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Post by showoff on Dec 11, 2022 18:22:55 GMT
I don’t care what anyones gender is either, I couldn’t be less interested, but I do really need single sex toilets for a venue to be comfortably accessible to me. Many people do. The reason is no one’s business really - it may be due to religious belief, history of trauma, whatever - but no one should be made to feel like an old fashioned bigot for not wanting to share toilet facilities with people of the opposite sex, it is absolutely no comment on anyone’s gender identity. Venues are actually making spaces less accessible by only offering unisex facilities. It’s perfectly possible to offer female, male, and unisex facilities, to cater for everyone’s needs with no judgement on the reason for those needs, nor judgement on anyones thoughts around their own or anyone else’s gender. I find the toilet situation at the Playhouse difficult, and ended up having to use a toilet with urinals in it due to urgency (medical issue as well, lucky me) and being quite uncomfortable and distressed about it to be honest. It was a big dint in an otherwise lovely evening. If you're in a stall, with a locked door, there is absolutely no reason you cannot share a SINK with someone of the opposite sex. I say this as a victim of serious sexual assault. Go sit on your toilet and get on with your night. Why are you so obsessed with who is in the stall next to you? And if you can't sit in a stall without who is wondering in the stall next to you, you care what their gender is. Is it your place to dismiss every persons concern? I recently had a really horrible experience at the Barbican Centre where a guy followed me into the disabled toilets and was acting so strangely and aggressive, as a victim of sexual assault it made me go cold. When I was in there with a locked door he was in the communal space and wouldn't even leave me alone then. There was nobody else around in that area, I had to text my friend to come to the toilet to meet me and so there was someone else there. It's not yours or anyone's place to dismiss other women and the fact they don't want to be in the area of a toilet with a man in the name of progress. And I say all of this as a queer woman.
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Post by showoff on Dec 11, 2022 18:18:26 GMT
Trans women are over 4x more likely to experience violence than cis women. Go to the bathroom. Sit in the stall. Do your business. Wash your hands. Get on with your day. The bigotry is repugnant. Where are these statistics though? Because pretty much every woman I know has experienced violence (male violence). It's not bigotry to worry about any man being in the same space where women are automatically vulnerable. This is the thing, you shut down anyone's concern with cries of bigotry and it's not. Opening all women up to abuse so you don't appear bigoted is not the answer to it.
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Post by showoff on Jul 16, 2022 12:55:50 GMT
It would be super awkward if we didn’t clap after musical numbers though! Sometimes when it’s directed so that there’s dialogue immediately after a song and you don’t get to clap, or it gets quickly curtailed it feels sooooooo wrong. It does happen though, in Cabaret you didn't get to clap on the absolutely outstanding Fraulein Schneider's What Would You Do. I mean Liza literally stole the show with that one, amazing and no applause at the end.
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Post by showoff on Jul 15, 2022 20:14:34 GMT
Going on what I was talking about, Amber Riley being clapped and cheered while holding her last note of And I am Telling You, the song is actually designed NOT to get an applause, The Dreams come in just after she's finished singing Love, Love Me. She's supposed to have sung her heart out and hasn't even earned an applause. It's literally designed that way, and yet.....
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Post by showoff on Jul 14, 2022 12:52:21 GMT
One I really remember was in Dreamgirls, Amber Riley was holding the note and people started clapping and screaming, but she was still holding it, let her finish and THEN clap, it would have been even more impressive!
People just want to hear themselves make noise, I'm pretty sure!
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Post by showoff on Jul 13, 2022 11:09:30 GMT
Those two, just always stunning!
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Post by showoff on Jun 1, 2022 21:59:44 GMT
Really? I don't think so, he would still be helping the industry to go into something else, something new. The press being back is not the same thing as being the opening cast, no build up, no awards. It just wasn't going to happen. I still think it's the sort of thing he'd really love to do. I bet he'd rather do it now than wait for the next revival. Only sticking by the conditions for playing a part that you mention, I think would be pretty shallow for any actor. And as discussed recently on another thread (or maybe it was this one), you can get nominated for a takeover. Not many get nominated for a takeover, if ever really. He may want to wait if it's going to Broadway and try there instead. This argument is moot though, because he's clearly not going in it anyway.
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Post by showoff on May 31, 2022 17:10:52 GMT
He's a huge star, I could never see him going in as third cast. He would if he really wanted to play the part and valued the contribution he could make to a theatre industry struggling post-Covid. They'd get the press back in to watch him, so it's not like he'd go unnoticed. Not necessarily a wholly accurate comparison but Roger Allam went in to La Cage AFTER Graham Norton, also third cast Really? I don't think so, he would still be helping the industry to go into something else, something new. The press being back is not the same thing as being the opening cast, no build up, no awards. It just wasn't going to happen.
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Post by showoff on May 31, 2022 15:33:55 GMT
What happened to Daniel Radcliffe? He's a huge star, I could never see him going in as third cast.
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Post by showoff on Apr 23, 2022 17:15:29 GMT
Oh for God's sake, it's a cast board, how could they object to a photo of that? Ridiculous. I suspect it's a 'slippery slope' issue... if they allow a photo of the cast board, that same person could quickly turn and take a photo of something else. (I've no idea if there's anything else nearby that would be worth photographing!) Or they don't want to have to explain "it's ok to take a photo of the cast board, but you can't take a photo of the performers" or deal with "they took a picture, why can't I?" I get that, because it's right where the pre-show performance is and also the whole setting of it. Maybe they could solve this and put it where you walk in instead, people could take a photo before putting their phones away, and also it would be in a clear position, I completely missed it when I went as the performer was blocking it with her accordion!
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Post by showoff on Mar 15, 2022 17:53:30 GMT
So piqued with curiosity I had a search on YT First one that came up she seemed flat for the first three lines. At the end she broke off the big finish mid ‘...ret...!!!’ Is that how she usually finishes it? 🤔😬 Character choice. And given how she uses that voice in other sections of the title track, we know she has the note. It’s a character choice and it was stunning. It's different hitting the note and sustaining it for the big finish. I had a listen to it yesterday and actually thought she was having vocal trouble.
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Post by showoff on Mar 13, 2022 22:08:43 GMT
I've always been very lucky and somehow never missed a "star" when I saw a show with star billing (Although I've probably now just jinxed myself). I think if I did, I wouldn't so much want a refund, I'd want to exchange my ticket for a different performance. I understand this isn't possible for every audience member though, so I think the classy thing to do in this situation might be to offer something extra. A free programme and a drink perhaps? I may be misremembering, but I read years ago that audience members seeing On The Twentieth Century were sent a copy of the cast recording after Kristin Chenoweth missed a performance (I believe, I can't remember the exact details). Little things like this don't make up for it entirely of course, but it does seem like a much nicer gesture than just saying "Soz, those are the terms and conditions, next please!" I've been lucky, but in a different way. I've missed Jessie in this but absolutely loved Emily's portrayal so count myself lucky there. I also had tickets for Funny Girl during Sheridan's famous absence. I went to the show not knowing what to expect from the understudy and was completely blown away by Natasha Barnes, she gave an unbelievable performance I still put up there as one of the best I've seen on the WE stage. We went back to see her in the role even when Sheridan was back and I remember arguing at the time of the awards that it was crazy that Sheridan should get the nomination as she wasn't even the best person performing that role at the time. So I've been lucky in seeing the understudies I have. I do, on the other hand think some kind of explanation should be made, especially if she's not too ill to not do the show the whole time and is fine otherwise, and if there is a new schedule they've put her on, let people know. In the ROH if a principal dancer is unable to perform beforehand you get an email to let you know and the director comes out before the show to let you know too. I had tickets to Swan Lake the other week and Marianela Nunez caught COVID and I had an email the day before to say she wouldn't be performing(luckily I also had tickets for her performance on the 10th too). I think with the money spent, it would be a courtesy to fans to let them know what's going on.
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Post by showoff on Mar 13, 2022 18:50:00 GMT
Hand on heart, I really genuinely think Sutton Foster was incredible. Not knocking this or any other show or performance, but it feels so clear cut if you're basing it on quality of performance. For the sheer amount of work she had to do on that show, the singing combined with the dancing, the very high energy dancing she would do just to turn around and then belt out the killer notes for the end of the songs, it was a performance that needed absolutely everything and massive talent and stamina, and she had it all.
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Post by showoff on Mar 12, 2022 14:11:39 GMT
So both Eddie and Jessie are nominated for the Oliviers. Great to see this production being nominated in several other categories too. But the one I was most pleased to see was Liza Sadovy’s Best Supporting Actress nomination - her performance really moved me when I saw this back in January. Fingers crossed for her! Me too, and I was delighted when I saw the nomination, it was a standout performance. I was so moved by their It Couldn't Please Me More and and her What Would You Do was one of the best moments of the show for me, when the stage had risen up and she hit that note, stunning. It's one of the moments that has stayed with me the most from the whole show, so moving.
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Post by showoff on Mar 2, 2022 21:41:33 GMT
I'm kinda surprised this is aiming for a long run anyway. I actually just expected it to be a temporary "prestige" production for a limited engagement. I really didn't considering the money they poured into it. The whole changing of the theatre to the Kit Kat club would seem a waste for a limited run.
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Post by showoff on Mar 1, 2022 20:58:58 GMT
Having been lucky enough to see Eddie and Jessie in this, I must say, if they keep their sky high pricing, I'll understand raised eyebrows. I'm sure the new cast's interpretation will be different and amazing in equal measure, however... That said, this was very much a production sold on its two leads, so time will tell if it will progress successfully Would I have been happy going to Hello Dolly in NYC with Bette Midler and then find out she wasn't on, or I'd have been rebooked to a performance without her, I'll be honest, I'd have been be very disappointed (thank goodness she was on) On a lighter note, when the announcement was made, my friend text me and said, OMG, it's Annie Lennox!!! When I checked, I suggested she put her glasses on. Sweet Dreams Are Made of This I actually read it as Annie Lennox at first and didn't understand what was going on!
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Post by showoff on Mar 1, 2022 12:41:55 GMT
It's a veritable "who's that" of a cast. £250, you're joking, surely? Or over £300 in some cases. I think they will surely have to drop the prices.
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Post by showoff on Mar 1, 2022 11:33:55 GMT
Loads of thirty pounds tickets are now on sale. Just got one for June. Worth a return at that price. Whereabouts are they?
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Post by showoff on Feb 26, 2022 18:41:52 GMT
Oh cool, that makes sense. I wish thry would use their twitter account or something to let people know who they should be expecting to see.
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Post by showoff on Feb 26, 2022 18:31:06 GMT
Hoping Buckley is back for Monday evening, but either actor covering Sally has received sparkling notices. Will be slightly disappointed, but that’s the gamble with live theatre. Emily was absolutely amazing, she gave such an emotional performance, just wonderful. Was Jesse back yesterday, I saw on Twitter earlier someone say they saw her, but it could be they didn't recognise who it really was.
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Post by showoff on Feb 26, 2022 14:18:23 GMT
I think it's very intriguing casting, since both will have to go for a radically different version of the characters from Redmayne's and Buckley's. I think Coughlan might have more appeal than people here think, but yeah they'll need to lower the prices for sure. Yeah, it's interesting, but I cannot see people shelling out the big money for those two and I'd imagine they'll have some empty tables. Is this confirmed now?
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Post by showoff on Feb 25, 2022 16:27:42 GMT
Buckley was out again tonite. Has there been any reason given for this? I didn't even see the cast board, I have no idea where it was, I'm guessing it was the bar, but there was so much going on I didn't see it.
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Post by showoff on Feb 24, 2022 12:07:35 GMT
Saw this last night. Left me cold somewhat. I didn't like Eddie Redmayne at all, I think he's woefully miscast. And his singing voice is atrocious. I saw Emily Benjamin (?) as Sally and she was quite good. The rest of the cast were kind of second rate, no stand outs for me. I'm sure this will sweep at the Oliviers though, it's the type of show they'll fawn over. I thought the staging was messy, and I hated the stylised movements in Willkommen and Cabaret. The ensemble stood out for me, I have to say. They were all great, and understood the style and period. Hated the pre-show stuff, found it unnecessary. This production doesn't strike me as especially innovative or impressive, since it copies a lot of what Sam Mendes did with his revival. Still waiting for someone to break the mould and shock me with a new take on this show. I think we were at the same show! I thought the ensemble were on top form, very slick, not a stray movement between them and no way they could be called second rate. I particularly thought the person who played Helga was a standout performer, but they were all pretty excellent. And Fräulein Schneider for me was one of the most stand out secondary character performances I have ever seen on stage, she brought so much emotion and humanity to the role.
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Post by showoff on Feb 24, 2022 12:01:24 GMT
The day I went the dancing bit was really short, just a couple of minutes or even less. The performers really struggled to persuade patrons to join them on stage, and the whole thing ended up just being three people doing a silly conga. I went to a matinee though, maybe evening patrons are more eager to participate. We only had three as well, but they only asked three (there was way more willing I think, I know I would've gone up!)
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Post by showoff on Feb 24, 2022 11:58:19 GMT
Well I went the other day and I thought it was amazing, the show and the experience as a whole with the performances as you came in, I loved everything.
We had a call to our table and it was so much fun, I was asked to twirl to show my dress. And in Don't Tell Mama I spotted Eddie up on the balcony and pointed him out and he was blowing kisses down.
We had the understudy Sally but you couldn't tell the way she commanded the stage whenever she was on. Both her and Eddie were just blow out performances and Fräulein Schneider was one of the other best things in the show, my god, that note she holds! The only annoying thing was she doesn't get an applause for such a standout number as they carry on with the dialogue afterwards.
A few people were full out weeping by the end of it.
The only slight criticism I have is the food on the tables is awful, really, really bad. All I ate was five cubes of extremely cold chicken and the tiny desert ball. I was relieved when that brownie came in the interval! I've seen better food on the salad bar in Morrisons, I really hated it! And the only time I was a little annoyed about the staging was In cabaret as Sally finished the song and all we had on our side was a view of her back. That's the only time I felt it failed on our side.
But hands down the best show I've seen.
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Post by showoff on Feb 22, 2022 14:17:57 GMT
For anyone who has been, can you tell me when they tend to do the dancing onstage in the interval and the phone bits before?
I don't want to miss them and I'm usually popping to the loo before the show and in the interval but don't want to miss either of these bits.
Thanks!
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Post by showoff on Feb 22, 2022 11:57:15 GMT
I think the problem with them is that it technically reduces the amount of women's toilets, when there's already an issue there compared to the men (see the queues people have posted about awful queues for the ladies). There's still the same amount of toilets, but they're inviting men to also use what would be the ladies. Surely, it's the other way around. They are inviting ladies into what would otherwise be the mens. Why would men join a queue for a "cubicle" when there isn't a queue for a urinal. The jumpsuit lady in question says she was "forced" to use the urinals, which blatantly isn't true. She had the option of joining the queue for the cubicles (formerly ladies) or using the cubicles in the urinals (formerly mens). there was 2 days of twitter commentary on the subject, and it all seemed very biased and "oh poor me and my bad decisions" No, statistically it's been shown that it reduces the amount of toilets available to women. Women on the whole will not want to use cubicles next to urinals. Caroline Criado-Perez has done a whole thing on why making toilets gender neutral actually reduces women's access to toilets and decreases the amount open to them because men's toilets remain men's and women's become neutral.
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Post by showoff on Feb 22, 2022 11:26:57 GMT
Watching This Morning right now (don't judge me... I am working from home today) and a woman is on complaining about the gender neutral toilets at Cabaret. She is saying she used one of the cubicles and didn't like the fact there were men outside the door and there was a gap above and below the door. Matthew Wright saw no issue with it but the other woman felt we were going backwards rather than forwards and they have just asked viewers for their opinion. Apparantly the woman was wearing a jump suit that she had to take off - how very 70s! I think the problem with them is that it technically reduces the amount of women's toilets, when there's already an issue there compared to the men (see the queues people have posted about awful queues for the ladies). There's still the same amount of toilets, but they're inviting men to also use what would be the ladies.
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Post by showoff on Feb 22, 2022 10:05:06 GMT
I'm going tonight and if it's true she's not on I'll be very disappointed to say the least. With the amount they're charging, they owe some kind of explanation.
I wonder if she has commitments for the Oscars, you have to campaign for it, so it's possible she's off doing that.
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Post by showoff on Dec 20, 2021 22:35:53 GMT
Thanks for the advice folks, I’ll see what I feel like on Wednesday. Probably a good idea to wait until Wednesday, by then you'll know which shows will be open. I think a few more will be closing down before then and they'll be lots of tickets for most everything as people are returning them too.
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