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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 11, 2022 13:24:40 GMT
It is a glorious sing. I have played Fairfax a couple of times and it is probably the most musically rich experience of any of the scores.
Act two has a great run from Free From His Fetters Grim to Strange Adventure into A Man who Would Woo a Fair Maid and When a Wooer Goes a Wooing.
Both finales have thrilling choral moments that match much of the rest of 19th century writing for the stage.
From all I have seen about the current production, they seem not to take it seriously enough. It isn't Shakespeare but if you play it with heart, it is genuinely moving.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 10, 2022 22:05:20 GMT
You can get back to London from Oxford at any time of night pretty much. The coach services can be your friend Yes, but I need to get back to Cambridge. If I tried to do so by coach I'd be spending several hours of the night in Bedford bus station! The X5 is not what it once was, sadly
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 10, 2022 15:40:07 GMT
You can get back to London from Oxford at any time of night pretty much. The coach services can be your friend
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 8, 2022 20:48:52 GMT
Toad of Toad Hall works well as a school play
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 8, 2022 15:18:05 GMT
Another entertainment legend has passed away.
Such an iconic voice.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 8, 2022 14:15:46 GMT
McCabe reportedly accompanies I have a Song on the accordion
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 8, 2022 13:48:45 GMT
Ellie & Johannes: Charleston to Friendship by Elaine Paige and Bernard Cribbins
Fleur & Vito: Samba to Hot Hot Hot by Arrow
Helen & Gorka: Salsa to Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber
Kym & Graziano: American Smooth to Chasing Cars by Cinematic Pop
Molly & Carlos: Rumba to All The Man That I Need by Whitney Houston
Hamza & Jowita: Couple’s Choice to Jerusalema – Remix by Master KG feat. Burna Boy and Nomcebo Zikode
Tony & Katya: Jive to Land of 1000 Dances by Wilson Pickett
Tyler & Dianne: Paso Doble to Unstoppable by E.S. Posthumus
Will & Nancy: Waltz to Three Times A Lady by Commodores
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 8, 2022 9:46:50 GMT
After so prolonged a closure, it would have been great to see the Swan (my favourite of all the spaces in Stratford) be used for Jacobethan theatre.
Yes, this does have a decent playwright. But a deeply pedestrian director.
Roll on the new regime. They cannot arrive quickly enough
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 8, 2022 7:51:19 GMT
Of course... How thrilling.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 6, 2022 21:22:48 GMT
I think now duet and trio. But the review (which I now can't find again) wasn't that clear
Either way it is a major mis-step
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 6, 2022 14:06:27 GMT
I have read in one of the reviews that the great Act 2 trio and quartet have been edited to remove Point.
That is a serious problem for me. If they have cast a Point who can't sing that, they made a big, big mistake
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 6, 2022 9:47:52 GMT
I was waiting for the reviews to decide whether or not to book. They're not inclining me to do so, which is a pity given I've enjoyed several of the director's productions for ON. I don't understand why the updating is to the 1950s. If they're determined to set it in the 20th centuury & want Colonel Fairfax to be under a death sentence for being a spy then why not set it during WWII, when it would be more plausible for a spy to be executed at the Tower, rather than a decade later? I was completely baffled that one review said something along the line of Rapture, Rapture being unacceptable to perform nowadays. Why? If it's objected to as being either ageist or sexist then ENO's going to have to cut chunks out of their Mikado proudction because there's far more ageism & sexism against Katisha than against Dame Carruthers. There has been a change in setting between the early marketing and the final run up. So initially the Yeomen were wearing GR tunics (and indeed still are in a lot of online advertising) but this was updated to ER as opening night got closer. So a slightly earlier setting was envisaged. Rapture, Rapture really isn't unacceptable compared to the overwhelming majority of operas staged round the world. We need to stop this hyper sensitivity and focus on real issues of concern.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 6, 2022 9:41:35 GMT
Molly really isn't popular if that is the case.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 5, 2022 11:37:39 GMT
Tom Reed Wilson was at the play I am currently directing on Thursday. As were three of the original cast who took the time to come to see the first revival of the script.
Was a special evening
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 5, 2022 11:35:56 GMT
I am a bit disconcerted by the reviews of Yeomen.
There is no need to cut Rapture, Rapture and then replace it with a quartet arrangement of the Ruddigore Matter trio.
I don't think the director gets the tone of the piece from all I have read and seen.
Not selling well either
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 4, 2022 14:13:17 GMT
I agree that Manchester is not the right location. Too close to the brilliant Opera North in Leeds.
Why not Bristol or Leicester or Birmingham?
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 4, 2022 13:57:29 GMT
English National Opera should be a touring enterprise. Taking opera in English to the regions.
They can still do regular London seasons and then bring their work to the rest of England. Just in the same way that WNO and SO do
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 2, 2022 12:57:51 GMT
Ellie & Nikita: Charleston to ‘Too Darn Hot’ by Kiss Me Kate
Ellie & Johannes: Rumba to ‘Alone’ by Heart
Fleur & Vito: Waltz to ‘I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues’ by Elton John
Helen & Gorka: Jive to ‘Tightrope’ by Janelle Monáe
Kym & Graziano: Argentine Tango to ‘Assassin’s Tango’ by John Powell
Molly & Carlos: Foxtrot to ‘You Make Me Happy’ by My Sun and Stars
Hamza & Jowita: Cha Cha Cha to ‘I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)’ by Four Tops
Tony & Katya: Salsa to ‘I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)’ by Pitbull
Tyler & Dianne: Viennese Waltz to ‘I’ve Been Loving You Too Long’ by Seal
Will & Nancy: Quickstep to ‘Soda Pop’ by Robbie Williams featuring Michael Bublé
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 1, 2022 11:48:17 GMT
They are never published. They might be shared with the contestants but they have never been made public
ITV reveals voting percentages for their competitions but not the BBC
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 1, 2022 11:04:52 GMT
Given that the voting stats are never made public, they can get him out at any point if they so choose.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Oct 31, 2022 0:21:35 GMT
Molly's partner is a brilliant dancer but he isn't great at showing her off to best advantage. Something dancers like Giovanni do extremely well.
I suspect that is partly why they are starting to fade a little.
Fleur isn't a big name in the grand scheme of things. Her pop career never really took off and now she is a radio presenter for a minor station. She just doesn't have a huge support base to escape the middle of the pack.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Oct 30, 2022 9:32:41 GMT
Unconfirmed But James v Fleur James out Is the current spoiler. Now confirmed
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Post by oxfordsimon on Oct 30, 2022 0:43:22 GMT
Unconfirmed
But
James v Fleur
James out
Is the current spoiler.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Oct 28, 2022 17:27:06 GMT
That is why they need a new, strong commercial hit.
They haven't had a truly successful commercial production since Matilda opened.
Hopefully the new leadership will make this a priority
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Post by oxfordsimon on Oct 28, 2022 16:21:36 GMT
Given the number of other co producers, this isn't going to be a huge cash generator for the RSC. Certainly nothing on the scale of cash they have raised through Matilda and Les Mis.
They really need to find another project with that sort of mass appeal.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Oct 26, 2022 21:19:11 GMT
Ellie and Nikita: Foxtrot to Scooby Doo, Where Are You? by David Mook, Ben Raleigh
Ellie and Johannes: Couple's Choice to I Put A Spell On You by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker & Kathy Najimy
Fleur and Vito: Salsa to Break My Soul by Beyoncé
Helen and Gorka: Foxtrot to Lil' Red Riding Hood by Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs
Kym and Graziano: Rumba to Frozen by Madonna
Molly and Carlos: Argentine Tango to Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) by Kate Bush
Hamza and Jowita: Tango to Wicked Game by Chris Isaak
James and Amy: Charleston to Bumble Bee by LaVern Baker
Tony and Katya: Quickstep to The Devil Went Down To Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band
Tyler and Dianne: Cha Cha Cha to Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) by Tanz Orchester Klaus Hallen
Will and Nancy: Mama Told Me Not To Come by Tom Jones and Stereophonics
Some v odd music choices
Time to end theme weeks. They have ceased to have any purpose or quality
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Post by oxfordsimon on Oct 24, 2022 16:53:41 GMT
She goes to the King first to officially resign. Within in minutes of her leaving, Sunak goes in and accepts the task of forming a new government.
So for a few moments, we have no PM.
Thankfully what happens at that point has never been tested by events!
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Post by oxfordsimon on Oct 22, 2022 22:06:19 GMT
Molly v Jayde
Jayde eliminated
Unanimous vote by the judges
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Post by oxfordsimon on Oct 22, 2022 21:13:56 GMT
The costumes were particularly low quality tonight
Very cheap looking
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Post by oxfordsimon on Oct 22, 2022 20:37:05 GMT
Some very unusual choices tonight.
Trying to Charleston to a hornpipe was too much of a clash for me.
Also if you are celebrating Come Dancing, choose music that evoked the original not that track.
The voting was all over the place again. So inconsistent.
Impossible to guess how it will all play out with that number of tied scores.
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