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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 8, 2020 14:24:54 GMT
I'm intrigued. I love Spice Girls (but I don't know if their style has a place in musical theatre!) I find comedy very subjective though - what style of comedy? If it's very British then that's a good start (for me!) It's not a traditional musical, it is like a very good pop concert only with a storyline that runs throughout it. To say anymore would give away what is so great about it. Just go! I have literally never heard a single person who has seen it say they didn't love it. |
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Post by robertb213 on Jan 8, 2020 16:14:25 GMT
Imagine getting a GCSE history lesson from Little Mix, that pretty much sums it up. It's in no way a traditional musical but it's very entertaining.
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Post by ABr on Jan 8, 2020 16:32:51 GMT
Imagine getting a GCSE history lesson from Little Mix, that pretty much sums it up. It's in no way a traditional musical but it's very entertaining. I think that's a great way of describing it! |
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Post by adrianics on Jan 10, 2020 12:49:28 GMT
Finally saw this last night.
It was enlightening reading about all the casting/cover issues on the tube ride home, as upon arrival I was surprised to see that all but two of the ladies were being played by an understudy. To compound matters, Danielle Steel vanished from the stage just before Anne of Cleaves' big number only to be replaced by someone completely brand new near the end of Katherine Howard's song. There was a rather funny awkward pause as the others realised what was happening, and she was a little nervous and stiff to start with but got better and better in a damn hurry and knocked her big number out of the park. I later gathered that she has been bussed in from the tour and this was her debut as Catherine Parr. Her reception, and interactions with the other ladies at the bow, was amazing to see.
I enjoyed the show a great deal. Unashamedly feminine, contemporary and modern with a pitch-perfect tone and fantastic sense of humour, bolstered by a really quite extraordinarily talented and distinctive ensemble (I couldn't believe they were almost entirely understudies) and band, and often ingenious musicality, I can definitely see why this is as popular as it is. I don't know how the creatives made such a bizarre premise work but I honestly think this has the potential to redefine musical theatre and drag it kicking and screaming into a new age.
The music, lyrically and melodically, is really quite fabulous and I was hugely impressed with the versatility of the writing. My toe barely stopped tapping all night!
I particularly enjoyed Courtney Bowman's performance as Anne Bolyen, hopefully she has a bright future ahead of her.
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Post by Rukaya on Jan 10, 2020 13:58:47 GMT
This is quite fun - Jen was doing an Instagram live when she was told she'd have to go on as Parr! Not a reaction we get to see often haha
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Post by wicked on Jan 10, 2020 13:59:06 GMT
Finally saw this last night. It was enlightening reading about all the casting/cover issues on the tube ride home, as upon arrival I was surprised to see that all but two of the ladies were being played by an understudy. To compound matters, Danielle Steel vanished from the stage just before Anne of Cleaves' big number only to be replaced by someone completely brand new near the end of Katherine Howard's song. There was a rather funny awkward pause as the others realised what was happening, and she was a little nervous and stiff to start with but got better and better in a damn hurry and knocked her big number out of the park. I later gathered that she has been bussed in from the tour and this was her debut as Catherine Parr. Her reception, and interactions with the other ladies at the bow, was amazing to see. I enjoyed the show a great deal. Unashamedly feminine, contemporary and modern with a pitch-perfect tone and fantastic sense of humour, bolstered by a really quite extraordinarily talented and distinctive ensemble (I couldn't believe they were almost entirely understudies) and band, and often ingenious musicality, I can definitely see why this is as popular as it is. I don't know how the creatives made such a bizarre premise work but I honestly think this has the potential to redefine musical theatre and drag it kicking and screaming into a new age. The music, lyrically and melodically, is really quite fabulous and I was hugely impressed with the versatility of the writing. My toe barely stopped tapping all night! I particularly enjoyed Courtney Bowman's performance as Anne Bolyen, hopefully she has a bright future ahead of her. This does sound bizarre- was there no announcement at all that Jen would be taking over? If I didn't know the show I would have been entirely confused, especially as they wear completely different costumes. Also a long time for the others to recoreograph for 4 people! Still in awe of those understudies, they'd be lost without them. |
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Post by ABr on Jan 10, 2020 14:02:13 GMT
"To compound matters, Danielle Steel vanished from the stage just before Anne of Cleaves' big number only to be replaced by someone completely brand new near the end of Katherine Howard's song." I'm surprised that it took them that long to get her on stage, but I suppose she would need to get a mic on, costume, and perhaps a small re-vocal warm up! I love this part of theatre, I would have loved to have been in the audience for this, so see how its handled! |
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Post by ali973 on Jan 10, 2020 14:18:19 GMT
I saw last night's show as well. There was a huge delay. The show was meant to start at 8, it started at 8.30. I was standing next to the cast board, and it was changed..TWICE while I was standing there. And adrianics said Danielle Streers disappeared mid-way and the standby did seem a bit stiff and shellshocked but handled it very well. I also noticed that she literally had no made up on at all, and some accessories were missing. Having said that, I'm glad that my third time into the show was basically a full new cast altogether. It's still a marvelous show, and the audience loved it. I had a great seat in the circle, and I counted six men. I also would have liked to see a bit more diversity in the audience that somehow mirrored the diversity on stage. |
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Post by adrianics on Jan 10, 2020 14:31:12 GMT
This does sound bizarre- was there no announcement at all that Jen would be taking over? If I didn't know the show I would have been entirely confused, especially as they wear completely different costumes. Also a long time for the others to recoreograph for 4 people! Still in awe of those understudies, they'd be lost without them. Nope, no announcement whatsoever. I only noticed Steel had left the stage when I realised there were only five ladies on the stage at that point. You know the bit at the end of Katherine Howard's song where she's going in a semi-circle saying "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded.... Survived"? That's when the new actress just casually walked on stage, the character having been absent for about 10 minutes. Lots of people around me were very confused, as was I. Fair play to her and the others, extraordinary situation and couldn't have been easy at all but they collectively barely broke a sweat. |
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Post by xanady on Jan 10, 2020 19:42:38 GMT
^According to one of the fan sites,it appears that Danielle’s voice wasn’t 100% at all and started to ‘go’ during the show and therefore she was replaced as quickly as possible.
No big Drama at all.Just one of those things.
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Post by sophie92 on Jan 10, 2020 19:54:24 GMT
You know the bit at the end of Katherine Howard's song where she's going in a semi-circle saying "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded.... Survived"? That's when the new actress just casually walked on stage, the character having been absent for about 10 minutes. That part is actually before Katherine Howard’s song, which makes more sense with someone saying on Twitter that Jen came on before All You Wanna Do, rather than after the song |
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Post by wicked on Jan 10, 2020 21:05:35 GMT
Megasix from said show- 5/6 alternates! Credits to Gabriella Slade that the show was performed with 5/6 alternate costumes and all still looked great together.
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 10, 2020 21:47:49 GMT
Megasix from said show- 5/6 alternates! Credits to Gabriella Slade that the show was performed with 5/6 alternate costumes and all still looked great together. AWESOME!!! |
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Post by alison on Jan 10, 2020 23:31:11 GMT
I saw last night's show as well. There was a huge delay. The show was meant to start at 8, it started at 8.30.I was standing next to the cast board, and it was changed..TWICE while I was standing there. And adrianics said Danielle Streers disappeared mid-way and the standby did seem a bit stiff and shellshocked but handled it very well. I also noticed that she literally had no made up on at all, and some accessories were missing. Having said that, I'm glad that my third time into the show was basically a full new cast altogether. It's still a marvelous show, and the audience loved it. I had a great seat in the circle, and I counted six men. I also would have liked to see a bit more diversity in the audience that somehow mirrored the diversity on stage. BIB - on a Thursday they do two shows, one at 6 and one at 8:30. As far as I'm aware last night's wasn't rescheduled to 8, are you sure that's the time it was supposed to start or just assuming because it's usually an 8pm evening show? |
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Post by sophizoey on Jan 12, 2020 8:26:50 GMT
I've seen the new cast a number of times now but now I can say I feel like they're settled. Despite her not being my favourite Queen, or getting my favourite song from the show: Danielle Steers as Catherine Parr runs away with this one. From the moment she sings her first few lines in Ex-Wives her voice just fully makes you want to melt.
Nice to see Cherelle and Zara who have been on as Cleves and Howard for the best part of a month due to injury and casting gaps have developed into those characters leaps and bounds since the last time I saw both of them roles in particular.
The Queens do everything they can to make being in the front row the most special experience.
Also shoutout to Courtney Bowman for always being brilliantly hilarious and just on point as Boleyn.
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Post by ahaz on Jan 13, 2020 20:37:00 GMT
Saw the show for the first time just before Christmas. Cast was brilliant, had JJ as Aragon, Courtney Boleyn, Natalie Seymour, Collette Cleves, Zara Howard and Danielle as Parr. Such an incredible show and had loads of interaction from the queens sat up in R8 + R9 slips and would definitely recommend sitting there. Unfortunately the girls didn't stage door and due to the train strikes the front of house asked us to 'leave and leave quickly'!' so she could make her train. Looking forward to seeing this on tour in a couple of weeks, and have booked a return trip for May in London  |
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Post by ahaz on Jan 17, 2020 10:05:11 GMT
Booking extended to January 2021
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2020 10:37:23 GMT
Got an email from the theatre this morning saying that. I wish they would upsize though, it's becoming impossible to get tickets unless you book way in advance, and the dressing room situation for the cast isn't the best.
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Post by xanady on Jan 17, 2020 10:52:00 GMT
Another year at the Arts and then some I reckon....wonderful news!
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Post by ahaz on Jan 17, 2020 11:30:45 GMT
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 17, 2020 18:46:52 GMT
Got an email from the theatre this morning saying that. I wish they would upsize though, it's becoming impossible to get tickets unless you book way in advance, and the dressing room situation for the cast isn't the best. Not to even mention the toilets the public are expected to endure. I admire their sense of loyalty, but they are really shooting themselves in the foot not moving to a bigger venue. They could be selling twice the amount of tickets they currently are. |
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Post by Jon on Jan 17, 2020 18:53:33 GMT
They could be selling twice the amount of tickets they currently are. At triple the production costs... this way, they run. They can keep the prices fairly reasonable and the budget to match, make a profit and sell out most performances. Makes sense, I feel. A lot of the bigger theatres are often booked well in advance. |
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 17, 2020 18:54:08 GMT
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 17, 2020 18:56:46 GMT
They could be selling twice the amount of tickets they currently are. At triple the production costs... this way, they run. They can keep the prices fairly reasonable and the budget to match, make a profit and sell out most performances. Makes sense, I feel. It is literally sold out a month in advance at the moment. You can't tell me they wouldn't make up whatever extra production costs they'd incur in the extra tickets sales. Let it die in the Arts when popularity wanes, but they should be striking while the iron is hot surely. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2020 11:07:34 GMT
I agree, I think the Arts is perfect for it. It's cosy and intimate and the tiny FOH area fits right into what the teeny girl fans like - they'd be lost in a huge big theatre.
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