Show Boat

Showboat appeared in 1927, raising the racism issue in a way it had never been raised before on a musical stage. Perhaps it appears lightweight to you, David - and by modern standards it is! - but try to imagine it in a world in which racism was deep-seeded and overt and accepted as normal. See Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, for examples.

Hammerstein and Kern were very bold indeed. And Hammerstein was bold again in South Pacific, 22 years later. Let's respect him for being a man of principal rather than someone not "hard hitting" enough.

They're stage right, or at least that's where the sound appeared to come from. 

They weren't during in act one. I ***may*** not have gone back for act two...

I haven't followed this production but I saw Rebecca singing My Bill earlier today. Sold. I booked right away.
So so gorgeously sung. Cast recording please or at least this as a single.

This is only around 60% full tonight

Nor do awards and an alleged amazing performance

As demonstrated by PPT which is performing miserable at the BO

I have said about 19 million times

Producers are beyond arrogant transferring most of what ends up in the WE

Wrong place for many works totally out of place and context

I'm very sure it will last until June, it's only 2 months away and hasn't even officially opened yet!! I dont know if it'll last until January though.

I keep saying its ticket prices for west end!!

Yes, definately ticket prices. I think I paid around £25 in Sheffield. Of course I would not expect this low level of pricing in the WE as costs are higher but say £50 and you would get a better chance of filling it. But with prices at £70 for top price (not the best seats in the house) and then £100 plus for the best seats people will only pay this for what they know and can be sure of enjoying and will simply not take the risk of paying out that sort of money on something they may not like. So they will return to Les Mis or Wicked again and again because at least they know what they are getting for their money.

I would love to see Showboat again but not at those prices I'm afraid. I might be cheeky and rock up at the box office one evening and see if I can charm my way to a deal? It wouldn't be the first time!

Loved this in Sheffield. Saw it again at the weekend and loved this just as much in London. Such a beautiful score and well-performed too.

There are so many different versions of Show Boat (I think there's something like five hours of material for production teams to choose from). This version is pretty close to perfect in length and keeps the story moving at a fast pace (for Show Boat).

A few changes I spotted from Sheffield. There's no easy entrance point below the stalls to brings people/props in, so the staging is rather different. The aspects displaying racism seemed rather toned down as well, with much less threatening of the workers.

I'm not much of a romantic, but it's very hard to get to the end of the show without being swept up with the emotions. I hope that this runs and runs.

Yes, bring back Bend It Like Beckham. A triumph. 

Don't forget, I enjoyed Beckham. It did well to run that long! 

I think this is a bit tricky because the point is that Julie is "passing" as white.  Interesting fact: this production is based on the new version done at the Goodspeed Opera House a few years ago. At Goodspeed, Julie was played by Lesli Margherita.