1,643 posts
|
Post by fiyero on Oct 4, 2018 9:05:22 GMT
And by this logic they'll be free by Tuesday? |
|
5,279 posts
|
Post by mrbarnaby on Oct 4, 2018 10:31:14 GMT
Although this cast make it very tempting - is never watch another concert at the Albert hall. The sound is truly abysmal every time.
|
|
39 posts
|
Post by pochard on Oct 4, 2018 18:28:11 GMT
Although this cast make it very tempting - is never watch another concert at the Albert hall. The sound is truly abysmal every time. I have sympathy with this view! Still, as we are going, I will make sure I enjoy it...and make use of the extra legroom I will have around with me with those surplus seats..  |
|
1,643 posts
|
Post by fiyero on Oct 9, 2018 13:35:19 GMT
And by this logic they'll be free by Tuesday? Whatsonstage have £45 down to 25 but the benefit of seeing what seats they have first so I've booked a central one for the Saturday evening :-) |
|
56 posts
|
Post by carriesparkle on Oct 19, 2018 21:32:22 GMT
This is my favourite musical and I...didn't really enjoy this. Stephen Mangan is used as a narrator, setting scenes that really don't need to be set, and the script is cut liberally. Lara Pulver was the best of the principals; to be fair to Meow Meow and Jason Manford they were done a disservice by the script cuts, meaning some of their comedy was lost. Major mess-up by Paul Nicholas, who forgot two chunks of lyrics in More I Cannot Wish You.
Everything on stage just felt a bit underdone. Fortunately the orchestra were excellent so at least the music was intact.
|
|
90 posts
|
Post by gazzaw13 on Oct 19, 2018 22:56:01 GMT
Just back and I really enjoyed this. Lara Pulver and Meow Meow were great and congrats to Stephen Mangan and Sharon D CLarke's agents who got them top billing for doing virtually nothing! The only big miss was the Cuba scene. Where were the dancing girls and why didn't Lara literally let her hair down? Standing ovation at the end for a good show.
Curious about the economics of this though. Only 3 performances, big West End musical names, expensive looking costumes, orchestra, hiring the Albert Hall for 2 days and discounting best seats by 40%. Someone's taking a bath on this one.
|
|
6,352 posts
|
Post by danb on Oct 20, 2018 5:27:02 GMT
Are Sky Arts recording it? Can they make money by showing it twice a day over Christmas & New Year?
|
|
|
|
Post by songbird on Oct 20, 2018 21:10:10 GMT
I did enjoy this but some of the choices did baffle me. Some strange script cuts to be replaced by an absolutely useless Narrator. Theres a reason this show has remained the same for so long, and there is a reason it has never had a narrator.
Meow Meow didnt really do it for me. Rebel Wilson even played the role better and more comically a few years back. Adrien Lester and Jason Manford were pretty good.
The lighting design was beyond abysmal and there were so many lighting issues. From lighting up the wrong trumpet soloists to random flashes on the orchestra mid performance which led the musicians to all start looking around bewildered.
The sound design was struggling (as expected) but I dont think thats the sound designers fault. Wrong building for a theatre performance. The echos are just unavoidable.
Clive Rowe was good fun too, he knows the role well and you can tell.
I do wish they used the Sit Down orchestrations from the recent West End production. Far superior to the original dare I say it.
Overall a fun night out, worth it just to hear a full orchestra play the classic tunes.
|
|
1,643 posts
|
Post by fiyero on Oct 20, 2018 21:58:26 GMT
Even with the script cuts I don't think we needed a narrator. I think the show didn't know if it was a musical or a concert.
I had a clear but distant view from the circle and liked all the performers but no standouts for me. I did expect a bigger orchestra but I think that's because if I'm at the royal Albert hall I'm usually seeing a prom!
I think this is the most sinners I've ever seen in payment. I distinctly remember a production before where they rounded up to a dozen ;-)
Overall I'm glad I went but it could have been more than it was I think.
|
|
1,244 posts
|
Post by londonmzfitz on Oct 20, 2018 22:46:16 GMT
I loved it! 3rd row centre stalls, found the sound a bit "off" to start, muted I guess is the best way I can explain it. Loved Meow Meow - in comparison to Rebel Wilson whose performance I felt was over indulgent and - gosh, I wonder if the best term is selfish, like it was her show ... Meow Meow was for me superb, lots of big facial expressions and fabulous comic timing. Lara Pulver gave a great vocal performance - bigger range than Gypsy. Adrian Lester made a lovely Sky but I do wish there had been less cuts to the show, the Cuba cat fight being cut was disappointing. But oh wow how wonderful was the gamblers ballet!
And with a nod to my earlier posts on this thread - seeing Clive Rowe as Nicely Nicely again 21 years after he blew my mind at The National Theatre - I was so emotional and shed a couple of tears. His performance in 1997 is the one by which I judge musical performances since. I loved him tonight and by the applause and cheers at the end so did others.
4* with a firm 5* for Clive Rowe.
|
|
