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Post by wickedgrin on Jan 5, 2019 9:25:05 GMT
The Palladium Panto has clearly become an annual tradition again, and given the massive success of this year I would like to bet that many of the principles have already been signed up again for the next Christmas season. I nearly wrote next year but realised that it was actually later THIS year!! So I would expect to see Julian, Gary, Paul and Nigel again. They will try and book another star female along the lines of Amanda, Elaine and Dawn who has not done panto before to complete the formula.
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Post by wickedgrin on Jan 2, 2019 18:18:59 GMT
I caught the show again for the last time last week. I don't like posting negative reviews (with no positives) so I did not post anything. It is nothing like the show it was. There is no light and shade, hugely overamplified and the principles just scream at each other all evening. My ears were bleeding. The cast changes are all poorer than the originals.
The original cast and show was sensational! I want to be more positive in 2019!!
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Post by wickedgrin on Jan 2, 2019 9:46:44 GMT
Mmmmm…...the closure of 42nd St has got 2019 off to a depressing start hasn't it! This will be closely followed by Kinky Boots and Dreamgirls on the 12th. Another two favourites of mine - although Dreamgirls is not the show it once was.
Drury Lane will be dark, Waitress and Come From Away do not appeal.
But turning negatives into positives - this will be VERY good for my bank balance!!
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Post by wickedgrin on Jan 1, 2019 12:51:21 GMT
This panto run at the Palladium has been virtually sold out the entire run with top whack prices and no discounting. It surely must have broken the box office record for a Palladium Panto?
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 30, 2018 13:52:38 GMT
Antonio Banderas at Dreamgirls on Friday evening.
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 30, 2018 13:49:41 GMT
Saw this for the last time on Friday. Full cast. First time seeing Bonnie who was fabulous and looked to be enjoying herself immensely! She was the best Dorothy IMO although Sheena sang it better. I thought Bonnie struggled a bit vocally - her voice sounded tired. I have heard Tom Lister too, sing better. Again his voice sounded tired. But the show remains Clare Halse's. She is just amazing, as is the entire company. How I will miss this show!
The West End will be a poorer place when this show closes.
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 29, 2018 11:21:15 GMT
Yesterday at my last visit to 42nd St. A woman next to me got out her mobile phone half way through Act One and started texting. I say "started" as she did not have the opportunity to finish the text!!!
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 28, 2018 13:24:10 GMT
Taken the plunge, seeing it tonight, my first jukebox musical. Having seen Meatloaf live a few times and regularly listen to Bat Out Of Hell and Deadringer am treating it more as a live concert experience than a show, but who knows what may happen once the magic of Theatre kicks in. I usually hate juke box musicals but I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would. It's totally bonkers but on the night I saw it the singing was insane. Enjoy.
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 26, 2018 17:39:28 GMT
Already mentioned on the Snow White thread, but there was a woman directly in front of me texting during the entire first half of the show, in the most massive font, asking Rachel to go and turn off her office alarm as she was stuck in the theatre. I actually have to take the ushers to task here. She was in seat 2 - ie. near the end of the row - so they could easily have spoken to her. Also, unlike most sneaky texters, she was holding her phone right up to her face and, therefore in my direct line of vision. No usher approached her at all. Also, her entire party of 4 was standing in the aisle during the interval and when the second half began suddenly, they took about a minute to get comfortable, making the children behind me complain bitterly that they couldn't see. Surely it is the ushers' job to make sure everyone is seated when there is no notice given before the second half starts? This just added to the whole feeling of no one caring about anything at that show. Still. Every cloud and all that. The Tibettes have now had to stop telling their friends that I text in the biggest lettering of all time! This woman's font was truly giant. Laborious one-finger texting too. I had desperate urges to grab her phone and finish her sentences for her....and spell them korectly as well (before hurling her phone into the abyss.)😖 I can assure you Tibidabo that had this happened to me she certainly would have stopped texting!!!!! I am afraid I am getting totally sick and tired of this selfish, entitled and anti social behaviour everywhere and, of course, especially in the theatre. The issue is, quite frankly, that if no-one says anything it only enables the behaviour and it will become the norm. I will not tolerate it and always confront it (politely) if it is in my reach. I have not encountered any problems ...yet!
Rant over! As you can see I am full of festive goodwill to all men (and women). However, I trust everyone on this board who are immaculately behaved in the theatre is having a wonderful Christmas.
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 25, 2018 14:31:50 GMT
I don't think the Frozen frenzy is anything like it was. The stage show should have come out much sooner.
I have not seen the show but I cannot help but think the staging is bound to be an anti climax to the effects in the film. No doubt I will be completely wrong, but I think it will have a reasonable run at Drury Lane but nothing like the long run expected.
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 21, 2018 23:14:55 GMT
Also 42nd Street isn't doing nine shows for the last weeks unlike some shows. According to the ever reliable @theatremonkey 42nd St is doing 9 shows w/c 31st Dec - one show on the Monday evening and then the 8 shows Wed-Sat.
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 21, 2018 18:40:03 GMT
Mark Shenton has tweeted (sorry I cant paste it here) that 42nd St is doing 8 shows in 4 days and is that even legal? He has hash tagged Equity. I know panto does this but it isn't as demanding as this show! The cast will be knackered!!
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 21, 2018 15:54:46 GMT
Delia Smith. Don’t ask how I know.... Presumably Mary Berry said no!
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Brexit
Dec 21, 2018 15:51:20 GMT
Post by wickedgrin on Dec 21, 2018 15:51:20 GMT
You might as well ask for the views of a broken vacuum cleaner. That isn't plugged in. In fact, it would be more enlightening. Very funny! LOL
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 21, 2018 15:23:35 GMT
LOVED this. Truly magical. I had a smile on my face from beginning to end which is unusual for an old Scrooge like me. Loved the nods to the original film, great performances and it looks and sounds amazing. I found the whole thing glorious! A great Christmas present to the child in all of us!
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 21, 2018 15:20:18 GMT
Top show by a mile - Company!
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 20, 2018 11:22:27 GMT
I remember seeing this at the Dominion and it was incredibly boring. Yes, I too saw this show at the Dominion and it was so boring I simply cannot remember a thing about it other than coming out and thinking - that was a terrible musical!
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 18, 2018 23:04:08 GMT
The big musical has usually been leaked by now. So far nothing. Hoping for something back to form after this years lack lustre Me & My Girl - a huge missed opportunity. No transfer for this either despite Matt Lucas's premature tweet "congratulating" the production on securing a transfer - perhaps he was being sarcastic!
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 18, 2018 15:00:54 GMT
Once upon a time (in a land far far away) - sorry I have seen too many pantos recently, a big star would have filled these theatres for a few weeks residency - such a Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin etc. and even now comedians and singers could do the same thing but they have chosen to go down the arena tour route - far less shows/work and a bigger return. But how brilliant would it be to see French and Saunders at the Dominion or Cher, Kylie, Bette Midler?
I hate arena shows as you end up paying a fortune just to look at a screen all evening and arena shows just don't work for comedy at all. How great it would be to see these artists in the relative intimacy of a large theatre?
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 17, 2018 18:23:19 GMT
I certainly don't want a panto to run 3 hours - far too long. However, I did feel that the running time of Act One 55 mins and Act Two 55 mins with a 20 minute interval giving a running time of just 2 hours 10 minutes was a bit thin!
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 16, 2018 23:52:01 GMT
I suppose the issue is that with 12 million viewers (or whatever it is) there must be a feeling if it aint broke don't fix it! But I think without constant re-evaluation it's popularity will wane.
I always consider myself ahead of the curve (ahem) and felt this year that the format was looking tired. Casting is everything with the "celebs" - I felt this year that they lacked personality - possibly apart from Stacey which is why she probably won - she was by no means the best dancer!
There are only so many props, flying, pyros, revolving stages (which I thought was a dreadful idea - it nearly became a circus act!) they can throw at it before it becomes ridiculous - that all needs to be cut back.
Plus I really feel the presenters and the judges need changing. Bruno's antics and Craig's panto put downs are getting tiresome now!
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 16, 2018 15:06:32 GMT
I have seen several pantos already this season and the Hackney Empire was just glorious! The atmosphere in the theatre was wonderful.
Standards vary enormously - I wont mention the worst but I find QDOS pantos very corporate and although the production values are high the shows are lacking in heart. One such panto I saw last week was very lazy - running just 2 hours 10 minutes including a 20 minute interval. The leads seemed to be merely marking it through with several references to "we have to do this all again later" and "12 shows a week". Low energy levels all round and only the first week of a four week run!
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 10, 2018 21:43:33 GMT
This time next year Theresa May will have been voted off Strictly and appearing as the Wicked Queen at the London Palladium Panto!
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 10, 2018 14:34:50 GMT
My goodness this is selling very well. Much busier than last year! Why? Same cast really and the prices are unbelievable! Is Dawn French a big draw? Is Snow White more popular than Dick? So many questions!
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 5, 2018 12:00:17 GMT
Lauren surely has to be in the dance off this week with Ashley I assume.
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