8,159 posts
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Post by alece10 on Oct 8, 2021 8:27:29 GMT
It's a strange choice for open air theatre but I do like the musical and, weather permitting, I'm sure I will go to see it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2021 14:21:46 GMT
TBH if Little Shop of Horrors and Ragtime can work at the Open Air, I think Legally Blonde can as well. I didn't like Ragtime there at all. Brigadoon should be banished for 1000 years, not just 100. |
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Post by fluxcapacitor on Oct 8, 2021 15:31:05 GMT
TBH if Little Shop of Horrors and Ragtime can work at the Open Air, I think Legally Blonde can as well. I didn't like Ragtime there at all. Brigadoon should be banished for 1000 years, not just 100. I also didn't like their take on LSOH, but at least that made some sense given the (mean) green surroundings. Thinking back though, I think it was the design which let down that production. All I remember are shopping trolleys filled with skyscrapers, Audrey singing Somewhere that's Green whilst awkwardly standing on top of a ladder, and a very uninspired and static version of the plant which looked like it was built using a Meccano set. It could have worked with a design which actually incorporated and cleverly made the most of the greenery surrounding the stage. Legally Blonde though... does any of it take place outside? Strange, strange choice. I wasn't thrilled about Carousel when it was announced, but at least it's a show which lended itself to being done outdoors for a reason. LB just doesn't compute. |
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287 posts
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Post by singingbird on Oct 8, 2021 15:54:10 GMT
I always imagine that Regents Park will opt for quite arty adult shows that suit the setting, but that's so rarely the case. I think Pippin would be great there, but there's no way there's the market for that, and it's been revived a lot recently. I'd love them to do A Little Night Music and Aspects of Love, both of which would suit the setting brilliantly. Or Kander and Ebb's Steel Pier. My absolute dream - which will never, ever, ever happen - is a revival of Dude (the ill-fated follow up to Hair).
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Post by partytentdown on Oct 8, 2021 16:14:05 GMT
First live production of Schmigadoon?
I would love to see them do Hercules, which was done in Central Park a couple of years back.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2021 16:58:43 GMT
Maybe, just MAYBE they won't put some angle/spin on it to make it relevant? Highly unlikely though.
Ragtime - Open Air Theatre
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211 posts
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Post by justsaying113 on Oct 8, 2021 17:02:49 GMT
I'm with Mr Barnaby - can they really not do better than that?
I like the idea of 'Nine' as suggested, but I get it would be a hard sell. Still, good potential for starry, ensemble casting.
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8,159 posts
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Post by alece10 on Oct 8, 2021 17:17:15 GMT
It's probably a good move by Regents Park as Legally Blonde is a crowd pleasing commercial musical and with theatre only just starting to get back on its feet they need to get bums on seats and plow back some money.
At the end of the day it's a business that needs to make money and then, maybe in a few years time, when hopefully things are back to normal they can take more risks.
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Oct 8, 2021 17:54:40 GMT
Maybe, just MAYBE they won't put some angle/spin on it to make it relevant? Highly unlikely though.
Ragtime - Open Air Theatre
Oh Jesus. When I read they'd done Ragtime earlier in the thread I was disappointed I'd missed it as it surely would have been a great venue for it but having seen that image... How can anyone mess up such a sure-fire thing so badly? |
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Post by inthenose on Oct 8, 2021 18:20:55 GMT
It's probably a good move by Regents Park as Legally Blonde is a crowd pleasing commercial musical and with theatre only just starting to get back on its feet they need to get bums on seats and plow back some money. At the end of the day it's a business that needs to make money and then, maybe in a few years time, when hopefully things are back to normal they can take more risks. I see what you mean re: choosing a sure-fire hit. I'm not sure Legally Blonde will be though? I've always had the impression from the shows I've seen there that the audience have tended to be on the older side. Maybe just the particular performances I went to? Legally Blonde certainly wouldn't be a surefire draw with that demographic... |
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2,022 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Oct 8, 2021 18:27:04 GMT
I didn't like Ragtime there at all. Brigadoon should be banished for 1000 years, not just 100. I also didn't like their take on LSOH, but at least that made some sense given the (mean) green surroundings. Thinking back though, I think it was the design which let down that production. All I remember are shopping trolleys filled with skyscrapers, Audrey singing Somewhere that's Green whilst awkwardly standing on top of a ladder, and a very uninspired and static version of the plant which looked like it was built using a Meccano set. It could have worked with a design which actually incorporated and cleverly made the most of the greenery surrounding the stage. Legally Blonde though... does any of it take place outside? Strange, strange choice. I wasn't thrilled about Carousel when it was announced, but at least it's a show which lended itself to being done outdoors for a reason. LB just doesn't compute.
Agreed. LSOH was on reflection the worst thing I've seen there. Wrong on so many levels.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2021 19:15:04 GMT
Maybe, just MAYBE they won't put some angle/spin on it to make it relevant? Highly unlikely though.
Ragtime - Open Air Theatre
Oh Jesus. When I read they'd done Ragtime earlier in the thread I was disappointed I'd missed it as it surely would have been a great venue for it but having seen that image... How can anyone mess up such a sure-fire thing so badly? I was very excited to see it again. I went to an early preview and hadn't heard anything about the new production. Just walking in my heart sank. The set was a massive Obama billboard, with a huge hole in it, set in a junkyard. o-O It's probably not known enough, but I'd like to see The Hired Man there, and despite it being set on water, i think Titanic could work really well there. |
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287 posts
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Post by singingbird on Oct 8, 2021 19:22:50 GMT
It occurred to me that Benny & Bjorn's Kristina would have been a really inspired choice. Timely, original, a real coup and totally suited to the setting...
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7,189 posts
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Post by Jon on Oct 8, 2021 19:23:44 GMT
Keep in mind, the Open Air is not a subsidised venue so they need a crowd pleaser to get the punters in. I think something like Spamalot would work brilliantly in the Open Air given there's very little indoor scenes in both the show and also the film it's based on.
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4,029 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Oct 8, 2021 19:26:06 GMT
It's probably not known enough, but I'd like to see The Hired Man there, and despite it being set on water, i think Titanic could work really well there. If they ever did anything by Howard Goodall - which they probably won't - I'd rather they did The Dreaming, his musical version of Midsummer Night's Dream, as that would be even better suited to the setting than The Hired Man & is done even less frequently. |
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8,159 posts
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Post by alece10 on Oct 8, 2021 19:30:56 GMT
It's probably a good move by Regents Park as Legally Blonde is a crowd pleasing commercial musical and with theatre only just starting to get back on its feet they need to get bums on seats and plow back some money. At the end of the day it's a business that needs to make money and then, maybe in a few years time, when hopefully things are back to normal they can take more risks. I see what you mean re: choosing a sure-fire hit. I'm not sure Legally Blonde will be though? I've always had the impression from the shows I've seen there that the audience have tended to be on the older side. Maybe just the particular performances I went to? Legally Blonde certainly wouldn't be a surefire draw with that demographic... This is also true. Maybe they want to get a younger audience as us oldies won't be around forever so they could be long term planning. |
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Post by danb on Oct 8, 2021 19:32:15 GMT
A Drew Maconie ‘Legally Blonde’ could be thoroughly enjoyable.
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1,483 posts
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Post by steve10086 on Oct 8, 2021 21:25:46 GMT
It occurred to me that Benny & Bjorn's Kristina would have been a really inspired choice. Timely, original, a real coup and totally suited to the setting... Shame it’s a snoozefest |
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Post by scarpia on Oct 10, 2021 17:53:24 GMT
There are few shows I'd like to see less. Is Legally Blonde really a crowdpleaser? I know it had an OK run in the West End (to my horror) but on Broadway it was a flop.
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7,189 posts
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Post by Jon on Oct 10, 2021 19:01:11 GMT
There are few shows I'd like to see less. Is Legally Blonde really a crowdpleaser? I know it had an OK run in the West End (to my horror) but on Broadway it was a flop. It does well on tour so I think it is worth a punt to reimagine it for the Open Air. Going back to my suggestion of Spamalot, I did a bit of googling and discovered it's been already done as an open air production multiple times both professionally and by amateurs so it's a show that wouldn't out of place in Regent's Park. |
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19,787 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 10, 2021 19:12:58 GMT
I’ve never seen LB but in my head it’s in exactly the same category as 9 to 5 and Heathers: Dreadful.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Oct 10, 2021 19:19:09 GMT
LB is much stronger musically and dramatically than 9 to 5 which is just weak in all areas.
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Post by danb on Oct 10, 2021 19:45:01 GMT
…LB has a warmth and is good natured. It isn’t shrieky or belty in the way that ‘Heathers’ is (don’t know about ‘9 to 5’, not arsed).
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Post by fluxcapacitor on Oct 11, 2021 11:30:13 GMT
I’ve never seen LB but in my head it’s in exactly the same category as 9 to 5 and Heathers: Dreadful. I originally didn't have any desire to see it because in my head it was going to be a terrible and tacky interpretation of a fluffy American movie. But then I went to watch it (with Sheridan Smith) on the recommendation of a friend. I loved it and still listen to the Broadway cast recording quite regularly. As other users have mentioned, it has a real heart and warmth and some really wonderful and clever numbers. In my opinion it's far superior (and less pantomimey) than 9 to 5, and I can't comment on Heathers which I haven't been able to get through the full cast recording of, but I would recommend not writing LB off due to preconceptions. I now honestly think it's a great musical, but I do struggle to see how it will work in Regent's Park. |
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Post by FrontrowverPaul on Oct 11, 2021 12:30:57 GMT
"They" realise the annual musical is (normally) a moneyspinner but with the current artistic director whichever one they choose won't be done "straight". Remember Porgy and Bess who's set was a large heroin wrapper? Here's to a Camelot set in North Korea or Brigadoon sanitorium which and who's inmates are only seen every 100 years. Actually thinking about it...what about Kiss of the Spiderwoman?Would that be grey and depressing enough for Timothy Shreader to work his magic? There's often a conflict between presenting a show in an artistic and innovative way and making it a maximum moneyspinner. I love all the classic musicals but Carousel this year was a case in point. At the weekday matinee I attended a high percentage of the audience were senior citizens like me (they do a £25 -£30 offer) and several left at the interval while i heard a few moans from others. No standing ovation. For me it was merely okay but the changes didn't really work and I declined the chance to see it again on a special offer towards the end of the run. Whereas South Pacific at Chichester was "done straight". Immediate standing ovation and I rebooked a second visit as soon as I got home. |
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