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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 10, 2022 10:18:51 GMT
Very much enjoyed this last night, with a great deal too for a solo front row seat (but could have done without the foot tapper behind me who was so violent he shook my seat - and he wasn’t even consistent or in time).
Full disclosure, I do love the film and made two attempts to see this in New York, neither of which worked out for various reasons. Can’t imagine the New York cast could be any better.
The show is changed a lot from the film, not least by the present day setting (which introduces all kinds of mobile phone and social media access plot holes), but those can be overlooked. Lots of funny lines throughout. A final speech that still brings tears to the eyes. And those fast costume changes are impressive (although no idea why they had to use the ALW Cinderella effect for the first one).
A busy audience (if not all people I’d want to be in an audience with). Can’t imagine there will be offers for this limited run. Can’t imagine this not being a hit in London.
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 9, 2022 18:25:39 GMT
Any offers appeared for this yet ? Just the usual dynamic pricing directly on the ATG site. Here tonight poppets (and very excited)!
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 8, 2022 18:27:16 GMT
We all enjoy theatre, so we'll still know plenty of queens.
Good luck to King Charles III. It is a big role to take on as a pensioner.
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 8, 2022 17:56:56 GMT
The real cornerstone of the nation. RIP
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 8, 2022 14:29:28 GMT
So, what song do we think they’ll have to sing trying to hold back the tears after having been voted off?
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 4, 2022 19:13:22 GMT
Only six more standing ovations in the second half.
Alisa barely made the end of Seventeen. Ben was pushing so hard, I’m surprised he had any voice left.
There was no time on the timer.
Barely a dry eye in the house (on stage or off) by the end.
Mhairi finally got clapped using her mobility chair rather than laughed at.
Alisa gave a really nice speech naming all the cast members she’s worked with prior to graduation.
The stage was full of scrunchies by the end.
What a show! Don’t think I’ve felt energy like it since the closure of 42nd Street (but this wasn’t a closing night).
I didn’t join the stage door queue, which was already down the street by the time I got out.
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 4, 2022 17:30:51 GMT
It is good they’re taking seriously the health implications of staying seated for too long!
Seven standing ovations so far after the first half.
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 4, 2022 14:49:48 GMT
The true Steve has finally been revealed as Principal Steve Gowan (I’ve already forgotten all his middle names).
Lots more fun, especially during Dead Gay Son, which has plenty of new lines (and actions).
Poor Alisa lost the ability to sing during the finale, so the whole cast came together to sing concert style. Hope she gets through tonight. All very emotional.
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 4, 2022 13:23:40 GMT
Fantastic muck up matinee so far with a very enthusiastic crowd. I won’t remember half of it.
Ben is playing smiley JD, which is just as well as he’s ended up in hysterics at several inconvenient times, including the first scene with his dad and the act one finale.
Jacob is on as Ram and really in the spirit of things. The jocks got to kiss (and Robin got a proper kiss from Ben earlier). Ben and Jacob had an exaggerated fight scene. Jacob found some new ways of having fun with the pig.
One of the cast had Mickey Mouse ears on in the background.
Joe adopted a Texan accent at one point.
Veronica’s dad has a long chuckling laugh for the day.
The jock dads had some new moves and went out to get sausage.
Jacob said “my mum knitted it for me” about his tie. Great football poses as they waited for Veronica. Two extended deaths with both boys ending up together, Robin first, then just when you thought Jacob was dead, he managed to get his hand to Robin.
One of the band is really riffing away too.
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 4, 2022 11:29:37 GMT
Changed my plans for this weekend completely and now have rush tickets for both shows today. It seemed rude not to. You’re welcome! Wow you did well to get both! I went yesterday afternoon and am going to the second show today. Enjoy! Thanks. It was very good timing for the matinee. Then lots of refreshing for the evening. And luck of course! Even better, I got both sides of the front row.
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 4, 2022 10:43:34 GMT
Changed my plans for this weekend completely and now have rush tickets for both shows today. It seemed rude not to. You’re welcome!
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 3, 2022 15:01:50 GMT
Saw the early evening performance yesterday with a central front row rush ticket. Have to say, this is a tour-de-force performance. Being at the front, you feel incredibly immersed and the stage height isn’t as bad as I remembered. I haven’t seen this before or a recording, but I have to think this would work much better on stage. Glad that the live sound performer got to bow too as he is crucial for this working.
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 1, 2022 21:26:14 GMT
Another standing ovation after I Say No. Lots of extended clapping and cheering, especially for the dads. Scrunchies thrown on stage at the end by a few people. Rory got hoisted up at the end and got a victory lap (hope it wasn’t his last show). A second row Steve, very unusual. Ben played a calmer JD than usual, which was just as well with the audience. And there was a massive queue of fans outside afterwards. Can’t imagine what this weekend will be like!
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 1, 2022 19:54:07 GMT
Shame, Joe hardly seems to have been in the show. At least I got to see his first JD (and also what was likely his final JD too).
It is a mad audience tonight. Lots of screaming and there was a standing ovation after You’re Welcome.
Looks like they’re setting up the show to run for at least another full year with all the cast announcements and changes.
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 1, 2022 18:27:52 GMT
Have we lost Joe Boyle too?
Just arrived for tonight’s performance, definitely a dressed up audience!
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 27, 2022 16:32:19 GMT
I’m sure plenty of people will already have taken screenshots of the tweets and will repost them if deleted. Requests of that type usually lead to much more bad publicity.
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 26, 2022 14:52:08 GMT
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 25, 2022 21:34:27 GMT
Didn’t really get into this tonight. Had a very good and heavily discounted ticket. The lower levels were pretty full.
Think it was sensible to update the context but this wasn’t terribly witty and there were children around who were bored stiff. Didn’t help that there some inaudible songs (not that the plot was difficult to follow).
I agree with others that there was more charm to the second half (along with more plot holes). Strongest song was a version of Any Old Iron.
Glad I saw this, but can’t imagine It having much more of a life in its present form.
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 23, 2022 21:41:11 GMT
Still an excellent show. Such a shame about the audience.
Jay nearly took a fall during Crazy Horses. Since half the audience were filming him, I’m sure it will be on YouTube soon (glad he got caught).
This really deserves a central London venue once the tour is over.
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 23, 2022 10:36:07 GMT
Those payment issues with TodayTix happen every so often, unfortunately. Sometimes I can only use Apple Pay, sometimes I can only use a certain card (even when they're being accepted everywhere else). IT's most of a pain with rush tickets when you only have five minutes to get the purchase through.
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 22, 2022 21:56:29 GMT
Thanks, just grabbed row F for Friday. A bargain! I'm trying to get £40.00 front stalls for the Saturday matinee, but it's not working. I wonder if they're on there in error. Looks okay to me on TodayTix and is going through to the checkout page. I doubt it’s an error as they’ve been selectively discounting throughout the run. Likely just making sure the final performances are full.
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 22, 2022 19:51:44 GMT
Some £32.50 front stalls seats have popped up on TodayTix for a few nights this week. I just picked up a couple. Thanks, just grabbed row F for Friday. A bargain!
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 22, 2022 15:46:05 GMT
I can imagine the whole environment would get a bit toxic is this basically their way to one-up Musicals Con by doing it themselves? I love Heathers. Yes, it's bizarre for a guy in his 40s, but it always cheers me up. And, like so many shows, it took me a few viewings to get drawn in. The original cast and staging didn't quite do it. I can't imagine attending the event, not least because I can't dance or sing (plus, it's a weekday and I will have to go to work). I've almost always sat on the front row and never felt it a toxic environment. Once I had people sat next to me discussing that I should be Steve (totally oblivious to the fact I could hear them). But I am quite relaxed about attending shows on my own and the Other Palace wifi code is stored on my phone. I hope no one in the cast thinks it's weird to see the same people there (even I recognise a lot of the repeat female fans, but I guess I stand out by not being female). I still have to get my phone out and film everyone! Somehow, being primed with a phone just seems odder than everything else. I guess that's the generational thing. And I can't stage door. As close as I've got to this is running into the cast in M&S. (end random stream of consciousness)
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 22, 2022 14:24:11 GMT
“Big Fan Day” on September 1st. Learn choreography, sing, Q&A with a movie star, even the announcement of the new cast. Based on that, I think you can tell they’re expecting Heathers to run for a long time to come!
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 22, 2022 10:01:12 GMT
After not having planned to see Jersey Boys last week, they suddenly announced Dayle Hodge on in the lead role for the Thursday evening show, so I managed to change my plans around and get a ticket.
Someone else will know better than me, but Dayle isn't officially in the cast. He may well hold the record for being the longest serving Frankie Valli, going from when he first performed the role to what, every time, could be his final performance.
I think I saw him as the tour lead a few years ago, but that was from way back at the rear of the theatre.
Got to say, yes he's older than a typical Frankie, but the emotion he brings to the role is something else. A complete professional and you can see why he is involved with training up so many of the actors who have followed in his footsteps.
They no longer seem to offer Stalls rush through TodayTix, only the Dress Circle. I did manage to get a discounted central Row D seat through another route, but I also arrived to find they were upgrading a lot of people to the front Stalls (my polite request to sit in one of the eight free seats in the front row was denied). Row D is an excellent view, but the downside is you're in the midst of people who aren't always respectful. One person translating the show into French behind me and there were crisp eaters in too. The sound was also rather unbalanced, with Dayle particularly quiet during the first half. I appreciate the cast probably get fed up of seeing the same people in the front row, but I hope they reinstate Stalls rush soon.
Apart from that, they managed to perform the show with only two female cast members, which is always impressive. And they've been running through the third and fourth covers this past week. Who knows what combination of people will be on this week?
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