1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 19, 2017 10:02:38 GMT
This is worrying news. On the official tour website today Nottingham does not appear. The tour picks up in 2018 in Bristol on 9th January (without Danny Mac). The tour is scheduled to end on 5th May 2018 in Hull. However, there is a 3 week gap in the tour (most odd) between Plymouth ending on 17th March and Wimbledon commencing on 9th April.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 17, 2017 22:45:14 GMT
Booked to see Danny Mac's trunks Sunset Boulevard at Milton Keynes.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 17, 2017 18:31:23 GMT
OK lets cut to the chase - forget all this nonsense about Norma, orchestra, staging, lighting and cars - how does Danny Mac look in his trunks?
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 17, 2017 18:24:03 GMT
There must be a play in this saga of who is "on" for The Dreams at the Savoy! Perhaps we are over analysing it and they just play spin the bottle backstage for the roles or its just the first girl to get to the costume rack!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 17, 2017 18:15:02 GMT
The overuse of the revolve in Follies is ridiculous. It's exhausting for the audience just to watch so imagine how the cast must feel! I know this is off topic for the 42nd St thread (so shoot me!) but I did fear for the safety of the actors in Follies at times at an early preview. Stepping on and off that moving revolve looked lethal - I especially feared for Josephine Barstow at 76! She was made to walk down a fire escape too - god help her!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 17, 2017 9:20:34 GMT
Folk who have seen the show more frequently than me might correct me but I think the revolve is only used in the mirror number?
This probably gives it the award for the most underused revolve in the WE at the moment - it should have a word with its agent. The award for the MOST used goes to the one in Follies which never stops all night!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 17, 2017 9:14:49 GMT
Do I get the impression reading this thread that Tyrone has missed quite a few performances? I am sure he did not miss any last year. I do hope he is OK. I would be disappointed if he was off if I saw this again.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 17, 2017 9:11:00 GMT
Sorry kelly52 you had a bad experience with this show. I do know what you mean when seeing a long running musical when the original creatives have left, the buzz has died down, people are off, alternates are on and the piece does not jell, and its just "another" performance for the cast - show 238 or whatever.
However, I think you were unlucky in that I have been completely blown away by the show on the three times I have seen it - twice with Amber and once with Marisha. My only slight complaint was that the new CC is not a patch on Tyrone Huntley who I missed. This does worry me when it comes to cast change where perhaps the quality dips a little. This show is all about the performances after all.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Evita
Sept 16, 2017 22:34:27 GMT
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 16, 2017 22:34:27 GMT
I LOVE Evita and like the above poster have seen many productions over the years. I will happily avoid this...it sounds as bad as I thought it would be. It's a disgrace it's in the WE - has ALW no say in the matter? Surely he must want quality productions of his work such as JCS at Regents Park not this tat?
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 16, 2017 7:55:29 GMT
If you like Legally Blonde the Musical you will love this production.
Great set with portals representing pillars at wonky angles which is reflected in the angled sets which fly in and trucked on from the sides. Sometimes these set pieces anchored the action a little too far upstage on this large stage, however, but some really creative, different direction from the London production (no spoilers) which really worked from the opening number OMG You Guys to Whipped Into Shape which is exhausting even to watch let alone perform - this cast are fit!
Great lighting design - lots of Elle pink, blues, and violet. Pretty, colourful and suited the candy floss nature of the show.
Great costumes. The show really looked terrific. Money has been spent!
Terrific ensemble of course who worked their socks off and sang and danced up a storm - some really inventive choreography especially during Gay and European.
The tempo of the show slower than in London and the famous Broadway production. The numbers just a little slower, which although adds to the running time, made the dialogue and what was happening on stage crystal clear which sometimes does not happen with this show. So the show came down at 10.20 last night but started 10 minutes late. So running time 2.40 with interval. Usually 15 mins shorter than this but the show gained clarity taking a little more time.
Principle performances very good, some will get more into the roles as the run progresses. The show benefits from having a superb Elle played by Lucie Jones who not only looks sensational in a long blonde wig, but has a lovely on stage personality and presence and above all in an almost sung through show a stunning voice.
Liam Doyle as Warner was suitably unlikeable and David Barrett made a convincing Emmett.
Bill Ward as Callahan will ease into the part as the run continues - he looked a shade uncomfortable last night with some of the rather tricky numbers he has to perform but made a decent fist of it.
Rita Simmons as Paulette (for me) gave the weakest performance of the night. Vocally OK but the number Ireland was not knocked out of the park like it should have been. She was hampered in her portrayal I thought by the most hideous huge pantomime wig - it needs (literally) cutting.
So a cracking production - high production values and well worth catching - coming to a theatre near you!
Plus two cute dogs of course - what's not to like?
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 15, 2017 21:52:31 GMT
Yes it should have been left at one series. That dinner party scene at the end cannot be surpassed.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 15, 2017 21:38:25 GMT
Fabulous five star show! Highly recommended. In terrific shape for a first performance. More thoughts tomorrow.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 14, 2017 13:41:24 GMT
I always imagine that high profile, excellent actors are working on projects pretty much back to back. It appears this isn't so as Alexander Hanson was presumably sitting at home unemployed with no work in the diary for several months in order to be free to do this at no notice. He was excellent in The Truth.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 13, 2017 10:48:16 GMT
I didn't like the idea but thought it was part of Buddy's breakdown - that his view on his life was distorted like a cracked mirror.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 12, 2017 17:52:39 GMT
Seeing this at the first performance on Friday at Bromley! OMG you guys!!!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 12, 2017 13:50:57 GMT
I suppose it is a case of "he who pays the piper calls the tune". This certainly happened with Miss Saigon on Broadway originally where he proposed cancelling the show if American Equity did not take Jonathan Price. So ultimately what he says goes - it is HIS production and part of the global success of his shows are them being re-created EXACTLY so audiences see the same show, to the same standard, anywhere in the world. No tatty provincial tours for him!
However, this does stifle creativity, of course, beyond the original production. So a "director" of say "Les Mis" in Korea has to follow the notations of the original creatives EXACTLY. Cameron, after all, will know every lighting cue!
This explains when the last time I saw Les Mis at the Queens Theatre - it was very slick and professional and ran like the machine that it is but the performances reminded me of animatronics!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 11, 2017 23:57:18 GMT
Well Saturday night is the worst night of the week to get discounts in the WE. Your only chance of seeing the show cheap on a Saturday is to enter the Today Tix lottery for front row £20 tickets. Plus you have no guarantee of seeing Amber anyway. The show is fabulous and all the alternates for Effie are excellent - Marisha especially so I would go for the £20 Monday night tickets which gives you money to see another show......
BUT if you really wanted to see Amber, what I also would do is rock up to the theatre around 7.00pm on the Saturday evening and check the board to see if Amber was on and then see if you could charm the box office for a seat at a discount at the last minute. However, you would need a contingency plan if this failed and you might have to run across the road to Kinky Boots or up the road to 42nd St!!!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 11, 2017 19:43:32 GMT
As he directed the debacle that was Follies at the RAH he might pick up a few tips from this production as to how it should be done!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 10, 2017 10:30:26 GMT
A very insightful post Bella (welcome to the board), I completely agree. I think the writing is the problem.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 10, 2017 10:19:35 GMT
and I thought I was being subtle.......
I'm afraid Charlie's Dick is going to have a very hard time in the hands of Julian.....
OK ..... stop now!!!
Taxi!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 10, 2017 7:25:26 GMT
I like this play and will try and catch the tour. It is great if you have never seen it - delivers some real shocks! I remember seeing it at the Garrick Theatre originally with Gareth Hunt and the audience screaming with the twists in the plot! Great fun!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 10, 2017 7:17:27 GMT
I avoid actor / musician productions - cannot abide them. Not to say that occasionally they can work but for the most part they are just "cheap" and a way of charging musical theatre prices without an orchestra.
Again, lots of musical shows can be scaled down very successfully into a small space with a three piece band but others really need a BIG production because really that is all that there is to them. Crazy For You is one such show where it's all about the music and the dance. 42nd St would be another
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 10, 2017 7:08:23 GMT
Well if Charlie's Dick is anything like Natasha's Cinderella last year he wont have much to do other than be the butt of Julian Clary's jokes!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 9, 2017 10:54:11 GMT
It's unusual for me to have a bad experience, to be honest, but it does seem to depend on the whims of the box office staff/producers at that particular performance and time. Unless it is a really hit show (Harry Potter, Hamilton) they have a balancing act to perform of maximising revenue and filling seats. You win most, you lose sometimes. You cannot take it personally!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 9, 2017 10:45:22 GMT
Yes, I clearly caught them at a busy period....but I got a good seat at a reasonable price in the end. All's well that ends well, and I did enjoy the play.
Regarding rows AA and BB - they are close and the huge kitchen table must affect sight lines. I am surprised they put the rows in to be honest, unless they were expecting sell out audiences and anticipated extra revenue. However, this play does not appear to have caught on - quiet for a Friday night I would have thought.
|
|