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Post by dlevi on Oct 2, 2023 9:17:40 GMT
Take everyone's present favourite whipping boy (girl) Rebecca: After all the negative feedback Charing X can't hope to shift many tickets at short notice, even if they did offer discounts (which, strangely, they haven't yet). Had they lured people in early with a discount, those seats would be sold now. I keep thinking I'm missing out on discount offers for Rebecca - I check to see how they're selling and it's not very good - so where are those discounts, it can't be fun for the cast to look out at a half-full theatre at every show.
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Post by dlevi on Oct 1, 2023 9:25:34 GMT
Did Sugar! ever play a West End theatre? Because, it's from the same film and had more non-preview performances on Broadway than Some Like It Hot - Sugar had 505 performances (plus 14 previews) - Some Like It Hot should end with 483 performances (plus 43 previews). So, if you count previews, then Some Like It Hot wins 526 to 519. Well, if you count the extensive pre-Broadway tryout of "Sugar" - Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Toronto - then Sugar played many more performances than Some Like it Hot. Also, while their Broadway runs were much the same length of time, "Sugar" ended up showing a small profit, where as "Some Like it Hot" has probably lost its entire investment (close to 20 million dollars ) - If the US national tour does materialize it will no doubt be a non-equity scaled down production. As for a life here in the UK, I think it's doubtful though the hit status of "Mrs Doubtfire" over here has probably given the producers a reason to hope for an ongoing life.
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Post by dlevi on Oct 1, 2023 9:06:06 GMT
A ridiculous and boring play which makes little sense, ineffectively staged, designed and acted ( Sorry Gemma). The audience at least was able to sleep fairly peacefully.
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Post by dlevi on Sept 25, 2023 8:12:37 GMT
I'm guessing Sonia Friedmaan is feeling left out of the "Six" phenomenon .
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Post by dlevi on Sept 25, 2023 8:10:44 GMT
I saw this at the matinee yesterday and thought it was truly AWFUL in every department ( except of course for Zizi who brought a joy and conviction to the part which was lacking from everyone else.
To say it's "part" Hamilton or "Six" doesn't begin to describe it. I found it to be a ripoff not an homage, or anything remotely polite - there isn't an original thought, concept or movement on that stage which hasn't been present in another musical of the last ten years ( and in the case of the two women at the end - one in green and the other in pink - twenty years: it looked like rejected artwork for "Wicked" . The Sound was so loud as to make most of the lyrics unintelligible ( which come to think of it might be a good thing) the music was generic and bombastic as well as evaporating while we listened to it. The Cardinal character is ridiculous and a total Hamilton "King George III " ripoff and as for any kind of narrative or even a glimmer of substance in the "book" there was none. Nor was there any wit. This show was all flash with no heart, moral, insight or joy. A Vile overlong afternoon. Bleah!
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Post by dlevi on Sept 22, 2023 9:53:39 GMT
I saw this last night and thought it was simply terrific. Impeccably conceived and executed by all involved, Mr Scott plays the comedy beautifully and the tragedy with powerful emotion. It might be a tad confusing if you don't know the play, but if you do - there are great emotional rewards to be had.
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Post by dlevi on Sept 19, 2023 8:10:25 GMT
I gave it 4 stars but I could've given it 5 or 2 - It's either brilliant or self-indulgent or maybe its brilliant AND self-indulgent. No matter what - the two stars Ms Ferran and Mr Carvel give terrific performances though Mr Carvel could grate on one's nerves very quickly. Ms Ferran however is a dream. It's sure to divide critics and audiences.
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Post by dlevi on Sept 18, 2023 7:11:50 GMT
What a fantastic show! I saw this last week and found it often hilarious,always warm-hearted and life-affirming. He's a master story-teller and he holds the audience in the palm of his hand. Pure joy. I hope he finds an audience here in the West End.
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Post by dlevi on Aug 30, 2023 9:47:41 GMT
Hopefully the composer will find future good subject matters if they can write a quality score. Clearly they can write a quality score, they won the Tony Awards for best score, best book and best new musical for Memphis Well let's face it, Memphis was up against American Idiot, Fela! and Million Dollar Quartet - not a sterling year . It's probably one of the most mediocre shows to ever win the Tony for Best Musical. The authors are decent craftsman but their work is consistently uninspired .
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Post by dlevi on Aug 30, 2023 9:41:27 GMT
God how I hated this play - not at first but then as it droned on and on I couldn't help but think that Lucy Kirkwood did it better with her play at the Royal Court last year. This was Pillowman-lite crossed with a bit of "Trouble in Mind" . (SPOLIER? I don't think so. The play they're performing is just scenes which serve the author's purpose - and so there was nothing believable or threatening about it. And at the performance I attended there was simply no electricity between the actors. Just a misfire on everyone's part as far as I'm concerned.
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Post by dlevi on Aug 12, 2023 6:57:36 GMT
I finally caught up with this a couple of nights ago, I've always liked a couple of the songs but have always found the show wanting in other departments. it's a show about selfish people who live for sex - there is no love on that stage just lust. I think Jonathan Kent has done a decent job with keeping things moving along, but in truth he's just polishing a turd. Michael Ball's voice remains terrific but his acting? He's just not up to the task. And while Lara Pitt-Pulford gives it her best shot ( and gives the best performance on the stage) the performances by and large are either too broad or too wooden for me to care about anything that happens. ( Mr Bogyo's abs are impressive though) . I think this is probably the last major revival of the show for at least a decade - it hasn't aged well and clearly there isn't an audience demand for it.
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Post by dlevi on Aug 9, 2023 7:03:54 GMT
I saw this last night and thought it was pretty damn magnificent. Powerful political theatre at its best Wonderfully and yet unobtrusively, designed - the lighting is especially stunning and the blackness of the space is truly remarkable ( you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.) Exquisite performances and the script itself is carefully constructed for maximum impact. This is exactly the sort of production that does our National Theatre proud. It should not be missed.
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Post by dlevi on Jul 22, 2023 21:13:06 GMT
I was at the matinee as well and found the play to be a throwback to the type of plays the Court did in the 80's and 90's - which is a good thing. I think the play raised a lot more questions than it answered and found the second act to be very frustrating because the characters turned on a dime and some of the things they did made no sense ( to me ). But it was well acted and the sound design is, in its own quiet way, spectacular. Glad I saw it but not sure I'd recommend it to anyone but the most ardent theatregoer.
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Post by dlevi on Jul 15, 2023 17:31:33 GMT
Well I made it through the first half but just barely. This was as sad a theatrical experience as I've had in recent years. This has a terrific creative team and all of them failed. It simply shouldn't have been produced. Trevor's direction is leaden. There were musical numbers ( not a lot in the first place) where there was a place for applause but no one did. ( we're not talking Sondhiem's Passion here) I don't blame the performers because they had nothing with which to play. Just awful and there were 82 people in the audience ( I had time to count) - this is supposed to r un through the 9th of September. I doubt they'll even get to the end of July at this rate.
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Post by dlevi on Jul 15, 2023 8:47:48 GMT
I saw this last night and thought it was terrific - has someone on here already said: It's Chariots of Fire meets Ted Lasso put through the wonderful mind of James Graham? If not , let me be the first. Smart, emotional, funny and wonderfully acted by the entire company - those who were supposed to be cartoons, were and those who were living breathing and flawed human beings were as well - Rupert Goold and Mr Graham have achieved that rare balance. This is genuine "Populist" theatre at its best and the National is the perfect home for it.
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Post by dlevi on Jul 14, 2023 5:26:14 GMT
I saw this last night and pretty much agree with jr's comment above. While the play held my interest it was severely lacking in any sort of depth or valuable insight.The acting especially by Nathanial Curtis was of a low grade. They all memorized their lines but it seems received no direction beyond blocking. The design was flashy and expensive but this very much a two-star evening.
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Post by dlevi on Jul 13, 2023 6:08:56 GMT
I saw this two nights ago and I found it to be an ego-driven mess of a play. The subject matter is compelling and timely but what's presented on the Pinter stage is a failed example of dramatic devising. What's with the dancers? Shabbily written- is there a narrator or not? And while there are supporting actors on the stage they all move in relation to Rylance's universe. It's as if what I imagine acting with Henry irving would've been like. Were Rylance not attached this script would still be in a sludge pile in Sonia Friedman's office.
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Post by dlevi on Jul 4, 2023 10:27:19 GMT
I saw this production in Richmond and while the casting is downright geriatric, the two stars are having a good time and so is the audience - it's an enjoyable production but in no way revelatory and doesn't provoke any post-show discussion, whereas the recent Donmar one was full of hidden surprises and was thought- (and conversation) provoking. Will I book to see this production again? Truly doubtful.
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Post by dlevi on Jul 4, 2023 6:29:49 GMT
I was lucky enough to attend yesterdays's Press Night. The show is a pure unmitigated 5 star joy from start to finish. Susan Stroman's endlessly inventive choreography is a wonder but wouldn't be so without a thrilling chorus to execute the complex and pulse-racing musical numbers.Charlie Stemp is pretty damn breathtaking throughout the evening. We always knew he was a terrific dancer, but here he is given some extraordinary choreography to match his formidable talents, his singing is stronger than it has ever been, but the real surprise is just how easily funny he is - the physical comedy as well the verbal. A giddy thrilling performance. Tom Edden as Zanger is downright hilarious and a master class of comic timing. Could their be two performance Oliviers in this show's future? The lavish design in all three departments illustrates what happens when designers and a director trust each other and collaborate ob one vision. Cheers all around!
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Post by dlevi on Jul 2, 2023 20:59:24 GMT
I had seen this at the Almeida and enjoyed it - not great but not bad, so when I was offered a ticket from a friend I happily went to see it again. And I fled at the interval. What had a kinetic theatrical energy at the Almeida felt staid and tired at the Coward. Tom Hollander was terrific but everyone else seemed to be walking through it and the gimmicky noisy transitions between scenes were just that: gimmicky and noisy. There were plenty of empty seats so I have to wonder if it will be able to fill out its run. This is just one of those times where maybe they shouldn't have made the transfer. The play is like an illustrated Wikipedia entry.
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Post by dlevi on Jul 2, 2023 20:54:55 GMT
I saw this Saturday night and found it to be weak in all areas except Stephen Campbell Moore who against all odds ( meaning the script) managed to create a three dimensional character. But the play? I think it must have begun life as a Radio Four play - and now it has been fleshed out with other stuff while still keeping the whole radio aspect of it - front and center. I also think it's been in Jack Thorne's drawer for awhile it felt as if the Donmar were offered a "new Jack Thorne" play and had to say yes. The script itself goes in several different directions and I think it's flaw is that doing a play about being "impartial" is anti-theatrical. This one simply wasn't for me.
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Post by dlevi on Jun 16, 2023 22:48:09 GMT
In the last couple of months the National has turned out some terrific productions: The Crucible, The Corn is Green, Phaedra, The Motive and the Cue, Dancing at Lunghasa and colllectively they almost make up for the financial and artistic debacle that was "hex". But the new writing in the Dorfman has been lackluster ( Dixon and Daughters, anyone?) and as others have pointed out walking into the building isn't the joyful experience it was during the Hytner years - what happened to the Platforms? Why is the bookshop a tourist shop worthy of the London Eye and what's with all the signage saying "Welcome, we're an inclusive space...etc. etc.." Don't announce that you're an inclusive space - simply BE an inclusive space. The National is a great theatre and wonderful institution but it needs to act like a great theatre and unique institution and the nepotism and the elevation of some artists who perhaps aren't ready yet ( Clint Dyer anyone?) is what Rufus will leave behind. Of course there were some great shows but the streamlining changes - no plays in rep, some sets that were down right cheap, the farming out of all the food, the elimination of the Oliver cloak room, etc etc. are the stains on the National's reputation and they're his legacy.
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Post by dlevi on Jun 16, 2023 22:22:40 GMT
A terrific production thanks to Daniel Rigby's energetic and hilarious performance and the snappy pitch-perfect direction by Daniel Raggert. I hope sales pick up because this in one of the more worthwhile evenings to be had in the West End. However, at the performance I attended they weren't selling programmes ( we'll have them by the end of the week ). How can Equity allow that to happen???
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Post by dlevi on Jun 13, 2023 10:02:44 GMT
I saw this the first time round and didn't like it, but given the acclaim I decided to give it another shot. It's the same show, and while the lyrics are smart the music is at best servicable and I found the book to be leaden. Andy Karl is his usual charming self but the whole enterprise to me just isn't good enough. Given that the sales are only just ok , I doubt there will be a further life for it in London, though a tour would probably make more sense.
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Post by dlevi on May 25, 2023 13:11:31 GMT
I saw this last night and for me it was a disappointment in every department. There was no detail in Jonathan Butterell's direction, everything was broad strokes from the performances ( Martin Marquez's accent as the rancher who sends the guys onto the mountain was an embarrassment and unintelligible. The two leads had zero chemistry or sexual heat. The dialogue was flat and the songs were ineffectual and repetitive. This might have a further life in regional theaters and maybe a tour - but an extended life in the West End or a Broadway transfer? Very doubtful. And there were plenty of empty seats last night on all levels.
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Post by dlevi on May 14, 2023 8:48:14 GMT
I enjoyed it and being somewhat familiar with the play was surprised ( and pleased) that they've streamlined it a bit - eliminating a couple of characters and some needless chatter. It all sort of zips along at a nice pace. It catches fire when the three veteran actors share the stage together. It becomes an affectionate throwback to when "charm" was enough to sustain an evening. The one disappointment was the scenic design which, unusually for this type of play at the Orange Tree, looked cheap. The all-important chair was fine but the rest of the furniture looked dowdy and since the quality of the furnishings and tasteful decoration are often the subject of discussion in the play , it seemed odd. Still I had a good time.
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Post by dlevi on May 11, 2023 9:27:26 GMT
I went in thinking, at least it'll be mildly amusing but it wasn't. There was one genuine laugh in the first act. A few smiles and a lot of desperate mugging on the part of the actors ( except the guest narrator Dermot O'Leary who clearly couldn't give a f***! Lots of people made their way onto Picadilly Circus at the interval. The show was ineptly staged and never rose above the stoned-friday-night-university-level. I can't believe it'll make it through it's announced run.
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Post by dlevi on May 7, 2023 7:35:10 GMT
I saw this last night and thought it was God-awful. So reading this thread with so many favorable comments was to say the least, interesting. I felt that this was a play that was written to satisfy the Clean Break theatre company's agenda. All of the characters were wildly inconsistent in their behavior toward one another. Alliances came and went and returned at a moments notice. Characters who were belligerent and violent offered up funny comments out of nowhere. The shock effects of the lighting were ... I dunno supposed to add a layer of tension ( The house remembers? ) and the performances ( with the notable exception of Brid Brennan) were all broad strokes and lacked any detail or nuance ( much like the design elements as well). It's well-intentioned but for me that's not enough for a production at the National.
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Post by dlevi on May 3, 2023 6:07:58 GMT
I saw this last night and thought it was sensational. A beautiful script, compellingly acted and inventively directed and designed. Between this Lughansa and Phaedra the National is enjoying a welcome and much needed resurgence.
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Post by dlevi on Apr 26, 2023 7:31:49 GMT
I had seen the original both in the Lyttleton and later on Broadway and thought at that time that this play was a modern classic. I'm not sure why I gave the Old Vic production in 2009 a miss, but I did. That said, I think this production is as glorious as the play can be. Josie Rourke and her designers and actors are all serving the play itself, the consequence of which is that it works it is allowed to simply work its magic. There is no directorial "fixing" of the play ( Framing devices, back stage video, ridiculous Gooldian ( Herrin-like) movements etc.) It's just a great play superbly performed in a sumptuous production.
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