Musicals one never got to see

Bombay Dreams, as it happens, replaced starlight express. Heavens, can you imagine converting that building back to a railway track less theatre.

Bombay Dreams was a curious piece.

Unfortunately my only memory of it was nearly being assaulted because I told the people behind me to stop talking.

The music, story and staging have made no lasting impression on me!

Mine would be Peggy Sue Got Married and the OLC of Into the Woods; my passion for musical theatre ignited around the time it closed and It’s my one regret; not coming across it a little earlier!

I still kick myself for missing Grey Gardens when it was on at Southwark Playhouse - couldn’t make the dates work.

There’s a few musicals I just haven’t had the opportunity to see as there’s never been a revival in my theatregoing lifetime. I’d love for there to be a big splashy Brigadoon revival - the recent recording from NYCC is glorious and it’s one of the few classics that (as far as I know) hasn’t had a major revival in over 30 years, last seen at Victoria Palace in 1988/89

I enjoyed Bombay Dreams - I remember it was just at the beginning of Bollywood movies becoming more popular in the West, but people not knowing much about them. There was a lot of fuss, for example, when it seemed that people on stage were only miming to some songs, unaware that this was reflecting Bollywood movies in which the stars always mime the big song & dance numbers.

I'm sure it would do better now that Bollywood has become a bit more mainstream and better known. There's also always this massive fuss about more diversity and inclusion and yet something like this, that could truly contribute to enrichening the West End, is not being revived.

I don't have many regrets as I've seen most everything I've been wanting to see over the last decades. A few things I'm sad about missing happened when I was in the very early stages of musical fandom, such as the original London productions of Children of Eden (still love the recording), Me and My girl (went to Chichester to finally see it live but was ruined for me by the lead), Aspects of Love or Metropolis, which must have been gloriously overwrought. But then I think we all have this specific period when we were already aware of several shows, but couldn't get around to see them.

Imelda and Bally’s Sweeney Todd…

Love Never Dies.
Trains were cancelled on the day so we drove only to get stuck in some through London race, can’t remember which one. Missed the entire first act. Decided I wouldn’t go in to see half. Planned to rebook. It closed. Only ALW I’ve never seen. Love the score.

I wish I saw Les Mis at the Palace Theatre with the big set and orchestra. I still liked how intimate the show felt in the Queens Theatre but watching youtube videos I can only imagine the scale of the original-original

I loved Bombay Dreams when I saw it in previews - the audience were really into it which helped.

Regrets would be not seeing the original Martin Guerre (with that amazing full orchestra!) and Company at the Donmar/Albery. I also regret that, though I saw the original London production of Into The Woods, I can barely remember anything about it!

Missing the original Sunset Boulevard is my big regret - I'd been to ALW shows from the late 70s onwards, but by the time Sunset rolled around my interest had waned, I was away from London and my bank balance wasn't what it had been.

I also regret missing the Donmar Company (I tried and failed to get a ticket), the original West End production of City of Angels, and several of the notorious flops - in particular Metropolis and Which Witch (mainly because I love looking back on the ones I did see, such as Bernadette and Out of the Blue).

Yes Martin guerre was another I could have seen but didn't.