Motown

Where on earth did they spend £5.5million on this cheap looking show?

very depressing indeed.

Isnt it the royalties that bump up this shows budget and why it struggled a bit on broadway, even though its grosses were high?

Doesn't surprise me. When I tried to book a wheelchair space for any matinee a few weeks back I eventually gave up as was going to be some way off.

I don't really forget that it's on, but my brain has it filed away under "tourist stuff I don't care about" along with Stomp, Thriller Live and their ilk. Shows/Entertainment that aren't really musicals and which I just can't be bothered to care about.

Monkey, your argument doesn't really work for me, although I often hear it. Yes, the angels will be happy to have made money and are ready to invest again, but would they suddenly be willing to invest in an unknown composer's show based on a little-known novel that seems fresh and promising, or would they be looking for the next promising jukebox cash cow? And would the angels that lost a ton of money in one of the recent flops based on lesser-known movies not think "hey, let's choose a jukebox show next time, it's a safer bet to actually make money with" ?

I went not that long ago (got a late cut price deal from the theatre website). Some songs are short, but some are longer.

I agree with the Monkey. The audience loved the show, the theatre/producers are doing well out of it, so it's a success in business terms. It might not be high art, but if it makes people happy for a couple of hours, that's fine with me!

Saw this last night on a whim. Got a rear stalls seat for £30. Reminded me almost exactly of thriller live. Having so much music to pack in made it feel like a long advert. Bits of a song here, a quick aside there and keep going hundreds more hits to fit in. Still felt it dragged a bit in the first half though. The only real attempt at storytelling was in the Ross/Gordy relationship, and even then it was, quick on to another hit from someone else. So all in all - it does what it says on the tin. Solid tourist fare - at least the Shaftesburys full and blooming.

Now for the highlight of the night :-

Couple next to me:

'Wow I didn't think much of Titanic - The songs weren't very good'

Guy in Front snaps round - 'Oh My God they've made a musical of Titanic. But Celines song is so good, a classic'
Couple -'It's not in it'
Guy in Front - ' Whoa! People are gonna be pissed off. They'll walk out'
Couple - 'Yeah I guess they woudn't give them the rights.'

Guy in front 'Bummer. I was in the theatre cafe yesterday and saw a poster for Lord of the Rings. Is that even a thing. It must have been on Broadway. I mean the films were so ..(Sighs in overcome awe at fabulousness of films). No way could they have done that on stage. Unless of course they went to the original source material.'

;-)

How did you get the cheap ticket please?

Was the theatre full?

Be sure to report back!

Also, if you are seeing Beverley in The Bodyguard, the programme is £8 but it is more a brochure!

The trouble is, as much as I do enjoy the Motown catalogue and am quite intrigued, whenever I have seen clips of the Broadway or West End production, it is very much screaming "cruise ship" to me. That said, Lucy as Diana sounds amazing in the clips I have heard from her!

Do not go and see Motowan as it is pants. I nearly died of heatstroke in the theatre (slight over-exaggeration but you get the picture) and the show was so self-indulgent and long and boring. It made Thriller Live seem like Hamlet. Never ever again. How anyone could find this load of tosh entertaining is beyond me. Just had to get that off my chest...

How remarkably ageist. Are there any other areas of society you're not a fan of?