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Post by Mr Snow on Mar 3, 2018 19:00:14 GMT
Good call. Graham Vick's commitment to the Birmingham Opera is great. Saw their Otello in the warehouse in 2010, the full thing used to be on Youtube and it featured Mr and Mrs Snow as the performers moved through the audience who then followed them around. Dramatically excellent and I wish I could see this. Walking in he was greeting everyone and expaling to find a place to sit and wiat. I said I wanted to be near the jetty so I could see Otello arrive? “oh my god, you’ve seen this before! Let me know what you think later”.
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Post by Mr Snow on Mar 1, 2018 14:28:50 GMT
OK help please. Why "Rush" tickets and what exactly are they?
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Post by Mr Snow on Mar 1, 2018 9:08:41 GMT
Whch is all very nice and utopian but an issue such as gun control in the US has, for a while now, had one side refusing to compromise and to comprehend reality. So much so that many really do believe the students are actors, that Sandy Hook was staged, that there is a ‘deep state’ and so on. This is why nothing has happened, people playing by the rules of logic and of reality don’t stand a hope in hell against feelings and conspiracy. The only way to combat that is with stronger feelings and a mass movement such as the Stoneman students have miraculously begun to create. It didn’t need listening to people who have no interest in listening, it needed raw passion and the humiliation of those who stand in their way. They may not succeed but they’ve shown the way forward. After a terrible couple of years I believe that we are seeing a watershed whereby the walls of prejudice and power are being breached. It would be wonderful if we could ‘all get along in peace and harmony and listen and behave in a logical manner’ but whilst you are waiting the decades or centuries it would take for that to happen, maybe there needs to be a plan B. All I'm going to say is, after reading that article my reaction to it is the exact oppposite to the one you express.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 28, 2018 8:49:50 GMT
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 23, 2018 10:01:45 GMT
“I am not at all interested in the political views of other audience members. “
Concisely defines the real problem here. There is less attempt to understand and find consensus in society than I can ever recall. Newspapers are under threat and so they reduce their message to apply to the die hards only. Social media produces tribes. And both “sides” are becoming more totalitarian.
And with that depressing summary I wish you all a pleasant day.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 23, 2018 9:33:40 GMT
I am deleting my account. I make a point of not getting involved in social media because I hate the tedious “political” spats, name calling and the like. This has been the only form of social media that I have actively contributed to because I adore Theatre. It is a great forum but I have found myself drawn into unpleasant disagreements where people have rudely ignored online etiquette and resorted to shouting and insults (and strangely such virtual exchanges are every bit as awful as real ones might be). I find myself wanting to be rude and insulting in return and that goes against the way I want to treat others or be treated. I enjoyed my time here but I’m off. I wish you all happy theatregoing. If you can resist responding in kind and don’t get drawn in then you are part of the solution. I echo the poster who said this is the kindest on line community they’ve been involved with Have high standard, contribute to the debate on your terms and please stick around.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 22, 2018 15:58:25 GMT
It isn’t that complicated to make a decision about whose services you use in order to promote your own “products”. Center Parcs didn’t find it that complicated. They considered that their brand would have been compromised had they chosen to advertise in a paper they considered anti-family, meaning family in all it’s possible permutations. As a company they had the right to do that and theatres can make the same choice if they wish to. I feel that this debate is running away from us. All the arguments about freedom of speech etc don’t seem to take into account the idea that theatres have freedom of choice about where they place their ads etc. A few posters have tried to minimise this debate by saying its just a simple commercial decision. Have you ever run a business? I repeat that the opening poster stated this. "Because, despite their very right-wing angle, it's one of the the country's most read papers and most direct routes to 'Middle Englanders' with disposable income who tend to buy expensive theatre tickets, particularly to plays Read more: theatreboard.co.uk/thread/4375/petition-theatre-industry-boycott-daily#ixzz57qwSXr6b" I bet the Daily Mail have much deeper pockets than ANY Theatre in the land. Boycott them and I know who'll go bust first. I agree. Thats simple economics. However no one's done anything to convince me this is just a commercial decision.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 22, 2018 9:59:20 GMT
I don't know - should the police or the army be right wing? They are publicly funded as well after all. So we should just accept everything the Daily Mail does because otherwise its readers will go rabidly racist and homophobic seems an odd argument particularly when the British political class has spent the last 30 years listening to the Mail above any other newspaper yet the Mail still prints front pages calling judges traitors for doing their job and is just as rabidly anti immigrant as it ever has been. What do you do about a media outlet which is happy to lie and inflame on issues such as Brexit and faces no serious consequences. Personally I couldn't care less whether the boycott or not but organisations make these kind of decisions all the time on commercial grounds and this is hardly an attempt to stop it publishing. NO they shouldn’t. I accept organisations seem to have a natural biase, but I think we are really in agreement here. Imagine the out cry if I wrote “but I think the idea of right-wing police and military organisations actively dissociating themselves from publications that they don't agree with politically isn't exactly an anti-free speech/pro-censorship stance” and one can see how wrong that statement was. We don’t have to accept everything they say but I believe it is wrong to dismiss everything they say/believe. RE Media outlets. Back when everyone actually read newspapers it was common to hear someone say “but then you can’t believe everything you read in the Newspapers”. It was not uncommon to know people who read both the Times and The Guardian or The Mirror and The Mail and they had a healthy scepticism of what was in both. These days people seem to accept the paper that is on ‘their side’ has a monopoly on the truth and that some other outlet must be demonised for producing nothing but ‘fake news’. Let us not forget that both the Mirror and The Sun were caught phone tapping. Do you want to suggest a media out let that is not accused of bias? Personally I think this is getting worse across the board. You reference Brexit. Dio you now accept the Medai in general were guilty of sins of ommission in undereporting the pro feelings in the lead up to the vote. Thats why the result came as a shock to so many people. IMO there was clear bias towards the status Quo. It may also have led to a certain apathy leading to remainers not doing enough to make the case. Re the commercial grounds. As was pointed out in the opening post (not by me) stopping advertising in the Mail would likely hit the industry in their own pocket and most relevant to the way this discussion has evolved, reduce the exposure of Theatre going Mail readers to ‘alternative’ naratives. As I said, it’s complicated.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 21, 2018 16:35:22 GMT
I don't have any ideas on how to fix wide-scale lack of journalistic integrity, but I think the idea of left-wing arts organisations actively dissociating themselves from publications that they don't agree with politically isn't exactly an anti-free speech/pro-censorship stance. The Mail can and does print what it wants, but that doesn't mean advertisers or PR agencies have to support, condone, or even associate with them. Question. Do you think publicly funded arts organisations should be “Left Wing.”? If they fund themselves then why not, but you didn’t specify who should ignore them and many Arts organisations receive some public funding. I note the publicly aided Southbank Centre are said to have withdrawn. If I really have to take sides on this I agree with theatre monkey. The Daily Mail allows an outlet for certain people’s views which could be much more rabid if somehow you forced it out of business or at least persuaded it to only print your views. Some people on here need to Google Tommy Robinson, who has a large social media following all of whom believe his views are censored by ALL mainstream media. Hint you won’t like what he says at all. Further I am concerned by the no of people who say they never read the Daily Mail. I am convinced that one of the reasons why Hillary Clinton lost is because her people did not listen to the views of enough people. They cocooned themselves inside their own little bubble, talking only to their supporters and tame PR outlets. Ignore/sideline the Daily Mail at your peril. Make their readers feel they are shunned and you open their ears to Tommy Robinson/Donald Trump.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 21, 2018 6:40:15 GMT
Sorry poor editing meant above quote relating to post above, missed.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 21, 2018 6:37:17 GMT
Surely you want to speak to those people? You want their money to keep more of the industry working? Wellcome to the real world, complicated isn't it?
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 20, 2018 15:25:26 GMT
Is the can-can a Spanish dance?! Yes. Especially when you do it in a mantilla. Ah Si, el galope inferno!
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 20, 2018 15:13:57 GMT
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_MusicalsFor reasons I can barely understand today, I seem to have put a Baby, Mortgage and building a company ahead of seeing more of these. Also without the internet it was hard to keep up with events and I seem to have lost contact after the move from the Barbican. I saw nothing after On a Clear Day, which I recall had Captain Peacock in the Audience. At the time there seemed little else being done to revive these shows. Today anyone from the Donmar to the Southwark Playhouse might give them a go. Hats off to Ian Marshall Fisher.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 20, 2018 12:32:58 GMT
I am finding this thread extremely interesting and I have now thought up a few more mainly obscure old shows I would love to see staged although they may not all work in this day and age: Edwardian musicals by Monckton, Talbot, Jones, etc: 'Our Miss Gibbs', 'The Country Girl', 'The Arcadians', 'The Geisha', etc, for their delightful tuneful songs and period charm. The Finborough successfully did 'Our Miss Gibbs' in 2006 in a very pared down version and the shows used to be done often by amateur companies. S Sometimes wishes do come true... www.wiltons.org.uk/whatson/445-the-arcadians
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 19, 2018 15:58:07 GMT
I warmly second 'Carmen Jones' (so long it is not done with an all-white cast – sorry, but I couldn't resist that one re the all-white 'Porgy and Bess') but at one time I was obsessed with the Broadway cast album of 'Tenderloin' (Bock & Harnick 1960) and I would love to see it performed, but whether it would be stageworthy today I have no idea. It ran only 216 performances in 1960. Tony Yes and Yes. Canyou help me out? I long ago lost a tape containing a song that I believe came from Tenderloin. The lyrics made me smile and can you confirm they were something like? "he acted celestial, when I wanted bestial..." (Google not helpnig so I maybe barking in the wrong forrest?) Would also love to see their Fiorella, at one time Radio 2 played "A Little Tin Box" once a week. My annual plea for Pal Joey or any Rogers and HART musical.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 19, 2018 9:18:26 GMT
Received today. “I am writing on behalf University College Opera to inform you that the tickets for this year's production of the British premiere of Charles Gounod's opera 'Polyeucte' are now on sale on the Royal Theatre Stratford East website. Written by Gounod in London in the 1870s, 'Polyeucte' tells a tragic story of love and Christian martyrdom in defiance of an all-powerful powerful Roman empire. An excellent cast of young singers joins the the UCL orchestra and chorus, conducted by Charles Peebles and directed by upcoming British director Thomas Guthrie.” www.stratfordeast.com/whats-on/all-shows/polyeucte#schedulesThe Theatre Royal is 5 mins walk from Stratford tube/overground station and a Franck Matcham Gem. I would go but will be away 19/22nd March. A few years ago they put on Donizetti’s, La Favorita which is now my personal favourite ‘unknown’ Opera. Based on 3 of their productions, the standards of singing and imaginative staging (on a small budget) are recommendable, the Orchestra a little less so. Not often that a Gounod piece comes up. Speaking of which I hope to attend a real first this summer. www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/18/gaetano-donizetti-ange-de-nisida-lost-opera-rara-london-premiere
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 16, 2018 9:43:54 GMT
It was Someone in a Tree who pointed out that the Bobby I'd enjoyed in Company at the Hackney Empire was Mr O. Checkout his Maria on YouTube and I can't understand why he isn't a big box office draw.
Must make it to Crazy Cogs.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 16, 2018 9:36:06 GMT
Just a word of balance on India. We only had a week in Mumbai and a week in Kerula but we were blown away. So much colour and history. Maybe it's because we took the 90 year old mother in law,in her wheelchair, that people were so very friendly - but I doubt it.
Fascinating country and so much more to see. Can't wait.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 14, 2018 10:01:44 GMT
I don’t like them when the songs are very familiar to me in the voice of the author. Giving them to various characters on a seemingly random basis makes no sense. Further they weren’t written as theatre songs they just happen instead of developing.
That said AAIP and 42nd st are arguably examples that I enjoyed. But familiar as the songs in them are, they have been covered by many artists. For similar reasons I stayed away from Top Hat as I feel Fred nailed it. I don’t have a lot of experience to base it on, but where they impersonate is the lowest of the low. After The Million Dollar Quartet I vowed never again To each his own
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 8, 2018 12:57:33 GMT
I don't want to boast – yes I do – but my first visit visit to the Palladium was to see Liberace on Thursday 5 May 1960. It was a warm night and the pal I was with and I walked down to the Mall and joined the crowds waiting to see the wedding procession of Princess Margaret the next day. London's Royal pagentry did not disappoint and I see I then went on to do a stint playing piano in the lounge of the Bayswater Hotel that evening. Indefatigable I was in those days! But were you there for my first visit, 16th April 1981? You may have missed me as Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson were vying for attention up on the main stage. (PS Tony I'm amazed by the detail of your diaries. I think its likely I went home straight afterwards?)
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 3, 2018 16:02:06 GMT
Enjoyed this at a good new venue to us. Some strong performances and a well told interesting story.
However the music is pleasant but far from memorable and so it really does come under the category of curio or for completists.
There are bits of the Programme that describe this as a world premier but its sketchy as to why. Any one know what's been done in the 5 years the productin has been worked up? (Actually it doesn't matter. Can't see this having much of a future beyond this outing.)
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 2, 2018 16:44:54 GMT
Funny how Sondheim keeps coming up.
I live in hope that someone will do a production of Candide that will show the world the genius that I see in it. But I think that’s another thread, it’s always been broke and in need of fixing but the Menier version was pretty good.
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 2, 2018 15:53:25 GMT
On another thread a poster (for whom I have the utmost respect) said "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is his motto for productions.
Opera fans are mostly in agreement with him and those of you who don’t follow Opera cannot believe how stupid some of the current ‘reimagining’s’ currently are. Who knew Wagner’s imagination could be improved by having plastic crocodiles protecting the gold in the Rhine? There’s even a derogatory name for this Regietheatre. But clearly some have been a real success e.g. ENO’s Mafia Rigoletto.
Well it’s a busy Friday PM and I should be working but I was left thinking if we didn’t try out new productions we’d never have seen….
I’ll start and I hope others will join in.
I saw the original Chicago in London in the late 70’s. Kander and Ebb were on a roll following Cabaret and it ran for 900 performances on Broadway and 600 in the West End. I do remember a mixed up production and I know they directly addressed the audience in it. But it really wasn’t that memorable.
According to Wiki the 1996 version that we are familiar with today is the most successful revival ever, and the Critics clearly preferred it. I’ve seen it 3x and may never fully recover from my evening in the theatre with Ute Lemper. It's a "Yes" from me.
I would also be interested in knowing if the original production was a commercial or artistic success. I think we can ignore rewrites (Me and My Gal?), this is has to be about the production only with minimal input for the original authors and successfully reimagined.
What am I missing?
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 2, 2018 14:06:05 GMT
I hope that devotees don't go along expecting it to be just a big showcase for Patti because it ain't, or I certainly hope it won't be! Well it will be the night I go to see it. Rise! Rise! RISE! Any news on what night Ryan is on? Is it sold out yet?
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 29, 2018 14:29:59 GMT
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