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Post by jgblunners on Jul 10, 2019 9:27:55 GMT
Wh*ts*nSt*ge only gave it 4 stars.
Blocked.
😡
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 10, 2019 9:26:45 GMT
Very happy to hear this - as the members above have said, it'll be a good fit for the venue and will hopefully find its audience more easily with a London residence as I hear it's been struggling a little on tour.
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 8, 2019 22:36:07 GMT
Oh also if anyone was wondering just how exerting Drew McOnie’s choreo is, an ensemble member’s family and/or friends were sat behind me tonight and apparently he takes 6(!!) showers on double show days because he sweats so much...
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 8, 2019 22:20:38 GMT
Based on the reviews here i have now booked for August. I've not seen the show since the Lyceum production. I’m sure you won’t regret it! From what I’ve heard about the Lyceum production, this version is very different.
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 8, 2019 21:43:53 GMT
Holy crap. All the praise is justified - this is just as spectacular as, and perhaps even better than, the original run at Regent’s Park. While the ‘rock concert’ vibe suffers a little from the move indoors, it is more than made up for by an exceptional cast and the electric atmosphere that is generated inside the Barbican theatre.
Robert Tripolino and Ricardo Alfonso are role-defining performers here. This is the only production of JCS that I’ve seen live, but I doubt I’ll witness a better Jesus or Judas than I did tonight. They build on Tyrone Huntley and Declan Bennett’s performances, add their own strengths to the mix, and make a formidable duo. My jaw actually dropped listing to their incredible voices. Regarding Sallay Garnett - I’d love to hear what people heard at the earlier previews because she showed no signs of having a weak voice tonight. Her vocal tone is unique and makes for a nice fresh spin on these songs, and while she sticks to her (very well controlled) head voice for most of the show, she also nails the belted sections in IDKHTLH. Matt Cardle makes a strong, compelling Pilate and Samuel Buttery brings camp more than craziness to Herod. Cavin Cornwall and Nathan Amzi both give great performances as Ciaphas and Annas, but behind such attention-drawing Jesus and Judas their characters don’t make quite the same impression as in previous runs.
The staging retains its original brilliance, with Sheader’s direction cutting through the less driving sections of the show with simple and elegant choices. McOnie’s choreography is still bonkers but somehow fits perfectly with the atmosphere. Between the two of them, they bring a truly unforced contemporary feel to the show (unlike the slap-around-the-face modernisation in the arena tour) and turn the most cliche moments of the show into the most innovative.
If anyone is on the fence about seeing this, just take the dive and do it. Whether or not you like the show itself, this is a must-see production. King George isn’t in this show, but I will most definitely be back.
(Ok, now that the review-y stuff is done: regarding seating - I was at the very end of row C in the stalls, at the high numbers/auditorium left side. My view was completely unrestricted, I would definitely advise going for high numbers rather than low if only for a good view of the tableaux. There were two technical hitches tonight - a bit of a mic mix-up at the transition into IDKHTLH which was swiftly remedied, and a white light that cut out half way through the scene that ends Act One. Both things that are easily fixable, I’m sure. Otherwise, you’d never have known that they’ve only had a handful of previews, it’s in brilliant shape ready for press night tomorrow.)
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 7, 2019 10:58:45 GMT
I was at phantom at the end of June and just thought I'd pop into this thread to praise Kelly Mathieson once again - a truly brilliant Christine with a gorgeous voice that flourishes in the low register as well as the high. Kimberley Blake is a brilliant Carlotta and sings the score as written - no backing out of that brilliant chord-topper in the climax leading into Prima Donna. Tim Howar was an odd one - from Chess, I was expecting a rockier tone from him but we got legit musical theatre instead. A great voice, but I must admit I wanted a bit more oomph from him in a few sections.
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 7, 2019 10:54:31 GMT
Saw this on Tuesday and was very impressed - the Almeida does atmospheric theatre very well. Menzies and the children were all brilliant. Act Two gets very tense and I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of it. I agree with juicy_but_terribly_drab on the interpretation of the final moments - having never seen the film I didn't know what was going to happen but that final scene was very thought-provoking.
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 7, 2019 10:51:04 GMT
I hate to be that person, but could anyone give a brief idea of what the show is actually about? I'm ashamed to say I've never read the book, but all the praise for this show is making me interested...
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 7, 2019 10:48:54 GMT
Well I was back at the barricade on Wednesday night to say one last farewell to the revolve and I am very sad to see it go. On this visit I really payed attention to the direction and staging and it is truly brilliant - the revolve is not over-used and the scene transitions are incredibly smooth. Will be very interesting to see how the new production compares as I've not seen it yet. I am, however, hoping for a but of a musical re-vamp when the show reopens - there were times on Wednesday night where the score was very rushed, with phrases sped through at alarming rates, sometimes causing performers to break phrasing to snatch a breath or struggle to get good diction at such speed.
I was very impressed by Bradley Jaden, who I was not convinced would be a good Javert. I'm eating my words now, his voice was brilliant and he's a very good actor - a different take on the role to the incomparable Jeremy Secomb. Elena Skye and Vivien Parry both left me on the fence on my last visit, but they've settled into their roles now and were superb. Vivien is rivalling Katy Secombe for my favourite Mme Thenardier now.
Adam Bayjou was on for Valjean - I was disappointed when I saw the cast board as Dean's Valjean is one of the best and I was looking forward to seeing him again. Adam has a nice chest voice but unfortunately his head and falsetto sections left a little to be desired. A few odd acting choices too. I know a lot of fans like him but I'm afraid his performance left me cold.
I now wait with baited breath for the 'All-Star' concert and my chance to finally see JOJ perform the role live.
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 7, 2019 10:40:39 GMT
Saw this a few weeks back and thought it was brilliant - I have to say I'm always nervous about Shakespeare as in the wrong hands productions can be utterly mind-numbing. Luckily Hytner is a brilliant direction and his vision for this was inspired. Loved the switching of Titania and Oberon - it's subtle touches like that which mark really great direction. No whacking you over the head with forced attempts at feminism or LGBT representation, just one simple switch that drastically changes the power dynamics in a totally convincing and natural way. The 4 lovers were exceptional as were Bottom, Oberon, and Puck. The only person who didn't quite convince was Gwendoline Christie - I am a GoT fan but didn't go just to see her so wasn't that disappointed really.
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 7, 2019 10:33:52 GMT
JCS at the Barbican tomorrow night!
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 7, 2019 10:33:24 GMT
Saw this just before KMP left but forgot to post anything... it wasn't perfect but I enjoyed it much more than I expected to! At first I was unsure about KMP but by the end of Act One she had me totally convinced. Stunning voice - SUTBM was breathtaking. David Hunter perfect as Pomatter, as was Laura Baldwin as Dawn. Marisha was funny but I have to say her diction in her solo number was terrible.
Will be very interesting to see how this does over the summer. I'm a big Lucie Jones fan and from the clips of her singing at WEL it sounds like she's also a brilliant Jenna. I'll probably head back to see her at some point, preferably once Laura is back.
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 7, 2019 10:29:17 GMT
Forgot to ask, is "King of Your Heart" in, this time? Not in this production. Thank god for that...
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 7, 2019 10:26:06 GMT
So glad to hear all the praise - seeing this at Regent's Park in 2016 was one of the theatrical highlights of the past few years for me, can't wait to see it tomorrow in its new home at the Barbican. If it's really as good as these early reports suggest then I may have to return multiple times!
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Post by jgblunners on Jul 1, 2019 20:24:23 GMT
Tuesday - The Hunt Wednesday - Les Mis
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Post by jgblunners on Jun 20, 2019 23:35:05 GMT
Baz says ‘new prod’ but I assume this is just a second West End run of the original Old Vic production, with a new cast, as opposed to an entirely new/different production?
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Post by jgblunners on Jun 18, 2019 17:10:12 GMT
Danielle Hope is probably the next best-known actress to have played Eponine (who's still in the age range) after Carrie and Sam
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Post by jgblunners on Jun 18, 2019 14:26:17 GMT
Rutherford and Son tonight Light in the Piazza on Thursday
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Post by jgblunners on Jun 15, 2019 17:33:06 GMT
Oh Molly Lynch was brilliant in the Sunset tour - I booked mostly for Houchen, Schoenmaker, and Tamne, but am now not-so-secretly hoping that Cameron is off when I see it as I had no idea that Lynch was covering her!
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Post by jgblunners on Jun 11, 2019 11:57:12 GMT
Waitress tonight Afterglow tomorrow night The Firebird / A Month in the Country / Symphony in C on Thursday night
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Post by jgblunners on Jun 2, 2019 13:57:42 GMT
Tonight: Rachel Bloom's concert at the Palladium Tomorrow: Amour at Charing Cross Theatre Wednesday: Harry Potter Play Friday: ANNA at the NT
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Post by jgblunners on May 24, 2019 9:18:02 GMT
I thought this was absolutely wonderful - full of heart and really emotionally warming. It's funny, touching, and a little bit quirky. Brisson is a superstar - she captivates you from the moment she appears and totally inhabits Amélie's quirky personality, plus she has a stellar voice to top it all off. The rest of the cast are similarly talented - mostly actor-musicians, they almost always have instruments in hand when not playing a scene and their musicianship was just as strong as their acting. French accents were by and large pretty good. I'm glad that the orchestrations were re-worked for this tour as while I'm not familiar with the Broadway version I can see how a more American sound would detract from the score.
I can understand why people find the plot unengaging, but I was totally drawn in by seeing the world through Amélie's eyes. There are scenes that are totally bonkers but for me they work because it's all Amélie's way of bringing joy into her life. The ending is incredibly touching. 5 stars from me!
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Post by jgblunners on May 22, 2019 17:42:23 GMT
And Sheridan isn’t your typical narrator... that should’ve sent alarm bells. Think comedy element I remember her saying that O'Connor wanted to change some things to suit her comedic style, but I thought they just meant how the narrator is portrayed, not this. This is all wrong and screams (once again *cough* Kenwright *cough*) that the director/producers simply don't appreciate that Joseph is an intelligently written, layered piece and not just a cheap comedy kids show. Given the respect it deserves, it can be funny, touching, and heartbreaking. It looks like O'Connor is going to suck the heart and soul out of it. Ok, so I'm being dramatic and we barely know anything about this production yet but STILL it frustrates me that this is seen as some light-hearted show when it's really one of Lloyd Webber's masterpieces.
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Post by jgblunners on May 22, 2019 17:29:28 GMT
Please no. Please please please no.
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Post by jgblunners on May 22, 2019 8:58:31 GMT
Saw this on Monday and I totally agree with the rave reviews - brilliantly written, adapted, directed, performed, and designed. Giles Terera was the stand-out for me, with Hayley Atwell and Tom Burke both very very good but not quite on his level. Even knowing it was coming, the coup de theatre at the end was very effective. I must also highlight he lighting design, which was beautifully naturalistic.
A timely and resonant production of an expertly crafted play - Ibsen really knew how to write complex human psychology into his characters, and here he gives us three of his best.
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