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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 5, 2020 14:35:36 GMT
ENO, Charles Court and which is the other one? Sasha Reagan's at Greenwich. As an old fart it would give me great pleasure if YOU've forgotten this one? I thought you went to it?
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Post by Mr Snow on Feb 2, 2020 10:12:10 GMT
Ok, if you insist ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) Hercules, Handel Iolanthe, G&S Nixon in China, Adams Peter Grimes, Britten King Priam, Tippett Tosca, Puccini The Valkyrie, Wagner Cosi fan Tutti, Mozart ENO's Instagram feed is currently full of Iolanthe. I remember the critics loving it but most of us on here not! I'm much more interested in this one www.charlescourtopera.com/iolanthe.htmlYou wiat years for an Iolanthe then 3 come (almost) at once! (Thanks for sharing)
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 28, 2020 22:41:45 GMT
My childhood was in the 70s too. I dont recall being taught by anyone old enough to have fought in the war, i didnt know anyone who's parents had either. With you on that TheatreMonkey - at school in the 70's I had several teachers who had fought in the war, one had been a Squadron Leader and another had been in the army and had his hearing damaged by artillery. Anyone who was 20 in 1939 would only have been in their 50s throughout the 1970s so it is perfectly possible. We had a maths teacher, Mr Stephenson, who we all respected as a terrific man - a great teacher. At the end of one term he got drawn on his time as a pilot n the RAF. He said he was embarrassed to admit it, but he'd never felt more alive than when he shot down an enemy plane. He had spent 40+ years wondering what happened to that young pilot,"who must have been very similar to myself". (This was late 70's and he was putting off retirement.)
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 13, 2020 11:58:48 GMT
Is it fair of me to state that Corbyn, RLB, Momentum etc do not have any belief in "free market capitalism" as a basis for paying for state expenditure? As Will Hutton wrote the week after the election, more equality does not require a massive shift to state ownership. I've been looking with interest at the Nordic Model. Definitely the parties in power are more Social Democrat/Centre Left than Trotskyists. It is a measure of how far Momentum have control of The Labour Party that so far almost all the candidates for leadership are careful to show praise for Corbyn, rather than setting out a new direction for the party. I would vote in a General Election for Jess Phillips. In every interview I've read she's expressed her own strong opinions, while recognising the need for cooperation within her party and her country. Read your last paragraph again. Is that possible to type with a straight face? Didn't you read what Nicholas said? He brought lots of HIS opinions about what the Labour party needs to be, without mentioning Phillips directly. I brought MY opinion and tried to justify why. YOU bring nothing but insult. Goodbye.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 12, 2020 15:00:56 GMT
Great idea. Two more.
Just imagine if you were the boss of the Musicals unit of the biggest Studio the world has ever seen, and you had previously been a songwriter, you might conceive of a way of bringing some of those songs together.
I bet you couldn't have imagined it turn out as well as Singing in the Rain.
All but two songs were previously little known items from the back catalogue of ARTHUR FREED and Nacio Herb Brown.
Production was delayed as Gene Kelly was busy at work on another 'portmanteau' musical, An American in Paris.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 12, 2020 13:14:15 GMT
Votes by Labour Leaders: Jeremy Corbyn 2019: 10,295,607 Jeremy Corbyn 2017: 12,878,460 Ed Miliband 2015: 9,347,273 Gordon Brown 2010: 8,609,527 Tony Blair 2005: 9,552,436 Tony Blair 2001: 10,724,953 Tony Blair 1996: 13,518,167 If we now take that Jeremy Corbyn is the political equivalent of the anti-Christ we can only assume with the increasing Labour vote in the 2000’s there is increasing support for ‘far-left’ policies. I am with Nicholas , Labour needs to remain a pure Left Party and develop a true alternative vision to the Tory Party who have dug a monsterous hole for themselves with Austerity and Brexit and if successfully held to account the house of cards they have created will collapse. To me this I believe was the failure of the Labour strategy, Corbyn in the same way as Leave supporters believed his/their position was so obvious that only the message needed to be communicated and not the nullification of the opposing view. In all honesty I am not not sure of all the ‘favourite’ contenders who will be able to counter the well honed Tory propaganda machine where untruths are so prevalent that traditional Politics has been undermined to such an extent that political discourse is futile. (Labour misleading ads 0, Tory misleading ads 88%) My choice will unlikely make it through the Parliamentary process and is such a ‘left-field’ candidate, for him this may be an election to lose but do hope his time will come. ‘far-left’ is a misnomer, the Labour strategy is to align ourselves with the norm in Europe, especially the Nordic Countries which consistently record the best living standards and happiness levels. The Nordic Countries combine free market capitalism with a comprehensive welfare state and collective bargaining at the national level, which offers a healthy, safe, and well-grounded lifestyle. The Nordic Countries also have a high percentage of workers belonging to a labor union, shorter days in the office, and longer paid vacations, freeing up more time to actually enjoy life. Nordic people don’t mind the tax burden so long as it directly correlates to their overall well-being. The next Leader needs to promote this vision, educate people there is another way, and break the myth that Socialism equals Communism. Is it fair of me to state that Corbyn, RLB, Momentum etc do not have any belief in "free market capitalism" as a basis for paying for state expenditure? As Will Hutton wrote the week after the election, more equality does not require a massive shift to state ownership. I've been looking with interest at the Nordic Model. Definitely the parties in power are more Social Democrat/Centre Left than Trotskyists. It is a measure of how far Momentum have control of The Labour Party that so far almost all the candidates for leadership are careful to show praise for Corbyn, rather than setting out a new direction for the party. I would vote in a General Election for Jess Phillips. In every interview I've read she's expressed her own strong opinions, while recognising the need for cooperation within her party and her country.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 11, 2020 11:34:33 GMT
Great to see one of my favourite threads revived with two new angles.
Sadly I don't play or sing so I haven't committed the following to memory, so I offer snatches in the hope some of you can help with the rest as Google is showing its limitations..
Benny Green used to refer to alternate lyrics that players would pass around. Nightclubs would seem to be the ideal home for these parody's and I'm sure some of them were not suitable for retelling on R2 Sunday Lunchtime's, but one he used to quote was a parody of the 42nd St song which started
"Every day, every night .... You're getting to be a Rabbit with me."
Second time around the Chorus would add the line
"...Can't take it"
(There's also a comedy spoof by Alan Sherman where the object of his affections is a real 'bunny'.)
A couple of decades ago, Andrea Marcovicci used to do an annual stint at Pizza on the Park. One of her encores would feature the Pianist tapping out a familiar riff and her face would drop..
"New York, New York he's playing it again."
Followed by a rewrite anti hymn to her adopted city.
But the most famous rewrite (not really a parody) is surely this rewrite by Sammy Cahn of his own title?
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 11, 2020 11:00:11 GMT
For those who remember having to buy a ticket at the desk or from a machine every single journey, it's true - this is way better. Or the bus driver/conductor who would accept exact change only!
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 11, 2020 10:54:09 GMT
I get so tired reading how s**** everything it today. But IMHO cashless payment (oyster and other means are available) and public transport is a marriage made in heaven(metaphorically speaking as I wouldn't wish to offend anyone ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) ).
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Post by Mr Snow on Dec 28, 2019 11:35:56 GMT
Please help. I am starting to worry about my attention span, but seeing this last night I can't recall hearing the title song? It's listed in the programme, for after the interval, and one of my favourite Dylan songs, but? ![???](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/huh.png) ? Thought it was an entertaining mess. Too much plot meant much 'soap' like dialogue but I came away intrigued and may return. I often complain that plays have 'too many words' ( )and this was certainly enlivened by some great singing and interesting choices of songs.
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Post by Mr Snow on Dec 23, 2019 12:06:27 GMT
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Post by Mr Snow on Dec 19, 2019 14:29:14 GMT
When will the Labour Party work out that unless you get elected it's all hot air? But that would mean listening to people who don't already vote for you...
My vote remains up for grabs and I've lived long enough to fear one party winning all the elections. Just give me hope that I will have a real choice next time.
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Post by Mr Snow on Nov 28, 2019 10:43:33 GMT
Have our thanks tmesis. That must be very satisfying for you.
I'm not British but it's nice to see a British Conductor get the opportunity at CG.
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Post by Mr Snow on Nov 18, 2019 22:04:49 GMT
So good I bought the DVD and have forked out for stalls seats this time.
Because...it's worth it!
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Post by Mr Snow on Nov 15, 2019 8:39:46 GMT
Slapstick must have at least half its roots in Comedia del arte. So the above is British theatre selling coal to Naples. Sadly it opened the day after we left.
(Ps spoiler alert don't watch the above if you are planning a first visit to see The play that goes wrong soon)
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Post by Mr Snow on Nov 1, 2019 22:48:22 GMT
Oh Drear.
One song/episode smashed into another - to keep the energy high just like a pop radio station. It wasn't just sung through, every note had a word on it.
The one exception was the breakdown song. It may not have been presnted the way it's "meant" to be done but it was the only "song". It had an instantly memorable melody and form, and yes it was funny too in contrast to everything else. Hats of to Ms P-P. After that I thought things might look up but no, I checked and somehow it was actually written by the same composer as the rest of the show.
Just informed Mrs. S. I left at the interval.
"Wow that must be your first time ever?" I'm struggling to think of another example...
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Post by Mr Snow on Oct 31, 2019 9:14:48 GMT
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Post by Mr Snow on Oct 29, 2019 9:59:53 GMT
( Could the title of this thread be amended to read .... 2019-2020 ?) Adventures Of Tom Sawyer - the Musical at King Alfred Phoenix Theatre, London NW11 20-23 February 2020. Not on sale yet. Truly qualifies as rare. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Tom_Sawyer_(musical)Thanks Keep them coming....
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Post by Mr Snow on Oct 15, 2019 15:39:26 GMT
Avoid Orpheus in the Underworld. Not just a Regie job, it has been substantially rewritten in a way that runs counter to the satire orginally intended
Shame as there's much to admire with some great singing and acting and a hopeless bit of stunt casting. But it goes further and further off the rails and when the Gallop Infernal (Can Can) is performed not as a hedonistic romp that proves the Devil has the best tunes, but as an angry rant about the exploitation of women, then you know the plot is lost.
Shame, its Offenbach's 200th anniversary and about 40 years since they last did this piece. Its full of great tunes and even if the ending is 'problematic', traducing it is not the answer. Place was half empty.
Sigh, just when you think things are improving. Good luck Annilese.
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Post by Mr Snow on Oct 11, 2019 10:35:29 GMT
All three of us thought it dragged terribly. It wasn't a funny 'comedy' and the drama is so unfocused as to leave you wondering just what it was we'd just seen. And using a historical point of reference as a the MacGuffin, and then changing what actually happened, just drew attention to how horribly empty it felt.
Pitt was watchable, DiCaprio painful.
To each their own.
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Post by Mr Snow on Oct 10, 2019 18:34:11 GMT
Enjoyed this but not as much as the play. It also dragged a bit for me. Nice to see some MT people on it like Jessie Buckley and Andy Nyman. Anyone recognise the theatre they used? Looked a bit like Wyndhams or Noel Coward from outside. Just a small point but when Judy was in the rehearsal room she asked how many levels there were at Talk of the Town and was told 4 but when the camera was on the stage looking at the audience I could only see 3. One Sunday last Autumn we walked in the Alley behind Wyndhams and saw them dressing for the scene where she meets fans - shown on Graham Norton last week. I mentioned this to a friend who told me they'd been filming inside The Hackney Empire all week. Not proof but...
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Post by Mr Snow on Oct 10, 2019 9:38:17 GMT
Go for it! Sounds great.
My one man campaign after next, will be to to urge Theatres to provide free ticket upgrades for all those who make an effort.
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Post by Mr Snow on Oct 9, 2019 10:56:50 GMT
Well I didn't expect this to be contentious at all.
Fully support your right not to clap if you don't think its worth it and I appreciate that there are people for whom it creates physical problems.
Perhaps I over simplified in my attempt to create a'punchline' but...
The incident that sparked this off was on a night where myself and another poster in the Opera section felt it deserved high praise. I can see that others might have found it a waste of of their time...but that was not the case of the vast majority....
Is it (only) me that sees an increasing no of rude theatre goes who the moment the performance finishes, start to make for the door. Doesn't matter where they sit they want out and you better let them. The rest of us mugs can be busy showing the traditional communal thanks and they can get a swift exit while disrupting others and killing the buzz.
Maybe I'm just unlucky, but it seems increasingly prevalent and just another example of selfish behaviour. I will now move my one man campaign to my sidebar.
Have a nice day everyone!
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Post by Mr Snow on Oct 8, 2019 10:23:22 GMT
Do we need a separate thread about people who are too Cr+p to Clap?
It's not just rude it goes against the whole Theatre tradition and even the purpose of going to a live event.
(I've posted before about a special place in hell for those who move to the aisles as soon as the performance ends as they are too important to file out as they should. In my experience they are always non clappers)
I'll start David Mellor Hackney Empire 07 10 2019.
(I'm worried that if 'celebrities can get away with such treatment it will become increasingly fashionable)
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Post by Mr Snow on Oct 8, 2019 10:14:46 GMT
Agree completely both productions should be seen. Two of the best nights I've spent in the Theatre all year. The Weill is such a rarity that its a must see. I did read that it was wordy and a full performance could last 3 hrs. So they've gone a great job tightening it up. It seems to me they've cut back the part of the Frau housekeeper and just explained her backstory? The only issue I have with the Indie review is it ignores what I thought was a clear interest in Anarchism - the real political alternate to Totalitarianism. It is oversimplifying to say it was just about Fascism and with Extinction Rebellion being in the news today, this is even more relevant than the review suggests. The whole piece also seems to serve as an alternative version of Les Mis. Where hunger sets up the story, but the policeman and protagonist can develop and change for the better. PS ETO missed a trick. No history of exotic fruit in Britain should overlook Lodiges Nursery! Who today realises that Hackney provided the plants for Caxton's Crystal Palace and The hothouse at Kew and all from a a site adjacent to the current Empire. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loddiges(End of Trivia diversion).
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