367 posts
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Post by raider80 on Feb 21, 2019 18:46:06 GMT
Amazing news! What is it about this show and short runs through? The show is produced by Barry and Fran Weissler and they are heavy believers in the short run contract so they could pop a celebrity into the show pretty easily. They also did the same practice when Chicago was running. |
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Feb 21, 2019 18:53:08 GMT
Would appreciate if anyone could tell me what time does the evening performance typically finish?
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634 posts
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Post by andrew on Feb 21, 2019 19:28:32 GMT
Would appreciate if anyone could tell me what time does the evening performance typically finish? 22.10 |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2019 19:39:22 GMT
Would appreciate if anyone could tell me what time does the evening performance typically finish? When I saw it, it didn't end until 22:20, but that was with a late start and show stop. Honestly, almost three hours at that show was hell. Not the show itself, just the waiting around, not allowed to get out of your seat so the ushers loved to remind us to "please remain in your seat!!". |
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264 posts
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Post by squidward on Feb 21, 2019 19:47:15 GMT
Boy do I have mixed emotions about this one. Firstly, those with a sensitive nose needn't worry. The smell of baking is only in the foyer. Audience was well behaved even though the fangirls were in screaming after every number. It was a show of halves for me. It started five minutes late, We had a show stop just before the final scene of Act 1 where everyone got up thinking it was the interval and the interval ended late too. So a show that was meant to be 2h 15m according to the programme, including interval, ended at 22:20. I didn't really get fully into the show until the middle of Act 2 with You Matter to Me. Not that everything was bad before, it was just that was when it got emotional and you felt for any of the characters. Some aspects were funny, but from then, it really was emotional and touching. I had a major issue with the show, which I'll get on too in a sec. The cast were great for the most part. Katharine was brilliant, especially in Act 2. Marisha great, if anything the least of the three ladies. Laura Baldwin was the star of the show. I have a soft spot for David Hunter and I thought he was fabulous! I thought Peter Hannah as Earl was fantastic and shout-out to Kelly Agbowu for her Nurse cameo, she was hilarious. Peter and Katharine were amazing together, as was Katharine and David. Jack hasn't got a singing voice in him at all and was mugging to the audience the whole time. The weakest performance by a mile. On the mention of Jack, this leads me on to my biggest issue with the show. I was disgusted with the Ogie/Dawn storyline. I thought it trivialised a subject and I didn't appreciate that at all. I couldn't help but sit there and be shocked by the first scenes with them and how it was treated by the other women and by him. And hearing people be bowled over with laughter made me all the more annoyed with it. Now I haven't seen the film or the show before, and I only know a few of the songs, but I didn't expect that at all and it actually ruined the show for me. No spoilers of course for those who haven't seen it, but I'll be interested to see how those who have seen it feel or if it's just me. So taking into account all that, I'd say for me, it's a 3* show. It's got a great cast but with it really only reaching its peak for me three quarters of the way through and the Dawn/Ogie thing, I can't give it more. I'll go again once it's had a chance to settle in and see if it's just portrayals or if it's the show itself. |
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264 posts
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Post by squidward on Feb 21, 2019 19:48:35 GMT
Not wanting to drag this up again, but I forgot to say in my review that I totally agree with Daniel Johnson's take on the stalker plot and for that matter, I also felt uncomfortable in the first scene where Jenna is threatened with violence and then ends up being forcibly carried off (presumably to the bedroom) by her abusive husband. I think it's fine to cover these kind of topics in the theatre, but for me, there's no place for it if it's treated in such a flippant way. Obviously the writer/director wanted to have their cake and eat it (pun absolutely intended) but in this day and age, it felt extremely misjudged. Some of the audience found the Dawn/Ogie material hysterically funny, which made me even more uncomfortable. Even in a lightweight musical like this, I feel this kind of subject matter needs to be responsibly handled. It can't be assumed that every person that goes to see the show will be an enlightened person where stalking and domestic violence are concerned. I'm not a particularly PC person, especially where comedy is concerned, but these parts of the show didn't sit well with me at all.
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264 posts
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Post by squidward on Feb 21, 2019 20:08:50 GMT
Sorry Daniel, I'm not sure why my post is coming up with your name and photo. I was going to quote your initial post but decided not to, but for some reason your photo & name stayed on my post. I tried three times to edit/erase it, but no luck. Perhaps one of the mods can sort it out? Apologies again.
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19,724 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 21, 2019 20:30:02 GMT
Sorry Daniel, I'm not sure why my post is coming up with your name and photo. I was going to quote your initial post but decided not to, but for some reason your photo & name stayed on my post. I tried three times to edit/erase it, but no luck. Perhaps one of the mods can sort it out? Apologies again. Done. |
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264 posts
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Post by squidward on Feb 21, 2019 21:27:49 GMT
Many thanks BB.
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781 posts
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Post by latefortheoverture on Feb 21, 2019 21:44:12 GMT
Well, I know the producers are obviously looking to boost some sales- but getting a Love Island contestant to post a story surely isn't the wisest marketing I've ever seen! And it's also worth noting the girl isn't really 'big' anymore, she was from two seasons ago. Which by the grand schemes of things is old news.... Who was it? Kady McDermott |
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781 posts
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Post by latefortheoverture on Feb 21, 2019 21:47:27 GMT
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781 posts
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Post by latefortheoverture on Feb 21, 2019 21:54:21 GMT
I must add Shoshana Bean is amazing news- I would love for her to do a stint in London, but I doubt she'd bring much of a draw over here!
I've noticed that a 'big' Broadway name/performer can be considered stunt-casting on Broadway as there seem to be a lot more fans/following out there, as oppose to a strictly contestant or something this side of the water.
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Post by sparky5000 on Feb 22, 2019 0:24:58 GMT
Okay so i finally saw the show tonight (having seen it on broadway a few times) and thought it was great! I mean I love the show anyway, but this production and cast for me was pretty perfect. I thought Katharine was amazing and just brought it home in Act 2. Her voice was phenomenal and her She Used To Be Mine was just unreal. I thought her vocals were great when I saw her in nyc but they were on another level tonight. Guess that’s what 3 months of vocal rest can do lol! My other MVPs were Marisha and Laura as Becky and Dawn. Marisha’s I Didn’t Plan It was so good and probably got the biggest cheer after SUTBM, and I loved Laura’s cutie Dawn. Reminded me a lot of Caitlin Houlahan’s Dawn, who is my fave! David as Dr P was cute and I thought he and Katharine had good chemistry together. I started crying in the You Matter To Me scene, because Katharine
/Jenna started crying in that scene just before Dr P walks in, and so I was pretty much a sobbing mess from then until the end of the show lol. I wasn’t sure what to make of the guy playing Earl. He did quietly terrifying really well and he makes you really feel for Jenna being married to someone like that, but then he spoke so slowly with this kinda weird drawl that it kind of disrupted the flow at bit in their scenes. As for Jack McBrayer as Ogie I think it’s all been said already haha. He got a lot of laughs and I found him pretty funny but wow he really cannot sing! Just awful really but he just about gets away with it!
As for differences between the broadway and West End productions, nothing too much was different, other than some set tweaks and a bit of dialogue change from what I noticed. Biggest difference was the set up of Jenna and Earl’s house and in climax of SUTBM the sofa moves off the stage entirely leaving just Jenna standing alone on stage in front of the screen, which I thought made more of an impact.
As for stagedoor, it wasn’t crazy at all. Probably about 40-50 people down the pavement. My girlf didn’t want to stay too long so I only got to meet the old joe actor, Kat McPhee and Jack McBrayer. Mark (I think it was you?) I think you asked whether Kat rushed through people when signing, well tonight (and annoyingly, because I was at the back of the queue lol) she took a lot of time doing selfies and signing programmes for everyone. She was super nice when I met her. I mumbled sonething about needing a Smash s3 and she laughed and said “you and me both”! Jack McBrayer was lovely also.
So that was it. Had a great night. My girlf loved it too and she’s not really a theatre nerd like me. I’ll definitely make another trip or two! Oh I forgot to add that it was a really receptive audience tonight. And how can I forget Nurse Norma! She got all the laughs, I loved her lol
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634 posts
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Post by andrew on Feb 22, 2019 0:44:33 GMT
Yes stage door has immensely improved and everyone is lining up in the pavement. Congrats to the theatre's staff for finally making it run smoothly after the nightmare of the first preview.
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Post by sparky5000 on Feb 22, 2019 0:48:44 GMT
Yes stage door has immensely improved and everyone is lining up in the pavement. Congrats to the theatre's staff for finally making it run smoothly after the nightmare of the first preview. Yeah I was thinking it might be really chaotic after what I’d read but it was super orderly. At first I didn’t even realise I was at the stagedoor! Waitress Broadway stagedoor was good natured but messy because people line up behind barriers 3 or 4 people deep and everyone is then scrabbling to get playbills signed etc, and the selfies are always awk with the cast in front of the barrier. This seemed like a much better system. |
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4,798 posts
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Post by Mark on Feb 22, 2019 8:12:43 GMT
I can’t remember the last time I stage doored in London but yes in NYC I remember she really rushed through the crowd, although it was massive! I guess with a smaller crowd she can take a bit more time if she wants.
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Post by sparky5000 on Feb 22, 2019 9:06:37 GMT
I can’t remember the last time I stage doored in London but yes in NYC I remember she really rushed through the crowd, although it was massive! I guess with a smaller crowd she can take a bit more time if she wants. Yeah I don’t think the Waitress Broadway stagedoor is as conducive for a relaxed leisurely signing because everyone is crowding round and if you’re the star you’re probably thinking “crap how am I gonna get through all this”! When I saw Jessie as Jenna she didn’t stagedoor at all (which was fine) and someone told me she usually sneaks out the main door to avoid it, lol. Sara happily signed and chatted to fans but had a no selfie rule (I guess because otherwise she’d be there a longggg time) and the night I saw Kat on broadway it was absolutely chucking it down monsoon style and pretty much no cast signed. Kat came out and looked like she was gonna head straight to the car and was all “I’m really sorry guys” but then clearly felt sorry for the people getting drenched waiting and literally ran down the line signing a few playbooks for people! Oh and last night one guy in the line had a massive freakout when he met Kat and she was talking to him for ages and rubbing his arm and then ended up giving him a huge hug lol! |
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4,178 posts
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 22, 2019 9:32:47 GMT
I have never stage doored in my life. All these stories are actually making me want to try it one time just to experience it haha.
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Post by danb on Feb 22, 2019 9:40:56 GMT
You’re really not missing anything. Just hugely uncomfortable displays of fawning and innappropriate overfamiliarity. If more people just said please, thank you and didn’t try and start a conversation about that time you met in Waitrose it would all be more pleasant.
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Feb 22, 2019 9:50:12 GMT
Exactly.
Very rarely do you hear "could you please sign this" or "could I please have a photo". Just programmes and phones shoved in their faces.
Also a quick "I enjoyed your performance" is appreciated. Usually it's the performer who is the one who awkwardly has to say "did you enjoy it?" to fill the silence.
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543 posts
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Post by freckles on Feb 22, 2019 10:14:40 GMT
My favourite stage door experience was just passing that of the Noel Coward during the Deathtrap run a few years ago, which starred Jonathan Groff and Simon Russell Beale. Lots of Glee fans squealed as Jonathan emerged after a matinee, while the lovely Mr Russell Beale was ignored. He rolled his eyes at me and muttered "Oh, to be young!"
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Post by sparky5000 on Feb 22, 2019 10:27:08 GMT
My favourite stage door experience was just passing that of the Noel Coward during the Deathtrap run a few years ago, which starred Jonathan Groff and Simon Russell Beale. Lots of Glee fans squealed as Jonathan emerged after a matinee, while the lovely Mr Russell Beale was ignored. He rolled his eyes at me and muttered "Oh, to be young!" Haha that’s brilliant! Although it seems like like I am, lol, I’m not usually a stagedoor person but have done it a few times if there’s certain people I’d like to say congrats to. I’ve heard some horror stories but luckily never experienced one myself. As for meeting the cast, I don’t think there should be any obligation to come out, so if they do, it’s a bonus for the fans. I guess with the way social media is now, some fans feel like they actually know the person and then almost expect too much of them when they meet them, and are almost affronted if all they get is a polite signature and maybe a selfie. |
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131 posts
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Post by eliza on Feb 23, 2019 18:00:48 GMT
You all had me worried but I LOVED this. I thought David Hunter was adorable, and although Jack Mcbrayer isn't a great singer, I love him in 30 Rock and he was the same in this.
My pie did not disappoint either, although probably didn't justify £6.
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91 posts
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Post by katykate on Feb 23, 2019 18:14:19 GMT
As above, this forum had me feeling a little worried that I wasn’t going to enjoy this with a few negative things that have been said but I just bloody loved it this afternoon. Great casting, KMP (😜) was just fantastic and her SUTBM was phenomenal with prolonged applause after.
I didn’t find the Ogie/dawn story creepy or uncomfortable and as someone else said it was over by the end of that one song. Ogie was hilarious and I can (almost) forgive the terrible singing because he did the comedy so well.
If Lucie ends up taking over I may have to sell a kidney to make a return trip. Was worried my other half wouldn’t enjoy it but he really loved it too and found it really funny.
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91 posts
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Post by katykate on Feb 23, 2019 18:14:59 GMT
Ooh and the salted caramel pie is delish! 🥧
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