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Post by jgblunners on Aug 26, 2016 18:22:04 GMT
Has she ever done stage work before? I thought she was only a presenter...
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 26, 2016 17:13:35 GMT
A friend of mine in Oxford recently had an application for a Uni production in January 2017 turned down because of a professional production, which suggests they were planning a tour, but maybe it fell through?
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 23, 2016 11:29:14 GMT
So the act 2 opening number has been the song that's probably most discussed by those who have seen GHD. I was really taken with how unexpected it was and how unusually it sits within the show. With the aid of a friend who's quite familiar with the production, we've pieced together the song as best we can (without any solid source material). He chickened out, so for anyone who's interested, find below a very mediocre performance of 'Playing Nancy'. This is brilliant! You've got a lovely voice
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 22, 2016 21:50:00 GMT
Was it ever explicitly confirmed that Alfie Boe will be J.M. Barrie, or was that all just speculation?
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Grease
Aug 22, 2016 21:47:23 GMT
Post by jgblunners on Aug 22, 2016 21:47:23 GMT
Ooo - can you spill or not? As for the tour, it will probably have names but you can't fault them for doing that to be honest I doubt they would have names actually, simply because Grease is a huge draw all by itself Fair point, I guess I just assumed that because I see Grease as so commercialised.
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 22, 2016 20:46:29 GMT
What's the bet the touring version will go for stunt casting, with pop stars or talent show graduates?
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 22, 2016 18:03:42 GMT
I thought that they might do OK in the Palladium if they push it as a family show. If the plot follows that of the movie, then it's definitely not "Peter Pan: The Musical", but just having the word Neverland in the title will surely bring in masses of families. That's partly how charlie managed to do so well in Drury Lane (although I did think that production was magnificent regardless of whether it was meant to be for kids)
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 22, 2016 16:36:31 GMT
I had assumed it would go into the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, but now that 42nd Street is in there I was thinking maybe the Palladium? That's a big stage and as far as I'm aware is free from January.
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 22, 2016 13:16:06 GMT
I don't think there's any way we can predict - they're just as likely to get someone new in, as they will need a new Morrible and Nessa anyway because Anita Dobson and Katie Rowley-Jones leave at the same time as Rachel Tucker.
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 22, 2016 9:15:34 GMT
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 21, 2016 22:42:16 GMT
I have no objection to cranking up the volume, as long as it doesn't compromise quality by getting so loud the sound is fuzzy. In big, exciting songs I feel that a decent volume really helps the atmosphere. Something like Mamma Mia is a prime example, but I agree that having it so loud it causes local tremors is a bit far!
The idea of a non-amplified show is an interesting one, and it works well in small venues, but with big shows amplification is just as much about balance as it is about filling the space with sound. Making sure that the voices aren't drowned out by the band, but also that within the band every instrument can be heard and each part of the score brought to its full potential, is vital to musical theatre. It'd be disappointing if composers created beautiful music but we never got to hear it properly.
Part of the issue is also that, while projection of the voice is a vital part of training for any singer, it is just one of many things to take into account when performing. Opera singers train for much longer than musical theatre performers, and spend a lot longer concentrating on projection in every part of their vocal range, hence why they can fill large venues without amplification (but then they usually don't have to run around or dance at the same time). I've always found the opera vs musical theatre comparison very interesting, and this is a prime reason why.
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 21, 2016 18:36:46 GMT
Anyone knows for how long has John Owen-Jones played the Phantom and Valjean? I think Tour, West End and Broadway add up to quite some years. His original run as Phantom was 3.5 years, then he did another year after a stint in Les Mis, plus a few more months at the end of 2015 and most of the 25th Anniversary tour, so that probably adds up to around 5 or 6 years. Jean Valjean must be similar, as he did 2 years over here then a year on Broadway, around a year on the 25th anniversary tour and then his current run on Broadway. *all this was compiled from his wikipedia page so citation needed!
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 21, 2016 17:00:39 GMT
Philip Griffiths, Auctioneer/Monsieur Reyer in Phantom, recently broke the record for being the longest-serving member of a West End cast. He's been there for just over 25 years!
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 21, 2016 13:48:08 GMT
I don't think it will count against it. Superstar closes on the 27th. Groundhog in September. Voters are sent long-lists of all eligible nominees before casting their votes. Just because the show isn't open during nominations doesn't mean the show will be forgotten. Those were limited runs though, and both are expected to transfer either to Broadway, West End or both. This was designed to be a long runner that didn't make it unfortunately past four/five months. It would of lost investors a lot of money. I wish it would get nominated and it will no doubt get a couple here or there. But I think, particularly the supporting cast, could get overshadowed by this. Also, it is a pretty packed list of nominees already, they could definitely be overshadowed by other performers. Will An American in Paris open in time to be included? If so, Robert Fairchild and Leanne Cope might just sneak into the nominations, I gather they got quite a bit of praise on Broadway. Unfortunately, I think you're right about Showboat. It should do ok because the Olivier nominations should be based on quality rather than commercial success, but with so many other strong productions running around the same time or opening soon there is a danger that it might get left behind.
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 21, 2016 12:49:56 GMT
Surely Tyrone Huntley will get a nomination for JCS? And I'd love Rebecca Trehearn to get one for Showboat but don't know how likely that is.
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 20, 2016 14:46:41 GMT
There is a "tenth anniversary" Broadway cast recording special edition which I expect the London show to try and pass off as their own. It is easier. And what a rip-off that one is. It's just the OBC recording with a few other versions of some of the songs on in, 2 of which were from the German cast album. There was nothing special about that album at all. It's just a few covers thrown together. I don't understand why they don't just do a live album, like Miss Saigon and Kinky Boots did. It's probably a lot cheaper and it sounds just as good, if not better. To be honest I don't think they're in any state to be doing that at the moment. When I went recently the sound mixing was definitely off, I think the production team (not necessarily the cast) have become a bit complacent recently, just letting the show trundle along. Hopefully the cast change will bring a burst of new life to the show.
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 20, 2016 8:45:03 GMT
I still hope we finally get a London Cast Recording to celebrate the 10th anniversary. If we don't get one now, we never will As much as I'd love a recording with Rachel Tucker on it, I doubt a London Cast recording will ever happen, especially now that they've got the film a couple of years down the line which will have its own soundtrack that they'll want to push
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 19, 2016 22:08:37 GMT
Great show tonight, the new cast are fantastic! Took me a while to warm to the new Sophie, her voice is, ermmm, unique! The audience were a bit too enthusiastic for me, that was the only issue. There were alot of foreign families (no problem with that!) but they felt the need to clap along during the whole of songs and during the big numbers even sang really loudly along, like Kareoke. I know to expect a lively audience at Mamma Mia but come on! I think the new Sophie is Dutch, so that may explain why you thought her voice was different. And the singing along annoys me too - I get that its a jukebox musical but you're paying money to hear other people sing the songs so why would you drown them out by joining in?!
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 19, 2016 17:37:32 GMT
Anyone heard any rumours about plans for the 10th Anniversary performance? With start time pushed back half an hour and no stalls seats on public sale they must be planning something significant
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 19, 2016 17:27:51 GMT
Hey all - I'm new here but have an interesting one for this thread. The other day I was at Mamma Mia and during the finale/curtain call one of the ushers was up dancing and singing along in the aisle like most of the audience members. I get why she'd want to, but it seemed a little unprofessional. Do you guys agree or do you think it's ok at a show like that?
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