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Post by dazzerlump on Apr 3, 2018 10:17:49 GMT
Are we thinking by looking at the seating plan that all seats will be raked or will some near the front be flat on the stage? I've never been to the young vic so I don't know what to expect! Looking at any seating plan and pictures from past productions there the space only looks to have 5 rows of raked seats?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2018 13:19:15 GMT
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Post by crowblack on Apr 3, 2018 14:21:03 GMT
Darn, I was hoping for Erin Doherty - she seems to have been a fixture on The Cut of late....
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Post by dazzerlump on Apr 3, 2018 22:30:59 GMT
Looking at any seating plan and pictures from past productions there the space only looks to have 5 rows of raked seats? it's always raked, from B back. Hi Theatremonkey, its not in the round this time it looks to be end on. and they've added more rows of seats. I called the theatre to check and they said its all raked but I just down see how they can add more raked seats to the ones that are already there as the stage space is flat until the rake starts and then it only seems to go up 5 rows |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2018 9:04:10 GMT
The Young Vic is basically a black box space, and although many of the productions do seem to have the same audience layout, it's worth thinking of them as starting from scratch every time they change production. If they're adding more rows to the front, they're not starting with a bank of seats then putting more seats in the space in front, they're starting with an empty space and where they had previously said "we'll have 12(??) rows in a raked bank", they have reconsidered and are now saying "we'll have 16(??) rows in a raked bank". Hope that makes sense!
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Post by alece10 on Apr 4, 2018 9:24:48 GMT
I had no intention of seeing this but I've just seen the casting (I'm a bit slow off the block) Kaisa and Jenna! Count me in.
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Post by alison on Apr 4, 2018 10:06:24 GMT
its not in the round this time it looks to be end on I know, I looked at it when it was put up. The plan is identical to that horrible "Macbeth," and the decent "Measure for Measure," one. It is all raked, the long row at G divides the entrances you use. A to G run up from the stalls, then H back to M take it up to the original circle level, N being the actual circle. It's all raked. I booked an unallocated zone D ticket last year when it was announced and we had no seating plan info and have ended up with N53. Worth using, or should I lose the £10 I paid for it and see if I can get something better. Having never been to the Young Vic before, I'd appreciate anything anyone who's been before can tell me. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2018 10:15:58 GMT
There's not really any such thing as a bad seat at the Young Vic in my experience. Granted, we don't know what they're doing with the stage, and you're going to be fairly side on which might be an issue if your neck doesn't like you having to look sideways for the duration of a show, but I'd be extremely surprised if the view from up there was in any way blocked. I've been given basically the same seat but on the other side, and though I was initially disappointed that they hadn't decided the front row should sell for the cheapest price (which has happened occasionally), I'm not concerned.
If you decide you do want to go for a different seat, the Young Vic are very good about exchanging, so you could phone them or pop in and ask to put your existing £10 ticket towards the cost of your new ticket.
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Post by alison on Apr 4, 2018 10:41:09 GMT
Thanks both, sounds like it's worth sticking with.  |
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Post by dazzerlump on Apr 4, 2018 17:07:23 GMT
Thanks guys for you knowledge. Ive had a look at the current inheritance layout which is similar to Fun Home and checked out a few pictures and I've asked to be moved back a few rows as I was placed in C and to me it looked a bit near and almost under the stage for Inheritance. I may have made the wrong choice when it comes to Fun Home, but I'll find out in August!!!!
I just wished they had designed it in the round like Broadway, after all I always thought that's why the it was being done at the Young Vic in the first place.
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Post by alece10 on Apr 9, 2018 7:36:06 GMT
Looks like Jenna Russell will have to leg it at the end of last performance as just seen on Facebook she is doing a Norwegian Fjord criuse starting same day with Chita Rivera and Ramin Karimloo.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2018 10:02:50 GMT
Looks like Jenna Russell will have to leg it at the end of last performance as just seen on Facebook she is doing a Norwegian Fjord criuse starting same day with Chita Rivera and Ramin Karimloo. Oh gosh, going cruising with Ronny Boogaloo AND Chita Rivera there too. Seriously, I've had dreams like that. |
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Post by sf on Apr 9, 2018 10:43:42 GMT
Looks like Jenna Russell will have to leg it at the end of last performance as just seen on Facebook she is doing a Norwegian Fjord criuse starting same day with Chita Rivera and Ramin Karimloo. I assume she'll fly to Bergen or somewhere the following day to join the ship there. |
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Post by alece10 on Apr 9, 2018 11:40:35 GMT
If it wasn't for the fact I get sea sick just looking at a ship I'd lobe to do it. Sounds great fun.
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Post by squidward on Apr 9, 2018 13:44:33 GMT
I know I’m in a minority here, but I was so disappointed to hear that Jenna Russell will be in the show.
Every time I see her she leaves me utterly cold especially where I’ve seen a different actress knock the same role out the park ( Samantha Spiro in Merrilly at The Donmar, Christine Ebersole in Grey Gardens and Maria Friedman in the NT SITPWG).
In my opinion, apart from the pantomime that was Urinetown, there’s very little to differentiate one role from another in her performances and none of them feel like they have any depth or truth to them.
There are many other actors in the UK that could have played the part in FH, to me she’s a predictable and rather lazy choice.
I’m so glad that one of my favourite shows, Next to Notmal, hasn’t come to the UK yet, because my guess is she’ll land the role of Diana which would ensure that I’d have to
stay away from the production.
I know she’s got the pipes and a ready tear always available and lots of MT fans rate her very highly, but I just don’t get it the love at all.
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Post by ali973 on Apr 11, 2018 4:17:39 GMT
I also find her overrated, TBH. She wasn't on when I saw Urinetown, but I thought she was okay like everyone else in the cast of Merrily We Roll Along. I never thought she was anything special.
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Post by MoreLife on Apr 11, 2018 12:09:42 GMT
I know I’m in a minority here, but I was so disappointed to hear that Jenna Russell will be in the show. Every time I see her she leaves me utterly cold especially where I’ve seen a different actress knock the same role out the park ( Samantha Spiro in Merrilly at The Donmar, Christine Ebersole in Grey Gardens and Maria Friedman in the NT SITPWG). In my opinion, apart from the pantomime that was Urinetown, there’s very little to differentiate one role from another in her performances and none of them feel like they have any depth or truth to them. I'm all in favour of discussing different views, so your "minority" opinion is extremely welcome. In order for me (and others in the "majority") to better understand your point, could you perhaps make some concrete examples of performances that were not different enough, or that had no depth or truth to them? I have not had the luck and pleasure of seeing Maria Friedman in the NT SITPWG, but I've seen her inhabit Dot more than once in a concert setting, and for sure she brings to the role something different from what Jenna Russell did with it both in the West End and on Broadway. Yet, different choices are not necessarily wrong choices, acting-wise. I really don't think I could say that either portrayal of such a rich and beautiful character lacked in depth or truth, or that either failed to touch me with the humanity and honesty of their characterisation. This is why I think it'd be very interesting if you could elaborate a bit more. Perhaps with the exception of Urinetown (where the flaw may actually be in the material...) I don't think I've ever seen Jenna Russell in action and not felt that she was being utterly present and truthful with her acting choices, so I could do with examples... |
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Post by squidward on Apr 11, 2018 15:32:11 GMT
I absolutely agree that different choices are not necessarily wrong choices. There's nothing more boring than the drilled performances you see in some of the big US musicals where it's clear the cast have been drilled to play a character in the same way down to every last turn of the head.
The thing with JR is that personally, I've never felt moved by any of her performances. They feel very 'stagey' to me, but just not very truthful. Of course this is utterly subjective.
Part if the problem with the Chocolate Factory's Merrily was nothing to do with JR. I just felt all three principals were too old for their parts, so when the rewind in age happened I didn't buy it at all. When I saw the Donmar production, all three leads were much younger.
That said, I've seen quite a few productions of this show and always find Mary's thread extremely moving (especially her version of 'Not a Day Goes By'. In JR's case, It felt broad and because I hadn't really felt the undertones of her affections for Frank during the earlier parts of the show, this number didn't land for me at all.
Actually (and again, this is just my opinion), her performance in general felt broad in this show. The empathy between Frank and Charlie was there, but Mary stuck out on her own and I don't think that's the way the relationship between the threesome is intended.
I thought Thom Southerland mangled 'Grey Gardens' at Southwark. It's a flawed piece, but I am a total GG-Head and loved it on Broadway. Personally, I felt like Sheila Hancock underplayed Big Edie and nailed it, whereas JR was overplaying along with other members of the cast, so it felt like SH was in a different show to everyone else. With GG, the real story is so bizarre that it's not necessary to have the actors play it like a parody and that's how I felt about JR's interpretation of Little Edie, who really was a tragic figure.
Same again for 'Into The Woods' at Regents Park, but to be fair, the Baker didn't give her a great deal to play with.
As you say about Urinetown, the material was so sophomoric that there wasn't much anyone could have done with those roles (although I did think Jonathan Slinger managed to hold his own). The same can be said for the shocker that was 'Soho Cinders'. Why on earth JR and Michael Xavier signed up for that one I will never know.
I won't go into every show I've seen JR in, but I'm waiting to feel what her many fans feel.
As you say about Urinetown, the material was so sophomoric that there wasn't much anyone could have done with those roles (although I did think Jonathan Slinger managed to hold his own). The same can be said for the shocker that was 'Soho Cinders'. Why on earth JR and Michael Xavier signed up for that one I will never know.
I'm not sure if the NT ever recorded their SITPWG. It was a long time ago actually, but MF's performance was heart-shattering, whereas I though JR's portrayal was all about her and there was no chemistry whatsoever with Daniel Evans. If anything one would imagine that the Bernadette Peters/,Mandy Patinkin version may have suffered from two big MT stars grandstanding, but it didn't.
The no chemistry with other cast members issue feels like a reoccurring theme to me I guess. I feel like JR is doing her own thing in a rather broad fashion, lots of big eyes, speeches delivered into the mid-distance and tears,but no truth for me.
Having said that, I've never seen her in a show where I haven't seen someone else take on the role first. I have seen many clips of 'Fun Home', but not the show, so maybe that will be the one where I understand why she is generally so beloved of MT fans.
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Post by karloscar on Apr 11, 2018 15:45:42 GMT
Helen in Fun Home is a bit cold, brittle and unemotional right up until her final scene, so the role may suit Jenna Russell far more than the roles you didn't rate her in previously.
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Post by squidward on Apr 12, 2018 0:32:49 GMT
Helen in Fun Home is a bit cold, brittle and unemotional right up until her final scene, so the role may suit Jenna Russell far more than the roles you didn't rate her in previously. It's definitely going to be interesting. I'd agree with you that my perception of her OTT performances without having a great deal of nuance behind it isn't going work in this part, so you may well be right. |
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Post by MoreLife on Apr 12, 2018 12:17:17 GMT
The no chemistry with other cast members issue feels like a reoccurring theme to me I guess. I feel like JR is doing her own thing in a rather broad fashion, lots of big eyes, speeches delivered into the mid-distance and tears,but no truth for me. Having said that, I've never seen her in a show where I haven't seen someone else take on the role first. I have seen many clips of 'Fun Home', but not the show, so maybe that will be the one where I understand why she is generally so beloved of MT fans. Thanks so much squidward for taking the time to write such a detailed and passionate post! I definitely agree with you: whether an actor's performance speaks to us on an emotional level comes down to whether he or she manages to trigger an empathetic response in us audience members, and that is ultimately a most subjective factor. Personally, I remember having a strong emotional response to Jenna's Dot and to her relationship with Daniel Evans' George... but who knows, maybe something that you perceived as indicative of a lack of chemistry between them, to me was a sign of how difficult it is to love someone who doesn't wish, or is unable to connect or love someone back. I truly hope she doesn't disappoint you (or any one of us, for that matter) in "Fun home". She'll certainly be playing a rather different character this time, one that - as emerges from Alison Bechdel's books - is meant to come across as a rather detached and cold maternal figure, and one whose relationship with her husband is not quite based on an ideal chemistry. |
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2018 22:05:55 GMT
Not sure if this has been discussed, but just selected a date in August and the seating plan looks end-on/pros arch, opposed to in-the-round.
So will it be the same design as the US tour instead of the Broadway production? Suppose it would be easier for a West End transfer.
EDIT: It has been discussed pretty recently, my apologies.
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Post by crowblack on May 9, 2018 18:26:51 GMT
Anyone know the approx. running time for this?
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Post by alforshort on May 9, 2018 18:40:21 GMT
On Broadway it was 1hr40 with no interval
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Post by 49thand8th on May 9, 2018 19:08:48 GMT
Yep. I've seen it on tour and regionally since, and that hasn't changed.
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