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Post by basdfg on Jul 19, 2019 15:18:34 GMT
I don't mind the trailer - yes the scaling is weird but the musical was always going to look a bit werid due to the nature of the show. Excited to see the whole film.
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Post by basdfg on Jul 11, 2019 22:04:14 GMT
If Aladdin can make $900m with similar reviews, I’m sure Lion King will be fine. I do wonder why they have done both - along with Toy Story 4- in the same summer.
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Post by basdfg on Jul 11, 2019 20:21:12 GMT
58% on rotten tomatoes is very poor for a big budget disney film. Heads might roll at Disney if it underpefroms at the box office. However for the UK box office the tabloid press all seem to love it.
The Lion King has always been a strange movie for me because I saw the stage musical before I saw the film (This was because it had gone back into the vault before my parents started buying me disney films and didn't come back out till a few months after we saw the musical - being born in 1996 meant I never had Aladdin on VHS either as we finally got a dvd player by the time that had come back out.)
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Post by basdfg on Jul 11, 2019 20:09:56 GMT
Just watched a clip of Hakuna Matata on YT. I’m definitely not impressed by it. I can see this bombing at the cinema - it's that bad.
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Post by basdfg on Jul 11, 2019 18:34:56 GMT
And if more and more of them are of poorer quality Disney could have a 1980's style drop in reputation.
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Post by basdfg on Jul 11, 2019 16:11:09 GMT
First reviews out. The Guardian 3 stars (Didn't read the rest). Several other negative ones published as well. Do wonder if Disney is damaging it's legacy with all the live action ones - even if profit wise they extremely successful - the reputation hit in the long term could be damaging.
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Post by basdfg on May 31, 2019 20:42:03 GMT
And as a whole it came across as a bit of a mess.
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Post by basdfg on May 31, 2019 20:39:21 GMT
Very modern costumes.
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Post by basdfg on May 31, 2019 16:51:54 GMT
Tickets booked - not as good seats as last year (Rows A - F sold out in two days).
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Post by basdfg on May 30, 2019 22:33:31 GMT
Negotiations going on for three female leads.
Dad going to book tomorrow - hope the seats he wants are not sold out.
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Post by basdfg on May 23, 2019 22:56:51 GMT
Matt Baker is an odd choice. Yes he was a professional gymnast, yes he's on the one show and countryfile, but he's hardly mr personality... Still i think he'll appeal to the older ladies who will think he's lovely I wonder if that was possibly part of the delay - could they have tried to get Louis Smith but it fell through.
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Post by basdfg on May 23, 2019 22:55:26 GMT
Not alone. That billing looks plain odd. Six men listed above the title (in which the only named character is female) is just wrong. Mummy bear is bound to be a name surely - Havers is daddy bear and he has to play against someone of similar age.
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Post by basdfg on May 23, 2019 22:51:15 GMT
Really strange choice of Panto. Really strange. I did a version of this panto when I was about 10 and basically an evil ringmaster tries and takes the bears to his circus whilst Goldilocks and her mother (the Dame) along with the Good Fairy have to save them! The Dame runs her own circus which all the villagers love The plot is not really needed - about 5 mins of stagetime will be given to it.
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Post by basdfg on May 23, 2019 22:49:42 GMT
Am I alone in thinking it is rather odd to make this announcement without any reference at all to any female actors/singers/dancers being cast? Where are the women? Exact same thing my mum said. Obviously the female cast members will be musical theatre stars of lesser name value but it still comes across wrong - Havers is Daddy bear so mummy bear should have announced as well.
I do think this will have to be the last year of Claery/Xerdain/Havers. Great as they are it is getting tiring.
Might be a bit too gymnastic/dancing for my parents taste.
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Post by basdfg on May 23, 2019 17:50:38 GMT
Every week it is not put on sale the greater likelyhood we will end up not going.
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Post by basdfg on May 22, 2019 19:07:58 GMT
Hurray up and announce something. Getting sick of my dad's daily rants and conspiracy theories about lack of announcement.
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Post by basdfg on May 17, 2019 18:57:08 GMT
Funny enough, I was wondering about colour-blind casting last night too. I don't see it would be an issue. There were certainly black people in all classes in London at the time the show was set. That we whitewashed them out of history books so the fact wasn't recognised is the actual issue at stake, I feel. Colour blind casting is certainly present in this production as both actors who played Freddy were both black. Is it true colour blind (when everyone is looked at for the role) Or are only black actors looked at for the role (so the role is considered Black for casting purposes).
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Post by basdfg on May 17, 2019 18:52:13 GMT
A mixed race Eliza would probably be the first step This very Broadway production has already had that - the second understudy, Shereen Ahmed, who went on for Eliza a couple of weeks ago. I don't think colour-blind casting for here is beyond the realms of possibility at all.
If they going for a late 30's Eliza, Cat Simmons from Come From Away could be a candidate.
My Fair Lady would be very hard to adapt the score to gender reverse.
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Post by basdfg on May 17, 2019 11:38:24 GMT
A recent Off Broadway revival of Pygmalion had an Indian actress playing Eliza, which is really a wonderful idea that adds the theme of imperialism and immigration to the piece. I'm sure it would work equally well with My Fair Lady, especially since most of the time talking about diversity is reduced to some sort of black/white dichotomy, which is really not the case. Bend It Like Beckham had a great cast, but it doesn't look like there are many possibilities for Southern-Asian (or just Asian) actors in the West End. That said, Bartlett Sher is a wonderful director, but not a revolutionary one. You'll get your white Eliza. A mixed race Eliza would probably be the first step - like how Nancy has had many mixed race portrayals but not as many actress of full black heritage. Quite possibly racism there - light skinned people of colour being seen as more acceptable for originally white roles than darker skinned ones.
Did the play make reference to Eliza having Indian roots or was the script and actions the same as if she was white. The first is more revolutionary than the second because race and racism is actually explored rather than just being ignored.
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Post by basdfg on May 17, 2019 11:26:26 GMT
I actually did mention the amira okereke whos going to play Laurey in Oklahoma as an good candidate for my fair lady, but obviously that post got overlooked. I think it would add a really interesting second level, seeing her develop through the show. I like colour blind casting when it works. What people need to remember we are watching a musical where a whole town square doesn’t bust into a ten min dance break or In a middle of a fight we break out into a power ballad. Taking a leap of faith and imagination will kinda help you over come someone’s colour...which shouldn’t matter anyway. Colour blind casting isn’t just shoving a in black person in a show and saying great filled the quota. And it’s no good saying well we have Tina, Mormon, dreamgirls theu are “race specific shows” where if I was black I wouldn’t be offended if I wasn’t up for Tracey turnblad if auditioning for hairspray, as the whole background is racial divide. But my fair lady doesn’t state or nor claim Eliza is white or black just explains her age physical appearance but not race! Just the same with hermione and maybe 50% of other leading lady roles which don’t specifically relate to race (ie- Effie) And no I’m not triggered would just like to set some facts straight with people who maybe a little naive about this issue Until it’s equal playing field in representation in shows for All races then w’ell never have a white Mandela. So you can run and tell that 😂😉 Dreamgirls is a show where race is a key underlying theme and the characters are semi based on real people anyway.
Showboat is an intresting one - Julie is mixed race but is sometimes played by white actress and other times by actress who are clearly mixed race when it's supposed to be something only her and Steve know. The Audience ignoring it theory doesn't work for Showboat because race is one of themes of the show.
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Post by basdfg on May 17, 2019 11:15:54 GMT
And if everyone does the show closes. I think you'll find the people who stay at home will be the minority. Most people have more sense. His prerogative of course, but that sort of attitude is thankfully not going to be held by enough people to cause any damage to the show at all - Les Mis has had ethnic minority actors playing leading roles and funnily enough no-one batted an eyelid. His rants scare me at time. And it will of course be more who has to put up with it. His Paranoia and anger is unbearable at times.
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Post by basdfg on May 17, 2019 11:11:21 GMT
My dad will flip out of Eliza is mixed race or black. He went into a rant about it last year. He is not a fan of colour blind casting. Then he’s welcome to stay at home. And if everyone does the show closes.
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Post by basdfg on May 17, 2019 11:10:41 GMT
What about a white man playing Nelson Mandela? Will that ever happen. Or is colour blind casting only for roles originally conceived as white? Nelson Mandela was a REAL PERSON, come on now. Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character. Rules of colourblind casting: 1. Are they a real person? If yes, then colourblind casting is not appropriate, except in an artistic reimagining i.e Hamilton. 2. Is race/heritage integral to the story? If yes, then colourblind casting is not appropriate. Also, as interesting as it is to have conversations about how likely it would have been to have a cockney flower seller of colour at that time, rule number... 3. Colourblind casting does not necessarily alter the narrative of that character. For example, if a person of colour played Eliza Doolittle, they would be exactly that: a person of colour playing Eliza Doolittle. The ideas of Eliza as a character now having been raised a person of colour in her own timeframe, and the changes that implies to the character are arguably moot. The character is the same, they’re just being played by an actor. Colourblind casting means exactly that: you are blind to the colour of the actor, and are there to see them play a character. A black Eliza is more realistic than a black Higgins. More black cockneys than upper class people in 1910 London.
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Post by basdfg on May 17, 2019 11:00:18 GMT
There is a word for people that don't like colour blind casting. You would think the reactionary sorts that plagued this board and its predecessors since Billy Elliot days would have evolved in their attitudes but I guess not. My Fair lady being class based is one that I think falls into the category that colour blind casting would only work if it is acknowledged on stage. The Sound of Music is another It does a diservice to racism if a black Eliza was not shown to suffer racial prejudice.
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Post by basdfg on May 17, 2019 10:58:59 GMT
I think it could be interesting to see what casting actors of colour as Eliza and Doolittle could add to the piece. By adding race to the prejudices already shown towards the working class characters, it could add something new to the show. It would, of course, provoke a strong reaction - but that is not in and of itself a bad thing. I am not sure that Sher would be the director to take the show in this particular direction but I believe it could work with the right team at the helm. I doubt they would do acknowledge race. It be like a the elephant in the room - never mentioned on stage.
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