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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 11, 2021 16:21:42 GMT
Simply wonderful. I'm still on a high from yesterday's performances.
Ive never heard it sound so good and I adored the Ibeseneque production complete with long menacing stares.
The act 1 finale was so good, I cried. So fantastic to hear a large orchestra and singers in counterpoint after months of nothing.
By the end of Act 2 I had full tears, I've never seen the death staged so simply and beautifully. Thankfully no waltzing around an abandoned card game. This production is very much in Madame A's memory.
The Quintet act as scenery shifters, I thought it was at first a device to change the set but soon they become a bunch of rude mechanicals amongst the rich upper-class principals. Not long after that, they advance into Pluck and create the midsummer madness that fits seemlessly into Madame A's memory framing device.
Five very happy stars from me.
Free downloadable programme on the Leeds playhouse website.
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Post by maggiem on Jul 12, 2021 11:29:17 GMT
I went last Thursday, so hello to other Theatreboarders who were there.
I loved the whole production, even though the cast were more socially distanced on stage (?). It was wonderful to get back to a theatre again for a live performance, and the staff were very welcoming. I had a really nice chat with one of them at the interval.
The only name I recognised in the cast was Josephine Barstow, but then, I'm not an opera buff. All of the singing was great, and the comic antagonism between Frederik and Carl-Magnus was very funny.
Am I right in thinking that the Quintet are a holdover from an earlier concept that was dropped before the original show?
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 12, 2021 13:30:56 GMT
The show was conceived with the quintet in mind. Sondheim wanted singers and Prince wanted singers who could waltz.
I'm really glad we got opera singers as the quintet sounded magnificent.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 12, 2021 13:35:06 GMT
No - in all the productions I've seen - including the orginal 1975 London production - there's always been "the Quintet". To be honest,though, they have always got on my nerves! Its often done without the quintet which I would like to see. I guess it would be Sweeney without the chorus? A la John Doyle.... Nunn really did not know what to do with them at MCF. So they lugged a few chairs around and then doubled as staff. Yawn. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 12, 2021 15:30:36 GMT
I hated them. And those ridiculous pantaloons, the woman with the black pull up knee stockings and clumpy shoes all looking knowingly at eachother. Cringe!
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 12, 2021 16:20:35 GMT
Its often done without the quintet which I would like to see. I guess it would be Sweeney without the chorus? A la John Doyle.... Nunn really did not know what to do with them at MCF. So they lugged a few chairs around and then doubled as staff. Yawn. Does that mean they just cut all their songs?Actually thinking about it I guess it's simple as their numbers tended not to react with the main characters rather acting as a Greek chorus to what's going on.All that "BOO DAH DA"! I don't know. I hope not though. It would work with cutting their stuff but I think it would be weaker as a result. If it was upto me, I would divide the lines amongst the remaining 10 principals. In Buxton, Paul Kerryson has Frid doubling up as member of the quintet. It will save a wage, so why not? |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jul 14, 2021 20:51:46 GMT
I got phoned by the Leeds Playhouse this afternoon. I don't actually know what they were calling about, as my mother answered, but I'm guessing maybe the pilot scheme that others have been emailed about but I haven't. Anyway, my mother explained to them that I won't be going tomorrow, because of the covid risk to her with her illnesses, and they promptly said that they'd refund the tickets. It had never occurred to me to ask for a refund, since it's my decision not to feeling safe to go, so it's very nice of them.
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Post by crabtree on Jul 15, 2021 8:43:35 GMT
In the plot, do we ever know who Henrik's mother was - is there any reference. The lawyer seems to have had a colourful life.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Jul 15, 2021 9:14:01 GMT
In the plot, do we ever know who Henrik's mother was - is there any reference. The lawyer seems to have had a colourful life. I assume Fredrik's previous marriage? In the first scene together he tells Henrik that Anne cannot take the place of his mother and later on Anne tells Fredrik that she married him because he was looking sad and lonely. I guess the general idea is that he had lost his wife a couple of years before the the beginning of the musical |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jul 15, 2021 12:13:20 GMT
In the plot, do we ever know who Henrik's mother was - is there any reference. The lawyer seems to have had a colourful life. I assume Fredrik's previous marriage? In the first scene together he tells Henrik that Anne cannot take the place of his mother and later on Anne tells Fredrik that she married him because he was looking sad and lonely. I guess the general idea is that he had lost his wife a couple of years before the the beginning of the musical I had assumed that he'd lost his first wife some years earlier, when Henrik was a small child. That way he needn't have been cheating on his first wife when he had the relationship with Desiree that (probably) produced Frederika. But that may be me hoping he was more moral than he actually was! |
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Post by couldileaveyou on Jul 15, 2021 13:09:41 GMT
I assume Fredrik's previous marriage? In the first scene together he tells Henrik that Anne cannot take the place of his mother and later on Anne tells Fredrik that she married him because he was looking sad and lonely. I guess the general idea is that he had lost his wife a couple of years before the the beginning of the musical I had assumed that he'd lost his first wife some years earlier, when Henrik was a small child. That way he needn't have been cheating on his first wife when he had the relationship with Desiree that (probably) produced Frederika. But that may be me hoping he was more moral than he actually was! Oh yeah, it makes perfect sense. After all Desirée never asks him about his first wife and is not surprised to see him with a much younger woman, so the first Mrs Egerman was probably out of the picture ever since the first time Fredrik and Desirée met. |
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Post by saral on Jul 17, 2021 21:28:14 GMT
Just got back from Leeds...loved this production, had nothing to compare it to, but thoroughly enjoyed it, everyone was spot on in their roles. Even my mam enjoyed it so it must have been good
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Post by jaffe on Jul 30, 2021 7:10:07 GMT
Am I right in thinking that the Quintet are a holdover from an earlier concept that was dropped before the original show? The Liebeslieders, or the Quintet,were always part of Sondheim's concept for the score. Hal Prince saw them as confident, extrovert observers, free of the personal and sexual complications of the other characters, the frame for the audience. Each one was to have their own personality and react accordingly to the action on stage. During rehearsals of the original Broadway production, Equity wanted the actors, playing the Quintet, to sign chorus contracts. Given the calibre of the actors involved, Prince was not about to accept that on their behalf, so, he gave the Quintet individual names and listed them as characters in the programme, they were no longer chorus and Equity accepted that. Which is possibly far more information than needed and rather late in the day, but I do love A Little Night Music. |
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Post by crabtree on Jul 30, 2021 9:12:24 GMT
I've always seen them as reinforcing the memory/death/ghosts theme. I like how their memories are generally contradictory or vague, maybe suggesting multiple partners. Yep, always seen them as other people's memories.
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Post by jaffe on Jul 30, 2021 10:33:51 GMT
I've always seen them as reinforcing the memory/death/ghosts theme. I like how their memories are generally contradictory or vague, maybe suggesting multiple partners. Yep, always seen them as other people's memories. Ian Judge certainly went with that in the Chichester production, later the first London revival, and had them as ghosts or spirits of, perhaps, Madame Armfeldt's glory years. It can work. Sondheim says that he got carried away with Remember?, which should be the Quintet singing Fredrik and Desirée's memories but the lyric suggests that they are singing of a series of more fleeting, less profound, relationships "I think you were there" and "I'm sure it was you" get laughs as lines but ignore the logic of the number. Personally, I think the Quintet work best as observers of the Silly People, unencumbered by their neuroses and enjoying themselves. But, as Sondheim suggested to Prince, whilst they are necessary for the score, what they're doing on stage is for the director to solve. |
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Post by saral on Sept 12, 2021 16:48:33 GMT
Do t forget to pick up some spice to suck on during the show Dawnstar, maybe some Yorkshire Mixture? (the fishes are best)  Was finally able to pick up some Yorkshire mix...not a fish in sight ☹️ still a nice mix though |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2021 10:28:10 GMT
Returning 1 to 16 July 2022 with Josephine Barstow
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 1, 2021 12:06:41 GMT
This has made my week.
Such a brilliant show
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Post by Dawnstar on Dec 1, 2021 19:43:12 GMT
Hopefully I'll finally get to see this at the third attempt/year!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 1, 2021 19:49:40 GMT
Hopefully I'll finally get to see this at the third attempt/year! They’re putting it on especially for you Dawnstar 😀 |
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Post by craig on Dec 1, 2021 21:13:44 GMT
Leeds is a long way to go for me, but I’d really love to see this.
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Post by crabtree on Jul 7, 2022 13:09:28 GMT
anyone seen the revival back at the leeds playhouse of this truly splendid production from last summer. Can't wait to see it again on saturday.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jul 7, 2022 17:05:39 GMT
I finally managed to see it this afternoon. Third attempt lucky! I really enjoyed it. I thought the performances were excellent, especially Quirijn de Lang as Frederik & Sandra Piques Eddy as Desiree. I had tears in my eyes when the characters finally got together at the end (don't think this is a spoiler for a 50 year old show!). I mostly really liked the production, apart from a few moments where I would have preferred other characters not to be on stage in the background.
I could have cheerfully thumped the man sitting next to me who decided to pantomime boo the Count at the bows. Of all the musicals to do that at. At least he didn't do it too loudly so I can only hope the cast didn't hear.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 7, 2022 17:23:37 GMT
Glad you saw it Dawnstar. Are you posting from a train by any chance? 🙂.
Was that your first visit to the Leeds Playhouse? And when you speak of other characters in the background do you include Send In The Clowns when the 5 stooges were hanging about inexplicably?
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Post by Dawnstar on Jul 7, 2022 17:44:33 GMT
BurlyBeaR Yes, I'm on a train. I've been to the then West Yorkshire playhouse once before, back in 2014 or 15, to see White Christmas which was conveniently on when I was visiting Leeds anyway to see ON's Le Nozze di Figaro (which was the first thing I saw Quirijn de Lang in). Yes, the Liebeslied singers at various points but sometimes other characters too, such as Madame Armfeldt & Frederika when Desiree & Frederik were having their final scene.
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