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Post by jgblunners on Feb 23, 2019 16:56:06 GMT
Yes Spektrix is always a nightmare and I have to fiddle with cookies every time I use it. DelMac is always reliable and easy to navigate, and the NT’s has with just a couple of exceptions been pretty robust. ATG I don’t find too bad, but they appear to be rolling out a new layout which is worse so I look forward to plenty of frustration in the future. Nimax’s recent update was pretty good, though - have never actually bought a ticket using it but it’s always been smooth whenever I’ve been on to have a look.
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 23, 2019 16:53:02 GMT
Just got an email saying I’ve got a ticket. I didn’t watch the last one so have no idea what kind of standard to expect from these apparently top-notch (yet to be named) celebs. At least I’ll get to watch Elaine Paige pretending her ears aren’t bleeding.
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 21, 2019 23:53:50 GMT
I saw this in Wimbledon tonight - also my first time seeing the show - and thought it was decent.
The material is definitely the main source of flaws here - none of the musical numbers really compare to the title number, although there are a couple of decent moments in there musically, and the book is pretty good but never really feels ground-breaking. The characters could be fleshed out a little more, it sometimes felt like we were just going round in circles.
The cast was a bit of a mixed bag - the ensemble are uniformly excellent and unusually for me I really enjoyed having the actor-musicians in there. They played incredibly well. The supporting principles should also be commended - Simon Anthony as Schlomo very good indeed - and the whole show really belongs to Stephanie Rojas as Carmen. She's sensational and her performance(s) of the title number are thrilling. The show was, however, let down by its 'top billed' cast. Keith Jack's acting was mediocre and his singing left quite a bit to be desired - he seemed to go flat at the end of every phrase and had that annoying long/slow vibrato. Jorgie Porter acts well as Iris, as does Jamal Kane Crawford as Tyrone (although his mannerisms are a little cliche at times), but neither of them were skilled enough dancers to really convince me that they had the potential the dance instructor saw in them. I couldn't help but imagine how breathtaking their dances could be if performed by, for example, members of the McOnie Company. Mica Paris was fine - a good voice, if a bit too affected at times in her big solo, but she could've brought more nuance to the character.
I liked the set design - simple but gave us everything we needed without feeling cluttered. Lighting could've been less in-your-face but was fine. Sound design was excellent - the mix of band and actor-musicians was seamless, and the vocals were mixed very well on top.
I'd give it three stars, but I reckon with some truly stunning performers in it and a director who can hide the imperfections of the book a little better, I could be raving about it.
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 21, 2019 23:35:06 GMT
Saw Bloody Bloody Jessica Fletcher and But I'm A Cheerleader yesterday - both really good but not quite as polished as First Date.
Jessica Fletcher was absolutely hilarious - I was particularly impressed by the variety of humour, there's a little bit of everything in there. The whole thing is a big spoof of Murder, She Wrote and it works brilliantly. There's plenty of fourth wall breaking, they handle the inherent sexism and racism of the period well, and references to Lansbury are woven in pretty smoothly. Harriet Thorpe was great but Mark Anderson stole the show for me, his comedic timing is perfect. I'm not even that big a fan of Murder, She Wrote, but I'd love to see more of this.
But I'm A Cheerleader had definite Heathers vibes to it (and not just because of the cast), but the music didn't feel quite as polished. There were some brilliant musical moments but it wasn't consistent - there was also stuff that really didn't work for me. The book has 'disneyfied' the film a bit - it feels much less surreal and psychedelic, much more like a teen drama. Some of the humour was also a bit cliche. I think they know their target audience and they know how to appeal to them, so in its current form it probably has the potential to go far, but I'd personally like to see a bit more grit. Bronté Barbé was sensational though.
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MT Fest
Feb 18, 2019 14:04:37 GMT
via mobile
Post by jgblunners on Feb 18, 2019 14:04:37 GMT
I was at Louise Dearman’s Night Cap on Friday and then saw Porn and First Date on Saturday evening.
Louise was an absolute delight - down-to-earth and funny. It was interesting hearing her talk about her experience with Les Mis auditions, and made me a little sad as it sounds like she thinks her window of opportunity for Fantine is closing. A nice set list, my highlights being Unexpected Song and Bring Him Home which were utterly gorgeous.
Porn was terrible. I’m sorry for being so blunt, but it was. The book wasn’t clever enough for an effective spoof comedy but also wasn’t interesting enough for a show trying to twist the cliches around and have some kind of message. The music was uninspired and lacked solid melodic structure. Perhaps most shockingly, barely any of the humour landed. Needs a radical re-think in my opinion.
First Date, on the other hand, was brilliant. The best yet of the taster menu shows, it was intelligent, well-structured, musically interesting, had well-defined characters that you cared about, and was rather funny too. So far it’s the only show for which I have immediately thought ‘I’d pay good money to see a full production of this.’
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 18, 2019 13:57:08 GMT
Fame in Wimbledon on Thursday evening.
I’m also seeing all this week’s MT Fest taster menu shows across Wednesday evening and Saturday evening.
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 15, 2019 12:00:00 GMT
I have a spare ticket for Louise Dearman's Night Cap performance at The Other Palace tonight - start time 9pm, free to a good home. PM me if interested!
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 13, 2019 22:20:59 GMT
Audrey Brisson?
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 13, 2019 21:22:24 GMT
I saw both Nerds and AA tonight, and preferred the former. I think that was partly down to how it was presented (a cut-down version of the full show, whereas AA was mostly act 1 material so didn't really have a conclusion) and partly down to the style of the piece (AA quite crude, a 'we'll shock you into laughing' kinda show but not as intelligent as Book of Mormon, Nerds more 'laugh at this silly pun' comedy). Both had their flaws and their strengths, and it definitely made me want to see more of both. Looking forward to the rest of the workshop shows - I'm booked in for all of them!
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 13, 2019 21:14:42 GMT
I thought this was decent but could've done with more workshopping - too many side plot lines that don't really add anything and lyrics that do nothing to advance character or plot. I agree that the family dinner scene was excellent and easily the highlight of the piece. I think if they trimmed it down to the originally advertised 1hr 30mins by excising the extra plot lines and focussed on the family relationships it would be a much better show. The music was good though, and the choreographed movement more effective than I expected it to be. I do seem to be in the minority with my reservations though - it received rapturous applause on the night I went and almost everyone I walked past as I was leaving was talking about how good they thought it was.
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 13, 2019 21:08:40 GMT
Well I was at the final performance and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel. The things I'm certain of are:
- Kelly Price and Madalena Alberto were sensational - Jerome Pradon was very weird but it somehow suited the character perfectly - Whoever made the decision to cut the orchestration should be shot. There were some beautiful melodies in there that were begging to be swept up by a big string section, and I felt that much of the beauty of the score was lost in the fairly flat piano accompaniment. - The plot is much more interesting than I expected - normal, flawed people making mistakes and screwing each other over is far better than the trite love stories I was expecting.
The things I'm not so sure about:
- Felix Mosse: his singing was good but he had this weird two-mode thing going on where he was either doing a very quiet head voice or a big full vibrato-heavy chest voice. There didn't seem to be much in between. I also wanted him to make Alex a little less likeable - his outbursts would be far more satisfying if they had some context and didn't just come from nothing. - The score itself: as I said, there were some beautiful melodies, and Anything But Lonely is a showstopper, but Lloyd Webber really didn't use his leitmotifs effectively in this one, it's all a bit heavy-handed and not helped by the cheesy hammer-it-out Love Changes Everything chords. - The staging: the direction was good (apparently previous productions have focussed on Alex, whereas here Rose is very much the centre of things, which I feel was a good move) but I could've done without the set twirling and didn't feel the cafe tables added anything. Perhaps it's less intimate without them but it just made the playing area even smaller, and there's not much space at SWP to begin with.
So on the whole a good production, but has left me slightly mystified and wishing I had seen the original production for some extra context. I shall keep my eyes open for future versions and see if I can find more clarity.
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 13, 2019 11:12:08 GMT
Entry Pass booking was very smooth this morning - logged on with 3 different devices at around 9:15, when the queue opened at 9:30 one of my devices went straight through so must've been very near the front of the queue. Got my usual seats for Peter Gynt, Rutherford and Son, and Small Island. I also booked for ANNA - interestingly the Entry Pass seats were front row pit instead of the usual side seats in row M that I've had for the past few productions. I'm very happy about it but it just struck me as odd that they've changed the allocation for this production.
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 12, 2019 13:29:07 GMT
Leave to Remain tonight, then I'm doing double MTFest workshops in the evening on both Wednesday and Saturday
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 10, 2019 9:26:35 GMT
songs like Holding Back The Years Wait, it’s a jukebox show? What happened to ‘Book, Lyrics, and Original Music by Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan’?
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 9, 2019 17:41:01 GMT
Wow. We really need this show right now. It's a beautiful tribute to humanity and kindness - a remarkable story told in a remarkable way by an extremely talented ensemble of cast and band. You can tell how much work has gone into this - I can't imagine how long they must have spent tweaking and changing things until they got it just right. The balance of different stories, the way that characters are represented, the transitions, the ensemble movement, it's all perfectly honed to make a streamlined show that sweeps you up and takes you on this journey with the characters.
9/11 was 5 days before my 6th birthday - I don't remember much from that age. I don't remember where I was when the news hit, who told me or how I felt. There's no way that I could really have comprehended what had happened at that age, or how far-reaching its effects were. But that doesn't matter, because today I had a glimpse. The stories of the terrible effects of that day are told subtly, but that's what makes them so personal. And what's remarkable is that from each of those stories comes hope. The team behind this show took one of the most shocking and scary events of a generation and didn't spin it to drive hate or judgement, but made it a message about kindness and acceptance, and how the most unlikely and uncomfortable of circumstances can bring people together. Thank god they did. Thank god it made its way to the West End. I feel so happy that I've had the chance to see it, and I hope that many many others do too.
(On a less overtly emotional note, if this doesn't get Best New Musical at the Oliviers I will riot. In a kind and loving way. It's the most exquisitely crafted piece of theatre the West End has seen this year, and perhaps even longer.)
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 9, 2019 10:11:50 GMT
Very excited to be seeing this today - I just got a Dress Circle seat in the TodayTix rush. I’ve tried to steer clear of listening to the music - the only songs I know are Welcome to the Rock and Me and the Sky - so I’m going in with almost a blank slate and am prepared for an emotional afternoon! I also can’t wait to see Rachel Tucker on stage again.
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 9, 2019 10:07:14 GMT
Today I’ll be at the matinee of Come From Away and then Aspects of Love in the evening!
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 7, 2019 15:17:00 GMT
Finally got through and shelled out for a central stalls row D seat for JOJ's last scheduled show. I also just realised that my birthday falls on a Monday this year which means he'll be performing - I think I'll start giving my family hints about what to do if they want to treat me 😉
@ryan I just booked a single seat and the system didn't berate me. I didn't leave any single seats as a result, though, so can't guarantee that it would still let you in that situation.
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 7, 2019 8:55:04 GMT
I would imagine that JOJ will act as standby as well as doing his scheduled performances.
I was thinking actually, I’m a little surprised that JOJ is doing this. To my memory he’s never explicitly ruled out playing JVJ again, but given CamMac regularly lauds him as the best Phantom/JVJ and gets him to do all the anniversary specials, it seems a little insulting that he’s now been asked to play second fiddle to Alfie Boe. I won’t deny that Boe will sell more tickets, especially now that he and Ball have their little double act going, but JOJ is far more deserving of legend status among Les Mis casts. Then again, being asked to be a part of this concert production in any way is probably quite an honour, and I think there are very few people who would say no to CamMac.
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 6, 2019 15:08:06 GMT
I hope they announce the alternate schedule as I'd certainly see this with JOJ! JOJ's website says it's still being worked on but it should appear there eventually!
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 6, 2019 14:09:41 GMT
I've been dying to see JOJ's Valjean ever since I first came across him a few years ago. I don't care how rubbish this temporary version is, I'll be there several times just for him.
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 5, 2019 17:36:39 GMT
I wonder if any sound experts on the board can comment on this... the microphone style that I most strongly associate with musical theatre, and see in use most often, is the hairline mic (as modelled here by some helpful mormons): But recently I've been noticing more shows using what I would dub 'over-ear' mics (please correct me if there's a proper technical term) - take, for example, Hadestown and Waitress: Am I imagining this transition or have the over-ear mics always been as prevalent as hairline? I notice they're more often used in fringe venues (e.g. Southwark Playhouse) and I also remember using them for amateur productions at University, so I had assumed they were cheaper than hairline mics. They also mean you avoid potential headgear issues (e.g. Elphaba has to have a separate mic on the brim of her hat because it would obscure sound from her hairline mic), but they are obviously less discrete than hairline mics. I'd love to know more about the difference and why I'm perceiving a shift in use toward the latter. Does anyone have any insight?
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Post by jgblunners on Feb 4, 2019 11:14:43 GMT
I find the casting for The Other Palace so boring these days. Like, yes, these performers are all reliable and great performers, but they always use the same performers all the time. Why can't they switch it up and not have the same performers again and again? I like to refer to many of these performers as "The Paul Taylor-Mills gang". 😂😂 I agree that it is sometimes frustrating to see the same faces crop up so regularly (even if they are talented), but in this case I think PTM has played his cards well. The goal with MT Fest is to get people in to support the workshops of these new musicals - if the shows themselves aren't selling tickets, he's packed them full of performers that have a built-in fanbase that will flock to whatever their idol is cast in. Maybe even something they wouldn't have booked for usually. If I hadn't already booked a season pass for all of these, I would definitely be tempted by some of those names.
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Post by jgblunners on Jan 31, 2019 11:46:39 GMT
Wait so is Aldonza/Dulcinea a legit soprano role or a belty MT role? If Cassidy has been cast I’m inclined to think the latter in which case De Niese is surely terribly miscast?
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Post by jgblunners on Jan 24, 2019 23:49:06 GMT
Are there any clues as to who’s producing this?
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