Heathers: The Musical - TRH / The Other Palace / @sohoplace

The show as a whole as we went last week in the third preview.

It was the songs more than anything. I thought they were quite bland and reminiscent of other things I’ve heard done better. The darkness of the film isn’t carried across on stage and the writing of the adult characters just wasn’t as funny, particularly Miss Fleming.

The characteristics of Veronica and JD are all off and they’re both far too soft with none of their cool. Veronica was never portrayed as having been a bullied nerd, desperate to be seen as cool, despite being friends with some of the nerdier characters. She was just a strong individual with her own outlook on life which made her cool, then the pressures of being popular developed through the association with the Heathers. There was no makeover from the Heathers. Even Heather Chandler isn’t quite as bitchy and powerful to believe she would drive someone to want to kill her in this show.

I explained in my initial post that I think my long time attachment to the film has jaded my impression here. It’s also why I generally dislike Mean Girls as a film because I always saw it as a watered down version of Heathers without any true conviction.

Anyone else want to break the bad news?!

So I'm guessing that's not for a show July 12th-15th? My friend is coming over from New York so I'm trying to find a ticket for him!

That wouldn't shock me 😉 easiest theatre tickets to resell at the moment! Just had to double check, I really want him to be able to see it!

I would certainly agree about some of the songs. Lots of them sound like Legally Blond filler slots. Heather Chandler is awful before she is killed; it’s having her float about in her PJ’s for the rest of the show that softens her. I am also a massive fan of the film and always thought that it never went far enough. I think it’s ending contradicts the whole film...wishy washy togetherness beating out strong leaders. JD is played frosty weird rather than full on psycho which again weakened him a touch. Still, I was swept along by the strength of the whole and am choosing to remember the rush of the audience reaction. X

I got to see the show yesterday. I saw the Off-Broadway production just after it opened in 2014 so it was interesting experience yesterday, particularly as the atmosphere in the audience was very different. On a whole, I think that in a lot of ways this production is better than the previous one I saw (no more blue!). I did prefer the choreography Off-Broadway, especially for Candy Store. Heather Duke's new song is awesome (I'm so glad they added it.)

I was pleasantly surprised by CHF. I'm far from a fan of hers but I found her Veronica to be compelling and her voice fits the music wonderfully. Jamie Muscato was a brilliant JD and the Heathers and Martha were perfectly cast in my opinion.

Our Steve moment was quite hilarious. The man chosen was sitting next to a child and a woman and Rebecca Lock asked him if he had brought his wife and child to her assembly and then introduced herself to the woman.

It doesn’t look like it was a conformation, because the question was something like “will the show transfer with this cast, they’re amazing” and the account just said “they are” as in agreeing the cast are amazing.

There’s an article in The Stage that apparently (my cheapskate quota has run out so I can’t read it) implies the whole Other Palace run is a set of “previews” and that they’re defining it as a “work in progress”

Well with respect, £75 a ticket is not reasonable for a work in progress. I also strongly feel for a public run ie not workshop critics should be invited and there should be a press night. Again if you’re charging £75 a ticket...

I’m not saying it’s not good (I haven’t seen it) but the overall principle and approach doesn’t sit well.

Anyone else miss the St James’ ??

Exactly that! I’m sure it’s a lovely production, and I’ve no problem with scaled down sets etc (honestly it sometimes works better that way) but if you’re treating the whole run as previews, I cannot see how charging full West End prices is justified. Also they should be open about it- I often see previews and I’m more than happy to but being sold a stealth preview feels shady.

This show has had a successful Off-Broadway run, a London workshop and is widely performed by schools, colleges and amateur theatre groups across the US. It’s as much a work in progress as any other musical that has continued to evolve over its lifetime. I think, perhaps, the choice of words is unfortunate.

Glad I didn’t book it. Sounds horrific with all that audience interaction and fangirling. As for £75 for some half finished show-but-not-a-show? Yuk.

I might go and have a look when it transfers to a proper theatre that’s not going to chop my kneecaps off and preferably after CHF has moved on to her next book/album/blog/boyfriend

*grumble-moan-snipe*

😑

Oh yes just to be clear it’s not the “try out in a smaller theatre with an eye to a transfer” I object to- clearly sensible and something a lot of other producers could learn from.

It’s the idea that there isn’t a press night and that critics haven’t been invited, yet it’s been sold to the public as a finished article. It just whiffs of a bit...something

Anyway it all looks a bit screaming teen fangirl for my old bones so I’m not sad about missing it