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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2016 0:06:03 GMT
I thought it was bloomin' awful. Sound atrocious for most of the first half (orchestra drowning out vocals). Also, I paid £45 for my seat and all I can say is, thank the Lord John Dagleish is 1) comparatively tall and 2) photogenic, because he was the only performer I managed to see clearly for any length of time (and then only for Waterloo Sunset). Overall I might as well have stayed at home and listened on the radio.
After some boring opening tunes delivered in the style of a Glasgow rondy (as my mum would say), and some agonisingly stilted banter (why the heck couldn't we have had classy Lesley Manville from the word go?), I honestly felt like laughing out loud when they announced, "And now for some Sondheim!" My love for Sondheim (sarky sarky) is well documented on the old site of course... Apparently it wasn't enough to have one song from Sunday in the Park with George. No, Daniel Evans came back later and sang a song about a hat. He didn't have half as much fun with his hat as JK Rowling did with hers. By the time he'd finished, I'd decided probably Saturday in the Torture Chamber with John would be a more enticing proposition. Does George EVER cheer up? Answers on a postcard please, because on this evidence there's no way I'm ever sitting through an entire production to find out.
Oh, things are looking up. Here's Michael Ball and one of the many Strallens singing a song from Phantom. Hooray! Oh no, wait, it's my least favourite song from Phantom. Sigh. Also, guys, don't crack a joke about a 20 year age difference and then have the older bloke paw the younger woman during their duet. It looks pervy.
After the interval, more Sondheim (I much prefer Rebecca Caine's quiet, genuinely regretful approach to Losing My Mind but hey ho, Friedman's blared, tortured version is the norm, I know). Then an ill-advised appearance by Elaine Paige, apparently dressed in Bacofoil (looked like the conductor was just crossing his fingers and hoping for the best as far as timing was concerned). Cue rapturous applause from the audience for someone who couldn't properly hit one of the big notes. And more Sondheim to finish! By now I've spent so much time sighing, I'm going to need artificial help to reinflate my lungs...
In fairness, I must say Clive Rowe was brilliant, and the young actress playing Matilda wiped the floor with most of the adults in terms of stage presence and acting the song, so good on her. What I could see of the Dagleish//Brayben duet looked fun, too, and Stars was unexpected.
But was it all worth 45 quid? Ask me tomorrow, I might be in a better mood.
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Post by Snciole on Jan 26, 2016 0:16:31 GMT
You should have been in the Gods with me, Jean. I saw everything but the bow tie!  ? I wasn't familiar with Finishing the Hat or even much Sondheim he does seem like a whiny old man, even if he wasn't that old when writing these songs. I loved Elaine's dress but I am part magpie. I am terrified Daniel Evans Chichester reign will just be lots of duets between him and Maria! How utterly filthy was that Cole Porter song about tops and bottoms though. Talk about knowing their audience. |
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Post by Polly1 on Jan 26, 2016 0:26:31 GMT
I notice that page is crediting 'Stars' to Arnold Schoenberg!! |
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Post by theatremiss on Jan 26, 2016 0:29:45 GMT
I like Sondheim but I don't like Sunday in the Park with George. Stars was awful, so much echo I thought I'd fallen into a vast cavern. One woman, I assume a Ball-ette, or Ball-sie or whatever his followers are called, kept taking pictures of him from DC, the camera light was right in my eyeline and most distracting
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Post by theatremiss on Jan 26, 2016 0:33:27 GMT
Oh and did anyone see the chap in red and silver silk brocade trousers, very snazzy
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2016 8:39:59 GMT
Does George EVER cheer up? Answers on a postcard please, because on this evidence there's no way I'm ever sitting through an entire production to find out. Not really. He finishes his painting eventually, but he's long dead by the second act. The replacement George isn't a lot better but does at least end on a hopeful note that he might be able to do some good art. (I love the show, but George as a person is not someone I'd ever like to spend time with. Either George.) |
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 26, 2016 9:34:33 GMT
I really enjoyed this. Clive Rowe and his Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat - well, I almost peed my pants. When I'm asked, as I often am, my favourite performance ever, this is the one, from the NT 1997 show, that comes top place for me. Nothing has beaten that mid-show standing O from 19 years ago. Seeing it again last night was utter joy.
Michael Ball is a sweetie, can't feel any sort of Phantom menace or Javert fearsomeness, but I loved both songs, extremely well performed. Scarlett Strallen's Vanilla Ice Cream was - delicious!
John Dalgleish I enjoyed. Particularly the Me and My Girl with the little dance act. Maria Friedman - wow, what a stunner she is. Fabulous performance, fabulous performer.
Elaine Paige over-egged the pudding. It was almost uncomfortable to watch.
Sunday in the Park with George. Not my cuppa tea.
Paid £19 for rear stalls, bought back in October not knowing what - or who, apart from David Thaxton (who wasn't on anyway), would be on, so feel I had a bargain evenings entertainment.
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Post by partytentdown on Jan 26, 2016 10:16:31 GMT
Got to a point where I felt they were recycling performers a bit - could have done with one or two 'names' to pop up in the second half instead of another Ball/Friedman/Sondheim moment.
Sound was terrible in first half, could barely hear those Jersey Boys who looked DELIGHTED to be there on their night off!
A fun night all in all. I really wanted to see more of the juxtapositions of people who played roles back in the past with the people who played them recently.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Jan 26, 2016 13:52:36 GMT
I really enjoyed the concert, Maria hasn't sounded so good in years! I loved her in everything, especially Beauty and Beast. Clive Rowe, Scarlett Strallen and Michael Ball were all amazing as well. I'm a big fan of Daniel Evans - and absolutely love Sunday in the Park with George - but I'm sorry to say he struggled more than a bit vocally, especially in the second part. The higher notes in "Finishing the Hat" were ugly, and he faked amazingly (really, I wish Idina could be as good as Daniel at faking the notes she can't sing) a lot of notes in "You're the Top", but when it came to the notes he couldn't fake anymore he totally missed the note. It must have been a bad night, when he sang "Move on" with Anna Francolini last november he was really glorious. Also, I love Lesley, but she looked a bit uncomfortable... But for 12£ it was really a great concert.
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Post by lordwebber on Jan 26, 2016 14:36:21 GMT
Loved last night. Highlights for me were Clive Rowe's Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat, the Candide Overture (the BBC Concert Orchestra are incredible, right?), Maria Friedman's Beauty and the Beast and Katie Brayben & John Dagleish's Me and My Girl. I thought Jersey Boys seemed off, their sound was bad. I also didn't get why they had five Sondheim performances when there's so much more to choose from the last 40 years. Could have done with a few more different performers too.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2016 15:18:19 GMT
Just listened to this, thanks to the heads up from some other posters that it was broadcast on BBC3. Sorry to say I wasn't impressed- choice of songs, the handful of performers who kept being brought back on to do one more, the performances themselves (even from the artists I usually adore... MF, DE, MB, EP), not to mention the poor sound quality, even through headphones which usually helps! Was originally gutted I couldn't make it, but now thinking I'd have been a little bit disappointed if I'd been there...
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Post by theatremiss on Jan 26, 2016 15:37:57 GMT
Is this a concert they do every year as I didnt notice there being one last year
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Post by Snciole on Jan 26, 2016 15:44:02 GMT
I think it was a one off for the 40th anniversary this year. It is a real shame the poor sound came across on radio, I assumed it was my poor people seats that had the problem!
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 26, 2016 16:07:02 GMT
Sound on Jersey Boys was bad! And there was a lighting issue, wasn't there, when Ms Strallen in Vanilla Ice Cream got off the stool and went to walk across the stage, the light didn't follow her .. And as previously mentioned, the conductor trying to do a mind reading thing with Elaine Paige -
I think a few Ma and Pa's of the Choir were in - I thought they were very good. Still think it was a great evening. £4 programme felt a rip off though.
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Post by Snciole on Jan 26, 2016 16:22:12 GMT
I thought that top stage right light in Stars was trying to blind me/distract me from Ball's weight gain (Me too, Michael, me too). I had to shut my eyes.
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Post by loureviews on Jan 26, 2016 17:44:18 GMT
I thought that top stage right light in Stars was trying to blind me/distract me from Ball's weight gain (Me too, Michael, me too). I had to shut my eyes. I thought he was slimline compared to his usual porky state! |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jan 26, 2016 18:59:34 GMT
Elaine Paige sounded awful. She's turned into some drag act parody of a lounge singer. Time for her to retire.
Scarlett was lovely as usual and I liked Me and My Girl the most.
Overall the whole thing sounded amateurish and naff though. Plus Lesley Manville was clearly bored to tears and wondering why she was there.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2016 23:26:35 GMT
I thought that top stage right light in Stars was trying to blind me/distract me from Ball's weight gain (Me too, Michael, me too). I had to shut my eyes. That pesky light dazzled me in the first song, too! Why do they do it, why?! |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2016 2:33:24 GMT
Finishing The Hat is my all time favourite Sondheim song! Sunday in the park...his best show IMO. Each to his own  |
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Post by alexandra on Jan 29, 2016 13:57:59 GMT
Does anyone else remember David Healy singing Nicely-Nicely the first time they did that production of Guys and Dolls, in the early 80s? At that stage it wasn't expected, as it was when they revived it, that that song would get several encores. But it always did.
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Post by loureviews on Jan 29, 2016 15:54:39 GMT
Does anyone else remember David Healy singing Nicely-Nicely the first time they did that production of Guys and Dolls, in the early 80s? At that stage it wasn't expected, as it was when they revived it, that that song would get several encores. But it always did. Only from the album version, but that is such a lovely production and I bet Julia McKenzie was a fantastic Adelaide as well. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2016 15:59:17 GMT
Does anyone else remember David Healy singing Nicely-Nicely the first time they did that production of Guys and Dolls, in the early 80s? At that stage it wasn't expected, as it was when they revived it, that that song would get several encores. But it always did. Yes! I was there, and Julia McKenzie was wonderful... (just as she was again some years later in Sweeney Todd at the NT.) |
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