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Post by fiyero on Jun 30, 2023 18:43:47 GMT
I know Matt is going back to the USA tomorrow so Tosh is officially back full time, baring illness etc which would be covered by understudies and swings. I don’t know if any holidays but my friend is going to try and find out and we’ll share if allowed. Great seeing the love for Tosh! Thank you! I absolutely loved him in The Drifter’s Girl so have booked this primarily to see him, but know ‘no specific cast member’s appearance is guaranteed’ etc etc! There’s some good offers around this weekend so I’ve booked for the week after next. Will have everything crossed I get to see him. When are you going? My friend is going to try and check his holiday dates so could ask for you. |
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Post by A.Ham on Jun 30, 2023 18:54:17 GMT
Thank you! I absolutely loved him in The Drifter’s Girl so have booked this primarily to see him, but know ‘no specific cast member’s appearance is guaranteed’ etc etc! There’s some good offers around this weekend so I’ve booked for the week after next. Will have everything crossed I get to see him. When are you going? My friend is going to try and check his holiday dates so could ask for you. Thank you. Thurs 6th, this coming week 🤞🏻🤞🏻 |
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Post by Mark on Jul 5, 2023 21:24:48 GMT
Went tonight and wow those vocals are absolutely fantastic. I had seen and loved this before on the day before the Broadway shutdown, and enjoyed it as much here in London - we have a really fabulous cast.
Upper level was closed but stalls was full and dress seemed fairly busy. Don’t sleep on this one - it’s definitely worth seeing.
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Post by A.Ham on Jul 7, 2023 16:10:28 GMT
So I went last night and got to see the show this time (after my aborted trip back at the end of April when the show got cancelled not long before curtain up).
Have to say I wasn't blown away - I thought everything was competent and the guys worked their backsides off, but nothing really drew me in and excited me. Some of the cast sounded better than others I felt, and it's very much Jersey Boys but without the highs that show seems to have. I enjoyed some of the big moments - I'm Gonna Make You Love Me, and Papa Was A Rolling Stone especially, but at many points it felt like we just got a verse and a chorus and then the song ended to make way for another book scene. I felt that If You Don't Know Me... in particular never got going for this reason sadly.
Seeing Tosh in this was my main motivation for going, so as he wasn't on last night that took the edge off my excitement, but Posi did a great job as David Ruffin and I'm not sure even Tosh's talents would've changed my view of the show as a whole unfortunately.
The experience wasn't enhanced by the audience - the last time I was at the Prince Edward was for the Mary Poppins press night in 2019, and the place was buzzing. Last night was quite the opposite, with audience members floating around the lobby and bars like tumbleweed pre-show (although once inside, the stalls were fairly full and from what I could see the dress was too).
The cherry on top was having the misfortune to be sat in front of a man who spent most of the show talking to his girlfriend at a normal speaking volume, and when he wasn't doing that he was rolling stray Maltesers around in their box! A fairly polite 'would you please stop talking' didn't make much difference sadly. Perhaps they'd be good candidates for the next series of Gogglebox but they certainly weren't people who understood how to behave in a theatre.
So not a show I'd rush back to unfortunately, but pleased to have seen it. Looking forward to going back to the Prince Edward for MJ next March now.
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Post by colelarson on Jul 8, 2023 23:17:01 GMT
Saw this today for the Matinee performance. I booked when I heard Tosh was cast as loved him in The Drifters Girl, which this show is similar to in ways.
It's alright but not Amazing! The cast are definitely putting their heart and soul into it but there's something missing to make it 5*!
Sifiso Mazibuko is great as the narrator of the tale as original Temptations member and founder: Otis Williams and helps the story go along by telling us about the band and various members.
Tosh did not disappoint! A real powerhouse turn as lead vocalist David Ruffin.
Good numbers and smooth dancing. The set design consists largely of back-projected tour date locations and landmark newspaper headlines and people get wheeled on and off!
My sub note would be wow what a rude audience! Turning up late. Getting up while the show us on to go to the bar, talking loudly, drinking alcohol non stop and singing along. Really think they should do a message that says "wait to sing along at the encore!" But a plus the seats are very comfy!
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Post by fiyero on Jul 20, 2023 17:03:12 GMT
I saw the show on Sunday as I can only easily do weekends and didn’t fancy a Friday or Saturday night audience! It is obvious this show is bringing in an audience that aren’t theatre regulars which is a double edged sword. Theatres need audiences but the etiquette can be unclear, especially for shows that are closer to band gigs. I don’t think it’s quite at the level of the bad behaviour thread but I had quiet talkers, loud talkers and loud singers around. My glares only made them louder.
On to the show. Like with Drifters Girl I didn’t know much about the band featured though of course recognised several songs. Excitingly for me Tosh was on as I loved him in Drifters Girl and he was amazing in this. Sifoso Mazibuko was the other standout for me as Otis Williams and I was lucky enough to catch them both afterwards to sign my programme before I had to dash. The whole cast were great and really delivered in their roles and the audience obviously had a great time. The similarities with both Jersey Boys and Drifters Girl are clear. Here all band members are played by different actors but I think I prefer the method used in Drifters Girl with 4 actors playing all the combinations. Ain’t too proud is a bigger show and I’m not sure if it needs to be. I hope they keep enough of an audience to see out the run as the cast really deserve it. I wouldn’t say no to going again but we do need a no talking / singing performance please!
If rowdy audiences aren’t your thing I’m reminded of the Forbidden Broadway song “see me on a Monday”, though Tuesday is the closest we can get here. I do recommend seeing the show while you have the chance anyway!
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Post by nash16 on Jul 23, 2023 13:38:14 GMT
Sad that this is closing early. I’ve been twice with family. Definitely need to make a third trip.
What will replace it?
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Post by Mark on Jul 23, 2023 14:00:19 GMT
Sad that this is closing early. I’ve been twice with family. Definitely need to make a third trip. What will replace it? Still no closing announcement (yet) |
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Post by Dave B on Jul 23, 2023 14:44:38 GMT
Just confirmed, closes 17 September.
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Post by mattnyc on Jul 23, 2023 14:54:03 GMT
Sad that this is closing early. I’ve been twice with family. Definitely need to make a third trip. What will replace it? MJ is going into that theatre. |
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Post by Mark on Jul 23, 2023 14:56:56 GMT
May something can go in over the Christmas period.
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Post by theatremiss on Jul 23, 2023 15:01:02 GMT
Sad that this is closing early. I’ve been twice with family. Definitely need to make a third trip. What will replace it? MJ is going into that theatre. Not until March 2024 |
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Post by theatremiss on Jul 23, 2023 15:02:10 GMT
I hope there’s something decent going into it for the 6 months before MJ. Tbh this show hasn’t been selling well and it was OK but nothing great so not something I’d make a return visit to
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Post by Being Alive on Jul 23, 2023 15:20:02 GMT
Frankly amazed they've staggered through this long.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jul 23, 2023 15:22:28 GMT
Maybe, just maybe, we are seeing the beginning of the end of this sort of jukebox/bio shows.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Jul 23, 2023 15:32:13 GMT
Maybe, just maybe, we are seeing the beginning of the end of this sort of jukebox/bio shows. There's been plenty of jukebox shows that have flopped, I think its more a case of getting it right. This always seemed an odd choice for the UK as the temptations weren't THAT big here |
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Post by mattnyc on Jul 23, 2023 15:35:26 GMT
Plus putting it in a theatre that large always seemed such an odd choice.
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Post by nash16 on Jul 23, 2023 15:35:34 GMT
I hope there’s something decent going into it for the 6 months before MJ. Tbh this show hasn’t been selling well and it was OK but nothing great so not something I’d make a return visit to Same. They’ve normally got something lined up when they close a show. Can’t think of what show could go in though. Any recent touring shows that were looking for a home maybe? |
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Post by danb on Jul 23, 2023 15:41:03 GMT
Can’t they just put ‘Newsies’ in there and see how it flies in town? Plenty of space, plenty of boxes to play with and the crazy loge things. The outlay can’t be that much to transfer something, however specific it might be to its home.
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Post by j0shwaterfield on Jul 23, 2023 15:43:26 GMT
wasnt cam mac looking for somewhere to shove oliver for a limited run? and wasn’t the prince edward a contender in the first place too? could easily sell a christmas run here.
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Post by danb on Jul 23, 2023 15:47:48 GMT
Think he’s looking at the Noel Coward (ex-Albery) where it first opened when he was a…cough…lad.
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Post by Jon on Jul 23, 2023 16:03:10 GMT
Given Newsies couldn't sell the Troubadour, the chances of it going into the Prince Edward are very slim.
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Post by danb on Jul 23, 2023 16:51:30 GMT
Given Newsies couldn't sell the Troubadour, the chances of it going into the Prince Edward are very slim. Home of numerous financial smashes ‘The Troubador’? I’m just blue sky thinking (you can punch me later) If the production exists, and the set exists and the cast haven’t all booked other jobs I really don’t see why they wouldn’t give it a go for a month and see if they can salvage it before it tours? They’re going to have to reblock it for traditional spaces anyway. Dark theatre = no bar sales. Open theatre with ready made product that just needs restaging work? Why the hell not? If it picks up it can lead straight into the tour. Otherwise we’ll just end up with another ghastly musical revue for a few months til MJ. |
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Post by david on Jul 23, 2023 17:14:04 GMT
I wonder if Bedknobs and Broomsticks could be a possibility. A family show for the Christmas period and Dianne Pilkington would be free from early September once The Wizard of Oz ends.
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Post by Jon on Jul 23, 2023 17:19:08 GMT
Given Newsies couldn't sell the Troubadour, the chances of it going into the Prince Edward are very slim. Home of numerous financial smashes ‘The Troubador’? I’m just blue sky thinking (you can punch me later) If the production exists, and the set exists and the cast haven’t all booked other jobs I really don’t see why they wouldn’t give it a go for a month and see if they can salvage it before it tours? They’re going to have to reblock it for traditional spaces anyway. Dark theatre = no bar sales. Open theatre with ready made product that just needs restaging work? Why the hell not? If it picks up it can lead straight into the tour. Otherwise we’ll just end up with another ghastly musical revue for a few months til MJ. You do realise a show can't simply give a theatre a go for a month before touring. I'd go for Dear England which is a huge hit at the National although it would be restaged somewhay. |
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