1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 13, 2019 9:45:13 GMT
Well I was quite excited to see Cardle in this after he impressed me in JCS, but I can't deny that I'm even more excited to see Joel Montague - loved him in Funny Girl and School of Rock!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 12, 2019 20:03:04 GMT
It works like Helicopter blades - they spin so quickly they are hard to detect. That's genius! I sat front row for this and if I squinted really hard i could see wires, but I had no idea that there were so many. That's a brilliant piece of design!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 12, 2019 20:00:52 GMT
Oh, I get that - but usually it also functions as an observation. Magaldi usually delivers that line after spotting Eva with another man; her "act" that hasn't "changed" is her social climbing through sex. Yet in this production she isn't with anyone, so it's hard to tell what he means. Doesn't he say it just after Eva and Peron lock eyes for the first time? If so, then I think it's pretty clear from her body language that she's going to do the exact same thing with Peron as she did with Magaldi and he's recognised that.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 12, 2019 19:59:18 GMT
And was there something in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory? I can't remember exactly what happened but I do remember being stumped & impressed at one of the effects. The paper plane? That always impressed me far more than the glass elevator, of which the mode of operation was pretty obvious. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but when I sat front row I'm pretty sure I could see wires on the corners of the carpet, so I suspect it's just wired very finely to machinery in the fly tower that 'drives' it around the stage. Simple, but if the wires are disguised well enough then very effective.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 12, 2019 12:09:10 GMT
Night of the Iguana on Friday
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 11, 2019 14:03:06 GMT
Does anyone know how the student tickets work at wicked? What’s the age bracket? No age limit, you just have to show a valid student ID card. The website says they may not do the student tickets at peak times but in reality they’ll usually offer you something unless they’re on track to sell out that performance - I’ve only been turned down once in my visits over the last 5 years.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 10, 2019 10:57:51 GMT
Just saw a tweet from 1st cover Mary, Rosie Fletcher - she’s on as Ms Magdalene both shows today. Now trying to resist buying a ticket...
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 8, 2019 18:27:35 GMT
I'm sure it's been said somewhere already but I can't find the posts - does Marsha have any scheduled dates as Eva? At the moment only the extra Wednesday matinees - 21st and 28th of August. No details on the website or in the programme about her being an alternate or Samantha doing anything less than 8 shows a week - an impressive feat if that is indeed the case, and a testament to her vocal strength and stamina.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 8, 2019 11:22:28 GMT
Loved it, loved it, loved it. Exactly what I was hoping for and far exceeded my expectations. The abstract approach works much better than I thought it would (although I'm not sure how easily you'd follow the plot if you weren't familiar with the show) and the whole ethos of this production has increased poignancy in the age of social media and 'fake news'. Lloyd's vision is big, bold, bitchy, and unashamed. He's not afraid to come down strongly on the damning side of the fence regarding Eva's ambition, and that makes a real change. Gone is the ambiguity of how much she truly loves the people (or her lovers), gone is the bitch/saint superposition, this is Evita through her own eyes with no holds barred, unafraid to use people and do whatever she has to in order to climb the ladder and achieve immortality. Perhaps the most impressive of Lloyd's feats is making The Art of the Possible and Peron's Latest Flame - in my opinion the only two dull parts of the show - into engaging and interesting scenes. As others have said, the last 20 minutes are more affecting than ever before, with the confrontation between Eva and Che, Eva's demise, and a haunting montage, all staged simply but to raw effect.
Samantha Pauly is simply sensational in the title role - there's no other word for it. Her voice glides through the score effortlessly, from shimmering head voice to soaring belt, and no opting out of tricky segments (there's even a cheeky extra high note thrown in at the end of Rainbow High, which I've never heard anyone add before). When you combine her with the gorgeous and chaotically energetic Trent Saunders as Che, I'd hazard a guess that this could be the best the score has ever been sung. Notably, the leading duo's diction is exquisite and last night I could make out lyrics that sometimes evade me even on cast recordings. Mention should also be made of Ektor Rivera and Frances Mayli McCann, who excel in their roles of Peron and The Mistress.
Fabian Aloise brings his best work yet to the choreography here, with chaotic sassy energy flowing through every move from Eva's poses as she dreams of Buenos Aires to the begging lower classes in The Money Kept Rolling In. I particularly loved the geometry of his choreo - the ensemble constantly forming moving arrays, circles, lines, that flex as they make use of the staircase set. When you add the lighting - at times feeling like it's pulled straight from an arena rock tour - you get an exquisite picture up on that stage.
And the band, oh the band. They are simply divine. The orchestrations are lush and vibrant, an intertwining meld of rock and musical theatre, and there's no scrimping on numbers, with each section big enough to produce the full sound that we need from this score.
Regent's Park are officially 2 for 2 on their ALW revamps. Which is next?
Edit: oh and the balloon dress was indeed gone last night too, so looks like they've binned it for good. And for those who are interested, Lauren Drew (of Heathers and Sweet Charity) is 2nd cover Eva after Marsha Songcome.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 7, 2019 10:56:32 GMT
I'm booked for Agrippina and both the Dons Giovanni and Pasquale - plenty of availability in student booking yesterday.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 5, 2019 10:12:49 GMT
It’s a great deal - just got a Royal Circle row F seat for a Friday in August - incredible value at £15!!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 5, 2019 8:48:16 GMT
Evita on Wednesday night
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 2, 2019 10:02:49 GMT
I’ll be at the final preview, also with very high expectations from both OAT and Jamie Lloyd! What ARE people’s expectations of this? I suppose I’m expecting it not to be set in the period judging by the artwork but not having seen anything directed by him before what is Jamie Lloyd’s ‘shtick’? Are we going to be shocked? Outraged? (Doctor Faustus caused some concerns at the time I recall).... what does everyone think? The excitement for me is that I don't really know what to expect! I've seen two Jamie Lloyd productions before (both plays though) and they've been brilliant but also subverted what you'd usually expect from the material in some way. I'm hoping he'll do the same with Evita and give us something akin to the Regent's Park JCS that revitalises the energy of a show that has endless revivals that aren't particularly imaginative (*cough* Kenwright *cough*).
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 2, 2019 9:59:29 GMT
I'll reinforce the advice to take layers - even on hot days it can get very cold once the sun sets, especially if it's windy. Also I usually take sunglasses as again, even if it's not a particularly bright day, once the sun starts to set it can really catch you if you're sat in the right (wrong?) place.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 2, 2019 9:54:45 GMT
Well I do love these concert performances at Cadogan Hall, especially when the brilliant LMTO are involved, but my usual Stalls row P seats are already gone and with the cheapest at £32.50 I think I'll give this one a miss until offers come along...
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 31, 2019 11:34:07 GMT
Had a moment of payday weakness and booked front Stalls for the final performance... can't wait to be back!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 31, 2019 9:25:05 GMT
The cast gets better and better!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 21, 2019 21:26:58 GMT
Well Act Two blew Act One out of the water. Lea really showed that she has complete mastery of her voice and has exquisite technique. She is one of very few performers to have perfect diction and placement in Another Hundred People, and took songs that are done to death with inane vocal affectations and gave fresh, classy renditions that were a joy to hear. Very glad to have been there tonight, but I'll definitely remember the second act more than the first.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 21, 2019 19:51:02 GMT
Also I always forget that there are extended versions of all those Disney songs and so got a little surprised when she started singing lyrics I’ve never heard before!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 21, 2019 19:42:42 GMT
Completely agree on all of that. She's fabulous but we've only had 45-50 minutes, and 5 of that was the musical medley overture. And everyone on their phones around me the whole time is pushing me closer and closer to thoughts of cartoon violence... I've just complained to one of the management and they said they are trying to enforce it. I pointed out that the usher in my section had done precisely nothing to stop anyone using their phone. I decided not to go as far as pointing out that he was also on his phone the whole time... Also agree with everything said - terrible queue for the Upper Circle, never seen it like that at the Palladium before. Lea certainly isn’t disappointing with the vocals but I have to say she’s not the most engaging when she’s chatting between songs. In my half of the Upper Circle, the usher attempted to enforce no phones for about 20 mins and then seemed to give up - it seems like every other person is filming! I think perhaps much of the audience is seeing this as a gig-style concert instead of a theatre-style concert.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 20, 2019 10:46:49 GMT
Wow she really doesn't like Wednesday matinees does she?
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 18, 2019 23:43:26 GMT
I’ll be at the final preview, also with very high expectations from both OAT and Jamie Lloyd!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 18, 2019 8:21:36 GMT
Now THAT is how you cast a show. Very excited by this!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 15, 2019 9:30:51 GMT
Afterglow and Peter Gynt tomorrow, Lea Salonga's Palladium concert on Sunday!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 15, 2019 9:30:08 GMT
Made my first 2020 booking the other week - My Brilliant Friend at the NT. I had previously avoided booking much beyond October as I wasn't sure if I would still be living in London. Now that I know I am, I'm sure the bookings will start racking up!
|
|