2,371 posts
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Post by theatreian on Feb 12, 2021 13:39:49 GMT
Denise Van-Outen has just put out On My Own as a charity single. It's actually quite a good effort and for a great cause.(Theatre Mad)
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19,660 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 13, 2021 6:34:44 GMT
She didn’t waste any money on the video did she? Is that bloke actually playing something or just gawping at the computer screen?
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8,096 posts
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Post by alece10 on Feb 14, 2021 12:21:20 GMT
Just listening to Sheridan Smith's podcast and she is talking to Alfie Boe.
She brought up the subject of the Les Mis concert coming back after Covid restrictions lifted and he said that he probably wont be in it due to other work commitments. He talked about the future and said, never say never but I want to do other things apart from Les Mis.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2021 12:37:01 GMT
Do people think the Les Mis concert will come back at all?
Was wondering if and when theatres can open with distancing they may just run the concert in an open ended manner until they have a date when full auditoria are allowed.
The set, lighting and sound are already installed. The cast are rehearsed. (Ball and Boe no doubt have other commitments but reckon most of the rest of the cast will be free).
So since the financial outlay has already happened, I hope that might be a reason that the concert will eventually be on?
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1,736 posts
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Post by fiyero on Feb 14, 2021 12:42:52 GMT
I hope it will come back, as socially distanced theatre will definitely have a place before full theatre. I have 2 bookings which I am sure will move again but I'll keep rolling them as long as I can!
It would have been great to see the 'stars' but I am just as thrilled to see other stars! (I saw Ball and JOJ & Earl and Boe the first time around).
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2021 12:52:23 GMT
I hope it will come back, as socially distanced theatre will definitely have a place before full theatre. I have 2 bookings which I am sure will move again but I'll keep rolling them as long as I can! It would have been great to see the 'stars' but I am just as thrilled to see other stars! (I saw Ball and JOJ & Earl and Boe the first time around). Same! I keep rolling forward my bookings in the hope they will eventually happen. And if the full production gets postponed, they may as well get the concert going in the interim. I agree with you, I really don't think will be that long before socially distanced theatre is allowed again. With all the measures they had at Sleepless/Jamie/Six etc it felt very safe. But I reckon could be an extended period. Maybe 6 months plus before socially distanced can give way to full theatres. I reckon maybe Autumn. Complete guess of course though! Les Mis aside, I also hope there's lots of producers looking at what West End musicals they could do socially distanced in the Summer. Some will be easier than others. The barn of the Dominion for example - you could get 1000 people in, all paying full price. Socially distanced and profitable. For the smaller theatres it will be harder I guess. Wicked at the AV could also easily turn a profit at 50% capacity as that's still about 1000 punters! |
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1,736 posts
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Post by fiyero on Feb 23, 2021 17:09:15 GMT
I hope I can make my new date, I prefer moving the dates to another rebooking scramble!
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295 posts
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Post by fossil on Feb 23, 2021 17:48:40 GMT
Philip Quast - Stars. Definitely has still got it. (I did not know how to paste a link directly to the video).
https://www.reddit.com/r/musicals/comments/lc17n4/does_he_still_got_it_philip_quast_singing_stars/
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Post by wardrobemistress76 on Feb 23, 2021 21:39:36 GMT
Philip is just incredible - the best. He's also a lovely and genuine man.
Forgive me for being nostalgic, but I do miss the 'glory days' - Quast, McCarthy, Corry, Janssens... even the likes of Secomb and Carpenter (both incredible, but a bit more recent). I have nothing against these talented youngsters coming in, but they're all so... young! I rarely go to see a show for its cast, but I can't remember the last time I was completely blown away or moved by a performer playing Javert. I feel they're always so shouty and angry - and young! Don't get me started on Michael Ball. I love him, but what on earth was that?!
Do you think we'll ever see an 'older' performer take on the role again in the future? Even one of the aforementioned performers -- now wouldn't that be something special.
Who is YOUR ultimate Javert?
Looking forward to your replies.
Hope everyone is well.
WM76
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295 posts
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Post by fossil on Feb 24, 2021 10:32:12 GMT
Philip is just incredible - the best. He's also a lovely and genuine man. Forgive me for being nostalgic, but I do miss the 'glory days' - Quast, McCarthy, Corry, Janssens... even the likes of Secomb and Carpenter (both incredible, but a bit more recent). I have nothing against these talented youngsters coming in, but they're all so... young! I rarely go to see a show for its cast, but I can't remember the last time I was completely blown away or moved by a performer playing Javert. I feel they're always so shouty and angry - and young! Don't get me started on Michael Ball. I love him, but what on earth was that?! Do you think we'll ever see an 'older' performer take on the role again in the future? Even one of the aforementioned performers -- now wouldn't that be something special. Who is YOUR ultimate Javert? Looking forward to your replies. Hope everyone is well. WM76 Hi WM76 In case you missed it. I pasted a link to a really interesting long interview with PQ in the Performers thread. |
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Post by ceebee on Feb 24, 2021 15:11:16 GMT
Do you think we'll ever see an 'older' performer take on the role again in the future? Even one of the aforementioned performers -- now wouldn't that be something special. Who is YOUR ultimate Javert? I'd love to see Earl Carpenter play the role again or Philip Quast. I'd also like to see a more traditional Thenardier rather than the panto villain the role has become. |
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Post by danb on Feb 24, 2021 16:52:37 GMT
I loved James Gant when he was 1st cover. Beautifully sung and expertly acted.
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Post by inthenose on Feb 24, 2021 19:07:47 GMT
Philip is just incredible - the best. He's also a lovely and genuine man. Forgive me for being nostalgic, but I do miss the 'glory days' - Quast, McCarthy, Corry, Janssens... even the likes of Secomb and Carpenter (both incredible, but a bit more recent). I have nothing against these talented youngsters coming in, but they're all so... young! I rarely go to see a show for its cast, but I can't remember the last time I was completely blown away or moved by a performer playing Javert. I feel they're always so shouty and angry - and young! Don't get me started on Michael Ball. I love him, but what on earth was that?! Do you think we'll ever see an 'older' performer take on the role again in the future? Even one of the aforementioned performers -- now wouldn't that be something special. Who is YOUR ultimate Javert? Looking forward to your replies. Hope everyone is well. WM76 This, but expanded to the whole casting policy for all roles. We had some phenomenal Javert's in the past. The ones you named in particular, with Quast and Janssens my favourites. Some really very good covers (Stephen John Davis, James Gant, Nic Greenshields) but now they insist on casting matinee idols beyond their experience and, at times, ability. Last time I went (pre-closure at the Queens) I was so appalled by what I saw I haven't been back or followed the show since. I did briefly check out a video of La Ball as Javert out of morbid curiosity, though. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2021 19:29:38 GMT
Forgive me for being nostalgic, but I do miss the 'glory days' - Quast, McCarthy, Corry, Janssens... even the likes of Secomb and Carpenter (both incredible, but a bit more recent). I have nothing against these talented youngsters coming in, but they're all so... young! Michael McCarthy was 26 when he started playing Javert full-time, having previously understudied the role (incidentally the same age John Owen-Jones was when he first started playing Valjean). And Philip Quast was 30 when he opened in the Australian production. However, I do agree though that the cast as a whole seem much younger now than it did in the early days. I especially noticed this with the UK tour a couple of years ago, to the point I felt the barricade scenes lacked any power and strength. |
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Post by Seriously on Feb 24, 2021 20:24:32 GMT
Young people playing students? Surely not!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2021 20:39:28 GMT
Young people playing students? Surely not! 🙄 Yep, and fresh out of drama school too so without the experience to command a stage and tell such a powerful story (in my opinion). |
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Post by danb on Feb 24, 2021 21:03:33 GMT
They have to start somewhere? A decent resident director should be enough to whip anyone into shape.
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Post by inthenose on Feb 24, 2021 21:22:35 GMT
They have to start somewhere? A decent resident director should be enough to whip anyone into shape. Yes, they have to start somewhere. Whilst you and others may disagree, myself and others feel that particular somewhere shouldn't be in the West End, in the longest running and arguably most successful stage musical ever written. There used to be a culture of learning the trade and earning the right to perform at the highest level. As for your comment on the part of the resident director... I suspect people may have a sort of loose and mythical understanding of what it is exactly they do. I know I did before I worked on long runners. It certainly isn't to personally coach greenhorns on stage presence and acting technique. As someone who has sat through their share of tedious put-in rehearsals for shows, I can only assure you this doesn't often (or in my experience, ever) happen. You're hired expecting to be ready to go as the finished article. |
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Post by Peter on Feb 24, 2021 21:29:00 GMT
Do you think we'll ever see an 'older' performer take on the role again in the future? Even one of the aforementioned performers -- now wouldn't that be something special. Who is YOUR ultimate Javert? I'd love to see Earl Carpenter play the role again or Philip Quast. I'd also like to see a more traditional Thenardier rather than the panto villain the role has become. Yes to this - Stephen Tate was excellent at balancing the comedy and menace of Thernardier . And seeing him and Rosemary Ashe revive their pairing from Witches of Eastwick was fun  |
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Post by danb on Feb 24, 2021 21:34:16 GMT
Wow, you’re a whole lot of fun, and exceptionally patronising.
The role of the resident director is to maintain the standard of performance and ensure that the audience are getting what they paid for in-terms of delivering the show to the blueprint in place. Whether they deliver this or whether there is another agenda enforced by others is by the by. If someone high up pops in for a night and isn’t happy with 3rd whore, they’ll get a note and the RD rehearses them back to standard no?
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Post by Dawnstar on Feb 24, 2021 22:38:20 GMT
Young people playing students? Surely not! The ensemble don't just play students though, they all play several other roles apiece. I know life expectancy was shorter in the 19th century but not so short that most of the French population were only about 22! The last time I saw Les Mis Marius, Enjolras & the students looked like they were members of a teenage boy band! As for Javerts, the last time I saw Les Mis it was David Thaxton. I'd found him excellent as Enjolras 5 years previously, in fact he's probably the best Enjolras I've seen, but I felt he should have had a longer gap before switching to Javert.
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Post by Seriously on Feb 24, 2021 22:40:10 GMT
Young people playing students? Surely not! 🙄 Yep, and fresh out of drama school too so without the experience to command a stage and tell such a powerful story (in my opinion). Wow, what a sweeping and insulting generalisation. |
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Post by Figaro on Feb 25, 2021 8:08:12 GMT
I didn’t think the concert would return with the announcement tbh. I thought we would just see the full production return at the end of June. Surely there is no point in it returning for a week or so before they need to change back to the full production, unless they will do the concert for a couple of months until there is confirmation there won’t be another lockdown/vapidity restriction. I hope I can make my new date, I prefer moving the dates to another rebooking scramble! |
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Post by fiyero on Feb 25, 2021 9:10:15 GMT
I didn’t think the concert would return with the announcement tbh. I thought we would just see the full production return at the end of June. Surely there is no point in it returning for a week or so before they need to change back to the full production, unless they will do the concert for a couple of months until there is confirmation there won’t be another lockdown/vapidity restriction. I hope I can make my new date, I prefer moving the dates to another rebooking scramble! I was wondering how quickly they can swap the sets and re-rehearse. I bet they wish they had put it back in the Gielgud. Then at least they could swap back quickly. We’ll see. |
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Post by matilda1 on Feb 25, 2021 11:39:08 GMT
Re “older” performers.
I agree that so many cast members seem too young. That is not to say they lack talent or ability, but I think they do sometimes lack the gravitas to take on these roles. I remember seeing the cast of around 2011/12 ish and thinking that many of them , Scott Garnham, Fra Fee , Carl Mullaney, Adam Linstead were just right in terms of age. There were one or two, usually Marius and Cosette who seemed to be cast straight out of drama school. Now, it seems the norm . One year it’s GSA grads, then Arts Ed, then Royal. of Music.
I think the role of Javert is increasingly being given to younger actors. I even thought that Hadley Fraser was too young.
I know it is good to challenge our preconceptions of the various roles, but I recently heard a recording of a recent Cosette cover belting the notes rather than singing them as a true Soprano a la Rebecca Caine.It just didn’t sit right with me, but I suppose it’s personal preference.
Also does anything that Mme T may one day be cast in the way of the original role played by Susan J Tanner?
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