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Post by Being Alive on Mar 8, 2020 13:07:32 GMT
Saw this on Friday and thought it was so classy, stylish and enchanting.
I didn't know anything about the show going in (the cast sold me) but it's such a slick musical. Easily the sexiest musical I've ever seen. It's just so self assured and unlike anything else!
The cast were pretty much all spectacular. Hadley Fraser is a dream (that man's voice goes on forever!), Theo James was a much better singer than I'd expected and also is so gorgeous, Rebecca Trehearn and Rosalie Craig are their usual excellent selves (Trehearn's performance of You Can Always Count On Me is knock-out). Vanessa Williams is everything I'd hoped she'd be and more (stylish, sly, sophisticated, cheeky and all the rest). Jonny Slinger and Nicola Roberts are a little tricky - he can't really sing and she cant really act, but they just about get away with it. The ensemble are also excellent (and a special shout to Rob Houchen who gets to showcase his wonderful voice).
Such a wonderful design too - projections, set, COSTUMES (!) - well done Josie Rourke for this fantastic production. It wasn't technically on the money 100% yet (they had a door that wouldn't close or stay shut, which became a bit of a problem) but they'll work it out.
Back in a few weeks time on the £20 front row tickets and can't wait!
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Post by mrbarnaby on Mar 8, 2020 17:26:18 GMT
Is Marc a Elliot in this still? I remember him being a standout at the Donmar
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 8, 2020 18:11:49 GMT
Is Marc a Elliot in this still? I remember him being a standout at the Donmar Yes. I thought he was good, but because the main principles were so good, he sort of falls a little by the wayside.
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Post by fiyero on Mar 8, 2020 19:11:43 GMT
For those who have seen this is it great because of the cast? I booked for August stupidly thinking the cast would do the whole run, should I try and book for earlier in the run? I can then decide whether to see it again or cut my losses!
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Post by tmesis on Mar 8, 2020 19:17:36 GMT
I thought the cast was exceptional but so is the production, band, costumes, set - everything really, so I'm sure it will be fabulous with a different cast.
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 8, 2020 19:36:30 GMT
I think it's an excellent production, and the cast elevate it just that notch higher.
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Post by iainc on Mar 9, 2020 0:14:22 GMT
Well, I went to see it on Friday night. Now - a slight disclaimer - I was lucky enough to see the original London production of City of Angels which I absolutely loved.
Unfortunately I can't say the same of this production which is hit and miss. First the good : The staging / set and lighting is fabulous - there were a few teething troubles as others have alluded to above, but by and large it worked very very well. The orchestra were also great.
The cast that remained from the Domnar production were all excellent. Hadley Fraser was outstanding as Stein. Rebecca Trehearn and Rosalie Craig were also great as Oolie and Gabby (although I still prefer Haydn Gwynne as Oolie - sorry!). Newcomer Theo James did a very creditable job of Stone, despite looking a little too fresh and young (but then I am comparing to Roger Allam who does dishevelled brilliantly).
Then there are some remarkably "odd" casting choices. Vanessa Williams and her massive Biog promised a lot, but delivered little, and frankly her age made Stone look like he was molesting his grandmother (if you don't know who she is you won't be able to find her easily from her picture in the programme - some serious vanity photography in use there...). There was absolutely no chemistry on display and little to suggest that Stone would be believably attracted to Alaura. The Tennis song was flat as a pancake and very uncomfortable. Similarly rather than a slick suave but thick Jimmy Power, we had Rob Houchen who seemed like he was visiting from Me and My Girl. He sang nicely but has quite a strong vibrato - he's not a crooner and Jimmy Power is supposed to be a crooner. He also didn't come across as the sex symbol that could carry the movie, and that Alaura would be infatuated with. The whole dynamic just failed for me.
Then we move to Nicola Roberts. She sang nicely, but she is not a jazz singer and she couldn't deliver alluring blonde bombshell for Mallory or thick blonde bombshell for Avril. She was also the victim of a really odd directorial decision (unless it was her idea). The line in Stein's novel in this production alludes to Mallory not wearing much more than a sheet (it was changed from the original script). In this show however "not much more" comprises a full set of underwear and a shirt. In the original production Mallory was naked (although her nudity never shown to the audience except for the back) and used a sheet throughout the song to cover her modesty. This sets up the staging for the framing of Stone and sets up the joke - "I don't remember you coming back with those sheets from the laundry..." . Much more importantly, Stone is *not* supposed to be seduced by Mallory, but caught off guard for the incriminating photograph. In this production Stone seemed quite happy to get it on with everyone be it grandma or grand-daughter, thus ruining the narrative and making him look stupid. Stone isn't supposed to be stupid.
The archetypes are really important to make this show work and the casting needs to be done carefully. Dropping big names in to sell seats that don't fit the roles does no-one any favours.
Then we move to Jonathan Slinger. Maybe he was having a bed night, or was under rehearsed. He seemed to be nervous and seemed to be reading lines from his desk at one point. He was average vocally, and his acting was hit and miss. I wish they could have got Peter Polycarpou.
Another issue I couldn't quite pinpoint was with the Angel 4. They are used a lot to carry set changes and scene changes, which means that they are often quite distant from each other whilst trying to deliver what should be their very tight close jazz vocals. They were slightly off on occasions. I'm not sure if it was the bigger stage or if Manuel Pacific (Tenor) just wasn't quite on it sometimes. Their voices didn't quite gel as the vocal group. I imagine they will improve with time however - this was only the second preview.
So - generally a good show but I'd go see it after 25th July and hope they don't parachute more famous people in to fill seats.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Mar 9, 2020 9:06:58 GMT
(although I still prefer Haydn Gwynne as Oolie - sorry!). Newcomer Theo James did a very creditable job of Stone, despite looking a little too fresh and young (but then I am comparing to Roger Allam who does dishevelled brilliantly). Having had the opportunity of seeing that OLC (a number of times) is one of the redeeming features of being the wrong side of 40. It was just something I could not get over watching the Donmar production. If there’s an actress more perfectly suited to Oolie’s caustic sense of humour than Haydn Gwynne then I’m sure I can’t think of them. In fact her ENTIRE performance was so definitive that absolutely no apology is necessary (good as Rebecca Trehearn may be).
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Post by sf on Mar 10, 2020 1:07:03 GMT
OK. So.
It's a good-enough revival of a show that CAN be one of the funniest musicals ever written. A few very strong performances (Rebecca Trehearn and Rob Houchen, both of whom absolutely nail the period style of the score, and Jonathan Slinger, who does a better job than nearly all his castmates in finding the sting behind the Hollywood satire), a couple of weaker ones (Theo James is a bit too lightweight as Stone, Rosalie Craig delivers a flawless acting performance but her big torch song - With Every Breath I Take, which is possibly my favourite thing Cy Coleman has ever written, is shrill where it should be sultry), and one absolute disaster (Nicola Roberts has no grasp of the style of the music, can't act for toffee, has the stage presence of styrofoam, and seems to be sleepwalking through most of her scenes). Nobody - NOBODY - gets the kind of laughs the original London cast got.
On the plus side, Josie Rourke doesn't quite iron out ALL the problems with the ending of the show - Gelbart wrote himself into a corner - but she does manage to stage it so that the reappearance of one key character at the very end of the show is less unconvincing than it was in the original Michael Blakemore staging. That's the only instance where this production surpasses the original, and we're talking about less than thirty seconds of stage time.
The set is OK, and sometimes better than that, and the costumes are terrific. The score badly needs more musicians - the original Broadway production had twice as many as this does, and there are places where the smaller band seriously short-changes the score (Alaura's Theme, Funny). I had a good time - I know this show inside out, I've loved this score for thirty years, and I am never going to not have a good time at a production of City Of Angels - and with the exception of Ms. Roberts, who is awful, this is a perfectly competent production. It's just that, as I said, if it's done well this can be one of the funniest musicals ever written. This production is funny, but it's never THAT funny. And it should be.
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Post by vabbian on Mar 10, 2020 23:04:02 GMT
City of Angels didn't land for me. I was desperate to love it; I guess I was expecting too much from SUCH a stellar cast.
It was just a bit flat to be honest. Reading previous reviews, this was supposed to have been a hilarious evening, but I laughed maybe three times total.
Standout moment was With Every Breath I Take performed by (queen) Rosalie Craig. I spent the rest of the show bald.
Rebecca Trehearn was also a delight.
3/5 stars. I don't know if I'll be back.
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Post by frankubelik on Mar 11, 2020 7:37:44 GMT
Having seen it on Broadway and the original London cast (several times) this was always going to be a hard sell for me. It was good at the Donmar and slightly better here but not really re-imagined for a proscenium arch venue which was a shame. I agree with a previous poster about the laughs never "landing" and I, too couldn't quite work out why apart from the cast not being that well directed. It's (perhaps too) smart and stylish; I would have preferred the Angel City Four to have had closer, tighter harmonies and for the band to be bigger but nevertheless there is much to enjoy. Rebecca Trehearn is the standout here - she is simply terrific. Nice work from Vanessa Williams too; I can really take or leave Ms Craig and it's best to draw a veil over Ms Roberts. Theo James looks good but does lack that 1940s cynical mood and Hadley Fraser fine. The theatre was incredibly hot which could have led to an "incident" during Act 1 when someone was taken ill.
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Post by theatrefan77 on Mar 11, 2020 7:53:34 GMT
I was there last night too and saw the commotion when the lady was taken ill. She was in row G in Stalls ans Staff acted quite quickly. Hope she's ok. It was was extremely hot and uncomfortable.
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Post by sf on Mar 11, 2020 15:07:15 GMT
Been to the first preview. First thoughts, but very impressed by Nicola Roberts. Theo James in good voice. Rosalie and Rebecca both fantastic in my opinion. Same. Thought Nicola Roberts was excellent, and Hadley Fraser makes an even better Stine than he did five years ago. Loved the two jokes thrown in there for pop fans... As far as I know, those lines are both in the original script. They weren’t added because of the casting.
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Post by intoanewlife on Mar 11, 2020 15:08:46 GMT
Going tonight...expectations are now in check.
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Post by carriesparkle on Mar 11, 2020 16:22:14 GMT
Same. Thought Nicola Roberts was excellent, and Hadley Fraser makes an even better Stine than he did five years ago. Loved the two jokes thrown in there for pop fans... As far as I know, those lines are both in the original script. They weren’t added because of the casting. Then they've cast because of those lines, which is kind of brilliant.
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Post by Dawnstar on Mar 11, 2020 21:22:59 GMT
The theatre was incredibly hot which could have led to an "incident" during Act 1 when someone was taken ill. Really hot in March? Gosh, that puts me right off going on Saturday when I'm supposed to be seeing it. I hate hot theatres even in the middle of summer & at this time of year there's no excuse.
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Post by horton on Mar 11, 2020 22:44:14 GMT
Sadly this is a show cast adrift under the direction of a person who doesn't understand how the conventions of musical comedy make this material "land". It's like asking an opera diva to appear in a soap- it's unlikely to be a good fit.
Having seen the Prince of Wales production, this couldn't help but look cut-price and I felt sorry for the cast who are clearly capable actors but just not attuned to this kind of comedy.
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Post by theatre241 on Mar 11, 2020 23:06:47 GMT
What Merch is there? Did anyone see posters?
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Post by intoanewlife on Mar 11, 2020 23:20:23 GMT
The theatre was incredibly hot which could have led to an "incident" during Act 1 when someone was taken ill. Really hot in March? Gosh, that puts me right off going on Saturday when I'm supposed to be seeing it. I hate hot theatres even in the middle of summer & at this time of year there's no excuse. Don't be put off, I was there tonight and I don't think I caught the Corona virus, but I do think I could possibly have pneumonia...it was absolutely f'n freezing! My companion and I even wore our winter coats in the second act and were still cold.
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Post by eatbigsea on Mar 12, 2020 7:44:44 GMT
I’ve never seen this before and thought that Fraser, Craig and the other usual MT suspects were fine, but that Rebecca Trehearne was the true standout, amazing. It felt like there was a lot of filler in the first act, most of the men (other than Fraser) could act but not sing particularly well and I didn’t relish any of their songs. Agree that the tennis song was particularly uncomfortable. I also hated Stine’s character (although not as much as Fidler’s). I thought that I was being asked to choose between Harvey Weinstein and Aaron Sorkin and frankly, I reject them both. Team Donna and Bobbi.
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Post by paulbrownsey on Mar 12, 2020 12:09:17 GMT
Being done by the Royal Scottish Conservatoire in Glasgow next week. Their Musical Theatre productions are usually something special.
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Post by intoanewlife on Mar 12, 2020 13:34:20 GMT
First off...it's a really great show! Very clever and witty book and some great lyrics...though I did find the music a little samey.
Unfortunately It seems to me to get this beast really right, it needs a seasoned comedic cast and director and this production doesn't have either.
It still definitely feels very much like a 'work in progress' and I don't know that they will with what they have to work with.
On the plus side, I liked the staging and lighting/projection work a lot and I thought most of the cast were on point vocally apart from Slinger (though his acting was great) and James who were noticeably weaker.
As previously mentioned Rebecca Trehearne is the true stand out. She is absolutely fantastic and Craig is also doing some great work here.
Williams is serviceable but Roberts is unsure, ill equipped and under rehearsed. Her first acting scene is painful...she is about as sexy as bowl of cabbage! Though she was marginally better in Act 2.
The main problem here though is the direction. It somehow manages to feel both over directed and under directed at the same time.
A LOT of really great jokes were completely lost on the audience throughout which is a shame as there were some crackers in there!
3/5
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Post by ABr on Mar 12, 2020 14:55:14 GMT
"...she is about as sexy as bowl of cabbage!" Well that's complement if I ever heard one :')
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Post by intoanewlife on Mar 12, 2020 15:10:05 GMT
"...she is about as sexy as bowl of cabbage!" Well that's complement if I ever heard one :') LOL I fairness the scene is staged on a bed and she and James are both spending most of their time trying to keep their balance and not fall off. It's one of many bad directorial decisions on display. If they want it that way they could just have a firmer prop bed so they aren't bobbing around so much and could actually play the scene properly!
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Post by dippy on Mar 13, 2020 0:37:41 GMT
Really hot in March? Gosh, that puts me right off going on Saturday when I'm supposed to be seeing it. Don't be put off, I was there tonight and I don't think I caught the Corona virus, but I do think I could possibly have pneumonia...it was absolutely f'n freezing! My companion and I even wore our winter coats in the second act and were still cold. Absolutely freezing tonight too, don't think you'll have to worry, along with it being pretty cold outside I've still not fully warmed up yet.
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Mar 13, 2020 0:44:37 GMT
Really hot in March? Gosh, that puts me right off going on Saturday when I'm supposed to be seeing it. I hate hot theatres even in the middle of summer & at this time of year there's no excuse. Don't be put off, I was there tonight and I don't think I caught the Corona virus, but I do think I could possibly have pneumonia...it was absolutely f'n freezing! My companion and I even wore our winter coats in the second act and were still cold. Tonight the temperature was about right for the first 20 minutes and then it was as if someone had opened all the doors or turned the aircon to maximum - FREEZING ! First time I've ever felt the need to put on my coat on during a show I waited until the interval, one person in my sightline put on an outdoor coat before then. That's in the third row of the stalls. Enjoyed the show as a musical, especially seeing the gorgeous Nicola Roberts, but like others I felt it fell short in the laughs department
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Post by dippy on Mar 13, 2020 0:55:23 GMT
First time I've ever felt the need to put on my coat on during a show I waited until the interval, one person in my sightline put on an outdoor coat before then. That's in the third row of the stalls. I waited till the interval too, I was in the front row and I didn't want to go rummaging around in my bag to get my puffer jacket out, so waited. Wished I had left it on before it started as I had read about it being cold the other day so was aware that could be a problem but like you say it felt fine.
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Mar 13, 2020 1:02:28 GMT
First time I've ever felt the need to put on my coat on during a show I waited until the interval, one person in my sightline put on an outdoor coat before then. That's in the third row of the stalls. I waited till the interval too, I was in the front row and I didn't want to go rummaging around in my bag to get my puffer jacket out, so waited. Wished I had left it on before it started as I had read about it being cold the other day so was aware that could be a problem but like you say it felt fine. Front row is definitely the place to be. Legroom in row 3 was very poor and I paid £65 for my ticket when they first went on sale. I'm rebooked in the front row for just £20.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Mar 13, 2020 13:11:15 GMT
I waited till the interval too, I was in the front row and I didn't want to go rummaging around in my bag to get my puffer jacket out, so waited. Wished I had left it on before it started as I had read about it being cold the other day so was aware that could be a problem but like you say it felt fine. Front row is definitely the place to be. Legroom in row 3 was very poor and I paid £65 for my ticket when they first went on sale. I'm rebooked in the front row for just £20. Me too, an average 5ft 5in and my knees were almost touching the seat in front. And I was boiling! I very much enjoyed this on Saturday night. I'd seen it at the Donmar so although I can understand posts I've seen about it being confusing I pretty knew what to expect, who was who, etc. Loved the humour (the man 2 seats away got the jokes a few seconds after me and guffawed when he caught on). Maybe the timing was a bit off on a few, needed just a second or two for people's brains to catch on, but that could just be me. Loved the costumes - unlike Pretty Woman where the seams look clumsy - these costumes looked sleek and sexy. Loved Theo James who was a bit of a revelation for this old bird ... sigh... Class stuff from Hadley and Rosalie and Rebecca. It was only the 3rd show so I didn't have a problem with Nicole. I've got You're Nothing Without Me in my head since and I'm loving it! 4* from me.
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Post by distantcousin on Mar 13, 2020 23:11:26 GMT
I wasn't a fan I'm afraid. Completely new to the piece. Started off promising with striking production design and direction but I got bored of it after half an hour, and as things got increasingly convoluted, it lost me.
I found the songs unmemorable and didn't care about any of the characters
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