Follies

I seriously felt like crying so many times during the live broadcast at the seriously poor sound of the spoken dialogue and the barely audible sound of this sublime cast during the songs at our cinema.

None of the songs carried even close to the impact they should have had throughout the song: most of the voices were just swallowed up by the music. 

But for a symphonic production it was stunning: I mean, that amazing score loud and clear...wow, a real treat. I just wish we could hear the words in the songs clearly.

I think it was our cinema (Vue) so we were just unlucky.

But what a joy to see that phenomenal cast and this exceptional production.

I was at a Vue also, Salford Lowry. Spoke to staff during and after, they said not a cinema issue. It was the feed coming to them which they aren’t allowed to change.

Sad that the orchestra was on 10000000 decibels (despite it sounding glorious) and caused moments like the climax to I'm Still Here not to be as effective as they are in the theatre. But what a visual treat. So wonderful to see it on the big screen

I haven't seen it since previews so the real question is, does Tracie still walk away with the show?

Just back from NTlive broadcast and there was no problem with synching or sound where I was. The orchestra overpowered the singers at the end of Who's That Woman?, but the balance was fine elsewhere. The audience were incredibly well behaved, not a sweet wrapper, toilet break or chatty patty during the overture even. They didn't clap either, but this was Edinburgh so no surprise there.
On the whole I loved the production, choreography and cast. Tracie Bennett stole every scene she was in, but for the first time it became clear to me that Carlotta is the only one who is not deceiving herself, so it fitting that she makes that impression. The scene with Ben on his knees before her is both moving and funny.
One More Kiss was made special by the physical and vocal similarities of young and old Heidi. Harmonies on the last line were stunning.
Janie Dee was pretty faultless, but that costume is so hideous, I don't think someone as classy as Phyllis would have chosen it.
I was doubtful about Imelda being cast as Sally, and most of her songs fell a little flat in the lower keys, but she was vocally far less distracting than Bernadette Peter's Sally. The main problem for me was that if Sally starts off so obviously unhinged, there is nowhere for the character to go. Losing My Mind didn't work as well as the other Follies because her character isn't really any different from earlier, while Ben Buddy and Phyllis are transformed.
Not my favourite Sondheim but well worth a visit.

The sound inside the theatre was fantastic, and I was in the very last row (which incidentally provides the most gorgeous overview of the remarkable design and also how cunningly deployed the space is -- busy when it needs to be and then eerily empty as well). Couldn't believe the growth in pretty well all the performances since September, though poor Geraldine Fitzgerald still seems lost with "Ah, Paris!" (Luckily, she soon vanishes from view.) Imelda infinitely better than 2-1/2 months ago, her brutal self-awareness at the end quite shocking. Janie on fire tonight, and Peter and Philip must as a pair be the best Buddy and Ben there have been since the 1971 original. Can't wait to see it one last time (one more kiss?)

Saw the NT live screening last night, thoroughly enjoyed it, obviously not the same atmosphere as seeing it "live" as such. One thing that I noticed, (I saw the show in previews and approx. 3 weeks ago as well) was that in Buddy's Blues, they had replaced the guys as Margie and Sally with women. I actually thought it did work much better than having the men play them.

I was really worried my mother-in-law wasn't enjoying it, but it got to the end of I'm Still Here and she started applauding, literally the only one in the cinema to clap at any point....I was so proud!

I think we should probably try and make "clapping in the cinema" a thing that happens, everyone in my cinema last night decided that the end of a song was a perfect time to chat to their neighbour (probably about not having heard any of the lyrics) and honestly if they have to react audibly to a song I'd rather they clapped instead.

Rumours of encore showings with issues fixed

I'm interested in how the non English language countries show them, are they done with subtitles? If so, are they done live (I expect not in wildly different time zones) or do they wait to add on subtitles?

Saw this in the Odeon Limerick (In The West Of Ireland) last night, really fantastic performances, for me Tracie Bennett and Janie Dee stole the show. No loss of sound or sync issues but at times the orchestra did drown out the vocal. I've seen many live (and pre recorded ) theatre broadcasts but this was the first time that there was applause at numerous times from the cinema audience. I know the NT dont do DVD releases but i really wish they did.