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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 31, 2017 16:46:11 GMT
I know there are plans to work on the staging and put back in some things they couldn't make work in Manchester. No idea if they're working on the book but given the chances that happened over the Manchester run it wouldn't surprise me. I'm there for the first preview so I'll make sure to report back here. Do you think that escalator on the left side of the stage was supposed to be a functioning escalator? |
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Post by danb on May 31, 2017 17:27:00 GMT
Must have missed that Burly, but was sat extreme left in the circle which could be why I didn't see it. Is it wrong that I'm so excited to not only see this again, but hear the reactions of other London based board members. It is flawed genius!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 31, 2017 19:09:08 GMT
Must have missed that Burly, but was sat extreme left in the circle which could be why I didn't see it. Is it wrong that I'm so excited to not only see this again, but hear the reactions of other London based board members. It is flawed genius! Totally with you! I can't wait to hear everyones opinions. I love it when we've seen something first in Manchester hyuk hyuk  I think it might be a love/hate situation for London! What will our resident naysayers  @parsley and mrbarnaby think? |
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Post by cheesy116 on May 31, 2017 21:08:34 GMT
I thought this looked great on Britain's Got Talent tonight! ticket purchased.
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Post by theatremadness on May 31, 2017 21:16:22 GMT
Yeah a really fab advert for the show, I thought!! Got me interested, anyhow.
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Post by benny20 on May 31, 2017 22:10:19 GMT
Yes. For a tv performance I thought it came across well. If you liked that you should love the show with the staging, lighting etc. I loved it in Manchester. It has its faults but it's great fun and a real spectacle. Enjoy it London
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Post by infofreako on May 31, 2017 22:14:32 GMT
Also really enjoyed that. Already booked but will book again during the extension
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Post by Seriously on Jun 1, 2017 22:57:15 GMT
It left me very cold alas. Just lots of shouting, and really bizarre choreography.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jun 5, 2017 17:42:59 GMT
It's on this weeks Palladium show.
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Post by steve10086 on Jun 5, 2017 23:03:43 GMT
The first preview tonight was fantastic.
The cast really are amazing, and do justice to Jim Steinman's epic masterpieces. Story and choreography leave quite a lot to be desired, but put that aside. The show still rocks!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2017 19:26:56 GMT
I'm not sure the performance at the Palladium is doing it any favours. It looks like a copy of We Will Rock You. Is the full show any better??
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Post by theatremadness on Jun 7, 2017 19:33:23 GMT
Yeah that was nowhere near as good as their BGT performance unfortunately! I actually don't think it's a particularly good song bar the chorus that everyone knows. Some questionable acting whilst singing too, so maybe this show is best when it's all out rock and roll!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jun 7, 2017 19:34:05 GMT
Don't let that Palladium performance put you off. It's fabulous!
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Post by danb on Jun 7, 2017 20:14:27 GMT
It doesn't really work out of context. It is a big, brassy spectacliar, with a nonsensical plot and ridiculous dance routines...but it does move quite easily from one impressive set piece to another driven by the skillfully shoe horned (numerous, lengthy) songs.
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Post by infofreako on Jun 7, 2017 20:15:55 GMT
I much preferred the BGT slot
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Post by danb on Jun 8, 2017 5:03:46 GMT
I was expecting them to do 'Dead Ringer' on the tv spots. This would work best outside of the show as a whole.
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Post by stagebyte on Jun 8, 2017 12:01:24 GMT
This reminded me of a combination of We Will Rock You, The Lost Boys and Twilight. Post apocalyptic world peopled with the leather clad 'forever young'
Hip immensely talented cast with terrific voices, some great set pieces, incredibly distracting and unnecessary choreo which looked like it had been devised for a completely different show, paper thin story and confusing in places (someone really needs to take the book apart and start again) but loved the music so... somehow willing to forgive its short comings. My 13 year old loved it so I guess Meatloaf meets a new generation ...or something? 😃
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Post by jgblunners on Jun 8, 2017 16:54:10 GMT
WOW
I went into today's matinee expecting a good but not notable show, being familiar with only 4 or 5 of the songs in the show. And it blew me away. What a spectacle, and what a brilliant celebration of Steinman's excellent music.
The music is undoubtedly the strongest part of the show, and it's delivered by a uniformly outstanding cast (the alternate Strat was on this afternoon so I can't comment on Andrew Polec). The set design is suitably post-apocalyptic, and I actually quite liked the video aspects of the show. I see a lot of people have criticised the choreography, but I really enjoyed it. It was a bit too static at times, but otherwise energetic and frenetic. The special effects are good, but I was disappointed by the obviously fake bikes.
As with 42nd Street, I was totally willing to ignore the places where the plot falls down because everything else was SO DAMN GOOD. This music really was written to be theatrical and it works so well on stage. There was not a single note in the score that felt unnecessary or out of place, and I can't say that about many musicals that I see.
I was in the dirt cheap balcony seats today, but I think I'll be shelling out a little more next time - and there WILL be a next time, because I'm not letting an experience like this show slip past without making the most of it.
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Post by jgblunners on Jun 9, 2017 8:37:00 GMT
I'd be interested to know how much this has changed since its Manchester run - there was no song list in the programme, but one song that I was expecting to hear was 'You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth,' and I don't recall it being in the show yesterday even though I'm pretty sure it was on a song list that someone posted in this thread when the show was in Manchester.
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Post by richey on Jun 9, 2017 11:10:49 GMT
I'd be interested to know how much this has changed since its Manchester run - there was no song list in the programme, but one song that I was expecting to hear was 'You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth,' and I don't recall it being in the show yesterday even though I'm pretty sure it was on a song list that someone posted in this thread when the show was in Manchester. Yes it was definitely in the Manchester run |
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Post by alison on Jun 9, 2017 17:31:57 GMT
I'd be interested to know how much this has changed since its Manchester run - there was no song list in the programme, but one song that I was expecting to hear was 'You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth,' and I don't recall it being in the show yesterday even though I'm pretty sure it was on a song list that someone posted in this thread when the show was in Manchester. It was in on Monday at the first preview (halfway through act 2), I'm really surprised if it's been cut. Not much has changed since Manchester, tbh, at least in terms of the story/music. The book has lots of small tweaks, the biggest seems to be the removal of Strat's "stars" speech near the end of act 1. Musically, Out of the Frying Pan has been extended and Making Love Out of Nothing At All is back in (it was cut early on in Manchester). The costumes are completely redone, for the most part, and there are some neat additions to the staging. |
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Post by danb on Jun 9, 2017 17:49:09 GMT
I shall go and have another look on Thursday; hopefully act two has been tightened up and isn't just awash with one long power ballad. I'd quite like to catch the alternate Strat too, to see another take on it. Does he have set shows?
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Post by Raven on Jun 9, 2017 18:36:56 GMT
I really wish I could get the opportunity to see this but unfortunately I'm not going to get the chance when I'm in London next week. I was looking at the ticket prices and for Friday night alone the premium seats were £200-£300! That is an obscene price for a single ticket. For that price, you'd be expecting Meat Loaf to be making an appearance.
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Post by stagebyte on Jun 9, 2017 19:02:23 GMT
Saw the alternate Ben in Manchester loved him. If anyone has any info about schedules please post
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Post by jgblunners on Jun 9, 2017 23:29:21 GMT
I saw the alternate Strat at the Thursday matinee this week and thought he was very good. A couple of vocal wobbles, but nothing bad and once he got into the songs he was excellent vocally. He was good with the characterisation, although I thought there was a little more to be had. Maybe just from being the alternate so not having had as many shows to develop his performance as the lead? Also he was very VERY hot. I want to thank whoever made the decision to have Strat be shirtless for half the show.
Regarding 'You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth' - it may well be that it's still there in Act II but I just can't remember properly. Act II is basically just one song leading into another, there's hardly any dialogue, so i'm having trouble discerning which songs were in there. Was it one of the duets that Falco and Sloane sing?
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@parsley and 
