68 posts
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Chess
Mar 20, 2018 17:20:18 GMT
Post by Brian on Mar 20, 2018 17:20:18 GMT
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68 posts
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Chess
Mar 20, 2018 15:15:05 GMT
Post by Brian on Mar 20, 2018 15:15:05 GMT
She really doesn’t seem to do herself any favours with the public. Even if it was a comment pertaining to a lack of spoken word acting, it certainly came across in a rather arrogant manner. I hope the show is a success for all involved but there have been a few underwhelming performances over the years (RAH did nothing for me despite an incredible cast list on paper). It was a foolish/ naive comment in relation to her own character and as I understand it, it's a statement of fact. Not sure how it could be construed as arrogant, by any stretch of the imagination? As I understood it, she was expressing relief that she could concentrate on her singing for the role, as opposed to dialogue, which would likely be more out of her comfort zone. It's literally the opposite of arrogant.
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Post by Brian on Mar 4, 2018 14:13:53 GMT
Elaine and Alexandra to announce the nominations:
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Post by Brian on Mar 3, 2018 14:23:22 GMT
Ah, great. I think Zoe would be a great choice in that case! Better than a Pussycat Doll anyways.
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Post by Brian on Mar 3, 2018 14:09:22 GMT
^Not sure what you mean by ‘positive word of mouth in comparison to Alex’? Alexandra was warmly received in the role as far as I saw. She certainly sold a lot of tickets.
I do like Zoe, though; she would do a fine job and it’d be good for her to a get a big ‘break.’
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Post by Brian on Mar 3, 2018 13:39:45 GMT
Ruth Brown was on ITV news the other day talking about her busking. I do feel sorry for her. When asked about the West End she said “I was in Dreamgirls. I played the alternate Effie alongside Amber Riley. It was a great experience”. I feel bad for her how she never got a chance to go onstage and was subtly dropped but atlesst they gave her the showcase. It’s a shame to see her go from once being a West End alternate to busking It’s odd that she never got to play the role. Do we know why?
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Post by Brian on Mar 3, 2018 13:38:07 GMT
Would they give it to Carole Stennett or Zoe Birkett? What about Rachel John- though it’s unlikely she would leave Hamilton for this.
Maybe they don’t need a ‘name’ anymore.
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68 posts
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Chess
Mar 2, 2018 11:19:45 GMT
via mobile
Post by Brian on Mar 2, 2018 11:19:45 GMT
Are the ‘high prices’ being exaggerated slightly? A good stalls seat for this is the same price as when I booked a good seat for Dreamgirls (it actually cost less when the booking fee is taken into account). Maybe I just got fleeced!
Is the issue that all stalls seats are basically the price of ‘premium’ seats for other shows? Or are the dress circle/ upper circle that much more expensive than usual? Since Amber has moved on, Dreamgirls no longer has a big ‘star’ though it doesn’t need one. I feel like I’m paying for the ENO orchestra not a big star and it’s reasonable to assume tickets would be more expensive in that context Also, is there any West End show in the last few years that’s had a star of Lady Gaga’s standing? I guess it is only a five week run, and it’s a 30 year revival, but still.
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Post by Brian on Mar 1, 2018 10:52:25 GMT
^Thank you!
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68 posts
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Chess
Mar 1, 2018 10:48:55 GMT
via mobile
Post by Brian on Mar 1, 2018 10:48:55 GMT
^Are we really going to blame Alexandra’s fans for the number of tickets sold? Nothing to do with Michael Ball, Timothy Howar, Murray Head or Cassidy Janson, then?
Alex was the most commercially successful lead in the Bodyguard and Sister Act was a roaring success financially also (albeit mixed opinions from those on this board)- she does shift tickets but Chess is a different beast. It will be less familiar than the other shows she’s done, it’s not exactly a night out for hen parties, and the tickets are quite pricey.
Even though I like her, the integrity of the piece should not be compromised to give Alexandra a beefier piece. She was cast in a supporting role and is presumably being remunerated accordingly. She knows what she signed up for. If they can give her a bigger role without compromising the piece, then so be it.
While there are plenty of seats left, there is also plenty of time to get them sold. None of the cast or team have done any serious promo; aside from the cast announcement. I’m guessing there’ll be some live performances to promote it like Amber Reilly did for Dreamgirls. Except to see Cassidy and Alexandra on the One Show etc.
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Post by Brian on Feb 28, 2018 21:54:10 GMT
I apologize in advance for the naive question but is there any way to know in advance which actress will be playing Effie for a particular performance, or it’s just luck of the draw?
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68 posts
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Chess
Feb 27, 2018 12:55:21 GMT
Post by Brian on Feb 27, 2018 12:55:21 GMT
I'm just curious; is Cassidy Janson not considered a good choice for Florence? I didn't see her in 'Beautiful' but she has an incredible voice and her profile has been raised since she joined Leading Ladies. Apparently she was the understudy Elphaba at one point too?
It seems like there was chatter for 'A' listers to join the cast months back, in which case I can somewhat understand the disappointment expressed from some quarters but from what I know of the cast, they are all competent and accomplished performers (Alexandra has least experience in a musical theatre setting obviously).
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Post by Brian on Feb 27, 2018 12:44:17 GMT
They must be confident to continue with the 2 week runs I guess it will keep Ms Burke out of panto for another year I doubt she'll do it again? I wonder if Beverley Knight would ever go on tour with it.
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68 posts
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Chess
Feb 26, 2018 14:14:52 GMT
via mobile
Post by Brian on Feb 26, 2018 14:14:52 GMT
^I am looking forward to it but I agree that the apparent disorganization 8 weeks before it opens doesn’t exactly inspire confidence! Fingers crossed it will all come together.
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68 posts
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Chess
Feb 26, 2018 0:29:52 GMT
via mobile
Post by Brian on Feb 26, 2018 0:29:52 GMT
^Thanks for sharing. I hope there are costumes and at least some staging; otherwise it will just be a concert!
Do we think ‘Someone Else’s Story’ will be sung by Florence or Svetlana? In more recent productions, it seems to be Svetlana’s solo?
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Post by Brian on Feb 26, 2018 0:26:32 GMT
That doesn't sound right. If you're not buying via the official site, make sure the ticket agency has the S.T.A.R. logo on its website. Otherwise don't trust them! (something I learnt from @theatremonkey.com ) Thank you! I was on the ATG tickets website but it seemed to be an error; got it sorted in the end.
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Post by Brian on Feb 23, 2018 15:44:17 GMT
I was looking at booking tickets for this today- the transaction fees are £28! Am I missing something?
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Post by Brian on Feb 18, 2018 16:06:25 GMT
Do they still expect to get rid of all those still unsold premium stall seats at 175 quid a pop with THIS casting? As much as I like Michael Ball and his casting has made me have a look for tickets again,surely absolutely stellar casting for the female roles could only justify those prices. Burke and Janson are not stellar in any way.Maybe they will come down in price now? It’s all entirely subjective. Some people will buy tickets to see Michael, others will buy to see Alexandra, others will buy to see Cassidy. Others will buy simply because they love the musical, regardless of the cast. What is your definition of ‘stellar?’- the question is whether the producers believe A&C have the chops to pull off the role and be commercially appealing. Like them or not, both Alexandra and Cassidy have shifted a fair few tickets in their respective roles in other shows. There will never be a casting choice who is universally appealing. I’m assuming the cost of these tickets must have a lot to do with the overall production- i.e the staging and orchestra, rather than the ‘stars’ alone.
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Post by Brian on Dec 12, 2017 18:28:57 GMT
I saw this recently and found it disappointing. The score has some great moments but overall, the production fell a bit flat for me.
Ria Jones has a terrific voice but I felt the characterisation strayed into pantomime at times. There was inappropriate laughter at times and overall, I didn't find any of the characters to be particularly sympathetic- with the result that I wasn't really invested in what happened to them. It's a good story but the execution felt a bit hammy.
Danny Mac is very talented and easy on the eye.
On the positive side, the production itself was gorgeous to look at and nicely put together. Nice to have a full orchestra.
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Post by Brian on Dec 12, 2017 18:09:12 GMT
Wow really felt like they are trying to change public opinion on Alexandra tonight. Very forced - and not very convincing. To be fair, I think it's the least they could do. She's had false stories written about her since the series began- diva behaviour, meltdowns, feuds etc. The source has almost always been the Sun. Strangely enough, the Showbiz editor there has shut up since she called him out on it last week. There were reports on Twitter that BBC is taking legal action against the Sun as it has tarnished the 'family reputation' of the show, but who knows. Considering her very recent bereavement, I think the treatment of her has been appalling.
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Post by Brian on Dec 12, 2017 17:53:05 GMT
I think it's just she isn't that likeable or sincere (and has always had that problem since xfactor) plus she hasn't improved, if anything she has got slightly worse. The people who start out very good rarely win, people like to get involved with someone's 'journey' and also someone who has advanced and improved is arguably more deserving than someone who hasnt I have to say I find these judgments about whether she is sincere or not to be galling. She is an emotional and dramatic person (and she can be OTT at times) for sure, but for me at least, it's genuine emotion and unless we've had close dealings with her, I'm inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. It's nice to see Jon Robyns, Sandy Grigelis, Sarah Goggin, Tristan Gemmill and Rachel John have been on Twitter to defend her and stress how genuine she is. If she was a not nice person, I sincerely doubt they would bother.
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Post by Brian on Dec 7, 2017 13:10:54 GMT
Well worth a read.
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Post by Brian on Dec 1, 2017 14:55:45 GMT
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Post by Brian on Oct 29, 2017 22:23:50 GMT
Very pleased that he went. He really couldn’t dance. Whatever he was doing wasn’t entertaining to watch. He must have worn the most unflattering outfits ever in the history of Strictly... You could see he wasn’t an easy shape to dress, but they could have toned down the Toad of Toad Hall look week in week out. I don’t follow him in “real life” but am aware he’s a TV chef. I won’t miss his dances next week, I’m afraid, and I certainly won’t miss seeing where he keeps his Jersey Royals. Debbie or Aston to win...? I think the final four will be Aston, Alexandra, Debbie and either Gemma or Joe. Hard to say how it'll go after that. Gemma does seem to have a lot of support and could be the dark horse.
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Post by Brian on Oct 9, 2017 10:07:37 GMT
For what it's worth, I thought Alexandra was incredible- not convinced that her styling made her any less visible. Not sure how anyone can hardly notice one half of a two person dance when the dance relies so heavily on interaction between the two.
If people think Alexandra is boring, then what on earth do they think of Mollie, Gemma, Ruth and Charlotte?! They seem like nice people but their performances so far have left me cold- there is a total lack of stage presence or charisma.
I agree that it may be problematic that Craig worked closely with Alexandra, but he's hardly giving her an easy ride so far.
What did people make of Brendan/Shirley's interaction?
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Post by Brian on Oct 8, 2017 21:55:08 GMT
And yet Charlotte, Ruth and Alexzzzzzzzzzandra are still in it. It's a world gone mad. Alexandra's Paso Doble is literally the most exciting moment of the series so far. You obviously dislike her but her performances are far from boring and trying to characterise them as such is just baffling.
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Post by Brian on Oct 1, 2017 21:38:01 GMT
Nooo! Gorgeous Gorka..... I feel so sorry for Gorka. First he left way too early last season, then he lost his teeth and now he's been saddled with a real Burke. He's clearly upset someone on the production team. That's quite a nasty and unnecessary comment, Ryan. Gorka's upset someone on the production team by being paired with one of the best performers on the show? They seem to be getting on like a house on fire so I don't think he needs your sympathy. As for her personality, I've met her twice before and after shows when she was dressed down and she was throughly charming, sweet and funny. She's a very excitable and bubbly person for sure, and wears her heart on her sleeve but for me she's one of the most engaging and entertaining performers on the show. She's obviously a bit fragile at the moment as her mother passed away hardly a month ago so maybe cutting her some slack would be good.
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Post by Brian on Sept 27, 2017 9:28:30 GMT
This sounds like a complete disaster!
I noticed the reference to Wonderland above- I genuinely enjoyed it; some great songs and a fun way to pass a few hours.
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Post by Brian on Sept 25, 2017 23:26:32 GMT
The trailer looks really uninspiring. I was quite looking forward to it but it looks quite dull.
Not very promising when it begins and ends with the same song!
I do like Diana, though.
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Post by Brian on Sept 19, 2017 19:40:40 GMT
Hi all, I've got two tickets for sale for Tues 10 Oct 2017 if anyone is interested...
More information on the noticeboard!
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