ALW's Cinderella - Gillian Lynne / U.K. Tour (rumour)

Genuine question... if CHF (presumably?) has enough sway to get the footage pulled down from whichever channels it's come down from, can she not just say she doesn't want to do these events? Send Ivano on to do his big number next time.

It really isn't.

I went to see it last week based purely on the great word of mouth of friends, I had no wish to see it before then but I absolutely loved it and would go back to see it again.

Word of mouth outside of this board is very good, on social media at least - and not all from CHF fans btw.  Did you doubt your friends' taste/recommendation when you went in, or do you usually align? 

There's a difference between: 'I don't like this show, and find it messy/a shambles' and 'Because I don't like this show I want to push the image that e-v-e-r-y  a-s-p-e-c-t of it is a shambles'.  The casting is great, the covers are actually causing a stir as a 'treat' rather than a disappointment, the promo online and in rail stations and a few TV spots looks great (better than the show many will say, so clearly not a shambolic aspect), the easy win of the revolving auditorium is exciting those who don't remember 'Cats' in that theatre, and I think the production shots are great. I think they've fallen short with the tube station posters by not using the production shots; and their single pull quote 'Totally OTT, a blast' seems an odd choice to be on every poster when there are better ones.  I haven't even mentioned the writing/direction which is so 'marmite', as I haven't seen it, and I didn't love much of what I heard from the soundtrack - but that's not necessary in order to discuss the idea that "every aspect" is a shambles.

I am sure as professionals they are well used to adapting to a new space which, let’s face it is pretty much the same as the Gillian Lynne - a regular bog standard rectangle space. It will have been blocked out prior to the event for them, they will have known the size of the stage and adapted the choreo accordingly. They will not just have been thrown on and left to get on with it.
I’ve worked with children aged 7 on productions where we have rehearsed in a dance studio for months and only had the theatre an hour beforehand and they’ve been able to adapt to the space because I have blocked them in the correct spaces so the floor space is the same. Come on, these are West End professionals who do this every day not children. Nerves are one thing - everyone gets them - but let’s not blame the space and lack of interaction with a couple of set pieces.
The ensemble seemed completely at ease with what they were doing? Apart from her missing the first word she was completely in key until the part the music dropped out where she fell out of key then she recovered straight away. She’s probably mortified as she can’t control the narrative when the public are filming her and I can understand that. Who wants a mistake recorded for all eternity? But lack of a tree stump and statue she stands on for seconds at the start of the number are not to blame here.

Problem with CHF is there are always issues and excuses, her heathers performance had something from memory too. Yes the audio isn't always that great at these events but there are still some great performances from those two days.

From following her on social media patterns quickly emerge. she doesn't take theatre performing all that seriously. She isn't that committed. From not training, not rehearsing or practicing before returning to les mis, admitting to turning down work/ignoring emails during covid. And those are just off top of my head

I cannot imagine how the poor girl has anxiety with her every move scrutinised in such a way...

She didn't respond to emails and turned down work during the pandemic? Is that not her choice? Had she done work she would have got criticised for that too. The pandemic was the chance to reset and have a break.

Some of the stuff I read on this forum really is absolutely baffling at times.

I have seen her in a few shows over the years and she has certainly put the effort in, performs well and appears to have a very good work ethic.

I agree - baffling, that so much bile is saved up for this performer. I don't follow her closely, but have seen a video of her doing her warm-down after her performance (and she name checked the vocal coach who'd devised it for her), as well as obviously the warm-up (video with the rest of the cast on stage); she's having meetings with the resident director, and - as I keep saying - is doing a really good job as a company leader.

I mention the warm-up/warm-down, because in a radio documentary Nick Allott (who was in a company managing role) described how in the first cast of 'CATS' it was only Bonnie Langford and former Royal Ballet members who never had an injury because they came in well before curtain up and took the warm ups seriously, whereas others would bowl in more casually.  Same theatre obviously, decades apart, different story.

CHF may not have come in via traditional training but there's every indication that she takes her theatre work seriously, and exercises professional discipline.

I’ve seen Cinderella in preview and a lot of that routines relies on the revolve in the stage to move ppl around. That plus the lack of stage scenery translates to not much happening. Even the end where she is tied to a tree didn’t work in WEL when they were just tieing her up to nothing so it didn’t look like it made sense.

Ah that explains it. She should have just sung it as a solo minus all the choreography. Tying her up for no reason looked like some bizarre S&M practice…

So why do that number? There must be others that look better out of context. Stupid error.

If only it was that simple... the sound was crackling constantly during Jon's performance which ruined it and Ruthie actually had to run on to hand him a mic it was so bad.