|
Post by Bickers on May 3, 2019 9:30:52 GMT
Booked also, very excited to go, I've been waiting for this show for years! I'll hopefully sneak in another visit as well but sorted for now
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Feb 15, 2019 15:22:28 GMT
I have the "weirdest" musical taste. One minute I'm listening to a cheesy musical theatre song, the next minute Metallica is on. So yeah, from musicals to heavy metal, and everything in between. ditto! I sometimes accidentally end up sounding like a bit of a hipster because a lot of the bands I really like no one has heard of. I'm not trying to like weird and unusual things, I just seem to have a knack for finding the more obscure. Oh, and lesbian folk rock. That slightly obscure sub-genre. Unintentionally a bit fan of it!
Also, country music songs with ridiculous titles.
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Feb 15, 2019 15:18:21 GMT
I've never seen Dirty Dancing all the way through and the bits I have seen I really wasn't fussed about. I told a friend this once and she looked at me as though I'd confessed that I enjoy slicing kittens in my spare time. I will level this up and detail how much I LOATHE that film. I often feel I'm a defective girl because I DO NOT GET IT. I love me a romcom I think it's a highly underrated film genre but lordy if this film doesn't bore me senseless and annoy me in equal measure. And while we're at it Grease. I hate the film, hate the musical. Dirty Dancing = Terrible film, mostly great songs. I still feel that having a romantic lead called Baby is a bit creepy and paedophiley... Grease = Terrible film, a few catchy tunes, really dodgy morals - Change for your man! Smoking is cool!
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Feb 14, 2019 10:09:03 GMT
Looks like Sunderland is the only date announced. Happy for the folks this is close to, but really want a Cardiff date announced soon!
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Dec 19, 2018 10:13:54 GMT
'In Trousers' jumps between Marvin's present life and his childhood throughout
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Oct 23, 2018 5:26:08 GMT
"the wine is very soothing" (Jason's Bar Mitzvah, Falsettos)
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Sept 19, 2018 13:02:09 GMT
I find myself quite often singing "it sucks to be you" to people in some situations. And a colleague has a habit of saying "let's get down to business" to which I respond "to defeat the Huns" (though, as she's never seen Mulan, this took some explaining at first...)*
Whenever I hear someone say (usually on a TV show) "what is this place?" I have to respond with "it's called a department store" (thanks Legally Blonde)
And I've developed a nasty habit of changing song lyrics to suit everyday situations, like singing I've Got Rhythm about my dinner: I've got chicken And potatoes And some gravy Who could ask for anything more?
(good job my beloved is nearly as barmy as me...)
*yes, I know it's not theatre, but it is a musical, right?
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Sept 13, 2018 10:53:44 GMT
Is the presale code/link something that can be shared on here or does it only work once? Not sure why mine hasn’t come through. I signed up through the Cuffe and Taylor website yesterday and then got the email link this morning. Hope this helps 😀 ditto, so I can't share it, sorry
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Sept 13, 2018 9:23:37 GMT
So excited to have got presale tickets for Cardiff. Heck, I'm so excited that a concert of this calibre is coming to Cardiff! This is a lovely early birthday present
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Jul 17, 2018 13:12:08 GMT
I'm a very warm person and I attended on the 6th July. There was definitely air cooling going on in the stalls but I was nowhere near freezing, I was slightly on the warmer side of pleasant. My wife, who is more of a cold blooded sort, was happy to have a light cardi on.
Jacqui Sanchez was on for Lady Thiang that night - and although I was sad not to see Naoko after the amazing reviews I've seen for her on here, I thought Jacqui was great in the role. Kelli was, obviously, wonderful. I hope this isn't the only time I get to see her perform. So many outstanding moments in the show, it is hard to narrow down any specific parts. What a joy to finally see such a classic show!
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Jun 1, 2018 21:16:39 GMT
Hope you had a fantastic day richey! Contemplating booking Manchester next week, so I can see the show early next year and again when it comes to Cardiff. The last time the beloved and I saw it in Cardiff was when her sister in law was in labour and we were somewhat distracted from the show in case she had to rush off to the hospital to be with her (she didn't). We then booked for the Barbican in September for a more relaxing experience!
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Feb 11, 2018 22:31:11 GMT
I took my mum to the Wycombe Swan yesterday to see this, her favourite show after Oklahoma. It was our first times seeing an actor-musician production, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I can't imagine it working as well for all shows but it certainly suited this production. A great time was had by all, the cast seemed to work well together mostly and the music is timeless.
Charlotte Wakefield had a gorgeous voice. I've not seem her in any other roles but I'd definitely go and see her in something else.
Claire Sweeney surprised me. I know her role isn't a huge one but I was pleasantly surprised by her singing.
A few small observations - the understudy was on for Zangler and, though mostly great, he was slightly out of synch for parts of What Causes That. As that's his big scene, it was a shame but not enough to completely spoil the number, but having seen it done better in other productions it was noticeable (my 5th time seeing the show since the original London production).
Tom Chambers is a very sweaty man! I know he had a physical role but the amount of sweat I could see on his clothes from the circle made me wonder if there needed to be waterproofs provided for the front few rows! Ew! Unless you like that kind of thing. Who am I to judge? A nice voice though and I did like his dancing. He worked his socks off for sure.
Having instruments on stage can be a hazard. At the end of Act 1 as the cast were leaving the stage, the double bass fell and broke. A cast member tried to save it but to no avail. Good job they had another one around for Act 2!
Having not been to the Swan for about twenty years, it was a pleasant experience. The seats were comfortable, decent leg room for me (though I'm only 5'3) and the rake in the circle was great, no issues with heads in front of me at all (we were in row K). I'd be happy to go there again anyway, if there's something worthwhile when I'm back this way.
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Oct 20, 2017 13:36:57 GMT
There was some awful human somewhere behind me who was clapping along to the upbeat numbers in Cabaret last night. Gah!
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Oct 20, 2017 11:04:03 GMT
Oof well firstly there's not been a scrum to get in the New Theatre foyer like that since Tom Jones was a lad. Say what you will (and I will) about erm Will and Louise but they get bums on seats.... It's always a worry isn't it when you find yourself playing 'in your mind' another version of the show you're seeing? In a way I can't help it the Donmar version is SO ingrained in my head, as is Alan Cumming's voice that I have never fully let it go. That said I've seen plenty of productions I've enjoyed of Cabaret, so it is possible. Overall I felt Act 2 hits the mark a bit better than Act 1. Maybe it was a first night thing. Anyhoo. I remember the production being 'alright' at the Lyric and it still is 'alright'. It feels a bit too glossy in places. And I don't know what it is but I remember hating 'Money' 10 years ago and I still loathe it now. I have no real discernible reason for it but I don't like it. I do have discernible reasons for hating If You Could See Her. Someone else said I think it's really played for laughs, loses that sinister vibe and people actually laughed when the girl is revealed wearing the Star of David on her coat and that just really didn't sit right. Overall as well the audience were doing a lot of laughing at things that shouldn't be funny- part of that was the production pitching it wrong combined with the giggling at Will Young factor but it made me feel uncomfortable throughout (side note Cardiff on a Tuesday evening can't handle a penis on stage it seems). As for the leads, Louise was...meh I didn't hate her but she wasn't 'Sally Bowles' for me. Her voice is lovely there's no denying, unfortunately that's one of the few things not required for Sally. There was no real sense of her 'journey' or any real darkness or conflict to her character just coming on singing a song nicely and that's about it. Sally is one who needs to act through song, and well..it wasn't really there sadly. Will was...fine. His Emcee is passable, and I can see what he's doing. I just prefer my Emcee with a bit of a darker edge. The weirdness he brings to it works, and he CAN act through song (I don't care much was very well done I thought) and I think perhaps with a stronger Sally as well he might have been better. The ensemble were great, and there's some I think new choreography there that is really nice. I also hated 'Don't Tell Mama' being changed, but it's not a massive issue. The ending is still powerful, and certainly shocked the New audience into silence, there's a few ways you can get that over and I think this version is pretty effective. Overall it's not terrible, but it doesn't do this great musical justice either. I'm pretty much with you on this. I went last night with my partner and sister-in-law. It's only my second time seeing the show on stage (the first being about 8 years ago, also in Cardiff, with Sleep and Barks and, small niggles aside, I thought the show was pretty great then as my first time seeing Cabaret. I watched the film a couple of nights later just for comparison and have since seen the recording of the Donmar production - my favourite). Will was obviously directed to play up the fun and camp, which he did well and most of the audience responded positively. Like you though, I wanted a darker edge. If You Could See Her also elicited lots of laughter which I found so uncomfortable. Maybe that's what they were going for and, had I not seen the show before, perhaps it would have been more effective to me. But when you know it can be better it's disappointing. Louise, unsurprisingly, was the biggest disappointment of the night. Pretty voice, but lacking any passion or other emotion. Don't wish to be ageist, but she seemed far too old for Sally and I even heard someone mutter that they doubted that she would have been able to get pregnant at her age! The ensemble were fine. I didn't like their costumes (they felt less sexy and more cheap S&M - yes, I know that can cross over for some people but not me!) but they were great dancers and it was a relief to hear them outsing Louise during Mein Herr when her voice cracked a couple of times. I'll go again, but when it's a stronger production. The show is so great and this is just a shadow of what it should be.
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Nov 6, 2016 14:52:54 GMT
Thanks Burly, will do - I've been lurking for so long I've shocked myself that this is my first post!
|
|
|
Post by Bickers on Nov 6, 2016 14:45:57 GMT
I'm going on the 15th of this month. I normally only go to musicals, rarely plays, and this will be my first professional Shakespeare production and I've never seen or read King Lear before. Feeling quite nervous after all the negativity bandied around on here, so I'm hoping I come down on the side of the critics...
|
|