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Post by abitoftap on Jan 11, 2018 17:06:58 GMT
Popbitch:
The National Theatre's production of Follies closed last week, after getting incredible reviews. Those who caught it towards the end of the run may have noticed a slight change in the casting of one particular scene though.
There's a scene which sees Buddy chasing two women around the stage in a fevered little fantasy as he sings the God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues. In a little British twist though, the 'women' were actually men dressed and styled as panto dames.
It seems Stephen Sondheim saw the live cast and wasn’t impressed by the inclusion of the dames, so told the director to change it. Lawyers were even mentioned.
Needless to say, the change got made.
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Post by abitoftap on Dec 25, 2017 14:22:15 GMT
Has anyone pointed out the seat plan is just flash? You need to have the latest version of flash and more importantly you have to have it enabled by default on the ticketmaster website. Most browsers now are not doing that to protect you, and most phones won’t do it at all. It’s not about your hardware or your browser, it’s if there’s any impediment to loading the flash element of the page. Correct! I booked a couple of tickets for July 19th a few days ago. I use Chrome and couldn't get the seating plan up to choose my own seats. I've just tried again using Chrome and Andrew's info, and would have been able to choose my own seats. Thanks. Interestingly I read the review in yesterday's Observer which said "But no you can’t. Get a ticket before a mooted next booking period opens. Unless you win the daily lottery. Keep trying.". Plainly not true. The July 19th mat eg seems only half sold.
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Post by abitoftap on Dec 11, 2017 16:11:31 GMT
Brian Conley took a few goes on the tour of the Chichester production. (and he wasn't very high!)
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Post by abitoftap on Nov 19, 2017 11:18:43 GMT
The Jerry Lewis Damn Yankees at the Adelphi 20 or so years ago was basically part of he US tour I think, so it can happen. Mind you, I remember reading that there was a dodgy producer involved and it didn't end happily.
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Post by abitoftap on Oct 1, 2017 20:12:09 GMT
James Humphreys?
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Post by abitoftap on Sept 12, 2017 13:52:25 GMT
It does make you wonder whether any major director would want to work with him anymore. Has he got more involved/worse (your choice) over the last few years? I can't imagine Cheek by Jowl/Nicholas Hytner/Trevor Nunn etc allowing him such an input. I wonder if he's still involved with Chichester and how Daniel Evans would cope with him. Overall I thought the doc was OK. Nothing really new. Didn't really address his more recent stuff.
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Post by abitoftap on Sept 6, 2017 21:28:19 GMT
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Post by abitoftap on Aug 31, 2017 8:15:30 GMT
Bookings opened today for this for those paying >= £250 to the Menier's membership scheme. Still no indication of cast. Do the booking elites get a heads up as to cast, or do they book blind?
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Post by abitoftap on Aug 24, 2017 19:25:31 GMT
Sondheimfreak - At the risk of interrupting this thread and challenging someone with a name that suggests you know better, I've been a fan of Sondheim for 40 years and (having heard him speak several times and even met him once) never heard him tell the Crawford story before. When has he mentioned this issue before? Look up the interview Michael Riedel does with Elaine Paige and Ron Raines on Theatre Talk during the Broadway revival. Elaine Paige discusses I'm Still Here, and quotes Sondheim explaining the song to her, and how it's based on Crawford's life. And if you don't know, now you know. or P. 236 of Ted Chapin's Everything Was Possible, describing the introduction of I'm Still Here to replace Fox Trot; "Steve later claimed Joan Crawford, not Yvonne, was his inspiration" (The book may well have been mentioned already, but if not, it's a great read: Follies from rehearsal to Broadway back in 1971)
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Post by abitoftap on Aug 21, 2017 14:51:17 GMT
Can people really not hold their bladders for that long? It always annoys me when a first act is about to end and someone gets up to go to the toilet, then shuffles back in midway through the closer. I really think, if there is two minutes left, they should just be told to stand at the back. Two hours isn't gonna kill ya! Could be wrong, but I'm guessing you're one of the younger posters here?
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Post by abitoftap on Feb 4, 2017 18:43:27 GMT
We saw it on its brief Broadway run. Patinkin opened the show front of curtain in blackface. A few walkouts. It's meant to shock I think. Great show. Seeing Eartha Kitt slink onto stage has been a highlight of my theatre going life!
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Post by abitoftap on Jan 27, 2017 17:48:17 GMT
Ms Barstow sang the same role in a semi staged, one off, "star studded", performance at the Palladium about 10 years ago.
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Post by abitoftap on Sept 22, 2016 6:28:57 GMT
I think in my head I assumed that tickets would be almost impossible to get, so slightly panicked when I first looked for tickets. I'd never used Broadway.com before, but assumed agency charges had just increased appallingly since we'd last been to NY! Meanwhile I'd gone through the Schubert theatre site which got me to Telecharge! Once I realised that the ticket prices they were quoting when I selected a performance were for the two tickets we wanted not per ticket, we got two decent seats, with less scary agency fees.
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Post by abitoftap on Sept 21, 2016 8:34:59 GMT
Thanks.
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Post by abitoftap on Sept 21, 2016 8:13:22 GMT
I wasn't expecting discounts!!! Just whether there was a site which didn't have such high fees.
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Post by abitoftap on Sept 21, 2016 8:03:44 GMT
We haven't been to New York for a few years (since the time when we saw Natasha, Pierre etc in a tent!) but hope to get to see Bette next year. Quick look shows the Orchestra seats at $189 (a bargain!!!), but plus fees of $60+ buying via Broadway.com.(not a bargain). Anyone got any advice as to the best way (if any) to get regular price tickets without such an exorbitant booking fee? Thanks for any help.(if
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