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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2016 18:31:25 GMT
I didn't hear anybody say that they were only there for Rebel when I went last week; Are you deaf? |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2016 18:34:42 GMT
I didn't hear anybody say that they were only there for Rebel when I went last week; Are you deaf? Probably, or I wasn't paying much attention xD |
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Post by alece10 on Aug 20, 2016 20:57:45 GMT
Got to see todays matinee. I have seen Guys and Dolls 3 times before, twice at the Piccadilly Theatre and last year in Chichester. This was like seeing a totally different musical. A lot more humour has been added to the show and not just from Rebel. I would say the theatre was pretty full from where I was sitting in the stalls. Good performances all round and I especially liked Jonathan Stewart as Sky and Jack Edwards as Nicely Nicely.
As for Rebel Wilson, well firstly she was the reason I wanted to see the show again and I really knew very little about her when it was announced she would be in it so I had to google her and found a couple of funny interview clips. I have to say I loved her, very funny, good actress and great singer. Always been a fan of Simon Lipkin and I thought the two together were brilliant. The humour was a bit smutty and a few elderly people sitting around me were not amused. But I have a smutty mind so the humour was right up my street.
Massive ovation at the end which you don't normally get from a Saturday matinee crowd.
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Post by zak97 on Aug 21, 2016 8:58:49 GMT
I'm really disappointed to think that this show is closing today, and I wish I could be there for the last performance. Given the loss of Guys and Dolls, and soon Showboat and Funny Girl, I very much Half a Sixpence transfers only to fill the void of 'classic style musical' before the arrivals of An American in Paris and 42nd Street. From what I understand the show is closing as they couldn't get a replacement for Miss Adelaide, which I take as code for 'we could get an MT name, but need a big name to fill the theatre and nobody wanted to do it'.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 9:39:04 GMT
I'm really disappointed to think that this show is closing today, and I wish I could be there for the last performance. Given the loss of Guys and Dolls, and soon Showboat and Funny Girl, I very much Half a Sixpence transfers only to fill the void of 'classic style musical' before the arrivals of An American in Paris and 42nd Street. From what I understand the show is closing as they couldn't get a replacement for Miss Adelaide, which I take as code for 'we could get an MT name, but need a big name to fill the theatre and nobody wanted to do it'. It's a shame how G&D and Showboat haven't done that well but Funny Girl was only ever a limited season and that's recouped so that's done really well. I think G&D shouldn't of transferred from the Savoy as they did really well at the Savoy so they should've left on a high instead of trying to make it a longer run Yeah to survive they would've had to have got another star name to fill the theatre and they probably didn't want to survive to Janurary with star names which is fair enough. I heard sales were quite good during Rebel's run but then dropped after that |
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Post by stevej678 on Aug 21, 2016 9:54:04 GMT
Why would they "not want to survive" until January with a star name? As has been posted above, either Rebel hasn't had the effect on ticket sales that was hoped for or they've been unable to attract another star name to follow in her footsteps.
It wouldn't make any sense if Rebel has been a great success for the producers to then decide that they don't want to continue going down the route of having a name to lift sales, as if they're suddenly averse to the idea on principle, so they've decided to close early instead!
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Post by zak97 on Aug 21, 2016 9:57:25 GMT
Maybe the finances don't allow for another star name casting, and hence closing?
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Post by stevej678 on Aug 21, 2016 10:01:29 GMT
Maybe the finances don't allow for another star name casting, and hence closing? Yes, that's a possibility, but would suggest that Rebel's casting didn't trigger much of an uplift in ticket sales after all, or at least not enough to make seeing it through to January worthwhile. |
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Post by zak97 on Aug 21, 2016 10:25:05 GMT
Maybe the finances don't allow for another star name casting, and hence closing? Yes, that's a possibility, but would suggest that Rebel's casting didn't trigger much of an uplift in ticket sales after all, or at least not enough to make seeing it through to January worthwhile. Possibly paying the 'star name' would be too much, when combined with all additional running costs, and that could be due to a lot of lost money from pretty empty houses from when Sam Sprio was starring. |
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 21, 2016 14:39:47 GMT
It's fine paying a stars salary if they can get an audience in at FULL price and Premium prices but with Rebel although they filled the theatre there were still plenty of deals and discounts around for alot of shows. I suspect it wasn't the commercial success the producers had hoped for.
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Post by stevej678 on Aug 21, 2016 15:00:12 GMT
Yes, that's a possibility, but would suggest that Rebel's casting didn't trigger much of an uplift in ticket sales after all, or at least not enough to make seeing it through to January worthwhile. Possibly paying the 'star name' would be too much, when combined with all additional running costs, and that could be due to a lot of lost money from pretty empty houses from when Sam Sprio was starring. Absolutely, but there's a difference between not being able to continue until January for financial reasons and deciding that you "don't want to" run until the end of the year if it means more star/stunt casting, as was being suggested. |
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Post by zak97 on Aug 21, 2016 16:37:51 GMT
I think they did want to run it to January, and that's why it extended from October. I presume though that they didn't want to run it though without a name as they would be running a major financial risk.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 16:42:55 GMT
Why did they extend it if it wasn't doing well with Sam Spiro? Maybe they thought they could get a bigger name or maybe it was something to fill until The Girls goes there
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Post by Ade on Aug 21, 2016 17:10:58 GMT
Saw this for the first (and obviously last) time today. Have to say I wasn't impressed at all. It was all just a bit flat, but I think that might be me not liking the source material rather than the production or cast - this was also my first Guys and Dolls...
As for Rebel, I actually love her in a lot of what I've seen her in and she was the main reason for me finally getting a ticket. But she failed to impress me. I probably understood 50% of what she said because so much was mumbled, and the acting was ok but it was hardly the belly laugh inducing performance I had been expecting.
All in all an adequate afternoon but I don't think I'd have been making a return visit anyway.
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Post by zak97 on Aug 21, 2016 17:21:38 GMT
Why did they extend it if it wasn't doing well with Sam Spiro? Maybe they thought they could get a bigger name or maybe it was something to fill until The Girls goes there They probably thought they would be able to get a sequence of bigger names, and didn't anticipate that this, as a possible theory, may not be the case. |
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Post by fiyero on Aug 21, 2016 19:40:27 GMT
They had run out of programmes and although I saw the TV screen and a brief cast list on a wall I'm still not certain who was on this afternoon. Big Jule didn't look like Nic Greenshields to me (though I was back row of the upper circle) and sky welched on his marker as even including himself there were only 11 sinners! Can anyone shed light on this afternoon's casting?
I liked the show today, I think thst I preferred Sam Spiro and Richard Kind though with their more traditional takes on the roles. Shame there were no speaches at the end though.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Aug 21, 2016 20:01:51 GMT
Was there as well today, interested by the casting so bought despite not having liked it much at The Savoy last year and having been unimpressed with Sam Spiro on a return visit earlier this year.
Today was not great. Rebel comes across well, fun and likeable, but seemed to be out of breath most of the time. Simon Lipkin played for the big laughs, juggling Rebels boobs, arse slapping Skye Masterson. The actor playing Skye, fair voice but I've seen Skye portrayed as "too cool for school" previously, this actor was too young, didn't demand the respect from the other gamblers, no hint of gravitas. Unkindly I'd say he was like a kid wearing his Dad's suit and trousers.
Wish I hadn't bothered.
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Post by Ade on Aug 21, 2016 20:07:56 GMT
Unkindly I'd say he was like a kid wearing his Dad's suit and trousers. Wish I hadn't bothered. I actually didn't mind him too much but this is too true. |
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on Aug 23, 2016 11:02:56 GMT
They had run out of programmes I've never known a venue to run out of programmes before!  |
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Post by chrisorsomething on Aug 23, 2016 11:25:49 GMT
I hate to say it, as this shouldn't be the case with a paying audience in front of you, but sadly some shows simply start to "wind down" when inching to a closing date. Contracts finish and aren't renewed, understudies step up leaving the ensemble thin, cast have other jobs lined up and don't renew for final weeks, morale gets low playing to quiet, apathetic houses etc. It can make a show seem very flat in the dying days. I've seen some very turgid performances of productions I've loved, which have simply shot their load, so to speak. For this reason I don't tend to see shows late on in a run.
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Post by fiyero on Aug 23, 2016 17:52:57 GMT
I hate to say it, as this shouldn't be the case with a paying audience in front of you, but sadly some shows simply start to "wind down" when inching to a closing date. Contracts finish and aren't renewed, understudies step up leaving the ensemble thin, cast have other jobs lined up and don't renew for final weeks, morale gets low playing to quiet, apathetic houses etc. It can make a show seem very flat in the dying days. I've seen some very turgid performances of productions I've loved, which have simply shot their load, so to speak. For this reason I don't tend to see shows late on in a run. This is the case here. There was never a final cast programme and they said they couldn't order any at all in the final week so when they were gone they were gone. They were selling the brochures which didn't have any of the 4 leads who were on in those roles! I know one of the cast left on Thursday and was on holiday the final performance (may have been pre-booked I assume). I am still trying to work out who was playing Big Jule - there was no understudy announced but from the rear circle it certainly looked like the understudy and there were only 11 sinners delivered to the mission! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2016 17:57:21 GMT
They had run out of programmes I've never known a venue to run out of programmes before! Blood Brothers did in its last week. It must just be the Phoenix. |
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Post by theatremadness on Aug 23, 2016 18:14:46 GMT
I also remember Matilda running out of programmes at Bertie Carvel's last performance. Recently found the slips of paper they were handing out!
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Post by Dawnstar on Aug 23, 2016 19:14:10 GMT
The Trafalgar Studios production of The Play That Goes Wrong also ran out programmes by the time I saw it at the end of the run. I was very pleased to be given one recently, completing my Mischief Theatre programmes & scripts collection. (Yes, I have all the editions!)
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Post by dippy on Aug 23, 2016 19:35:08 GMT
Funny that most people just have one example of programmes running out, maybe I just have bad luck but I've had it happen quite a few of times and it really really annoys me since I hate not having them in my collection (then starts the ebay hunt until I forget about it and then never get it). Here are just a few examples, Candide at the Menier (got a cast list poster thing instead), Billy Elliot none left for the last matinee, Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty in Canterbury (got free cast list, plus glorified one for £1). In the touring locations it's rather annoying if you decide to go along to the Saturday evening performance and there are no programmes left because they miscalculated their popularity. Of course I can understand why would rather they run out than have masses left but it is something that gets on my nerves.
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