225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 1, 2017 22:25:01 GMT
This is definietly an issue that is endemic onstage and off. I'd go so far as to say that whenever I've worked in the west-end or at the National other ethnic backgrounds are probably better represented within the cast than they are backstage or on the creative teams. That said theatre is still head and shoulders above film crew diversity which is almostly exclusively white and male (outside of the traditional "women's remit" of costume, hair and makeup (and continuity?!)).
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225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 1, 2017 20:45:32 GMT
Philip Quast. Even now he's a bit chunkier than in the 1980s. I hope you caught him in Forum at the National - bone crunching thighs in a mini skirt. I had the biggest crush on Aaron Tveit which was heightened when neither Kerry Ellis or Marc Shaiman could give any reason why he was less than perfect.. I was working on Assasins at the Menier and he was the first cast member I met, but the facial hair killed the butterflies pretty immediately.
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225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 1, 2017 12:41:04 GMT
EP will have to be carried feet first from the BBC to the funny farm 15 minutes into her broadcast; incapacitated by hysterical convulsions after saying the word "Willy" whilst her own version of "Memory" plays on an endless loop until Johnnie Walker takes over. Or did that happen already?
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225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 30, 2016 23:48:27 GMT
Thanks Anthony - though if we go ruling out school nights we'd be left with the carnage of hen parties and the weekend suburban invasion! I used to brave a late night for David Bedella's monthly gigs at The Alley Cat and struggle through Fridays on set :-) Granted I don't have the kids to worry about.... Hope it happens. Sounds like it would be a lot more fun than the BWW crowd.
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225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 30, 2016 23:13:26 GMT
A Monday night pub social followed by a trip to Kinky Kabaret at Freedom bar at 11..?
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225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 30, 2016 22:45:11 GMT
I wish Hollywood would hurry up and get the finger out and put 'Follies' onto screen before we lose any more legends. Debbie Reynolds would have been perfect for 'The Mirror Song'. Along side that appearances from Liza Minnelli (I'm Still Here), Angela Lansbury (Broadway Baby), Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke (Rain On The Roof). Put Meryl and Barbra/Glenn in as Sally and Phyllis. Oh my god each and every one of these is inspired.
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225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 30, 2016 22:32:13 GMT
Haha, I thought she was fantastic and I had considered mention her along with Diggs. Personally I wasn't too impressed with Philippa Soo, but I figure it may be the role more than the person playing her, since Angelica is by far the more interesting Schuyler sister. But yea, I'd actually agree that seeing a close-knight original cast, who's developed the show together for a long time, is always something special and they have a special chemistry. I'd have to say that both times I saw the show I found Renée Elise Goldsberry mesmorising - everytime she was on stage. I literally could not watch anyone else but her. That confident, layered performance, and that of Leslie Odom Jr were the ones that impressed me the most - though I'd have to admit only subsequently have I come to appreciate Daveed Diggs (for his rap skills more than his acting talents). Philippa Soo has a lovely voice and talented though she obviously is there was nothing in her Elisa that I felt couldn't be replicated by any number of accomolised musical theatre actresses that have a decent belt. I personally preferred Javier's sexy flirtatious brash Hamilton To Lin's portrayal of LMM. Andrew Rannells's King George was total pouty perfection in everyway.
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225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 26, 2016 2:08:59 GMT
Was at the Albert Hall on the night and I couldn't agree more that having a choir of that size was wasted by not doing "Someday" (Berlin version) or other Hunchback material; epecially as so much of the evening was given over to songs few in the audience would be familiar with from shows that have never played in the UK. That said I would have loved more from King David ("Sheer Perfection" for starters) and Newsies ("Carrying The Banner" + "Seize The Day" - film versions) - being a massive Menken fanboy.
Ashley Brown stole the show for me handsdown. And maybe Joss Strickland came across as being taller (and broader) on tv - cause a mild breeze looked like it would have floored him on that stage.
Incidentally I was working FoH at the Lyceum when Lion King opened and chatted with Tim Rice about King David - when he was hopeful of the concert being staged in London. Flash forward 17 years. Still waiting.
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225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 21, 2016 2:38:16 GMT
Did anyone catch this on Monday night? I saw the show in Madison Square back in the late 90s and loved it (being a big Menken fan) but have no love for the tv movie they made. Just wondered how it fared as a concert version.
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225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 6, 2016 19:53:38 GMT
Don't get me wrong I'll definitely go and see this (I only saw the show at The Papermill) but am I alone in preferring the original movie (with the exception of Once and For All) to the show? I thought Carrying The Banner was butchered and the new Jack backstory pretty uninspired. I'll even take Christian Bale's interesting take on singing over the overblown reworked show-stopping (?) Sante Fe. Maybe. The Meda songs though..maybe not.
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225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Nov 30, 2016 16:14:46 GMT
The first time I watched "The Bridges of Madison County" I lost my composure in the final chorus of "One Second and A Million Miles", and proceeded to descend into a snivelling mess for the rest of the show. This may have been acceptable within the theatre (it subsequently was), however this was whilst viewing the Lincoln Center's archive copy in the silent viewing room. Fortunately everyone except the librarian had headphones on and paid little attention. Still it took me a good 10 minutes to compose myself enough to getup and leave.
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225 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Nov 30, 2016 15:21:53 GMT
One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing This would be amazing (the movie's awkward racial jokes and yellow-face casting aside). Count me in also for Bedknobs and Broomsticks, whose great score and story is crying out for a stage adaptation filled with creative illusions and imaginative (high tech) design. I remember reading recently that Alan Menken favours future adaptations of Tangled and Hercules, but couldn't envision Pocohontas ever making it to the stage. As a Menken fan from childhood I'd be happy with any of those three (personally I would have thought Pocohontas would have been the most straight forward to translate). And having seen Hunchback in Berlin and at The PaperMill a combination of those two versions (without the gargoyles but also without the unnecessary Frollo backstory) should be Disney's priority right now. So long as they put the full choral version of Someday back too..
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