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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2019 21:53:38 GMT
Amazing reviews considering she is 86 years old. A true legend.
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Post by apubleed on Feb 10, 2019 22:16:57 GMT
I saw her perform about 5 years ago and she didn’t put on a show like this. So much dancing. So much humour. So many stories. The singing in a few songs was insanely good for her age. I don’t know where the energy came from but this was shockingly good.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2019 22:28:21 GMT
Wow what a legend I’m so happy to have seen her live.
Shed a few tears also.
If I have that energy at 40 let alone 90 I’ll be happy.
Just a joyous evening.
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Post by robertb213 on Feb 10, 2019 23:00:57 GMT
Completely agree with all the raves - to see a legend perform with that kind of skill and energy and star power was amazing. Can't believe I've just seen the original Velma Kelly perform All That Jazz. Epic.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2019 23:06:19 GMT
Such a fun matinee! I really enjoyed it. Slightly unpolished (as is the nature of these type of events) but all glossed over in the way only a star who knows what she’s doing can.The woman knows how to name drop (even if not a single person knows who on earth she’s talking about) and all the important songs are there. What more can you ask for? The thing that struck me was that whilst her voice has changed with age, the skill and the technique are both very much there - as is the vocal power: her voice might have gone a bit (not unlike Liza’s - who had a name drop) but when it’s the right note she can still give it her all... and when she can’t? Well, I’ve learnt there’s nothing a quick shimmy won’t gloss over! Such a treat to hear such iconic songs by the original performer live. It really made me wonder who - in 50 years (or so) - from our current roster of west end and broadway stars will be performing when they’re a few years shy of 90, for a bunch of theatre fans that won’t even be born for another 30 years (or so)? Said exactly the same thing to my friend as we left. I can't think of anyone who in 50 years time could pull that off. Especially someone from both stage and screen. I suppose the obvious names are Idina and Kristin, who have largely spent the last 15 years cashing in on Wicked anyway (with one of them having a small Disney song along the way). Having seen both I think they’ll be wonderful to see in 35 years and I do expect Wicked to maintain its reverence... ... but they aren’t old school in the way Chita is - which was part of today’s charm: watching someone from the the 1950s broadway scene. Someone who learnt their craft when musical classics were still new. Chita reminded me a lot of Liza actually and Debbie Reynolds when they did shows over the last 10 years. Their style of performance is (sadly) dying out and I’m very happy to have seen it. Watching today though, it made me think that it’s such a shame Elaine Stritch never got back over to do something like this in her final years. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2019 23:29:51 GMT
Forgot to say Dame Judi Dench was there tonight.
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Post by Being Alive on Feb 10, 2019 23:45:12 GMT
Rula Lenska was in the row in front of me (fairly drunk I think) living her absolute best life and I was 100% there for it.
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212 posts
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Post by sprampster on Feb 11, 2019 1:19:06 GMT
Have listened to Circle of Friends and I don’t remember you several times since watching the show this afternoon x both two quiet beautiful moments
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2019 9:00:30 GMT
I saw the matinee, and it was fabulous. Camp as Christmas and just as joyous. Ms Chita really is living her best life isn't she? and damn if I'm half as happy and half as energetic at 86! Honestly aside from knowing her great roles I didn't know that much about her/hadn't really seen any interviews etc with her, so it was a lovely surprise to find her charming engaging and funny personality as well.
While with age her voice isn't as strong on some numbers, in the numbers from The Visit obviously written for her more recently, we really got a taste of what she can still do. Meanwhile she still managed to bust out more of the choreography to 'All that Jazz' than I could manage. Truly a marvel!
And such an old fashioned classy performer. They really don't make 'em like 'Chit' any more!
And oh my what an audience! I'm used to being in a room full of gay men but this was a lot even by my standards!
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Post by alece10 on Feb 11, 2019 9:19:37 GMT
I saw the matinee, and it was fabulous. Camp as Christmas and just as joyous. Ms Chita really is living her best life isn't she? and damn if I'm half as happy and half as energetic at 86! Honestly aside from knowing her great roles I didn't know that much about her/hadn't really seen any interviews etc with her, so it was a lovely surprise to find her charming engaging and funny personality as well. While with age her voice isn't as strong on some numbers, in the numbers from The Visit obviously written for her more recently, we really got a taste of what she can still do. Meanwhile she still managed to bust out more of the choreography to 'All that Jazz' than I could manage. Truly a marvel! And such an old fashioned classy performer. They really don't make 'em like 'Chit' any more! And oh my what an audience! I'm used to being in a room full of gay men but this was a lot even by my standards! A living legend, jazz hands and a sparkly trouser suit is a guarantee that us gays were going to be fighting for tickets. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2019 9:30:25 GMT
I saw the matinee, and it was fabulous. Camp as Christmas and just as joyous. Ms Chita really is living her best life isn't she? and damn if I'm half as happy and half as energetic at 86! Honestly aside from knowing her great roles I didn't know that much about her/hadn't really seen any interviews etc with her, so it was a lovely surprise to find her charming engaging and funny personality as well. While with age her voice isn't as strong on some numbers, in the numbers from The Visit obviously written for her more recently, we really got a taste of what she can still do. Meanwhile she still managed to bust out more of the choreography to 'All that Jazz' than I could manage. Truly a marvel! And such an old fashioned classy performer. They really don't make 'em like 'Chit' any more! And oh my what an audience! I'm used to being in a room full of gay men but this was a lot even by my standards! A living legend, jazz hands and a sparkly trouser suit is a guarantee that us gays were going to be fighting for tickets. Quite right too. Also it was lovely to see @ryan again and see Being Alive as well. |
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Post by apubleed on Feb 11, 2019 22:29:39 GMT
I saw the matinee, and it was fabulous. Camp as Christmas and just as joyous. Ms Chita really is living her best life isn't she? and damn if I'm half as happy and half as energetic at 86! Honestly aside from knowing her great roles I didn't know that much about her/hadn't really seen any interviews etc with her, so it was a lovely surprise to find her charming engaging and funny personality as well. While with age her voice isn't as strong on some numbers, in the numbers from The Visit obviously written for her more recently, we really got a taste of what she can still do. Meanwhile she still managed to bust out more of the choreography to 'All that Jazz' than I could manage. Truly a marvel! And such an old fashioned classy performer. They really don't make 'em like 'Chit' any more! And oh my what an audience! I'm used to being in a room full of gay men but this was a lot even by my standards! I know this is a minor point but I don’t know if The Visit was actually written for Chita - it was originally meant to open on Broadway with Angela Lansbury around 1999/2000. However, the production was cancelled because Lansbury pulled out due to ailing health if her husband. While Chita was wonderful and there is something truly special about the collaborators of Chicago and Spider Woman involving their most frequent collaborator (who played it in every public incarnation), if there was someone I’d love to see in the role it would have been Lansbury. A studio demo recording exists of Lansbury singing “love and love alone”. Still, your point still stands that The Visit performances were very authentic and played in character. So were nearly all her other Kander performances for the most part too. But unlike The Visit of course isn’t quite the same as I imagine watching her 40 years ago would be like. Though still special. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2019 7:50:48 GMT
Ah right apologies! My knowledge of her career as I mentioned above isn’t extensive and I thought she’d said it was! Anyway as we both say, it is a set of songs that clearly suits her voice now etc.
Can I thank you for correcting me in a polite and really actually interesting way? I had someone on FB mocking a BWW reviewer for not having his encyclopaedic knowledge of Chita’s career, which left a bad taste...but you both corrected and provided fun facts!
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Post by Deal J on Feb 12, 2019 12:25:42 GMT
Perhaps you're thinking of The Rink, @emicardiff ? That opened with Chita & Liza.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2019 12:39:19 GMT
☝️"Who will be playing the mother?"
"Silence"
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