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Post by robertb213 on Sept 8, 2022 12:47:27 GMT
I know shows like these got a lot of stick back in the day, but when you look at how much talent they did actually find (a lot of which is still active in the industry today), they actually did a great job. Between the Nancys, Dorothys, Josephs and Jesuses, it's a pretty decent list. The career-longevity-rate of contestants is certainly higher than The X Factor and The Voice.
I hate Mamma Mia but I'd still totally watch this to see some future talent.
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 8, 2022 10:10:16 GMT
I saw a press notice yesterday that the show isn't having a Press Night apparently. I'm assuming that doesn't bode well for any kind of London transfer.
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 7, 2022 17:12:50 GMT
Back on the topic of solo theatregoers, one of my reviewer friends has sent up a Twitter community for people looking to find other stagey friends and maybe meet up when they have spare tickets etc. Thought it may be useful to anyone looking to maybe make some new theatre chums 😁 twitter.com/i/communities/1567431904131010560
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 6, 2022 13:05:07 GMT
Hi! Just a question on seating, I can’t decide which to do - £68 in Manhattan or £68 in Flushing. Im thinking it’s either close but side view or further back but central. Just wondering what peoples thoughts were, I know it’s a hard one when the show has yet to open etc. Many thanks :-) If it's the same price my preference would be further back and central, to take it all in 😁
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 6, 2022 11:24:07 GMT
Well most of the shows they are not producing (ie they are just a receiving house) so they are just charging rent and taking the money on the bar. They don’t care if they sell so you can discount them heavily later and comp them and they do just as well. Sure George Takei will more some tickets at higher prices but it does seem the US producers applied pricing without knowing the history of the venue. Charing Cross Theatre really don't seem fussed about turning a profit do they! Random musical choices (no bad thing, but they're not balanced with sure-fire successes to keep them afloat) and then silly pricing. It's all very strange. True but still, it doesn't give the venue a good name to have lacklustre success again and again. They haven't had a hit show there in years.
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 6, 2022 10:54:15 GMT
Charing Cross Theatre really don't seem fussed about turning a profit do they! Random musical choices (no bad thing, but they're not balanced with sure-fire successes to keep them afloat) and then silly pricing. It's all very strange.
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 4, 2022 20:22:50 GMT
Was about to post the same. Can’t say I’m fussed tbh. Ally Pally is such a dreadful place to get to if you have to get the train into London for it. I wonder who he’ll have in mind to cast? Probably Rob Houchen Me either. Dreadful location and I didn't enjoy it when I saw it last time. But yeah I'd assume Rob Houchen will do it again and he was the best thing about it.
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 4, 2022 20:01:04 GMT
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 31, 2022 5:51:23 GMT
Who was the act 2 guest last night? Andy Mientus from Smash I believe.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 28, 2022 11:10:23 GMT
It was sweet enough but they removed too much of the edgier stuff from the stage show, nothing massively adult just some.scenes and songs that are a bit more grown-up in terms of humour and language, and the end result just felt a bit "kiddy-fied". But watchable enough.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 26, 2022 21:42:13 GMT
TodayTix has deals on the top two seating levels at the Tuesday performance.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 26, 2022 8:40:15 GMT
They're both fantastic talents but this is the wrong material, it won't suit either of them.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 26, 2022 8:23:01 GMT
I adore her. She was INCREDIBLE as the White Witch at Kensington Gardens a few years ago, and she was also one of the best things about Viva Forever. She was a fantastic Nancy on the Oliver soundtrack from the Palladium production as well.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 24, 2022 15:01:23 GMT
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 23, 2022 14:38:06 GMT
I suppose I object to the suggestion that adapting existing material is laziness. We wouldn't have many shows if the rule of only original ideas are allowed for musicals. So true. There'd be no Les Mis, Phantom, Wicked.... even West Side Story is adapted from Romeo & Juliet.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 23, 2022 14:13:30 GMT
I thought Carrie did really well. And Michael was poorly, to be fair, you can hear it in his voice. But Alfie.... no thank you.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 23, 2022 14:07:54 GMT
I don't get the complaints of musicals being adapted from films or even revivals of classic musicals. To each their own…I, personally, just enjoy original ideas coming to fruition. To me, just taking a story that’s already been adapted into a movie and throwing some songs together to fit the storyline is pure laziness. Again, my opinion. I do half agree with this, and there are far more examples of musical adaptations that added nothing to the original material (Pretty Woman, I'm looking at you). But then when it's done right, the results can be brilliant. I'd argue that Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Kinky Boots and Priscilla are all far better as musical adaptations than their original non-musical forms.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 18, 2022 18:54:13 GMT
Yep, Earth Angel. Is this the first time 2 shows have run at the same time with the same song? There have been other examples in jukebox shows. For example, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” is in both Tina and Moulin Rouge. It's hard to find a song that isn't in Moulin Rouge 🤣
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 17, 2022 12:29:35 GMT
I may get a Plus 1 when I review it in Cambridge in October, I'll post nearer the time if I do 😁
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 16, 2022 23:07:50 GMT
The one that I sadly missed was Bombay Dreams. Did anyone on here see it. I assume it's just too big to be revived but i love the score, and the lengthy making of documentary shows a piece of such energy and colour. So sad to have missed it. How long did it run. Was it a success? I so love 'Love's never easy' - very sensaul I'm amazed that Leicester's Curve hasn't done a revival of this yet. Maybe one day.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 14, 2022 22:14:15 GMT
Haven't seen yet so can't comment but...you can't really compete with SJB 😂 I watched her the other night thanks to YouTube.... she really is sensational.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 14, 2022 19:54:55 GMT
Strictly Come Dancing in the UK Dancing With The Stars in the US and Australia and (I believe) other parts of the world. I'm just curious, as all others are based upon the UK concept, does anyone know the name has changed? I assume because not all territories showed Come Dancing on which our title is based, so when it was exported they came up with the more generic Dancing With The Stars to reduce confusion.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 14, 2022 19:02:00 GMT
They had close to a 3 million dollar costume budget on Broadway, and they were all designed by Bob Mackie...anything was going to pale in comparison. True....doesn't explain the weaker script and performances though!
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 14, 2022 19:00:54 GMT
The show has always had contestants with some kind of training. Claire Sweeney was in the first year, she trained at Italia Conti. Audiences definitely prefer contestants who go on a journey and develop, but having people with some element of previous experience isn't a new development, it's just picked up on more now.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 14, 2022 15:05:21 GMT
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 13, 2022 19:00:31 GMT
Michael has a great voice, at least his casting will mean something good came out of Legally Blonde 🤣
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 13, 2022 16:31:59 GMT
I've only seen it done by a youth theatre group but I remember thinking it had some really good stuff in it. If I can find the film anywhere I'll be interested to see how it transfers.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 12, 2022 19:48:19 GMT
I reviewed this in MK on Tuesday, this fell very middle of the road for me.
Cheap set, lacking the dazzling wow and high Camp spectacle you'd expect from Cher. A bit too long with some obscure song choices that could've been cut. Danielle Steers sounded sublime, and Samantha Ivey was on for Debbie Kurup in her debut. She could've sounded more like Cher but had a great voice. Millie O'Connell was way too OTT for me, basically a gurning caricature. The finale comes as a bolt of high energy which is lacking for most of the show until that point.
I'm watching the Broadway version now (thank you YouTube), dear God Stephanie J Block is brilliant. Costumes and sets are way better than ours, and the script and delivery also do a far better job of getting Cher's personality across, it's far funnier.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 12, 2022 11:51:13 GMT
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 11, 2022 6:25:08 GMT
Agree with all that, I thought NYMT smashed it. All the vocals were fantastic, some parts even stronger than at Drury Lane last week. Also fascinating to have a gender-swapped Freddie and the Arbiter for a different spin on it. For anyone who saw the NYMT at Manchester cathedral last year, Freddie is played by Lois Mia Chapman who played Esmeralda in that production. Definitely a shame on the various sound and lighting issues last night, it was the first performance so hopefully they'll iron that all out.
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