10 posts
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Post by Andy on Jul 10, 2021 13:45:46 GMT
If you say the show is far from perfect, needs work and it lacks an orchestra then it can’t be a perfect five stars rating then can it? Five stars means it can’t get any better and you say it can! So really your five is a four? I need a drink. Yes, I get your point and as I said in my post I understand other people saying my opinions warrant a 4 star or less rating. Star ratings are subjective and for me personally I don’t think five stars is reserved for perfect shows. I don’t think those exist; there are always going to be things that could be improved. To me it’s about how much the flaws affect your enjoyment of the show. With only five different ratings to choose from you’re going to have a range of quality within each star rating so I’m not saying it’s as good as [insert your favourite five star shows here] but right now it’s the show whose songs I can’t get out of my head and can’t wait to see again. |
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431 posts
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Post by alison on Jul 10, 2021 14:02:59 GMT
I'm listening to the full recording for the first time today (after having seen the show on the first preview and then this Thursday) and picking up on bits of lyrics that I hadn't caught properly live. I'm actually really enjoying it, and wishing that the sea witch song hadn't been cut. If it's a timing issue, I don't know about anyone else but I'd take the sea witch over the extended latin dance wedding party, to me it makes a much better 11 o'clock number and gives us more reason to care that Prince Charming has just appeared out of nowhere. I do agree that the songs that have been released are the "best" ones there, but there are a few others that I really like. So Long is great, even with all the dodgy lyrics - imo, it feels like the sort of nonsense my oldest friend and I might spout at each other. I really like Unbreakable too, it's a shame only half of it made it to even the first preview.
I gave the show three stars after the first preview, but I'm upgrading it to four now. It's far from perfect, and I hope they still manage to make some things clearer in the time they have before the show is frozen, but it's a lot of fun for what it is, the performances are great, and some of the songs are irritatingly catchy.
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842 posts
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Post by stuartmcd on Jul 10, 2021 14:11:15 GMT
When I saw the show I didn’t come away loving the score yet I found myself humming some of the songs since then and clearly some of the melodies had gotten stuck in my head despite only hearing them once. And I’ve actually really enjoyed listening to this album over the past day. There’s just something really quite fun about it all and I think there’s genuinely some really beautiful moments in there as well.
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Post by FairyGodmother on Jul 10, 2021 14:51:45 GMT
I've listened to it in the background as I've been doing stuff, and after the first listen which was a bit overwhelming I've found loads of bits I catch myself humming along with. There's some really catchy stuff on there. I didn't like it at first because I thought it was a funny mix of pop and orchestral (and a few very baroque-sounding bits) but I think it's clicked now.
I'd be keen to see it in future.
There might be good reason it isn't, but to me, Far Too Late still sounds like it could/should be a duet, with them on opposite sides of the stage — him getting dressed for his wedding, and her doing I don't know what. You'd barely need to change the lyrics (just don't have him singing the "someone else's arms", a lot of the sentiment fits him just as well as her). She sings the first bit, then he does the second, and then a final verse together. He could even walk off/be blacked out and she does the same ending. I just feel like it's missing a "big" duet.
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134 posts
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Post by magnificentdonkey on Jul 10, 2021 15:06:31 GMT
I've found loads of bits I catch myself humming along with I've grown particularly fond of the 'wishing well' bit in the opening number, I find it so lovely! |
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431 posts
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Post by alison on Jul 10, 2021 15:34:02 GMT
I've listened to it in the background as I've been doing stuff, and after the first listen which was a bit overwhelming I've found loads of bits I catch myself humming along with. There's some really catchy stuff on there. I didn't like it at first because I thought it was a funny mix of pop and orchestral (and a few very baroque-sounding bits) but I think it's clicked now. I'd be keen to see it in future. There might be good reason it isn't, but to me, Far Too Late still sounds like it could/should be a duet, with them on opposite sides of the stage — him getting dressed for his wedding, and her doing I don't know what. You'd barely need to change the lyrics (just don't have him singing the "someone else's arms", a lot of the sentiment fits him just as well as her). She sings the first bit, then he does the second, and then a final verse together. He could even walk off/be blacked out and she does the same ending. I just feel like it's missing a "big" duet. Absolutely YES to this! I really want a Cinderella/Sebastian duet of the quiet, pining variety (I was thinking If I Told You from The Wedding Singer). I hadn’t thought of tweaking Far Too Late for it, that would be perfect. |
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Post by chernjam on Jul 10, 2021 17:35:48 GMT
I've listened to it in the background as I've been doing stuff, and after the first listen which was a bit overwhelming I've found loads of bits I catch myself humming along with. There's some really catchy stuff on there. I didn't like it at first because I thought it was a funny mix of pop and orchestral (and a few very baroque-sounding bits) but I think it's clicked now. I'd be keen to see it in future. There might be good reason it isn't, but to me, Far Too Late still sounds like it could/should be a duet, with them on opposite sides of the stage — him getting dressed for his wedding, and her doing I don't know what. You'd barely need to change the lyrics (just don't have him singing the "someone else's arms", a lot of the sentiment fits him just as well as her). She sings the first bit, then he does the second, and then a final verse together. He could even walk off/be blacked out and she does the same ending. I just feel like it's missing a "big" duet. Having not seen the show, but listening to the (now billed) "Original Concept Album" - Far too late has been one of my favorites since I first heard CHF sing it simply with ALW on the piano. To me it easily falls on his top 10 of songs he's composed. Thinking about it as a duet is fascinating...I wonder how it would impact the story/theatrical experience. Particularly for some who found it "Far too long" - perhaps as a duet would make it land even more dramatically |
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431 posts
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Post by alison on Jul 10, 2021 18:54:48 GMT
Looks like the first cover Adele (Laura Baldwin's stepsister) is on tonight. Things are going well in Belleville then ...
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Post by stagebyte on Jul 10, 2021 19:34:45 GMT
Loving all the conspiracy theories and Poll Gate
The fact the 5 star members happen to be called The Lord and Andy
I’m sure if admin do a full deep investigation they’ll find the others ‘responsible are called SarahB, Mr Mistopheles and Diamond Thyme 🤔😉
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Post by inthenose on Jul 10, 2021 19:42:51 GMT
Loving all the conspiracy theories and Poll Gate The fact the 5 star members happen to be called The Lord and Andy I’m sure if admin do a full deep investigation they’ll find the others ‘responsible are called SarahB, Mr Mistopheles and Diamond Thyme 🤔😉 AstroTurfing is very much a real thing on social media, although to be fair I don't think it happens here. I know people who have worked for PR firms who provide such services. They are often very slapdash and blatant about it (usually paid by the post). |
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Post by westended on Jul 10, 2021 22:08:29 GMT
I took a visit to Belleville and overall really enjoyed my time seeing the show!
In my opinion, the album perhaps doesn’t do the show justice, and in person, the shows does work well. However, Act 2 (after the Ball scenes) did feel a lot more clunky compared to Act One.
It’s a real, real shame that much of this show’s music is tracked with sampled instruments. It loses a tiny bit of the sense of a real piece by having so many automated moments of music, with numerous vamps having to be timed to perfection whilst a sampled drum plays in the background! With my musical ear, it baffles me a little that some woodwind solo instruments were sampled (an oboe melody) and others were playbacks of what seemed like an actual recording of an instrument (a bassoon melody in Act 2). I hope there is a genuine reason why a full live band is not used! I hope this isn’t the future for many new shows!!
I really enjoyed the overall design of the show, from props, to costumes, to sets and lighting. I did feel like the sound design took a bit getting used to as I believe the principals have trackers that mean sound levels change on every speaker depending where they are on stage. The ball scene was hindered by this a little, as I felt during ‘I Know I Have a Heart’, when Carrie faced the back of the stage the sound went away a little and wasn’t balanced to give a clear sound. What did others think of this technology?
The special “surprise” was effective. The transformation was ok, but definitely not on par with other versions of Cinderella.
I felt the story was very clear throughout and made complete sense. The twist with Prince Charming felt as if the story had been updated for our times, and I don’t think the use of bad language was too bad at all!
Massive congratulations to Kate Ivory Jordan for her debut tonight as Adele! She was fab! Michael Hamway was also on for Prince Sebastian and he blew me away with ‘Only You, Lonely You’!
A great night overall, but definitely room for improvement!
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212 posts
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Post by sprampster on Jul 10, 2021 23:13:38 GMT
Saw the show last week and have to say I think it’s great that the younger audience want to embrace this BUT the elephant in the room is the fact that Mr O Connor has been thrown under the bus !! Trevor Nunn, Hal Prince there is a big reason why ALWs biggest hits are attributed to these guys because they stood up and said “No don’t cast a village ensemble who are all less than 35 as it doesn’t reflect a true community No don’t put her in that wig and dress at the end of act one as she DOES NOT a look comfortable or look any were remotely transformed and please NO of you have a song in previews for the Stepmother and sisters that gets zero reaction from the audience sounds too clever by half and dare I say is not funny then. Why repeat it in act two !! Someone on the production team please grow a pair and say Sir ALW please do a bit of surgery because you have the potential for a decent new show ! Hiring a writer to say “your a nob” or “ why are you singing again” was done forty years ago and tbh in a much more effective way ! Wake up please and save a hard working cast from desperately seeking employment when they could be better served by creatives paid a sh@t ton of money more than them
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Post by Andy on Jul 10, 2021 23:48:43 GMT
Loving all the conspiracy theories and Poll Gate The fact the 5 star members happen to be called The Lord and Andy I’m sure if admin do a full deep investigation they’ll find the others ‘responsible are called SarahB, Mr Mistopheles and Diamond Thyme 🤔😉 I don’t know how you managed to get the names of all my friends but I trust them to give completely fair ratings just like I did. Lots of love, Andy Webs |
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Post by MrBraithwaite on Jul 12, 2021 9:26:57 GMT
After wrestling with the recording over the weekend, there is one word that describes it perfectly: trash. Everything said against the show here is sadly true, some decent, Eurovision-style pop-ballads (probably the previously released ones, haven't followed it), the rest is terrible. The holes in the story are as described. The Casio keyboard is there. Don't like the singers and their Panto-comedy voices, only Sebastian and CHF in the above-mentioned ballads are bearable. This has been struck from the list of shows I need to see, I just won't bother. If we would rate the recording alone I would give it one star and proudly so. What a mess. After this Cinderella on my mp3-Player came another Cinderella, that at least had a glorious score.  |
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Post by anita on Jul 12, 2021 9:45:20 GMT
Still waiting for my double CD to arrive despite it being posted Thursday by ALW's shop.
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5,155 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jul 12, 2021 10:08:21 GMT
Well you do live miles from anywhere in rural South London, anita. Perhaps it's being delivered by rail replacement bus? 🙂 |
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Post by anita on Jul 12, 2021 10:26:43 GMT
Well you do live miles from anywhere in rural South London, anita . Perhaps it's being delivered by rail replacement bus? 🙂 Ha ha. Suspect no mail delivery on Saturday due to our normal man having the day off. We often get no post on Saturdays. |
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Post by anita on Jul 12, 2021 10:35:19 GMT
Well you do live miles from anywhere in rural South London, anita . Perhaps it's being delivered by rail replacement bus? 🙂 Ha ha. Suspect no mail delivery on Saturday due to our normal man having the day off. We often get no post on Saturdays. Hoping to find it has arrived while I'm at my son's on granny duty. |
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Post by stagebyte on Jul 12, 2021 12:54:18 GMT
Got as far as Unbreakable and had to take a break. Initial observations The story doesn’t seem to flow so far. How can Sebastian manage to sound wooden through a recording and does CHF sound like Mrs Potts all the way through the show?
On a long car drive this afternoon and hoping to discover the rest. Maybe it’s a grower? I’m 7 songs in and haven’t found an ear worm or evidence of Andy’s glorious orchestrations yet. If this was a book I would’ve put it back on the shelf.
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Post by vabbian on Jul 12, 2021 13:15:52 GMT
To the naysayers, yes the recording is sh*t - but the live show is remarkably better.
Don't be put off getting a ticket just because of the recording.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Jul 12, 2021 14:13:52 GMT
To the naysayers, yes the recording is sh*t - but the live show is remarkably better. Don't be put off getting a ticket just because of the recording. By all means get a ticket if you want to see it and form your own opinion. To balance, I thought the show highlighted more flaws not on the soundtrack eg the am-dram costumes, the pointless waste of time that the gimmicky revolve is when the money in turning every night (whether in place already or not) could have been spent on better effects, the lack of chemistry between characters, the silence that many jokes met and the basic dancing which I've seen better coming out of children's stage schools  Just for balance. Just my healthy opinion. No ulterior motives. No gaps that need filling in my life that led to these personal opinions. |
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Post by FairyGodmother on Jul 12, 2021 15:46:18 GMT
There's an "album listening party" tonight. Possibly on Instagram, the announcement isn't all that clear! I'm tempted to go for a bit to see what it's like — the ALW Cats watch along was really interesting (and very funny, well done to his daughter for being tech support!).
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8,142 posts
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Post by alece10 on Jul 12, 2021 16:30:31 GMT
There's an "album listening party" tonight. Possibly on Instagram, the announcement isn't all that clear! I'm tempted to go for a bit to see what it's like — the ALW Cats watch along was really interesting (and very funny, well done to his daughter for being tech support!). It came up on my Instagram so I am guessing that's where it Will be broadcast |
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Post by danb on Jul 12, 2021 18:34:34 GMT
I think I’m quite enjoying some of it. The occasional swell of something almost familiar played on a carousel organ. It has a….charm?
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Post by FairyGodmother on Jul 12, 2021 18:56:57 GMT
There's an "album listening party" tonight. Possibly on Instagram, the announcement isn't all that clear! I'm tempted to go for a bit to see what it's like — the ALW Cats watch along was really interesting (and very funny, well done to his daughter for being tech support!). It came up on my Instagram so I am guessing that's where it Will be broadcast They seem to be doing it on Twitter — I've just found it. |
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