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Post by mrbarnaby on Jul 17, 2022 13:56:47 GMT
The design of both set and costumes looks horrible. It’s absolutely out me off seeing this. It reeks of nothing more than not wanting to spend the money. Ironic considering the ticket prices are astronomical.
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Post by SuttonPeron on Jul 17, 2022 15:33:25 GMT
You guys on here are sometimes just way too negative, letting expectations overcome your feelings on a show. It's okay just to enjoy what you're given sometimes. By marketing the production as "top-notch theatrical magic", Disney makes us expect such from the production. Those expectations grow even more when the ticket prices are so high. So obviously I´ll be dissappointed if the set is a screen to fill out the space and some individual set pieces, the music is 60% pre-recorded and the costumes look cheap and flat. The cast may still be fantastic, as I think everyone agrees, but the show can still feel empty. If Disney didn´t highlight so much how "spectacular" the physical production was and charged cheaper prices, it´d be a different story. |
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Post by danb on Jul 17, 2022 15:53:59 GMT
It's okay just to enjoy what you're given sometimes. Oh believe, I go to everything with the hope of enjoying it. Sometimes I minimise expectation when something looks ropey to avoid dissatisfaction. But when I’ve been charged £60+ for a Disney spectacular and I actually get some dodgy cgi behind some poor faux wooden structures to suggest the village, I think I’m allowed to express a little unhappiness? “I bought this gold necklace from you but its actually just some screwed up tin foil sprayed gold. I realise I should just get over myself & enjoy it because it looks a bit like a gold necklace, and I should be grateful that you went to the effort, but I just want the gold necklace that I paid for.”. |
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Post by hadeswasking on Jul 17, 2022 16:52:33 GMT
Trust me I had the lowest of expectations going into this, maybe that's why I happened to enjoy it so much. For me, it still had some "top-notch theatrical magic" with that gorgeous transformation scene.
Of course, it's okay to express unhappiness that it didn't meet what you believe is the cost of your ticket. Isn't that why reviews exist? So you can set expectations going in. It's not like they are hiding this from you. It's not like more than 50% of threads like these are talking about the "basic" set.
I just wanted to share my somewhat unpopular opinion and add some positivity to this otherwise quite negative thread. I thought a lot of the simplicity elevated the material and the performances led me to actually enjoy it.
I believe different interpretations of material should be celebrated. Can sometimes it be cheaper? Yeah. It is disappointing they are limiting the number of people playing the music. From where I was sitting I thought they sounded fantastic as I was right next to the pit.
Sorry I struggled to type this up. At the end of the day, it really is all about your experiences and expectations and I can't change that with a paragraph.
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19,782 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 17, 2022 18:08:39 GMT
I agree with you hadeswasking. I hadn’t seen it before and I thought it was great in Manchester. Nothing to compare it to is sometimes a happy place to be. |
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Post by alece10 on Jul 17, 2022 18:21:58 GMT
Same here. I thought it was pretty impressive. I had no expectations as had never seen it before but no way did I come away thinking this was a cheap production.
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Post by danb on Jul 17, 2022 18:24:58 GMT
…and that is why this board exists. To discuss and share opinion. Not blandly agree with each other and share no critical thought. The previous tour, however unreliable, was a spectacular and the premium price that you paid was up there on stage. This was a catalogue of get rounds and screens.
Apologies if I sounded crass, but I don’t normally so rigidly attach a value to things. But when something is so disproportionately priced vs the spectacle it provides it has to be mentioned.
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Post by h86 on Jul 17, 2022 18:54:46 GMT
…and that is why this board exists. To discuss and share opinion. Not blandly agree with each other and share no critical thought. The previous tour, however unreliable, was a spectacular and the premium price that you paid was up there on stage. This was a catalogue of get rounds and screens. Apologies if I sounded crass, but I don’t normally so rigidly attach a value to things. But when something is so disproportionately priced vs the spectacle it provides it has to be mentioned. [br To me it is very spectacular. I don’t see the issue with the screens, it allows for moving images which is utilised well. The transformation looks great, the enchantress flying, Gaston’s death are all showcased well. It’s a family show and that is who Disney really want to impress. Does it work for them. Yes. It’s had a lot of really good reviews and it’s great to see it back in London even if it is only for summer. |
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5,898 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jul 17, 2022 19:42:05 GMT
This shows reliance on a video screen is an absolute cop out. It’s not good enough. Also the new costumes are terrible.
If you saw the original London production, you can’t help but compare them, especially when ticket prices are so high.
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Post by mattnyc on Jul 17, 2022 19:42:19 GMT
I can forgive a lot with this show but the one thing they did in their quest to save as much money as possible was put The Beast in that ridiculous childrens Halloween mask at the end for the fight/transformation. It was one of the absolute stupidest looking things I’ve maybe ever seen.
And why no dancing cutlery?? It’s now “Be Our Guest” with Las Vegas showgirls singing and dancing? Disney - you have the money. Spend it.
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Post by danb on Jul 17, 2022 19:53:41 GMT
…and that is why this board exists. To discuss and share opinion. Not blandly agree with each other and share no critical thought. The previous tour, however unreliable, was a spectacular and the premium price that you paid was up there on stage. This was a catalogue of get rounds and screens. Apologies if I sounded crass, but I don’t normally so rigidly attach a value to things. But when something is so disproportionately priced vs the spectacle it provides it has to be mentioned. [br To me it is very spectacular. I don’t see the issue with the screens, it allows for moving images which is utilised well. The transformation looks great, the enchantress flying, Gaston’s death are all showcased well. It’s a family show and that is who Disney really want to impress. Does it work for them. Yes. It’s had a lot of really good reviews and it’s great to see it back in London even if it is only for summer. Having ‘really good reviews’ means nothing. I’m really pleased that you enjoyed it. |
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Post by h86 on Jul 17, 2022 20:55:27 GMT
[br To me it is very spectacular. I don’t see the issue with the screens, it allows for moving images which is utilised well. The transformation looks great, the enchantress flying, Gaston’s death are all showcased well. It’s a family show and that is who Disney really want to impress. Does it work for them. Yes. It’s had a lot of really good reviews and it’s great to see it back in London even if it is only for summer. Having ‘really good reviews’ means nothing. I’m really pleased that you enjoyed it. It’s a shame that you did not. |
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Post by craig on Jul 18, 2022 11:33:24 GMT
Saw this on Saturday night as a birthday treat for my partner, who loved the original production and is a much bigger Disney fan than me. I ended up enjoying it more than him, though we both had a really good time. He found it hard not to compare it to how lavish the original production was but I was pleasantly surprised by the staging after what I had heard. He hated the wolf projections, I thought they were effective; he hated that the angry villagers song went straight into the Gaston/Beast fight scene, I had no idea it wasn't written that way.
We both thought there was some really impressive staging though with some of the magical transformations, the Beast levitating etc. I also thought there were some amazing performances going on here. Gavin Lee was an absolute STAR. Very impressive. Courtney Stapleton's acting was fine but her singing was exceptional. Sam Bailey really impressed me too and the ensemble were so committed and also very impressive.
We bought the cheaper front row seats directly in front of the orchestra pit and would recommend if you're over 5 ft 8 or so. We're a shade over that and the stage did feel pretty high.
Be Our Guest was spectacular.
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Post by richey on Jul 18, 2022 12:58:41 GMT
The Beast levitates? That didn't happen when I saw it in Manchester. The transformation was the only thing I was disappointed with,as you could clearly see him pull off the mask whilst stood next to the throne.
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19,782 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 18, 2022 13:16:05 GMT
He went up when I saw it in Manc. I thought it was a fantastic effect.
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Post by iseestars on Jul 18, 2022 13:19:27 GMT
Saw this on Saturday night as a birthday treat for my partner, who loved the original production and is a much bigger Disney fan than me. I ended up enjoying it more than him, though we both had a really good time. He found it hard not to compare it to how lavish the original production was but I was pleasantly surprised by the staging after what I had heard. He hated the wolf projections, I thought they were effective; he hated that the angry villagers song went straight into the Gaston/Beast fight scene, I had no idea it wasn't written that way. We both thought there was some really impressive staging though with some of the magical transformations, the Beast levitating etc. I also thought there were some amazing performances going on here. Gavin Lee was an absolute STAR. Very impressive. Courtney Stapleton's acting was fine but her singing was exceptional. Sam Bailey really impressed me too and the ensemble were so committed and also very impressive. We bought the cheaper front row seats directly in front of the orchestra pit and would recommend if you're over 5 ft 8 or so. We're a shade over that and the stage did feel pretty high. Be Our Guest was spectacular. if you went this saturday (16th) i believe you had emily squibb on in place of sam bailey! both women are phenomenal in the role! 😊 |
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Post by craig on Jul 18, 2022 13:56:26 GMT
if you went this saturday (16th) i believe you had emily squibb on in place of sam bailey! both women are phenomenal in the role! 😊 ! We did comment that Sam looked completely different from how we remembered her. Haha! Apols Emily - you were fantastic! |
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Post by sph on Jul 18, 2022 23:09:57 GMT
The Beast levitates? That didn't happen when I saw it in Manchester. The transformation was the only thing I was disappointed with,as you could clearly see him pull off the mask whilst stood next to the throne. I imagine they have a none-flying contingency plan for when the effect isn't working, which is probably what you saw. The transformation is very good - very similar (possibly the same?) as the original. |
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Post by Stephen on Jul 21, 2022 0:25:38 GMT
I have rated this 3 stars in the poll however I feel that's generous. A few positives: Courtney is excellent as Belle, I really enjoyed her performance. It was also great to see Gavin Lee live and looking like he was having a ball. 'Gaston' and 'Be our Guest' were high energy production numbers. The negatives: My goodness Disney - I am SHOCKED that they are happy with such a scaled back, cheap looking pantomime of a production in the West End. This would feel flimsy, cheap and empty on tour let alone in town. From set to costumes to projections it all looked tacky to me. From my side view in Row N of the Palladium stalls I was often watching the action on a black backdrop on the side stage/wing as there was so little dressing and set. {Spoiler - click to view}
I was particularly disappointed in the way the show handled the prologue with the enchantress and beast transformations. Audience blinders, bright flashing lights. It is such a lazy effect and not what I would expect from Disney!
The musical director, bless him, was VERY passionate in his conducting of what sounded like five musicians and a tape recording.
The best part of the evening was probably the air con which worked fairly well for the most part.
Lost a bit of faith in Disney Theatrical with this one. |
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Post by danb on Jul 21, 2022 10:12:49 GMT
Theres a feature on ‘This Morning’ in a bit…
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Post by h86 on Aug 13, 2022 16:06:43 GMT
Alyn Hawke has confirmed that he is taking over from Gavin Lee as Lumiere for the final two tour stops in Bristol and Dublin. Hugely deserved.
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Post by iseestars on Aug 13, 2022 17:56:55 GMT
so the impression is being given that the tour will fully close after bristol and dublin ?
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Post by h86 on Aug 13, 2022 18:51:00 GMT
so the impression is being given that the tour will fully close after bristol and dublin ? Various cast members have confirmed Dublin is the final stop. |
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Post by Someone in a tree on Aug 17, 2022 18:10:31 GMT
Friends said the production was really cheap looking and one of the worst audiences they have ever encountered.
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Post by anxiousoctopus on Aug 17, 2022 22:22:49 GMT
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