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Post by jgblunners on Apr 12, 2019 6:23:23 GMT
Haven’t heard of any of them. Probably because they all appear to be coming over from America to do this. Lloyd was clearly looking for ethnically appropriate cast members, so I wonder how much of the casting he did over there? Hopefully there will be some home-grown talent in the ensemble. I’m excited though!
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 11, 2019 20:57:26 GMT
I'm thinking of standing when she hits the big notes in A New Argentina, because that is achievement to do that night after night. 😂😂 Dear lord (Lord ALW of course) I hope the MD tells whoever's playing Eva to sing those notes properly. I was so disappointed hearing them sung the octave down on the Kenwright tour a few years ago. It sucks so much excitement out of the number.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 11, 2019 20:55:49 GMT
I think the show that hasn't appeared for the longest time is Song and Dance (I guess as Tell me usually done alone now). I'd be up for it Better get your leotard out then 😉
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 11, 2019 14:24:17 GMT
We don't seem to have discussed it much on the board, but this summer ALW will be coming close to that 6 concurrent shows record when the following 5 are all playing between 2-24 August:
Phantom at Her Majesty's School of Rock at the Gillian Lynne Joseph at the Palladium Evita at Regent's Park Open Air JCS at the Barbican
I wonder if he'll ever match that 6 show feat again? With shows like Aspects and Woman in White getting acclaimed small-scale revivals recently it seems unlikely that we'll see them in West End houses again, but you never know...
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 11, 2019 14:04:31 GMT
Do we actually know who’s in talks for this? RPOAT tweeted earlier today that this week they'd announce Eva, Che, Peron, and the Mistress, but the tweet has since been deleted 👀
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 11, 2019 12:44:45 GMT
I would have thought the agent would be told first? I thought that at first, but they did open auditions for this so he may not have an agent.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 11, 2019 12:29:51 GMT
I know we normally make a point of acknowledging that clips often aren't a true reflection of the quality of a performance but... really? Unless his very cliche, unimaginative, and unconvincing acting magically became world-class when he stepped into the audition room, this surely can't be true. He's hamming it up worse than Luke Bayer and doesn't have half as good a voice...
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 11, 2019 11:08:20 GMT
Both Evita and JCS casting news - it's a big week for ALW productions!
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 11, 2019 9:30:48 GMT
Well I got a stalls seat when booking opened, but half an hour after the presale started it looks like almost all the tickets are sold! It did seem that they had held some back for the general release tomorrow, but I didn't expect it to sell quite so well!
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 11, 2019 9:22:28 GMT
I was also there on Tuesday and was utterly captivated. A brilliantly layered piece from Verdi. The orchestra under Pappano were fantastic, as one would expect. Monastyrska was good but I wanted a bit more focus from her on the big notes - her control in the piano sections was exquisite, but her vocal tone became rather broad when she put the power on. Kaufmann and Tezier were a sensation. I know people have mentioned that Kaufmann's voice isn't as powerful as it once was, but he was the stand out for me. His technique is incredible and the emotion that he conveys through his voice is unparalleled by any male opera singer I've seen.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 10, 2019 9:33:13 GMT
Couldn't find a thread for this - running 16 May to 8 June: openairtheatre.com/production/our-town"Birth; marriage; death. And everything in between. As day breaks on another ordinary day, the townsfolk of Grover's Corners go about their business: newspapers are delivered; people go to work; gardens are tended to. And a boy and girl fall in love. But as life's events unfold and a community comes together, one question remains: "do any human beings ever realise life as they live it? Every, every minute?" Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play celebrates what it means to be human and the bonds that unite us all." Full cast announced this morning: Natalie Klamar as Stage Manager, Arthur Hughes as George Gibbs, Francesca Henry as Emily Webb I'll be there for the final preview - never seen it before but I've heard it's quite meta-theatrical so I'm intrigued to see what it's like.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 10, 2019 9:08:39 GMT
Rachel and Adam Schlesinger (her co-songwriter and music producer) - songs from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, stand-up, and some of her older songs too. Tickets on sale 10am Friday April 12, or tomorrow if you've got the presale link.
Edit: Presale is through the LW Theatres usual presale mailing list or via this link:
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 9, 2019 22:19:06 GMT
We were supposed to be getting some more info from Rachel today (I’m guessing the full announcement of dates and venues) but nothing as yet... She tweeted earlier saying that the announcement is actually scheduled for Wednesday - and time zones mean it won't be out until Wednesday evening in the UK
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 9, 2019 22:18:03 GMT
Looks like casting news is on the way later this week...
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 8, 2019 23:19:26 GMT
Well if you're expecting a traditional production you may want to brace yourself - this is very different. A very stylised aesthetic (which I really liked) and some interesting choices which don't quite work in Act One (although I think it'll improve as the cast settle in and it tightens up), but the route that Rourke has gone down really comes into its own in Act Two and works very well. It's hard to explain, but I felt that it excelled during the more 'plot-driven' scenes, less so in the early scenes that are more about showing us Charity's character.
Anne Marie Duff acts her socks off. She's an OK singer - hits all the notes, but there's no finesse to it. Her dancing is similar - the moves are all there, but there's no style. So, while I thought she acted the part fantastically, the singing and dancing left a little to be desired, especially when she's doing it next to Debbie Kurup and Lizzy Connolly, who are both exceptional and real triple threats. The rest of the cast are very very good. Choreography is interesting too - definitely Fosse-esque elements in there, but there's some modern movement and even a bit of 80s throwback too. I enjoyed the dance sequences a lot. It sounded like they had new orchestrations/arrangements too, which suited the style of this production, and the band sounded great. It'll be interesting to hear how they direct the guest stars in The Rhythm of Life, as Shaq didn't play it in an attention-grabbing way, he stayed very much in the same style as the ensemble and was very convincing as a member of the group. I wonder if some of the guests may not emulate the movement style that the ensemble are using in that scene and will seem out of place as a result?
A few technical issues and a couple of line flubs, but it was only the second preview so I'll forgive it. Very glad to have seen it, and it's certainly a unique production of the show. A nice way for Josie Rourke to go out with a bang but still do something innovative.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 8, 2019 10:37:48 GMT
La Forza del Destino on Tuesday!
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 8, 2019 8:36:56 GMT
The finale got me incredibly emotional - brilliantly written and a perfect way to end. So glad that UK shows are on the cards!!
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 4, 2019 22:54:28 GMT
Well I say don’t let the nay-sayers put you off because I thought it was brilliant. There were no signs of a mass exodus of audience members tonight, although the reception at the curtain call was distinctly muted compared to the usual atmosphere at the National. I went in only knowing the premise of the first scene and found the play to be very different to my expectations.
Katherine Kingsley and Lucy Black give outstanding performances, and the rest of the cast support them well. There isn’t really a weak link cast-wise in my opinion. The problem is with the piece I think - while the first scene is a nice theatrical trick, and sets up some of Marlene’s character without giving everything about her away, it jars with the rest of the play stylistically and raises too many themes that are never fully grounded. What then follows is very gripping and by the end I had almost forgotten that the dinner party had taken place. I also had an issue with the set design - scenes 1 and 3 are great, but 2 and 4 were not well conceived in terms of sight lines. They’re both box-like and pushed to the front of the stage so people at the ends of rows will struggle to see the full depth of the playing area in those scenes. I was about 1/3 of the way in on the front row and scene 2 was awkward to watch. Scene 4 is better as the playing area is bigger but it’s still got the issue for extreme ends of rows.
Anyway, don’t write this one off as it’s a well-written play that isn’t what it first seems. It’s not perfect, but then very little theatre is and we don’t get anywhere if we’re not prepared to challenge theatrical form and try new things.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 4, 2019 16:54:40 GMT
If it was doing a TodayTix Lottery/Rush, I would've seen it by now. Many shows offer tickets via that method from opening, so I don't see how it would damage reputation or lead people to think they need to shift tickets...
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 4, 2019 9:40:44 GMT
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 3, 2019 13:24:00 GMT
So in terms of the deps are they on a wage; or is it likely the principal will call them when they're ill, and forward there wage for that show on to them? And do some deps cover a few shows, or is it normally just one show for each dep? I imagine the band/orchestra members have quite a few friends in the industry that they can call on to dep. I'm not an expert but my understanding is that there's no kind of contract for a dep so yes I suppose they'd be paid on a show-by-show basis. Anyone who knows more or is in the industry please do elaborate as it's something I'd be interested to know about. But yes it is definitely the case that people have many contacts and some long-running shows will have deps who have been reliably on standby for them for many years and will be the first to get the call.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 3, 2019 12:24:51 GMT
They don't have swings/understudies as such do they? Actually they sort of do - West End bands will have 'deps' (short for deputies) who act in a similar way to understudies. They'll know the score and will be called to replace another band member in case of absence or illness. They just aren't always in the building like understudies/standbys/alternates. The only thing I'm not sure about is whether each show has regular deps or if it's the responsibility of the individual band member to find someone. I should think the former.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 3, 2019 10:37:32 GMT
Some very valid points raised here... in a society where mental health awareness is more topical than ever, preventing it from being mentioned in relation to the show does seem a little insensitive. WARNING: Potential spoilers if you click through to the full twitter thread depending on how much you know about the show.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 1, 2019 22:51:16 GMT
I'm afraid this didn't really click for me. Suchet is brilliant, and Lukis and Stewart were pretty darn good too, but Coyle was just OK. I struggled to remain interested in Act Two - after such an unpredictable and mysterious Act One with Suchet's character, the descent into family squabbles fell a bit flat. On its own, the confrontation of the two brothers would make a brilliant and intense play, but with the humorous prelude of the first act it just feels like a drag. The set design was fabulous though - at first I thought the wall of furniture was just an artistic way of representing the clutter of the loft, but as the themes of the play emerged it struck me as a rather clever way of having the family legacy constantly looming over the brothers, precariously balanced and threatening to slip and cause disaster at any point.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 1, 2019 22:34:35 GMT
Best Actress in a Musical is definitely Rosalie vs. Adrienne - and while I'm personally in the Rosalie camp, I think its incredibly hard to predict which way the judges will go. Adrienne undoubtedly has more power as a vocalist, and achieves an incredible feat in painting a convincing portrayal of a real person without just doing an impression, and still allowing herself to make the 'role' her own. On the other hand, Rosalie has more traditional 'acting through song' to do, and in a role that is notoriously tricksy. Add to that the fact that she's also got the whole gender swap thing, which gives her more leeway in her interpretation but on the flip side puts added pressure since she's the first to do it, and it's a pretty even match in my eyes. For me, Rosalie edges it for the nuance of her performance. I'm not saying Adrienne's performance isn't nuanced, but Rosalie's hits on minutiae of the character that are vast and complex, and she does it with the subtlest of touches.
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