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Post by viserys on Oct 7, 2023 18:49:57 GMT
I booked for Harmony - the music sounds like such a lovely throw-back to the mega musicals of the 80s and the story of the Comedian Harmonists is such an interesting one, so as a German I'm keen to see how it's told in New York.
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Post by viserys on Oct 5, 2023 8:21:43 GMT
I assumed that maybe Eurydice would be Desmonda Cathabel since she’s only doing a short stint in Aladdin and then not joining the rest of the tour.. thought she must have another job booked plus I think she’d be great I would absolutely love for her to get this role, she deserves a "big break role" in the West End and it would also be great if Hadestown kept up its commitment to proper diversity on stage.
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Post by viserys on Oct 3, 2023 8:13:45 GMT
The orange/yellow with the palm trees perfectly conveys Southern California and its neverending sunshine and adobe architecture, imho. Also my favourite.
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Post by viserys on Oct 2, 2023 14:40:25 GMT
And what is that stupid implication to mean? How wonderful for you if you only ever care for a show's title/content and never for who's in it. Do you need to denigrate those who are keen to see their favourite performers and might take an interest in new shows they would not be interested in if it wasn't for them? Not that I need to explain myself to you, but I've booked plenty of shows and plays based on a subject that was of interest to me and without a care of who was in it. But similarly, I have booked for shows that didn't appear interesting to me because someone I liked was in them and discovered good shows (and some turkeys) this way. So get over yourself and let everyone make choices based on whatever matters to them, it's none of your business.
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Post by viserys on Oct 2, 2023 8:45:49 GMT
The analogy to flying is also not correct: Most airlines will open a new "booking window" at very reasonable prices, then based on demand prices will creep upward until they are extortionate at short notice, because they know that people who MUST catch a plane on the very next day are desperate to go where they need to be going and pay these sums. If planes don't fill up, there may be "flash sales" along the way to encourage booking. But generally speaking, plane tickets start very low when you book a good time in advance, then creep upward, just as train tickets where the "super saver tariffs" are offered early and snapped up.
I would like to see something like a "super saver tariff" for more new shows that are unlikely to become sell-out smash hits, the way "Newsies" did when they initially offered all previews at a super low price. This will have enticed many to book early and then ideally spread the word how good the show was (well, if they liked it).
Virtually all bigger shows have a "presale" now for fans, why not make this more attractive with "book in the presale at 20% off for 48 hours only" or something like that? That would reward the proper musical fans who often book in blind faith for new shows and also theatre lovers who travel far distances for their shows and need to plan in advance accordingly.
Right now all those "flash sales" only reward spontaneous people who live nearby and who are very flexible.
Ever since Covid, people are more and more reluctant to book further ahead (the train strikes and all that isn't helping), making it harder for producers to anticipate box office takings. This will mostly hurt shows that aren't that well-received. Take everyone's present favourite whipping boy (girl) Rebecca: After all the negative feedback Charing X can't hope to shift many tickets at short notice, even if they did offer discounts (which, strangely, they haven't yet). Had they lured people in early with a discount, those seats would be sold now.
At least back in the old days (tm) smaller concert venues especially would add a supplement on tickets "bought at the door" to encourage people to book earlier (and ensure a decent crowd that didn't depend on people spontaneously making up their mind to go on the day of).
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Post by viserys on Oct 2, 2023 6:37:05 GMT
I hope they will change the title, because I assumed this was a single concert (just for one day) of a Live Aid Musical and not a full run.
Can't say I'm excited about another jukebox thing, but at least this time it's my era/style of music. None of the cast members mean anything to me so aren't an enticement to book.
I'll wait and see how this develops, which songs/artists are actually warmed up for this and what people are saying about the show.
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Post by viserys on Sept 30, 2023 8:01:52 GMT
I saw a much smaller version at... I wanna say Southwark Playhouse? It was okay, but nothing to write home about and I definitely can't see this work in a large theatre.
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Post by viserys on Sept 29, 2023 18:22:41 GMT
A group of women left my screening too - just as the Caleb stuff was ramping up. That's around the time I lost interest in the play, too. Not because I was oh so shocked, but because it was simply ridiculous just how much misery was piled on Jude. I didn't leave because I hoped that it would be going somewhere with all its misery, so when it didn't, I really regretted wasting more time on it than had been necessary.
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Post by viserys on Sept 29, 2023 11:42:00 GMT
They did. I still regret I didn't seize the chance to bolt...
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Post by viserys on Sept 20, 2023 18:56:53 GMT
So what do we think the new plot will be if the “steam is old and old of date” narrative is gone? Presumably Rusty can’t be “rusty” anymore? What is Poppa/Momma/Themma’s role? He gets an overhaul and emerges for the final race as Sunny, the solar-powered train.
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Post by viserys on Sept 20, 2023 10:51:49 GMT
because technology and staging have moved on so much in 40 years. Well, in Bochum Mercury has certainly been in retrograde. The green laser beam from the 80s might not be as cool anymore as it was, but it was a million times better than Rusty looking like he swallowed a disco ball. That said, as long as there are skate tracks, I'm absolutely open to whatever they want to do. I think the "human factor" (performers doing amazing things on roller skates) is far more important than any overblown tech wizardry. Does the big bridge look cool? Yea. Is it necessary? Not really.
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Post by viserys on Sept 19, 2023 8:29:42 GMT
ALW mentions that some seats move, Could also simply be that they copy the front stalls seats from Bochum, which are basically turnable comfy office chairs.
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Post by viserys on Sept 19, 2023 8:28:51 GMT
Cast of 40 is insane. Will this actually sell well? Cast of 40 makes me think that my hunch is right that they will employ special skaters for the races to minimize risk of injury for the actual performers, who might not be on skates at all or at least won't need to perform any risky high-speed manoevres. Just before the races, they can skate or walk off the stage and get replaced by the skaters in exactly the same costumes, faces hidden under the helmets. It will make for a much more exciting spectacle (some of the things the stunt skaters do in Bochum are CRAZY) and may make it easier to find good performers. Back in the 80s being in an ALW show held so much prestige and Starlight Express was such a success that it meant steady employment for a long time, that young performers may have been more willing to take the risk of injury compared to today.
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Post by viserys on Sept 15, 2023 9:05:03 GMT
1 JCS 2 Evita 3 Cats 4 Starlight Express 5 Tell me on a Sunday 6 Phantom 7 Sunset Boulevard 8 Whistle Down the Wind 9 Joseph 10 School of Rock
I suppose Starlight Express didn't make the cut because most people in the UK would only know the 1984 OLC now, which sounds very... well, 80s and dated. I'd also place it at no.1 for me personally as a musical, because no musical did more for me than Starlight Express (in Germany) in the late 80s and early 90s, where it was my "safe place" and escape from a sh*tty world, closely followed by Cats, which did similar but was harder to reach in Hamburg.
But if I look at the objective quality, I'd have to place other musicals higher for coherence, good story, good lyrics, etc. I'd rate LND higher for the music, but can't get past the idiotic story.
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Post by viserys on Sept 8, 2023 8:39:08 GMT
It was referenced (with the 5,000 tickets info) when the show was first announced. They've just not put it on sale until now. Ah okay, then I apologize for my misplaced cynicism and say, well done.
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Post by viserys on Sept 8, 2023 7:31:35 GMT
Interesting comment someone made about them essentially just using this offer as a smokescreen to sell seats when it’s not booking brilliantly. That was me. Call me cynical but we're only two weeks from opening and it's not looking that full... That was my first thought, too, tbf If it had come from the generosity of Jamie Lloyd's and ALW's heart, it would have been announced much earlier.
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Post by viserys on Sept 8, 2023 7:25:35 GMT
Top price (and most of the decent seats) £210. It's worth noting that it's cheaper midweek than weekends and gets cheaper towards the end of the run (I guess dynamic pricing hasn't kicked in here yet). You can get those prime seats in the stalls for £166 then and fairly decent seats for £120. There are even still a few £90 seats in the front row of the Dress Circle available giving you a great overview of the stage. Naturally these went quickly on Wednesday already, but they are still there. And yes, that's still expensive, but for most people this is a one-off event like seeing a famous pop star live in concert (at similar prices) and you get a massive spectacle for it (I've seen the pro-shot from Tokyo, it's gorgeous) - I feel I'd get a lot more here for £150 or so than a premium priced Jamie Lloyd play at £95 where everyone loiters on plastic chairs in street clothes for the entire length of the play.
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Post by viserys on Sept 6, 2023 6:58:17 GMT
Will Lloyd just have Norma seated the entire show, like Chastain in “Doll’s House”? That looks to me like the scene where she makes Joe watch her old movies with her. There's a second chair (for Joe I guess) and someone (Max?) standing beside them with a movie projector.
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Post by viserys on Sept 5, 2023 9:55:58 GMT
Well that was fairly easy.
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Post by viserys on Sept 5, 2023 9:23:34 GMT
I think it was their confusing wording in the mail that the booking link would not work before 10am. I stumbled about that too and clicked early almost accidentally, then came to the waiting room.
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Post by viserys on Sept 5, 2023 9:10:34 GMT
I'm at 10722 people now ...
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Post by viserys on Sept 1, 2023 12:29:00 GMT
I think that is a huge likelihood! (with possibly the filmed bits being in "technicolor" - to show the contrast between "worlds") This would actually be inspired!
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Post by viserys on Sept 1, 2023 4:55:40 GMT
For me, it’s the most irritating thing about this board. Not sure why some people are so insistent on doing it! Because it gets them the attention they crave? Look how many are keen on playing the guessing game. If that's actually FUN for some people, let them. If it irritates you, just take a quick look now and then to see if there has been a proper announcement or some other interesting discussion has spawned. It's what I do. We'll know in good time what happens. Personally I much prefer the out of the blue "Oooh, I didn't see that coming" announcements anyway.
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Post by viserys on Aug 31, 2023 5:05:07 GMT
Taking a wild guess here... I'd say danb was being sarcastic. And while I agree that it would be nice if different generations would respect each other's "arts", it's how it has always been, young people sniff at the oldies' stuff, before they start getting old themselves and have the culture of their youth sniffed at. In the present situation I can even understand young people, because so much of the older's generation's stuff hasn't aged well (the sexism and racism of some things I used to love in the 80s boggles the mind now). Though on the other hand I don't understand the vitriol piled onto "Cats" for example, which was a sensational success over so many years back then and has always been "equal opportunities" (although I've had one person construct a pretty baffling case that Cats was very sexist, because the two old male cats were revered by the others, while the one old female cat was despised...) So, I don't know, maybe the young generation would enjoy Starlight Express as something fun (even if the "totally rad, man" changes are rather "totally cringe, man" and no improvements) or they might look at it with the same disdain they have for Cats these days. We won't know unless the show is actually done. gmoneyoutlaw - Andy can't do "woke" as his horrible failure to write something about/for teen girls/young women showed. He did try to address the complaints that "all the engines are played by men, while the women all play carriages who have to attach themselves to a man and have no power of their own" by turning Poppa into Momma and adding a female engine called Coco. Neither makes any significant change in the dynamics. I'm VERY touchy when it comes to sexism in musicals and I never considered Starlight Express a sexist musical. In the end it is Pearl who has the power, making the guys fight over her. If they wanted a strong female engine, they should simply recast Electra with a female performer. The character has always read nonbinary anyway.
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Post by viserys on Aug 28, 2023 8:07:49 GMT
I think it would be quite fascinating (as an experiment) to do an updated version that reflects contemporary problems for the dancers, whether it's (mental) health issues, racism/discrimination or social media stuff - not sure if this is still a thing, but I remember that some years ago, performers were sometimes excplicitly chosen because they had a huge social media following in the hope this would serve as marketing for the show, but maybe producers have by now realized that this can also backfire. There's also regular upheaval around disappointed fans turning against "their" faves on social media for some perceived misdeed or other.
So I think it would be nice to hear fresh stories - but I realize that this would be a fully different show then. If the original is staged, it should be staged "as is" and not be tinkered with. I do wonder though if people would still be willing to pay full Broadway whack for a show set on an empty stage these days.
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Post by viserys on Aug 25, 2023 7:26:24 GMT
If it's really Hannah Waddingham (and let's face it, she'd be great as Miranda) I'm sure she would choose her role for a comeback on stage very carefully while her career is at an all-time high thanks to Ted Lasso and the ESC.
Elton John has been very hit and miss with his musicals, he's written great stuff like Aida, Billy Elliot and Tammy Faye, but also the complete car crash that was Lestat (although his songs were the least of that show's problems). He's stopped touring now, so he has time to focus on actually working on his musicals now (and it seems to have gone quiet around Tammy Faye?).
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Post by viserys on Aug 23, 2023 4:29:41 GMT
I feel like America is more cutthroat about shows that don't work and also less concerned about people losing their jobs and how they will support themselves.
It probably doesn't help that Broadway publishes the grosses every week, so people know when shows are selling terribly. In London all we have is chatter about papering, empty circles being closed and so on, but we have no idea how badly (or not) shows are performing and what's viable.
That said, both Bad Cinderella and now the Britney Spears thing limped on with terrible sales for some weeks before they announced closing and Cindy had a fairly long period between the announcement and the actual closing.
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Post by viserys on Aug 22, 2023 18:41:07 GMT
I'm going on the Broadway Cruise in March 2024
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Post by viserys on Aug 22, 2023 13:27:19 GMT
What is £20 for a workshop now, could and arguably likely will be more and more each year. And their own PR makes this very clear it is a workshop But what EXACTLY is your problem? Since workshops are usually NOT accessible, this is just opening the doors a little bit. It's not like workshops were widely available for free so far. At least this allows fans to be part of the process while so far workshops would only be for insiders or posh folks sipping champagne while nibbling cucumber sandwiches such as the Lord's Sydmonton Festival.
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Post by viserys on Aug 22, 2023 8:58:22 GMT
I don't see how this is different to other shows that develop through various incarnations, i.e. starting at the Edinburgh Fringe, doing some small local production, then a bigger local production and so on, so I don't get the negativity around this.
Nobody is being forced to see this and personally I'd be happy to pay, take a look and give feedback. I'm sure it's already at a stage where they feel confident enough to present it to an audience with a full cast and band, so you do get to see a performance. People pay £20 for much dafter things.
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