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Post by musicalmarge on Mar 28, 2019 7:24:13 GMT
Saw this last night.... theatre is too big and set looks cheap on the Adelphi. It’s just a really average show with average songs and won’t be here by Xmas.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Mar 28, 2019 7:35:47 GMT
Although Dame Jane looks like she has not eaten a pie since she became famous
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Post by freckles on Mar 28, 2019 9:18:32 GMT
Are the cast karaoke things well attended?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2019 11:34:21 GMT
So I went to see this last week. This was on a background of not really liking the CD or what I'd heard of the story and REALLY not being the biggest fan of the current trend of mediocre music, American sentiment musicals. Reason therefore for going you may well ask (well, you probably don't care but I shall divulge anyway)! I generally think for a show to make it to the West End there's gonna be good stuff in there. Also, once I am there, the lights go down and actors start singing and dancing, I am generally in a happy gay MT place! Furthermore, I have to accept that the shows I love (the sung through 80s/90s stuff) are not around much anymore so it's good to check out what the kids are enjoying and give it a go.
Anyway, I got a Dress Circle 30 quid ticket. Upper was closed. And I've seen from the seating plans dynamic pricing in the Dress seems to kick in when this is the case. Interestingly Dress and Stalls were full.
So the headlines:
- it wasn't awful
- KMP was brilliant
The show itself will never be my cup of tea story wise. It's very chick flick with a series of really slightly silly characters. The Marisha Wallace character and the lady from Eugenius one (name escapes me sorry) were just daft.
Jenna was likeable though and the domestic abuse story line was actually more sensitively (and less trivially) handled that I had expected. KMP I thought had a sensational voice and really nailed her big numbers. Had never heard of her before this but really liked what I saw. Thought her acting was fine (the character hardly requires her to be Dame Judi) though I was rear circle.
The score I enjoyed more live and having the band on stage I liked.
Will I go back? No. Could there be something better in the Adelphi? Definitely. But it was all a fairly harmless, not unenjoyable two hours (they can put that on the posters if they like).
It was however a COMPLETELY different kettle of fish to Follies which I saw last night and was sensational.
Oh and the audience behaviour, was, well, what you'd expect.....
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2019 13:51:52 GMT
KMP was a guest panelist on Jeremy Vine on Channel 5 this morning, slightly funny place for her to top up. I know she was doing the media rounds when the show opened but a panel discussion show seems unusual. They do have some actors/actresses on but they are UK ones.
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Post by danb on Mar 28, 2019 14:00:21 GMT
Although Dame Jane looks like she has not eaten a pie since she became famous What the shapewear!?!? You are kind.... |
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Mar 28, 2019 14:32:41 GMT
KMP was a guest panelist on Jeremy Vine on Channel 5 this morning, slightly funny place for her to top up. I know she was doing the media rounds when the show opened but a panel discussion show seems unusual. They do have some actors/actresses on but they are UK ones. Not that unusual. They have all kinds of people on. Kerry Ellis has been on a few times. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2019 14:50:23 GMT
KMP was a guest panelist on Jeremy Vine on Channel 5 this morning, slightly funny place for her to top up. I know she was doing the media rounds when the show opened but a panel discussion show seems unusual. They do have some actors/actresses on but they are UK ones. Not that unusual. They have all kinds of people on. Kerry Ellis has been on a few times. The show is a lot of comment on UK news items and Kerry has probably been on when she isn't in the middle of a run. Also Kat had done a double show yesterday so I would have thought she would have wanted to rest her voice a bit. But if she wants to do things like that then it's her choice and I guess the show's producers can't say anything if she is fulfilling her performances. |
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Post by sparky5000 on Mar 28, 2019 14:55:23 GMT
So I went to see this last week. This was on a background of not really liking the CD or what I'd heard of the story and REALLY not being the biggest fan of the current trend of mediocre music, American sentiment musicals. Reason therefore for going you may well ask (well, you probably don't care but I shall divulge anyway)! I generally think for a show to make it to the West End there's gonna be good stuff in there. Also, once I am there, the lights go down and actors start singing and dancing, I am generally in a happy gay MT place! Furthermore, I have to accept that the shows I love (the sung through 80s/90s stuff) are not around much anymore so it's good to check out what the kids are enjoying and give it a go. Anyway, I got a Dress Circle 30 quid ticket. Upper was closed. And I've seen from the seating plans dynamic pricing in the Dress seems to kick in when this is the case. Interestingly Dress and Stalls were full. So the headlines: - it wasn't awful - KMP was brilliant The show itself will never be my cup of tea story wise. It's very chick flick with a series of really slightly silly characters. The Marisha Wallace character and the lady from Eugenius one (name escapes me sorry) were just daft. Jenna was likeable though and the domestic abuse story line was actually more sensitively (and less trivially) handled that I had expected. KMP I thought had a sensational voice and really nailed her big numbers. Had never heard of her before this but really liked what I saw. Thought her acting was fine (the character hardly requires her to be Dame Judi) though I was rear circle. The score I enjoyed more live and having the band on stage I liked. Will I go back? No. Could there be something better in the Adelphi? Definitely. But it was all a fairly harmless, not unenjoyable two hours (they can put that on the posters if they like). It was however a COMPLETELY different kettle of fish to Follies which I saw last night and was sensational. Oh and the audience behaviour, was, well, what you'd expect..... Nice review 👍Not seen Follies yet but probably should! What were your thoughts on Marisha as Becky?! I love Marisha and think she's great in the show, but having seen the show 3x here now I do feel that she's maybe overdoing it a bit. She really ramped it up the last time I saw it, and part of me felt that her 'I Didn't Plan It' was just too much, and it was almost like she was showing off a little bit too much and oversinging it. That's probably unfair, because she certainly plays Becky with a BIG personality (more so than the Beckys I saw in NYC) and so her singing reflected that, but when you have someone like Kat McPhee alongside her who is playing a quieter more understated Jenna (admittedly not with her singing) it's more obvious. |
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Post by kathryn on Mar 28, 2019 15:02:11 GMT
Really sorry to have inadvertently caused a bit of a barney on this thread earlier today.Professionally,I have had great experience of how mental and physical abusers operate in supposedly loving partnerships and the reason I saw this show as life-affirming was because of how Earl tries to manipulate and bully Jenna and how she resists with resilience and inner-strength. I did not take that from the show at all. I found her frustratingly passive. I suspect that's the main difference between the people who find this show to be 'life-affirming' and those who don't. |
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Post by sparky5000 on Mar 28, 2019 15:04:44 GMT
Not that unusual. They have all kinds of people on. Kerry Ellis has been on a few times. The show is a lot of comment on UK news items and Kerry has probably been on when she isn't in the middle of a run. Also Kat had done a double show yesterday so I would have thought she would have wanted to rest her voice a bit. But if she wants to do things like that then it's her choice and I guess the show's producers can't say anything if she is fulfilling her performances. Seriously? MT stars are always fulfilling marketing obligations during their theatre runs. It's not like they all sit at home each day until 6.30pm not speaking. And she was there to promote Waitress primarily so I assume this was something set up by producers rather than them having a problem with it! 🙄 Marisha was on Talk radio a couple days ago, and Katharine and David were at Ticketmaster last week etc etc. The month Waitress was in previews all the cast were rehearsing during the day AND doing 8 shows a week, so I don't see any problem with performers appearing on a chat show or two during the day. |
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Post by MrsCondomine on Mar 28, 2019 15:08:33 GMT
Seriously? MT stars are always fulfilling marketing obligations during their theatre runs. It's not like they all sit at home each day until 6.30pm not speaking. And she was there to promote Waitress primarily so I assume this was something set up by producers rather than them having a problem with it! 🙄 Marisha was on Talk radio a couple days ago, and Katharine and David were at Ticketmaster last week etc etc. The month Waitress was in previews all the cast were rehearsing during the day AND doing 8 shows a week, so I don't see any problem with performers appearing on a chat show or two during the day. That's given me a chuckle. I like the idea of being able to sit in peace and quiet gulping Throat Coat until your chauffeur comes to drive you up to the stage door. |
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Post by sparky5000 on Mar 28, 2019 15:14:01 GMT
Really sorry to have inadvertently caused a bit of a barney on this thread earlier today.Professionally,I have had great experience of how mental and physical abusers operate in supposedly loving partnerships and the reason I saw this show as life-affirming was because of how Earl tries to manipulate and bully Jenna and how she resists with resilience and inner-strength. I did not take that from the show at all. I found her frustratingly passive. I suspect that's the main difference between the people who find this show to be 'life-affirming' and those who don't. I get if you see someone like Jenna as passive, but she's meant to be, at least at the beginning. That's how I see it anyway. When we meet Jenna she's been ground down by years of being in a loveless and abusive marriage. But she does take steps to change that by making plans to attend the pie contest. It all falls apart when Earl finds out, but she does then make the active decision to leave his sorry a** at the end of the show. I found that pretty life affirming personally. Sure it's all wrapped up far too neatly with Joe leaving her the pie shop, but i'll take that for an uplifting and neat ending rather than seeing Jenna struggling as a single mum and singing about it as the finale 😆 |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2019 15:26:49 GMT
So yes maybe a bit overplayed (though I assumed was written as such!) and as I was at the back of the circle that was fine. And she has a great voice. Never saw her in Dreamgirls as (amazingly) got an Amber performance during that period where it really was a lottery. |
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Post by danieljohnson14 on Mar 28, 2019 15:29:33 GMT
This may be controversial, I actually found Marisha to be the weakest of the three ladies. Which, considering I am a big Marisha fan, may be a surprise. I think Laura gives be best overall performance of the three, and maybe in the whole show, whereas Katharine is brilliant vocally.
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Post by littlefluffychick on Mar 28, 2019 15:31:06 GMT
I actually agree with all of that.
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Post by LaLuPone on Mar 28, 2019 15:47:36 GMT
Marisha was my actually favourite of the three! To me Becky is a character with a big personality even in the film so Marisha played it perfectly. I think she did really well with all the comedy and I Didn’t Plan It was a showstopper.
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Post by Jon on Mar 28, 2019 15:58:45 GMT
When you consider they prerecord the newspaper section 45 minutes before the live bits, she must have been there really early!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2019 16:51:10 GMT
Thank you sparky for summing up what I was trying to say much more eloquently than I could manage.That is exactly how I read the role,but that’s just my opinion.
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Post by shady23 on Mar 28, 2019 17:15:33 GMT
The show is a lot of comment on UK news items and Kerry has probably been on when she isn't in the middle of a run. Also Kat had done a double show yesterday so I would have thought she would have wanted to rest her voice a bit. But if she wants to do things like that then it's her choice and I guess the show's producers can't say anything if she is fulfilling her performances. Seriously? MT stars are always fulfilling marketing obligations during their theatre runs. It's not like they all sit at home each day until 6.30pm not speaking. And she was there to promote Waitress primarily so I assume this was something set up by producers rather than them having a problem with it! 🙄 Marisha was on Talk radio a couple days ago, and Katharine and David were at Ticketmaster last week etc etc. The month Waitress was in previews all the cast were rehearsing during the day AND doing 8 shows a week, so I don't see any problem with performers appearing on a chat show or two during the day. Waitress can't do right for doing wrong it seems. They don't do things like this and they are criticised. They promote the show and they get criticised too. |
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Post by guysgirl2 on Mar 28, 2019 17:51:15 GMT
As it would seem Katherine is the main draw I would hate to miss her. Anyone know if she has a regular day off or is she doing the full 8 shows at the mo? Cheers.
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559 posts
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Post by danieljohnson14 on Mar 28, 2019 18:07:28 GMT
Booking without not knowing your seat immediately sends me into a cold sweat. 😂
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Post by andrew on Mar 28, 2019 18:46:31 GMT
Let's hope these vocals are powerful enough to cure the negativity of this thread  |
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Post by latefortheoverture on Mar 28, 2019 19:09:38 GMT
Do we think the box office could match this? Hate not knowing seat numbers! |
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Post by sparky5000 on Mar 28, 2019 19:14:48 GMT
As it would seem Katherine is the main draw I would hate to miss her. Anyone know if she has a regular day off or is she doing the full 8 shows at the mo? Cheers. She’s contracted to do all 8 performances a week although I think her contract is only until May unless she extends. I assume to the 25th May which was the initial booking period but that’s never been confirmed so I guess could be earlier? |
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