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Post by tonyloco on Sept 14, 2017 15:20:24 GMT
wang! Tried out at the Palace Theatre in Manchester I believe. I have a poster for it , Barbara Windsor and Ronnie Corbett were in it. Did they both go with the show to London ? Where did it play there ? bimse: just look up "Twang!" on Wikipedia for the answers to your questions. Wiki knows everything! |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 16:25:23 GMT
Burn This at the Lyric, John Malkovich was electric and oh so cool ( or should that be hot ?  ) ! I saw that! I'd forgotten I had but you reminded me that I saw it. I even have the programme in a box in the loft. (Can't remember what it was about though...  ) |
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Post by lynette on Sept 14, 2017 16:33:38 GMT
Huh, you Londoners had all the fun. My earliest theatrical memory is Lenny the Lion.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 19:02:15 GMT
Burn This at the Lyric, John Malkovich was electric and oh so cool ( or should that be hot ? ) ! I saw that! Wasn't it magical? The bit that sticks in my mind was John Malkovich ranting and swearing and yelling and then making a pot of tea very tenderly, wrapping up the pot as if it was a precious baby. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 19:14:30 GMT
The things that have really stuck in my mind are:
Burn This, as above.
Tango at the End of Winter, maybe early 90s. Alan Rickman dancing a tango covered in blood, and Pachelbel's Canon with falling cherry blossom. Oh my word, that play was beautiful!
The first time I went to the RSC, maybe late 80s. Winter's Tale, Jeremy Irons, mostly utterly forgettable, but the court scenes had a HUGE white polar bear rug covering the whole stage. It then sank down under the stage, and later reared up again with glowing red eyes and engulfed the poor bloke who exited pursued by bear and sucked him down into the pit.
One of the very first things I ever saw, probably early 80s, a touring production of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. It probably wasn't anything special but I remember being transfixed and LOVING it. I remember the costumes and I remember Hamlet being a traditional Tudor ruff & doublet & hose bloke, lying back on a hammock on the boat journey and smoking a cigar to the Hamlet cigar ad music.
I also remember a vivid image from Timothy Dalton in Antony and Cleopatra in Theatr Clwyd in the mid 80s, when I was maybe 13. I remember nothing at all else about the play (I was pretty bored I think, and know I found Vanessa Redgrave annoying) but I CLEARLY remember dead Dalton being hoisted to the ceiling covered in oil and wearing not much more than a leather loincloth. It made an impression.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 19:19:35 GMT
It wasnt that long ago, but the drag legend HRH Regina Fong deserves a mention. I loved his act. No matter how many times i saw it, it always made me laugh. He had a handful of things that were crowd favourites and mine was Marti Caine - Press Your Buttons Now! From New Faces. He was gone too soon.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 19:20:19 GMT
My earliest theatrical memory is when a theatre group came to my infant school to do a play about road safety. The kids got to join in dressed up as lollipop men and ladies etc. And the Cresta Bear was there (it's Frotheee Man! I have to say I'm not sure how this fitted into the road safety theme.) Here's the Cresta Bear - We were all given a plastic Cresta Bear glove puppet to take home Which I obviously thought was such an obscure memory that there would be no way of finding out more. But in fact it turns out the guy behind this show - Jason Conrad, "Britain's Mr Safety" has a website which has a review of the show I saw! www.britainsmrsafety.co.uk/derby-evening-telegraph-april-1976.htmlI presume his safety message sank in as I still remember it 40+ years later and have never had a serious road accident. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 19:28:20 GMT
The tea making in Burn This is all coming back to me now, thanks to you, Elanor. Was it Japanese style? While still in the East, I also remember seeing Anthony Hopkins in M. Butterfly at the Shaftesbury... A long sweeping ramp for the set and lots of cymbals. Unfortunately I can't remember anything else about it. I can, however, clearly remember seeing Equus at the Albery (now the Noel Coward) from the front row of the stalls. Student standby. A matinee. The scene in the stables.  Some things you'll never forget. |
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Post by Mr Snow on Sept 15, 2017 4:57:35 GMT
The tea making in Burn This is all coming back to me now, thanks to you, Elanor. Was it Japanese style? While still in the East, I also remember seeing Anthony Hopkins in M. Butterfly at the Shaftesbury... A long sweeping ramp for the set and lots of cymbals. Unfortunately I can't remember anything else about it. I can, however, clearly remember seeing Equus at the Albery (now the Noel Coward) from the front row of the stalls. Student standby. A matinee. The scene in the stables. Some things you'll never forget. Missed Burn but memories 2 out of 3 ain't bad. First play i recall is seeing Alan Bates in a Simon Gray play. For some reason I think it was at the Young (Old?) Vic? More likely WE. Musicals Pal Joey with Dennis Lawson and divine Sian Phillips. Saw it 5 times in one summer. |
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Post by stefy69 on Sept 15, 2017 5:49:21 GMT
Burn This at the Lyric, John Malkovich was electric and oh so cool ( or should that be hot ? ) ! I saw that! Wasn't it magical? The bit that sticks in my mind was John Malkovich ranting and swearing and yelling and then making a pot of tea very tenderly, wrapping up the pot as if it was a precious baby. Agree 100% Elanor, it was one of the first plays I'd ever seen and you couldn't take your eyes off of him, a fondness for Mr Malkovich that has stayed with me to this day. Electric electric performance. 
Also saw him later at the Shaftesbury Theatre in A Slip of the Tongue but really can't remember a great deal about that play....
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Post by Jan on Sept 15, 2017 6:04:53 GMT
Huh, you Londoners had all the fun. My earliest theatrical memory is Lenny the Lion. I remember Lenny appearing in a TV quiz show once - Wikipedia suggests 3-2-1 which is quite possible. Very envious you saw him live. |
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Post by loureviews on Sept 15, 2017 6:38:07 GMT
Lots of memories. Nicholas Parsons nearly roller-skating off the stage in 'Charlie Girl'. Sian Phillips as 'Marlene' at Oldham before it made the journey south. My first Sondheims under Paul Kerryson's run, also at Oldham. Diana Rigg in the Hepburn role in 'Suddenly Last Summer'. David Troughton as Henry IV at Stratford. My first Les Mis in Manchester. Barbara Cook and Anne Reid singing 'Bosom Buddies' from 'Mame'. Samuel West as Benedick at Sheffield. Ian McDiarmid as Lear (the other one), also at Sheffield. Tom Courtenay as Lear at the Manchester Royal Exchange. Alec McCowen climbing on a table as Clement Attlee. Jerry Lewis as Applegate. Mickey Rooney in panto! Elaine Paige's Norma Desmond. Jeremy Brett's Sherlock at the Wyndhams. Philip Quast's crippled politician in 'The Fix'. Denis Quilley and Liz Robertson sparring in 'My Fair Lady'.
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 15, 2017 11:45:50 GMT
It's probably because I was wide-eyed with wonder at being a 22-year-old Australian let loose in the theatrical wonderland of London, but my most vivid memories of the early shows I saw back in 1960 include 'Pieces of Eight' with Kenneth Williams and Fenella Fielding and two Joan Littlewood shows, namely 'Fings Ain't Wot They Used t'Be' at the Garrick and 'The Hostage' at Wyndhams. Later, Joan's original production of 'Oh What A Lovely War' at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, really packed a punch and was totally memorable. It's no wonder I was still wide-eyed later in the 1970s to find myself actually working with Joan at Stratford East (see my anecdotes in the 'Follies' thread) as well as some of her stars like Toni Palmer, Brian Murphy, Ann Beach and later Barbara Windsor.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2017 13:52:53 GMT
Lots of memories too, I even had a Lenny the Lion glove puppet and wasn't at all embawassed. (His catch phrase was something like Oh don't embawass me!) A very camp Lion!
One of my first memories of London theatre when I moved there in the early 70s was I and Albert with Polly James from the Liver Birds as Queen Victoria. It was written by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams of Annie and Bye Bye Birdie fame so it had a lot of unfulfilled promise and it was directed by John Schlesinger. I think the general public's view of the direction was one of he should've known better. After one dramatic scene depicting the aftermath of a war battle all the dead soldiers just got up and walked off the stage much to the derision of the viewing public.
Being a relative newcomer to London theatre going I thought their reaction was a bit harsh and I enjoyed the overall production. It didn't last very long though.
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 15, 2017 14:31:46 GMT
Musicals Pal Joey with Dennis Lawson and divine Sian Phillips. Saw it 5 times in one summer. Mr Snow, as you have no doubt gathered I am not all that easy to please, but I thought "Pal Joey" with Dennis Lawson and Sian Phillips was an absolutely definitive production of one of the most important musicals of the entire Broadway canon. I saw it several times and rate it very highly indeed. |
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Post by Mr Snow on Sept 15, 2017 15:04:50 GMT
Mr. Tonyloco I am heartened to hear that. I have often wondered if I was just overwhelmed at my first experience of a great Musical Comedy. Hytner (from memory) later talked about doing it at the National but thought there was a problem with the book? The film doesn’t really work. Sinatra is ideal but Hayworth is not old or worldly enough. And then there’s the famous lyric change which went with the general softening of tone. Yes it was important as the first Musical to have a heel as it’s ‘hero’ and I often wondered if Gene Kelly could get that element across. Must have done, as it was his breakthrough piece. I’ve said it before but this would be my nomination for the one I’d love to see revived. WE seem to have a great deal of likes in common. Opera, Musical Comedy (although to date I’ve only seen the new 42nd St twice!) and Music Hall. So who here remembers visiting the Music Hall under the arches at Charing X. The Players Theatre. Existed for over 60 years and was as resolutely old school as the D’Oly Carte. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Players%27_Theatre I went both before the rebuild and after. One year in the late 90’s I had sole charge of the Company Christmas Party and just gave everyone the address and told them to expect a surprise. They never knew what hit them. A full Victorian ‘adult’ pantomime. Some songs were operatic arias’ with new words and others music hall standards. To everyone’s surprise one of our little ‘sparra’s’ staggered to her feet and joined in with And she told me to meet her at the gate Meet her at the gate, but she didn't say what gate I've been to her gate, my gate, Highgate, and Reigate Aldgate, Moorgate and I'm in such a state I've been to Margate, Ramsgate, Tollgate, and Billingsgate I can't find her anywhere And when I told a policeman, he said, "Pop round to Newgate, You might find the Lady there”. Music hall lives on at the Edinburgh Fest. Saw this last month. tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/now-here-s-a-funny-story |
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 15, 2017 16:11:17 GMT
Yes, Mr Snow. We seem to have lots in common. I played quite a lot for the Aba Daba Music Hall at the Pindar of Wakefield in Grey's Inn Road, King's Cross, and we used to do an adult pantomime each year which was always a lot of fun and often quite clever as well as being rather rude. I also opened the Brick Lane Music Hall when it was in Brick Lane and its founder and regular chairman, Vincent Hayes, often did 'Meet Her at the Gate'. It was always a bone of contention that I was never invited to perform at the Players Theatre and eventually Dominic Le Foe, who ran the company, finally asked me but before the agreed dates arrived the whole company went bankrupt and I never got to do the gig!
As regards 'Pal Joey', I too have wondered how Gene Kelly must have played Joey in the original production and I have a sneaking suspicion that he may not have fully brought out the true character of Joey. Wiki tells us that although it played at three different theatres, it only achieved a run of 374 performances so it looks as if its groundbreaking qualities were not fully realised or appreciated. 'Panama Hattie', a normal formula show by Cole Porter starring La Merm opened in the same year and ran 501 performances!
Do you like my new user name? It's all true. I was Grammy nominated in 1997 for compiling a 10CD set of classical recordings celebrating EMI's centenary but I lost out to the Smithsonian Institute for their history of American Folk Music. The other contender in the historical reissue category was Gene Autry, or it might have been Roy Rogers, I don't remember which – really not much to choose between them!
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Post by Mr Snow on Sept 15, 2017 16:26:33 GMT
I also opened the Brick Lane Music Hall when it was in Brick Lane and its founder and regular chairman, Vincent Hayes, often did 'Meet Her at the Gate'. Do you like my new user name? It's all true. I was Grammy nominated in 1997 for compiling a 10CD set of classical recordings celebrating EMI's centenary but I lost out to the Smithsonian Institute for their history of American Folk Music. The other contender in the historical reissue category was Gene Autry, or it might have been Roy Rogers, I don't remember which – really not much to choose between them! I was hoping...and maybe I have seen you. I went twice to Brick Lane but have never been to the later Docklands place. I remember a good looking chap who sang a number with his hands in white gloves and with each successive verse his reach to the audience 'extended'. He had a smile as broad as yours. Congratulations on your nomination, of course you should share it with us. Regarding your old avatar. A couple of years ago my wife had a significant birthday and we celebrated in the old Bethnal Green Town Hall. Now an Hotel. We hired a ‘pearly king’ pianist and surprised everyone by organising a sing a long. The nieces and nephews could hardly sing as the mouths were dropped open! |
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Post by tmesis on Sept 15, 2017 20:52:17 GMT
I too remember that (1980?) Pal Joey with great affection. A classy performance of a classy musical but, hey, it's yet another example of the brilliance of Rodgers, this time with the superb Hart rather than Hammerstein. Much as I love Gershwin, Porter, Berlin and (especially) Kern I think Rodgers is the one I admire the most for the sheer number of really great songs he (apparently effortlessly) composed. Right from 'Manhattan' onwards there's an embarrassment of riches.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 15, 2017 21:25:01 GMT
An obvious one this but I'll never forget the original NT production of Guys and Dolls (1982) with that amazing cast of Ian Charleson, Bob Hoskins, Julie Covington and Julia McKenzie. Superb production from Richard Eyre and then a fab revival in 1996 with an almost unknown Imelda Staunton and Henry Goodman. The only black mark was some poor band arrangements, trying to give it a spurious and uncalled for 'modern' feel.
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 15, 2017 23:09:00 GMT
I was hoping...and maybe I have seen you. I went twice to Brick Lane but have never been to the later Docklands place. I remember a good looking chap who sang a number with his hands in white gloves and with each successive verse his reach to the audience 'extended'. He had a smile as broad as yours. Yes, that was Kent Baker. I often played for him doing the 'arms' number: 'South of the Mason Dixon Line' which I think he had written himself. He was a very versatile performer, being an excellent Music Hall chairman as well as a solo performer and in one of the Pindar pantomimes he was an hilarous dame, ('I work my fingers to the bone and what do I get? Bony fingers!') doing a parody version of 'Roxie' from 'Chicago' as: 'They're gonna stand outside in line to get to see...Twanky!' with bumps and grinds in places that would have surprised Kander and Ebb! The current premises of the Brick Lane Music Hall at Silvertown is somewhere else I never got to play. Vincent invited me to see the place when the original conversion was taking place so I could compliment him on what he was doing but the invitation to play there never came. I felt a bit like Norma Desmond when Paramount only contacted her to borrow her limo! |
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 15, 2017 23:26:35 GMT
I too remember that (1980?) Pal Joey with great affection. A classy performance of a classy musical but, hey, it's yet another example of the brilliance of Rodgers, this time with the superb Hart rather than Hammerstein. Much as I love Gershwin, Porter, Berlin and (especially) Kern I think Rodgers is the one I admire the most for the sheer number of really great songs he (apparently effortlessly) composed. Right from 'Manhattan' onwards there's an embarrassment of riches. Ah now tmesis, I can see where you are coming from but my advice is not to try to pick a favourite from among that galaxy of amazing composers of American musicals. You should rather think along the lines of the Burton Lane song from 'Finian's Rainbow': 'When I'm not near the girl I love, I love the girl I'm near' and just enjoy them all, especially the one you happen to be listening to at any particular time. And don't forget Loesser, De Silva, Brown and Henderson, Kander, Youmans, Loewe, Weill, Arlen, Willson and various others who all bequeathed us some wonderful songs. |
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 15, 2017 23:57:39 GMT
I too remember that (1980?) Pal Joey with great affection. A classy performance of a classy musical but, hey, it's yet another example of the brilliance of Rodgers, this time with the superb Hart rather than Hammerstein. Much as I love Gershwin, Porter, Berlin and (especially) Kern I think Rodgers is the one I admire the most for the sheer number of really great songs he (apparently effortlessly) composed. Right from 'Manhattan' onwards there's an embarrassment of riches. Ah now tmesis, I can see where you are coming from but my advice is not to try to pick a favourite from among that galaxy of amazing composers of American musicals. You should rather think along the lines of the Burton Lane song from 'Finian's Rainbow': 'When I'm not near the girl I love, I love the girl I'm near' and just enjoy them all, especially the one you happen to be listening to at any particular time. And don't forget Loesser, De Silva, Brown and Henderson, Kander, Youmans, Loewe, Weill, Arlen, Willson and various others who all bequeathed us some wonderful songs. And of course I have been hoist with my own petard by describing 'Pal Joey' as one of the most important musicals of the entire Broadway canon. 'most important'? On reflection I think that's an overstatement and dotted right through the whole of the 20th century there are a lot of musicals that have proved themselves to be important, either because of the quality of their songs, or because they have broken new ground for a number of reasons, like the first Broadway musical about psychoanalysis, or the first one to deal with racial prejudice, miscegenation, gambling and desertion, or the first one to feature an entire black cast, or the first one to win a Pulitzer Prize, etc, etc. It is always tempting to devise lists not only of the first things but also of the best this or the best that. I don't know why I am getting so philosophical but TheatreBoard seems to have that effect on me. I'll shut up now and go to bed! |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2017 8:21:42 GMT
My first encounter with Pal Joey was also my first visit to Chichester, and it's still one of my favourite productions. I remember the audience being helpless with laughter at the end of The Flower Garden of my Heart. It started out in the Minerva and proved successful enough that they gave it another run in the main house.
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Post by hulmeman on Sept 16, 2017 9:49:28 GMT
Oh gosh I'm enjoying this thread! I think a future "theatreboard" get together should feature tonyloco's memoir's. Great stuff!
Mention earlier of Jack Tripp, who was for me the best pantomime dame ever. Sometimes raucous and sometimes subtle.
One of my earliest theatre memories was a production of "Aladdin" at the Royalty Theatre, Chester. It started Mikki and Griff and started my life long panto love of led in lines for songs. Theirs was " Aladdin, you look so sad you are usually such a clown", which lead to their then hit "Little bitty tear"! (another favourite was from "Babes in the wood" - Little John - "I will carry Robin Hood out of the forest, because He ain't heavy, he's my brother"!)
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Some things you'll never forget.
