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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 14, 2017 0:59:53 GMT
Amber was fantastic but the rest of the cast were superb too. Loved Curtis, Lorell was fab and Jimmy... wow. The energy! But it was also incredibly pacey, the story was well told and the whole look and feel of the show made total sense. Not a jarring element in the whole thing. How often does that happen?
Go see it.
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Post by Phantom of London on Jan 14, 2017 1:29:10 GMT
I second that, if on a budget there are great seats at the back of the stalls for £20, you will see fine.
Loved the songs 'When I First Saw You' and 'I Miss You Old Friend', the only song that I didn't particularly love was 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going'.
Glad you loved it Burly Bear as much as I did.
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Post by Phantom of London on Jan 14, 2017 18:28:05 GMT
I was in row V, but on the aisle, I had to look this up on the ATG site and noticed they have put the price up for those seat to £49.50.
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Post by HereForTheatre on Jan 14, 2017 21:04:21 GMT
If i had a problem with it, it was Steppin to the bad side...as a stand alone production number it was good, not saying not, but as part of the overall show/story it seemed a little OTT and odd to me if i'm honest. I think it was just too stylised.
Also, i understand the point of it, but when that white group come out all angelic from the back of the stage singing Cadillac Car people around me were like, er, what. haha!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 21:13:55 GMT
One thing I forgot to mention... has anyone noticed the amount of sweat literally dripping off the Male Ensemble from literally the beginning of the show, before they have even done anything? Sat in the front row, the sweat was flying all over place during Steppin' To The Bad Side! Don't worry though, the orchestra pit being there manages to keep the sweat far away from you, but it was insane, I have never seen so much sweat in the West End, especially at the start when they have done nothing yet!  I understand this may of just been my performance, but it wasn't the most pleasant thing, and a few of us in the front row were giving eachother that knowing look a couple of times in the first half, and asked eachother if we all noticed it... we all did. |
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Post by HereForTheatre on Jan 14, 2017 21:16:07 GMT
Yes i was further back and noticed that as well. Mind you, there are a LOT of lights on that stage. It's probably hotter than most.
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Post by Dan213 on Jan 14, 2017 23:03:21 GMT
Yes i was further back and noticed that as well. Mind you, there are a LOT of lights on that stage. It's probably hotter than most. In a world of LEDs it doesn't get very hot on stages in modern theatres anymore. If anything, it can be quite cold  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 23:52:54 GMT
Listening to the concert version today. In the second act, does Effie still sing 'I saw you Deena, at your mothers funeral' or is that now all gone in favour of 'Listen'?
I cant remember from when i saw it a few weeks back
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Post by ali973 on Jan 15, 2017 15:00:26 GMT
Gone.
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Post by theatreian on Jan 15, 2017 15:53:37 GMT
Saw this for the second time on Saturday matinee as had complained when saw it before in early December when Amber was not in it as scheduled. Was given 2 free tickets and luckily this time Amber was in it. Have to say Amber was amazing. Saw 3 shows in the weekend the others being Rent and Promises Promises. Although Dreamgirls is slick, apart from a few decent songs its not one of my favourites. Though the response from the audience was wild. Slightly annoying when you miss the ends of some songs due to the volume of applause.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2017 18:11:01 GMT
Thank you. I couldn't remember if it was still there as the lead in to Listen. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 15, 2017 18:20:37 GMT
I have to say, out of all of the 'big' numbers I didn't think Amber's IATY was the best one. It was great but I Am Changing was fabulous.
I'd say:
I am changing
Listen
And I am telling you
One night only
Cast recording asap please!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2017 18:24:02 GMT
When this cast leave in November, do people think the new cast will just be MT stars or will it have a name in it?
I can see it doing well without a name as people see the show rather than who's in it. Effie is a dream role for lots of actresses.
I did think Alexandra Burke but she would probably play Deena and Deena is often overshadowed by Effie, so would she chose that role over say something else she might be offered?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2017 18:29:01 GMT
Alexandra would be a fabulous Deena in the singing and dancing department. She wouldn't be a good Effie though. Her acting isn't strong enough to pull off the emotional depth of those big numbers like And I Am Telling You to make it truly believable. And also, she really doesn't have the right body-type for the role, which is not to be hurtful to any of the actresses currently playing the role, but it is mentioned numerous times in the script. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 15, 2017 18:37:16 GMT
Wouldn't it be great if they filmed this for broadcast and DVD like they did for Gypsy.
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Post by ali973 on Jan 15, 2017 18:37:40 GMT
I like Alexandra and I think in principle she is a right fit for Deena, but her voice has a very low and deep register. Deena sounds quite high to me in this version.
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Post by ali973 on Jan 15, 2017 18:40:06 GMT
I like Alexandra and I think in principle she is a right fit for Deena, but her voice has a very low and deep register. Deena sounds quite high to me in this version. Then again, she did sing it with Beyonce in X-Factor. Was it lowered? |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 15, 2017 18:47:15 GMT
Now that I've seen it I can't see AB as Deena at all. She isn't "meek" enough. And I think she reads as too old, she would struggle to carry off 16/17 for the first part of the show.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2017 18:49:55 GMT
I like Alexandra and I think in principle she is a right fit for Deena, but her voice has a very low and deep register. Deena sounds quite high to me in this version. Then again, she did sing it with Beyonce in X-Factor. Was it lowered? Can we just... that Beyonce duet is iconic, the best performance ever on The X Factor! It was incredible, vocally, the whole performance was just stunning. Anyone who hasn't watched it, get to YouTube now, it is so worth it!  |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 15, 2017 18:52:26 GMT
Especially the fried egg necklace.
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Post by ali973 on Jan 15, 2017 18:54:15 GMT
I agree with Burly. Alexandra is is cheeky and rambunctious and that comes across in her roles. I don't think she'd fare well as a wall flower that Deen is.
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Post by Jon on Jan 15, 2017 19:28:43 GMT
Wouldn't it be great if they filmed this for broadcast and DVD like they did for Gypsy. Doubtful as I imagine the screen rights belong to Paramount and I also suspect that Sonia Friedman would ideally want this to go to Broadway. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2017 19:37:53 GMT
Would they get another name though to replace Amber? Amber isn't mainstream in the U.K. and isn't above the title so would they bother? Amber has opened the show, so just keep going with a strong MT cast?
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Post by HereForTheatre on Jan 15, 2017 20:31:52 GMT
I actually don't think that Deena get's overshadowed too much at all. She has a very clear and prominent story arc and has a lot of singing to do. I really enjoyed Liisi in the role, though i preferred her voice when she really went to town in her solo parts than when she was performing with the Dreams. But i enjoyed her portrayal very much.
None of them get overshadowed actually, i liked the fact that Lorell also was prominent and had her moments as well.
I like Alexandra but not for this show. People need to get over the Beyonce thing for Deena because it just isn't like that in this show. And the suggestion she could/should be Effie is quite absurd.
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Post by Jon on Jan 15, 2017 20:34:56 GMT
I like Alexandra but not for this show. People need to get over the Beyonce thing because it just isn't like that in this show. And the suggestion she could/should be Effie is quite absurd. People will be suggesting Beverly Knight for Effie or Deena next no doubt even though she'd be way too old for either role. |
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