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Post by viserys on Dec 20, 2018 17:35:49 GMT
I'd break his legs before I let him anywhere near the car crash that are Stage Entertainment productions
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Post by viserys on Dec 19, 2018 9:41:57 GMT
Same here, this Renthead now in her 40s almost had a heart attack at the very prospect of being able to see Mr Pascal when I'm in New York in April. Were I there in January, I'd most definitely go. Here's hoping Mr Karl needs another holiday in the last week of April. Ahem.
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Post by viserys on Dec 16, 2018 12:07:05 GMT
A hype based one: Hamilton. Did not enjoy it in London at all to the extent I cancelled a return trip. Which is not the musical's fault- I loved it in NY, but at that point it was over-saturated and I just wasn't into it. A year on and actually I may revisit in 2019, the music and the production is wonderful, but you can have too much of a good thing in the wider white noise sense. This
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Post by viserys on Dec 16, 2018 10:24:41 GMT
I generally love them and would love to see more of them in new musicals. Far too few new musicals have proper choreography anyway and when they do, they don't really work for me, i.e. in Hamilton where the company always looks like they forgot half their clothes backstage before running on stage.
It just seems the one in the recent King and I revival was a misfire, due to it being way too long, the rather botched attempt to recreate classic Thai choreography and the fact that the ballet story doesn't really add to the actual story. Yes, we're meant to see the (preachy) parallels between Uncle Tom's Cabin and the court in Siam, but it doesn't work. Most of the other Rodgers/Hammerstein ballets actually forward the plot, i.e. the dream ballet in Oklahoma! reveals insights into what's going on in Laurey's head and the ballet in Carousel gives Billy a look into his daughter's life. On the Town in Regent's Park and American in Paris were great, too.
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Post by viserys on Dec 15, 2018 7:51:45 GMT
I almost always feel in a different show when I'm seeing shows here in Germany. Most of the shows people here go wild for I either actively detest (Tanz der Vampire) or feel completely indifferent about.
I was worried that I wouldn't get the fuss about Company in London and went in with low expectations, but found myself won over.
So I only nominate Follies here. There were some terrific bits in it, such as Tracie Bennett's "I'm still here" but I just loathed the two leading couples and their story so much, it ruined the evening for me.
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Post by viserys on Dec 14, 2018 9:49:49 GMT
Salt aside, it might fit with the recent report on Broadwayworld where they rumbled about "further exciting news for the future of Bat Out of Hell The Musical to be announced"
Maybe they're not yet ready to go public and she let something slip? Perhaps it will be announced when the show closes in London? Okay, perhaps I'm dreaming but who knows. They also have the US Tour set lying around now and I'm sure the German set will soon become available too...
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Post by viserys on Dec 13, 2018 10:16:48 GMT
The tour is doing a detour to Germany in summer for a week, what a lovely surprise to have them turn up on my doorstep in Cologne! Don't know anyone in the cast, but booked anyway just because it's so nice this is coming over.
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Post by viserys on Dec 13, 2018 7:03:42 GMT
So Germany will be getting it first. At least with this one, I don't care when Stage Entertainment messes it up.
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Post by viserys on Dec 9, 2018 13:22:25 GMT
For me it was the most extraordinary year in London ever. Normally I come over 3-4 times a year for a long weekend and always see different shows. This year it were 8 trips in total (well 7 and one still coming up). Normally I see new stuff on every trip and rarely ever manage a return visit to a show I liked, this time I saw Bat out of Hell 9 times (well 7, and 2 still coming up), including the mad dash to and fro just for Andrew Polec's final performance.
Regrets? Zero.
Also caught several other terrific shows like Eugenius, Jamie, 42nd Street and most recently Company, and I got to hang out with some lovely people from the forum here.
Not sure what next year will be like, but my bank account will certainly appreciate a return to normal.
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Post by viserys on Dec 7, 2018 17:35:47 GMT
Did everyone win this bloody ballot? I feel like such a loser. Bah humbug! I didn't win either
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Post by viserys on Dec 6, 2018 9:39:47 GMT
LOL, I thought let me check my Spam folder and saw a Mail "London Palladium - PRESALE: Get tickets to see Michael Ball..." and was like, HELL NO! - then realized it wasn't for Joseph but for some concert of his. Anyway, I wouldn't book for Joseph until I know who's playing the lead. Am I the only one who thinks it's daft to try and flog this without any name attached yet? It's not like this show hasn't been around on tour for years. Also, I'm broke after forking out for Hugh Jackman, so I half hope it will be some boyband/soap actor type I don't care for
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Post by viserys on Dec 5, 2018 10:24:13 GMT
Yea, my friend didn't respond in time, so I ended up saying f*** it and booked for Cologne - it's like 20 mins on the tram to the Lanxess Arena for me, so it would really be ridiculous to go to Amsterdam if it's at my doorstep. I'm still waiting for her to reply to my frantic deluge of texts (and freak out over the price)
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Post by viserys on Dec 5, 2018 10:10:49 GMT
I just booked for Cologne and regurlar tickets range from 63 Euro to 133 Euro. Then there's three categories of Golden Circle tickets (all front blocks) ranging from 181 Euro to 296 Euro. I went for the 133 Euro tickets which got me good seats in the pit area of the venue, second block from the stage. So definitely not cheap but also not as expensive as I had feared for a decent seat. I got so sick seeing the prices for Köln, I told my friend I'd rather go to Amsterdam if we can have the same kind of seats for 80 Euro there. It's more than 50 Euro saved per ticket. German prices are disgusting
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Post by viserys on Dec 4, 2018 14:57:47 GMT
But... but... we need her to be Pearl in the upcoming Starlight revival at the Dominion along with Andrew as Rusty Seriously though, as much as I like her as Raven, I don't see her exude the necessary warmth for the Narrator, who's surrounded by kids all the time. That said, if she did it, I'd be totally there for it. But Hollie Aires has been cast as Pearl. She said at "Unmasked". Haha, I was only joking... so there IS going to be a Starlight revival soon? That's the first I've heard (and should probably be in its own hread).
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Post by viserys on Dec 4, 2018 13:06:50 GMT
But... but... we need her to be Pearl in the upcoming Starlight revival at the Dominion along with Andrew as Rusty Seriously though, as much as I like her as Raven, I don't see her exude the necessary warmth for the Narrator, who's surrounded by kids all the time. That said, if she did it, I'd be totally there for it.
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Post by viserys on Dec 4, 2018 7:29:07 GMT
I would second that. A glitzy huge unique dance spectacle is just the right thing for a glum grey December day and we won't see the like of it for a long while in the West End I fear.
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Post by viserys on Dec 3, 2018 13:11:33 GMT
The Amsterdam concert while not on sale yet lists the top price as 80 Euro - so roughly £70. I expect it to be a bit more in London and here in Germany, but probably not Streisand-levels of crazy. Here's the price list for Amsterdam: www.ziggodome.nl/en/event/7253726662/hugh-jackman
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Post by viserys on Dec 3, 2018 7:15:41 GMT
I finally saw this last Thursday. I had been very sceptical of this as I must be the only person who didn't like Follies very much last year. But it did truly win me over with Marianne Elliot's refreshing concept of a female Bobbie and all-around great performances. I would agree with the sentiment that it seems impossible now to envision this show with a male lead since it fits perfectly for a woman in her 30s wondering whether to choose the path of coupledom/kids/family or enjoying her freedom as she's done so far. And Rosalie caught that ambiguity perfectly, I could see so much of my own mid-30s-self in her, especially the "Tick Tock" sequence when she pictures her future self. I hope she and Marianne will win every award going on either side of the pond for this terrific reinvention of very dated material.
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Post by viserys on Dec 3, 2018 7:06:58 GMT
For those taking about a possible DVD after the cinema broadcast. Bonnie told me at stage door that it's first going into cinemas and onto BroadwayHD and hopefully a DVD after that. So from how she said it, it sounds to me like a DVD is not definitely happening yet but they're hopeful. Tap shoes crossed!! Not to put a damper on this hope, but I don't think BroadwayHD has ever released any of their shows on DVD and it doesn't make sense from an economical point of view - after all they want to sell subscriptions to their streaming service and releasing DVDs would run contrary to that.
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Post by viserys on Nov 30, 2018 7:49:24 GMT
I saw a full-page ad for this in the Evening Standard yesterday just after arriving in London and was surprised that I hadn't heard of this before. For once I'm lucky and he's actually coming to my neck of the woods at a date I'm actually home, so I shall go. Probably. Our Lanxess Arena is the same kind of soulless barn as the O2, so it's either forking out to be up close or not go at all, because what would the point be. So I'll await tickets. The good thing is, since no travel will be involved, I could always try for cheap returns or something on the day of.
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Post by viserys on Nov 28, 2018 9:14:08 GMT
I've seen Hamilton in London just once and Giles was playing Burr that evening - and doing a terrific job.
It may be the luck of the draw. I've twice booked for 42nd Street to see Ashley Day and twice he's been out. I adore Danielle Steers in Bat and yet she's been out three times of the seven times I've seen the show since it opened in April. Still I wouldn't think either of them has a "disregard" for the role they play, I've just been unlucky.
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Post by viserys on Nov 22, 2018 11:41:43 GMT
Scratch that. "You will be invited to login or register." In other words, not unless you register multiple times - and I'd guess risk getting weeded out. I think that's quite fair - better than hardcore fans signing up under their own 20 fake adresses and 20 addresses of various family members and their pet hamster. As for not being guaranteed a ticket - with such a huge demand, I think it's fair too. You get your chance, but if you sit back and dawdle and miss the windows, why shouldn't someone else get the chance?
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Post by viserys on Nov 21, 2018 9:42:38 GMT
Yea, I always considered it a New Year's Sale for the weak weeks in January/February when everyone's too broke for theatre after christmas and the bad winter weather keeps the tourists away. New York does something similar with the "Paint the Town Red" weeks.
GILT used to have terrific seats in its earlier years, I remember getting front rows in the stalls a few times, but last years I checked it would usually be back stalls or something similar, like they were only releasing certain blocks to the GILT sales.
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Post by viserys on Nov 20, 2018 8:27:57 GMT
God Orpheus was a bloody prat, the more I dwell on it, the more I hated him! Well, the old Greek myths are generally not a barrel of laughs, are they.
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Post by viserys on Nov 19, 2018 11:17:40 GMT
Is there a list of all tour dates? Maybe I'm stupid but I can't find a decent website for this tour. I quite liked WWRY back in the day, but the constant negativity around it, kinda soured it for me. With Bat soon gone, I think I'll enjoy hearing this live again and I wonder if some of the Bat cast might go into this as it's similar in style?
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Post by viserys on Nov 16, 2018 6:57:32 GMT
I've seen several productions at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris (which is currently being renovated). It's a slightly bizarre experience to sit in a theatre in Paris and watch a musical with an all British cast (or occasionally mix of UK/US performers) performed in English with French surtitles to an almost entirely French audience. I felt the same, especially as I had tacked 42nd Street onto my trip and had already seen three proper French shows before that. I found that 42nd Street cheap and lame, in fact it put me off seeing the London version completely. I only saw that one when Ashley Day joined because I wanted to see him and it blew me away with its spectacle and joy. Ironically I didn't see Ashley then and I won't see him again on my second attempt in two weeks. Still, I'm glad he lured me into the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
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Post by viserys on Nov 16, 2018 6:14:33 GMT
Alright, you have been waiting for this, so fasten your seat belts, because here comes the rant. Let's begin with the positives, few as they are. The German version is pretty much identical to the London version minus a few bits I'll get to. Stage Entertainment hardly scrimped on the sets, but the ensemble is smaller which makes the stage look a bit empty in the bigger numbers like Dead Ringer for Love. Not sure about the band as I couldn't see them. The sound was okay, but not loud enough for my liking - I like the massive rock'n'roll feeling in London that engulfs you as soon as the first bars start. I was lucky in the typical Stage Cast Roulette and saw almost all first casts except Sarah Kornfeld (Raven) who has been out since the previews and who knows if she'll even be back. Maureen Mac Gillavry was rather dire and the low point of the leads, screeching her way through her big songs and I can't accept the argument that "she's just the understudy" because Georgia Carling is just as brilliant as Christina Bennington and anyway, understudies SHOULD be a match for the first cast or at least come close to them. At least Alex Melcher (Falco) and Willemijn Verkaik (Sloane) were as fantastic as I had expected of them. As for Robin Reitsma, well, I didn't expect a Dutch Andrew Polec and didn't get one, but he was decent enough (I liked him better than Jordan anyway). I don't blame him for "Bat out of Hell" being a mess because even Andrew would not be able to polish this German turd into a great rock number. "For crying out loud" was awful though, with both Robin and Maureen unable to hit the big notes and screeching their way through it like karaoke night at a Spanish holiday resort. If only I had the bucket of sangria to go with that. So, the big issue: As I had expected, it doesn't work at all in German. It's not the right sound and the translation is absolutely awful, often forcing people to sing nonsense that no German speaker would say. I so often got the sense that the performers felt like shackles had been lifted as soon as they could sing a few lines in English, most notably Aisata Blackman as Zahara. When she started "Two out of three" in German, I was thinking, oh God, that girl is awful, who cast her, until she got to the last chorus, where she switched to English and suddenly sounded nearly Danielle-levels of fabulous. Another painful example was "It's all coming back to me now", which started awful in German until all four sang the last part in English and suddenly there was this glorious uplifting feeling that power ballad gives me in London when they all sing their hearts out and the music transports you. These bits in English were even more painful than doing everything in German because it kept reminding me of what could have been. And of course the biggest irony is that they claim to have translated it because "the German audience wants to understand what's being sung on stage" and then as per usual cast mostly foreigners whose heavily accentuated German can't be understood half the time anyway. With six out of nine bigger parts being played by Dutch people, why don't we just play in Dutch anyway? Don't get me wrong, I like our neighbours, but how is it even possible that a country of roughly 17 million inhabitants needs to supply a country of +80 milliom inhabitants with a steady stream of performers? Where is our own talent and why can't we nurture and support it? So, let me try to remember what's different from London/what's the same: The opening monologue is done by Raven instead of Strat, which makes no sense whatsoever. How can the mollycoddled princess in the tower look back on such a rock'n'roll past? It also means we get two Ravens when "All revved up" starts - the real one still on stage and a decoy we only see from the back in her bedroom with Sloane. How is the audience even supposed to make sense of it? And of course we get no introduction at all to what's meant to be our leading man this way. The following songs are pretty much the same as in London. In "Paradise by the dashboard light" the footage was changed from American baseball to old German football footage, which might amuse the odd person but also makes no sense considering we're supposed to be in New York. A warning: While the car goes down a bit deeper than in London, do not sit on the right side of the first few rows in the central section, it will still hamper your view. We were just about central enough to look past it. In "Bat out of Hell" they had scrimped on the effects - the motorbike doesn't explode into several small physical bits on stage, it's just a projection in the background. Doesn't matter really though, because this legendary rock song translated into godawful German (no "like a shadow so fast" is NOT an expression anyone would ever use, argh) was the biggest let down of the evening anyway and also at least two sizes too big for young Robin. He might get there, given a few months and the chance to perform this in English, but again, it's no excuse really, as Andrew rocked my socks off in the very first weeks in Manchester and didn't need months to get into it. (That said, my Mom commented in the interval "hey, that Dutch kid is doing a really good job" and while I replied "um, no, Mom, imagine that song done with about ten times as much energy and a kick-ass rock voice in English and you get there" it probably works better for those who have no comparison). Second act also pretty much like in London. Alex doesn't manage (yet?) to whack the doll's head in mid-air baseball-style but whacks it from the ground like a golf ball. Not a big deal, just amusing, because I always wonder how long it took Rob Fowler to master that little bit. In "Heaven can wait" Raven is interrupted by Sloane in the middle of the song, which I can't remember from London and is stupid, why interrupt her big ballad (not that it was very big here)?
Vocally "What part of my body hurts the most" was the highlight (it had been the video of Willemijn and Alex singing this that had nudged me into booking tickets) but again, was made nearly unbearable by the clunky German that no one would ever use in the real world, so I could only think, "the part of my body that hurts the most are my ears". I have booked for the Dutch concert series with Willemijn next spring and pray she'll sing this song in English then, so I can fully enjoy her vocal power.
Surprisingly there was even a pool into which Falco jumps at the end. For the nitpickers: He even keeps the scar here (perhaps because Alex unlike Rob isn't wigged?). So in conclusion: If you go and see this without knowing much German just to see it again after London closes, you might be okay because you won't realize how awful the translation is. But it's not just that, I really feel that many of the performers are hampered by it and don't sound as good as they could. Quality-wise most are up there with the current London cast, though I don't know how they can solve their Raven problem. For me, personally, it wasn't a disappointment, because I had gone in with the very lowest expectations, so I merely found them confirmed. I don't mind going just to have seen this version and cast. Should Stage Entertainment ever heed the many complaints on their social media on the German translation and offer 1-2 performances per week in English, I would give the cast another chance to show what can do. But as it it, Stage proved to me once more that whatever show they lay their hands on, they manage to turn into a big steaming pile of poo that's certainly not worth the sky-high prices they charge. Me, I look forward to seeing it in London once or twice more before it ends and pray for the miracle that the New York run will indeed happen.
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Post by viserys on Nov 15, 2018 8:28:47 GMT
For me even the set was a let down. it's impressive in a way but they went for a realistic downton abbey feel and it doesn't really meet the mood of the musical. and setting 'you would if you could' in a bath was tacky It would have been less tacky if their Bill had been something to look at. Matt Lucas was cringeworthy. I quite liked the Downton Abbey-feel of the set and the gorgeous costumes. Cast a new decent leading man who can carry the show, sing and dance and either revert the Parchester role back to a man or stick a female performer in reasonable clothes and I think it would do well as a limited run for some months.
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Post by viserys on Nov 14, 2018 19:10:05 GMT
Yea if not even the much better known King and I could sell out the Palladium this summer, I don't think a completely unknown show like this will sell like hot cakes. How much of a draw are these leads anyway? I mean obviously Renee Fleming is a big opera star, but would she attract people to something that's not a) opera, b) a solo concert, c) an unknown musical? And who above 20 has heard of the Disney girl? I haven't. Has she a big enough fanbase that youngsters will nag their parents to see this?
I love the music of this and would quite like to see this, but I'll also wait for discounts. Tbh, I'd rather have a small run at a fringe house like the Menier with West End performers than this strange project.
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Post by viserys on Nov 14, 2018 6:03:59 GMT
I'm not above booking tickets for a football game based on the fact that the away team is bringing the hottest player in the league along. Second row, too. The mother's reaction to my choice of seats: "Oh great, that's the area where they sell chips". Women shouldn't be let loose on football, I suppose. Normally, I’d get annoyed at this comment and my feminist hackles would be raised, but I was once at the football walking along the side of the pitch and the ball got kicked out and flew at me so I screamed and ran off, to the amusement of the crowd! So maybe you have a point, at least when it comes to this woman! 😂 Oh, don't shoot me, most people here know I'm quite a feminist myself - and have been a football fan for many years, who's sat through many a dire game in a cold stadium and followed her team both to the depths of second league and to the heady heights of European football, where I've had the pleasure to meet another forum member even! We see one or two games each season at home (mother's a member even to allow earlier bookings), so it was firmly tongue-in-cheek. She "So what game should we go and see this year?" Me: "Hmm, we can go when Sandhausen comes, they got that Icelandic hottie every lady went gaga for during the world cup in summer" She: "Okay, will you book the tickets?" Me: "Yea sure, let's see... hmm, either second row or far away and high up? Well, second row then, be close to the pitch, see something of the fabled bloke". As for chips, this being Germany and true to cliche, you can get sausages everywhere in the stadium, but only one area has a place that sells chips , I'm amused she remembered. So it's all good, I'll also watch games without Icelandic eye candy, but I don't MIND it
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