197 posts
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Post by dan on Aug 2, 2016 18:07:48 GMT
Hi! Does anyone know if ANDY KARL stagedoors after the show?? Seeing this on Saturday... SO EXCITED! I saw him having a couple of pictures with people at the stage door on Saturday as I was walking by. Love the show too. Songs are an incredible fit for the story and very poignant and funny. "Seeing You" (is that what it's called?!) is a perfect song for the moment it is placed. I definitely want to get to see it again. Staging was great. Cast were fantastic. Set was very creative. Some simple but effective illusions too. The development of the music and themes was extraordinary for telling this particular story. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2016 22:34:00 GMT
OK. I love Andy Karl.
Seriously, if it were physically possible for me to have his babies, I would.
Oh my. Aside from being a fine specimen of a man from top to toe, he is astonishing in this. Truly astonishing. When it comes to awards time, I'd be stunned if any other guy comes close to winning Best Actor in a musical. In fact, I'd say it's the best musical performance of the year so far - male or female - and I doubt anything else coming up will come close either.
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330 posts
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Post by charliec on Aug 2, 2016 22:41:41 GMT
Saw this again tonight from a great seat (J18 stalls) which I got online 2 hours before showtime for £21!
Loved it just as much as the first time, everyone seems more settled into it now and it looks and feels lots more confident. Andy Karl is just so good. They've taken out all of Rita's mentions of being 36 which I agree with, the actress doesn't look it and it was weird to keep bringing it up!Sound levels were better this time but still need work, and just like last time a very speedy standing ovation at the end!
I really love this show. It's funny, dark, grown up and smart.
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1,351 posts
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Post by CG on the loose on Aug 3, 2016 0:23:15 GMT
charliec - I was there tonight too and they very definitely haven't taken out all of Rita's references to being 36, I recall her say it at least twice...
That aside, I loved it all over again (and saw it all this time which was a bonus). Agree the sound levels were better, though I still didn't warm to Carlyss Peer's belt. I have a feeling a couple of things had been tweaked too but couldn't tell you what and would be more surprised if they hadn't. Pleased to confirm (though I think the issue is long-parked) that Andy Karl DOES where a scarf as in the publicity photos!
Overall, my impression was much as before - visually beautiful (clever, witty staging), sounding gorgeous (wonderful harmonies) though I still don't remember any of the songs, only that I loved many of them as I heard them, and very funny (in the writing, both lyrics and dialogue, and the delivery).
Ovation waited on Mr Karl's arrival, but was pretty full at that point - deservedly so, it's a fabulous performance - and whatever they sang at the curtain call (and it was only a few lines) was completely drowned out by applause.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 4:42:22 GMT
Indeed, Mr Minchin is from Northampton. Where the boots come from. |
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330 posts
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Post by charliec on Aug 3, 2016 6:14:50 GMT
charliec - I was there tonight too and they very definitely haven't taken out all of Rita's references to being 36, I recall her say it at least twice. [br oh ok, I must have been mistaken, I definitely heard her say something about getting on a bit but I didn't clock 36 specifically. Must have missed it! |
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Post by paplazaroo on Aug 3, 2016 7:57:49 GMT
I was a bit disappointed by this. I remember grinning ear to ear when I first saw Matilda so was hoping for the same elation with this but it doesn't quite have that mould breaking feeling. Don't get me wrong, it's enjoyable and there are numbers that are pure Minchin in terms of intelligently ridiculing things like alternative therapies and they do a good job of embracing the themes of monotony vs making the most of life.
For me it was just missing something in terms of originality and stand out numbers, the 2 best songs go to minor characters and one feels tacked on to appeal to the everyday sexism movement. It's definitely worth seeing but at the minute lacks the wow factor, I thought it was just me being my usual picky self but my two friends had the same opinion.
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4,156 posts
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Post by kathryn on Aug 3, 2016 8:24:06 GMT
It's funny to hear so many people call the songs unmemorable, because I can still him at least 3 of them, which is very unusual for me. Seeing it twice helps, obviously! I'm hoping there will be a cast recording.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 8:48:42 GMT
To be fair, I can't remember a single tune either and I only saw it last night. I enjoyed the score when I saw the and thought some of the lyrics were very witty but on the whole it was functional but unmemorable for my money. Perhaps it does need repeated viewings for it to sink in - which I guess goes with the theme of the show.
I thought the opening song of Act 2 was bizarre as well. Nicely performed but seemed oddly shoe-horned in and really stuck out as something that was out of place with the rest of the piece and clearly tacked on at the end after everything else had been put together.
Show was a bit uneven I thought, rambles a bit in the second half but picks up again towards the end (and it *is* a really delightful ending). It's *very* busy though - lots of set and props changing. There is a bit of staging trickery where Phil keeps waking up which is gloriously done and gets a bit of a round of applause. I don't ever want to know how they did it.
It really is worth seeing though even if it's just to take in Andy Karl's performance though. It's stupendous.
And now, I love a revolve as much as the next NT director but goodness, the one spins around so much even the Les Mis cast would be crying out "enough already!".
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1,324 posts
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Post by londonmzfitz on Aug 3, 2016 8:59:11 GMT
My stand-out memory is the energy, not the songs. I'm looking through the calendar to find a date where I can see it again, and I've already booked for the last night.
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330 posts
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Post by charliec on Aug 3, 2016 9:15:26 GMT
It's funny to hear so many people call the songs unmemorable, because I can still him at least 3 of them, which is very unusual for me. Seeing it twice helps, obviously! I'm hoping there will be a cast recording. I could sing at least 3 chunks after first viewing too. More after second viewing! |
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4,156 posts
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Post by kathryn on Aug 3, 2016 9:33:41 GMT
]I thought the opening song of Act 2 was bizarre as well. Nicely performed but seemed oddly shoe-horned in and really stuck out as something that was out of place with the rest of the piece and clearly tacked on at the end after everything else had been put together. I wonder if there's a gender split in how people react to Nancy's song? To me it felt integral, and elevates the piece from being just about Phil getting rewarded for his personal development by getting the girl - which is a criticism that is often levelled at the original film, that Rita is a cypher and a reward instead of a character. I like the meta nature of it, and suspect the song will be a very popular audition piece. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 9:42:32 GMT
Perhaps, you could be right. I didn't necessarily think of it that way. To me it just seemed like it was the character of an actress singing about playing a character of Nancy and not simply the character of Nancy herself singing the song (if that makes sense?).
Maybe it's because she sings in the third person a bit.
Or perhaps it was the interval drinky-poo.
Or perhaps it just went completely over my head because I was distracted by Andy Karl's arms and his lovely hair.
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197 posts
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Post by dan on Aug 3, 2016 9:58:51 GMT
Perhaps, you could be right. I didn't necessarily think of it that way. To me it just seemed like it was the character of an actress singing about playing a character of Nancy and not simply the character of Nancy herself singing the song (if that makes sense?). Maybe it's because she sings in the third person a bit. Or perhaps it was the interval drinky-poo. Or perhaps it just went completely over my head because I was distracted by Andy Karl's arms and his lovely hair. Perhaps Tim Minchin likes to open Act 2 with something that catches people off guard and pull them back in, because Telly in Matilda isn't a typical Act 2 opener, addressing audience etc. I thought the song here was great. I'm never really convinced by this argument that you should be able to hum all of the songs after a show. For me they're important story beats or emotional story telling rather than an exercise in writing the most catchy tune. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 10:00:20 GMT
]I thought the opening song of Act 2 was bizarre as well. Nicely performed but seemed oddly shoe-horned in and really stuck out as something that was out of place with the rest of the piece and clearly tacked on at the end after everything else had been put together. I wonder if there's a gender split in how people react to Nancy's song? To me it felt integral, and elevates the piece from being just about Phil getting rewarded for his personal development by getting the girl - which is a criticism that is often levelled at the original film, that Rita is a cypher and a reward instead of a character. I like the meta nature of it, and suspect the song will be a very popular audition piece. Hey, I'm male and I loved the song. Then again I feel no need to refer to the 'everyday sexism movement', who presumably are an offshoot of the 'pc brigade'. The song is perfect because it reminds you that storytelling is biased by what it includes and excludes, Minchin just 'moving the camera', as it were, to facilitate that. |
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4,156 posts
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Post by kathryn on Aug 3, 2016 11:01:42 GMT
I think it works on more than one level. There is the meta aspect of it, which is literally about what parts actresses are given play and who gets to write the story, and the wider social commentary aspect - and of course the two of those are linked, because art reflects society - but there's also a more metaphorical layer.
After all, a major theme of the show is about how we see people, or more accurately how we fail to see them fully. Phil assumes that he knows everything about everyone because he has seen what happens so many times, and eventually realises that he wasn't really seeing them properly at all. Nancy's song is all about how she is seen by people and how that affects her as a human being, limiting what she can do, so it links directly into that overarching theme.
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4,156 posts
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Post by kathryn on Aug 3, 2016 11:16:13 GMT
Perhaps Tim Minchin likes to open Act 2 with something that catches people off guard and pull them back in, because Telly in Matilda isn't a typical Act 2 opener, addressing audience etc. I thought the song here was great. I'm never really convinced by this argument that you should be able to hum all of the songs after a show. For me they're important story beats or emotional story telling rather than an exercise in writing the most catchy tune. When I Grow Up isn't a traditional MT number either. Both of them are about exploring character and theme instead of moving the plot forward. It's just that When I Grow Up hits you right in the feels, so you're back into the swing of the story (so to speak) before you recover enough to realise that it stands apart from the main plot. |
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2,452 posts
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Post by theatremadness on Aug 3, 2016 12:05:34 GMT
No plans to release a cast recording as of yet - huge shame as I would love to hear this cast again (and again and again....)! I guess they may be waiting to see if they do indeed go to Broadway and will probably record that cast instead.
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1,013 posts
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Post by talkstageytome on Aug 3, 2016 12:10:40 GMT
Oh gosh. I'd hate to see this disappear completely if the transfer doesn't happen as planned.
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Post by thehillsarealive on Aug 3, 2016 13:04:11 GMT
I'm surprised this hasn't really been mentioned, but this show has probably the least diverse cast I've ever seen in a musical. Surely we've gotten to the point now where it's not OK to have one token non-white person in the ensemble?
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Post by kelly52 on Aug 3, 2016 13:13:28 GMT
Saw this a few days ago, and for me it was a massive hit and easily outclasses any other new British musical of the last few years. Intelligent, funny and very moving with a superlative central performance. This deserves to be a big success, and judging by the audiences reaction it should be. It was also wonderfully and imaginatively staged. Just to chime in, I absolutely loved the Act2 opening. Makes total sense, and added an important layer. Can't praise this production highly enough - I'd even go as far to say it's a bit of a game changer.
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Post by catqc on Aug 3, 2016 13:22:06 GMT
There is discussion in the JCS thread of that transferring - if they can find a theatre, why can't Groundhog Day?
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2,452 posts
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Post by theatremadness on Aug 3, 2016 18:51:21 GMT
and whatever they sang at the curtain call (and it was only a few lines) was completely drowned out by applause. Interesting to read this - was it Tues night you were there cgontheloose? I was there on Monday night and the curtain call was completely music-less, which I felt suited the show far better than a cast sing-a-long! |
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Post by westendcub on Aug 4, 2016 6:25:56 GMT
Tim tweeted me back (can't add screen shot) but said that a cast album will happen but may take some time, so you all may be right and they want to the original Broadway cast.
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Post by partytentdown on Aug 4, 2016 10:00:35 GMT
I saw last night and enjoyed it overall, but felt Act 2 needs trimming down. A lot of the clever lyrics are just lost in the speed of the songs and everything that's going on during them. Saying that, it's very clever, witty and nicely formed. I think Andy Karl needs to be meaner in the beginning - I just didn't get he was as much of a dick as everyone was saying. I also felt the ending was a bit abrupt but maybe that's just still being worked on. Keen to see this again in 6-12 months when all the changes are made.
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