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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Feb 14, 2019 14:28:02 GMT
Well we now know where Rachel Hauck got the set design idea for Hadestown from.... A 2-way revolve centerstage and an upstage set that splits down the middle mid-show. Hey, give her some credit, the Hadestown set splits in 2 places! |
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Post by lynette on Feb 14, 2019 15:11:37 GMT
This is ending before my tix. Serves me right for booking more Musicals. Can’t fit it in now. 😳
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Post by showtoones on Feb 14, 2019 15:49:38 GMT
I love this show but it's clear that it's not for everyone. It's funny when a show plays off West End and sells out and they think they will get the same response when it transfers. I love Sharon and the story is so smart and performances amazing but at this point sadly, a show needs to appeal to tourists because the prices are so out of control. People don't want to take a chance on something new.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2019 15:52:45 GMT
Part of me thinks they should either have stopped at Hampstead, or skipped Hampstead all together. I love this show but I saw it in Chichester, I saw it in Hampstead, there are only so many days in the year and pennies in the coffer, so I couldn't justify seeing it again in the West End. I wonder how many people who saw it in Hampstead *would* have bought West End tickets (but didn't) if it had just gone directly from Chichester to the Playhouse.
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Post by Rory on Feb 14, 2019 17:04:27 GMT
I agree, it should have transferred from Chichester to the West End directly.
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Post by adrianics on Feb 20, 2019 9:29:13 GMT
Saw this last night.
I’m so happy I had a quick peruse of this thread and can see how polarised the opinions are on this show. To me there’s no denying how stupendous Sharon D Clarke’s performance is, how strong the ensemble is and how well the show is directed, but the show itself is a pretty hard slog. Part of me loved how unconventional it was and how deeply it explored every character, but a bigger part was bored stiff and confused as to what I was meant to be getting out of it. I love an unconventional, character-driven musical as much as the next guy but I was desperate for just one toe-tapping, conventional, memorable number that I could listen to out of context later.
I’m currently either/or on whether or not I liked the greek chorus of inanimate objects (as good as the performers were), but it took everything I had not to burst out laughing at the insane sight of a bus belting “THE PRESIDENT” over and over.
As an aside, I think the young man playing Noel last night is the best child actor I’ve ever seen on the West End. Big props as well to the actress playing the eldest daughter, she was quite outstanding and ought to be spoken about as glowingly as Clarke.
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Feb 20, 2019 9:59:49 GMT
Saw this last night. I’m so happy I had a quick peruse of this thread and can see how polarised the opinions are on this show. To me there’s no denying how stupendous Sharon D Clarke’s performance is, how strong the ensemble is and how well the show is directed, but the show itself is a pretty hard slog. Part of me loved how unconventional it was and how deeply it explored every character, but a bigger part was bored stiff and confused as to what I was meant to be getting out of it. I love an unconventional, character-driven musical as much as the next guy but I was desperate for just one toe-tapping, conventional, memorable number that I could listen to out of context later. I’m currently either/or on whether or not I liked the greek chorus of inanimate objects (as good as the performers were), but it took everything I had not to burst out laughing at the insane sight of a bus belting “THE PRESIDENT” over and over. As an aside, I think the young man playing Noel last night is the best child actor I’ve ever seen on the West End. Big props as well to the actress playing the eldest daughter, she was quite outstanding and ought to be spoken about as glowingly as Clarke. It's not exactly a toe-tapping number kind of show but I still think there's plenty of memorable and more catchy songs that people just seem to ignore? I can't tell you how many times I've listened to the cast recording and fell in love with different songs each time. How can you not love stuff like the opening sequence of songs that introduce the household objects, The Bus, Gonna Pass Me a Law, 1943, I Hate the Bus and the following trio that comes after it, Lot's Wife, Underwater and the finale. They're all great and have a more traditional song structure that feels a bit more isolated than the rest of the score which overlaps a lot? I just find there so much soul in every song and find the melodies and vocals so satisfying to listen to. |
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Post by craig on Feb 20, 2019 11:04:12 GMT
I agree with both of you. There certainly isn't a toe-tapping memorable song that really works outwith the context of the show. That said, I didn't really want one. It's just not that kind of show. I haven't delved into the cast recording yet but am looking forward to exploring the songs in more detail. It's such a shame we (presumably) won't get a recording of Clarke.
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Feb 20, 2019 11:29:06 GMT
I agree with both of you. There certainly isn't a toe-tapping memorable song that really works outwith the context of the show. That said, I didn't really want one. It's just not that kind of show. I haven't delved into the cast recording yet but am looking forward to exploring the songs in more detail. It's such a shame we (presumably) won't get a recording of Clarke. It's a shame that we won't get another recording but honestly the one we have is so incredible and has the entire show so it's not too much of a loss. Tonya Pinkins voice is impressive and luckily this was recorded before she completely wrecked it so it doesn't crack at all as badly as it did later into the original run. |
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Post by craig on Feb 20, 2019 12:02:31 GMT
I can't remember if I've already said this or not, but I'm in total disbelief that this is the same writer as Thoroughly Modern Millie, of all the shows! They are at totally opposite ends of the spectrum. Both great for what they are though!
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Post by craig on Feb 20, 2019 12:04:05 GMT
It's a shame that we won't get another recording but honestly the one we have is so incredible and has the entire show so it's not too much of a loss. Tonya Pinkins voice is impressive and luckily this was recorded before she completely wrecked it so it doesn't crack at all as badly as it did later into the original run. I'm looking forward to listening! |
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Feb 20, 2019 12:09:47 GMT
I can't remember if I've already said this or not, but I'm in total disbelief that this is the same writer as Thoroughly Modern Millie, of all the shows! They are at totally opposite ends of the spectrum. Both great for what they are though! Yeah! Tesori is one of my favourite working composers for sure! |
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Post by apubleed on Feb 20, 2019 14:01:33 GMT
I can't remember if I've already said this or not, but I'm in total disbelief that this is the same writer as Thoroughly Modern Millie, of all the shows! They are at totally opposite ends of the spectrum. Both great for what they are though! Don't forget, Shrek the musical too! |
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Post by craig on Feb 20, 2019 15:01:39 GMT
I can't remember if I've already said this or not, but I'm in total disbelief that this is the same writer as Thoroughly Modern Millie, of all the shows! They are at totally opposite ends of the spectrum. Both great for what they are though! Don't forget, Shrek the musical too! I'd rather forget Shrek the musical entirely, if I may! |
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Post by horton on Feb 23, 2019 17:08:17 GMT
Those were paid gigs- she did this as a passion project. More in the style of Fun Home, but that is more accessible, I think
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Post by manu on Feb 23, 2019 20:44:28 GMT
I think the young man playing Noel last night is the best child actor I’ve ever seen on the West End. I thought the same thing. Was it Jack Meredith ? |
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Post by greeny11 on Feb 23, 2019 22:55:28 GMT
First act of this was, for me, incredibly boring. Second act was considerably better and more seemed to happen. As has been said already, the songs are not memorable which is a problem for me, though I do remember liking Sharon and Abiona's big songs in act 2. The cast were good - Sharon, Abiona and Jack Meredith were the standouts (that is a big role for a child).
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Post by craig on Feb 24, 2019 18:18:35 GMT
I just googled Jack Meredith to see if it was him that I saw and it was. He really was fantastic. I'm not a big fan of shows filled with kids but he was extremely believable in the role.
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Post by apubleed on Feb 24, 2019 23:11:19 GMT
I just googled Jack Meredith to see if it was him that I saw and it was. He really was fantastic. I'm not a big fan of shows filled with kids but he was extremely believable in the role. I agree. He was quite cheeky and playful whereas whoever I saw play the role before seemed to be a bit more of an annoying entitled brat. Children in musicals are usually the worst but this is ok. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2019 9:53:16 GMT
Interesting point coming into development here...
Why does the score need to be memorable for a show to be likeable or enjoyable (read successful).
Think about symphonies, concertos, etc not every bar/section has to be memorable for it to be critically successful.
You (generally) don’t wake up the next day after seeing a play and start quoting soliloquy’s and scenes, so why do we think the perception that a score has to be memorable for a show to be enjoyable has developed?
Caroline’s score suits the scenes and in my opinion was entirely appropriate. Perhaps 2 hours of belters and show stoppers may have detracted from the intended emotion response..
My 2 cents.
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Post by adrianics on Feb 25, 2019 12:45:01 GMT
I think the young man playing Noel last night is the best child actor I’ve ever seen on the West End. I thought the same thing. Was it Jack Meredith ? Just had a quick peruse of the website and I saw Aaron Gelkoff. Accent was a little ropy but I've seen far worse, and he was otherwise very impressive. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2019 13:23:46 GMT
Interesting point coming into development here... Why does the score need to be memorable for a show to be likeable or enjoyable (read successful). Think about symphonies, concertos, etc not every bar/section has to be memorable for it to be critically successful. You (generally) don’t wake up the next day after seeing a play and start quoting soliloquy’s and scenes, so why do we think the perception that a score has to be memorable for a show to be enjoyable has developed? Caroline’s score suits the scenes and in my opinion was entirely appropriate. Perhaps 2 hours of belters and show stoppers may have detracted from the intended emotion response.. My 2 cents. I agree with this completely. For me, the score serves its purpose in this heavily sung-through show, has many memorable moments (not complete songs) within it, and offers an indelible show-stopping number in Lot's Wife. I can still recall specific musical snippets and lyrics (i.e., "Noah stop bothering the night"). The show's structure is never intended to produce multiple freestanding songs that one might sing in a cabaret or concert act as can be done with other musical scores. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2019 14:06:45 GMT
Pah. I like a catchy tune with my musicals otherwise it might as well just be a play.
And a tap routine. I love a tap routine.
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Post by winonaforever on Feb 25, 2019 15:49:30 GMT
I thought the same thing. Was it Jack Meredith ? Just had a quick peruse of the website and I saw Aaron Gelkoff. Accent was a little ropy but I've seen far worse, and he was otherwise very impressive. I saw Aaron 3 times, really liked him. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2019 16:24:31 GMT
Pah. I like a catchy tune with my musicals otherwise it might as well just be a play. And a tap routine. I love a tap routine. No worries. In the sequel, Caroline Has Changed, she and the kids have moved to 42nd Street, and the stairs into the basement have ... well I do not really want to spoil it for you. |
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