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Post by Jon on Apr 18, 2024 13:31:49 GMT
Gaga as Harley Quinn is inspired casting but Harley is fascinating as a character because she was not created in the comics, she created for Batman: The Animated Series and she became so popular she was added to the comics a few years after her debut.
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Post by Jon on Apr 18, 2024 12:15:53 GMT
I found out about Oliver at the Gielgud through theatreboard, but that still leaves a bunch of West End venues empty for the autumn/winter season. Have you guys heard any rumour of what is going into Drury Lane and The Gillian Lynne? It’s odd that The Wizard Of Oz and Frozen close respectively on the same day, that’s two LW Theatres venues that will be empty. Wonder if it’ll be a transfer situation or if they’ll put new work into the venues? We're only in April so news will come within the next few months.
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Post by Jon on Apr 17, 2024 19:33:55 GMT
Les Mis is 40 next year so maybe related to that? But I assumed the arena tour was for that. I think we'll see a London run of the arena tour in October 2025, probably at the O2.
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Post by Jon on Apr 17, 2024 18:57:02 GMT
It's probably about Oliver! going to be the Gielgud as Martin Guerre he's not involved with.
I wonder if a return season of Old Friends might also be a possibility?
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Post by Jon on Apr 16, 2024 16:00:52 GMT
The issue with Sunset returning is what is available theatre wise since the Savoy won't be free anytime soon and a lot of the 1000+ theatres are booked up.
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Post by Jon on Apr 16, 2024 13:42:05 GMT
I wonder how much of a boost the Olivier win will be to sales and whether they might consider a move to a slightly bigger (and hopefully more comfortable!) theatre? The chances of a move are zero.
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Post by Jon on Apr 16, 2024 13:36:47 GMT
I can't help but think that in terms of casting, we got the better Romeo and Juliet.
It's like An Enemy of the People where two productions are debuting on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Post by Jon on Apr 15, 2024 21:05:14 GMT
I have it on VERY good authority that both Dear England and Mincemeat are going to Broadway in 2025. Madness, but true. Also The Motive and the Cue with both leads. Dear England I think would do well at the Vivian Beaumont as a limited run, it would need a big Broadway theatre for a commercial run and there aren't many available. The Motive and the Cue transferring isn't too surprising although I wonder who will they get for Elizabeth Taylor? The Booth would be perfect for it. The Booth or the Golden would be the best theatres. All the other Broadway theatres that are smaller are owned by non profits.
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Post by Jon on Apr 15, 2024 20:41:48 GMT
I’m not convinced it will return and I think theatre availability would be the biggest factor since you cant go too big or too small. Personally loved the proportions and interiors of the Savoy, really fit the show and has that same faded glamour too. The funnel-like volume really allowed you to zone in on the lone actors on a blank stage and even the end of row seats didn't feel that off to the side. Spatially the St James is kind of the opposite- wider and squatter and capacity larger by a half- everything will feel so different! I suspected they needed a bigger theatre just because Broadway is more expensive than the West End in terms of running costs plus ATG/Jujamcyn's other Broadway theatres are all booked.
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Post by Jon on Apr 15, 2024 20:37:22 GMT
There’s already advertising out on the sides of buses with the Olivier results. Considering how well this is selling, I’m surprised that’s needed, but maybe it’s the end of the cheap ticket prices. I still think they'll keep their current pricing but I wouldn't be surprised if they make Thursday the same price as Fridays and Saturdays, I'm surprised they managed to get the Best New Musical on buses so quickly, I'd understand digital ads but not bus ads.
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Post by Jon on Apr 15, 2024 14:38:03 GMT
I’m not convinced it will return and I think theatre availability would be the biggest factor since you cant go too big or too small.
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Post by Jon on Apr 14, 2024 22:38:25 GMT
People moan about the ceremony not being broadcast live in the UK but I suspect if ITV1 did show it live, it would do badly ratings wise.
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Post by Jon on Apr 14, 2024 21:29:07 GMT
Sorry but Hannah is just awful. Proof again that we just don’t know how to stage awards shows. Just hideously terrible. I think we need the producers of say Saturday Night Takeaway to do an awards show. The BAFTAs are so dull compared to their American counterparts
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Post by Jon on Apr 14, 2024 21:24:11 GMT
With only one Olivier win, I wonder if the plans to extend until January are still happening?
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Post by Jon on Apr 14, 2024 21:22:09 GMT
Hannah’s funniest joke of the night was saying Little Big Things was a sellout… Technically it was for the last few weeks of its run. I was pleased that Operation Mincemeat has won Best Musical and Dear England Best Play. Not so keen on Stranger Things winning best entertainment when it should have been in Best Play.
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Post by Jon on Apr 13, 2024 1:48:22 GMT
Miss Congeniality forever and always I'm surprised Warner Bros hasn't never considered it for a stage adaptation, there would have to be a few changes but I think there is potential for a stage musical version to work. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is one I've always thought it would a good musical.
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Post by Jon on Apr 12, 2024 16:02:04 GMT
It’ll be live-streamed on YouTube but geo blocked so it can only be watched from outside the UK. You’ll need to use a VPN to spoof your location if you want to watch it live from the UK. I find it utterly illogical that an awards show that supposedly celebrates the West End and the UK theatre scene does a broadcast deal that means they can't broadcast the entire ceremony to UK audiences - just a highlights package at such a late time in a broadcast schedule. It doesn't rate well enough to broadcast it live and I suspect ITV1 wouldn't want live rights anyway. They aired in primetime one year and it bombed
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Post by Jon on Apr 12, 2024 15:42:56 GMT
Yes some of you have crazy expectations of how people in the industry behave. This long list of seasoned producers are not going to throw their hands up and say “It was a load of old **** tbh” and point fingers at the creatives. Sure it might be true but that’s not how people act. This show’s problem, as is the cast with a lot of shows these days, was racing to West End/Broadway without adequate workshopping or try outs on the basis of the pedigree involved. And no matter the pedigree, every show needs tweaked. By the time this opened up and they saw the response, it’s too late for a huge overhaul. I think the producers were a bit too eager with Ivo again after the success of A Little Life and Sheridan is a big name who had a big hit last year with Shirley so thought the two together would be a winning combination. It didn't work this time and there is lessons to be learnt but theatre producing is a risk and sometimes you need the duds to learn from those mistakes.
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Post by Jon on Apr 12, 2024 15:18:29 GMT
It's good manners not to finger point publicly, we saw what happened with Cinderella and ALW when it was closing. Well, yes, but it's also bad manners for the producers to fingerpoint at just about everything but the cause – poor concept and direction. I don't appreciate being labelled a 'hater' by their social media team just because I saw and disliked an incoherent mess (in my opinion). Nobody ever takes ownership of problems any more and a bit of introspection from them wouldn't go amiss. But if you're a producer who would like to work with the likes of Ivo van Hove again, you're not going to slag him or the other creatives in off the press release.
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Post by Jon on Apr 12, 2024 14:06:40 GMT
That's unfair, it's just disappointment that it didn't work out. It’s more than that- it’s a disaster however they choose to spin it and portion blame anywhere else but with those who created it. It's good manners not to finger point publicly, we saw what happened with Cinderella and ALW when it was closing.
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Post by Jon on Apr 12, 2024 11:19:59 GMT
£39.50 as the lowest price point. Madness. I get it's a small theatre but it'll be discounting in no time,
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Post by Jon on Apr 12, 2024 11:08:48 GMT
Producers and creatives give the impression that they have created something amazing and can't believe the audience reaction. Some super egos I suspect not used to failure. That's unfair, it's just disappointment that it didn't work out.
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Post by Jon on Apr 12, 2024 10:34:45 GMT
Very intrigued to see how @sohoplace can showcase its flexibility at last after all its in the round shows. I mean, it won't be too exciting, I'm sure, but will be nice to see at last, even with that hideous Heathers set. I think it'll be in thrust configuration for Heathers similar to the Donmar's layout. I've seen pictures of how the theatre would look in various configurations so thrust should work but the capacity will lowered.
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Post by Jon on Apr 12, 2024 9:18:08 GMT
Tommy wasn't successful first time around in the West End so the revival might be seen as a risk.
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Post by Jon on Apr 12, 2024 8:09:01 GMT
While I didn't find this show totally unwatchable myself, and again I'm sorry for the loss of jobs with it closing, I don't particularly agree with the defence that at least it was trying something "bold and new/unusual" in the West End, as that does a discredit to the many other bold and new shows in the West End that quite frankly just did "bold and new" a lot better. SO MANY plays and musicals in recent years have been incredibly inventive and unusual in their staging and/or narrative structure, but they just did it better. Saying that the loss of shows like this is a slippery slope to a West End full of jukebox musicals is false. Jukebox musicals continue to come and go. There are still new and exciting works popping up without the clunky dialogue and lyrics and baffling directorial choices of Opening Night. This idea that Opening Night has flopped entirely because people don't "get" inventive or avant garde theatre undermines the fact that there are many regular theatregoers who have seen and enjoyed ALL kinds of theatre who just thought this was badly done. I always think jukebox musicals get a bad rap but there's a reason Mamma Mia! for example has run for 25 years and Opening Night only 10 weeks. Ivo had a huge hit with A Little Life last year and to me I think when he has to restrain his box of tricks, it makes for a better experience. I'm sure he'll be disappointed this hasn't worked out but he will bounce back with his next project which I believe is The Shining.
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Post by Jon on Apr 11, 2024 14:11:22 GMT
I'm guessing Ibsen's Ghosts which recently was at the Wanamaker Playhouse.
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Post by Jon on Apr 11, 2024 12:04:40 GMT
Saddened by this news. Hopefully I can make it before it closes. I wonder what they have chosen to replace it. Choose your 'Day'... Groundhog or Just For One... It will be neither since it'll only run for 8-9 weeks.
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Post by Jon on Apr 11, 2024 11:54:55 GMT
Ending in January 2025 would make sense as the Bridge would want to have a season or two in place before closing Guys and Dolls.
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Post by Jon on Apr 11, 2024 11:16:24 GMT
It's only a month run which suggests that it's filling a gap before going back on tour.
I would imagine @sohoplace will be able to reconfigure itself for Heathers.
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Post by Jon on Apr 11, 2024 10:25:57 GMT
Five weeks notice for closure is reasonable.
Wessex Grove will have lost money on it but I imagine they'll still be keen to work with Ivo Van Hove again.
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