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Post by edi on Dec 24, 2019 18:40:52 GMT
It was entertaining enough yesterday. Light hearted show, good choreography and visuals, light comedy. I wanted a little more of the whodunit and less the pretty forgettable "show" but I felt the second part greatly improved in that respect.
Got £20 dress seats from a direct offer from the theatre. Going in I noticed the £15 day seat adverts in front of the theatre.
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Post by Oleanna on Dec 25, 2019 2:32:39 GMT
I’m glad the reactions to this seem to be all leaning towards positive.
Any ideas how it’s doing commercially?
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Post by alece10 on Dec 31, 2019 17:29:40 GMT
Managed to get a couple of rush tickets to see yesterdays matinee (Monday).
I knew I would like the musical as had heard positive things about it and also really liked the music. I wanted to see it as well before Andy Coxon left.
Didn't disappoint me at all, what a fun musical, very funny, great songs, great dancing and acting.
Loved all the "in" jokes and all the theatre references.
Jason Manford was excellent and Andy Coxon has such a lovely voice.
From what I could see theatre pretty full and a good reception from the audience.
Also praise to FOH staff. My allocated seats were Dress Circle (think they call it grand or royal at this theatre) in the 4th row. However as soon as I sat down I knew I would have a problem as due to the tiering of the seats you cannot put your legs under the seat in front. Due to a knee problem I just knew I couldn't stay there. Spoke to one of the ushers and explained the situation. He spoke to box office and they managed to move me to an aisle seat so that I could stick my leg out. My friend stayed where they were to make it easier for them to just find 1 seat. Great service which was really appreciated.
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Post by dippy on Jan 3, 2020 9:03:33 GMT
Saw this again the other day and it was so nice to hear the understudies announced before it started, it feels like it's been a very very very long time since I heard an understudy announcement. Dr Tom and anyone else interested in when the gun shots are, I watched it again last night and missed one, sorry. Here's some more accurate info: {Spoiler}{Spoiler - click to view}1st gun shot - Right at the start after the first song Jessica (the one who is being awful) says "Why he shot that other bullet in half" then someone says something like "No, not quite yet" and then there's the sound of a shot. It feels relatively quiet though so maybe that is why I didn't remember it before.
The others are as I previously described but that Niki fires if definitely a blank. There are two shots when Jonny is shot. |
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Post by Sam on Jan 3, 2020 14:05:35 GMT
Really enjoyed the Matinee of this on New Years Eve. Some nice songs, and funny moments. Afternoon well spent, and I would certainly see it again.
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Post by tmesis on Jan 3, 2020 18:40:17 GMT
Really enjoyed this at today's matinee. I knew little of Jason Manford apart from finding him quite annoying on TV but he was a revelation in this. His excellent voice has a really strong top-end and I'd now like to see him in other MT.
I loved the backstage/frontstage elements and the musical pastiches of Oklahoma, Seven Brides et al but Kander really is the king of the musical pastiche.
Oh, and what an absolute gem of a theatre Wyndham's is.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jan 3, 2020 19:20:01 GMT
Really enjoyed this at today's matinee. I knew little of Jason Manford apart from finding him quite annoying on TV but he was a revelation in this. His excellent voice has a really strong top-end and I'd now like to see him in other MT. I loved the backstage/frontstage elements and the musical pastiches of Oklahoma, Seven Brides et al but Kander really is the king of the musical pastiche. Oh, and what an absolute gem of a theatre Wyndham's is. It’s truly one of the most beautiful theatre you could ever walk in to. And it’s not often you see musicals in there nowadays! |
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Post by FrontrowverPaul on Jan 4, 2020 14:38:27 GMT
I saw Curtains on the opening night at Bromley three months ago. I had a front row seat booked but that row was removed due to staging requirements and I was given a full refund plus a complimentary seat much further back. I thought the show was merely okay but I now feel that this was mainly because I am so used to sitting close to the stage.
Having read so much positive feedback here, including about Wyndhams Theatre, I've just booked to see it again next Friday and this time from my favoured spot - centre of the front row in the stalls - and for only £40. Got a hunch I'm going to enjoy it a lot more this time.
Thanks all !
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Post by alece10 on Jan 4, 2020 18:38:56 GMT
I had always thought of Wyndhams being more of a play theatre then musicals but upon reading the programme just now there were quite a few musicals staged there over the years including.
The Boy Friend in 1954
Oh what a lovely war
Godspell
Side by Side by Sondheim
Sunday in the Park
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Post by marob on Jan 4, 2020 21:20:11 GMT
marob Thanks for letting me know but I already booked for Leicester this afternoon - couldn't resist the one seat left in the centre of the front row for the Saturday matinee! Maybe as Andy Coxon has done WSS before he'll be let off the full rehearsal period so can do 16th-28th March in Curtains. Or if he doesn't do it then hopefully they'll get another proper MT performer rather than someone stunt-cast. Update: I've just seen a series of Instagram posts by Ben Mundy about his job as the show's dance captain, and he mentioned in one that it was Andy Coxon's last day, but he'd be rejoining them on tour. |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 4, 2020 22:08:12 GMT
marob Yes, I saw that too, so hopefully it'll include Leicester.
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Post by shady23 on Jan 25, 2020 19:34:09 GMT
Saw it today in Sunderland and really enjoyed it.
Fantastic cast.
Very amusing.
Brilliant choreography scenes. That Alan Birkitt is one heck of a dancer isn't he!
Samuel Holmes and Rebecca Lock were particular highlights for me, they're always great in everything they do.
I last saw Jason Manford in the Producers and he has come on so much since then. He was very good indeed and sang beautifully
I also loved how I could buy a house programme for only two pounds.
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Post by Figaro on Jan 25, 2020 20:37:39 GMT
Some of the marketing now says, ’...following a record breaking West End run...’
What records did they break?!
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Post by shady23 on Jan 25, 2020 20:40:19 GMT
They smashed up a couple of vinyl albums backstage?
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jan 25, 2020 21:45:19 GMT
Some of the marketing now says, ’...following a record breaking West End run...’ What records did they break?! Most comped tickets |
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Post by Being Alive on Jan 25, 2020 21:54:14 GMT
Some of the marketing now says, ’...following a record breaking West End run...’ What records did they break?! Most comped tickets Most times a four week West End run had to close two of its four levels? |
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Post by Mark on Jan 26, 2020 1:06:08 GMT
I went in Sunderland today and the poster just said “direct from the West End”
I thought it was good. Solid cast although I feel they suffered from poor direction. Rebecca Lock was fabulous and the clear standout. A good solid score
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Post by ampersand on Jan 26, 2020 20:10:35 GMT
I saw this last night and enjoyed it. I loved the choreography & dancing in the pas de deux section. I thought the music was good, but unremarkable, but my mother really liked it. Ore Oduba is definitely not the strongest singer, although I was impressed by Jason Manford.
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Post by david on Jan 29, 2020 18:44:30 GMT
I was at last night's performance in Liverpool. Overall, not a bad night out at the theatre (thanks to getting the cheap opening night offer with the ATG Card). I really enjoyed the choreography and the pas de deux section. The musical score I thought wasn't too bad. Casting wise, it was the first time seeing Jason Manford in a production. I thought he was very good both in his acting and singing. Where I felt this production was strongest was with the casting of Carley Stenson but especially with Rebecca Lock. For me Rebecca Lock stole the scenes when she was on stage (her comic timing in her line delivery was just spot on. The same can be said for Samuel Holmes as the frustrated director) and vocally was superb.
After watching ONCE last week and Curtains last night, I don't know whats going on but the behaviour of the patrons around me has improved considerably. No talking or use of phones during the performance. It was really nice just to be able to watch the show in peace without any idiotic behaviour. I'm not expecting it to last though as we have MAMMA MIA! coming soon which will bring out the idiots. I'm just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere while it lasts.
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Post by hannechalk on Feb 1, 2020 23:11:17 GMT
I saw it tonight, and I personally would not see it again.
The performers, band and choreography are excellent, I just don't think it's a very good show. Jason Manford, Rebecca Lock and Samuel Holmes were outstanding for me.
It's fun and entertaining, some good jokes, but I found act I tedious. It didn't really build up to anything, and although the singing and dancing were great, some numbers seemed surplus to requirements.
They didn't really add to the show, or had no real bearing to the story. What took them a good 10 minutes to sing and dance, could have been said as part of the script in three minutes, and cut the show by a good half hour. People were getting restless.
Liverpool is generally an easy crowd to please, and up for a laugh. However, the opening number fell flat completely. I was sat at the back of the stalls, and found it telling that quite a few people opted to leave after the big reveal towards the end, which meant they did miss a twist, and that at the end only about 10 people stood up, and most of them only when Jason took his bow.
Excellent effort from all performers, but not much of a show, in my opinion.
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Post by distantcousin on Feb 28, 2020 22:31:31 GMT
Saw this in Northampton last night. Surprisingly pretty much a sell out. Are two TV faces enough to put bums on seats over the obscuritity of the show? It would seem yes, in this case! Thought the show got off to a flying start - definite shades of The Producers (around the show within a show style) but I found the Lieutenant's fangirling to be quite cloying after a while. The show was enjoyable and fairly punchy throughout Act 1, but I found Act 2 a chore - very few of the songs drove the story forward, and it felt like marking time - one thing I absolutely HATE in shows - it feels like an insult to the audience (to me anyway) I had lost interest by the end. It played very safe and cosy, and had none of that cynicism and subversive comedy/commentary that we know and love Kander and Ebb for.
Were they trying to do a pastiche/affectionate tribute to the simple musicals of the golden age?
Rebecca Lock and Carly Stenson were excellent. My friend and I personally found the Western show references irritating (hating all Westerns!) but that's just personal taste. Rather disappointing. Glad I didn't pay that much for it. A few good songs I would listen to again though. A couple of the melodies I'd pretty much heard in other guises though... 
Oh, and La Manford can't really carry a leading role. He just doesn't have enough star power or technical ability. Nice enough guy though - very "everyman"
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Post by duncan on Mar 11, 2020 11:26:59 GMT
Well I'm either getting an upgrade tonight or the entire Upper Circle has sold out despite the stalls looking to be around 50% sold at the moment.
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Post by duncan on Mar 12, 2020 10:04:29 GMT
2020.08 - Curtains - Kings Glasgow When the leading lady is murdered on opening night of a musical its down to Lt. Cioffi to solve the case. But what happens if your investigator is seemingly far more interested in sorting out the onstage issues with the musical than catching the killer? As the body count gets larger Cioffi has to save the show and resolve the killings. And there was no upgrade  Odd to take a level off sale, there were 51 of us - I counted, when its only around 20% sold and stick in four members of staff when we could all easily have been moved elsewhere. Not complaining as I had a nice central seat and I did wonder if it was for Covid reasons to ensure the audience was spread out across three levels rather than be more compacted in two. As the for show itself, well its a fun night out - a bit coarser than I was expecting but the central mystery is rather well done as a murder mystery. I'd worked out the how for the first murder but had no idea why it had happened. Turns out I totally missed the big clue that is mentioned later on. At times I found myself wondering if it would have worked better as a straight play or a comedy instead of a musical as the score and songs aren't really memorable. This isn't a bad show but its not a show that I can imagine anyone ever wanting to see more than once. You'll tell your workmates this morning that it was a good night out and if they want to see it they should but you aren't going to be swinging from the lights telling everyone to buy a ticket right now. The cast work well, Jason Manford in the lead is passable but I do think they haven't given him enough to do - he's too restrained for the most part. Its not a part that needs to be Frank Drebin-esque but if you have Manford let him do something with the part. In the rest of the cast its Rebecca Lock as the Producer/mother of one of the ensemble who shines as a mix of hard headed businesswoman and stage mother from hell. Staging works well, always nice to see them put on a show set in a theatre set within an actual theatre. Enjoyed the lighting and after an opening number that was rather bombastic the sound settled down so you could actually hear the words, the first minute or so I was really struggling to pick out the words but thankfully that didn't last. Downsides - its not a memorable score, the "I've got it...." sections where the detective appears to solve the case but instead has come up with another idea as to how to improve the musical becomes very tiresome very quickly and the final comical reveal just raises more questions than answers when we've had a couple of scenes of understudies being specifically mentioned (and lets just forget that new dance sequence they were going to add!) A piece of enjoyable fluff 7/10 And Curtains is a very appropriate title as I suspect that's the last show I'll be seeing for a while - the curtain is about to come down on Theatres across the country.
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Post by paulbrownsey on Mar 12, 2020 10:22:16 GMT
The stall in Glasgow were pretty well full on Tuesday night, the first night. This surprised me, since I wouldn't have thought this show had such pulling power. So maybe people had been moved down from one of the circles.
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Post by Dawnstar on Mar 12, 2020 20:17:55 GMT
This isn't a bad show but its not a show that I can imagine anyone ever wanting to see more than once. I was hoping to see it a second time, after seeing it in the West End, though as I'm booked for Leicester a week on Saturday I suspect I won't be. Admittedly I am a fan of a couple of the cast members. |
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Odd to take a level off sale, there were 51 of us - I counted, when its only around 20% sold and stick in four members of staff when we could all easily have been moved elsewhere. Not complaining as I had a nice central seat and I did wonder if it was for Covid reasons to ensure the audience was spread out across three levels rather than be more compacted in two.