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Post by mrbarnaby on Mar 21, 2024 19:57:25 GMT
Why is this happening?
It’s a dreadful production.
Another filler will follow and then Totoro from early 2025
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5,895 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Mar 21, 2024 19:58:56 GMT
Central London for a family show, during the school holidays, will sell without a problem. Why was it half empty during the last central London run too then? A lot of people who wanted to see it would've seen it last summer, and it's not really worth a repeat viewing... It's just a shame as the Gillian Lynne is a great theatre, and there's lot of new shows waiting for theatre space, but it keeps getting shows that aren't appealing to audienc for whatever reason A lot of producers really don’t want the Gillian Lynne. It’s a really hard theatre for many shows due to the terrible sightlines on the sides |
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Post by forfivemoreminutes on Mar 27, 2024 11:09:41 GMT
according to the presale, they’re doing 12 show weeks which is… insane
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Post by Arcana on Mar 27, 2024 21:49:03 GMT
Just announced to be opening at the Gillian Lynne for 4 weeks from 15 August with Aston Merrygold and the Vivienne. Presale 27 March 10am On sale 28 March 10am Thanks for the heads up. I booked some tickets for the family. Pretty good seats in the stalls for £20. I realise it's probably not going to be the level of Lion king/Wicked/Frozen etc. but it's getting harder and harder to find shows for the kids once you've seen the usual suspects. |
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5,180 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 27, 2024 21:54:03 GMT
according to the presale, they’re doing 12 show weeks which is… insane I mean it IS, but also Panto does this for 4 weeks every year so...it's not uncommon |
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Post by fiyero on Mar 28, 2024 10:54:13 GMT
Just announced to be opening at the Gillian Lynne for 4 weeks from 15 August with Aston Merrygold and the Vivienne. Presale 27 March 10am On sale 28 March 10am Thanks for the heads up. I booked some tickets for the family. Pretty good seats in the stalls for £20. I realise it's probably not going to be the level of Lion king/Wicked/Frozen etc. but it's getting harder and harder to find shows for the kids once you've seen the usual suspects. I've gone for a pair of £20 ones. Hope they don't mess up the sightlines too much, I can see a lot off sale too! |
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Post by firefingers on Mar 28, 2024 11:11:02 GMT
according to the presale, they’re doing 12 show weeks which is… insane I mean it IS, but also Panto does this for 4 weeks every year so...it's not uncommon What is possible on a panto is often not possible on a full show. Pantos are baked in to be able to half arsed on a a half ten schools performance. Pantos having sick tracks to cover for lost vocals. They are easier gigs across the board for cast and technical. The show is running on an eight show week currently so everyone has the stamina built at that level. I'm sure they are getting some extra cash but I will be very surprised if we didn't see a gaggle of last minute cancellations of performances when they lose too many companies members to illness and exhaustion. Equity should be stepping in and stopping it. Imagine having children and working this schedule, you'd never see them?! When Sunday shows were bought in (forbidden until barely a decade ago) producers had to give two consecutive days off in the week to compensate. Now look. The gradual erosion of rights and standards is appalling. |
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 28, 2024 11:14:09 GMT
But a big QDOS panto runs for 4-5 weeks, does 12 shows a week, and is usually about 2.5 hours long.
People do that every year and are fine (albeit needing a holiday afterwards!)
I'm not saying I agree with it, but we've been doing this for a while now - and I think theyre probably safe to give it less than 100% at a Tuesday 2pm show if they need to personally.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Mar 28, 2024 11:22:53 GMT
I agree, a big Qdos panto isn't far off a musical. And this WOZ isn't far off a panto so I don't see the big deal for this show in particularly.
Plus Joseph has been known to do these kind of schedules before. Especially the Kenwright version.
Whether its right or fair is another matter, but I don't see woz doing anything that's not been done before.
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7,179 posts
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Post by Jon on Mar 28, 2024 12:15:24 GMT
The weekend performances are fairly early with 1pm and 5pm performances.
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Post by AddisonMizner on Apr 12, 2024 22:06:51 GMT
I went to see the tour in Nottingham this evening. A show like this is not usually my thing, but friends wanted to go. I have not seen any other previous stage version either.
I knew the new Lloyd Webber material, having listened to the cast recording when it first came out, and didn't like it at all then. Seeing it in context really didn't change my mind! The opening number ('Nobody Understands Me') is awful, and the others are serviceable at best. The only song I kind of liked was 'Already Home', but the lyrics were cliched. These new additions didn't really match the original score either. This production modernises all of the arrangements of the songs (something that I am not against in theory), but in places they seemed to be so different that they might as well have been doing THE WIZ. Why on earth did they have the Tin Man start rapping in the middle of his song? All the body popping also got boring very quickly. I enjoyed 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'. By far the best moment in the show.
I also just wanted to mention the sound, as I have never been to a production that is so LOUD! The sound was really dialled up to 11, and it was somewhat unbearable. It didn't really help with the lyrics, as many were inaudible. I felt that I had been to a rock concert (admittedly, I haven't been to many of those).
I liked aspects of the production. The aesthetic of the costuming and physical scenery was fun, but I didn't like the over-reliance on the use of the screen, as it felt like I was in a video game. I often found myself watching that rather than what was happening on stage (this was particularly the case in the Emerald City sequence).
The actors were good in their roles, even if it was all a bit panto. The Vivienne could have found a bit more light and shade in their role. It was all just a lot of shouting, and I began to get worried for their vocal cords. The melting was particularly panto and embarrassing. Overall energy was very good though.
Like I said, not really my kind of thing, so take what I say with a pinch of salt. All the time I was sat there, I just wished that I was watching WICKED, which is an infinitely better musical, with an infinitely better score.
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Post by jacob on Apr 13, 2024 8:59:33 GMT
All the time I was sat there, I just wished that I was watching WICKED, which is an infinitely better musical, with an infinitely better score. It’s brilliant how your comments echo my thoughts EXACTLY, I sat through this and was genuinely SO bored. This show is SO naff, too loud for the most part, the visual effects are also just over the top and very poorly done. The screen was so distracting, I wish they would’ve integrated it like the new Into The Woods for example, mirroring flown in set pieces that move realistically. The shoddy animations just took me out of it completely. It felt like a bad Oz acid trip... Over The Rainbow was the best bit in my opinion too. I truly love Viv as well, but there was no vocal range and just far too much shouting. I thought the nods to Wicked were… interesting. Some of the lighting plots were clearly “inspired”, and that one Emerald City green tulle costume must be a reference to the one from Wicked also. The ensemble costumes on the whole however were just bad. A family friendly show for sure, but the whole thing is just empty and soulless. I’m sure it’ll do well in Summer as a crowd pleaser … |
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Post by danb on Apr 13, 2024 11:04:21 GMT
Central London for a family show, during the school holidays, will sell without a problem. Why was it half empty during the last central London run too then? A lot of people who wanted to see it would've seen it last summer, and it's not really worth a repeat viewing... It's just a shame as the Gillian Lynne is a great theatre, and there's lot of new shows waiting for theatre space, but it keeps getting shows that aren't appealing to audiences for whatever reason I’m pretty sure that the producers know what they’re doing. 🙄 Don’t forget that it’s already bought & paid for so they’re just moving it around the country. I love all the brilliant business minds on here. 😂 |
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Post by theatrefan62 on Apr 13, 2024 11:21:59 GMT
Why was it half empty during the last central London run too then? A lot of people who wanted to see it would've seen it last summer, and it's not really worth a repeat viewing... It's just a shame as the Gillian Lynne is a great theatre, and there's lot of new shows waiting for theatre space, but it keeps getting shows that aren't appealing to audiences for whatever reason I’m pretty sure that the producers know what they’re doing. 🙄 Don’t forget that it’s already bought & paid for so they’re just moving it around the country. I love all the brilliant business minds on here. 😂 It's basically a tour stop so I get your point. But I wouldn't say the west end (or arts in general) is always the best place to look for business minds. We've seen plenty for wtf are they thinking moments over the years. |
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Post by danb on Apr 13, 2024 11:29:58 GMT
I’m pretty sure that the producers know what they’re doing. 🙄 Don’t forget that it’s already bought & paid for so they’re just moving it around the country. I love all the brilliant business minds on here. 😂 It's basically a tour stop so I get your point. But I wouldn't say the west end (or arts in general) is always the best place to look for business minds. We've seen plenty for wtf are they thinking moments over the years. I meant on the board rather than the W/E. I would say that it didn’t sell well initially because of the obscene pricing. It picked up once it hit Today Tix and tkts. I think all bets are off atm about what constitutes a sure fire hit. |
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Post by forfivemoreminutes on Apr 17, 2024 20:59:42 GMT
Why was it half empty during the last central London run too then? A lot of people who wanted to see it would've seen it last summer, and it's not really worth a repeat viewing... It's just a shame as the Gillian Lynne is a great theatre, and there's lot of new shows waiting for theatre space, but it keeps getting shows that aren't appealing to audiences for whatever reason I’m pretty sure that the producers know what they’re doing. 🙄 Don’t forget that it’s already bought & paid for so they’re just moving it around the country. I love all the brilliant business minds on here. 😂 …where do you think the money comes from to pay for it? tours aren’t ’pre paid’ most theatre companies have to borrow money unless they have other shows running, they pay it back with ticket sales. don’t eye roll me about business when you’re saying stuff like that 😭 |
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Post by danb on Apr 17, 2024 21:08:01 GMT
I meant that the ‘production’ is paid for. The set, the costumes etc. The initial outlay. They have the bare bones to mount the production. With the revolving door of fillers the GL appears to house it wouldn’t surprise me if they have a very favourable deal too. Families going to see Oz will spend a lot more than spectators of Lehman or Skys Edge.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Apr 17, 2024 21:16:42 GMT
It's basically a tour stop so I get your point. But I wouldn't say the west end (or arts in general) is always the best place to look for business minds. We've seen plenty for wtf are they thinking moments over the years. I meant on the board rather than the W/E. I would say that it didn’t sell well initially because of the obscene pricing. It picked up once it hit Today Tix and tkts. I think all bets are off atm about what constitutes a sure fire hit. I know, but I was referring to you mocking people on here and then saying 'youre pretty sure the producers know what they're doing'. I was pointing out that producers often don't make good business decisions so not really a good comparison. |
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Post by danb on Apr 17, 2024 21:19:50 GMT
OK great. I’m a terrible human, agreed.
I’m not sure how rank amateur producer Michael Harrison would feel about your accusations of his competence.
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Post by forfivemoreminutes on Apr 17, 2024 22:16:41 GMT
OK great. I’m a terrible human, agreed. I’m not sure how rank amateur producer Michael Harrison would feel about your accusations of his competence. i know this is *theatre* board but omg there’s no need to be this dramatic any time someone disagrees with you 😂 |
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Post by danb on Apr 18, 2024 6:00:34 GMT
OK great. I’m a terrible human, agreed. I’m not sure how rank amateur producer Michael Harrison would feel about your accusations of his competence. i know this is *theatre* board but omg there’s no need to be this dramatic any time someone disagrees with you 😂 Daaahhhhlling, drama is my life! 🤣 |
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Post by richey on Apr 27, 2024 10:52:35 GMT
Finally saw this in Manchester last night. Got a last minute cheap ticket after reading about it for the last few years, and have to say I was distintly underwhelmed.
From my very uncomfortable seat high up in the grand tier, the stage looked extremely bare and the set pieces they dragged on were pathetically small although I did quite like the yellow brick road ones. I guess a lot of the scene setting was down to the reliance on the video screen which wasn't fully visible where i sat.
The cast were pretty good, mainly overshadowed by The Vivienne hamming it up to the extreme.
Overall, glad to say I've seen it as a piece of entertaining fluff for a Friday night,but only at reduced price. I did sit there thinking how the heck they could justify charging West End prices for this when it transfers to the Gillian Lynne.
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Post by theatrefan2007 on Apr 30, 2024 22:32:55 GMT
I’m seeing this on opening night in Belfast. I’m looking forward to it, even with the mixed reviews. I never saw the original Andrew Lloyd Webber production at the Palladium but I saw clips on YouTube and I did loved them and the photos and videos looks good so I’m really looking forward to it and seeing Craig Revel Horwood as the Wicked Witch.
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Post by theatrefan2007 on May 22, 2024 15:23:22 GMT
Saw it last night on opening night in Belfast and I have to say I really enjoyed it. The cast was brilliant, including Craig who was fantastic as the Wicked Witch. I was a bit worried about the set before I saw it but I thought it was excellent. Overall I thought it was a great night out for all the family.
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 21, 2024 11:22:25 GMT
I saw this at the Sunday matinee with a lottery ticket (excellent central Stalls). Pretty full. I have to say, I enjoyed this more at the GL than at the Palladium. It is smaller scale with much done through projections, but it's all performed with fun and the sound is perfect.
Fantastic to see TB favourite Benjamin Yates on a London stage again. During the interval, I heard people around me talking about their favourite character, and the Scarecrow won overwhelmingly. With Ben on stage, it's always hard to know how much of his comedy is scripted and how much is ad-libbed, but I wasn't surprised to see him using nozzle to oil up (the perfectly serviceable) Aston's more intimate areas.
Allan Stewart was on as the Wizard and very good. He is splitting the role in London with Alex Bourne. Avina Tulley has a sweet voice as Dorothy. Clearly many of the crowd were there to see The Vivienne, who got much more of a reception than Aston. The Vivienne has a career ready in pantomime.
All in all, although this will never be one of my favourite musicals, the ALW version works much better for me than the original. I generally like the new songs and the various spoken and sight gags, especially those for the adults in the audience. There are also plenty of jokes to watch out for hidden in the projections. As I mentioned, this works really well a smaller venue than the Palladium.
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