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Post by noboiscout on May 16, 2018 17:14:11 GMT
I've booked :-) So excited for this (possibly more than actual Hamilton!) Be excited. I enjoyed it more than Hamilton! Think it is enjoyable to those who have seen and have yet to see Hamilton - some knowledge of the music/CD definitely would help. Some very funny appearances by other Broadway composers - and grandes dames of the stage.
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Post by noboiscout on May 10, 2018 20:10:36 GMT
Sweden - pretty boy in a very classy production number A pretty boy who likes cheese...I'm hooked.
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Post by noboiscout on May 10, 2018 20:04:22 GMT
Hungary - noisy, angry. Not sure I can say much more. Mmmm...one for the foot fetishists...
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Post by noboiscout on May 8, 2018 21:14:37 GMT
Did anyone think Ireland's song had a hint of Dear Evan Hansen about it? The hosts are pretty dire as well. They should let Petra and Mans from Sweden compare it whatever country it's from. I heard it too! Not a great song, but sweet. As for the rest, nothing jumped out. Anyone but Israel - she irritated me..so much.
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Post by noboiscout on Apr 30, 2018 15:57:05 GMT
I’ve got a feeling I’m going to enjoy this more than Hamilton
I did enjoy it more than Hamilton. It helps a little if you have managed to see the real Ham, but even if you haven't there is enough of the feel of Forbidden Broadway, to keep you laughing. However, if you decide to see Spam before Ham, you may not be able to keep a straight face in the Victoria Palace. The NY cast of Spamilton was fantastic, and it would be great is some of them came over.
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Post by noboiscout on Apr 17, 2018 7:10:06 GMT
I have a ticket to see this tonight, but it's Monday, I'm tired, and is Eddie Eyre's chest alone, worth the trip? There must be more to life that giant pecs and a chin you can slice parma ham on??? Did you go ? I was there. Restoration comedy is a such a difficult and unforgiving genre to do these days and it is very rarely successful - despite all the ideas and effort here it doesn't really work, the only way it can is to have absolutely top-rank comedy actors and performers in it - Simon Russell-Beale etc. I bailed I'm afraid. I agree with all you say, and feared it wouldn't be worth seeing if the comedy element was lacking, or poorly done.
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Post by noboiscout on Apr 16, 2018 14:22:31 GMT
I have a ticket to see this tonight, but it's Monday, I'm tired, and is Eddie Eyre's chest alone, worth the trip? There must be more to life that giant pecs and a chin you can slice parma ham on???
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Post by noboiscout on Apr 13, 2018 12:51:00 GMT
Sir,
Why, oh why, oh why, do companies upgrade their websites and invariably make them more cr*p than they were ever before. No indexation, no clue as to what the pretty pictures mean unless you click on them - actually, clueless in all senses of the word.
Yours
Disgruntled of Walthamstow
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Post by noboiscout on Apr 11, 2018 13:58:28 GMT
The new name really has that 'noughties' brand feel. It reminds me of all those Nigel Slater books winsomely called 'Toast' and 'Tender' and those products with names like 'Graze' bought by people who eat their breakfast off artfully chipped enamel plates on reclaimed laboratory tables. When I was younger a lot of bands dropped the 'The' and it spread to other hipster/artsy things - my local arts venue The Bluecoat recently rebranded as just Bluecoat, and you have similar with Fact, Home (in Manchester - try googling it! Idiotic choice of name). There is a Thai restaurant in Soho called Kiln. Perhaps this is a franchise, theatre and Pad Thai venture? Probably the same consultants they used when re-naming the St James to The Other Palace. What a pile of pants.
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Post by noboiscout on Apr 10, 2018 14:23:45 GMT
Good grief Charlie Brown!
Sounds as enticing as the Norwegian film I saw at the Flare festival about an unemployed music teacher taking his estranged transgender father on a road trip to the west coast of Norway, in order to honour his late mother's excellent quilting skills. And that was actually very good...
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Post by noboiscout on Apr 10, 2018 11:58:12 GMT
Went last night. Quite a fun evening, although not a patch on Ink for writing, drama etc. No real surprises. I had £15 Time Out ticket, so was happy. Not worth more than £30.
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Post by noboiscout on Apr 4, 2018 12:43:09 GMT
Production photos up posted on WOS. Such gratuitous and unnecessary exposure of male flesh...I shall be in the front row to make my protests known, face to face.
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Post by noboiscout on Apr 4, 2018 12:07:32 GMT
David - I agree with everything you say...about Act I. My friend and I couldn't bear to wait for Act II although I'm glad to hear things improved. Haydn Gwynne was great and I enjoyed Sarah Hadland's performance as well. The rest of the cast didn't appear to understand that there should be some comedy in a Restoration comedy, but perhaps that's just the material. Heaven knows why this has been revived. A sad production as you say, after the fantastic York Realist.
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Post by noboiscout on Mar 20, 2018 12:48:02 GMT
Thankfully closing this week, as I have become a little (lot) obsessed with this play - or rather the performances. Seeing it for the fourth time tonight. No criticism whatsoever for Bailey who is excellent - but Batt's performance is one of the best, if not the best, I have seen in anything. Supporting roles all faultless too. And spot on Direction.
I will be interested to hear how it works in Sheffield with a much larger stage. I am just glad to have seen it at the Donmar.
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Post by noboiscout on Mar 15, 2018 14:10:22 GMT
I still find it hard to pay £40 for a play, whether West End or Off. But thanks for the reviews alece10 and adventurer. I am tempted.
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Post by noboiscout on Mar 12, 2018 13:47:46 GMT
Thanks Tmesis - will listen to that interview on G Norton radio show. I loved this and have re-booked to see it this week. All the performances were great, but Ben Batt was stunning. Would have said that he blew me away, but I don't want to step on Ryan's toes.
You know it's a great performance when you are lying in bed asking why couldn't it have ended differently? Why is life so unfair? I just have to keep telling myself, it's only a play, it's only a play - although Batt's upper arms were definitely real..
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Post by noboiscout on Mar 5, 2018 13:19:44 GMT
Afraid that I did not enjoy this and could not stick it beyond the interval. I don't mind fluff and campery - I love it when done well. This was just inane rubbish. At least I waited until the interval to leave - 2 others (probably equally old and grumpy like me) left before that. And I found he stereotypical, camp gay character to be verging on the homophobic. Praise as always to the cast who did there best working with such poor material.
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Post by noboiscout on Feb 15, 2018 14:41:01 GMT
Very depressing play, both in contact, acting and direction. Very little to recommend it, I'm afraid. A wannabe Waiting for Godot - not much happens, slowly and tediously. I would quite happily have put the miserable sods [ie the character and not the actors of course!]out of their misery with the shotgun that that was brandished around by one of he sisters. I felt sorry for Alec Secarenu, who must have thought it would be nice to act at the Royal Court, to end up in this drivel.
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Post by noboiscout on Sept 13, 2017 12:50:27 GMT
Stunning performances from all. Josh O'Connor has the air or Frankenstein's monster, who literally has to be taken by the hand and slowly taught how to love - and allow himself to be loved. I've seen it 4 times now, and while that's starting to verge on the obsessive, trust me - it was worth it. Can't recommend this film enough.
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Post by noboiscout on Jul 17, 2017 16:27:18 GMT
Wow! I loved this. So beautiful. The performances are terrific, the writing subtle and truthful and the music, well, it just blew me away. Channelling Steinbeck and Carson McCullers,Conor McPherson has written a play that captures perfectly the mood of the times, both past and present, with characters that you really care about. And Bob Dylan's songs add another deep and hauntingly beautiful layer. Would go again in a flash. A truely original work of art and an absolute triumph.
Happy to agree. So good to see something which was original - and yes it is a strange beast, but compelling stage work. I can see why some of the boarders on here may not like it, as it does fall between different blocks - not a musical, and not just a play. The songs don't tell the story, but definitely fit into the story. Possibly a bit like Lazarus, but the blend of music and play is better executed here.
Of course it helps having a great cast - familiar (Irish) faces from other McPherson plays - plus others you may not have seen before, but all great in their respective roles.
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Post by noboiscout on Mar 15, 2017 13:43:21 GMT
I recommend Dear Evan Hansen.
Wish I had seen Natasha Pierre instead of War Paint...loved seeing Patti and Christine (they insisted I call them by their first names...) but found the music and story to be a drag.
Will be going to see Come from Away on my return trip in October - if it's still running. It looks original and has had good reviews in Canada.
And I guess Hello Dolly is a must see if you are a fan of Bette Midler. May be worth looking at Off Broadway as well given that tickets are so pricey for Broadway shows. I found that back row of Mezzanine was cheapest and decent view for most Broadway theatres.
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Post by noboiscout on Feb 21, 2017 12:58:29 GMT
I can understand those who were underwhelmed by this. I can see that whoever edited the filming wanted to bring the viewer in to the action rather than have it look as if they plonked a camera in the stalls and just filmed front on. You do miss the panoramic view of a stage full of actors, and you do miss out on the spectacle element of the choreography. But - I loved it - I loved the camera shots from above and the close-ups. I loved the choreography and the songs. And as for Jeremy - and it is difficult to be objective as he is darned cute - but his timing and acting was stunning. He really lived and breathed the role and you could see every facial tick and expression - he certainly has stage presence. And yes, Kara Lindsay and the rest of cast were great. I'm sure it will be out as a digital download - even though I would love to have a DVD version.
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Post by noboiscout on Feb 7, 2017 10:30:13 GMT
Personally, I would recommend that everyone reads up on Hamilton's life and listens to the cast recording! I saw it on Broadway and quite a bit of the story was lost on me, partly because of lack of knowledge about the characters and partly due to the very fast delivery of those songs sung in hip hop rhyme. The story moves along much faster than say, Les Mis, so you find yourself in a new scene while still pondering what happened in the previous one.
But hey - maybe I'm just not so bright, so everyone approach it as they please!
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Post by noboiscout on Feb 1, 2017 22:48:48 GMT
I saw this tonight and can agree that this is not a great musical, and doesn't have a large dramatic arc to hold everyone's interest. So not without flaws as a show (perhaps the feel is and sound is a bit too 'samey' from beginning to end. But I loved the production, the high quality cast, the costumes and staging - not to mention the fabulous chaireography! If you liked the soaring melodies of Titanic, Grand Hotel and the music in Nine, then I really think you should see this. And of course, Chris Peluso is a wonderful singer and easy on the eye who shouldn't be missed.
For the money you won't see or hear a better production either on or off the West End, and I have to applaud Thom Sutherland and producers for putting on an original book musical that we wouldn't otherwise see. It deserves an audience if only to ensure that we keep getting to see high quality musical theatre productions at Charing Cross, even if they don't all have the drama and popular appeal that Titanic had.
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Post by noboiscout on Jan 30, 2017 12:46:49 GMT
I just searched for Grand Circle seats. £89.50 row B allocated first time, which I released - then Row A at £57.50(which suggests safety bar will be an issue for shorties like me - and likely to affect row B as well, with A leaning). Gave them up and have now got Row H for £37.50. Maybe it depends what month - I picked April. Each time it took about 7 minutes for the ticket allocation to come through.
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Post by noboiscout on Jan 27, 2017 13:09:21 GMT
I agree with everything you say, Marwood. The first 10 minutes left me wishing I was home, but I grew to like it from there on in. The performances were great. It was a bit of a mish mash, but an enjoyable, fresh evening at the theatre, nonetheless. And a nice short running time so I could get home early to my cocoa! Well worth the £15 pounds it cost (slips seats lower M4 - didn't find seat restricted view at all.)
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Post by noboiscout on Nov 23, 2016 11:49:36 GMT
Gutted - should have held out. Bought tickets in row G way back at £75 as a Christmas present. Would suck it up and put it down to being to eager to plan ahead if the view was ok. I know the rake was appalling for In the Heights but thought they might have sorted it out for this production with such pricey tickets. It beggars believe that they couldn't install seating with decent sightlines, but I guess you can't pack in as many seats if you build them up, instead of stretch them way out to the back of the building. But then a lot of producers don't really care about the audience - or short a*se guys like me!
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Post by noboiscout on Jun 4, 2016 12:16:58 GMT
I'm sure he'll be back sometime soon. Nice in a way that he chose a cabaret venue, rather than larger theatre space. And ticket prices were reasonably priced - compared with his NY shows last year at £45-£80 at 54 Below, plus minimum drink spend of £17. He clearly enjoys performing live, but then he is very much the showman - in a good way - at least that's what comes across in his You Tube videos. Have to say I am very excited, even if it means a long night bus journey home.
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Post by noboiscout on Jun 3, 2016 16:27:41 GMT
If I'd known Anthony, I'd have booked one for you (James here from the quiz table). My phone is pants, so ended up getting a friend to book a ticket for me on hers - can get onto the Hippodrome site on my work computer as it is barred as being a gambling site! Got a stalls seat - must have been one of the last, as it was booked at 16:35.
I hope you manage to get a ticket! May have to bribe one of the waiters to let you in a back door...
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Post by noboiscout on Jun 3, 2016 14:38:26 GMT
Being easily tempted, I've just blown a large chunk of my credit card balance on a trip to Salt Lake City in August, with one (the primary?) reason being to see Newsies. Plus you have the added benefit of being surrounded by REAL Mormon boys....
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