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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 12, 2020 10:27:36 GMT
There is not a single thing on this board I could agree with more. (Though his Beadle was very close).
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 12, 2020 10:23:12 GMT
Picked up a copy of the brochure for this years’ New Zealand Arts Festival in Wellington in March & interestingly they’re previewing a week of development labs for a new musical, “The Brief & Frightening Reign of Phil” - written by Bret McKenzie (one half of Flight of the Conchords & Oscar winning composer for his work on recent Muppets movies) which is under commission to the National Theatre. Bret maybe one of Wellington’s favourite sons, but it’s still interesting that the NT are using the festival to develop it in a public forum (all be it on the edge of the world) rather than behind closed doors at their London Studio on The Cut. I’m looking forward to seeing how McKenzie’s work translates to a full scale musical - though his comedy & song narrative background is arguably more accomplished than Tim Minchin’s prior to Matilda so I’m expecting great things. There are obviously many comparisons to be made between the two. Hopefully this will end up on the South Bank within a year or two. 🤞 The Brief & Frightening Reign of Phil - NZ Arts Festival
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 12, 2020 10:03:20 GMT
although it was "by far the best musical in town" It REALLY was. And deserved a run 5 times longer than it received. That cast ran rings around the revival at the Menier.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 12, 2020 9:38:08 GMT
I would have to think long and hard to come up with a less inspiring logo than the revival of “She Loves Me” that was at the Savoy with Ruthie Henshall & John Gordon Sinclair. Such a beautiful show with such a stellar cast. I’m sure the am-dram poster actively put people off.. I’ll add to the list of fails almost every show at the NT in Nick Hytner’s tenure when the marketing department went through their phase of using the title of the play for the poster - but at a jaunty angle. Always the same font. Always a plain background. No graphics. Bland bland bland. And seemed to go on for years...
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 11, 2020 0:49:08 GMT
Starlight Express was workshopped at TOP last year. I dont think Cinderella has had any public outings at all. Which is kinda odd for an ALW show, not even 1 song released yet. Can he go for a personal best and crowbar “Our Kind of Love”/“Love Never Dies” into a third show?
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 10, 2020 13:26:39 GMT
Given the reaction to the Cinderella show logo just released I was curious how this compares with other board members favourite (and least favourite) show logos and posters. Dewynters or otherwise. Much as I may dislike the show the Cats logo from 1981 is as iconic as ever and never bettered in any revision. Similarly the original Phantom poster from 1986 (which I feel gets diluted every time they attempt to modernise it). Conversely the Miss Saigon revival updated it’s logo beautifully & benefitted from the reworking in all the right ways. And sometimes Dewynters’ logos can be just too contrived for their own good, and when Aspects on Broadway reissued their show poster as a waterclolour embrace I felt it was a much better fit for the show than the steganography face from London. I could go on but I’m curious as to everyone else’s favourite/most striking/best suited or most hated designs...
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 4, 2020 22:05:06 GMT
Considering its the great man's 90th birthday this year, so far apart from the Opera North offering, there has been nothing announced . Here's hoping Chichester and the Menier come up with something appropriate. And more inspiring than the umpteenth revival of his most performed work..
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 27, 2019 7:32:36 GMT
I am hoping we will finally get Great Comet and The Bands Visit. I agree these actually would excite me - much more than anything on that list of revivals and uninspired film adaptations. Especially if they found their way to an intimate venue like the Donmar/Menier/Boulevard.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 20, 2019 10:17:57 GMT
I've been told I should watch 4/5/6 before 1/2/3. Is that right I’d agree that you should start with A New Hope. I defy anyone to start with Phantom Menace: it’s ‘trade disputes’, Jar Jar and Jake Lloyd’s diabolical acting and still have the will power to carry on with another 8 movies after. You need the charm and innocence of the originals to see you through. (And Peter Serafinowicz’s deconstruction of the making of it helps too!) The racist tropes & stereotypes in Phantom Menace have aged appallingly (though they weren’t exactly great in 1999 either). Peter Serafinowicz Talks to Richard Herring About Ep I
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 20, 2019 9:57:25 GMT
I do hope it isn’t a total flop box office wise. Just been chatting movies to another middle aged Star Wars fan boy over dinner and I too am finding myself rooting for the ‘under-dog’ here. One youTube review site said they really couldn’t tell if it was going to be a total box office bomb or a billion dollar smash but they could see it go either way. And that was AFTER they’d seen it. It certainly doesn’t fall into the trap of most movies these days of being produced ‘by committee’ and becoming bland and forgettable as a result. I’ll definitely be going (after a few wines).
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 20, 2019 9:49:14 GMT
I’m definitely not a James Corden fan but it takes a particular type of A-hole to slag someone off and @ them on the tweet.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 5, 2019 21:46:12 GMT
Maybe this is something you need to explore with your therapist, theatremonkey.com? 😉 I shall put therapists 3, 4 and possibly 7 and 8 on it indeed... thanks for the idea TallPaul I’m getting distinct ‘Ronnie Corbert in “Sorry”’ vibes off of this. Which is perhaps not fair to Ms Barks. But it’s my default ‘mumsy’ place. Though 5’7” you say? I may be doing you a disservice too @theatremonkey 😉
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 5, 2019 21:42:48 GMT
Fingers crossed - it’s VERY dependent on it’s casting. Jonathan Bailey and Samantha Barks were a fab pairing at The Other Palace. Especially Sam, who gave easily the most likeable Cathy I’ve seen to date. Though for the record Damian Humbley (and Lara Pulver) were both great at the Menier originally too.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 5, 2019 17:46:54 GMT
Australian concert tour of the music of Boublil and Schönberg in June 2020, featuring Lea Salonga, Joanna Ampil and Alfie Boe (maybe). Having seen Jo in Miss Saigon at the Capitol in Sydney all those years ago I’d be very keen to see her and Lea on the same bill. Do You Hear The People Sing - concert tour (Australia, June 2020)
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 5, 2019 16:41:40 GMT
Second trailer just dropped.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 5, 2019 1:39:24 GMT
I once threw a Jaffa cake at Bobby Davro. This needs to be the start of a whole new thread on ‘most random showbiz encounters’.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 3, 2019 22:25:55 GMT
The difference in quality and craftmanship is so gigantic that it can't be emphasized often enough in my opinion. I’d say this thread has given it a damned good try though.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 3, 2019 12:35:02 GMT
Whilst I’d say Cats always had zero chance of being box office number one i am sure the studios aren’t trying to bury it either. And finishing off the scoring to accompany last minute editing changes or the end credit sequence wouldn’t effect the music on the soundtrack which, as you say is long since locked in for physical release.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 3, 2019 12:20:31 GMT
To be fair it’s not much of an acting heavy part. Or much of an anything part really - bar one song. I’m sure she’ll be more than fine.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 3, 2019 12:11:45 GMT
*The Rise of Skywalker even...
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 3, 2019 10:35:34 GMT
The Queen Sondheim?
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 3, 2019 10:33:24 GMT
Peter Jackson is generally tinkering with his movies right up until the 11th hour - thus is the benefit of modern digital distribution. Many contemporary directors work that was all through the film making process actually. As you say @kevinuk it doesn’t necessarily mean one thing or another. And it way always scheduled against Star Wars wasn’t it? Assume they have some market research to suggest that it may benefit from audiences turned off by sci-fi. Or those that get turned away by full screenings of The Last Jedi?
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 3, 2019 9:55:08 GMT
It’s even worse than ‘The Other Palace’. If that’s possible. Was ‘The Other Theatre Royal’ on the cards too? It’s had it’s name since 1672 - social media be damned. I honestly think The Cats movie has finally sent his Lordship over the edge..
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Dec 3, 2019 9:36:23 GMT
The theatre is also getting a 'new' shorter name, once it re-opens, it will just be referred to as 'The Lane'. Oh hell no. It’s not a sodding cocktail bar.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Nov 30, 2019 8:15:42 GMT
I saw the owl in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child but since it only lasted the one show I don't think that was a successful animal on stage. It was beautiful though and a little entertaining seeing them attempting to get it to do what they wanted but what they do instead now is absolutely fine. This is fascinating dippy - I want to know all the owl gossip! Ironically it sounds like completely the opposite story to the Hedwig in the original movies who was so well behaved they hardly ever used the beautiful animatronic made by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop for Philosopher’s Stone. Perhaps they should have dusted him off and put a fresh set of batteries in for Cursed Child. I’m sure he’s just up the road in Leavesden.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Nov 29, 2019 22:28:55 GMT
May 17, 2018 23:41:05 GMT 13 danieljohnson14 said: “She got a mid-show standing ovation when I saw her from the whole Stalls..Just fabulous!”
Not from paulbrownsey she didn’t
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Nov 29, 2019 10:49:51 GMT
Yes. I saw him & he was fine. I would have done too, but to be honest, I have no recollection of him in it. 😁 Did he have any solo lines or featured part in any way? From memory he was ensemble. So “fine” in that he drew absolutely no focus. Something you certainly can’t say anymore.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Nov 29, 2019 7:32:16 GMT
May have to bump Loserville off of my list for the MTC production of Next to Normal in Melbourne which was fantastic. Hopefully a London run can be on everyones list for the next decade.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Nov 28, 2019 23:17:10 GMT
This seems about as likely as Patti doing Sunset again but god if it did happen I think my heart would give out from excitement. WHAT??! Patti’s doing Sunset again?! I’m there..... (Love how rumours start 😂)
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Nov 28, 2019 23:09:32 GMT
Jason Robert Brown's Parade has to be there. (To this day) every time I think of the Donmar Warehouse production, the complexities of the storyline and vocally, I still get goosebumps! 2007 though anthony40. Time is running away with you!
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