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Post by christya on Jun 5, 2018 12:31:43 GMT
I certainly wouldn't do business with someone who refused to shake my hand for no other reason than that I'm a woman. Of course, I assume that he knows that people deciding not to do business with him is a possible consequence of the refusal, in which case he's made his choice.
I wouldn't be impressed by a supermarket that let someone refuse to serve me with alcohol or pork, either. If touching these items is an issue, I'm happy to wait while someone puts on gloves or something. Considering how many people's shopping contains these things, it doesn't sound very practical either.
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Post by christya on May 24, 2018 22:31:50 GMT
Oddly, I found "Playing Nancy" one of the best songs in the show and very touching as it described perfectly how many women are trapped in such a role of being the cute sweet easy-to-have girl because it's their only way to find appreciation. But it was situated in a very bad position at the beginning of the second act and came pretty much out of nowhere. So if they find a better way to integrate it into the show and make us care more for Nancy I'm all for that. I don't necessarily think it's a bad song. It's actually a rather good one. But I just didn't think it was necessary that Nancy had a song at all. Felt like it came out of nowhere, and then seemed to promise development that didn't happen. Just...odd that it existed. The kind of song that I usually suspect of being a cover for a scene change or mass costume changes elsewhere. If they actually did anything much with Nancy after that I wouldn't mind it.
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Post by christya on May 24, 2018 8:03:31 GMT
Providing that they keep the hilarious moment with the giant groundhog and the snow shovel, and preferably the car chase, I'll be happy. Ish. 'Playing Nancy' can go as far as I'm concerned, it never convinced me why I should care.
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Post by christya on May 22, 2018 16:17:14 GMT
And I can't even have my car park back, as the rest of the festival is still going ahead! Pfft.
In all seriousness though, I'm sorry those who had tickets will be disappointed. It sounded like a great event for anyone who didn't need to work nearby!
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Post by christya on May 21, 2018 22:01:07 GMT
Good for everyone except those of us who normally park there! My office will be empty for a week as for some reason they feel the need to close it off from Wednesday. Oh well, I'm sure it'll be a fantastic show.
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Post by christya on Apr 24, 2018 16:24:07 GMT
Very shouty. She does sound (during the more 'talky' bits) very like Janice in the film, which I suppose is good, but so much yelling. Maybe it works better in context!
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Post by christya on Apr 13, 2018 11:36:57 GMT
Snagged a front row ticket for July, hoping the stage isn't too high but even if it is, I'd rather deal with that than pay £75. It looks like with the website it's getting into the actual ticket booking system via the Other Palace website that's the problem - once in, it runs like a dream. More hamsters required to power the server hosting the Other Palace.
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Post by christya on Apr 8, 2018 21:21:27 GMT
Quite honestly, their behaviour this week has been so shoddy in general that I'll actively be advising friends NOT to use them - you can, after all, get all of those deals elsewhere, with the exception of the digital lotteries.
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Post by christya on Mar 27, 2018 11:10:08 GMT
Not sure I'd go as far as wanting him to win the Olivier, but he does play the part brilliantly. I did find his lisp offputting, but I can't imagine he can help that more than he's already doing and his interpretation of the character is incredibly interesting to watch. He came across as much more desperate than the Burr I saw on Broadway (can't recall that gentleman's name without my Playbill) and as a result I found his eventual duel with Hamilton more feasible. Essentially everything else he's doing is so good that I feel guilty for not being able to stop hearing the lisp - but then I did see the first preview and things might be smoother now. Going back in a couple of weeks (and sitting elsewhere) so may not notice this time.
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Post by christya on Jan 22, 2018 10:13:32 GMT
I keep trying with this, but it's just lacking something. Doesn't help that I haven't heard of most of the 'celebrities', but I suppose that's inevitable as time goes on and they run out of people who'll be willing to do it. I've never been bored with this show before, but it's just a bit dull.
Also doesn't help that I've detested Donna Air since her Byker Grove days, old grudge due to her behaviour toward friends on set. When she goes I might be more charitable toward the whole thing!
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Post by christya on Jan 21, 2018 23:23:09 GMT
Nobody did the entrance applause in the first song at the very first preview, and I was glad it didn't happen. With very, very few exceptions I detest entrance applause. Save it for after they've done something!
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Post by christya on Jan 17, 2018 12:17:47 GMT
Glad I didn't book for this now, 'I Know It's Today' is one of my favourites and it sounds like they've wrecked it.
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Post by christya on Jan 12, 2018 17:17:35 GMT
Nope, or at least it wasn't, and it would have improved it immeasurably. Completely different songs from series or film, aside from the title song at the very end and a snippet of it earlier (which perked up the audience, who promptly lapsed into dejection on realising it was only a snippet and they were getting 'There She Goes' instead of 'Fame').
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Post by christya on Jan 12, 2018 13:09:49 GMT
I saw a tour of it a few years ago - fantastic singing and dancing, but the majority of the younger cast couldn't manage an American accent to save their lives. Quite obviously a lot of the audience hadn't realised that it was different to the film either, judging by the amount of comments around me when everyone was leaving.
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Post by christya on Jan 5, 2018 22:02:22 GMT
I do think the second act, in particular, is probably quite hard to follow for some people if they're not familiar with the history at all. It only takes being briefly distracted, and you've missed crucial information. I studied some US history at University, and even so the first time I saw it there were bits where I was briefly thrown off - in particular remembering when someone was playing another character.
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Post by christya on Jan 4, 2018 17:31:07 GMT
If you've managed to interpret 'Let's find a way for everyone to attend and enjoy' as excluding people, then I see no point in engaging any further with you, so I'm happy to oblige. I feel no particular urge to defend my views against anyone who is so eager to wilfully misinterpret, and so quick to jump into a knee-jerk reaction. It must be dreadfully uncomfortable to be so easily outraged. Have a lovely day.
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Post by christya on Jan 4, 2018 17:06:57 GMT
If someone is so noisy that it makes it impossible - not difficult, but impossible - for the rest of the audience to enjoy the show they paid for, then I'm sorry if it seems cruel but that shouldn't be something that people just have to put up with. Yes, it's rare - for the two cases I mentioned, in the first instance it's reasonable to expect everyone else to be patient. In the second, it isn't, and suggesting there be an alternative provision isn't some kind of hideous notion - it might actually mean some people are more comfortable going to the theatre, for a number of reasons. How many people stay home because they're worried about creating just such a disturbance, and might take advantage of accommodation if it was offered?
There will always be people who believe that where disability is concerned, the rest of us should just put up with anything. But while I'll always offer help where I can, and would like to see more done to give people access to the theatre - relaxed performances being a great example - I don't think the enjoyment of one person, whoever they are, should take precedence over the enjoyment of everyone else. We should be looking at ways of helping, not expecting people to just lump it.
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Post by christya on Jan 4, 2018 14:30:25 GMT
I've experienced two different levels of this kind of thing happening. In the first instance, there is a man who regularly attends one of our local theatres. He evidently has a severe disability which results in the occasional noise, which seems to be either completely involuntary or the result of him trying to communicate with his companion and probably being unable to regulate the sound. The noise IS a disturbance, and it does spoil things a little - but it isn't constant, it isn't on purpose, and it doesn't make enough of a difference for it to be an issue worth complaining about. Plus, for me the fact that he's been there quite a few times tells me that he probably loves the theatre and being able to attend is important.
Another time, though, a different person was making noise continually, and I DO mean continually. The kind of noise that sounds like someone is in pain, whether they really are or not. It ruined the show completely - at least the first act, because I didn't go back in for the second one. There wasn't any point, and I doubt I would be the only one to leave. I was rather angry that time, because I felt that this was probably a constant issue for this person, and the decision to come there was a conscious decision to ruin the night for everyone else.
Now, in the second situation I still feel for the person concerned. But there were over a thousand other people there who had paid to see a show that they now couldn't enjoy. Can't be right, surely? Maybe a solution would be to provide some kind of soundproofing in some boxes with the stage audio piped in (a screen that could be opened if there were no issue) - a friend's son was offered this in a concert hall a few years back and it meant he could attend without any problems.
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Post by christya on Dec 19, 2017 10:43:14 GMT
Booked for the matinee on the 3rd. Second row, only been in Cadogan Hall once before so can't remember what views are like at all. Having sat in the VERY back row for Bombshell (and felt damn lucky to be there at all) it'll be nice to sit closer for this, sore neck or not!
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Post by christya on Dec 8, 2017 15:05:09 GMT
My issue with Alexandra is fairly simple - I thought she was terrible in Sister Act, couldn't understand a word she sang and ended up wishing I'd left at the interval. As it ruined a night out I'd been really looking forward to I haven't forgiven her, and I'd enjoy Strictly more if she wasn't in it. Not exactly something I'd imagine keeps her up at night!
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Post by christya on Dec 8, 2017 10:17:51 GMT
Saw the first preview for this on Wednesday - overall, it was amazing and I'd have gone back the following night if it wasn't basically impossible! Sat up in row C of the Grand Circle, had an amazing view though - the rake up there really helps short people out!
Jamael Westman was a wonderful Hamilton - I especially liked him in the beginning when playing the younger version, though he did carry off the more mature version too. And he is so tall! That was a surprise.
I wasn't particularly keen on Giles Terrera as Burr in the beginning. He was lisping rather badly, and I found it distracting. Later in the show it didn't seem as bad, so maybe it gets better as he warms up or maybe my ears had started to cancel it out. That was the only thing wrong with his performance, but I did find myself thinking "Did the casting people not HEAR that?" A shame, as he probably can't help it much and was great otherwise.
Loved Rachelle Ann Go as Eliza - I'm a sucker for her voice and she was especially great in the second act. 'Burn' was just beautiful. I felt that the sound levels were a little off for all three Schulyer Sisters in their first song, they seemed a bit quiet, but it only affected that song. Christine Allado was great as Peggy, but an absolutely stunning Maria Reynolds.
Overall a great show - there were other standout moments, obviously, but without writing all day it's difficult to get to them. King George proved a bit of a favourite, though!
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Post by christya on Nov 9, 2017 11:02:32 GMT
Brilliant, thanks folks. I'm usually a stubborn front-row-of-circle person but can't resist the lure of £25 tickets!
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Post by christya on Nov 8, 2017 14:24:36 GMT
I'm looking at doing rush for this in a couple of weeks, and I've noticed rush tickets are often row A. Am I right in thinking that this is the second row for the central section, with AA at the front? If so, would a 5' 3" person be able to see okay from there?
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Post by christya on Oct 19, 2017 11:18:50 GMT
The 'Lancelot' song went down like a lead balloon because of this - instead of everything suddenly becoming big and brash and sparkly there were several men in sparkly shorts. I think you may have missed the point of the song! If there was one that I missed, please enlighten me! What it felt like was waiting for the 'kick line' part of Chorus Line and instead seeing three uncomfortable-looking people shuffle on with plastic gold hats from Poundland.
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Post by christya on Oct 13, 2017 9:14:38 GMT
Saw this in Sunderland this week - it was actually really enjoyable. Incredibly and obviously cheap, but they could get away with it for this show - except for a couple of parts that clearly needed more dancers than they had. I think at one point a man was in there as a cheerleader. The 'Lancelot' song went down like a lead balloon because of this - instead of everything suddenly becoming big and brash and sparkly there were several men in sparkly shorts. For most parts it didn't matter, though. Way better than Flashdance - not that it takes much to do that!
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Post by christya on Oct 7, 2017 23:19:24 GMT
Definitely need to get there before they change this - one of the main reasons I wanted to go was that it's the version I remember most fondly, but in German.
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Post by christya on Oct 7, 2017 22:25:17 GMT
I got so sick of being followed/unfollowed that I finally blocked him. He seemed like a decent bloke on the show, but doesn't seem to have a clue how to handle Twitter.
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Post by christya on Oct 6, 2017 12:38:59 GMT
I was so looking forward to this, but looks like Newcastle and Sunderland are missed out. Maybe our theatres didn't work/weren't available, but still a shame. Now need to work out whether Edinburgh or Sheffield is the better choice for a trip!
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Post by christya on Sept 22, 2017 9:44:00 GMT
Just for anyone else booked onto the later stops on the tour that are (probably, though nobody will admit it) cancelled. I've been emailing ATG about the Sunderland date and they say they've been in touch with the venue and that Sunderland Empire are unaware of any cancellation.
Asked to explain why ATG's own website no longer shows the venue/event and the tour website shows it as ending in April when Sunderland was June, their response so far has amounted to "Uhhhh..."
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Post by christya on Sept 21, 2017 13:14:05 GMT
Does anyone know why they decided to switch Poppa to be female? Seems a bit of a random change - did they change anything to explain it, like anything that wouldn't have worked with Poppa? I do think it's a shame to lose the original all-male duet of 'Only You'. Though not as much as the absence of Rolling Stock bugs me.
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