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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 15, 2021 7:43:27 GMT
See, if you replaced Karimloo with JOJ, that trio would have been total perfection for me. Gina Beck is by far the best Christine the West End has had in recent years (top notch singing AND acting) and she and Simon Bailey had such unbeatable chemistry. The rooftop scene was a treat especially when they were in it. I'm glad the old EPK captures some of their magic. Re resident directors, I don't think Geoff Ferris was particularly bad. The one David Shannon didn't get on with, IIRC, was Laurence bleeding Connor who was obsessed with ruining Music of the Night (and Shannon understandably resisted). Connor got to stage the scene with his weird concept in that ghastly tour, and no-one liked it. Thanks so much to couldileaveyou for the old article - fascinating! Quite controversial, but Karimloo is so overrated. I've always found his voice to be deeply unpleasant, actually. It has a screechy quality to it and just sounds thin and weak. I've never really understood the obsession with him (and at one point, it really was an obsession for many people on social media!) Agreed. He got better now, but he used to sing off key quite a lot
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 13, 2021 10:37:08 GMT
I think every now and then you read former Phantoms complaining about the little control they had over the character. There is this very interesting article from 1991* in which they describe this phenomenon and the struggles between the new Phantom Peter Polycarpou and the resident director Geoff Ferris: It's an interesting read and I doubt things much improved in the next 20 years. David Shannon seemed to have similar issues with the resident director and I heard people say he was so much better in the final weeks of the run, when he could do whatever he wanted since it was too late to fire him. And you really gotta love it when they say that "no-one is paying £28" to see a new spin on the role – now you get the worst seat in the house for that! * found here X
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 12, 2021 11:29:45 GMT
Well I won rush today, the payment paused for about 30 seconds as usual, but then actually managed to complete. I can see a ticket in my account! So I shall be there in Stalls Row R tonight to see Rachel York. I'd love to hear thoughts on Rachels performance, I'm intrigued to see someone else do the role and wondering if its worth another visit Same! I definitely want to see her but I can't decide if it's better to go early in her run or wait for her to settle in a little.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 12, 2021 11:02:34 GMT
One thing that is a little niche, is that I'm not very good at recognising people and each male actor had at least one other man who looked almost identical to him (to me, anyway), shaggy hair and a beard being the order of the day. This made it very difficult for me to remember/recognise who everyone was! yes, absolutely. Banquo, Macduff and Ross looked identical. At the beginning of Lady Macduff's final scene I was 100% sure that Ross was Macduff and I was so confused because I thought he was supposed to be in England by then.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 11, 2021 21:11:30 GMT
Reading the programme notes, Bess Wohl notes that she hopes that the play can be used as a reminder about hate and anti-semitism in society and certainly despite Camp Siegfried being 70 odd years ago, the fight for an equitable society still goes on. This is interesting! I thought that on the whole the play was quite lenient on antisemitism – they are pretty much Trumpian, MAGA nazis that you would expect pulling out a smartphone and start tweeting from their young republican accounts. The antisemitic aspect of Nazi politcs were discussed rather briefly (and I think the doctor and his family became less clearly Jewish during previews) and they weren't a big part of the protagonists' social and political identity. I actually thought that Wohl willingly glossed over racism/antisemitism to make Him & Her a bit more sympathetic.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 10, 2021 12:30:52 GMT
I was looking at wiki to see if there’s a complete list. There isn’t, but I noticed Peter Polycarpou had played the Phantom. What was he like? That was before I was born so I can't answer from experience, but I think that the general consensus among phans is that he was not bad but vocally he was not quite up to the demands of the role (you can hear the title song here). He talks briefly about the experience in this podcast (around 28 min), in which he says it wasn't a great experience and the role didn't suit him vocally – he ended up getting sacked.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 8, 2021 23:05:23 GMT
I watched it tonight and I quite enjoyed it. It was better than I expected and much much better than all the three productions we got in 2018.
**Spoiler alert **
It's pretty much a revival of two halves, with the first act (ending with Banquo's assassination) struggling to find pacing and style, while the second act is much tighter and more cohesive. Generally, I think that Yael Faber's bag of tricks works only the first time you watch one of her shows and then gets very tiring. Some of her usual gimmicks are still here (I'm thinking of the wailing woman), but on the whole the direction, although a bit heavy-handed, works quite well, especially in act 2.
The "feminist" turn we heard about in interviews is not a real thing, and the gender and power dynamics are pretty much the same as any other Macbeth – James McArdle might be full of remorse, but he's not particularly submissive. They gave an interesting tiny twist to Lady M in act 2, in which she tries to prevent Lady Macduff & the kids' murder. It might not be the most coherent decision, but from an emotional point of view it is quite striking: the blood she cannot wash from her hands is not that of the people she wanted to die, but of those she failed to save. This decision makes sense within the production because it quietly drives attention to the Macbeths' childlessness. This is done tastefully and it is a very nice touch imho.
The second act works mostly really well: the banquet scene is easily the highlight of the evening, and that is followed by the witches' masque & the Macduff family murder. Then it drags a little in the scene in which Macduff Sr is reunited with Malcolm (which could be easily cut), but then finds again pacing as it rushes towards the end. I thought the final duel was a bit long, but not noticeably so. Also, I really liked the witches and the final image is quite striking (although borrowed from the 2015 movie). On the whole, the acting is good without being extraordinary, but the Macbeths have great chemistry and work well together.
If you look at this revival as an event with a sold-out run and a four-time Oscar-nominated star you might find it slightly disappointing, but in itself it's a fine production that surpassed my expectations. Atm it's a 3 and a half star production that with some tweaking could become 4 by opening night.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 8, 2021 17:57:17 GMT
No one has ever loved me was cut during previews on Broadway. An audio is on the dvd extras. I never knew that. I had always thought that it was written for London, to flesh out what wasn't in the original production. Interesting. Thank you!
Of the other productions i've seen, Original, 2013 revival, Lincoln Centre, it wasn't included. Was it in the Donmar?
They had No One Was Ever Loved Me (https://red-winged-monster.tumblr.com/post/664414736637640705/red-winged-monster-david-thaxton-giorgio) but not the I Love Fosca version
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 8, 2021 13:50:22 GMT
Great news but awful poster, all of their heads look like they've been photoshopped on! Looks like your standard regional panto poster The ugliness of most West End posters is frankly appalling
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 7, 2021 9:56:12 GMT
I'm more concerned about her acting tbh, most of her credits are in musical comedies and this role requires great subtlety, it's not the Les Miz or Miss Saigon kind of Musical Theatre Acting™️. I think she'll be fine vocally, her voice might be a shadow of her former self but it's not a demanding part and a smoky voice can help define an interesting Fosca. I wonder if they are thinking about a potential London transfer, but I doubt she can sell a West End run on the strength of her name, and the show has never been an audience's favourite.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 6, 2021 14:38:50 GMT
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 5, 2021 15:02:32 GMT
I'm ready to bet there's a lot of ritualistic stuff going on
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 4, 2021 12:51:59 GMT
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 4, 2021 8:37:41 GMT
They're giving it another go
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 3, 2021 18:51:09 GMT
It is terrible, but in a "fun trash" way. The kind of things you enjoy for how bad they are when you're not entirely sober. But paying Broadway (or West End) prices for it? No f***ing way
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 3, 2021 18:47:31 GMT
Haven't been so moved at a piece of theatre for a while. First time back in the Olivier for 20 months and lovely to be back. Thought almost everyone in the cast was superb apart from Liz Carr, who I struggled with. Couldn't hear a lot of what she said (even though she definitely had a mic in act 1 at least) and found her...very underpowered. Ben Daniels is sensational, and the 'I am a generation' speech left me dumbstruck. Basically anyone who had a speech in act 2 I thought was superb. It's the first time in as long as I can remember when I could FEEL the silence - we were all so in these peoples lives that there was just...no sound. 5 stars from me - I couldn't see it again for a while but I hope lots of people go. About 2/3 full I'd say, and probably 1/2 of those wearing masks. I was pleased to see as many as that wearing them. It may be the demographic, but I get the sense that play audiences are being more considerate and respectful than musical ones. Venues and demographic for sure. I saw almost no masks in the West End but the entire audience wearing one at the Young & Old Vic
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 2, 2021 22:20:19 GMT
Watched it tonight and rather liked it. It takes a little while to find its footing, but when it does it gets quite sharp and focused. The second act in particular is very tight, because of both acting/direction and several cuts (eg: the whole Fortinbras sub-plot is gone; no second gravedigger).
Cush Jumbo is a fine Hamlet, at times very funny but constantly on edge. She has a very androgynous look, which can be quite uncanny since at times you have the impression of watching a teenage boy playing the Dane. I think this is something they are consciously going for, especially since Ophelia too is quite teenage looking and they removed the textual clues you can use to figure out Hamlet's age.
There are some very strong supporting performances, especially from Joseph Marcell (Polonius) and Leo Wringer (Leading Player/Gravedigger). The weak link for me was Adrian Dunbar, he gets better in the final couple of scenes in which he plays the calculating politician, but there is very little inner turmoil and he's quite bland in general. This is a pity, especially since he also doubles as the ghost. The interval was poorly placed and it seems to be there only so that Cush Jumbo doesn't have to drag Polonius' body off-stage, they could have put it five minutes later without interrupting the flow of the scene. But on the whole it's pretty pretty good
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 30, 2021 21:40:27 GMT
Got a rush ticket for tonight performance, 30£ is slightly too steep for rush tickets but got row C of the stalls, dead centre, so I can't complain. It was my first time ever seeing the show - and I'm not too familiar with the movie either - and I liked it but didn't love it. Charlie Stemp walks away with the show, but for me the whole thing was fun but a bit heart-less. I actually liked Petula Clark a lot, I found her strangely poignant and moving, although surely not enough to deserve a nomination, and the character seems to be promised some kind of development that never comes. Pity.
***
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 29, 2021 0:08:04 GMT
Sorry what does this mean? Has the first performance been cancelled? Yes, the performance supposed to take place on October 1st has been cancelled
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 26, 2021 23:43:36 GMT
It has just won five Tony Awards, for best score, costumes, set/lighting/sound design: it won everything it was nominated for.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 24, 2021 19:30:11 GMT
I am quite shocked at the rate at which the Glass Menagerie tickets are going ( or not going ) . Is it because it is still quite a ways off? The prices are steep, but that didn't quite stop Cabaret. Amy Adams is just as big a draw. Likewise, there’s still tickets available for Henry V starring Kit Harington. Considering how small the Donmar is I’d have thought that would sell out almost immediately, but obviously not. Kit is a weird one. Dr Faustus was selling well while GoT was being aired, but when he did True West during the two year hiatus of Game of Thrones it did not sell well at all. I'm sure that closer to the date the theatre will be fuller, but they were probably expecting him to be a bigger draw.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 24, 2021 15:45:20 GMT
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 23, 2021 23:43:20 GMT
Saw it tonight and really enjoyed it. Luke Thallon and Patsy Ferran are both wonderful and have great chemistry. Patsy in particular must be one of the finest actresses of her generation, I (selfishly) hope we won't lose her to the big and/or small screen. I thought the last few minutes let the (very fine) play down a little, but on the whole it was truly excellent. I think it would also work very well as a movie.
It's selling very poorly – the stalls was half empty, and the circle almost empty. I scored a ticket on row F of the stalls for 20£ fifteen minutes before curtain. I hope they'll start putting some deals online or on TodayTix, it deserves a wider audience
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 23, 2021 18:19:09 GMT
I was at the matinee today and don't have much to add either. Sutton Foster is superb but the whole cast is uniformly excellent so she doesn't end up overshadowing anyone.
The whole experience was somewhat marred by sitting between two older couples with very hard of hearing husbands, so I ended up hearing almost every other line repeated two or three times around me.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 23, 2021 7:08:53 GMT
I caught the matinee yesterday and what a blast. Despite being a fan of the score for over a decade, it was my first time seeing it on stage and I was surprised by how "loose" the plot could be at times, the 2007 movie did a good job at tightening it up. Some performances are a little over the top even for the genre and style of the show, but still it's a wonderful cast and a joyous couple of hours. But wow, the predatory lesbian gym teacher gag has aged so poorly.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 23, 2021 7:03:54 GMT
I saw it last night and absolutely loved it. I found it beautiful and Billy's last "If I Loved You" reprise moved me in a deeper way than the traditionally more saccharine ending usually does. I loved the orchestrations and I really hope it gets recorded, the whole cast is brilliant. A couple of years ago I saw Joanna Riding reprising her Julie Jordan at Cadogan Hall, and it was wonderful to see her as Nettie. Honestly, if it wasn't closing in a couple of days – and they had rush tickets – I'd go see it again. Also, I didn't think Mrs Mullin was over the top at all, and I liked how she could be somehow protective toward Julie, despite her jealousy and nasty remarks. Her casting was not distracting or gimmicky, but very in tune with the themes and concept of this production: trans women are, after all, victims of a shocking amount of violence, domestic and otherwise. I thought the new ending worked very well, and I have only a couple of small quibbles. I wish they hadn't trimmed the Mr Snow reprise so much, and I like it better when Julie starts singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" but she's overcome with emotion and Nettie finishes it for her. But it was a fantastic night at the theatre, at least for me.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 22, 2021 9:43:44 GMT
Hairspray & Carousel today, Anything Goes tomorrow
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 20, 2021 10:51:42 GMT
In lieu of traditional sets and costumes, the Almeida’s staging will feel apocalyptic and outside time, with the three witches acting as the “custodians” of the evening. “Just like Macbeth, the audience will have an ‘appointment’ on the heath with the weird sisters.” Refreshingly, Farber’s take will also place the relationship between the Macbeths at the heart of the story, with a number of their lines reassigned.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 19, 2021 14:34:31 GMT
Is this a long play generally? Wondered if 1.15 matinee starts suggested that? I think the latest Broadway revival's running time was 2 hours and 30 minutes, so it's pretty standard
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 19, 2021 14:32:49 GMT
PS I think you mean Jessica Lange not Tandy (who was the original Blanche Du Bois in the 40s but missed out on the movie to Vivian Leigh.) Yeah thanks! I was listening to this, that's why I mixed the names up 😅
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