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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 29, 2018 7:15:56 GMT
An hour and a half should be plenty. The final room features many contemporary performance excerpts and it depends on how many you want to see.
Personally I think the soundtrack adds so much and makes it special. Mostly it directly relates to what you are seeing u.e. makes it an Operatic experience. Without it I could get through everything in 30 mins.
Forced to listen to the Tannhauser overture!!!!
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 28, 2018 11:14:26 GMT
Nice review, indeed it can only be a snapshot. I also enjoyed it. Wearing heafdphones and being totally immersed in it was wonderful and made it more enjoyable than say a visit the The Scala Museum.
It did get some discussion try the search function, or at a guess look into the One offs in London.
Worthy of its own thread.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 28, 2018 11:07:51 GMT
I'm writing a new play, it's about a venerated playwright who 'conveniently' dies just before a new ambitious director produces a shock version of his greatest work. It's based on a theatrical rumour that won't go away, even though I've just started it.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 28, 2018 10:54:11 GMT
Two more who regret going. I know from the film there's an interesting play in there, but the director is so smug about his "clever" additions, we were totally alienated.
Having read nothing in advance I've now trawled through this thread. Many people have said they don't like the poor characterization from the leads, the incongruous mobile phones, Dr Martens tedious length etc., and still others just stay they loved it? The audience seem to agree but no standing ovation or even prolonged applause. I remain mystified as to how it got put on let alone revived.
Warning if you love Mozart's music, you get Miked voices sometimes dubbed, disco backing, and several times the final note is boomed with echo as if all these years we've needed the Simon Cowell touch to hear it properly.
I' m confused and depressed. Not in a good way.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 27, 2018 11:08:10 GMT
Nice thread. We could ask Admin to lock it and change the title to...
This year I am going to
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 22, 2018 12:22:00 GMT
The price Of the The average A&E attendance is £124 At least 30% don’t need To be there And more than that leave without any treatment other than advice Go Figure Do they do day seats and how high is the stage? I think its a kind of ante room to the real Theatre. That costs a lot more.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 22, 2018 12:14:27 GMT
a special offer from the Menier
Coming soon to the Arts Theatre in the West End, the Chocolate Factory is delighted to be a part of Ruthless! The Musical – and we think you will love it! We have an EXCLUSIVE ticket offer just for our Chocolate Factory bookers, ensuring you get the best seats at the best prices before anyone else! HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO GET WHAT YOU WANT? The all-female camp KILLER cult classic finally makes its way to the Arts Theatre following its critical acclaim off-Broadway. Ruthless! The Musical tells the story of the beautiful and talented 8 year old Tina Denmark who will do anything to play the lead in her school play… ANYTHING! Ruthless! started Off-Broadway 25 years ago and discovered young performers including Britney Spears and Natalie Portman. The show famously spoofs Broadway musicals from Gypsy to Mame as well as iconic films including The Bad Seed & All About Eve. Directed by Richard Fitch (Funny Girl - UK tour, Barnes' People - Trafalgar Studios) with choreography by Rebecca Howell (Chocolate Factory credits include She Loves Me, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Barnum).
GET YOUR EXCLUSIVE TICKET DISCOUNT! Save up to 33% with best available tickets (usually £59.50) reduced to just £39.50 for all performances 16th March - 7th April.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 22, 2018 9:34:14 GMT
Shouldn’t this be in Musicals? Jek we were there Friday night as well. First time up in the balcony, where of course the lovers were flying round our heads. It is a delight and beautifully performed. I did think there were a few longueurs and was undecided if they didn’t show the hardships they went through strongly enough(i.e. realistically) or was it the strength of their love that minimised the effect the Russian revolution and had on them. Best not to analyse to hard as it was a celebration of love and most refreshing. Can anyone help? At the end they played Ella singing the beautiful Paper Moon which has been a delightful earworm for me all weekend. But the song they sang at the beginning was reprised near the end by either The Mills Brothers or The Inkspots (I’m guessing) and its driving me mad trying to recall what the song was? These popular songs fitted so well with the Jewish music they sang because as Rogers and Porter said the minor keys came from the Cantor’s. Now it’s off round the country and I would recommend a visit. www.kneehigh.co.uk/show/flying-lovers-vitebsk.php
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 19, 2018 9:20:15 GMT
Not sure if there's a separate thread for offers, or if its worth starting a new one, but happy to share the following.
The Moderate Soprano: Ticket upgrade offer David Hare’s magnificent new play about the love story at the heart of the foundation of Glyndebourne transfers from its sold-out run at Hampstead Theatre to the West End. John Christie’s formidable vision, born out of his adoration for the beautiful soprano Audrey Mildmay and his innate passion for opera, became a gift to the nation, revered the world over. Book a Band B seat by 12 February for any Monday-Thursday and Saturday matinee performance until 29 April and receive a free upgrade to Band A seat. To take advantage of this special offer, simply use the promotional code ‘ROHupgrade’.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 18, 2018 17:50:29 GMT
70 Girls 70 (Title Song) Down in the depths, on the 90th floor. Red Hot and Blue (Cole Porter)
This Qualify?
99 Red Balloons, Tape Face. (There a soundtrack and no dialogue.)
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 17, 2018 14:18:07 GMT
14 - Are You About A Size 14? - Silence! the Musical 15 – The Five-Fifteen – Grey Gardens 16 & 17 – Sixteen Going on Seventeen – The Sound of Music 18 – ... 19 - John Nineteen: Forty-One – Jesus Christ Superstar 20 - Twenty Million People - My Favorite Year 21 – 21 Guns – American Idiot Tell me when did you discover you had this superpower and have you found it useful saving the world from evil villains and their nefarious ways?
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 15, 2018 16:41:01 GMT
The Royal Opera are on a real roll at present. In the space of ten days I've seen Cav & Pag, Rigoletto, Salome and Ulysses and they have all been musically very good to superb in standard. Agree totally and particularly so with Soprano’s. I have so enjoyed being thrilled by Elīna Garanča as Santuzza, Joyce DiDonato’s Semiramide and Malin Byström IS Salome. All three outstanding. Lucy Crowe deserves high praise for her Gilda. . I would also mention being really impressed by Francesca Chiejina as Micaela in their recent production of Peter Brooks Carmen. In Ulysses she took the role of Melantho and again caught my ear. One to watch out for and it will be interesting to see what roles they give her next.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 15, 2018 13:33:01 GMT
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 15, 2018 11:34:19 GMT
so I'd best shut up and get on with writing my memoirs. Best News ever! (...the memoirs bit!)
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 15, 2018 11:32:26 GMT
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 15, 2018 6:23:58 GMT
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 13, 2018 9:34:54 GMT
tonyloco No, Salome only undresses as far as her slip in this production. Instead there's a fully-nude, blood-smeared executioner, which in my opinion is totally gratuitous nudity. Agreed. The only justification we could think of, was a gender balance to the topless females who wandered around, but they were nothing more than a lazy way of showing a decadent 'court'. However, I found it a slight distraction rather than something I really object to. They were all very attractive distractions. YMMV as the kids forums like to say.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 12, 2018 15:03:17 GMT
FWIW I take a broader view than many ‘purists’ and if it works dramatically then I’ll allow quite a lot. I think the idea of following tradition and stage directions literally will not be good for the future of any performing art. Of course the problem is that what “works” is subjective.
What I find do currently find gratuitous is the no of simulated rapes on stage. That’s what the moment at the begging of this production of Rigoletto is about (And again this time the man is naked). This is not a Quentin Letts style dig at the ROH, but a real concern about what is being depicted. I struggle to name them all but there’s been quite a few. I don’t think anti-war films present their case by showing the casualties of the heat of battle and I don’t think the seriousness of rape is demonstrated by what is always a very brief act on stage. There is usually an element of ‘forbidden’ titillation as the dark side of life is presented and it often smacks of someone trying to be a bit right on, showing how awful the man is. But presenting this within an entertainment strikes a very discordant note with me.
I'm going tonight and will report back on how we felt about it. Of course I will bring my binoculars!
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 12, 2018 14:02:02 GMT
After seeing both WE productions, the Cinema relay of this one twice and two CD recordings, I’m full of admiration for Follies, but still don’t know quite what to make of it overall.
I don’t think this has been posited before but I’ve been wondering if Follies ultimately fails because of the final sequence? I find Loveland an ANTI climax. The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues" , "The Story of Lucy and Jessie" and even "Live, Laugh, Love” are not nearly the strongest songs in the show. They do advance the story but fail to deliver the emotional punch that Musical Theatre can. You can argue these characters are ultimately failures but I thnk that’s a dead end. Because Losing My Mind is SO strong it transforms the way we feel about a rather foolish character and unbalances the whole sequence.
I’m left dazzled (wow), thinking (good) but slightly unsatisfied (bad) i.e. confused. Probably not an original feeling and maybe another production will show me the error of my thinking, but it’s what I’m left with.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 12, 2018 9:35:16 GMT
I'm currently reading Tim Pigott-Smith's memoir, Do You Know Who I Am?, and I just came across a passage that struck me as relevant to this thread. He talks about having seen a production of The Taming of the Shrew, with Peggy Ashcroft and Peter O'Toole, in Stratford in 1959. [Pause for a moment of silent awe at the thought of what that production must have been like.] Then he says this: "The Shrew has recently been bogged down in deadening sexual politics which kill the central motor of the play. You cannot allow modern moral judgements to subvert the ethics of a play. The racism of The Merchant of Venice might not be to our liking, but it is the play, and if you don't engage with it the play does not happen. Inevitably, you filter things through your own contemporary mindset, but you change the ethical motors within a play at your peril." In 1955 in Sydney, I saw Robert Helpmann and Katherine Hepburn with the Old Vic Company playing 'Taming of the Shrew', 'The Merchant of Venice' and 'Measure for Measure'. They played all three pieces for all they were worth in the traditional manner and with hindsight I expect the PC brigade would have had a fit of the vapours, especially over Helpmann's Shylock and Petruchio, but they were brilliantly entertaining, although at the age of 18 I may have been somewhat green in judgement! Oh my….Katherine Hepburn. Sorry what was the tread about?
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Follies
Jan 12, 2018 7:49:31 GMT
via mobile
Post by Mr Snow on Jan 12, 2018 7:49:31 GMT
They weren't dressed as panto dames. And in the original production men played these roles so why was Sondheim bothered? Then again is Popbitch really a reliable source ...? Does anyone believe a small suggestion from Sondheim has to include the word Lawyer, before the NT listen? Besides the change didn’t take place for a couple of months, just before fuming. Which as someone on here pointed out was a good time to make improvements.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 8, 2018 16:13:15 GMT
I wasn’t expecting a lot after the reviews but agree it was rather fine. It seems to have improved throughout the run. Overall I agree about the conducting where he favoured the singers, although there were times when he seemed to underplay the dramatic aspects. Rigoletto’s cries for revenge didn’t chill as much as they can. Agree re Lucy Crowe and she didn’t start the run. It can be a thankless part about a foolish girl and I really cared until the very end. Fabiano allegedly had a cold when I saw him and noticeably improved through the evening And as I mentioned on another thread, the Quartet was memorable. But for me, the singing of the evening that I can still feel the resonance of, Andrea Mastroni as Sparafucile
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 7, 2018 10:32:35 GMT
One could argue Carmen dying at the hands of a man is the more 'modern' and relevant version of 'the story'.
In Peter Brooks Carmen he gives her a husband, also killed by Don Jose, but at least the title is different.
Ho, hum was my initial reAction there's just a chance that this director will use this to galvanize the cast and produce a special and dramatic production . But more than equally there's a good chance we never hear of it again. I will wait for the reviews before I make my mind up.
If it's just designed to shock me, I'm past that. But crocodiles in Wagner can not be justified. There are too many trashy productions in Europe and it would be theatrically wrong if we create a climate that prevents any experimentation - although the pendulum has a long way to swing before that happens.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 7, 2018 10:12:47 GMT
Well done Paul.
With modern booking methods it may be possible for the management to contact the cougher. Would it be appropriate for them to do so? They did in person on the night.
Obviously they risk huge reputational damage if the issued is badly handled. It's not hard to see how this could easily be twisted. But forwarding letters they'd received?
Possibly wise to let it rest as they did speak to her but write if it happens again.
When I first got into Opera I booked a series of four at the ENO. The first two I was sat next to a man with a body shaking hack that appeared out of nowhere every few minutes. I was considerably relieved when he wasn't at the third one. I mention it because I've never forgotten how off putting it was and that was over 35 years ago. Had he been at the third and 4th I suspect my life would have been very different.
I can recall at least one occasion where I spent the day locked in my office but decided to waste my evenings ticket because I couldn't control my coughing.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 7, 2018 9:55:46 GMT
I also thought it was going to be about Scottish mafia. Enjoying it very much even though it's still complicated. I am guessing that as it develops the plot will become clearer. And make those Russians speak English. If you want to live in this country speak the language.. 😁 Would you have Liam Gallagher expelled then? Gosh I'd vote for that power...
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