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Post by dazzlair on Jun 29, 2020 11:51:22 GMT
Miss Saigon: Kim singing "I feel walls in my heart/closing in/I can't breathe/I can't win. Devestating.
Metropolis: The first time Maria and Steven sing the chorus of It's Only Love/Bring On the Night together with the 2 different melodies. Steven: "If it's only love..."/Maria: "It won't take long..." Goosebumps!
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Post by dazzlair on May 28, 2020 0:09:52 GMT
The two Asian characters with the harro accents in Anything Goes. Yuuuuuuuuuuuck.
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Post by dazzlair on Oct 2, 2019 9:43:56 GMT
Katy Secombe cackling away, Matt Lucas laughing twice midway through Beggars at the Feast, the cast behind in stitches - it was a genuinely lovely moment which reminded me why live theatre is my favourite medium. Loved it!
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Post by dazzlair on Jul 3, 2019 12:22:54 GMT
I was there last night too (the £10 standing tickets are an absolute bargain). The delay at the beginning was for technical reasons too, I heard one of the staff tell someone they were having problems with the lift backstage. This didn't do it for me, as has been said already it's panto-joseph, it's all just daft comedy and although I know it's always a lighthearted show it does normally have a couple of serious, emotional moments. I am not a SS fan and she didn't win me over, I'm also not really into children playing adult parts. I could barely understand a word JD was singing. It was enjoyable in a totally forgettable way I guess, but there were just too many things that irritated me about it. The audience were in raptures though (the woman next to me kept glaring at me when I wasn't clapping with sufficient enthusiasm!) so it's pleasing plenty of people, just not me!! The bit where Jacob and Joseph reunite was a touching (and surprisingly moving) moment in the 2007 production (I'm presuming it was much the same in the 1991 production). I dread to think what they've done with it now. It was barely a moment, let alone a touching one lol
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Post by dazzlair on Jul 2, 2019 23:57:50 GMT
What a strange beast this is.
I saw the 1991 show with Linzi Hateley and Jason Donovan and that was a proper show - the kitchen sink thrown at us had all manner of bells and whistles on. That was also the first time I saw and heard Ms Hateley who I absolutely adored. Her narrator, in my opinion, is still unsurpassed.
I have to admit I went to this with a little trepidation as I'm really not a fan of Sheridan and all this talk of her winking and kicking down the fourth wall like Bruce Willis in Moonlighting was seriously starting to depress me lol.
The set: For me, seriously underpowered for a West End show of this calibre, considering the star wattage involved. Maybe the school play look in Act One was deliberate but I expected more. Egypt was fine and you can see they spent most of the budget on it. But that only made the contrast with the rest of the show that much more stark. As an aside, we had a half hour delay after the interval due to a "technical fault" but I don't know what that was.
The audience: Great energy and really into it. The Circle even started a wave of Mexican waves ala Wimbledon during the delay.
Jac Yarrow: A star in the making. In very fine voice and a truly great, age-appropriate Joseph. What a belt on Close Every Door. In any other production, he would be the stand out star. That he was eclipsed by Ms Sheridan is testament to her stage presence. It will be interesting to track his career trajectory. And please give the boy a loincloth. We deserve it.
Jason Donovan: Oh dear. Off key notes and awful diction. In all seriousness, I could probably make out one in five words. Still, the audience loved him and you could tell he was really enjoying himself. So yay him!
Sheridan Smith: I really did not like the first 15 minutes or so. It was so disconcerting to watch her gurning, pointing at the audience and winking. But I had to admit by the time she played Potiphar's wife, I was won over by all this weirdness. I think if you treat it a bit like a panto and get into the spirit, then it's tremendous fun - and she is very very funny. Whoever thought to give her multiple roles is quite a genius. It would be interesting to see if her understudy plays it so OTT.
The Songs: All correct and present and I appreciated the updated orchestrations. Go Go Go Joseph was a particular delight. I've only seen it done as a Sixties pastiche so it was a surprise to see it done like Mamma Mia lol.
All in all, I was won over. It's not something I will remember in a year but it's a solid piece of entertainment and as such, it hit all the right notes.
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Post by dazzlair on Jul 2, 2019 23:31:00 GMT
Received email notification last Thursday that I had won the lottery for tomorrow's show. Just to let everyone know the lottery is administered by a third party so whilst you will receive email confirmation within a couple of hours, the e-tickets will only be emailed a couple of days later. I got 2 seats in Row I in the Stalls - pretty decent. Did you get to choose your seats at all? I’m hoping that I’ll win this at least once, as my credit card is feeing a bit unwell at the moment! Hi Dontdreamit, No choice I'm afraid. They will email the etickets with the allocated seats.
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Post by dazzlair on Jul 1, 2019 22:04:08 GMT
Received email notification last Thursday that I had won the lottery for tomorrow's show. Just to let everyone know the lottery is administered by a third party so whilst you will receive email confirmation within a couple of hours, the e-tickets will only be emailed a couple of days later. I got 2 seats in Row I in the Stalls - pretty decent.
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Post by dazzlair on Feb 7, 2019 12:36:02 GMT
Got 2 tickets for 01/10 Row C in the Stalls for £85 plus admin. Was 120 in the queue at noon and it went smoothly. Transaction completed after 20 minutes. smug dazzlair, feeling the hate are you? ARE YOU? (slaps self around face for hysteria) I am! I am! *head violently swinging side to side from being slapped by multiple people in the queue*
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Post by dazzlair on Feb 7, 2019 12:28:39 GMT
Got 2 tickets for 01/10 Row C in the Stalls for £85 plus admin. Was 120 in the queue at noon and it went smoothly. Transaction completed after 20 minutes.
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Post by dazzlair on Sept 13, 2018 9:57:33 GMT
I think what excites me the most about Linzi's casting is the fact that finally BKL have cast the role properly. By this I mean someone of the right age, a trained actress and singer. I know traditionally Mrs Js have been singers who can also act, and this is fine, but I have witnessed some dodgy acting in recent years, so for me someone who can get the acting and all the emotion and nail the singing is perfect casting. Roll on Wimbledon. Linzi really is remarkable in the role. I too have seen numerous Mrs Js and while my favourite was Lyn Paul for a long time, Linzi is on another level altogether. For me, one of the most memorable and remarkable performances in my 30 years of theatre going.
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Post by dazzlair on Sept 8, 2018 23:23:06 GMT
Guys, please. Go see Linzi Hateley in this. She is *astonishing* - for me the definitive Mrs J. I think I barely breathed during the last 5 minutes. What an amazing, multi-layered and complex performance. This really was a masterclass in inhabiting a character and I don't think I've ever seen grief this authentic on stage. Floods of tears everywhere!
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Post by dazzlair on Jun 1, 2018 13:01:02 GMT
It was very lavish, all sort of "Provincal" magnolia sets with sophisticated dappled lighting and a travelator that ate Ann Crumb's ankle. It was partly the over-staging that did for it. The Gale Edwards tour was simpler and when it arrived at the Prince Of Wales Theatre again it looked so much better. I loved the original set by Maria Bjornson. So atmospheric. It's sad to think that there's very little evidence of it to be found on the internet now.
The floor tumbled over the front of the stage, and the proscenium was built over with cream coloured bricks to evoke the town of Pau. It framed the stage so that we felt we were looking 'into' the action. This is the best picture I could find that gives you a flavour...
It had to serve as an onstage/backstage area of a theatre, a square outside a cafe, a train carriage, a country house, an artist's studio, a circus, a vineyard and even more... It created each beautifully and seamlessly which gave the piece a film quality... Yes, I remember the dappled lighting which created not only the mood but the time of day in the different seasons. A stunning moment came when the bricks on the back wall suddenly split horizontally, in slow motion, creating the view of the Pyrenees in the distance. Like this:
I must have seen the original production at least 6 times, including Sarah Brightman's stint which I enjoyed. And I still remember the first breathtaking moment the wall split just a little, letting the light through and then proceeding to transform into the Pyrenees mountains. Also, that was a time when Michael Ball in boxers was a sight I actually looked forward to. Happy memories.
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Chess
Jun 1, 2018 10:20:24 GMT
Post by dazzlair on Jun 1, 2018 10:20:24 GMT
At the risk of exposing myself as a total Chess noob, what would be the most definitive (preferably not live) cast recording of this to buy? I like the “original recording” remastered version on iTunes but it isn’t complete, particularly there is no recording of “Nobody’s Side” which Cassidy smashed and gave me goosies! Thanks in advance I’m not sure what you mean, Nobody’s Side is certainly on the original recording under the title “The American and Florence/Nobody’s Side”. The Danish cast recording is probably my favourite, mostly because it's the most complete and also due to Emma Kershaw's incredible belting. Her Nobody's Side really takes it up a notch - that scream in the middle gets me everytime:
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Post by dazzlair on May 30, 2018 23:10:53 GMT
The Hunting of the Snark.
The 1991 staging was phenomenal and way ahead of its time. The songs are simply glorious.
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Post by dazzlair on May 14, 2018 9:24:58 GMT
I for one am excited about this - much more so than when Tina was announced. For people of a certain vintage (ahem) she was huge in the 80s and 90s. Check out Grammy-nominated "Reach" which was the theme song for the '96 Atlanta Olympics.
Throw in some Cuban beats, some genuinely lovely ballads and a comeback after a near fatal tour bus collision, I'm sure this will interest a pretty large demographic.
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Post by dazzlair on May 10, 2018 21:54:35 GMT
It's a tie between Something and Loose Ends from Witches of Eastwickzzzzzz.
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Post by dazzlair on May 8, 2018 0:54:33 GMT
OK, so I returned tonight for the second time. On Friday I noted that Michael Ball came in a line too early during Endgame. And he did it again tonight! So it went like this:
Enselmble: There they go again! Your deeds inflame them Drive them wild, but then Who wants to tame them? If they want a part of you Who'd really blame them?
Anatoly: (Totally missing out "And so You're letting me know) *Mumble*..success...
Florence: You're the only one Who's never suffered Anything at all!
Anatoly: And every poison word...(wrong place, awkwardly sung as he realised it)
Svetlana: Well, I won't crawl And you can slink back To your pawns And to your tarts
Anatoly: ...And...(interrupting Svetlana's last line, then waits for her to finish)
Anatoly: And every poison word Shows that you never understood!
What is going on? Does Mr Ball have a mental block with this part of the song? This enquiring mind needs to know!
On a separate note, I realised tonight what I wanted out of this production which I didn't get. I wanted so badly for Florence to be the heart and focus of the show. Rebecca Storm and Shona White were complete standouts for me in their respective productions. The direction of the shows they were in put them front and centre and consequently, I could feel Florence's dilemma and ambivalence. Having her reprise Anthem at the end also (quite rightly for me) let her have the last word. The ENO production makes Florence the third most important character and subsequently I didn't really care about her, regardless of how well Ms Janson sang it. Just my two cents' worth. Having said that, I enjoyed the chorus and orchestra even more than I did on Friday. Fabulous noise.
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Post by dazzlair on May 5, 2018 22:20:12 GMT
dazzlair it’s amazing how different our views in our posts are. That’s why I love this board - the range of views is incredible! I wouldn't have it any other way!
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Post by dazzlair on May 5, 2018 22:00:22 GMT
Just an observation, and I may be wide of the mark, but it’s wild to read the variety of reactions to Alexandra’s performance on this board- from one saying they’d pay to see her as Florence to another saying she’s awful and ruined the songs. She seems to be quite a marmite character and I do wonder whether some people’s personal dislike of her impacts on an objective/ fair assessment of her performance. My sense is that it’s almost like the rest of us have to be apologetic for enjoying her input to the show. Aside from one or two critics saying she was miscast, so many of the critics’ reviews have singled her out for praise and have mentioned that they would have liked her to have had a meatier role. More than one mentioned that she brought ‘light and shade’ to the character. I accept that when people have shelled out for tickets, then of course they’re entitled to voice their opinions, but she does seem to come in for a disproportionate level of criticism. She’s clearly not everyone’s cup of tea, but the casual criticism is unseemly at times. I'll be the first to admit I wasn't enamoured when the casting was announced. I had even deliberately booked a Sister Act matinee when I knew she wouldn't be on. I don't know - I think maybe I have an innate snobbery about X Factor participants and want to see a "proper" MT performer. However she really surprised me in Chess. I thought she held her own well against the seasoned pros. Someone Else's Story was done with soul which was dare I say, 80s Whitney-esque (to me, it is not a bad thing at all) and both voices blended so beautifully on I Know Him So Well. Endgame was great too. On the night I watched it, Michael Ball fluffed his line and she recovered it professionally. If I hadn't known she who she was, I would have assumed she was like any other West End performer (which she was in Bodyguard of course but you know what I mean). So I've slapped my wrist for pre-judging. Bad me. PS. Does the wardrobe department hate her? Because her costumes were maximum fugly. All that muddy brown!
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Chess
May 5, 2018 10:31:02 GMT
Post by dazzlair on May 5, 2018 10:31:02 GMT
The beauty of the Union Theatre production was the characterisation. The fact that wherever you sat you were less than three rows from the stage enabled you to see ever emotion and expression from cast members. They had the genius of casting Molokov as a woman and made her character more sinister. The relationship between Freddie and Florence was more sexual and violent. They almost excercised Walter from the show and added more humour especially in the new role of newscaster Angela St Angelo which was played as dumb blond American with no interest in Chess but was equally as Machiavellian manipulating characters for her advantage. The staging of Qyartet where the four leads pulled her about the stage in an interview was really humourous. What it lacked in sets and costumes (looked liked they’d raided jumble sales) it maximised in staging and the tension built to. And the bravery to cut small sections of songs moved the show along at a quicker pace. Loved the violent opening scene when Flirence’s Father disappeared and it implied Molokova had been responsible for betraying or instrumental in the possible murder of Florence’s father. It left an entire cast dead on stage who then rise from the dead to sing lines fromThe Story of Chess. Several of the cast are now leading West End actors. Just dug out the program for the show. Natasha J Barnes played Svetlana! I totally agree with your critique. The small space really lent an air of urgency to the piece and without any mikes, amplification, or sets to distract, our focus was only ever on the characters as there was nothing to hide behind. I Know Him So Well was also nicely done with the two ladies sitting opposite each other, separated by an invisible make up mirror. I felt that because the ladies were not interacting with each other, the song felt more natural and poignant. It was a real highlight. I remember the reviews were generally positive though everyone always came back to the problematic book.
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Post by dazzlair on May 4, 2018 23:21:22 GMT
Just came back from tonight's performance and overall I was thrilled with the staging and the singing. That wall of sound from the orchestra was everything that glorious score deserved.
Chess was the very first cast recording I bought on double cassette(!) so it has a special place in my heart. However I do recognise that it is a magnificent score in search of a coherent book. And this is where the ENO production fell short. It seemed like the director couldn't decide whether to focus on the politics or the relationships and in the end it did neither satisfactorily. I thought the RAH production at least made some sort of sense with Florence being betrayed in the end thus underlining the everyone's-a-pawn analogy. Even CRH's version made more sense as it centred on the relationships whilst glossing over the politics with tinsel and razzmatazz.
The ENO version simply didn't gel. I never felt Svetlana was in any sort of bind. Why did Freddie just mention the Indian defence out of nowhere (it literally was a wtf moment for me)?
But I went for the singing and on that count, it was everything I could expect. Even Ms Burke surprised me as I really enjoyed her take. I Know Him So Well was beautifully rendered by the two leading ladies. Ms Janson was on fire tonight. Nobody's Side was a tour de force and You And I was a real emotional moment with tears running down her face (not the Demi Moore in Ghost elegant tears type crying). Mr Ball killed it with Anthem - an unforgettable theatrical moment - but then dropped the er...ball in Endgame. I'm not quite sure what happened but I think he came in a line too early during "How you've hated my success! There was an awkward silence before Ms Burke recovered with her part. Performance of the night for me was Tim Howar's Pity the Child which earned the loudest applause. My goodness - that was a full on tremendous roar of a performance.
The sound was fine to my ears. Yes, the choral numbers was somewhat muddled but I do think it's down to the lyrics. If you listen to the concept album, it's also really difficult to make out the words unless you're reading the booklet. I thought the staging was great. I especially liked the private jet scene. Cute!
The worst scene for me was One Night in Bangkok. Being Asian, I didn't take offence at the fake Asians. I just thought it wasn't very imaginatively staged. Almost like a second rate take on What a Waste from Miss Saigon. The choreography was hackneyed and the aerial acrobatics were not in sync and looked messy.
Overall I enjoyed it. Chess will always be a polarising musical and I suppose for a Chesshead like me, the fascination lies in the ever evolving book. I've seen various productions of Chess and if I were to rank them all, it would be:
1. 90s tour with Rebecca Storm/Maurice Clark 2. CRH version 3. Union version 4. ENO 5. RAH 6. Am-dram in Watford(!)
Having said that, I've booked to see it again. It will probably be the last chance to experience such a large production in the West End in my lifetime and when it worked, it worked really well.
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Chess
May 3, 2018 9:37:43 GMT
Post by dazzlair on May 3, 2018 9:37:43 GMT
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Chess
May 2, 2018 0:36:33 GMT
Post by dazzlair on May 2, 2018 0:36:33 GMT
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Post by dazzlair on May 1, 2018 22:36:14 GMT
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Chess
Apr 20, 2018 23:12:16 GMT
Post by dazzlair on Apr 20, 2018 23:12:16 GMT
I’ve been a little bit naughty, taking the piss out of this over the past few weeks... but I love the sound of this! Anthem is one of those songs that makes my heart thump and my spine tingle. And if anyone can get the audience stirred by it, it’s Mr Ball. (If anyone was there at Les Mis’ 25th to hear him belt out, “My place is here, I fight with you!” you’ll know what I mean...) It’s going to be okay... I agree. What a relief to see (from the short clip) that it's going to be properly sung. Compare and contrast with the Ramin version - everyone trying to out-sing, out-screech and out-melisma each other. I like what I've heard and I'm really looking forward to seeing this in 2 weeks.
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Post by dazzlair on Apr 11, 2018 9:26:05 GMT
Watched it last night. For me, it was all about Adrienne Warren and it is her astonishing performance that I will remember for a long time. The show will completely depend on the leading actress. I don't know why the musical as a whole didn't work for me. Perhaps everything felt like we were on a ride where we glimpsed snippets but not enough to engage fully eg. interactions with her sons. Apart from Ike, Tina and maybe her sister and mother, everyone was a mere cipher. That maybe is the problem with the biographical musical where we have to have all the life events packed into a linear fashion with little time to breathe. Motown was like that for me.
The Ike and Tina scenes made for the best dramatic moments which only made Act 2 somewhat hollow with little tension. Having said that, the cast is fabulous and work their socks off. Yes, we are manipulated into a song-and-dance ovation but when you have someone as sensational as Ms Warren, you surrender happily and willingly.
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Post by dazzlair on Dec 21, 2017 10:32:12 GMT
I think I'm regretting not seeing this. I reckon I could last minute this on Saturday, but is the general mood that it's worth it? It'll cost me £55 for a ticket and travel... If you can afford it, please do go. I went in not knowing a thing about it apart from it being about fathers and sons and had "Frasier" in it. I came out exhilarated and moved. Every other person around us had tears streaming down their faces. The last 10 minutes were the most memorable piece of theatre I've witnessed in a long time. It really is as glorious as everyone says.
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Post by dazzlair on Sept 12, 2017 22:35:41 GMT
Saw it this evening at the Peacock. Utterly daft but quite entertaining. Make sure you check in your expectations and brains along with your coat.
Gareth Gates was actually the highlight and stole every scene he was in. I was willing so hard for every ensemble number to just power up. The eagerly awaited crowd pleasers like Let's Hear It For the Boy and I Need A Hero could have been so much more effective if they had used a backing track to beef them up. As it is, the songs sounded thin and lacking.
The cast worked their butts off. Ms Nolan was fine. I'm used to this actor-musician malarkey now so it didn't even register as incongruous. What I did find jarring was the lighting. It was random and off-putting with spotlights all over the place.
All in all, 3 out of 5.
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Post by dazzlair on Sept 10, 2017 22:36:06 GMT
Aspects of Love - the unforgettable sights of Michael Ball in boxers and the wall splitting in half
Pageant - so so funny and Michael Xavier's debut in drag!
From Here to Eternity - it had its problems but I thought it was a first class production and the cast worked their butts off
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Post by dazzlair on Jul 24, 2017 14:43:55 GMT
My all time favourite counterpoint song:
It's Only Love/Bring On The Night from Metropolis.
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