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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 3, 2019 8:32:11 GMT
Finally saw this last night, also my first ever trip to a Chichester Festival show. I think it says something about the demographic when I was deciding if the majority of the audience could remember the original production of Oklahoma! I also didn't spot any non-white people in the city or the audience, apart from those on stage (in fact, the elderly gentleman next to me actually said out loud "She's black" when Amara Okereke entered for the first time, then spent most of the show reading his programme multiple times (pretty obvious in the front row).
The £10 side Stalls front row seat was a bargain for the close up views. The theatre looked about 90% full.
As others have said, this generally used a young and inexperienced cast. Good to see Isaac Gryn getting a lead role as Will Parker, having seen him in a lead role at Arts Ed only months ago. His rope work was good. And Emmanuel Kojo was excellent as Jud.
The highlight was probably the dream ballet at the end of Act One. The lowlight was the exceptionally loud gunshots, much louder than the ones in the Off Broadway production, One woman took her children out right past the front of the stage soon after. And even knowing when they were coming, I couldn't stop myself shaking.
Perfectly serviceable anyway and in a nice theatre. I'd say this has a slim chance of a London transfer, but it hasn't really got a buzz behind it.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Sept 3, 2019 10:00:38 GMT
Dr Tom normally Chi's musicals get a lot of traffic on this board but not years. I think in generally we are bit disappointed with Evan's programming for the venue after his golden years in Sheffield. Hopefully next year will be more exciting. I've heard rumours of Night Music or Merrily. So I suspect we'll get Gigi!!!
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Post by raider80 on Sept 3, 2019 11:06:18 GMT
I'd say this has a slim chance of a London transfer, but it hasn't really got a buzz behind it. The current Broadway revival has already announced its transferring. This show is going nowhere following Chichester.
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 3, 2019 11:45:19 GMT
The current Broadway revival has already announced its transferring. This show is going nowhere following Chichester. Is that official? I remember they announced they were hoping to find a venue in the other thread, but that's not the same as saying the transfer is confirmed.
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Sept 3, 2019 13:18:18 GMT
Dr Tom normally Chi's musicals get a lot of traffic on this board but not years. I think in generally we are bit disappointed with Evan's programming for the venue after his golden years in Sheffield. Hopefully next year will be more exciting. I've heard rumours of Night Music or Merrily. So I suspect we'll get Gigi!!! I predict and hope for My Fair Lady at Chichester next summer. The run at The Crucible in 2012-2013 under Daniel Evans was a huge commercial and critical hit.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 3, 2019 13:24:29 GMT
Wasn’t the Lincoln Centre production of MFL supposed to be transferring toThe West End? That would put paid to a Chichester revival presumably.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Sept 3, 2019 13:28:41 GMT
Wasn’t the Lincoln Centre production of MFL supposed to be transferring toThe West End? That would put paid to a Chichester revival presumably. The Lincoln Centre production was OK. London and Chichester deserve better
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Post by learfan on Sept 3, 2019 16:54:15 GMT
Dr Tom normally Chi's musicals get a lot of traffic on this board but not years. I think in generally we are bit disappointed with Evan's programming for the venue after his golden years in Sheffield. Hopefully next year will be more exciting. I've heard rumours of Night Music or Merrily. So I suspect we'll get Gigi!!! I predict and hope for My Fair Lady at Chichester next summer. The run at The Crucible in 2012-2013 under Daniel Evans was a huge commercial and critical hit. With Evans such a Sondheim fan and ot being his 90th birthday, im pretty sure the mainhouse musical will be one of the great man's. My money is on Night Music.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 4, 2019 9:22:44 GMT
Next years show IS A Little Night Music..
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Post by Someone in a tree on Sept 4, 2019 10:21:51 GMT
Next years show IS A Little Night Music.. Hopefully not in the main house aka barn
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Post by learfan on Sept 4, 2019 11:35:43 GMT
Next years show IS A Little Night Music.. Hopefully not in the main house aka barn It will be surely?
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Post by alicechallice on Sept 4, 2019 13:07:01 GMT
Hopefully not in the main house aka barn It will be surely? I mean, it's played in there before - 1989 with Dorothy Tutin, Peter McEnery, Susan Hampshire and Lila Kedrova, which then transferred to the Piccadilly, so it must have suitable then. And it went down quite well in the Olivier I've heard.
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4,598 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Sept 4, 2019 14:56:29 GMT
I mean, it's played in there before - 1989 with Dorothy Tutin, Peter McEnery, Susan Hampshire and Lila Kedrova, which then transferred to the Piccadilly, so it must have suitable then. And it went down quite well in the Olivier I've heard. It did work in the Olivier but to me Sondheim works so much better in a smaller space, ideally Donmar type space. The C. Festival theatre is vast and has no intimacy
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Post by learfan on Sept 4, 2019 15:18:08 GMT
I mean, it's played in there before - 1989 with Dorothy Tutin, Peter McEnery, Susan Hampshire and Lila Kedrova, which then transferred to the Piccadilly, so it must have suitable then. And it went down quite well in the Olivier I've heard. Saw that in the WE, excellent. A young Alex Hanson too!
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 4, 2019 19:15:34 GMT
Yes it’s in the main house!
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Post by Dawnstar on Sept 4, 2019 19:42:44 GMT
I mean, it's played in there before - 1989 with Dorothy Tutin, Peter McEnery, Susan Hampshire and Lila Kedrova, which then transferred to the Piccadilly, so it must have suitable then. And it went down quite well in the Olivier I've heard. Saw that in the WE, excellent. A young Alex Hanson too! I didn't know Hanson had been in another production of ALNM before the Menier one. Who did he play?
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Post by alicechallice on Sept 4, 2019 20:14:32 GMT
Saw that in the WE, excellent. A young Alex Hanson too! I didn't know Hanson had been in another production of ALNM before the Menier one. Who did he play? Henrik
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Post by princeton on Sept 4, 2019 22:19:19 GMT
I know this is the Oklahoma thread - so apologies for hijacking - however thought worth chucking in that there are also provisional plans to stage A Little Night Music at another major regional theatre next summer - it could possibly be a co-pro with Chichester (though I don't think they tend to do them) or maybe the summer night will be smiling six times.
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Post by paddy72 on Sept 7, 2019 17:46:28 GMT
OK so this is one of the greatest musicals every written and it it’s title song is the most thrilling. But this production for me pulled off the incredible feat of making it one of the most boring shows I’ve sat through in a long time. I’m not going to pull apart the casting, creative and performances. It was for me all just dull. This show should be as big and epic as Oklahoma itself yet here in Chichester it has become small, domestic and even claustrophobic. Sorry everyone. My first ever negative review on Theatreboard for which I feel the shame. However to take a mighty show like this and make it small and sweet is a sin in my book.
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