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Post by sam22 on Aug 28, 2023 6:18:04 GMT
I was pretty excited for this but sadly very disappointed. I was at yesterday's matinee. The cast are working exceptionally hard and there were some great vocal moments and some tight dancing but I just found the show quite boring.
The costumes worked I thought but the set looked quite flimsy, particularly the mountain and even SpongeBob's pineapple.
I've never seen the TV show so perhaps I missed some of the in jokes, but despite the fairly short run time I found my mind wandering. I liked the first song and a few of the others but wouldn't listen to the album as found the rest of the song unmemorable.
First time to the venue and seemed to be reasonably good views from all seats. A fairly bad audience, my worst for a while. I know there were a lot of kids in but I've never seen a show where so many people have needed bathroom breaks!
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Post by sam22 on Aug 28, 2023 6:12:32 GMT
I'm in the loved it camp and was totally blown away. I thought the Donmar was the perfect venue for it and I'm gutted I haven't booked to see it again.
I'd been excited to see it after loving the Tony performance years ago with Alice Ripley and Aaron Tveit albeit I wasn't a diehard fan before going in and only knew about five of the songs.
It was pretty much perfection for me. The cast were mesmerising with exceptional vocals. I knew all the adult leads but didn't know the three young leads, they've surely all got wonderful careers ahead of them.
I can see why this style of show/music won't be too everyone's taste but it gave me chills.
There was a small mishap with the set which meant a few minutes delay whilst it was resolved but gutted for those booked for the matinee that was cancelled.
I presume it may be unlikely this has a life elsewhere so I'll have to keep it in my memory. An easy 5 stars for me and up there as one of the most powerful shows I've ever seen 🙌
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Post by sam22 on Aug 28, 2023 6:03:34 GMT
I saw the matinee on Saturday. It's been a long time coming as we were booked for June last year at the Old Vic and the show was cancelled shortly before.
I'm not particularly into the classic musicials but was excited to see this given the reviews I'd read and as I've never seen it before, though I didn't know too much about it but knew the famous songs.
I'm on the fence about it. I did think the cast were all wonderful, particularly Patrick Vaill (Jud) and Sally Ann Triplett (Aunt Eller). It was Paige Peddie as Ado Annie though who stole the show for me. I think the show is worth seeing for the cast alone. I also appreciated the band and liked the bluegrass twang.
I'm afraid however in parts I was a little bored. I thought the first half in particular was quite static with everything based around the table, although testament to how good the cast are as so much was conveyed in their faces even when sat down.
I wonder if, for me, I found the story a little dated and didn't connect with it too much. I wasn't into the blackouts, despite having read why they were used.
As I left the theatre I would have given it 3 stars but having now thought about it and also read the programme and online about what the intentions were and into the story I think it is a 4 star show, I wish I'd read about the production before going in.
There were sadly quite a few empty seats in the stalls and circle which surprised me with it closing next week. We sat in a box for the first time which meant some parts were missed but did feel particularly close to the stage so felt quite intimate. Shout out to the lovely ushers in the circle.
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Post by sam22 on Aug 7, 2023 23:04:53 GMT
I would like to see: A Chorus Line Nunsense Copacabana Finian's Rainbow Buddy Jolson Time La Cava Mama, I Want To Sing Buddy as in the Buddy Holly musical? If so it is currently touring 😁
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Post by sam22 on Aug 7, 2023 10:14:38 GMT
I'd really love to see a revival of Parade. Considering its surprising success on broadway, I'd love them to transfer the recent broadway revival here. And The Bridges of Madison County- in fact, anything by Jason Robert Brown Did you see it at the Menier? It wasn't that long ago, maybe 2019? I went to it but for some reason can remember only that Jenna Russell was in it but not much else!
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Post by sam22 on Aug 6, 2023 8:35:43 GMT
I somehow missed all the hype about this when it was on in London, albeit I vaguely recall the poster.
I didn't therefore have any plans to see it in Manchester. I only ended up booking as we were in Manchester for the Kusama exhibition and thought I'd see if anything was on.
So so pleased I did. I thought it was brilliant and echo all the positive comments on here. Very rarely there seems to be few if any negative things said about it on here!
I don't know how Jack Holden does it straight through for 1 hour 40 mins without hardly taking a breath. A fantastic performance and he will no doubt go on to other great things.
Definitely recommend catching it if you can!
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Post by sam22 on Aug 1, 2023 22:00:27 GMT
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Post by sam22 on Aug 1, 2023 20:23:18 GMT
Enjoyed Frozen but not enough to go again, but…. I love Jenna Lee James! Incredible voice and easily for me the second best Joseph Narrator of all time after Linzi (she did the Adelphi Pimlott version). Just insane vocalist. So may now need to go again. Reckon her Let It Go would be worth the ticket price alone! Such a blast from the past. Not seen her in something for years but used to love her in WWRY!
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Post by sam22 on Aug 1, 2023 20:22:27 GMT
I've been to most of their summer musicals for the last 12 years or so and have never experienced a power cut, what a shame it should happen on your first visit. I was meant to be there on Wednesday but COVID has struck again. Happily, they've managed find me a ticket for one of the final shows (assuming I'm clear by then), so hope to catch it before it closes. Ah glad you should be able to catch it!
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Post by sam22 on Jul 30, 2023 8:07:18 GMT
No posts about this since it was announced, has anyone else seen it?
I went to the matinee yesterday. It was my first time there and it's a nice venue with lovely grounds.
Unfortunately I didn't get to see the whole show. About 2/3 of the way through Act 1 (after the dodgeball game) there was a power cut. We remained in our seats and it took about 10 to 15 mins and the show was then able to resume. There was then a further power cut towards the end of 'Big, Blonde and Beautiful'. Given that was nearly the interval the show stopped then, about 4pm, and we were told it would resume after the interval and they seemed confident it would.
At 4.30pm we were told it would instead not start until 5.15pm. We waited but at 5.15pm it was the cancelled.
Another friend went to Cats last year and the same thing happened so don't know if that's just coincidence or an ongoing issue they have.
A real shame but just one of those things. They were obviously able to sort it out though as my friend went last night and it went ahead without any issues so that's reassuring!
I wasn't that excited about seeing the show having seen it a few times but I enjoyed the first half and thought the performances were generally strong. It was much better IMO than the last tour which I thought looked cheap and tired. That may be the venue too as in the space they have not expecting much scenery etc whereas when I saw the tour the set looked lost on such a big stage.
It is only on for another week and I think sold out so I won't get back but it has made me think I'll catch their next musical.
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Post by sam22 on Jul 25, 2023 12:23:19 GMT
Next stop - Olivier Awards? Might get to see it again then, depending on the prices. I did love it, so would be happy to go back. Is it really the best reviewed show in West End history?!
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Post by sam22 on Jul 1, 2023 6:35:04 GMT
As someone who loves to travel to London to see shows, but needs to book flights, hotel, trains... My main issue with the West End is its prices. I can´t rely on rush tickets/lotteries and need to book in advance. Not only it´s become incredibly expensive to stay in London, but also the ticket prices are atrocious and don´t always represent the quality of the productions. And then, I find there are less and less "intermediate" seats. It´s either the Premium seats at more than 120, the regular Stalls and DC at 65-100, or the cheaper seats with limited view in the nosebleed (usually 25 and then jump to 39,5). Les Mis is the biggest example of this. Yes agree with you. We try and go as much as we can and have a good disposal income but the prices are going up and up. We now usually try and stay over so we can see two shows Sat and one Sunday as there isn't a late enough train back to see an evening show Sat if not and it is cheaper to do it like that rather than go down for three different day trips. To get a reasonable view at many shows now is easily £70 each, our trains are the same price, and the last two times we have been down we stayed at the Premier Inn Hub for £170 and then the Travelodge for £200. Extortionate! Adding food and programmes etc in as well, and you do have to then pause and think that's the price of a holiday!
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Post by sam22 on Jun 26, 2023 22:36:20 GMT
Presumably dynamic pricing has kicked in. My partner just went to book a ticket the day I'm going and the cheapest is £200!
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Post by sam22 on Jun 26, 2023 22:33:31 GMT
Just got home...one word...WOW! What an astounding piece of musical theatre! Hilarious, clever, moving, biting and stunningly original. By far the best thing I have seen since Preludes at the Southwark many moons ago. Is there a harder working leading man on the stage in London than Kylie Ramar Freeman? I think not! What a phenomenal performance! The entire cast were brilliant and the staging and lighting was not only fantastic, but perfectly filled the space! I cannot WAIT to go again!!! 5 HUGE stars from me x Padam Padam
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Post by sam22 on Jun 26, 2023 21:50:21 GMT
Saw this on Saturday night and loved it, albeit not quite 5 stars for me but nearly there.
It was really refreshing to see something so different and I thought quite a few of the songs were excellent on stage (perhaps helped by having listened to the album).
I thought Kyle Ramar Freeman as Usher was fantastic!
I'm not sure I'll get to it again before it closes but would love to. If you're on the fence I'd say go for it!
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Post by sam22 on Jun 24, 2023 17:45:48 GMT
Saw this for the first time tonight, it was good but definitely overhyped by many over the years, and that meant that from the first minute I was waiting for something incredible, but at the end I just got a good show with some great quick changes and effects. It probably took 2/3 of the first act before I really started enjoying it. I couldn’t be sat any further away, so the only reason I’d go again was to sit a lot closer, but other than that I think I got everything I needed from it tonight. I’m glad it wasn’t just me. I was also there tonight and thought it was fine and enjoyed some of it. However, personally, I just never felt emotionally invested or connected with the story or its characters. And the score was pretty bland. I don’t know, maybe I was just expecting something more and I totally get that I’m in a minority, but left feeling pretty underwhelmed. Three stars. I finally got to see the show today at the matinee. I was so excited and absolutely love Tim Minchin but I left disappointed. This review is pretty much how I feel about it. The audience appeared to love it so I'm definitely in the minority but I agree about the score and feeling underwhelmed. 3 stars.
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Post by sam22 on Jun 22, 2023 21:25:25 GMT
If anyone hasn't been able to book yet, I've just tried again now and there was no queue and taken straight to the booking page. Looks like great availability still
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Post by sam22 on Jun 22, 2023 15:08:52 GMT
Ooh my queue went from about 20% to 80% just now and now days an expected arrival time on the website. 11 mins!
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Post by sam22 on Jun 22, 2023 15:06:25 GMT
Mid-week matinees were always predominantly on Wednesdays. Now most of them seem to be Thursday. What's _that_ all about. I work Thursday and Friday so my vision of going to lots of matinees is vanishing fast. I think it depends what you want to see. Next week for example on TodayTix there are 22 shows with Wednesday matinées and 29 shows with Thursday matinées. I presume they started doing different days to attract people on other days of the week. I feel your pain though, there never seems to be a matinee of a show I want to see when I'm down in the week!
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Post by sam22 on Jun 22, 2023 14:55:55 GMT
Smooth as you like once through the gate, but the queuing .. shambles. Obv. doing all the venues at once.
As above, plenty left: stay with.
Looks like it's only London and Edinburgh at the moment.
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Post by sam22 on Jun 22, 2023 13:41:34 GMT
My man has moved slightly. If that progress is accurate, I will reach the front of the queue in 20 hours lollll
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Post by sam22 on Jun 22, 2023 13:40:56 GMT
I've gone practically nowhere in an hour and a half of queuing. By my reckoning I might get in to try for tickets in the early hours of tomorrow morning. Same! Has anyone waited this long in a queue before, I am trying to remember? I think it was when Harry Potter went on sale I was in the queue and forgot but then hours later I went back to it and got tickets.
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Post by sam22 on Jun 22, 2023 13:16:54 GMT
This is painful isn't it!
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Post by sam22 on Jun 22, 2023 7:20:15 GMT
I've lost track of this, it was meant to be a Curve production pre covid wasn't it? Did Curve do it and I've missed it, or after covid did it end up at Bath instead?!
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Post by sam22 on Jun 2, 2023 8:50:36 GMT
Talking of urination has reminded me of one night at A Little Night Music at the Menier. A drunk man went to go to the toilet but instead of heading to the toilets he went behind a curtain at the side of the stage and peed there much to the shock of the cast. Not as bad as that, but we were in the stalls at Book of Mormon and my other half decided he needed the toilet (much to my disapproval), he took the door to the right near the front of the stalls...which took him directly into the alley down the side of the theatre, lol!
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Post by sam22 on May 31, 2023 15:27:44 GMT
The play will run for two hours with no interval. I know I can go way more than two hours without needing to use the bathroom, but why is it whenever it's a show with no interval I panic and think I need to go within minutes 🤣
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Post by sam22 on May 31, 2023 15:25:39 GMT
I just tried and was 6000 something in the queue but it put me through straight away, so if anyone is struggling, might be worth starting again
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Post by sam22 on May 22, 2023 9:00:26 GMT
Seen a few people across social media already purchasing tickets, anyone know if the presale code is bashing about somewhere early or if this is all just through NT memberships? Amex presale. Plus NT Members already I believe And 12pm today if signed up for the presale
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Post by sam22 on May 20, 2023 7:52:06 GMT
Operation Mincemeat 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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Post by sam22 on May 19, 2023 6:36:04 GMT
Saw the first performance of this in Leicester last night and thought it was absolutely fantastic! It's obviously not got quite as glamorous sets as the Drury Lane production did, but the cast and choreography are absolutely stellar (barring Les Dennis who was bearable).
Was unfortunately not sold very well in the circle but hopefully sales will pick up once reviews start coming in I'm going tomorrow. It's not a show I've seen before so excited for that reason, albeit not necessarily my type of show. Will report back!
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