343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Jun 1, 2019 10:30:36 GMT
Wow! Actually, I disagree! I watched Funny Girl several times and found her performances pretty damn wonderful to be honest. From the reviews of others I was far from being the only one who thought that. Yes, her and Jason may not be the best singers in the world. They never have been and I doubt they have ever claimed to be. Why people suddenly expect them to be absolutely wonderful singers all of a sudden I am unsure. They are what they are and the casting directors would have been fully aware of their capabilities when they were cast. I am no expert on every Joseph production since the beginning of time like some of you but the many tour versions I have seen recently have been very like a panto. Ten performances a week, three a day back to back. It's hardly high brow entertainment. A singing Elvis? Come on. I'll be booking. There may be off key notes, there may be this there may be that but theatre does not always need to be over analysed to every single detail. It is essentially about enjoyment! Sometimes people on here appear to have forgotten that. You pay thousands of pounds on theatre but don't seem to enjoy it very much. You do enjoy constantly looking for all the flaws in it though. The target audience of this show aren't like that. The target audience are normal people, not the likes of us. They'll just go and watch. And enjoy. For that, I envy them. One of the requirements of the Narrator role is that the person playing that role has to be able to sing to a high standard. Particularly in the WE productions. Joseph is a sung-through musical, and the majority of the solo singing is done by the Narrator. She has to be able to nail it. The WE production is a different beast to the touring one - the casts tend to be pretty strong performers, and the productions tends to look good (staging/costumes/props). It's not high-brow entertainment, but that doesn't mean there's any excuse to skimp on the quality of the performers.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on May 31, 2019 21:25:36 GMT
I thought it was woeful. Sheridan and Jason sounded ropey, and the costumes looked cheap. Not keen on the coat either. I prefer the one used in the 1991/2007 productions.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on May 23, 2019 20:54:03 GMT
Correct me if I am wrong but Mrs Potiphar isnt listed on the website. Nor is the butcher or baker. Mrs P would be the obvious fit if she were to play any. In the 2007 WE production, Jacob and Potiphar were played by the same actor. Butler and Baker were played by two of the actors who played brothers. I'd assume that the same would apply here. Sheridan playing Mrs P makes sense, except that the Narrator is singing while Mrs P is doing her thing.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on May 18, 2019 22:34:49 GMT
Hope she doesn't sound as awful as she does on eurovision That was dreadful. Off key with a ridiculous amount of vibrato. Then there was the weird thing with the people in gas masks, followed by something that was autotuned to within an inch of its life. No wonder the response in the arena was so muted!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on May 17, 2019 15:38:35 GMT
They look like they should be running the Local Shop for Local People in Royson Vasey!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on May 15, 2019 21:35:02 GMT
I know I'm set in my ways regarding the 1991 production but that 2014 prologue was awful. it's bad enough putting Any Dream Will Do at the start of the show, let alone bringing Joseph into the prologue too! It makes no sense. It feels like an American Idol sing off. I'm surprised 'The Lord' allowed them to mess with the tune so much. I remember him complaining (something along the lines of "That's not what I wrote!") when one of the Any Dream Will Do auditionees added a bit extra to one of the songs!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on May 14, 2019 12:34:55 GMT
Theatre producers everywhere must hate authors who write shows such as 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (why not 2 Brides for 2 Brothers?) Snow White and the 3 Dwarfs (2 if it's a Bill Kenwright show). 2 Guys Named Mo. The Witch of Eastwick The Pirate of Penzance. Don't forget the ALW classic Cat! And the current smash hit Two!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on May 12, 2019 16:12:25 GMT
Just watched the You Tube clip. Words really do fail me here after watching. I wonder if Stephen Sondheim has seen it? it's maybe the worst concert I've ever seen, it's so weird and almost out of her mind, if anyone wants to see the full thing: Just watching it now...bizarre!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on May 12, 2019 14:59:54 GMT
Oh my, I didn't see that one. That sounds tres hilair! She should definitely do that. It'll be 'Knights of the Rose' all over again! oh, it happened. It's like she got drunk then wandered onto the stage! Weird!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on May 3, 2019 9:39:14 GMT
I hate to say this but it's a musical I'm not familiar nor the film. Just looked at the clip above and it looks quite impressive. Didn't some x factor sing that song? It was the XF Winner's Single the year Leon Jackson won (Rhydian Roberts was runner-up).
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Apr 26, 2019 18:02:49 GMT
I sooooooooo need to know where they are getting the £3k from for each performance. OR - *puts on deerstalker* - is it a ruse to call out audiences for being greedy and avaricious like... a certain... titular character?? ETA incredible piece from the Motorpoint Cardiff site: Scrooge is a 'fun guy'? There was me thinking he was a miserable tight-fisted git!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Apr 23, 2019 20:56:08 GMT
I think Maria was on the same Rocky Horror tour as Ben Forster and a certain soap star who appeared on Big Brother last year. I've not seen her as Glinda, but she was a brilliant Christine in Phantom. It's certainly plausible that the 'soap star' would come out with a nasty comment like that, but whoever it was, it was nasty and uncalled for!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Apr 3, 2019 20:29:42 GMT
Sorry, that does nothing for me. Way too over-wrought and shouty. I also found the pauses at the end irritating.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 26, 2019 10:23:38 GMT
Obviously I haven't seen her in it but that won't stop me from making a sweeping statement. I just think Louise looks and feels all wrong for Violet. I see her more as Judy to be honest. I thought that as soon as she was cast.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 25, 2019 11:52:04 GMT
I've just dug out my programme as I have a strong memory of this (not sure why!) from circa 1989/90. I do wish programmes would say where I saw it, as I couldn't honestly say. However, it began life at The Nightingale, Brighton, then went to The King's Head and on to the Arts (first perf 27 September 1989) and the Shaftesbury (where I'm pretty certain is where I saw it.) I remember it being an up-beat, fun show and I have fairly strong recollections of the title song, which sounded like something a cross between The Bay City Rollers and Kenny (remember them?!) could have churned out. I could be doing them a disservice, but I don't recognise any of the cast names, although one of them was in Brookside and, because his face in the programme looked vaguely familiar, I researched further and discovered he was latterly in Hollyoakes, The Bill, Emmerdale, etc. etc. and was also husband number ? of Denise Welch. David Easter? He was Pharaoh in Joseph at Palladium (1991).
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 17, 2019 19:41:12 GMT
Wow, Kristin sounds fab!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 17, 2019 19:38:18 GMT
Expect the announcement - Martin Lewis as Joseph this week. Don't even joke. I bet Bill Kenwright has the ink on the contract already. However, I'd give Daniel Broklebank a job any day. Yes, Daniel was great!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 16, 2019 20:31:23 GMT
What's this "We shouldn't be pitting women against each other" nonsense? As a woman, I don't understand that. Apart from anything else, saying "I prefer female performer A to female performer B (or male performer A to male performer B) in this role" is what we tend to do when we've seen more than one person playing a particular role. As long as it doesn't descend into nastiness, I have no problem with performers being compared.
Given that previous narrators have tended to be strong singers, it's understandable that people have questioned the casting of Sheridan, who's more of an actress than a singer.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 11, 2019 14:50:23 GMT
It's not about what we want, it's about facts. Their previous testimonies as adult men seemed to be influenced by money and notoriety. And now, stating the complete opposite when he's dead also brings in money and notoriety. Both situations were a choice. They could have chosen to speak the truth in 2005 (which is better for personal processing) and they could have chosen to speak with their families and professionals now (which also seems better for personal processing), but they didn't in both cases and chose the money and notoriety route both times (and the actual case is also about that, so actually 3 times). Many people are looking for "prestige" indeed. It's worth pointing out here that James Safechuck didn't testify in the 2005 trial - he refused to do so.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 11, 2019 1:15:52 GMT
I found this documentary on the tubular website. It's from 2005 (in the run up to the Gavin Arvizo trial), and has Martin Bashir revisiting some parts of the Living With Michael Jackson documentary, and discussing some of the boys MJ 'befriended'. What's interesting is that there are audio clips of Jordan Chandler (from when his allegations were made), and what he's saying sounds familiar.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 9, 2019 16:14:19 GMT
A lot will depend on what else comes out. If it turns into another Savile (where we're getting further revelations and people coming forward day after day), then their hand may be forced.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 8, 2019 9:20:36 GMT
Where did you see that. How can that be? Joseph is the youngest brother. Second youngest. Benjamin is the youngest. The point still stands, though, that all the brothers, bar Benjamin, are older than Joseph.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 7, 2019 21:15:50 GMT
Just heard a Muller yoghurt advert with Jacksons music. Feels weird I'm surprised they haven't pulled that.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 6, 2019 22:14:26 GMT
Am I the only one who is kinda floored by this documentary? I'm sat here, just stunned. Same here. It's so desperately sad.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 3, 2019 0:32:22 GMT
Guardian article - 50 Years Of Joseph:- linkSome interesting costume variations (and Josephs) over the years!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Mar 3, 2019 0:05:24 GMT
This won't mean much to anyone outside of the Eurovision bubble but every time I see a reference to 'Rags' the musical, I always think of this classic which was beaten in the UK national final of 1977 by Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran's 'Rock Bottom'. Never has a mid-song outfit change looked so fabulous! I'm willing to bet that there will be nothing as catchy as this in 'Rags' the musical . . . The dress on the girl with long blonde hair is a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Feb 28, 2019 23:24:58 GMT
Really looking forward to this! Glenn will be epic!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Feb 28, 2019 17:01:57 GMT
Not many revelations in the ITV show last night, although it was interesting that they were very much talking about Louise as having left the show, there was no suggestion of it being a temporary thing, although I guess they maybe weren't sure at the point it was being filmed. It did show how professional Caroline Sheen was to step into an established company and learn a big role with very little rehearsal time. Amber's story felt a little contradictory... She kept saying how much she wanted to be treated as a serious actress and a West End star, yet the creative team were quite open about the fact she auditioned via video and clearly had some special treatment because she was a 'name'. I've just finished watching it. It reminded me of the 'Winner's Story' documentaries they did for the winners of the BBC casting shows, where they followed Connie/Lee/Jodie/Danielle on the journey to the opening night of their respective shows. Amber moaning about the press attention annoyed me - if you're famous for being in a TV show which focuses on people's love lives, then the press will be interested in your love life after the show! It did sound as if Louise had left the show altogether. I thought Caroline Sheen seemed nice in her bit to camera. I wonder how many people auditioned for the role of Judy? If Amber was offered the role based on one song, performed in a video (rather than being seen in person), that does seem risky.
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Feb 17, 2019 0:58:23 GMT
Don't bother auditioning for The Voice if:-
a) You can sing in tune b) Your diction is good c) You don't go in for vocal acrobatics or shouting d) You don't have any vocal affectations (e.g. randomly yelping, changing the tune of a song for no discernible reason or deliberately mispronouncing words*)
It makes me wonder what the coaches are looking for. I'm getting to the point where I just think "For God's sake, just sing the song as it was written, with none of these ridiculous gimmicks!"
*There was a girl on tonight's show who I thought was singing about being addicted to loofahs. It turned out that she was singing the song Addicted To Love!
|
|
343 posts
|
Post by johartuk on Feb 9, 2019 19:03:52 GMT
Seems a bit random. It's one of those pantos that I vaguely recall being done back in the day (see also Babes In The Wood), but has gone out of fashion in recent years.
|
|