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Post by stagebyte on Feb 12, 2021 6:20:27 GMT
Me too - big fan of ALW and all his little motifs are there which I love BUT The 6th form standard lyrics are just Brie with a huge slice of Camembert ‘Girls like me don’t end up with a prince’. If these lyrics representative of the show’s storyline - Cinderella as a sassy, modern take - give me the original version. So far we’ve had Spoilt Kevin the Teenager Cinderella (Bad Cinderella) Soppy my life isn’t complete unless I get the guy Cinderella (Far too late) and now - I’m going to sit here and feel sorry for myself but also blame myself cos I don’t deserve a happy ending cos I’m too unlikeable (see Bad Cinderella) Cinderella... 🙄 And Releasing it for Valentine’s Day? stretching it a bit far to call it a love song? It’s no Love Changes Everything is it?
As for the ‘street vibe’ they seem to be going for as mentioned by someone further up. The casting of CHF with her prim RP singing doesn’t really fit the vibe. They’ll have to do a bit better than sticking Cinderella in a pair of Docs to update it.
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 12, 2021 9:46:51 GMT
I like it. I've liked all the songs to be honest.
If you don't like the songs or the sound of the show don't invest any more time exploring it and don't go to see it, rather than just moaning about how terrible it is all the time. It will make your life happier.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2021 10:13:33 GMT
I like it. I've liked all the songs to be honest. If you don't like the songs or the sound of the show don't invest any more time exploring it and don't go to see it, rather than just moaning about how terrible it is all the time. It will make your life happier. Me too - I've also liked all of them. And completely agree - the line of people waiting to not like the songs and then going on about it is all quite tedious. ALW hasn't written a Sunset Boulevard since, well, Sunset Boulevard, 28 years ago. All the Cinderella stuff is (unsurprisingly) in his style of the last two decades; have no idea what people were expecting. Perhaps not as iconic as the earlier stuff, bit to my mind still fantastic work with a rightful place in the West End.
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Post by danb on Feb 12, 2021 10:24:43 GMT
I like it. I've liked all the songs to be honest. If you don't like the songs or the sound of the show don't invest any more time exploring it and don't go to see it, rather than just moaning about how terrible it is all the time. It will make your life happier. Me too - I've also liked all of them. And completely agree - the line of people waiting to not like the songs and then going on about it is all quite tedious. ALW hasn't written a Sunset Boulevard since, well, Sunset Boulevard, 28 years ago. All the Cinderella stuff is (unsurprisingly) in his style of the last two decades; have no idea what people were expecting. Perhaps not as iconic as the earlier stuff, bit to my mind still fantastic work with a rightful place in the West End. Not so keen on the Princes song; was a touch TOO simple, but like the others and will appreciate the show for what it is. At least the idea lends itself to becoming a musical...I’m looking at you Stephen Ward.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 12, 2021 10:44:48 GMT
She never sounds comfortable to listen to on the big/high notes for me. Im always waiting for her to crack. It’s borderline screechy and if that’s the case on the recording then she’s got no chance of doing this with any degree of finesse 8 shows a week for any length of time. She sounded like this when I saw Heathers, but worse. This is going the same way.
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Post by FairyGodmother on Feb 12, 2021 10:58:27 GMT
All the Cinderella stuff is (unsurprisingly) in his style of the last two decades; have no idea what people were expecting. Perhaps not as iconic as the earlier stuff
There was a "What's your favourite ALW love song?" going around yesterday, along with the tweet about it being "time for a new love song". The answers to the first were things like All I Ask of You, I Don't Know How to Love Him, Love Changes Everything... this one just doesn't match up.
I think that's the problem for me. I'm too young to have seen his 'big' shows when they first came out, and this is based on a fairytale I like, the book has been written by somebody I like, on paper I like both ALW and Don Black... It should be right up my street, but I want the style of Evita or Phantom, and it's not really there. There's nothing wrong with any of the songs (well, apart from her sounding like a mardy teenager in BC!), but they don't feel clever or like a cohesive musical. I'll see how I feel when the whole soundtrack comes out.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Feb 12, 2021 11:19:35 GMT
The telling moment for me with this score came when I heard the male ballad for what I thought was the first time.
I made a comment about it. And then realised that I had already heard it and commented before.
That is a sign that it may not be one of his most memorable scores.
I have long loved ALW shows and he has delivered some of the greatest show tunes. There may be some hidden gems in the full show but none of the tracks released thus far seem destined to reach a top 10 of ALW songs. They are not awful but they are far from brilliant.
Will I still buy the CD? Oh yes.
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Post by stagebyte on Feb 12, 2021 11:20:15 GMT
The melodies are lovely. For me, it’s the lyrics. Beyond cheese. I’m wondering if the much anticipated ‘gay storyline’ is going to do an awful lot of heavy lifting towards making this the ‘fresh, new take’ on the traditional fairy tale. I always look forward with eagerness for anything released by the Lord. I’m a long time fan. But the weird marketing and clunky lyrics are just not on a par with earlier stuff. For yet another take on Cinderella we have to have something special. I’m also with Burly on the shouty bits of the new song. They do sound strained in places on the recording. I’m wondering how it’ll hold up live. Just my opinion. As they say everyone has one these days 😉
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Post by musicalmarge on Feb 12, 2021 11:21:27 GMT
I like it. I've liked all the songs to be honest. If you don't like the songs or the sound of the show don't invest any more time exploring it and don't go to see it, rather than just moaning about how terrible it is all the time. It will make your life happier. Me too - I've also liked all of them. And completely agree - the line of people waiting to not like the songs and then going on about it is all quite tedious. ALW hasn't written a Sunset Boulevard since, well, Sunset Boulevard, 28 years ago. All the Cinderella stuff is (unsurprisingly) in his style of the last two decades; have no idea what people were expecting. Perhaps not as iconic as the earlier stuff, bit to my mind still fantastic work with a rightful place in the West End. Not true. Some of his music in Love Never Dies is superb and of the same standard as Sunset. I had drinks with ALW at a Ritz hotel a few years ago (true story) and he told me he thinks that’s the score he’s most proud of. In regards to negative comments. When you love 20 cakes and have been a fan of them for 30 years ..... if 1 comes out that disappoints you, surely you are allowed to evaluate rationally why that is. Simple. Cotton wool culture is equally as bad as an overly critical or negative one.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Feb 12, 2021 11:39:36 GMT
Todrick has just launched his celebration of the R&H/Disney version
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Post by FairyGodmother on Feb 12, 2021 11:40:58 GMT
Some of the music in Love Never Dies was written at the same time as Sunset though. Wow, I'd love to have drinks with him! It would be fantastic to listen to him talk about music — his or others' (although I'm not sure you'd get a word in edgeways!). He always seems so enthusiastic about music and theatre.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2021 12:08:29 GMT
Me too - I've also liked all of them. And completely agree - the line of people waiting to not like the songs and then going on about it is all quite tedious. ALW hasn't written a Sunset Boulevard since, well, Sunset Boulevard, 28 years ago. All the Cinderella stuff is (unsurprisingly) in his style of the last two decades; have no idea what people were expecting. Perhaps not as iconic as the earlier stuff, bit to my mind still fantastic work with a rightful place in the West End. Not true. Some of his music in Love Never Dies is superb and of the same standard as Sunset. I had drinks with ALW at a Ritz hotel a few years ago (true story) and he told me he thinks that’s the score he’s most proud of. In regards to negative comments. When you love 20 cakes and have been a fan of them for 30 years ..... if 1 comes out that disappoints you, surely you are allowed to evaluate rationally why that is. Simple. Cotton wool culture is equally as bad as an overly critical or negative one. Yes, I agree with you, some of the Love Never Dies melodies are up there with Sunset. But it's an exception I'd say. The Cinderella stuff IMHO is consistent with the majority of ALW's more recent efforts. And yes you are also right about cotton wool culture. What I was getting at though is that some have the tone that they'd already decided not to like stuff and took pleasure in so doing, rather than the rational evaluation you speak of.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2021 12:10:12 GMT
Some of the music in Love Never Dies was written at the same time as Sunset though. Wow, I'd love to have drinks with him! It would be fantastic to listen to him talk about music — his or others' (although I'm not sure you'd get a word in edgeways!). He always seems so enthusiastic about music and theatre. Haha, same. Though I'd be absolutely desperate to talk Starlight Express and I feel sure he wouldn't want to!
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Post by musicalmarge on Feb 12, 2021 12:18:56 GMT
Some of the music in Love Never Dies was written at the same time as Sunset though. Wow, I'd love to have drinks with him! It would be fantastic to listen to him talk about music — his or others' (although I'm not sure you'd get a word in edgeways!). He always seems so enthusiastic about music and theatre. Haha, same. Though I'd be absolutely desperate to talk Starlight Express and I feel sure he wouldn't want to! That was the main show I spoke about! That and Love Never Dies. This was a good ten years ago. I have photos of it too. Graham Norton was there too. Fun evening.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2021 12:24:34 GMT
Haha, same. Though I'd be absolutely desperate to talk Starlight Express and I feel sure he wouldn't want to! That was the main show I spoke about! That and Love Never Dies. This was a good ten years ago. I have photos of it too. Graham Norton was there too. Fun evening. Haha - really? What did he say?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 12, 2021 13:05:28 GMT
Erm...
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Post by FairyGodmother on Feb 12, 2021 13:29:10 GMT
Erm... "And I know where it is anatomically, so. Watch. Out." This is only adding to my feeling that it isn't a love song!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 12, 2021 13:31:49 GMT
What’s she dressed like that for? This isn’t the aesthetic of the show is it? That wig is appalling!
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Post by theatreian on Feb 12, 2021 13:34:17 GMT
She looks like a blonde Nancy from Oliver! Not a good look.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Feb 12, 2021 13:39:34 GMT
There are seriously mixed messages with the styling of this show
We are getting graffiti/punk/street vibes at some points and baroque fantasy at others.
Now if you are Vivienne Westwood you can find a way of melding those together into something striking. But we aren't getting that. We are getting confusion.
Of course it will only become clear once the show opens. But this team has been around long enough to know that messaging is vital.
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Post by danb on Feb 12, 2021 13:44:24 GMT
Not true. Some of his music in Love Never Dies is superb and of the same standard as Sunset. I had drinks with ALW at a Ritz hotel a few years ago (true story) and he told me he thinks that’s the score he’s most proud of. In regards to negative comments. When you love 20 cakes and have been a fan of them for 30 years ..... if 1 comes out that disappoints you, surely you are allowed to evaluate rationally why that is. Simple. Cotton wool culture is equally as bad as an overly critical or negative one. Yes, I agree with you, some of the Love Never Dies melodies are up there with Sunset. But it's an exception I'd say. The Cinderella stuff IMHO is consistent with the majority of ALW's more recent efforts. And yes you are also right about cotton wool culture. What I was getting at though is that some have the tone that they'd already decided not to like stuff and took pleasure in so doing, rather than the rational evaluation you speak of. I think that the big noisy opening of ‘Beneath a Moonless Sky’ from LND is my favourite ALW moment, followed by most of ‘Sunset’. Great melodies.
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Post by FairyGodmother on Feb 12, 2021 13:52:36 GMT
What’s she dressed like that for? This isn’t the aesthetic of the show is it? That wig is appalling! I wondered if it was a nod to The Slipper and the Rose. Not that I'd expect the younger crowd they seem to be going for to recognise it.
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Post by FairyGodmother on Feb 12, 2021 15:23:30 GMT
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Post by steve10086 on Feb 12, 2021 16:51:44 GMT
So he used to judge a tune by whether he could remember it, and only thought those that he could remember were worth using.
Not he writes everything down immediately.
I have a feeling this explains a lot.
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Post by Mark on Feb 12, 2021 17:13:54 GMT
Well I think it's a cracking number. And CHF sounds fantastic.
Really looking forward to this one once we can get out and about again.
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