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Post by showgirl on Jun 24, 2018 13:56:27 GMT
It would sound arrogant to say that perhaps it seemed more special to regional audiences and that's not true anyway So why say it? But I didn't: if you read what I wrote you can see that I was struggling to comprehend the gulf between the reviews/my expectations, and my actual experience. Hence I considered, but discounted ("but that's not true anyway"), the possibility that people in the south-east, who are spoilt for choice when it comes to theatre, are less easily impressed. I still don't know what the answer is but I am clearly not the only one who didn't find this as good as s/he hoped. |
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Post by sf on Jun 24, 2018 14:00:42 GMT
But I didn't: if you read what I wrote you can see that I was struggling to comprehend the gulf between the reviews/my expectations, and my actual experience. Hence I considered, but discounted ("but that's not true anyway"), the possibility that people in the south-east, who are spoilt for choice when it comes to theatre, are less easily impressed. I still don't know what the answer is but I am clearly not the only one who didn't find this as good as s/he hoped.
I read what you wrote. I understand what you meant. And your condescension is showing, and it's rather unpleasant. As I said, if your point wasn't to suggest that us unsophisticated hicks in the regions aren't as discerning as audiences in London, why mention it at all?
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Post by RedRose on Jun 26, 2018 6:57:33 GMT
Not selling well. No wonder concerning the prices without any famous names. The balcony was closed on Saturday afternoon and we were upgraded to stalls seats that are over 100 Pounds . It stretched a bit at the beginning, but then we thought it was very enjoyable (especially the beautiful dance scenes)and it was very funny as well. And guess what there where some people giving standing ovation for this - no, but a solid 3,5 stars from me.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2018 11:53:12 GMT
Interested to see that you can now bring sealed bottles of water into the Coliseum. But are you allowed to open them? |
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1,907 posts
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Post by sf on Jun 27, 2018 22:31:29 GMT
Interested to see that you can now bring sealed bottles of water into the Coliseum. But are you allowed to open them? Nobody stopped me this evening. (Loved the show, too.) |
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Post by showgirl on Jun 28, 2018 3:44:01 GMT
On the bag search/food/water point, the Coliseum is sending its usual warning email (which I recall from Bat Out Of Hell), so I went to the trouble of emptying my water bottle and concealing my apple and banana (which I wasn't going to consume in the theatre but were part of my normal food supply for a long day out, a normal situation they seem not to have allowed for), only to find that I wasn't asked to produce my bags for a search. So their approach seems inconsistent and as we all know, any "searches" are so cursory anyway that they wouldn't detect any genuinely suspicious or hazardous item.
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Post by theatrefan77 on Jun 28, 2018 7:06:15 GMT
I enjoyed this last night. Nowhere near as good as the Blakemore production but the score sounded absolutely wonderful with a full orchestra imho.
The set and costumes are in general on the cheap and tacky side, but the singing was glorious. The two leads were good acting wise, although they didn't have enough chemistry. Zoë Rainey was very funny as Bianca. Alan Burkitt as Bill was for me the weakest link here, his acting and singing were adequate but his tap dancing routine was quite weak. I believe Ashley Day played the part before him. It would have been interesting to see him in the part as Day is imho a much better and slicker dancer.
Overall it was a fun night out. You can't really go wrong with Cole Porter!
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Post by Dawnstar on Jun 28, 2018 14:01:12 GMT
Alan Burkitt as Bill was for me the weakest link here, his acting and singing were adequate but his tap dancing routine was quite weak. I believe Ashley Day played the part before him. It would have been interesting to see him in the part as Day is imho a much better and slicker dancer. Yes, Ashley Day played Bill when the production was new in 2015. However the choreography for "Bianca" was different back then. It was more of a group number. It was changed to the solo tap dance when the production moved to WNO and Alan Burkitt took over the role. Therefore it's not possible to compare the two as dancers in that number. In terms of overall performance, my personal preference is for Alan Burkitt in the role but I freel admit I'm biased as I like him in other roles whereas I somehow cannot warm to Ashley Day.
I was supposed to be seeing the show again tonight but unfortunately I'm stuck at home with a heavy cold so I won't have the chance to see how it looks at the Coliseum.
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4,593 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jun 28, 2018 14:43:22 GMT
I enjoyed this last night. Nowhere near as good as the Blakemore production but the score sounded absolutely wonderful with a full orchestra imho. The set and costumes are in general on the cheap and tacky side, but the singing was glorious. The two leads were good acting wise, although they didn't have enough chemistry. Zoë Rainey was very funny as Bianca. Alan Burkitt as Bill was for me the weakest link here, his acting and singing were adequate but his tap dancing routine was quite weak. I believe Ashley Day played the part before him. It would have been interesting to see him in the part as Day is imho a much better and slicker dancer. Overall it was a fun night out. You can't really go wrong with Cole Porter! The sets are made for touring and have to share the trucks and stage space with two operas. I saw the show in Nottingham and recently in Leeds. The stages are much smaller and I thought fitted into the theatres really well. I really like the sets of swirling walls and I thought the backdrops looked great, such vivid colours on the tapestries as if an old master was ‘refreshed’ |
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Post by talkstageytome on Jun 28, 2018 17:03:14 GMT
Funnily enough for me Alan Burkitt was the strongest link in the cast. Loved his singing and tap solo! I also really loved him in Top Hat on tour a few years ago.
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Post by showoff on Jun 30, 2018 11:41:41 GMT
I saw this last night and was a little worried looking at the reactions here.
I have to say I really enjoyed it, I went in blind, but really found it funny and engaging. The audience seemed to enjoy it, lots of laughs and a lot of the numbers well received, I particularly loved the tap solo.
I didn't see a big problem with the set, it seemed to fit the show. I know a lot of people on here love the set for 42nd street, but I had more issues with that and the backdrops.
I'd say it was about 4 stars for me.
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Post by dippy on Jun 30, 2018 19:19:33 GMT
I feel like I'm happy with my decision not to go and see this, it's something I've never seen live and do want to see one day. I have watched the version from the proms and timings didn't work out to see it at the Old Vic when it was on there. One day I will see it somewhere though but I'm not that desperate to see it.
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Post by tmesis on Jun 30, 2018 22:23:53 GMT
I've just come out of the final performance and on the whole I really enjoyed it. It wasn't as good as the Nunn Chichester performance or the John Wilson Prom production but some aspects I enjoyed more than these two efforts. First of all the negatives. Yes it doesn't sit well on the vast Coliseum stage, only occupying around two thirds of the space but that's to be expected coming from a smaller theatre and I liked the production and didn't find it cheap skate. 'Too Darn Hot' was badly staged and didn't have the sexiness of the Chichester version. This song is one of the best second act openers ever and this was poor. Another sure fire number that was second rate was 'Brush up Your Shakespeare.' It would have been much better played by two comic actors. The words weren't clear enough either.
But it was great to hear the show with the full orchestra and vocally I think it benefited from having two operatic leads. Songs like 'So in Love' and 'Kiss me Kate' have a big range with difficult intervals to negotiate and it was great to hear them sung with total security. I also thought they played the lighter moments well - in that sense they are both difficult roles to cast.
Lois and Bill were more 'musical comedy' and they both did their numbers really well. Fantastic dancing from Bill in 'Bianca.'
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Post by tonyloco on Jul 1, 2018 11:06:46 GMT
Lois and Bill were more 'musical comedy' and they both did their numbers really well. Fantastic dancing from Bill in 'Bianca.' Thinking back on why I enjoyed the whole of 'Bianca' so much, it is a number I like a lot anyway, starting with its clever company introduction: "Package for Miss Lois Lane" and then developing into a solo for Bill which goes from singing into an elaborate dance routine. But although members have been referring to this as a tap dance, it seemed to me to be something more than just tap and Alan Burkitt seemed to have loads of elevation and 'balon' and was able to negotiate some wonderfully exhilarating moves 'en l'air' that had me catching my breath with pleasure. In addition to seeking overall enjoyment of shows, it is to see individual performances as good as this that I am still hooked on musical theatre, even if they don't always materialise! |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2018 16:04:29 GMT
Lois and Bill were more 'musical comedy' and they both did their numbers really well. Fantastic dancing from Bill in 'Bianca.' I thought Bill was the star of the show. And Alan Burkitt was hot. Too darn hot if you will. |
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Post by duncan on Jul 4, 2018 22:59:49 GMT
25. Kiss Me Kate - Festival
A production of Taming of the Shrew has more backstage than onstage drama - a leading man and lady who are divorced but still in love with each other, a second lead lady who is an awful actress and a second lead actor who is a drunk (in a storythread that goes NOWHERE after its introduction) and a gambler. Meanwhile two goons arrive at the theatre looking for payment on a gambling IOU with less than hilarious consequences.
Well I enjoyed the 32 or so orchestra who gave a very nice and rich performance, so rich that it drowned out a lot of the vocals - not that it really mattered as I was so unengaged with the onstage antics that I was hoping the dead pigeon would fall on me the second time.
Sometimes less is more and the second half of this show goes on and on and on and on in a series of songs that never end but then when they do they decide to come back and carry on for another five minutes before finishing but then they decide to come back on and carry on for another five minutes.
Zoe Rainey was the stand out for me in the cast, putting her heart and soul into it and also being heard from row F - something that couldn't be said of Quirijn De Lang as Fred who I found to be far too quiet compared to the orchestrations.
You know a show isn't entertaining you when you are spending long chunks wondering how they are paying for an orchestra of 30+ and another 30+ onstage performers. Cant help but think it would have been better in a scaled down version that concentrated on the actual show rather than seemingly flashing its penis jokes at us in an attempt to prove bigger is better.
A poor 3/10 for me.
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