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Post by Playbill99 on Aug 23, 2021 16:51:13 GMT
Cons - Parallel to some really good songs, there are some awful ones that sound like a 5 year old wrote them Please could you elaborate? Which songs sound like a 5 year old wrote them and why? Sure - I'm not going to pretend to know the first thing about song writing because I don't but I just didn't find some of the lyrics aesthetically pleasing at all. Trying to find examples but none of them really stuck with me. But lyrics like: Sebastian's met a girl, I wonder who she is She must be a cow, especially if she's his I just find some of it a bit basic. I've seen loads of people absolutely love it though and I appreciate I'm in the minority. |
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Post by stagebyte on Aug 23, 2021 19:31:54 GMT
I went on Thursday night and a member of staff was going down the queue asking people if they had their tickets and their Covid status evidence, however Covid status wasn’t checked at any point. Same on Friday. In the queue the staff member simply said "Are you negative yeah?" and that was it. The TodayTix email I got preshow also said you could just show a photo of a lateral flow test so I had one of those against my watch (displaying the date) just in case. But no checks in place regardless. I'm really on the fence about whether I enjoyed the show or not to be honest. Pros - Some really good songs. Bad Cinderella and I Know I Have A Heart are both so catchy - The revolve is used really well - Lighting and sound were brilliant - The Stepmother and Stepsisters are hilarious and have some brilliant one liners Cons - Parallel to some really good songs, there are some awful ones that sound like a 5 year old wrote them - I just can't get on board with CHF! Unpopular opinion but I think she's just... meh - The storyline is really problematic (though I've seen some love it soooo...) - "natural swearing" - I hate it when shows put in a curse word just for the laugh. If you're gonna swear in a show then make it natural This show has certainly divided opinions on this board. In Every show I’ve seen her CHF plays CHF. Nice voice. Two facial expressions. I’m extremely curious to see whether Andy’s gushing about his ‘greatest leading ladies’ is true. Can we really compare her to Glenn Close in Sunset? Patti in Evita? Ann Crumb in Aspects. Real tour de force performances. I’m seeing the show this week so I guess I’ll find out. |
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Post by Oliver on Aug 23, 2021 21:01:26 GMT
This show has certainly divided opinions on this board. In Every show I’ve seen her CHF plays CHF. Nice voice. Two facial expressions. I’m extremely curious to see whether Andy’s gushing about his ‘greatest leading ladies’ is true. Can we really compare her to Glenn Close in Sunset? Patti in Evita? Ann Crumb in Aspects. Real tour de force performances. I’m seeing the show this week so I guess I’ll find out. CHF impressed me both on stage and on the cast recording. The role calls for an excellent belter singer and competent actress. It's not really an actor's role as such since there is minimal dialogue and the show is mostly sung through. The singing is what is most important here and she sings the songs passionately and with sensitivity. Her performance of "So Long" on the recording is an excellent example of her fine judgement, providing just the right humorous tone where needed without overdoing this. A lesser talent would make it sound too comical, too silly, or too serious. She strikes the perfect balance which is in itself an example of good acting. It's these little details which make all the difference to the performance. That said, I do agree that ALW is inclined towards hyperbole at times and this can be annoying. I don't mind it here because while it may be a little OTT, I feel that CHF deserves credit for her performance. However, at other times, his almost manic responses can have unfortunate consequences. For example, when he bounced up on stage at the worst production of JCS ever (Gale Edwards' touring production) and proclaimed to the audience that it was the greatest production ever, we ended up with the worst film adaptation ever (and films are unfortunately permanent records of the shows). He also eulogised about Ben Elton's lyrics for 'The Beautiful Game' and said repeatedly that Glenn Slater's (mostly banal) lyrics for "Love Never Dies" were the best he had since Tim Rice. The singer examples you gave are not so great in my opinion. I find Patti Lupone to be immensely overrated. Glenn Close? She's a much better actress than singer. Ann Crumb is okay but she seems ordinary to me. A much better example would have been Michael Crawford in Phantom. |
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Post by stagebyte on Aug 23, 2021 21:57:58 GMT
This show has certainly divided opinions on this board. In Every show I’ve seen her CHF plays CHF. Nice voice. Two facial expressions. I’m extremely curious to see whether Andy’s gushing about his ‘greatest leading ladies’ is true. Can we really compare her to Glenn Close in Sunset? Patti in Evita? Ann Crumb in Aspects. Real tour de force performances. I’m seeing the show this week so I guess I’ll find out. CHF impressed me both on stage and on the cast recording. The role calls for an excellent belter singer and competent actress. It's not really an actor's role as such since there is minimal dialogue and the show is mostly sung through. The singing is what is most important here and she sings the songs passionately and with sensitivity. Her performance of "So Long" on the recording is an excellent example of her fine judgement, providing just the right humorous tone where needed without overdoing this. A lesser talent would make it sound too comical, too silly, or too serious. She strikes the perfect balance which is in itself an example of good acting. It's these little details which make all the difference to the performance. That said, I do agree that ALW is inclined towards hyperbole at times and this can be annoying. I don't mind it here because while it may be a little OTT, I feel that CHF deserves credit for her performance. However, at other times, his almost manic responses can have unfortunate consequences. For example, when he bounced up on stage at the worst production of JCS ever (Gale Edwards' touring production) and proclaimed to the audience that it was the greatest production ever, we ended up with the worst film adaptation ever (and films are unfortunately permanent records of the shows). He also eulogised about Ben Elton's lyrics for 'The Beautiful Game' and said repeatedly that Glenn Slater's (mostly banal) lyrics for "Love Never Dies" were the best he had since Tim Rice. The singer examples you gave are not so great in my opinion. I find Patti Lupone to be immensely overrated. Glenn Close? She's a much better actress than singer. Ann Crumb is okay but she seems ordinary to me. A much better example would have been Michael Crawford in Phantom. It’s the acting through song that impresses me with Ann, Glenn, Patti etc. The singing can be forgiven with anyone if the acting is there - Judi Dench is a prime example of this in Send in the clowns. Glenn Close was the perfect Norma - the singing complemented the character. Love Michael Crawford also but as Andy was talking about leading ladies I pulled them as examples. I agree CHF has a lovely voice but if her acting is ‘competent’ as you called it does the Cinderella star really rate along with some of the best known actresses in musical theatre. Andy bless him does like to gush. Possibly it’s the material? Cinderella doesn’t strike me as a memorable role in comparison to the epic sweep of the story or characters in Evita, Sunset and Aspects but I’ll have a better idea obviously once I’ve seen it. |
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Post by newyorkcityboy on Aug 24, 2021 7:21:00 GMT
It’s the possessive tone that he uses - ‘my’ leading ladies - that is most creepy, the inference being they somehow belong to him. It’s old school impresario speak that doesn’t sit well in the current climate.
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Post by fluxcapacitor on Aug 24, 2021 7:22:08 GMT
Please could you elaborate? Which songs sound like a 5 year old wrote them and why? Sure - I'm not going to pretend to know the first thing about song writing because I don't but I just didn't find some of the lyrics aesthetically pleasing at all. Trying to find examples but none of them really stuck with me. But lyrics like: Sebastian's met a girl, I wonder who she is She must be a cow, especially if she's his I just find some of it a bit basic. I've seen loads of people absolutely love it though and I appreciate I'm in the minority. I don’t think you’re in the minority at all. Following the discussion on here, there’s been a lot of criticism of how basic some of the lyrics are (“I was SO not naïve”  ), as well as other issues like plot points not adding up and the orchestrations sounding synthetic and cheap. But I do think there’s a certain “marmite” aspect to this show where those who love it absolutely LOVE it and believe the show’s positives outweigh them to such an extent that the negatives are dismissed. Fine if that’s their experience, but I’m not one of those people. Like you, I can see some positives - catchy melodies being the biggest, as well as some interesting setups/concepts in the plot - but there were just too many issues that I couldn’t get past. |
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Post by MusicalTalk on Aug 24, 2021 7:42:07 GMT
One could argue the melodies are only catchy because they’re repeated over and and over again and are often quite nursery rhyme like.
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Post by Oliver on Aug 24, 2021 9:58:56 GMT
One could argue the melodies are only catchy because they’re repeated over and and over again and are often quite nursery rhyme like. They could argue that but they would be mistaken. They are not repeated over and over, this is simply untrue. As with most ALW musicals, the score is through composed and the themes are wedded to the development of story and character. It's much more sophisticated than a numbers show with a set of side by side songs. The repetition you refer to, which is not literal and not excessive at all, is a cornerstone of good drama. I don't know where you are getting "nursery rhyme" from? I'm guessing you mean that the songs have a simplicity to them, which is a strength not a weakness. Most of the greatest songs ever written are fundamentally simple and the hardest to write. |
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Post by mkb on Aug 24, 2021 11:36:58 GMT
It’s the possessive tone that he uses - ‘my’ leading ladies - that is most creepy, the inference being they somehow belong to him. It’s old school impresario speak that doesn’t sit well in the current climate. What a bizarre argument. It's quite normal to use possessive pronouns in ways in which no actual ownership or possession is implied, e.g. "Did you catch your train?". |
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Post by newyorkcityboy on Aug 24, 2021 14:15:10 GMT
It’s the possessive tone that he uses - ‘my’ leading ladies - that is most creepy, the inference being they somehow belong to him. It’s old school impresario speak that doesn’t sit well in the current climate. What a bizarre argument. It's quite normal to use possessive pronouns in ways in which no actual ownership or possession is implied, e.g. "Did you catch your train?". Granted, but it seems quite different when talking about people, especially if they are in your employ. Edit: Maybe I’m being overly sensitive, but (for instance) the guy who does my garden is not ‘my’ gardener’, though some might describe him that way. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2021 14:46:26 GMT
I don't understand the CHF hype either. She was the most lifeless Fantine, ever recorded. In the Les Mis concert she hardly changed her expression and her singing was pedestrian at best. She might be able to sing, but she's hardly got range in her acting.
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Post by karloscar on Aug 24, 2021 18:57:21 GMT
One could argue the melodies are only catchy because they’re repeated over and and over again and are often quite nursery rhyme like. They could argue that but they would be mistaken. They are not repeated over and over, this is simply untrue. As with most ALW musicals, the score is through composed and the themes are wedded to the development of story and character. It's much more sophisticated than a numbers show with a set of side by side songs. The repetition you refer to, which is not literal and not excessive at all, is a cornerstone of good drama. I don't know where you are getting "nursery rhyme" from? I'm guessing you mean that the songs have a simplicity to them, which is a strength not a weakness. Most of the greatest songs ever written are fundamentally simple and the hardest to write. ALW is actually one of the worst composers for beating a choon to death in a show. If it was done in a creative way it would be forgivable, but he often takes music which you think belongs to one character or emotion, then undermines that by using the same music for something completely banal or irrelevant to the character without changing it at all. Aspects of Love is particularly bad for this. And simple is not hard to write, it's just hard to write well. Bad Cinderella is a really boring tune, but it could be made more interesting if you doubled the speed or played around with rhythm. Every time we hear it, it's the same ploddy dirge, squarely on the beat, and belted without subtlety. Dull, dull, dull... |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 24, 2021 19:47:09 GMT
I don't understand the CHF hype either. She was the most lifeless Fantine, ever recorded. In the Les Mis concert she hardly changed her expression and her singing was pedestrian at best. She might be able to sing, but she's hardly got range in her acting. I’ve seen her in Les Mis, Addams and Heathers and I have to agree. What was that famous quote about Katherine Hepburn when she ventured onto the live stage? “She runs the gamut of emotions from A to B”. Ouch. Of course CHF has never been formally trained as she insists on telling her acolytes on SM, and seems to have no intention of rectifying that. |
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Post by forevercolours on Aug 24, 2021 19:58:23 GMT
Just impulsively bought a ticket to go see this at the matinee for tomorrow. I am going in with mixed feelings so it will have to do a lot to impress. The good reviews just intrigued me and have made me feel like it may be worth seeing. Will post a review tomorrow!
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Post by Oliver on Aug 24, 2021 20:20:51 GMT
They could argue that but they would be mistaken. They are not repeated over and over, this is simply untrue. As with most ALW musicals, the score is through composed and the themes are wedded to the development of story and character. It's much more sophisticated than a numbers show with a set of side by side songs. The repetition you refer to, which is not literal and not excessive at all, is a cornerstone of good drama. I don't know where you are getting "nursery rhyme" from? I'm guessing you mean that the songs have a simplicity to them, which is a strength not a weakness. Most of the greatest songs ever written are fundamentally simple and the hardest to write. ALW is actually one of the worst composers for beating a choon to death in a show. If it was done in a creative way it would be forgivable, but he often takes music which you think belongs to one character or emotion, then undermines that by using the same music for something completely banal or irrelevant to the character without changing it at all. Aspects of Love is particularly bad for this. And simple is not hard to write, it's just hard to write well. Bad Cinderella is a really boring tune, but it could be made more interesting if you doubled the speed or played around with rhythm. Every time we hear it, it's the same ploddy dirge, squarely on the beat, and belted without subtlety. Dull, dull, dull... Saying "Simple isn't hard to write" is a strawman. I wasn't saying simple is hard to write per se. I do of course think ALW "writes simple well" (and complex). I'm not saying that every use of repetition in every ALW show is perfectly judged either. I would argue that a lot of the repetition in the second act of Sunset Boulevard is unnecessary for example (I don't agree re Aspects, at least not the cast recording). He gets this right more often than he gets it wrong in my opinion, and the musical construction of his scores and dramatic storytelling are two of things I admire most about him as a composer. I am somewhat sympathetic to your views on Bad Cinderella. I didn't care for this song initially (pre-release) but I changed my mind when I saw the show and realised just how powerful this song is in its rightful context. Cinderella suddenly cutting through the excessive prettiness of the Belville music via the direct medium of pop is a fantastic moment on stage. I admit the cast recording of this song could do with a slightly faster tempo, though. |
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Post by forevercolours on Aug 25, 2021 12:48:23 GMT
Two observations before I ever enter the building.
1) Only one queue into the theatre seems highly inefficient. I arrived 50 mins before showtime and the queue is wrapped around the block with everyone cramming in via one door. Hopefully it moves quickly. Not looking forward to the bar queue though!
2) Lots of very young children dressed in blue Cinderella ballgowns. Don’t think it’s gonna be what they expect at all!
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Post by steve10086 on Aug 25, 2021 12:59:22 GMT
Two observations before I ever enter the building. 1) Only one queue into the theatre seems highly inefficient. I arrived 50 mins before showtime and the queue is wrapped around the block with everyone cramming in via one door. Hopefully it moves quickly. Not looking forward to the bar queue though! 2) Lots of very young children dressed in blue Cinderella ballgowns. Don’t think it’s gonna be what they expect at all! That there are kids going to this dressed in ball gowns is a massive failure in the marketing of this show. Hope they enjoy the Magic Mike routine and the swearing! |
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Post by Mark on Aug 25, 2021 13:19:44 GMT
Two observations before I ever enter the building. 1) Only one queue into the theatre seems highly inefficient. I arrived 50 mins before showtime and the queue is wrapped around the block with everyone cramming in via one door. Hopefully it moves quickly. Not looking forward to the bar queue though! 2) Lots of very young children dressed in blue Cinderella ballgowns. Don’t think it’s gonna be what they expect at all! That there are kids going to this dressed in ball gowns is a massive failure in the marketing of this show. Hope they enjoy the Magic Mike routine and the swearing! The marketing got them there to buy tickets didn't it? I'd say it's more a failure on the parents who didn't look past the name of "Cinderella" |
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Post by inthenose on Aug 25, 2021 13:56:56 GMT
What a bizarre argument. It's quite normal to use possessive pronouns in ways in which no actual ownership or possession is implied, e.g. "Did you catch your train?". Granted, but it seems quite different when talking about people, especially if they are in your employ. Edit: Maybe I’m being overly sensitive, but (for instance) the guy who does my garden is not ‘my’ gardener’, though some might describe him that way. It could have of course been averted by calling it "Bad Cinderella". A show called "Cinderella" in the UK has had a reputation for at least a hundred years of being either a panto, Disney film or fairy tale story. If I had seen Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard of Oz back then and it was nothing like the version I knew/expected, and I'd taken children, I'd be annoyed... As for the marketing, all too often we hear how the marketing was poor and doesn't reflect the story/quality of the piece (e.g. & Juliet), so lots of people ignore this and just book a familiar name they know with a star - or in this case famous composer. I don't have a horse in this race, just saying that blaming people for not doing research doesn't really stand up when a show is sold with no age warnings and is called something like "Cinderella". |
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Post by fluxcapacitor on Aug 25, 2021 14:32:11 GMT
Granted, but it seems quite different when talking about people, especially if they are in your employ. Edit: Maybe I’m being overly sensitive, but (for instance) the guy who does my garden is not ‘my’ gardener’, though some might describe him that way. It could have of course been averted by calling it "Bad Cinderella". A show called "Cinderella" in the UK has had a reputation for at least a hundred years of being either a panto, Disney film or fairy tale story. If I had seen Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard of Oz back then and it was nothing like the version I knew/expected, and I'd taken children, I'd be annoyed... As for the marketing, all too often we hear how the marketing was poor and doesn't reflect the story/quality of the piece (e.g. & Juliet), so lots of people ignore this and just book a familiar name they know with a star - or in this case famous composer. I don't have a horse in this race, just saying that blaming people for not doing research doesn't really stand up when a show is sold with no age warnings and is called something like "Cinderella". Given the title song, part of me wonders if it was originally going to be called BAD CINDERELLA but they realised the potential for puns or review headlines playing on the "Bad" in the title, so chickened out and went with just CINDERELLA when they really should have done something else with it. You don't see little girls in Disney dresses queuing up for SOHO CINDERS do you? Either way, I agree the marketing is failing somewhat on this one - based on the title as you say. They're selling the show well on the whole, but they're obviously failing to get across to some people that this is not a Disney-fied fairytale. |
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Post by steve10086 on Aug 25, 2021 15:13:04 GMT
That there are kids going to this dressed in ball gowns is a massive failure in the marketing of this show. Hope they enjoy the Magic Mike routine and the swearing! The marketing got them there to buy tickets didn't it? I'd say it's more a failure on the parents who didn't look past the name of "Cinderella" No, as others have said, this is a direct consequence of calling the show “Cinderella”. It was a stupid idea from the start. |
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Post by sophie92 on Aug 25, 2021 16:44:01 GMT
The age recommendation is 6+ so they’re openly saying they think it’s suitable for young children. Make of that what you will.
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Post by forevercolours on Aug 25, 2021 17:36:52 GMT
I am glad I went into this not expecting it to be fantastic or else I would be very disappointed right now. I really did not enjoy this. Most of the songs are forgettable and the plot is just boring. I can’t fault the performances of anyone, Carrie was fantastic and Michael Hamway was a charming prince. However, the material they have to work with is poor. I’m sad it didn’t prove me wrong but this just wasn’t it for me.
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Post by stagebyte on Aug 26, 2021 10:55:40 GMT
Caught the matinee yesterday. It’s very different to ALWs usual vibe but I enjoyed the music and the story for what it was.
Some thoughts.
The set was magical - there I said it. Lit it looked beautiful. The photos they released of the unlit stage made it look like a Year 6 end of term play don’t do it justice. Same with the costumes. They look gorgeous and intricate under the lights. The Queen gets all the best costumes naturally. Hers had the wow factor for sure.
The songs work much better in context. Bad Cinderella works when she’s being pulled around the stage by the villagers but still doesn’t excuse the mental health slur lyrics in whatever context. They’re not clever or funny.
CHF is believable when she’s playing the bolshie Cinderella but the softer emotional scenes definitely need work. Pulling a ‘sad face’ didn’t really do it for me. She has a pure voice and I think the singing lessons she’s been talking of on sm have definitely strengthened her voice which was sounding tired in Heathers. Good chemistry with the understudy Sebastian though who looked more her age than Ivano. Michael Hamway smashed Only You Lonely You. Best round of applause of the show seemed to carry on and on and definitely Andy’s best tune in this. I can see it being an audition standard for years.
The ‘did someone say my name’ and reveal is a blatant attempt to elicit entrance applause for the leading lady. It worked,
Stepsisters were a hoot and straight out of the Essex girls/Love Island playbook. Laura Baldwin goes from strength to strength with each role.
Stepmother - couldn’t decide whether that accent choice was a work of genius or the oddest thing I’ve ever heard. if we’re going Disney Villainess I guess it worked but script wise I don’t think she was evil enough to justify the accent. She was scheming sure but she relented a few times over Cinderella’s behaviour? A true villain would’ve cast her out penniless into the snow. And at the end? Can’t work out how to do a spoiler button but surely not a villainess reaction?
The hunk song went on far too long and was neither sexy enough or camp enough to justify a little encore.
Relying on bitch, Pr**k and knob as punchlines is lazy writing.
The wig on transformed Cinderella and the silver dress combined with the paleness of her makeup made her look washed out rather than dazzling at the ball. I know the change is quick but she at least needs lipstick to avoid looking like an ancestor from Addams Family. I’m unsure whether the point of ‘the look’ is to make her irresistible at the ball (she was attracting lots of attention) or bland as bland can be (so he doesn’t recognise her) But the latter vibe is what I was getting and that’s entirely down to the styling. Her entrance reveal music seemed to suggest she should look knockout though so? CHF is a beautiful woman - the look did her no favours.
I want the crystal shoes.
The god mother - what a voice, what a song! But so many questions?
Why the constant threats to be home by midnight? Why did she want Cinderella’s treasured possession (very Little Mermaid) There are no consequences for not being home at 12? The item is returned v easily later for no apparent reason. Beauty has a price is a great song but the character seemed to be quietly dropped after this huge number. What a waste. Would love to see some more character development there- and the weird mannequins either choreo something menacing for them to do or lose them?
The screen ball transformation is a poor device.. Come on, this is the west end I’m sure something more sophisticated could be pulled out of the bag.
The returning character needs an adventure song to explain further.
The little medley Cinderella sang towards the end felt a bit odd. Just choose a song and sing a reprise? Singing a bit of every song you’ve sung through the show was indulgent.
Had something in my eye for Marry for love. Andy’s tunes are the best thing about the show.
In the pantheon of his work if we’re giving Evita/Sunset 5 stars and Joseph 2 I’d give it 3 stars. A perfectly nice afternoon out.
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Post by stagebyte on Aug 26, 2021 11:04:57 GMT
Caught the matinee yesterday. It’s very different to ALWs usual vibe but I enjoyed the music and the story for what it was. Some thoughts. The set was magical - there I said it. Lit it looked beautiful. The photos they released of the unlit stage made it look like a Year 6 end of term play don’t do it justice. Same with the costumes. They look gorgeous and intricate under the lights. The Queen gets all the best costumes naturally. Hers had the wow factor for sure. The songs work much better in context. Bad Cinderella works when she’s being pulled around the stage by the villagers but still doesn’t excuse the mental health slur lyrics in whatever context. They’re not clever or funny. CHF is believable when she’s playing the bolshie Cinderella but the softer emotional scenes definitely need work. Pulling a ‘sad face’ didn’t really do it for me. She has a pure voice and I think the singing lessons she’s been talking of on sm have definitely strengthened her voice which was sounding tired in Heathers. Good chemistry with the understudy Sebastian though who looked more her age than Ivano. Michael Hamway smashed Only You Lonely You. Best round of applause of the show seemed to carry on and on and definitely Andy’s best tune in this. I can see it being an audition standard for years. The ‘did someone say my name’ and reveal is a blatant attempt to elicit entrance applause for the leading lady. It worked, Stepsisters were a hoot and straight out of the Essex girls/Love Island playbook. Laura Baldwin goes from strength to strength with each role. Stepmother - couldn’t decide whether that accent choice was a work of genius or the oddest thing I’ve ever heard. if we’re going Disney Villainess I guess it worked but script wise I don’t think she was evil enough to justify the accent. She was scheming sure but she relented a few times over Cinderella’s behaviour? A true villain would’ve cast her out penniless into the snow. And at the end? Can’t work out how to do a spoiler button but surely not a villainess reaction? The hunk song went on far too long and was neither sexy enough or camp enough to justify a little encore. Relying on bitch, Pr**k and knob as punchlines is lazy writing. The wig on transformed Cinderella and the silver dress combined with the paleness of her makeup made her look washed out rather than dazzling at the ball. I know the change is quick but she at least needs lipstick to avoid looking like an ancestor from Addams Family. I’m unsure whether the point of ‘the look’ is to make her irresistible at the ball (she was attracting lots of attention) or bland as bland can be (so he doesn’t recognise her) But the dowager duchess vibe is what I was getting and that’s entirely down to the styling. Her entrance reveal music seemed to suggest she should look knockout though so? CHF is a beautiful woman - the look did her no favours. I want the crystal shoes. The god mother - what a voice, what a song! But so many questions? Why the constant threats to be home by midnight? Why did she want Cinderella’s treasured possession (very Little Mermaid) There are no consequences for not being home at 12? The item is returned v easily later for no apparent reason. Beauty has a price is a great song but the character seemed to be quietly dropped after this huge number. What a waste. Would love to see some more character development there- and the weird mannequins either choreo something menacing for them to do or lose them? The screen ball transformation is a poor device.. Come on, this is the west end I’m sure something more sophisticated could be pulled out of the bag. The returning character needs an adventure song to explain further. The little medley Cinderella sang towards the end felt a bit odd. Just choose a song and sing a reprise? Singing a bit of every song you’ve sung through the show was indulgent. Had something in my eye for Marry for love. Andy’s tunes are the best thing about the show. In the pantheon of his work if we’re giving Evita/Sunset 5 stars and Joseph 2 I’d give it 3 stars. A perfectly nice afternoon out and great to be back in the west end . Ps: barely anyone bothering with masks. We didn’t get our Covid pass checked and the curtain went up 20 minutes late due to them struggling to get the huge queue in. I don’t get the delays if they’re only doing bag checks as usual? Oh and some drama in the stalls when they asked 4 to leave as they were in someone’s seats. The waving of the tickets of the people asked to move seemed to suggest a mixup at the box office |
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), as well as other issues like plot points not adding up and the orchestrations sounding synthetic and cheap. But I do think there’s a certain “marmite” aspect to this show where those who love it absolutely LOVE it and believe the show’s positives outweigh them to such an extent that the negatives are dismissed. Fine if that’s their experience, but I’m not one of those people. Like you, I can see some positives - catchy melodies being the biggest, as well as some interesting setups/concepts in the plot - but there were just too many issues that I couldn’t get past.
