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Post by jgblunners on Jan 5, 2019 20:57:09 GMT
The atmosphere in here is just incredible. You can tell how much love people have for the show. The cast are sensational as usual, and Bonnie is really milking it tonight! Boulevard was indeed spectacular, as was We’re In The Money with a jump splits from Ashley instead of the cartwheel!!
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Post by jgblunners on Jan 5, 2019 19:18:13 GMT
I’m in my seat! Can’t wait... here’s to one last magical evening 🥂
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 31, 2018 12:43:16 GMT
Hot Gay Time Machine on Thursday evening, then I’ll be part of the forum masses at the final performance of 42nd Street!
(might also try to catch Bat Out Of Hell on Wednesday evening so I can see Barney but I’ve not decided yet)
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 31, 2018 0:18:06 GMT
I’m very sad to be saying goodbye and trying not to think about it until the day! No other show has brought me so much joy.
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 29, 2018 13:24:28 GMT
I had a grand total of 77 theatre visits this year (including repeat visits and concerts). It was remarkably easy to whittle those down to a top 5 - the clear stand-outs for me were:
1. The Inheritance 2. Company 3. Antony and Cleopatra 4. The Lehman Trilogy 5. Follies
42nd Street would be in there but I decided to exclude it as my first visit was in 2017 - it is however the show that I am most in love with at the moment. The Royal Ballet's new Swan Lake should also get an honourable mention. I find it quite interesting that 3 of my top 5 are plays since I consider myself to be more into musicals - maybe my tastes are changing!
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 29, 2018 12:20:14 GMT
Well I had contented myself with no more trips to Bat but I’m very curious about Barney and hearing that he’s the most like Andrew is tempting me to head over for his final show!
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 28, 2018 16:37:08 GMT
So as we are only a week away from the night we have all been dreading when Francis won't be getting out her tap shoes anymore, I thought I'd start a roll call on who will be there for the last night and where we are all sitting. Stalls Row A3 for me. Stalls AA6 here!
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 22, 2018 17:32:43 GMT
Looking around it seems TodayTix may have been the culprit - those sales did their job!
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 22, 2018 13:13:42 GMT
Sandi Toksvig as Snow White last night, and I’ve just spotted Drew McOnie at The Inheritance
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 22, 2018 13:11:27 GMT
There’s a crazy queue for ticket collection today - stretching all the way up to Great Newport Street! Never seen anything like it, it seems almost the whole audience has opted for collection today.
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 21, 2018 17:31:44 GMT
Does the organ still come up from the floor? Yes - in all its multicolour glory!
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 21, 2018 17:08:56 GMT
Just seen it at the newly-refurbished ODEON Leicester Square. Absolutely brilliant. Among so many remakes and sequels, this one got it right. Completely magical, brilliant music from Shaiman and Wittman, great performances. I cried several times and came out feeling so much happier and more carefree.
As a sidenote, it was wonderful that before the film we got barely any adverts but were instead treated to live music from an organist on the Compton Organ! I don't know if that's a regular occurrence at the Leicester Square cinema or just because they were reopening today after the renovations, but it was absolutely wonderful.
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 21, 2018 12:35:24 GMT
I loved it! It's far from perfect, but I think this production makes the most of the material. All aspects of the design are brilliant and I liked the staging. I've not seen Stephen Mears' choreography before but it was very well done, especially 'Blue Skies' which I loved, and bravo to him for keeping the choreo from the film for 'Love, You Didn't...'. The only disappointing number for me was the Act Two opener - great music, but after 42nd Street the tap seemed so tame (I fear I've been spoiled forever by that show). The leads are completely charming and brilliant in their roles - I hope Danny Mac continues in musical theatre because he's got a lovely smooth voice, can dance very well (although next to Dan Burton you can see that he's not quite as sharp), and he oozes charisma. Dan Burton has already proved his colours in other productions but he's brilliant here and his dancing is so stylish. Monique Young is a brilliant Judy, but Emma Williams sort of steals her thunder. Every note that comes out of her mouth is gorgeous, and 'Love, You Didn't...' was everything I thought it'd be and more - definitely my highlight of the show as she sounded sublime. I think the thing holding this show back is the material (mostly the book, but partially the music too) - it rushes through some of the most emotional moments and tries too hard to add over-the-top humour. We don't need the hapless company manager or the weird barnkeeper. The snow moment is breathtaking in the film but here is rushed though without much of a reaction from the cast since they're mid-song. Speeding up 'What Can You Do With A General?' was in my opinion a bad move - takes the heart out of the song. I'm also sad that the 'Mandy' number from the film isn't included, and it's definitely less amusing to have Bob and Phil sing 'Sisters' themselves rather than miming to the girls' voices. I also wanted more build-up between Bob and Betty before they admit their feelings, but I know it's typical of pieces set in this period for people to fall in love instantly so I won't criticise that too much. Having said all that, 'I Count My Blessings' was beautiful, I've already said that I loved 'Love, You Didn't..' and 'Blue Skies', and the trio between the sisters and Martha was brilliant. The show has plenty of heart, and a nice sprinkling of Christmas spirit too. I'm very glad I saw this production and I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 20, 2018 12:39:06 GMT
Well I’m on the train up to Leicester and am very excited to be seeing this. Can’t wait to hear Emma Williams singing ‘Love, You Didn’t Do Right By Me’
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 20, 2018 0:33:18 GMT
My god, What. A. Show. This is surely the best production of a play in the Olivier that we’ve seen under Norris’ reign. I had high hopes for Godwin’s direction after his Twelfth Night, and he’s pulled it off again with an interpretation of Shakespeare’s language that gives pure clarity to every line. The design is simply glorious, showing off the Olivier’s full technical capabilities in a stunning display. The beautiful drum revolve gets to show off what it does best, and set pieces are even used as part of the fight choreography. It’s truly wonderful. As for Fiennes and Okonedo - there are no words. They are simply spectacular. In particular, Fiennes’ soliloquys in the second half are utterly captivating. Tim McMullan is the best of the supporting cast, heartbreaking in his second half soliloquys, but the whole company is very impressive (although something about Caesar didn’t sit quite right, but I can’t put my finger on it).
I’ve never been so emotionally engaged by a Shakespeare production, nor felt so focussed through every single scene. To me, this production is a masterpiece.
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 20, 2018 0:20:28 GMT
I saw the matinee today and absolutely loved it. I had no idea what to expect from the story, but came out very satisfied. It keeps you guessing right up the the end and while some of the ‘horror’ elements are (I hope deliberately) a little tongue-in-cheek, it has some great stage effects and a couple of genuinely edge-of-your-seat moments.
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 20, 2018 0:12:32 GMT
I saw this last night from a £15 Royal Circle seat (an absolute bargain, aisle row F - if you spot them on sale, don’t hesitate) just to see whether or not it’s complete rubbish and... it’s not. As far as jukebox shows go, it’s definitely on the better side. The songs feel only slightly shoehorned in and the plot, while fairly cliché, has plenty of heart and a sprinkling of decent humour. The boys are nice eye-candy (one particular scene with leather harnesses is a treat) and when singing harmony their voices sound beautiful. However, only one or two of them had voices that impressed me when they were singing solo. The girls/women are all good and the set is imaginative if a little projection-heavy. I’d say it’s a solid 3 stars - a fab night out for any Take That fan, and a bit of fun with a touching story for anyone else.
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 20, 2018 0:04:09 GMT
I was there on Monday - my first Richard II and my first trip to the Almeida, and I was impressed on both counts. It’s a lovely little theatre and SRB (pretty much the only reason I booked) is sublime. He delivers Shakespeare unlike any other actor I’ve seen and it’s a privilege to watch. In fact, the whole cast were pretty damn good, despite clearly being directed to race through the script at a rate of knots. Having not seen the play before I can’t comment on whether the cuts were a good idea, but I didn’t struggle to follow the plot. My only comment would be that I wanted a bit more emotional heft - which may well come from giving us more time to watch Richard’s descent and loss of power. The stripped-back nature of the production was carried out effectively, and I do love it when actors have to get messy. A very enjoyable production, with SRB the obvious stand-out. Worth it just to see him, I’d say.
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 16, 2018 9:48:33 GMT
It's a big theatrical week for me before I leave London for my xmas vacation, so here we go:
Monday - Richard II (Almeida) Tuesday - The Band (Theatre Royal Haymarket) Wednesday Matinee - The Tell-Tale Heart (NT Dorfman) Wednesday Evening - Anthony and Cleopatra (NT Olivier) Thursday Matinee - White Christmas (Leicester Curve) Friday - Snow White (Palladium) Saturday - The Inheritance Parts I & II (Noel Coward)
I'm also seeing the new Mary Poppins film at the newly refurbished ODEON Leicester Square on Friday!
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 16, 2018 9:45:14 GMT
It must be at least 10 years since I last saw a panto and I tried but failed to see the past two Palladium ones, so I decided to bite the bullet and go for a nice mid-stalls ticket for Snow White. Can't wait!
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 15, 2018 15:31:01 GMT
For me it was Hamilton and Fun Home this year - in both cases, I agree that almost every aspect of these shows was brilliant and they both stand out as unique modern musicals that have developed the genre rather than fitting into the standard form. However, in neither case did I feel completely blown away emotionally. There were moments in both shows that were touching, but I clearly wasn't feeling the same emotional engagement as other audience members. I wouldn't say I was disappointed by either of them, but I clearly didn't have as strong a response to them as others.
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 10, 2018 16:43:03 GMT
Tonight "A Christmas Carol the Musical - in Concert" @ Lyceum theatre. Me too!
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 8, 2018 16:13:58 GMT
Daniel Evans' Chichester revival had permission from the estates of Robbins and the composer to allow them to implement new choreography and orchestrations. I don't know what the case is for the Menier production.
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 3, 2018 8:41:18 GMT
Book of Mormon on Thursday to see Alex Lodge as Price!
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 1, 2018 10:45:01 GMT
I would actually be very happy for Carrie to be cast as the Narrator. I know many on here love to criticise her, but her talent is undeniable and over the course of the Heathers run her voice has become a lot more powerful. I really think she suits the part well and could do a very good job.
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