Burlesque The Musical - Manchester / Glasgow / Manchester

2nd performance in Glasgow cancelled.

That’s too bad, I hope they will be able to resume normally tomorrow.

Damn. I’m seeing the show tomorrow night! Hope everyone recovers quickly!

Thats poor....been going for weeks...

Why does having time off mean she can’t get ill now? No one exactly plan these things.

Back on tonight.

In the opening weeks of Phantom of the Opera, Sarah Brightman called out for some ailment and her understudy Claire Moore went on for her and was very well received.

Brightman was back on for the next performance…

Yeah, like the above poster I’m very.. meh.

The energy just seemed to lack and the vocals were very conservative from everyone except the actress playing Ali (who was doing the role for the very first time to her credit!)

Todrick, who I’m not typically a fan of, was spectacular and walks away with the show. A few too many Gen Z type jokes that made me cringe and dragged me out of the show. There was a Wicked gag to Jackie that was terrible. Ali’s love interest was very dull, he could have been removed entirely and the show wouldn’t change.

I was so incredibly excited to see Jackie Burns, a real live Broadway powerhouse - but her vocals were so so so restrained. None of the power of Elphaba or Celine Dion were present in her Tess. The role could have been a lot more but she sort of throws it all away.

Something that struck me is how much Bob Fosse is ripped off in this show. Multiple of his signature moves are featured in the choreography and the nightclub dance from Sweet Charity is recreated in its entirely with costumes and all.

I loved the change of location to New York, and I loved the change in plot that brings Ali to New York.

The show seemed to study what Moulin Rouge! does and copy it as much as it’s legally allowed to. I imagine if there was a sequel to that show that was set in modern day it’d essentially be Burlesque. At one point the Backstage Romance scene is copied even down to the bare brick wall set.

Much like Moulin Rouge the creators of Burlesque are going for spectacle and selling the musical numbers alone as opposed to any sort of storyline or book scene. At some point they just stop the action dead in its tracks for a huge musical number that has no baring on the plot, and then the show just continues as normal.

The audience absolutely ate it up and to be honest their enthusiasm was infectious. The second act is much stronger and the finale was roof raising.

I would be keen to see it again with Jess and once the cast are a little more warmed up.

I had also never heard of Chappell Roan until a few weeks ago when the social media algorithm suddenly started thrusting her name in my direction. Eventually I googled her/him/them and transpires she is an American singer. Never heard any of her songs (to my knowledge). Wikipedia did say she takes style influence from RDR though. So there we are!

Back to the show - torn as to whether to see this in Manc. The ATG Binge Britain jukebox audiences there have been absolutely horrendous since the Coronavirus. But I wouldn't mind seeing it.

Though the reviews above comparing to Moulin Rouge do temper my expectations. I LOVE big lavish sets and huge production numbers; but you need heart too. And Moulin Rouge for such a slick production (and literally a love story FFS) does leave me somewhat emotionally cold. Which is a shame. 

I went to go see this tonight it’s visually stunning It will definitely sell in the West End, but there’s just something missing The cast fantastic Especially Jess But I want to ask for the people who saw it in Manchester does anyone know what happened to the role that b Terry played as they are no longer in the show I have a feeling it’s the character Todrick plays Ms Loretta but I’m not sure

I didn’t even realise there was a change, but the Ms Loretta character feels so bizarre and out of place that it makes sense it was rushed and added in.

Pretty sure it’s destined for the West End. The show itself is massive and is clearly destined for bigger things. That aside a lot of the cast have shared articles and reviews that specifically a mention a west end run is planned.