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Post by ABr on Oct 9, 2019 15:26:49 GMT
I saw this on Saturday evening, first time to the Union. There were some great performances from the cast, all of the leads were really strong, though Eleanor Lakin as Dorothy was particularly a stand out. Use of the stage was good, when everyone was one they really filled the space, and some great choreography moments, shout out the ensemble men! As has been mentioned in one of the reviews, the voice that Abigayle Honeywill is putting on for Loreli is good, but it does impede her overall performance at a few moments, for us one of the those being 'Diamonds are a Girls Best Friends'.
The issue we had was that as a show, there is not much too it, and we really didn't feel that it fitted a 'Fringe' theatre aesthetic. Some of the bigger show stopping numbers are meant to transport you, and you really don't get that feel from a fringe style venue like this. Also the second act is very weak, very little happens, and you almost go, 'Is it worth it?' Also 'Diamonds' which is such an iconic number, really didn't work for us, which wasn't helped by the lighting.
Overall, some great performances, but we felt that it required more from some of the production aspects to be presented better in what we would class as a Fringe venue.
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Post by ABr on Oct 9, 2019 12:15:17 GMT
This is also being staged at the Network Theatre in London this week opening tonight. I'm there on Friday. Good to know there's a second chance to see within s month I'm assuming it's a different production Just had a look at the Network Theatre's website about its production, there using a cast of 16, with the roles separated out, where the Chiswick Playhouse production is doing the original 2 male and 2 female performers. So quite clearly two different productions. It also doesn't state if its the original or the updated version of the show. So if you see both, at least you'd be seeing to very different versions of the show
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Post by ABr on Oct 9, 2019 10:44:35 GMT
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Post by ABr on Oct 9, 2019 7:01:06 GMT
Must say I really enjoyed this this evening. Both Daniel Boys and Laura Pitt-Pullford were off so I got to see both covers and oh my days!! Both of them were PERFECTION in their roles as Marvin and Trina. I remember feeling lukewarm towards this cast during the West End Live production and was mainly keen to see Oliver Savile (wouldn’t have minded seeing even more of him if you know what I mean). There’s a dodgy start with 4 Jews in a room but it keeps getting better as the show goes on. I quite liked the simplistic set and the projections were used well although they don’t look particularly high tech. Still, this piece is supposed to be set in the early 80s so I wasn’t bothered by it. At the end of the day, the music and lyrics gave Falsettos it’s reputation and a few decades on, William Finn and James Lapine can still be regarded as geniuses. As I say I feel really lucky to have been able to see Natasha O’Brien who in my opinion was on par with Stephanie J Blocks Tony nominated portrayal of Trina. She found both heartbreak and humour at the best times and really embodied the essence of her character. Similarly Matthew McKenna seemed like the ideal choice to play Marvin and had very natural chemistry with Savile’s Whizzer. But perhaps a stand out was George Kennedy as Jason who received a very well deserved applause at the curtain call. The show demands your attention and unless you’re willing to give it, you’re not going to enjoy it as much as those who do. The multi layered text is to die for in my opinion and the ending is soul shattering after watching how the characters grow and develop over the course of the show. Very glad I booked to see it this evening. Fully echo pretty much everything you said! We were there Monday, and we didn't have Laura, so we had Natasha on, who I thought was sublime! The theatre was I'd say only about half full, granted it was a Monday evening, so it would be interesting to see how full it gets on 'busier' nights> Overall i thought it was a great production!
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Post by ABr on Oct 8, 2019 12:49:36 GMT
What happened with the cast recording for this in the end? Is it still a go-er? I was just thinking of this the other day! Wondering the same thing...
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Post by ABr on Oct 5, 2019 9:24:19 GMT
This is great news! I really hope Rebecca returns to the role, as haven't seen her in anything since Show Boat, so would love to see her again!
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Post by ABr on Oct 5, 2019 7:50:32 GMT
I saw this tonight for what was its third performance and overall I really enjoyed it. As flimsy as the book might be, the score is a dream and has some real earworms in there, from Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend and It's High Time, to I Love What I'm Doing, Bye Bye Baby and the title song. The other real strength of this production is the casting of the two leading ladies, especially Abigayle Honeywill who's an absolute riot as Lorelei Lee. Very funny and quirky, with great stage presence. Alongside her, Eleanor Lakin showcases some stunning vocals as Dorothy Shaw. The show as a whole is a silly and frothy curiosity. It's throwaway good fun but worth seeing, I think. Running time is 1 hour 55 mins including an interval. And brace yourself for the cast to bring that interval to a barnstorming close in the bar! This has filled me with confidence, thank you! Really looking forward to it now
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Post by ABr on Oct 5, 2019 7:21:14 GMT
Can anybody give an idea as to the extent of the circle overhang at the back of the stalls at Leicester Curve please? Curve has fantastic sight lines, you can sit back row of the stalls and you'll have a perfect view of the stage, with very little if no obstructions from the balcony overhang
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Post by ABr on Oct 4, 2019 12:32:15 GMT
I'll be seeing this tomorrow evening, is anyone on here going to see it before then? If so please let us know your thoughts
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Post by ABr on Sept 27, 2019 8:25:04 GMT
Polly is the lead I believe Thanks for that. I wasnt sure who the characters were. To be honest I've only been able to deduce that from looking on the Wiki page, and that's the role that Julie Andrews played in the Broadway production, that brought her to the public's attention! So through that I have assumed that she must be the lead
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Post by ABr on Sept 27, 2019 7:58:04 GMT
This is starting to look good. Love Janie Dee and Tiffany Graves was brilliant in Sweet Charity. Are we still awaiting announcement on the lead or did I miss it? Polly is the lead I believe
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Post by ABr on Sept 26, 2019 7:13:37 GMT
Still mourning the loss of Temper, Temper. It FREAKED ME OUT when I saw it as a kid, but is now one of my favourites on the OLCR. Fully agree with you on this one! It was one of the first new pieces of music that really hit me, and I was so sad to find that it was no longer in the show! I know 'Playing the Game' fills the same hole, and essentially has the same melody, but in my opinion 'Playing the Game' is a far more Superior song!
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Post by ABr on Sept 25, 2019 9:26:38 GMT
Just booked some of the £25 tickets on TodayTix for November! Decided to go with the Royal Circle rather then the stalls, as all of the stalls seats were quite far back, and with the reports of flying, I wanted to make sure we had a fully clear view of all of the stage. We had friends who saw it in Manchester and raved about it, so now really can't wait to see it for myself!
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Post by ABr on Sept 23, 2019 10:32:17 GMT
Ah, you've confirmed the one thing I hadn't been able to! We'd had planned to maybe see this, but I wasn't sure if it would be in English or not!
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Post by ABr on Sept 21, 2019 7:10:32 GMT
I'd be very keen to see this, as I missed it originally! Do you think if they did it, any of the original cast would return for it?
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Post by ABr on Sept 20, 2019 9:52:09 GMT
Initial casting has been announced for this at Cadogan Hall next year! Created a new thread to avoid confusion with the Hope Mill production. www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/ricardo-afonso-lesli-margherita-zorro-concert_49935.html"Ricardo Afonso (Jesus Christ Superstar) will star as the titular Zorro and Diego, alongside Lesli Margherita (who will reprise her Olivier Award-winning role of Inez) and four-time Olivier nominated actress Emma Williams (Half A Sixpence) who will also reprise her role of Luisa. Further casting is to be announced."
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Post by ABr on Sept 18, 2019 12:20:45 GMT
Great casting indeed! I saw this at Curve, but I might have to try and get a cheap ticket to see it again, just for the cast!
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Post by ABr on Sept 17, 2019 12:45:48 GMT
So everything is looking really positive for this - can't wait to see it :-) My only concern is that beyond the MT community, for a largely unknown entity (I'd never heard of the film) and with no household names coupled with the barn on the Dominion - are they really gonna be able to turn a profit? It's certainly an interesting experiment of how well an original musical, cast exclusively with real MT talent, can do in a huge theatre in 2020. Really hope it's a massive success and will encourage other producers to do similar. I always assumed this was a pretty well known film but then again I was raised Catholic so it's likely just my experience in that bubble. Looking it up it made a decent return in cinemas so I don't think the film flopped or anything, but also half its box office is from the US so who knows what part of the other 50% UK audiences actually made up. Either way if you still haven't watched the film rectify that ASAP! It's gorgeously animated with brilliant music and performances. I think the film has a large following, I know people that don't follow musical theatre that have mentioned to me did I know that musical version of the show is coming to London. It was a big deal at the time the film was released, with it being DreamWork's first traditionally animated feature film. And if people don't know the film as such, then people will at least recognise 'When You Believe' due to the high profile names that have released it as singles at the time of release and over the years. I agree that the Dominion going to be a challenge to fill, and from what I've had a look at ticket sales when looking at various dates for myself and friends, there are still plenty of tickets. Its a large theatre, with what is shaping up to be a stellar MT cast, so lets just hope that the show is a good as were hoping its going to be, and its a run away success! Its had great publicity at the moment, so lets hope they keep that momentum up to really get people interested in coming to see it! Fully agree that if its been a while since you've watched the film, revisit it, its something special. And if you've never watched it, your in for a treat!
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Post by ABr on Sept 17, 2019 8:57:32 GMT
Oooh I'll be glad to see this! I've discovered the cast recording a couple of years ago, and was gutted that I missed it! This should hopefully do well for them during the festive period
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Post by ABr on Sept 16, 2019 12:59:02 GMT
The performances seem like they'll be strong which is good! I'm still worried about the direction but hopefully it won't be a problem, it seems like they're putting a lot of effort into the production (and I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that the plagues is in there in some form). I plagues are a vital part of the story, so you hope most definitely that they would feature! And the song that features in the film will sound great with a proper ensemble cast, so keeping fingers crossed!
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Post by ABr on Sept 16, 2019 8:54:38 GMT
Seeing this tonight! Never seen Evita so will be great to go in with such a fresh pair of eyes, and having it be such a split of people liking/not liking it, I'm really intrigued! Just hoping the weather holds out, gonna prepare and wrap up!
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Post by ABr on Sept 13, 2019 9:49:51 GMT
I really hope they do a cast recording of this revival!
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Post by ABr on Sept 10, 2019 11:27:51 GMT
Cast recording confirmed for November 20th! I think its really brave of them to announce a cast recording, and the track list on a new show, before its officially opened. Don't get me wrong, I think its great that its getting one, as it keeps a show alive once its closes. They must be really set on the show how it is, and not planning any changes once it opens in Manchester
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Post by ABr on Sept 9, 2019 10:16:58 GMT
I mean can they class 46 weeks as a “strictly limited engagement”? It’s basically a year! I thought the same thing when I saw the Prince of Egypt booking... 32 weeks? ... anything longer then 2 months in my opinion is not a 'Limited' engagement haha!
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Post by ABr on Sept 9, 2019 9:16:04 GMT
Just seen the prices for this, I think it will be one unfortunately I'll be waiting to get tickets for closer to the time!
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Post by ABr on Sept 9, 2019 9:14:19 GMT
Having lived in Leicester before moving to London, I missed the original production at Curve, and for again at the Menier. So finally managed to get tickets to see it while its at the Ambassadors. We got tickets from TodayTix at around half 3 on Saturday, and managed to get H8-9 in the Stalls for £24.50 each (saving £35 per ticket). The stalls were well dressed, with only some empty seats towards the back, but it was a Saturday evening, and I had no idea how the Circle looked.
Overall we really enjoyed the show, I thought the set was very clever and looked great. We had Rufus Kampa as Adrian, who I thought looked and sounded the part, I think he just needs to slow down ever so slightly, just to make his diction a bit clearer. Rebecca Nardin was our Pandora, I thought she was very good, embodied the character very well and played well against everyone else. Jeremiah Waysome as Nigel was fab, such a cheeky performance, loved his cameo as the postman And finally we had Jack Gale as Barry (clearly the smaller of the child roles), he doesn't have much to play with, but overall a good performance, hands off to the puppet work as well. We did have Mathew Craig on as the George, and quite clearly he had a few fans/family in the audience when it came to the curtain call! I thought he brought a nice quality to the role, and I did find his relationship with Amy Richardson very believable, and was actually quite touched by some of their moments together.
I think this is a great indication of a great homegrown British musical, so I am glad that hopefully more people are seeing it. I just think so soon after the production at the Menier, I just don't think there is the desire to go see it, if people wanted to catch it, they would have booked to see it there. I think it was a missed opportunity when it was at Curve, it should have been a Co-Pro with a couple of different regional venues, with sit downs at each of them, with then a limited run in London. As I don't think the show would do well on tour, with cost being too high (though you could easily change Barry to a adult, since all the other adults play children, and hes the smaller role of the 4).
Overall great performances, and the show was in a great shape, we really enjoyed it, and glad to see a great new British musical, I just think the timing/venue might have not helped this time around.
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Post by ABr on Sept 9, 2019 8:13:46 GMT
Booked tickets to see this on seat recommendations from here, we were in D21 and D22 on Friday night. As advised great seats, I only missed 2 phone conversations, so barely missed anything. So a real steal at £25!
My other half was lucky enough to see the Broadway production, I had very little previous experience with the show, so pretty much went in blind. Overall we really enjoyed the performances, and the overall production, although at times it did feel a tad clunky, but you can forgive that! For us the plot/story itself really hurts the show. This 'whirlwind' affair that happens over the course of two thirds of the show, with no real jeopardy on either side, we really just couldn't connect with that! This is all down to the book, the show has some beautiful music, and both Jenna and Edward I thought were really moving at times, and I did believe their performances, I just feel that pacing and the overall structure of the show really damages it. Generally all the performances were great, for us the show itself let it down! We thought the ice cream scene could be the Act 1 finish, and then Act 2 is about the choice she makes, and the repercussions from that choice. But with having very little knowledge of the original book or even the film I can't comment on how faithful it is to the source material. But like I said for us the shows book is a disservice to the show itself.
Glad I saw it, as its another one ticked off the list, and my first time to the Menier which I enjoyed, really interested now I can see the space knowing how versatility of the space. Shall be returning to the Menier but not Bridges I'm afraid.
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Post by ABr on Sept 5, 2019 16:35:04 GMT
I can't wait for this! The cast looks great, and I can't wait to finish work to have a listen to the snippets they've released, I would hope they do a cast recording, but I suppose that all depends on how well it sells, and if this is the definitive version of the show they want to commit to a recording!
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Post by ABr on Sept 5, 2019 11:54:57 GMT
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Post by ABr on Sept 5, 2019 10:05:04 GMT
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