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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2016 21:42:29 GMT
Yes but a good musical is a good musical- no matter if it's old or new. And this ISNT in the west end. It's in a small theatre and will do good business there I'm sure. As said It's not a sellout Still tickets for the whole run left And this is with an excellent cast Of course it will do well The venue is smaller than my house The ticket prices rising And f*** all investment Still same old sh*tty toilets and creaky stairs It's a disgrace |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2016 21:43:20 GMT
Hate to say it but you DID think Bend it was good. There are lots of people who think this is a good musical. I am there now It's such an awful musical The audience reaction is muted and subdued The casting is lovely The singing good The staging nice The songs are all terrible And fhe story goes on and on Sorry folks but this would not last one hour in the WE Tellingly it's not sold out either which is unusual for the Menier Xmas musical It's just not a good or memorable musical It won the critics circle award |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2016 22:44:45 GMT
Second half much better
And briefer
Still an awful musical
Dated beyond belief
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Post by theatremadness on Dec 2, 2016 22:51:06 GMT
Second half much better And briefer Still an awful musical Dated beyond belief Hey but you stayed!!! That's good news enough for me  |
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Post by ShoesForRent on Dec 2, 2016 22:51:36 GMT
Hate to say it but you DID think Bend it was good. There are lots of people who think this is a good musical. It won the critics circle award And She Loves Me won the Olivier in 94...? and just had a sold out run + extension on Bway...? |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2016 23:30:39 GMT
I feel this does transfer I think it would go to a small house like the Garrick, Playhouse, Duke of York's etc. Not convinced I thought will transfer though so am so glad I've got tickets for next year!!
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Post by lonlad on Dec 3, 2016 0:28:12 GMT
It's a gorgeous curio of a musical, always has been and always will be. Done well, it is a near-total enchantment. Time will soon tell if this one is done well. And, yes, the Ruthie Henshall/Traci Bennett version won five Oliviers, rather amazingly.
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Post by talkstageytome on Dec 3, 2016 19:34:21 GMT
I'm in tonight (well, I'm in Costa right now but WILL be in soon!) Anyone else?  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2016 21:22:36 GMT
For possibly the first time i kind of agree with parsley. Ive never understood the excessive love for this show. I will be seeing the menier production as i love scarlett strallen but past productions ive always found just ok.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2016 22:24:01 GMT
The cast are excellent
The singing good
The acting fine
Staging and costumes nice
It's just the show is not all that good
Feeble
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Post by stevej678 on Dec 3, 2016 22:30:20 GMT
The casting is lovely The singing good The staging nice The songs are all terrible It's just not a good or memorable musical The cast are excellent The singing good The acting fine Staging and costumes nice It's just the show is not all that good Are you stuck in Groundhog Day, dear Parsley? |
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Post by talkstageytome on Dec 3, 2016 23:06:34 GMT
Awww, just out from seeing this. It's such a delightful show with a great cast. Agree with some of the comments on Scarlett. She was very good and very endearing but she didn't blow me away. Les Dennis seemed to be overdoing his dialogue at points but I warmed to him in the end. Rest of the leads were excellent. The set was beautiful and costumes were nice enough, though I preferred the men's to the women's. Only element I was unsure on were those wigs. They looked a bit plastic-y and the curls didn't look brushed out enough. That being said, I was in the front row. Further back perhaps it wasn't so noticable? Of course the story isn't the strongestbut at the end of the day it's fluffy festive fun. Absolutely delightful!  |
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Post by mallardo on Dec 4, 2016 7:22:05 GMT
Yes, it's a beautiful little show - what a score!! - and it worked its magic once again. Matthew White's production is extremely lively and energetic, all the performances turned way up and some agile choreography where required, especially in the Café Imperiale scene, the show's only real production number, led by a very funny Cory English as the Head Waiter.
Unlike some others I loved Scarlett Strallen. I thought she got the feisty but fragile Amalia just right and she has the voice of an angel. Her "Ice Cream" was wonderful but even better was the exquisite "Will He Like Me" in Act One, to me one of the most gorgeous songs even written. Katherine Kingsley certainly got all her laughs but she has been encouraged to play Ilona VERY broadly, laying on the cockney accent with a trowel. That said, her big number, "A Trip To The Library" was fabulous!
Dominic Tighe was a sleek and effective Kodaly while Callum Howells worked very hard to mostly good effect as young Arpad and Alistair Brookshaw gave us a darker and more interesting take on Sipos than is usually the case. I did not care much for Les Dennis's bland Maraczek and I had some issues as well with Mark Umbers' Georg. He was too smooth and, well, posh for a character who is, in his own way, every bit as fragile and frantic as Amalia. The key to the role is in his songs - "Tonight at Eight" and the title song, "She loves Me", where he basically comes apart at the seams. Umbers handled both numbers expertly but the rest of his performance was in a different place.
But these are quibbles. It's a fine production of a gem of a show. By all means see it if you can.
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Post by Polly1 on Dec 4, 2016 8:01:54 GMT
The casting is lovely The singing good The staging nice The songs are all terrible It's just not a good or memorable musical The cast are excellent The singing good The acting fine Staging and costumes nice It's just the show is not all that good Are you stuck in Groundhog Day, dear Parsley? No, but he actually saw both halves of the show! |
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Post by Being Alive on Dec 4, 2016 11:54:04 GMT
I liked this. I didn't love it. Scarlett was good but she didn't wow me as others have said. Katherine steals it. Poor Mark Umbers though, he's so awkward he can barely walk. Nice chap though.
Minus a few songs the score is pretty unmenorable. It's very funny though which is good.
Probably give it 3 and a half stars? Glad I saw it anyway.
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Post by schuttep on Dec 5, 2016 9:53:36 GMT
I saw this yesterday and thought it was charming. Scarlett Strallen and Mark Umbers as good as ever. And the lovely song Vanilla Ice Cream.
Aside: the building directly to the right of the Menier (set back from the road) has a number of market stalls inside selling food and drink. At the bar buying drinks was a certain Eddie Redmayne. I've heard he's an actor?
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Post by londonmzfitz on Dec 5, 2016 9:54:10 GMT
Saw this on Friday night. I thought it was very pretty. Well performed throughout. Well acted for the most part (Les Dennis could do with more gravitas as Mr Maraczek and the accent is awful). Kathleen Kingsley and the adorable Callum Howells as Arpad are the best things about the show. That little Welsh lad is one to watch. He's adorable.
No mentions from anyone about the ghastly wig that Scarlett wears? Jeez, from front row it felt like it needed it's own animal trainer in the wings. Unnecessary, surely. Special mention for the costumes, generally lovely (the Where's My Shoe - I have those shoes!!).
Nice Christmassy show, glad I've seen it.
And lovely too to meet Phantom of London *waves*
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Post by talkstageytome on Dec 5, 2016 11:46:12 GMT
I mentioned the wigs a page back. Thought both Ilona's and Amalia's were a bit plasticy and the curls didn't look natural in any way.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Dec 5, 2016 14:20:58 GMT
Awww, just out from seeing this. It's such a delightful show with a great cast. Agree with some of the comments on Scarlett. She was very good and very endearing but she didn't blow me away. Les Dennis seemed to be overdoing his dialogue at points but I warmed to him in the end. Rest of the leads were excellent. The set was beautiful and costumes were nice enough, though I preferred the men's to the women's. Only element I was unsure on were those wigs. They looked a bit plastic-y and the curls didn't look brushed out enough. That being said, I was in the front row. Further back perhaps it wasn't so noticable? Of course the story isn't the strongest but at the end of the day it's fluffy festive fun. Absolutely delightful! Ah, how could I have missed the wig comments? 'Cos I was scrolling quickly past Parsleys hate. I was front row too. Nylon wigs. Tsk! Wonder if the discontent fellow next to me was Parsley .... |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2016 14:43:17 GMT
Hate to say it but you DID think Bend it was good. There are lots of people who think this is a good musical. It won the critics circle award It also closed less than a year in.  |
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Post by schuttep on Dec 7, 2016 8:56:30 GMT
...the adorable Callum Howells as Arpad are the best things about the show. That little Welsh lad is one to watch. He's adorable. And only 17 years old. What a find! |
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Post by alece10 on Dec 8, 2016 9:02:17 GMT
Great reviews so far.
5* WOS
4* The Times (that's a shocker!)
5* Evening Standard
5* The Stage
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2016 15:29:53 GMT
Very excited as it has been getting very good reviews but in one I read from the Sunday times it said something that has made me slightly nervous and that I had not heard anyone mention. Apparently on the final preview Mark Umbers was upstaged by a mouse that has somehow made it onto the stage and lots of people freaked out. I am not a massive fan of mice like many people so If there is a mouse on stage when I see it I will probably let out a helpless scream as I am also front row. Let's all hope they have dealt with Mr Meneir Mouse.
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Post by lonlad on Dec 11, 2016 18:18:04 GMT
No mice on press night.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2016 20:02:01 GMT
I'm surprised more mice don't make an appearance at the Menier myself. I imagine there's loads of 'em scuttling around the building all the time.
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