581 posts
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Post by princeton on Sept 21, 2017 9:05:06 GMT
Robert Fairchild really is in a league of his own - and by the time he reached London he was so comfortable in that role that it was an utter joy to watch - the perfect synthesis of performer and part. I’ve seen seven Jerrys here and in the US (not obsessive honestly - I love Gershwin and love dance) and Max is in line with the other replacements where they’ve chosen classical dancers where their singing is second order rather than musical theatre performers - Ashley being an exception and he sings the part wonderfully. I guess this is one role where, if a choice has to be made, I’d take an effortless classical dancer over a singer - and I agree with lonlod that Max is a very virile Jerry. However, what I really wish is that they’d locked the door and not allowed Fairchild to leave!
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520 posts
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Post by anthony on Sept 21, 2017 11:12:54 GMT
Personally, I thought Ashley was amazing. I'd probably see the show again to see him in the role. I didn't hate it, but the ballet in act 2 went on wayyyy too long - I got bored during it.
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1,281 posts
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Post by theatrefan77 on Sept 21, 2017 20:29:09 GMT
I loved the ballet in Act 2!! It's my favourite part. The music is truly glorious, one of Gershwin's masterpieces, and the choreography is just superb. Love the ballet in the movie as well, the concept is completely different but absolutely wonderful nonetheless.
I haven't seen Ashley Day yet as Jerry. Hope he'll be in for my next visit
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904 posts
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Post by lonlad on Sept 22, 2017 1:13:03 GMT
Anyone know for sure whether or not Leanne was on tonight (Thursday)?
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520 posts
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Post by anthony on Sept 22, 2017 19:46:41 GMT
Anyone know for sure whether or not Leanne was on tonight (Thursday)? Leanne doesn't perform Thursdays. When I saw it a couple of weeks ago, we had the 2nd understudy. |
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270 posts
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Post by stageyninja83 on Sept 23, 2017 5:31:43 GMT
Anyone know for sure whether or not Leanne was on tonight (Thursday)? The schedule is all over the place at the minute as Leanne and the alternate Dannie are recovering from injury. Thursday was the debut of Zoe Arshamian as Lise according to her Instagram. |
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Post by partytentdown on Sept 26, 2017 17:35:43 GMT
Closing 6 Jan
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19,676 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 26, 2017 17:47:16 GMT
Cinema release planned following the shows closure.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2017 17:59:29 GMT
No great surprise. Think it had a good run given the size of the theatre.
Bat Out Of Hell next? Do hope so. Dominion would suit it best I think.
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1,102 posts
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Post by zak97 on Sept 26, 2017 18:12:54 GMT
Having only seen it once and not had the instant urge to return, I'm not shocked at all. That said, I will go back again and give it another shot. Probs once in October and once in December.
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5,817 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 26, 2017 19:45:24 GMT
Surprised it’s lasted this long!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2017 20:03:24 GMT
Not surprising, but still sad. Its a great show. Hopefuly will get to see it again before it goes.  Looks like 42nd Street was the success of the two big dance musicals to open back to back, unless it announces closure soon. Which I doubt. |
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2,452 posts
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Post by theatremadness on Sept 26, 2017 20:07:00 GMT
Also a shame for those currently learning material from the show for 'cast change' auditions!!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2017 20:50:08 GMT
Surely a dead cert for Bat out of Hell next year then?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2017 21:20:49 GMT
Great that this has been filmed. IMO as many musicals as possible should be preserved like this at the end of their runs. What I wouldn't give for HD Cats/Starlight/Aspects/Sunset.
Also looking fwd to Sixpence :-)
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91 posts
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Post by anniel on Sept 26, 2017 22:20:45 GMT
Ooo - do you think it will be out on DVD? Imagine having Robert Fairchild, dancing like a God, in your very own living room to get out whenever you're feeling a bit gloomy.....  I am sorry this is closing though - it is a lovely show ( and I did prefer it to 42nd Street) |
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1,102 posts
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Post by zak97 on Sept 26, 2017 22:24:14 GMT
I really would like a DVD. Some scenes I found were really beautiful and would happily skip the bits I don't like for those.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2017 11:11:03 GMT
It ran for the same number of months
As
Stand up
Stand up and sing
Stand up and sing
It has obviously made a loss and a run of under 12 months cannot be seen as a major success whichever light you shine and from whatever angle you look at it
Closing so soon before the Olivier Awards is also not helpful for the show
Yet again we see a discrepancy between the sycophancy of critics and what real people actually want to see
On the other hand lovely to see the auditions for new chorus members for 42nd Street as it continues into 2018
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151 posts
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Post by gra on Sept 27, 2017 17:39:59 GMT
Dominion v Phoenix. No contest!
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149 posts
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Post by tonylony on Sept 27, 2017 21:12:58 GMT
First post here  Saw this last week and really enjoyed the night. So glad to hear they've preserved this, it seems so rare for West End shows.. Wondering if the guys from BroadwayHD are behind this, as they produced the Broadway run. Anyhow, I really hope this comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray later on, as it would be such a waste not to release this following the cinema engagements (and a great new revenue stream for them). |
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8,107 posts
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Post by alece10 on Sept 29, 2017 6:43:34 GMT
Finally got to see this last night thanks to a couple of rush tickets on Today Tix, £25 and we got row V in the stalls. Great seats for the price. Boy that theatre is huge. Fuller than I expected and the stalls pretty full apart from a couple of empty chunks at the back and sides. Don't know what it was like in the dress.
Well I loved it, its absolutely beautiful on the eyes. Those projections were amazing. Loved the music, loved the dancing, loved the cast. Ashley Day and Leanne Cope were superb (I now wish I had seen it earlier when Robert Fairchild was doing it as I loved him in Oaklahoma at the Proms)
Just realised I keep using the word love a lot this morning, but I am still tired and my brain not working property to think of more intelligent words - sorry
Will definitely go and see this again before it closes.
I am not going to compare with 42nd Street as although they are both big dance musicals, they are totally different in style and substance.
This was a real treat after seeing Annie in the afternoon which was ok if you are 10 years old. This was one for the grown ups
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Post by SamB (was badoerfan) on Sept 30, 2017 12:16:49 GMT
Anyone know for sure whether or not Leanne was on tonight (Thursday)? Leanne doesn't perform Thursdays. When I saw it a couple of weeks ago, we had the 2nd understudy. Saw this on Thursday night, and Leanne was on - at least, the cast board said she was, and it very much looked like her! Mixed feelings on this. I loved the music, and even enjoyed the songs, although Gershwin songs aren't really my cup of tea - I thought they were very well used here. I loved the dancing too, which I thought was beautiful and really engaging. However, I have huge problems with the plot, or rather with Jerry's character. I just don't understand why Lise falls for him, or why we are meant to root for him. He falls in love with her, then goes and disrupts her life at her workplace and nearly gets her fired, even though she repeatedly tells him to go away and that she isn't interested. He then meets her by the river, where she again tells him she isn't interested, but he just goes on and on at her - physically grabbing her at time - until she finally gives in and agrees to give up her time and be with him an hour a day. It was just the ultimate 'romance' trope from movies, which isn't actually romantic at all. Persistence is not romantic, it is annoying, and when a girl isn't interested, she's not interested. Just leave her alone. And don't get me started on the fact that he continues to pursue her even when he knows she's engaged to his friend, and is himself in a relationship with Milo. Oh, and the whole 'I don't like the sound of your name, so I'm going to call you something else, because that's apparently romantic, and not actually self-obsessed and controlling behaviour at all'. f*** that. It's a shame, because I actually really enjoyed the show as a whole - but the plot and the character just ruined it for me. On the positive side when it comes to Jerry, Ashley Day is absolutely 🍑🍑. Now that was a part of his character I could get behind. Repeatedly. |
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126 posts
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Post by frontrowcentre on Sept 30, 2017 18:17:38 GMT
I also got to see this yesterday for the first time. Good value for money rush tickets on the todayTix app, although I wouldn't have minded to pay a little bit more to be seated closer to the stage.
I thought the production was excellent, you can tell that is a Broadway import. The set, the projections... all really good. I struggled to recognized faces from the back of the stalls but I do believe the leading lady was the original, there's not words to describe how perfect she was, I'm not an expert in ballet/dancing but I don't think I have ever seen anything like it. I did recognized Haydn Oakley, who I had seen in Side show and Women on the verge... He was excellent. The guy playing Adam. again Im not sure weather he was an understudy or the guy in the program, but OMG THAT VOICE!!! He just sounded heavenly! Agree with different things that have been said in the last couple of post, I had forgotten how big the theatre is, last time I was there was seeing the original cast of WWRY!!, and I was also impressed of how full it was at least in the stalls. The leading man, very charming and what a 🍑!!! Also it's different but comparable to 42nd street. I know I'll be in the minority in this board but I enjoyed this one better.
The plot though, not sure about it or how is told, towards the end I couldn't care less who was going to win the love of the leading lady. Still this was a feast for the eyes and I'm very glad I got to see it before it closes.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2017 21:06:00 GMT
parsley, you snuck back in when my back was turned... I have missed you (I must point out that I am a real person and not a sycophant/critic...) but I loved An American in Paris. I have no idea what all this 'Stand up...' malarkey means (something to do with Bend It Like Bekham??) but I'll go along with it for you.  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2017 22:24:35 GMT
I'm going back tomorrow afternoon for a second time. I believe I saw it last when I took a break from this board, but I liked it. I was dissapointed because I had it really built up in my head for some reason, and it wasn't as strong as I wanted it to be. However I was sat back of the Stalls, so I look for ward to seeing it from second row to see if it changes my mind. A beautiful show to look at, especially the set and design overall. I thought Ashley Day and Zoe Rainey were the best parts of the whole thing. I'll be dad to not see Ashley as he is on holiday tomorrow. Leanne was good, but I felt her dancing was really the only impressive thing with her. She does barely nothing for the first third of the show, just walking back and fourth across the stage, her presance, for me, was not really felt until the scene in the parlor or wherever she works. I'm not really a ballet pwrson, and for a show that is billed as a musical, it was a bit too dance break heavy for me. That final ballet went on for Jesus, it just never ended! But it has beautiful dancing for that, I personally would of appreciated a bit of singing to go with it. I can totally see why 42nd Street is lasting longer, even though if you had asked me a year ago, I would of thought otherwise. All that said, I am totally willing to give this one a second change, from a better seat. As I said, I enjoyed it, so hopefully it will be alot more impactful for me this time around. |
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