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Post by bimse on Nov 24, 2017 13:35:34 GMT
Brexit means I am ashamed to be British Giving tax payers money to satisfy the unreasonable demands and vanity projects of unelected foreign Bureaucrats makes me ashamed to be British . We signed up to the common market , not a federal expansionist Europe . I read just yesterday that back then senior ministers were warning of the federal ambitions and the chances of national governments being eventually ruled by unelected bureaucrats , these warnings were covered up. The so called elected European Parliament is just a front , no notice whatsoever is taken of this so called Parliament .
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Post by bimse on Nov 24, 2017 13:23:44 GMT
All five bids from the UK have been excluded from consideration by the European Commission. Brexit means Brexit. No doubt Britain will have made a financial contribution towards this project , which makes me wonder if the European Commission have any right to exclude British bids (I’ve read a report that bids are open to cities outside the EU anyway ?) . Or are they going to reimburse us that contribution ? Either way they should not have accepted bids in the first place , several British cities have wasted large sums on this.
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Post by bimse on Nov 24, 2017 13:14:34 GMT
Nice short tribute to him by Pappano before tonight's performance of Semiramide. "We won't see him perform again, but his voice is in these walls" That’s a beautiful and appropriate tribute , so sad to say goodbye to Dmitri Hvorotovsky at such a young age . Forgive me changing the subject , did you attend Semiramide? I saw the live steam from Munich , and wondered how it comes across live?
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Post by bimse on Nov 24, 2017 11:41:50 GMT
Just listened to the real Jamie and his mum on “women’s hour” as I was driving , they played Josie Walker singing “he’s my boy” from the show. This was the first song I’ve heard and i must say I was impressed with the lyrics and the performance . Jenny Murray confessed to shedding a tear at the press night . Jamie and his wonderful mum gave a really good account of their experiences . They said their story resonates with all teenagers in general, most of whom have differences to contend with . They were amazingly generous in recognising what most people go through as they grow up . . I must admit I thought the original documentary wasn’t as incisive as it could have been , but it’s nevertheless opened a talking point of prejudice, bullying etc of all kinds. A follow up documentary would be good, and I hope the show has a good long run . I doubt I’ll see it , but who knows?
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Post by bimse on Nov 22, 2017 16:27:17 GMT
This is a beautiful film. Its story so bizarre it must be true, which of course it is. And it is slight: older film star falls in love with a younger man. It’s Sunset Boulevard without the melodrama. But it’s much more than that: it’s about one of the most precious but painful moments Life can give us- the chance to say goodbye before a loved one finally slips away… The opening credits show Gloria Grahame putting on her make-up backstage, and while she's doing so she puts on a tape of her favourite tracks using her portable cassette player. Elton John’s (mostly) instrumental Song For Guy plays, but we never get to hear its only lyric- Life isn’t everything. And I’m not sure if it’s because we’re being told that Life really is everything, or whether something else is. Finding true Love perhaps…? She seems to find true love after four wrecked marriages, moving from Hollywood to Primrose Hill of all places, where she meets Peter Turner, a young actor who’s currently taking whatever roles he is offered. And from here we watch their brief romance played out in scenes, sometimes in flashback, and out of sequence. We move into these through doorways and windows- a verandah door opens onto a beach right on the Pacific, another opens from a Manhattan hotel room onto a balcony facing the Chrysler building, and doors off a dimly lit corridor in a modest Liverpool terrace open into a sanctuary, a bedroom in the Turner home where Gloria will try to die. When she is lifted through the taxi door towards the end of the film, we know it will be the last doorway we’ll see… The pivotal scene is played twice over in fairly quick succession, but from two different viewpoints, Gloria’s and Peter’s. There really are two sides to the story, and we see them both. Annette Bening is completely believable as the coyly flirtatious star, inviting Jamie Bell to dance (yes, we see him dance again!) and to drink with her. She’s desperate to act with the RSC. ( How do you get to do it? she asks. Well, I think there’s more to it than filling out a form, he replies. Then I’ll get my agent to call them, she responds. In fact, I’m going off to the Aldwych Theatre now to see them. They’re doing The Merchant of Venice. If she had made it she would have seen Tom Wilkinson, Sinead Cusack and David Suchet. But she never does.) Instead she’s playing in W Somerset Maugham’s Rain at the Watford Palace Theatre. She’s a fighter is Gloria, but she’s running out of time. She’s stood up to her illness, kind of, and she's managed to twinkle for a while. But now she’s fading. Jamie Bell shines as her young lover, kept out of her secret for his protection. He’s swept along by genuine feelings of love, barely able to concentrate on his own career. He’s bewitched by her, initially unaware of who she is and what she’s achieved in her past. But he’s also bothered and bewildered by her behaviour. He’s reunited here with Julie Walters, this time playing his mother and unlikely friend to her son’s once glamorous older girlfriend. But as an older mother, she needs to say goodbye too, to another son in Australia, but it doesn’t stop her putting Gloria first as she resolves to cancel her trip to nurse her. She will happily comb out a Hollywood star’s hair in the family kitchen. There’s a host of big names here, happy with the smallest of roles- Stephen Graham, Kenneth Cranham, Vanessa Redgrave and Frances Barber. I can see why they wanted to be involved. It’s a mini-masterpiece. But it’s Julie Walters who is given the words which crystalise the message of the film. It’s time to let her go…
Theatres and cinemas abound, and location lovers will have a field day. The most touching scene of the whole movie takes place on the stage of the Liverpool Playhouse, a stunning building unknown to me, where we hear familiar words barely audible, against a backdrop of the auditorium. This is no regular performance. And everything captures the period between 1979-1981: clothes, songs, avocado kitchen units, candlewick bedspreads… We know how the story will end before we are told, which is a bit like Life really. But those who have experienced it will know that this doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to deal with. ***** from me Beautiful review @caiaphas, thank you. I must see this film , I’ve been in that privileged position where I got to say good bye to someone I loved , saying good bye is painful and beautiful at the same time , like true love itself.
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Post by bimse on Nov 22, 2017 16:08:10 GMT
I would find this totally irritating as well! Apart from being distracting, I always wonder what people like this think they are proving? Presumably they are showing off their in-depth knowledge in the assumption that people will be impressed or that members of the cast will feel warmly towards them. In practice, surely everyone just thinks ‘what a weirdo’… It could be that they aren't necessarily trying to prove anything at all and just simply love the show so much and are oblivious to anyone around them. To be honest, I have to admit to a rather sneaking admiration that they had the time and effort to pull together all of those props. And anyhoo, isn't everyone just a bit of a "weirdo" in some way or another? Maybe everyone is a bit weird to someone, somewhere, but what is in question here is inconsiderate behaviour and disturbing others who have paid good money, and had their enjoyment spoiled . It’s simply not fair and can’t be excused as “everyone’s a bit weird”, and no, I don’t feel I have to “admire” them in any way. After all I wouldn’t be surprised if those who are disturbing others are the first to take offence if THEY themselves are disturbed or challenged in any way , witness what happened to @n1david a day ago.
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Post by bimse on Nov 22, 2017 7:51:01 GMT
I saw Craig Revel-Horward in an excerpt from Annie , on children in need , and thought his performance was quite frankly very amateurish indeed. Watching this performance I can’t understand how he’s marketed as a big “name” for this show, all over the country, with other actors standing in (usually at weekends) for his pre-arranged tv absences. Not worth the effort of planning for his time off in my opinion , just let the substitutes do the whole run, I’m sure they’d give a more enjoyable performance, or have I missed the point and he’s such a big draw for the public at large?
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Post by bimse on Nov 21, 2017 16:42:32 GMT
Glengarry Gen Ross, tonight. Couple in stalls, end of row, next to me. They chat through the first act, I don’t say anything. Second act, chatting continues. 10 minutes in, woman (next to me) spits out a full mouthful of drink over me. Start saying how sorry she is. Gets something out of her bag to wipe me down. I say “I’m fine, but please just shut up”. Male companion, on the end of the row the sto me and says “YOU shut the f**k up, or I’ll make you shut the f**k up”. Chatting continues for the rest of the act. I wait until I am certain that they have left and take another exit. Have never felt so uncomfortable in a theatre. Sorry to hear this. Very bad. Dreadful that this happened to you , I do hope you’re not too shook up, makes me wonder why ushers aren’t on hand to eject anyone , or alert security to eject anyone behaving so badly (and lets face it, criminally, threatening someone like this) . I never like being near people bringing drinks into an auditorium, and I’m not happy that in some theatres you can order drinks via an app? It’s just asking for trouble .
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Post by bimse on Nov 19, 2017 23:01:36 GMT
So, I saw POTO in Budapest on Sunday evening. Wow! It was amazing -- I loved how they not only got free reign on the set design and staging, but also on the characters also. Csengeri Attila is perhaps my new favourite Phantom ever. He was completely amazing, particularly during AISOY Reprise and the final lair. Sets were all great, and I really liked how Phantom disappeared at the end (my only minor complaint is that I feel that surely nowadays technology is better to allow for the cloak to fall like a normal cloak and not a plastic one... Phantom's facial deformities were great too. Also like his long hair - I thought I'd hate it and the promo pictures always annoyed me, but thought it actually added a lot (as stupid as that sounds), especially towards the end of Act 1 when he is crying. The applause at the end though. What was that?!? the other half and I just looked at each other and burst out laughing. Everyone claps in unison, at the same frequency whilst in total silence. It's actually awkward as there is no music either, so it's literally everyone just clapping at the same time, to the same beat to the same frequency in complete and utter silence, even when the main actors came out. Really, really odd. You just clapped louder (but still in silence and in unison) if you liked the character. I did try to encourage a little bit of 'British clapping' ( ) when Raoul came out, but it didn't catch. Also considered standing up, but didn't know if that was acceptable or not... lol... Go and see it! It's dirt cheap (about £15-20 equivalent in Forint for a top price ticket). I think Phantom is gone now until May next year (the theatre has 2-3 shows running monthly and they take it in turns to perform). I believe Mary Poppins is about to start again on Friday with a musical called 1 x 3 (i think?) with Les Miserables and Anna Karanina starting in early 2017. If you're in Budapest, it's well worth a look. There are English subtitles above the stage also. The Hungarian version of Disney's Hunchback starts tomorrow at another theatre in town too. Most Europeans seem to clap in unison to show appreciation, I’ve witnessed it in several countries, even at the opera in Munich and Zurich, where the clapping in unison was accompanied by cheering and eventually by stamping of feet and clapping as we would do .
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Post by bimse on Nov 19, 2017 15:01:32 GMT
My partner’s daughter got tickets for Manchester within the first half hour, but apparently had several iPads , iPhones and laptops fired up at the same time ...... good that they got tickets, but I think this sort of thing creates a bigger queue and jams the systems tbh.
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Post by bimse on Nov 18, 2017 16:12:22 GMT
New doggy friend arrived today- a little bichon called Maddie. Her elderly owner is in a nursing home following an operation, and the poor thing has been farmed from one place to another, including the son's house where she got savaged by his dog. Poor old thing. So she's staying for 3 weeks. Oh and her owner's daughter, who has been looking after her casually mentioned that Tim Rice is one of her best friends. As you do. http://instagr.am/p/BbpEzpmnZQT Well done you @emicardiff, that’s such a kind thing to do, for that lovely little dog, and her owner, who must be worried about her. Does Maddie go to visit her owner , or would that unsettle her? A friend of mine was in our wonderful, local hospice recently , and his wife used to take his dog every day . Sadly my friend has now died, but his wife intends to continue to visit the hospice with the dog , who was so friendly and calm with the staff and patients , it’s therapeutic for the patients, and it was heart warming to see him allow himself to be fussed and petted.
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Post by bimse on Nov 18, 2017 10:27:32 GMT
Alastair Sim playing Hook/Darling in Peter Pan. Circa 1965. One of my first theatre visits was to see Peter Pan, in the 60s, at the Manchester Opera House, with Alastair Sim as Captain Hook and Wendy Craig as Peter Pan. They used to tour the London presentation for a few weeks in the new year, I think . Then again for other family visits in the 60s we saw Jimmy Clitheroe and Nat Jackley (as his “mum”) at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool , and later Jimmy Clitheroe (again) in Jack and The Beanstalk , with possibly the finest principal boy Anita Harris, and the sublime Jack Tripp as Dame. Then we had visits to summer shows in Blackpool, seeing people like Ken Dodd, Tessie O’Shea, and Charlie Cairoli at the Tower Circus. My first theatre visit , without family , just myself and my brother, when we were working and could afford to take ourselves off for a theatre trip was in 1980 to the Grand Theatre, Leeds, to see Barry Humphries in “A Night with Dame Edna”. Such happy days .
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Post by bimse on Nov 18, 2017 7:32:10 GMT
Yes, I heard him several times being sensational when he first appeared and, as you say, he is now reduced almost to nothing. Maybe he might be worth including in my list even though he was not a dramatic tenor to start with, although his Hoffmann was certainly dramatic enough! I only managed to see Villazon once, as Lensky. He was off sick when I was supposed to see him in both Hoffmann & Don Carlos. That would have been 2008 so perhaps related to his vocal crisis. Tenor Colin Lee vanished abruptly from the stage a couple of years ago but I don't know if that was due to vocal health or some other problem, there was just an announcement that he was retiring with immediate effect. I remember hearing Colin Lee, he was very good indeed , seemed to specialise in bel canto roles , he often “shadowed” Juan Diego Floréz. I never saw him perform but he was regarded as much the better actor of the two . Anyone know why Colin Lee retired ?
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Follies
Nov 18, 2017 7:05:35 GMT
via mobile
Post by bimse on Nov 18, 2017 7:05:35 GMT
Will it be issued as a dvd? I hope so , I loved it .
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Post by bimse on Nov 17, 2017 16:14:57 GMT
Is there definitely going to be booking through to the end of September ?
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Post by bimse on Nov 17, 2017 15:14:18 GMT
Now that’s how to do it Imagine her in this production with the orchestra .... that look 👀 at the end wonderful
Indeed. For me La Evans was far and away in the top 3 all time Norma's. Absolutely amazing.
I really enjoyed this clip, thanks for posting, a great performance, yes musical theatre (not meant in any derogatory way). I think Ria Jones is tremendous in the current tour and can’t wait to see her again. I hadn’t realised Kathryn Evans is married to Peter Purves . But I can’t help thinking , there’s a brilliant casting idea for Norma Desmond .... Paul O’Grady ! What’s his singing like?
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Post by bimse on Nov 17, 2017 7:58:22 GMT
Wonder if it’s the broadway production? A friend saw that and said the set was fantastic, and wants to go again, but I wonder if the same production would fit the Palladium stage, which is very shallow? Has there been a US tour which used a different set?
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Post by bimse on Nov 15, 2017 21:25:09 GMT
Jimmy Krankie.
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Post by bimse on Nov 15, 2017 16:40:59 GMT
Not very exciting , not much that I’m going to rush to see . Maybe Frankenstein, but Cherry Orchard and Happy Days? Disappointing .
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Post by bimse on Nov 14, 2017 13:43:08 GMT
Is that phrase something from the show? I wonder if runs outside of London have time and money to rely on word of mouth to gain an audience ? Brand recognition ? I doubt the average theatre goer outside London would recognise it or name the composer . You could apply that exact theory to the recent announced tour of Kinky Boots and Matilda and even the current tour of Wicked. I’d venture to say the titles you mention could already have a somewhat higher profile in the public eye, being derived from films or books that have been around for a while as a reference for the public. ( with the possible exception of Kinky Boots which is lower profile but has a drag component which looks fun ), However I’m not sure Book of Mormon has anything for the public to immediately recognise , apart from the South Park writers. Even the title doesn’t sound fun. I hope I’m wrong, I want our theatres to be successful and full houses for a wide variety of shows.
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Post by bimse on Nov 13, 2017 21:21:59 GMT
It has very strong positive word of mouth and excellent brand recognition because of the composers. It has ran in London for near to 5 years with mostly sold out audience. It isn't an elaborate show, so therefore cheap to run. Some local advertising is needed, but this will also get picked up by local radio stations and publicised that way. If that doesn't work you can stick your arm in the air and say 'Hasa Diga Ebowi" and curse his rotten name. Is that phrase something from the show? I wonder if runs outside of London have time and money to rely on word of mouth to gain an audience ? Brand recognition ? I doubt the average theatre goer outside London would recognise it or name the composer .
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Post by bimse on Nov 13, 2017 21:00:36 GMT
I wonder how well this will sell when it tours eventually (hopefully soon), do the general public know much about it ? very well I suspect, or at least that will be the hope of the producers. It's a well-known show and I would expect them to chuck a huge marketing spend behind it, as with when it first opened in London a couple of years ago. It's doing long sit-down runs in some of the bigger venues, which tends to suggest producer confidence. I’m not so sure it’s a well known show, it’ll take an awful lot of marketing outside of London , as was the case for the London opening. I’ve seen very little about this show on TV or in the media generally , beyond actively seeking information on it .
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Post by bimse on Nov 12, 2017 11:36:12 GMT
I admire the celebrities for having the guts to have a go, but it’s the clapping I can’t get past . The audience clapping along to just about every piece of music, same old beat , right from the opening titles to the closing titles , they even clapped over the guest singers last Sunday . You could hardly hear the music . They surely must have completely different audience members for each and every programme , on account of the repetitive strain injury to their hands .
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Post by bimse on Nov 11, 2017 21:50:22 GMT
They were convicted and rehabilitated. Should they be prevented from having public careers? I think there is a huge difference between someone who has (hopefully) atoned for their sins and someone who was never held accountable such as Saville. The BBC might be a bit quick to the mark holding back the Agatha Christie adaptation, but let's be realistic - if they screened it without definitive answers regarding the allegations, they'd be accused of pandering by part of the media. It's a lose/lose situation. I find it quite nauseating to see this “celebrity” cavorting on TV. Maybe he’s atoned for his crime , but every time I see him acting the fool and attempting to be funny, my thoughts go to his victims (a well known singer and his family) and I wonder how they feel ? I just don’t think such people should be in the public eye . They’d have difficulty getting work in many lines of employment that don’t put them in the public eye.
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Post by bimse on Nov 11, 2017 20:57:15 GMT
A “celebrity” chef who served two years for burglary doesn’t seem to trouble the TV guardians of our morality .
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