1,442 posts
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Post by theatrefan62 on Oct 28, 2023 5:54:56 GMT
It always has been a thing, and it's part of the job, they know what they are signing up to, if they don't like it then they wouldn't work in theatre, same way if you want to be famous you can't stop people from recognising you. At the speedy of love final performance there were loads of people waiting outside the stage door before the actors went in. Yes and no. Yes they have to expect people may go to stage door. But it isn't part of the job to do the stage door thing. You aren't paying for any sort of interaction when you buy a ticket, and you aren't entitled to it. They are perfectly within their rights to walk past you and go home. Also many theatre actors aren't in it for 'celebrity fame', they are in it for the art or love of acting/performing. I think social media and certain shows crazy fandoms have made the stage door thing more common, and worse, compared to 15 to 20 years ago |
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Post by danb on Oct 28, 2023 6:26:19 GMT
That whole block from Sondheim to Gielgud is linked by offices above, so must be easy enough to escape from without detection?
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Post by theatreloverlondon on Oct 28, 2023 8:07:27 GMT
That whole block from Sondheim to Gielgud is linked by offices above, so must be easy enough to escape from without detection? There are offices above??? Ah that makes sense. Because some of them literally are not seen at all. |
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Post by danb on Oct 28, 2023 8:25:04 GMT
There was talk of building the bit in between into a venue a few years ago but obvs Covid etc, so it never happened.
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8,103 posts
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Post by alece10 on Oct 28, 2023 8:50:50 GMT
The reason you don't see Lea and Bernadette is because they are living in the theatre. Cam decided it was cheaper than paying for hotels so they have a couple of bunk beds up in the attic and Uber Eats deliver their food.
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Post by amyja89 on Oct 28, 2023 10:39:53 GMT
Does anyone know from what point in the curtain call you can record, lots of various results on YouTube. Many thanks When I was there, people more or less started to take their chance after they finished Being Alive. |
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Post by 141920grm on Oct 28, 2023 11:17:25 GMT
I think there is a secret exit at the Gielgud. That secret exit might just be the Gielgud's front door, lol |
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Post by adamkinsey on Oct 28, 2023 11:50:34 GMT
It always has been a thing, and it's part of the job, they know what they are signing up to, if they don't like it then they wouldn't work in theatre With respect, as a performer myself, this is absolute b******s. If it's part of the job why isn't it written in contracts that we have to sign programmes at stage door? You do know some actors actually have contracts saying they won't do publicity (mostly TV actors in my experience)? Your ticket entitles you to a performance, nothing else, and no other part of their time. If an actor wants to sign things, that's their decision and they may do it one night and not another. If they never want to do it, for whatever reason, that's fine too. |
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Post by theatreloverlondon on Oct 28, 2023 13:31:55 GMT
I think there is a secret exit at the Gielgud. That secret exit might just be the Gielgud's front door, lol I thought that might be the case but I was waiting for a friend and watched the front door until almost midnight last night. No luck  |
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Post by c4ndyc4ne on Oct 28, 2023 17:11:22 GMT
The reason you don't see Lea and Bernadette is because they are living in the theatre. Cam decided it was cheaper than paying for hotels so they have a couple of bunk beds up in the attic and Uber Eats deliver their food. See I thought they shared a double bed - side by side for Sondheim |
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19,670 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 31, 2023 19:39:36 GMT
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Post by theatreloverlondon on Oct 31, 2023 22:34:28 GMT
Just saw the show tonight.. for the (7th?) time. Wow it’s so interesting to see how/if they keep it fresh for themselves and the different acting choices. I have to say, I don’t know what triggered Bernadette today but her Losing My Mind (which IMO has been sub par) was something SO incredible. It’s the first time she didn’t just sing.. she really emoted, ‘broke down’ at one point. She actually was ‘losing {her} mind’. I was in awe. Completely different to the other times she sang it.
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1,996 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Oct 31, 2023 23:03:11 GMT
I said to my friend, Bernie and Lea's final goodbye in the middle of the stage, arms around one another, reminded me of the final sequence of Chicago - I said to my friend "it's Roxie and Velma!"
I half expected them to proceed to drop through a trap door, waving!! haha
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904 posts
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Post by lonlad on Nov 1, 2023 10:35:27 GMT
Saw it again on Monday and fully concur with the above - better and deeper and richer and stronger .....
All the cast remain on top form, most of them stronger and more secure even than on opening night, and BP now utterly shattering during Losing My Mind. Maybe SHE should be playing Lear (just kidding, though if they were to make it into a musical.... and Mandy Patinkin could be Gloucester).
And it's SO thrilling to look at as well as to hear -- a class act in every way.
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Post by apubleed on Nov 1, 2023 13:13:26 GMT
Bernadette's vocals have improved and I'm not sure exactly why haha. Maybe she was sick.
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Post by theatreloverlondon on Nov 1, 2023 14:53:31 GMT
Bernadette's vocals have improved and I'm not sure exactly why haha. Maybe she was sick. Right!!!!!!! Even though hearing her sing I Know Things Now stresses me out every time because of how much she has to flip into her head voice towards the end. I always hold my breath hoping she doesn’t crack. But she’s generally improved so much |
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Post by theatreloverlondon on Nov 1, 2023 15:01:46 GMT
To anyone who’s watched the show, when Bernadette sings ‘nice is better than good’ during I know Things Now, she points upwards on the line ‘good’ & people seem to laugh. Does anyone know what the joke is meant to be hahahah.
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Post by ladidah on Nov 1, 2023 15:09:58 GMT
A heaven joke?
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Post by theatreloverlondon on Nov 1, 2023 15:51:35 GMT
Ahhh as in the appearance of being ‘nice’ is different than actually being a good person worthy of heaven?? I feel slow… explain further please 🤣 |
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4,176 posts
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Post by anthony40 on Nov 1, 2023 15:59:37 GMT
Maybe she's pointing up at Sondheim himself?
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Post by craig on Nov 1, 2023 19:29:52 GMT
I caught this on Monday night (excellent tickets via TodayTix Rush) and was thoroughly moved by the whole experience. I thought that, whilst its appeal must be relatively limited in the grand scheme of things, it was the most unbelievable treat for Sondheim fans.
The cast were absolutely mind-blowing. Bernadette surprised me with her vocals. Losing My Mind and Send In The Clowns were devastatingly beautiful, whilst You Gotta Get A Gimmick was probably the comedy highlight of the evening. I always forget what a great comic she is. Lea was sensational too. Her Mrs Lovett was excellent and her voice is still in a league of its own. I adored Loving You.
Not remotely ashamed to admit that I cried quite a lot. Bernadette's afore mentioned solos, Sunday and Not A Day Goes By all got me quite choked up. I think Sunday is the most exquisitely beautiful song Sondheim ever wrote, and this phenomenal cast really delivered the vocals on it. Exceptional.
Gavin Lee and Bonnie Langford are such hams but were great fun and I really enjoyed a rendition of I'm Still Here with a bit more vocal finesse than we are used to. Beatrice Penny Touré's vocals were a delight and Jack Yarrow was a standout too. Was so lovely to see the new West End Stars as a part of this. Bradley Jaden was excellent too. He's got to be the West End's answer to Aaron Tveit.
I really enjoyed Clare Burt's Ladies Who Lunch. I've listened to LuPone's version so much over the last few years it's really become ubiquitous for me, but this was a wonderfully acted version, and very impressively sung in places too.
Broadway Baby was just sensational. I remember watching Hey! My Producer! as a kid at home back in the late 90s and being absolutely transfixed by it, long before my theatre awakening, let alone my Sondheim awakening. Joanna Riding's entrance had me in STITCHES! Joanna was an absolute star throughout, and Janie Dee's solo was a delight too. Magnificent.
The whole night just felt like a privilege to witness.
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8,103 posts
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Post by alece10 on Nov 1, 2023 19:48:35 GMT
I caught this on Monday night (excellent tickets via TodayTix Rush) and was thoroughly moved by the whole experience. I thought that, whilst its appeal must be relatively limited in the grand scheme of things, it was the most unbelievable treat for Sondheim fans. The cast were absolutely mind-blowing. Bernadette surprised me with her vocals. Losing My Mind and Send In The Clowns were devastatingly beautiful, whilst You Gotta Get A Gimmick was probably the comedy highlight of the evening. I always forget what a great comic she is. Lea was sensational too. Her Mrs Lovett was excellent and her voice is still in a league of its own. I adored Loving You. Not remotely ashamed to admit that I cried quite a lot. Bernadette's afore mentioned solos, Sunday and Not A Day Goes By all got me quite choked up. I think Sunday is the most exquisitely beautiful song Sondheim ever wrote, and this phenomenal cast really delivered the vocals on it. Exceptional. Gavin Lee and Bonnie Langford are such hams but were great fun and I really enjoyed a rendition of I'm Still Here with a bit more vocal finesse than we are used to. Beatrice Penny Touré's vocals were a delight and Jack Yarrow was a standout too. Was so lovely to see the new West End Stars as a part of this. Bradley Jaden was excellent too. He's got to be the West End's answer to Aaron Tveit. I really enjoyed Clare Burt's Ladies Who Lunch. I've listened to LuPone's version so much over the last few years it's really become ubiquitous for me, but this was a wonderfully acted version, and very impressively sung in places too. Broadway Baby was just sensational. I remember watching Hey! My Producer! as a kid at home back in the late 90s and being absolutely transfixed by it, long before my theatre awakening, let alone my Sondheim awakening. Joanna Riding's entrance had me in STITCHES! Joanna was an absolute star throughout, and Janie Dee's solo was a delight too. Magnificent. The whole night just felt like a privilege to witness. Great review but you have made me feel so old when you talk about watching Broadway Baby as a kid. I was in the audience that night! 😀 |
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Post by asps2017 on Nov 1, 2023 19:54:55 GMT
What time does this end?
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362 posts
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Post by JJShaw on Nov 1, 2023 20:04:38 GMT
Caught the show again today, this time from the second row of the stalls and what a treat to be so close.
The show still sparkles and everyone is clearly so happy and excited to be performing, will also echo a previous comment that Bern's Losing My Mind was really something, at one point she seemed to choke up a little and turned her back to the audience before returning to us and dabbing her teary eyes. I can imagine for her in particular doing this run will have some ups and downs for her being so close to Sondheim.
Bonnie is still getting the biggest whoops and cheers after I'm Still Here and it's so deserved. Personally, I still don't really like the West Side Story section (though not a fan of the show anyway) but everyone else liked it!
Everyones settled in, everyone's vocals were great, for a Wednesday matinee it looked rather full and all levels were open.
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Post by amyja89 on Nov 1, 2023 20:14:51 GMT
So refreshing to see someone like Bernadette Peters out there, 75 years old, giving it her all on a Wednesday matinee. I know it's not the most demanding show for her, but I'm sure she could have put a fair few stipulations in her contract and been accommodated. But no!
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