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Post by Being Alive on Feb 17, 2023 19:56:49 GMT
Can't wait to see this again, terrific at the YV (loved all the full light/prolonged blackout stuff) - only thing I didn't like was the Ballet (which is cleverly moved to act 2)
And more Patrick Vaill - hoorah!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 17, 2023 20:14:22 GMT
Gaston used Antlers in all of his decorating, they've done similar with the thing that killed all those deers with antlers That’s a stretch isn’t it?
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Post by anthony40 on Feb 17, 2023 20:31:15 GMT
Gaston used Antlers in all of his decorating, they've done similar with the thing that killed all those deers with antlers That’s a stretch isn’t it? Hmm, possibly
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Post by Dr Tom on Feb 18, 2023 12:32:52 GMT
No reports yet, so I will add mine. I saw this last night (second preview) and it has transferred very well. So well in fact that I've edited my undeserved 4* rating to a 5* rating.
I got lucky with a rush tickets, so was two seats from the end of the front row. I think the outer two seats at either end are the rush tickets (there may be more, depending, I suspect, on how many seats have been sold). The show was sold out.
As you may be able to tell from the pictures, there is a main stage area with a small step down to the middle of the front row. The band are between the low stage and the front row, there is no orchestra pit. The front row is a little restricted, but not too bad.
The show is restaged a bit, but the essence is the same as at the Young Vic. Sound quality is very good.
At the previous venue, there were lots of seats for the performers to interact with. Here, they can only really get to the middle of the front row (I was almost in the safe zone). So only book these if you enjoy a bit of audience participation, you don't mind having someone sit on your lap, or having James Patrick Davis singing seductively into your eyes and playing footsies with you. On the positive side, Stavros Demetraki very much seems to enjoy helping everyone to cool off. You also get lots of smoke in your eyes.
The front row yesterday was all male (singles and couples) which was an interesting dynamic.
I thought the show much more sexually charged in its new iteration, especially between Anoushka Lucas and Georgina Onuorah (Georgina is also absolutely fabulous as Ado Annie and brought the house down).
To answer earlier questions, the house lights stay on. It is uncomfortably hot at times, especially at the front, so dress accordingly. It also gets pitch black, I thought it even more pitch black (if that's a valid phrase) than at the Young Vic. There are plenty of warning signs, but I've no idea if anyone read them.
The audience was generally very polite, apart from a few inappropriate laughers. I got the impression most people had not seen this before. The ending is very powerful and better staged for the majority than before, not least because everyone is watching from the same angle. Hopefully without spoiling it, I will say they got the jets exactly right.
As I say, this remains excellent. The casting is top notch. You just can't get the intimacy of the Young Vic at this venue, so I'd recommend sitting near the front of the Stalls (or the front of the Circle if you want to avoid a musician obstructed view), but the cast do their best to draw everyone in.
And the lovely Luke Redmore was directing everyone in the queues on the way into the theatre. What more could you want to start the evening off with a smile?
Running time was just over 3 hours.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Feb 18, 2023 20:03:24 GMT
We’re naming and crediting ushers now?
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Post by Seriously on Feb 19, 2023 0:17:10 GMT
We’re naming and crediting ushers now? Fellow human beings? Yes.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Feb 19, 2023 8:02:14 GMT
Isn't it more that he is a west end actor so is known and recognisable from that?
I kind of hope so anyway, personally I'd have hated having full name put on public forum when working customer service (do the name badges have full names?)
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Post by alece10 on Feb 19, 2023 9:41:40 GMT
A simple Google search for that names comes up with an actor who seems to have quite a good MT cv including West end BOM, so if this is the same person then the poster is doing nothing wrong with putting their full name and obviously recognised them. They are also complementing them. It's not that unusual to see actors working FOH, I often see them at the Palladium. I remember a recent visit to the Palladium and the theatre was late opening so there was a huge crowd outside waiting to go in. One of the FOH staff stood at the top of the stairs and made an announcement in such a loud projected voice that everyone could hear him quite clearly. I looked at my friend and said "he's definately an actor".
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Post by bordeaux on Feb 19, 2023 10:25:29 GMT
Anyone seen this from the Grand Circle at the Wyndhams? Looks and sounds good from up there?
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Post by Dr Tom on Feb 19, 2023 10:49:22 GMT
Anyone seen this from the Grand Circle at the Wyndhams? Looks and sounds good from up there? I didn't go up there, but I think it would be a decent view from near the front of the Grand Circle. The sound seems well managed everywhere.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2023 15:27:19 GMT
A simple Google search for that names comes up with an actor who seems to have quite a good MT cv including West end BOM, so if this is the same person then the poster is doing nothing wrong with putting their full name and obviously recognised them. They are also complementing them. It's not that unusual to see actors working FOH, I often see them at the Palladium. I remember a recent visit to the Palladium and the theatre was late opening so there was a huge crowd outside waiting to go in. One of the FOH staff stood at the top of the stairs and made an announcement in such a loud projected voice that everyone could hear him quite clearly. I looked at my friend and said "he's definately an actor".
If nothing else, the original mention sent me to the actor's Instagram where it is quite evident that he is indeed a "lovely person."
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Feb 22, 2023 23:56:20 GMT
I was sat all the way up in the grand circle and the heavy heavy fog meant that I could barely see the dancer in the dream ballet. Caught maybe 50% of her performance if that. They seriously need to scale down the fog.
Anyway, I still enjoyed this, but I feel like something was lost when the staging was adapted. Less impactful and some of the lounging around stage felt less natural and engaging like this?
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Post by bordeaux on Feb 23, 2023 9:29:25 GMT
I was in the Grand Circle last night too and could barely see any of the first few minutes of the ballet, the rest of which seemed bafflingly dull to me. I enjoyed the production by and large, and it makes an interesting contrast with the only other version I've seen, the Trevor Nunn version, though that too didn't ignore the darker aspects of the show. I personally don't like what they've done with the ending; too much of a liberty in my view. The sheer gorgeousness of some of those tunes clearly does come through though clearly they don't want us to luxuriate in that sort of sensuous pleasure for too long. Would it be fair to say that this is a straight down-the-line Brechtian production? You're always aware you're watching a play in a theatre, the production deliberately prevents us from being emotionally invested in the characters and we are meant to consider the politics, the injustice and the misogyny of the world depicted rather than the love stories. Interesting for me as a theatre-buff, but I'm glad I didn't take my mum (87, loved the NT version).
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Post by ladidah on Feb 23, 2023 10:54:28 GMT
I'm a huge fan of the original and I know this production is not for me - but I am nosy - can you please spoil for me what the new ending is?
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Feb 23, 2023 11:14:57 GMT
can you please spoil for me what the new ending is? bearing in mind that I've not actually seen a traditional staging of Oklahoma, but
{Spoiler - click to view} from what I understand they actually haven't changed the text at all, it's just the way they've staged it that makes it different. Curly shooting Jud at the end is showed to be not self defence at all, Jud is nowhere near Curly or even acting aggressive in any way when Curly shoots Jud. And then the trial at the end is directed so that it seems more like a show trial where Curly being 'not guilty' is more iffy and not presumed. The way the actors do their lines (Aunt Eller and Ado Annie's dad as the Judge) make it seem a lot more morally ambiguous if that makes sense?
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Post by couldileaveyou on Feb 23, 2023 11:20:51 GMT
can you please spoil for me what the new ending is? bearing in mind that I've not actually seen a traditional staging of Oklahoma, but
{Spoiler - click to view} from what I understand they actually haven't changed the text at all, it's just the way they've staged it that makes it different. Curly shooting Jud at the end is showed to be not self defence at all, Jud is nowhere near Curly or even acting aggressive in any way when Curly shoots Jud. And then the trial at the end is directed so that it seems more like a show trial where Curly being 'not guilty' is more iffy and not presumed. The way the actors do their lines (Aunt Eller and Ado Annie's dad as the Judge) make it seem a lot more morally ambiguous if that makes sense? {Spoiler - click to view} yeah Curly pretty much shoots Judd in cold blood. The text of the following dialogue & trial is (I think) unchanged, but played in such a way that the judge is basically blackmailed by Aunt Eller ("You'll feel funny when I tell yer wife you're carryin' on 'th another womern, won't you?", "I ain't carryin' on 'th no one", "Mebbe not, but you'll shore feel funny when I tell yer wife you air") into acquitting Curly and the trial is a travesty of justice
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Feb 23, 2023 11:28:33 GMT
the judge is basically blackmailed by Aunt Eller ("You'll feel funny when I tell yer wife you're carryin' on 'th another womern, won't you?", "I ain't carryin' on 'th no one", "Mebbe not, but you'll shore feel funny when I tell yer wife you air") into acquitting Curly and the trial is a travesty of justice {Spoiler - click to view} it was the justice officer guy who gets blackmailed not the judge! I think the judge was perfectly happy to let Curly go
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Post by ladidah on Feb 23, 2023 12:00:04 GMT
So interesting, thank you!
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Post by TallPaul on Feb 23, 2023 14:06:35 GMT
You wait ages for a spoiler, then, just like buses, three come along together!
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Post by apubleed on Feb 23, 2023 19:18:05 GMT
Did anyone see this in NYC? If so, what did you think? I LOVED the production in NYC, one of my all-time fav revivals. So I don't want to spoil those memories if the transfer hasn't worked quite as well...
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Post by Dr Tom on Feb 23, 2023 20:44:21 GMT
Did anyone see this in NYC? If so, what did you think? I LOVED the production in NYC, one of my all-time fav revivals. So I don't want to spoil those memories if the transfer hasn't worked quite as well... I preferred the UK version of the two. It worked slightly better in the Young Vic, but I can’t fault the transfer.
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Post by pws on Feb 24, 2023 10:42:34 GMT
Did anyone see this in NYC? If so, what did you think? I LOVED the production in NYC, one of my all-time fav revivals. So I don't want to spoil those memories if the transfer hasn't worked quite as well... Yes, saw this and even got some chilli in the interval. It was great that there were so many of the NYC cast and band in the Young Vic performances, but the NYC version definitely was better (perhaps because I knew what to expect in the London version).
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Post by alece10 on Feb 24, 2023 10:44:18 GMT
If you can stomach Dermot and Alison (personally I cant) the cast of Oklahoma are on This Morning today.
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Post by properjob on Feb 25, 2023 23:57:04 GMT
I saw this and loved it but I love a dark musical. It really shows what a really good new staging can do. The dream ballet is weird but then aren't all dream ballets but I can see why they kept it to be true to the original piece while also putting a modern spin on it. I can imagine that some people will hate it though. I'm surprised the poll has so many 3 star votes as I expected it to be much more polarising. The whole end sequence is genuinely shocking but so, so, well done.
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Post by Rory on Feb 28, 2023 15:45:05 GMT
I can't believe Patrick Vaill didn't get an Olivier nomination for this.
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Feb 28, 2023 16:17:00 GMT
I can't believe Patrick Vaill didn't get an Olivier nomination for this. Same. I thought he would win and am shocked he didn't even get nominated!
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Post by oxfordsimon on Feb 28, 2023 18:29:23 GMT
If you can stomach Dermot and Alison (personally I cant) the cast of Oklahoma are on This Morning today. I watched this and I found the performance painful. They were trying so hard/too hard to sound edgy and modern. Lots of stamping and heavy guitar strumming. But then you get glimpses of the original orchestration and the two clash horribly. I know it was only a short excerpt and it was out of context of the rest of the reworking. But I just couldn't stand it. The title number should feel celebratory not angry and agitated. *Shudder*
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 1, 2023 15:27:52 GMT
It's absolutely baffling that the Oliviers nominated Clive Rowe over Patrick Vaill.
He was easily the best male performance in a musical of the entire year, and his omission (just like it was at the Tonys) is completely illogical - ESPECIALLY when Arthur comes out of this with a Best Actor nom....
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Post by mattnyc on Mar 2, 2023 1:00:27 GMT
When I saw this originally on Broadway I absolutely HATED it. But I did decide to see it again tonight to see if anything had changed. I did think the production was overall better here than it was in NYC but I still don’t think the concept works, as a whole. And that dream ballet is just painful to watch. But at least now you can barely see it with all of the fog, so…tiny blessings, I guess. The cast can’t be faulted (I felt), it’s entirely this concept that at every step feels like it wants to say something and comment on things so it just screams “WE WANT TO SAY SOMETHING AND COMMENT ON THINGS!” but it never actually says anything.
Certain scenes as well still make no sense to me like the scenes totally in the dark - seriously what’s the point of that? Especially when it leads to the same homoerotic moment that when I saw it originally someone yelled out “Kiss!”, so they’ve added this whole element to their story that leads nowhere. There was even some scene now where Curly is close to Judd again adding a little more sexual tension but it’s all for nothing. And that right there is a perfect example of the “we want to say something but then never actually say it” that I was talking about.
But anyways, for what it’s worth, the show IS better than it was in New York and I guess I’d go from half a star to one and a half or two stars.
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Post by edi on Mar 2, 2023 9:12:10 GMT
Why is the dream ballet painful to watch?
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