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Post by christya on Jul 20, 2023 9:46:14 GMT
So, not a producer of any kind or even someone well known. Well, that's boring.
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Post by christya on Jul 20, 2023 9:42:11 GMT
Saw this a couple of days ago and honestly not sure about it. Overall I enjoyed it, but there were a couple of real clunker performances. The lady playing Lettie (didn't get a programme, sorry) was just over the top the whole way through, but the man playing the Dad (and older version of the boy) was terrible to the point of being embarrassingly amateur, the minute he tried to lose the Geordie accent. The accent was also out of place even when he was playing the Dad - horrible miscasting there unfortunately.
It was visually very impressive, and the 'flea' monster genuinely horrifying, but overall I found myself thinking this would do better as a film, and I felt as though the ending just petered out without any energy. The ensemble are absolutely the standout of this one.
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Post by christya on Jun 30, 2023 19:43:38 GMT
For me, I've stopped booking as many shows because of the train strikes. Yes, I can fly down to Heathrow but the strikes also affect getting into central London from there, and it was a nightmare last time I tried it. I'm tired of having my plans at the mercy of strike dates, and buying a ticket for something not knowing whether I'll even be able to get there.
The hotel prices aren't helping. There's no way in this world that I'm paying £160 a night for a Premier Inn, and I used to be able to get the Radisson for a reasonable price ahead of time, but that's less common now (also, they changed their loyalty scheme, it's now useless, and I may be sulking). If I don't stay overnight, that limits me to a matinee show - and one show per trip, when previously I'd manage three.
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Post by christya on Jun 16, 2023 16:32:35 GMT
I think its probably a bit more chicken & egg than that. Had DT been searching for a London home for Newsies for years or are the Troubadour hosting it for drinks sales and to build their name? As far back as 2014 I heard from a NY friend that they'd seriously intended coming to London but simply couldn't get a theatre. It was about the time that the rumour of 'I Can't Sing' closing was going around (which was true) so I remember half-joking that the Palladium was about to be free. Once the Broadway production closed I'd be surprised if there had been much serious activity around bringing it to London for a while. I still wish it had been the Broadway production, no matter how much I enjoyed this one it just doesn't compare for me.
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Post by christya on Jun 15, 2023 12:03:58 GMT
Double casting the role in general is silly, but if they're going to do that, then absolutely her skin colour is an issue. They're casting a real person who people remember, and even disregarding that, there is an older version of the same character in the show, who is white. Just pushes it further into the ridiculous. Shows which do colour blind castng normally have the sense to match up younger/older versions.
Maybe they just decided it didn't matter as it's a concert production. I'd love to hear their excuse for Denise Welch though, that song was painful.
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Post by christya on Jun 14, 2023 12:32:26 GMT
Can Denise Welsh do other accents apart from her natural geordie? If not its going to be interesting. Not a fan of the venue as its far to big for this type of thing. Even if it's discounted I'm not going to bother with this. From what I've seen, the Geordie accent (or at least the strong one) has been fake for years. I was involved in a show she was in a while back, and there was a distinct difference between how she spoke when just being herself and how she spoke when on stage.
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Post by christya on Jun 14, 2023 9:58:17 GMT
Hah, I'm not paying those prices to see Denise Welch, and certainly not at the Apollo. And honestly, I know it's a concert version, but the casting for the younger Diana is just silly. A pass, even with Kerry Ellis.
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Post by christya on Jun 2, 2023 12:37:19 GMT
I'm starting to wonder if I'm losing it, because - I can't be the only one who can hear this? That 'everything wrong seems right' was a mess...and this is an official clip, which someone listened to and thought 'yeah, let's make that public' - and it's Broadway?
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Post by christya on May 31, 2023 11:42:28 GMT
I thought about swapping, but decided to just go twice. If they move the closing date again, I'll swap that one. So, front of circle on 12th, front of stalls on 19th so far. Suits me.
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Post by christya on May 31, 2023 11:38:17 GMT
So far, booked for opening in Leicester, Edinburgh (x2), an eye on Leeds and definitely booking Newcastle. At least two visits in Newcastle, because it involves sets of people who do not go together. It's possible I may have a problem.
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Post by christya on May 24, 2023 10:59:11 GMT
I've literally only just remembered that I have a CD of some kind of concept recording or demo of this that I picked up at Broadway Flea. Literally a home-burned CD with track names written on it.
You'd think I'd have had a listen to this! Might have to put it on in the car.
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Post by christya on May 23, 2023 15:56:15 GMT
I'm torn on it - I'm not sure I approve of Nicole, but she does have a beautiful voice and will probably do well enough on the back of that to be worth a ticket, even if she can't act it (and hey, maybe she can). I doubt she'll have anyone leaving at the interval! I just wish she was ten years older.
I think for me I need to see what the overall production is like. I'm one of the few who actually liked the actor/musician one from a while back (and you won't normally hear me say I liked one of those!) but this time I think I just want SUNSET BOULEVARD. Big, shiny, massive sets, ornate costumes. A car on stage. Maybe not a real monkey corpse, though.
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Post by christya on May 23, 2023 15:21:33 GMT
I was almost tempted when Michael Praed was mentioned, despite Ruthie. But this, I just can't. It looks so dull and small and sort of wrinkly - that tiny little staircase! I think I need a bit longer before I'll be able to watch someone making a stab at this again, unless it's so different that I can't make the comparison (I'm thinking massive outdoor production where people come tapping down the aisle or something).
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Post by christya on May 17, 2023 18:48:30 GMT
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this, since with Bridgerton I often find myself cringing (all the damn sex), rolling my eyes (too many to count), or outright disliking the characters (Daphne, Edwina, I'm looking at you). This was genuinely engaging and some fantastic casting to match up the older and younger versions of each person. I loved Brimsley and Reynolds, and George was absolutely heartbreaking to watch.
I'm not sure another season of this is practical, but I'd sort of like to see it.
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Post by christya on May 17, 2023 10:17:53 GMT
If anyone is interested, I just returned a £70 ticket for front row circle on 2nd June, and a £120 ticket for row B (front) of stalls for closing night. Swapped them both for a charity package ticket front of circle for closing night, since trying to get down earlier was too awkward.
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Post by christya on May 17, 2023 9:37:48 GMT
Nicole has a beautiful voice, but if anything that's not a recommendation for this role, unless she can change it up a little by actually acting the part. Glenn Close is not a fantastic singer by any means, but she has a serviceable voice with a good range to it, and the acting ability to take that and make a fantastic Norma. After all, there's a reason Norma didn't make it in talkies. Someone like Nicole would probably sound lovely, and be utterly unbelievable as Norma.
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Post by christya on May 16, 2023 22:28:35 GMT
I've been keeping an eye on the website because I thought they'd release any Row B tickets where they didn't get a response from the Row C people, managed to snag row B for closing night which is good. Might swap my earlier ticket if I can get the box office tomorrow and actually end up going twice.
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Post by christya on May 16, 2023 15:41:37 GMT
I cannot forgive the hair. Just a couple of shades more red would have done! And I really dislike how she sings Part of Your World. Plus, Sebastian sort of looks like a paper cut out, it's weird.
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Post by christya on May 12, 2023 9:03:24 GMT
It's looking likely that I can't go to this in June after all. Especially gutting as I have front and centre of circle for June 3rd, and booking the same seat later in the run costs twice as much. Excuse me while I go and sulk in a corner.
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Post by christya on May 10, 2023 10:10:27 GMT
"It's almost like we're doing a high school musical..." (realises error instantly and attempts to correct, too late)
Funny he should say that, I actually think this would do a roaring trade out for amateur rights. Any amateur company can summon up the cast for this fairly easily and it probably would genuinely be fun (sorry, couldn't resist) to do.
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Post by christya on May 5, 2023 10:21:30 GMT
Well...the dress is pretty?
I'm genuinely puzzled as to how this is a Broadway performance. She's literally gasping for breath halfway through a sentence.
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Post by christya on May 5, 2023 10:05:09 GMT
I certainly don't think she merits celebrity treatment!
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Post by christya on May 2, 2023 19:56:23 GMT
The choir at the end. Not the one that was on Channel 4, we must have been a different stop on the tour. Our lead singer was WAY better though - we had a lady called Michelle John who was apparently on The Voice.
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Post by christya on Apr 21, 2023 18:54:35 GMT
Seems a bit futile, since the people flying the drones are probably not standing by the signs, and I suspect drones can't read.
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Post by christya on Apr 21, 2023 12:59:14 GMT
I'm not sure about Ariana - my problem isn't with her voice as such, it's more that I've never really been able to understand her. I'm not seeing anything to ease that worry, though I am sure it's something she can sort out, and maybe has. She's not the only singer who has left me thinking "Nice voice, if only she wasn't singing through a mouthful of cotton wool". It's fixable.
Cynthia...oh, how I wish they hadn't cast Cynthia. Even if she's amazing - I just do not like her.
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Post by christya on Apr 21, 2023 12:52:41 GMT
Oh, excellent. If they're showing it on telly then I can probably talk about the bit I was in. I mean, not on here because if you all care you can see the bit at the end when it's on telly, but with my theatre-loving friends some of them knew I was at the theatre and wanted to know what I'd been doing and I'd signed a bloody NDA! And then others turned up in the audience...awkward.
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Post by christya on Apr 11, 2023 11:30:28 GMT
LOL, me too. It was me who brought it up in the Newsies thread as I thought the "theatre" would be perfect for Starlight Express - it's a big empty box they could stick the sets in easily, including the skating bowl and ramps and there's a walkway which the Newsies are now using to run around the theatre, that could be perfectly turned into a race track. It should be much cheaper and better than overhauling a West End Theatre completely like they did with the Apollo Victoria and which I don't think we'll ever see again. I wish I could find the quote from years ago, but I'd be shocked if we ever got Starlight back in a 'normal' theatre. I read something along the lines of 'Most theatre owners would rather burn the place down than let Starlight Express in there' - it was a comment on the gutting necessary, not on the show itself.
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Post by christya on Apr 11, 2023 0:19:51 GMT
Oh come on, I thought this was real for a minute!
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Post by christya on Apr 4, 2023 11:35:09 GMT
Not sure I’ll be able to make Beverley, why do people not like Alexandra?! I saw her play the role before. She was so awful that I almost left at the interval, and if I hadn't known the show quite well I wouldn't have been able to understand a word she said. I've seen better amateur performances. Beverley, on the other hand, is absolutely phenomenal in the role. The idea that they do a press release involving both of them as though they're somehow equal talents, is just laughable.
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Post by christya on Apr 3, 2023 15:03:47 GMT
The Oliviers performance was so much better. I'm not sure it was necessary to shoehorn in the Brooklyn bit, but that's my least favourite part of the show now so hardly surprising I didn't like that bit!
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