2,763 posts
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Post by daniel on Jul 27, 2018 16:25:14 GMT
Cancelled tonight - cast illness. Did they not take their shot? maybe they took too many shots.
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2,452 posts
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Post by theatremadness on Jul 27, 2018 17:17:20 GMT
I (luckily, so it seems) saw it last night - absolutely loved every single second. For me, it was totally laugh-out-loud hilarious and some of the parodies were as genius as Hamilton itself!
So there was an understudy on last night, who covers all male roles. His very first walk-through of the show was yesterday afternoon and then he was on that evening, meaning no tech or dress run for him. He did a sterling job and SLD pushed him forward for a solo bow at the very end. Gerard Alessandrini came on before the show started (which was running late) to explain how they'd been re-blocking and re-choreographing numbers right up until opening and that it would be a slightly different show as they would be performing a cut show, but they would also actually be adding bits *in* to fill time they were losing elsewhere. Thought that since Sophie & Damien were there, they'd rehash some old Forbidden Broadway stuff but they didn't and I've no idea which bits could've been added that wouldn't be there in the first place. I later learned that one of the cast members actually performing was injured himself, and that's where lots of the re-blocking/choreographing came from as he couldn't manage bits of it. So tonight, I'm guessing the understudy was having to go back on for the track he did last night, but the actor with the injury last night can't perform tonight, and with only 1 male cover they have no choice but to cancel the show. Obviously I've no idea if that's the truth, but it's the most accurate guess I can make at the moment!
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1,644 posts
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Post by fiyero on Jul 28, 2018 7:36:15 GMT
I hope it’s back on tonight as I’m battling train strikes to Be there! Though more importantly I hope everyone is ok of course. Good review on the BBC today
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153 posts
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Post by liverpool54321 on Jul 30, 2018 16:27:35 GMT
I’ve just put a meal deal ticket on Noticeboard for 31st July in case anyone is looking for a cheap ticket plus food.
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4,038 posts
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Post by kathryn on Aug 4, 2018 18:09:05 GMT
Was also there this afternoon. I enjoyed it but wished I hadn't listened to it beforehand to be honest as was most amused by the new bits they'd added that came as a surprise to me. The cast are very good. Personally think if people are going to see a Hamilton parody then they should have enough knowledge of the show to know who Daveed Diggs etc. (and certainly Lin) are. I mean this is one of the more iconic and well known OBCs of recent years. I was sat next to 2 older ladies this afternoon who had never seen Hamilton, didn’t know who Lin is let alone the rest of the Broadway cast, hadn’t seen Forbidden Broadway, and seemed only vaguely familiar with musical theatre generally (they didn’t laugh when Liza appeared!). I did ask them why they’d booked, one of them was visiting the other for the weekend and they wanted to see something a bit different. They did enjoy it, even though they clearly didn’t get 90% of the jokes. There were definitely a few other oldies afterwards saying they loved it and don’t know why the reviews said you needed to have seen Hamilton. I guess if you don’t know what you’re missing you don’t know what you’re missing! I had a lot of fun, though I did feel there were moments that were uncomfortably close to being mean-spirited about Lin himself.
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Post by orchidman on Aug 6, 2018 23:59:15 GMT
From the Sunday Times review by Thomas W Hodgkinson:
"Not having seen Hamilton, I sat through Spamilton deadpan, aware of the mirthfully shaking shoulders of those on either side of me, while I tried to work out what the hell was going on."
"the songs in Spamilton — written by Gerard Alessandrini, an old pro at spoofing musicals — are nearly all direct parodies of Hamilton songs. It’s possible they were clever, but I have no way of knowing."
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1,465 posts
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Post by foxa on Aug 7, 2018 7:22:13 GMT
Is Thomas W. Hodgkinson a Times reviewer? I just looked him up - he's judged the Bad Sex Awards, swum from Corfu to Albania (or some such feat) and started a 'one-man literary movement' called Method Writing - where the writer physically experiences what he is going to write about (example: he crouched in a cupboard in order to experience what a stalker would do and feel.) I suppose such rigorous research didn't spread to even popping a few 'Hamilton' songs on Spotify - just to get an idea.
Also not thrilled with his use of 'deadpan' - it technically can mean expressionless but is almost always used to explain a comic effect - such as deadpan delivery or Buster Keaton facing a disaster. It sounds like he expects the people around him to note his superior and subtle deadpan humour when, really, he just didn't get the joke.
The bloomin' state of print criticism.
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3,066 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 9, 2018 5:43:20 GMT
Saw this last night with a Rush seat. Near the back, but the view was good and there's air conditioning. Looked sold out.
Quite a few people around me hadn't seen Hamilton (based on the conversations) and I think you lose something. Lots of non-Hamilton jokes too, although I don't think this was attracting typical musical theatre fans.
It's done very well and it's funny. A lot of the content has clearly been in there for a while, but there are some good quick local jokes (I thought a mention of Tommy Steele was very funny, but based on the laughs, looked like hardly anyone got it).
Glad to see there was also an In The Heights song, as well as many from Hamilton (and other musicals).
The cast for this is talented and the Hamilton score works amazingly well with just a piano and finger clicking (which bodes well for when Hamilton gets reprised in places like the Menier in 20 years time).
All over in a speedy one hour and twenty minutes. And you may even get a Lin Manuel Miranda $10 note to take home with you (not legal tender).
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4,038 posts
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Post by kathryn on Aug 9, 2018 13:30:56 GMT
Quite a few people around me hadn't seen Hamilton (based on the conversations) and I think you lose something. Lots of non-Hamilton jokes too, although I don't think this was attracting typical musical theatre fans. As time goes on I more and more get the impression that some people are actually very loyal to a particular theatre - they go and see what that theatre puts on regardless of what it is. Doesn't matter what the subject matter is. Hence the surprising number of people seeing this who don't know Hamilton and are not big musical theatre nerds. The ladies next to me picked up one of those, looked at the picture of Lin and went 'oh look, who's that?!' I had to explain that it was a picture of the man that the majority of the show was about, and he really did write and star in Hamilton, and write songs for Moana, and is going to be in Mary Poppins...
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Post by partytentdown on Aug 9, 2018 22:01:55 GMT
Big Hamilton fan here and although I found this amusing, the novelty did wear off after a bit and I had that creeping awkward feeling you get when you've taken a friend to something under the promise its brilliance will change their life and now you realise they're shuffling about not really knowing what the hell is going on. The joke is sort of done after 3-4 parodies and although there are some funny bits throughout, it felt a bit one-note to me.
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1,115 posts
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Post by Stephen on Aug 11, 2018 2:46:56 GMT
Went for my dose of Spam tonight.
I agree with what others have said here about the show being repetitive after a while. After the first few songs I was ready to just have the usual Forbidden Broadway setup.
The cast is strong and work VERY hard in this parody which is as fast paced as Hamilton if not more so! I was surprised that Damian Humbley and Sophie Louise Dann had such small roles given that they are established theatre actors. What they do have is nice though and Louise Dann gives her best Liza. It's not quite Christine Pedi but is fun fun fun!
I'm probably being a bit dumb here BUT how does Gerard Alessandrini get away with using so much of Lin's material in this show? A lot of it is unchanged!
All in all agood evening's entertainment for £20 but I wouldn't pay more for this one.
Show 3*...cast and production 5*
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3,085 posts
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Post by david on Aug 19, 2018 17:01:04 GMT
Watched today’s performance, and have to say for £20 in row B, it was an absolute bargain and a great view even if I was to the left of the stage. I thought the songs were spoofed really well. I was actually amazed that it’s only one guy with a piano on stage as I thought the music was fantastic and he did an excellent job of bringing the Hamilton score to life.
King George’s first song for me was the standout. It was a shame Louise didn’t have much stage time, but when she was on I thought her take on the different personalities was spot on.
If you have centre seats in row A be prepared to have some interaction with the cast!
A full house this afternoon and it was actually a nice temperature inside the theatre considering it was very warm outside. A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon at the theatre.
As an added bonus on the way out, being on row B did have the advantage of being able to acquire one if the LLM $10 bills to put in my programme.
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494 posts
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Post by ellie1981 on Aug 20, 2018 7:58:48 GMT
I managed to get quite a few of the Lin Manuel $10 bills - the ones left on the stage were snapped up by the people in Row A but there were tonnes on the floor going untouched. I went on Friday evening and think we were in the same place - Row B just to the left of the stage. One friend wants to go to this but hasn’t seen or heard Hamilton so I’ve advised him against it as I think you really need to at least be familiar with the cast recording.
I take it a few things have changed since the Off Broadway show? Up to date references of Mary Poppins Returns and Harry and Megan. I particularly loved the gag about the Victoria Palace. The only thing I thought didn’t quite work was the replacing the sister names as Phillipa, Renee-Elise and Jasmine. I think that joke was only relevant at the time on Broadway. Even though we know the reference, it didn’t quite work.
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591 posts
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Post by AddisonMizner on Aug 25, 2018 18:05:00 GMT
I LOVED this after seeing today’s matinee! I have yet to see HAMILTON, but know the cast recording quite well, and all the other musical theatre references, and found it hilarious. Easily one of the funniest things I have seen all year. Delivered with pinache by a very talented cast as well (though Damien Humbley stole it for me with his brief turns).
Go while you can!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2018 19:08:08 GMT
I thought this was ok, but not nearly was good as the usual forbidden Broadway stuff. Even knowing Hamilton fairly well, alot of it fell flat. The Daveed Diggs stuff, The catch up song with the old guy, Even the Liza number was dull.
For me the best number was the Sondheim number and that really didn't have anything to do with Hamilton.
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776 posts
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Post by latefortheoverture on Sept 4, 2018 21:35:27 GMT
I've just realised I have 2 £19.50 tickets for Thursday 6th September at 8:00pm if anyone wants them- I am already going out and therefore can't use them!
Let me know if you want them on here on here or on twitter @lateforoverture
Many Thanks!
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