1,892 posts
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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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806 posts
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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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806 posts
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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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214 posts
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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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3,936 posts
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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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3,482 posts
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Post by showgirl on Mar 12, 2020 20:23:14 GMT
I too was quite tempted to see it again and without any particular attachment to - or indeed prior knowledge of - any cast member(s). Just couldn't really justify the time and expense when there's so much else unseen, though I'm still havering.
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145 posts
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Post by impossibleprincess73 on Mar 13, 2020 0:40:00 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. I was there on Wednesday night and I was at the back of the stalls with about 5 full rows to myself. Bliss! The middle of the stalls was only about half full. An enjoyable little night at the theatre, the cast were great and there were some really funny one liners in the script.
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641 posts
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Post by Oleanna on Mar 16, 2020 20:15:55 GMT
Still going on tonight at the Leicester Haymarket!
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Post by hannechalk on Mar 16, 2020 20:21:47 GMT
Still going on tonight at the Leicester Haymarket! Not for the rest of the week though.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2020 20:28:34 GMT
Jason Manford has posted a statement on his facebook from the producers.
Boris Johnson has really screwed theatres
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149 posts
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Post by tonylony on Apr 9, 2020 13:27:22 GMT
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736 posts
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Post by dippy on Apr 9, 2020 14:04:24 GMT
Very happy about this, but not happy that it looks like it'll be only at that time and if not seen then you'll miss it (unless someone knows otherwise). I am unfortunately busy on Tuesday and won't be able to watch it even thought I really want to.
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306 posts
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Post by Sam on Apr 9, 2020 14:24:51 GMT
Also excited for this. I managed to catch it in London with my afternoon of on NYE and had been nagging my parents to go and see it in Southampton this month.
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7,569 posts
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Post by alece10 on Apr 9, 2020 15:31:46 GMT
Going to watch this and make my donation. I really enjoyed this in London before Christmas. Only downside is that it doesn't have Andy Coxon in it.
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736 posts
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Post by dippy on Apr 9, 2020 15:50:22 GMT
Only downside is that it doesn't have Andy Coxon in it. Oh yeah, hadn't thought about that, will make missing it less annoying.
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2,153 posts
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Post by richey on Apr 20, 2020 20:04:28 GMT
Being streamed again for 24 hours from 7pm this Wednesday
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749 posts
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Post by horton on Apr 21, 2020 11:42:33 GMT
This was one of the worst set of principals and worst-directed shows I've seen in a LONG time. Charmless and witless, apart from a couple of skilled veterans in the chorus who clearly belonged in a much better production. So glad I didn't have to leave the house for this!
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4,159 posts
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Post by HereForTheatre on Apr 21, 2020 12:01:39 GMT
I thought it was good. Especially Rebecca Lock.
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