talks about Chernobyl series).
Obviously, these characters were not talking in English! So they may have whatever accent the director likes and you just have to suspend your disbelief as they are not actually Russian/Jewish and only ACT... I do understand when you are waiting for a believable accent from someone in Jamie who is supposed to be from Sheffield, or from American character... But why expect Russian accents? Why mock Russian accents? In most cases, it actually looks rather offensive (although Fiddler does have a nice use of Russian which I personally approve, so this is more of a general thought).
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Post by theatregeek on Jun 10, 2019 16:11:58 GMT
Speaking of accents, I seriously don't get why English-speaking people expect Russian accents from the characters, who are supposed to be Russian (in this case - Russian Empire citizens, but there were the same talks about Chernobyl series). Obviously, these characters were not talking in English! So they may have whatever accent the director likes and you just have to suspend your disbelief as they are not actually Russian/Jewish and only ACT... I do understand when you are waiting for a believable accent from someone in Jamie who is supposed to be from Sheffield, or from American character... But why expect Russian accents? Why mock Russian accents? In most cases, it actually looks rather offensive (although Fiddler does have a nice use of Russian which I personally approve, so this is more of a general thought). I know what you are saying - that's why I said it doesn't bother me - but I am Scottish and it can be offensive hearing a lot of the attempts actors make at a generic Scottish accent.
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Post by latefortheoverture on Jun 10, 2019 17:45:39 GMT
To me, it didn't seem like they'd been told what accent to do! The leading cast had around the same accent, couldn't tell what 'it' was, but most of the supporting cast must've been reign by Sir Trev from the sounds of it!
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