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Post by ptwest on Dec 28, 2016 20:29:15 GMT
As I've said before if you get a cheap lottery seat and live locally and have the opportunity to see the show again, it's no big deal if Amber is not on! However, if you have travelled and paid top dollar for a special occasion and not likely to be able to see the show again it is a different matter...... Which is exactly the situation I find myself in! Fingers crossed for Friday night!
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Post by ptwest on Dec 22, 2016 23:25:03 GMT
Just been tonight and really enjoyed it - a fantastic cast and loads of fun. I only booked a couple of weeks ago and the seating plan showed huge amounts unsold, but tonight was virtually full. Glad that booking is picking up as this show really deserves an audience.
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Post by ptwest on Dec 11, 2016 15:42:19 GMT
I dont have an upper limit as such, although I will only pay premium prices in the most exceptional circumstances, and that is under duress. But what the prices have done is make me much more picky about where I sit in terms of view and comfort.
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Post by ptwest on Dec 5, 2016 20:06:52 GMT
Well then I think I shall take my egg mayo sandwiches next time.
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Post by ptwest on Dec 5, 2016 13:36:23 GMT
I haven’t been to as much as I would like this year but I have to say I have found something to enjoy in everything I have been to. My theatrical year started with Showboat at Sheffield, and although I wasn’t blown away by the musical, the staging and performances were excellent – Rebecca Trehearn stole the show for me. Other than that, my regional theatregoing has consisted of seeing the Mary Poppins tour three times, twice in Manchester, although once was with a group of 70 children and then again in Newcastle just before the Great North Run. I cannot praise this tour too highly, a fabulous production where it would appear no corner has been cut. Also in Sheffield we saw the very wonderful “Flowers For Mrs Harris”, which certainly deserves a wider audience. London has been good to me this year, particular highlights including Harry Potter, School Of Rock, and Sunset Boulevard. I have to say that although Glenn Close wasn’t the strongest vocally, I found it impossible to take my eyes off her, something particularly mesmerising about her performance. Going to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child felt like an event and was very special, particularly as I had managed to avoid all spoilers. The year isn’t yet done, with Strictly Ballroom at Leeds and Dreamgirls still to come. Hopefully with both those two 2016 will end on a high.
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Post by ptwest on Dec 4, 2016 9:04:11 GMT
Looking forward to this one! Haven't been back to the Playhouse since Martin Guerre in 1999 so long overdue.
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Post by ptwest on Dec 1, 2016 19:47:18 GMT
Happy birthday! The site is absolutely invaluable - wont book a London seat without checking first. Thank you for all your hard work to make theatre going more enjoyable for the rest of us.
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Post by ptwest on Nov 22, 2016 6:41:00 GMT
Out of all the recordings I have heard by far my favourite is the 1996 recording. The orchestra sounds fantastic and you get Steve Balsamo and Joanna Ampil. Would highly recommend it.
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Post by ptwest on Nov 21, 2016 20:05:39 GMT
Saw this and was blown away by Maria Friedman and the rest of the cast apart from sadly Michael Crawford who I felt was coasting. It's not my favourite ALW score although it does have its moments, but it was just so well sung.
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Post by ptwest on Nov 15, 2016 19:24:36 GMT
Painkillers are an essential for the Palace -I always have some ready just in case!
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Post by ptwest on Nov 6, 2016 15:01:29 GMT
Just read this - sorry this happened to you and hope you are recovering. Fingers crossed the scum behind your awful ordeal are caught soon.
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Post by ptwest on Nov 4, 2016 5:59:43 GMT
Some of these reviews are absolutely unbelievable! Remind me not to book for a show here...
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Post by ptwest on Nov 1, 2016 18:30:19 GMT
Numbers very low compared with many others but it might be the Manchester Palace but have lost count. London it's the Adelphi - Sunset x 2, Chicago X 3, Joseph X 2 , Evita, LND, Sweeney Todd and the Bodyguard which makes 11 overall, closely followed by the Prince Edward.
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Post by ptwest on Oct 30, 2016 16:39:19 GMT
I remember seeing Most Haunted from Drury Lane where they all saw a figure climbing the stairs. Coincidently this happened when they had all the cameras in a fixed position facing the other way. Cant quite remember who Derek Acorah got possessed by on this particular occasion...
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Post by ptwest on Oct 25, 2016 21:24:48 GMT
Loved that tonight. A real feel good show and the children were just fantastic!
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Grease
Oct 24, 2016 20:43:03 GMT
via mobile
Post by ptwest on Oct 24, 2016 20:43:03 GMT
I'm sure in the stage version the teen angel acts as a radio announcer in act one and then as the lead singer of the band during the dance sequence. As well as "beauty school dropout" of course. But then it's a long time since I've seen the show so my memory might be hazy.
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Post by ptwest on Oct 24, 2016 15:41:50 GMT
School of rock and Harry Potter this week!
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Post by ptwest on Oct 24, 2016 13:23:39 GMT
Tomorrow night for me! Side stalls.
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Post by ptwest on Oct 9, 2016 19:04:04 GMT
Have just watched Amber's performance - how fabulous to have that song rescued from its current status as a Saturday night talent show favourite where the only objective appears to be to yell as loudly as possible whilst hitting every note in the world on every syllable! She sounds incredible - can't wait to see this in December.
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Post by ptwest on Oct 2, 2016 20:19:39 GMT
What great stories! Makes me think of two instances that come to mind..
Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus at the Mamma Mia 10th Anniversary night. As a lifelong Abba fan (and yes I am old enough to remember them the first time around!)I must admit to having booked solely because they might turn up, got seats close to the front and hoped for the best. I have never had an experience like it - I felt completely overcome when they came on stage and I just stood there transfixed, although my wife said I had the biggest smile! I think what made it so special for me that it was not just a chance sighting, they were there on official Abba business. It felt like a chance to show my gratitude for all the pleasure their music has given me over the years. I don't think any other stars have had such an effect on me.
The other is non theatrical but if you will forgive me... One of my other musical obsessions has been Madonna, right from the start. To cut a long story short, thanks to a phenomenally lucky piece of late booking for last Decembers concert in Birmingham, I found myself at the tip of her catwalk, front row, dead centre. This was exciting enough, but at one point in the show she threw her maracas out into the crowd. Of course they headed in my direction, and in the scrum we all managed to drop them. Next thing I knew, Madonna was stood over me, demanded to know my name, told me off for dropping the maracas, and then announced to the arena that I was to have a spanking later! I would love to say that I acquitted myself in an articulate manner but apart from shouting my name (which took a few times before she got it) I was so dumbstruck I think all I could manage was some sort of gurgling sound, followed by a moment of blind panic that she might actually get me up on stage as I knew that later in the show an audience member was brought up. Thankfully I was spared that, star struck as I was, I wasn't ready for that!!
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Post by ptwest on Sept 18, 2016 19:55:40 GMT
.[/quote]Does it really matter whether or not West End actors are famous? All that matters is if they're good at their job. Actually I'm glad the West End is different in that regard. At least West End shows don't revolve around one performer.[/quote]
I completely agree on terms of show quality. My original point was that from a marketing point of view, having a star name (unless the show is the star) must be really helpful. That's why I really admire the casting of this show for going down the quality rather than household name route. Of course those of us on this board would tend to be the people "in the know" and are not reliant on having seen performers on the telly. The wider ticket buying public will probably not know who most of the performers are, and will be drawn in either by the story or Gary Barlow's name!
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Post by ptwest on Sept 18, 2016 16:56:43 GMT
And at work, my favourite is any variation on "that might be acceptable for you at home but it isn't in my classroom."
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Post by ptwest on Sept 18, 2016 16:30:36 GMT
A grandmother (?) and a child (aged 3/4) sat directly behind me and a friend who talked loudly the whole way through Act One. Not just the child but the grandmother. I turned round several times but could not catch the grandmothers eye as she was fully focused on the child and not the stage. At one stage she was actually pointing upwards to something to the child - heaven help the people behind. At the interval however, just before I sat down (and after a prosecco) I did tell her to stop talking as she was not at home on the sofa watching the DVD! Plus of course my "death stare". Not a word was uttered during Act Two. Oh Ive encountered so many people like this. I remember the toddler at Jersey Boys when it was still at the Prince Edward. Lots of "Mummy, he said XXXXX" when any character swore followed by a pantomime gasp from the parents and an explanation that it was a bad word. Then the joyous jigging about when "Oh What A Night" started as it was clearly the song that the little tot knew. Parents far more interested in seeing that their child is having fun than having any awareness at all about people around them.
But then, as part of my day job, I get so many parental letters and communications that I change things purely for their child without any consideration of the other 30 in class. One tried to make me cancel a school trip to the theatre because her little darling didn't want to go. Another 65 children did want to but never mind.
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Post by ptwest on Sept 18, 2016 15:17:17 GMT
I am delighted that they have cast musical theatre stars rather than celebrities. The presence of Claire Moore and Joanna Riding was almost enough to make me see this in Leeds. But not quite enough.
I suppose the difficulty now for casting and marketing is that going back into the 80s / early 90s you had people like Elaine Paige, Barbara Dixon, Michael Ball who were stars primarily for being in musical theatre. It was a genre of celebrity in its own right, and these were and still are well known. Now I struggle to think of anyone from the world of MT who has become a big celebrity purely because of that. There are plenty who have moved into theatre (or used the internet to promote themselves) from the world of Celebrity and also plenty of stars within the genre, but theatre as a whole doesn't appear to have the same crossover appeal that it once did in terms of creating celebrities. So any producer needs to make the choice of either casting musical theatre actors who can do the job brilliantly but the wider audience might not have heard of, or going down the celebrity route with mixed results.
I realise that is a huge generalisation and there will no doubt be plenty of examples of those who have become huge stars .....
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Post by ptwest on Sept 14, 2016 21:19:05 GMT
Have succumbed and booked for the second preview, a £39.50 seat at the end of Row N as I have a spare night in London. Haven't actually heard a note of music from this, but I really like going to a show knowing nothing about what I am going to hem ear. Last time I did that was Memphis - hopefully this will turn out as well as that did!
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Post by ptwest on Sept 13, 2016 12:47:12 GMT
Saw this on Saturday night at Newcastle - a good way to relax before the Great North Run!
The set just about fitted on the smaller stage, there was certainly less space at the sides, but it didn't detract from the show at all. Through a combination of school trips and my own visits I have now seen this tour 5 times, and the cast are my favourite overall since the originals, especially now Neil Roberts has taken over as Mr Banks. Rebecca Lock, Matt Lee and Wendy Ferguson were outstanding. I cannot fault Zizi Strallen's performance but there is something I don't quite gel with, my favourites so far being Laura Michelle Kelly and Lisa O'Hare. But I am more than happy to put this down to personal taste rather than any inadequacy on her part. Overall though, its wonderful to see a tour in such great shape - after all the controversy over Ghost, its a great reminder that being on tour doesn't have to mean low quality and stunt casting.
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Post by ptwest on Sept 12, 2016 14:52:20 GMT
At "Mary Poppins" at Newcastle on Saturday night. Two women come in from the interval after the lights have gone down, making everyone move. One has large leather shopping bag full of stuff and sits down next to me. Spends the first 5 minutes of the second half rustling around looking for something. Clearly whatever she was looking for was right at the bottom and is hard to find in the darkness. I'm showing my age here but she reminded me of Nanny from Count Duckula and the way she would produce all sorts from her bag! Pulls out a drink. She cant put the straw in so then asks her friend to do it for her. Has a quick chat with her friend, then starts again. By this time kites are being flown on stage and she finally finds the bag on minstrels she was looking for. Rather than simply hand the packet to her friend, we had a rather loud "do you want a minstrel?" at which point my patience snapped. She was quiet after that!
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Post by ptwest on Sept 5, 2016 19:46:30 GMT
Yes, it is comic - but it can also be very sinister and disturbing. A good director can make it work. I love it too, and I agree completely that it's a perfect moment of light relief in an incredibly dark second act. For me it was one of several great moments in the Lyceum production... When Mary screamed as Pilate packed Jesus off to see Herod, telling us that this was looking even worse for him than it was looking before. And then Nick Holder spinning round in that chair, draped in beads hanging over that huge stomach. Quite different from anything we'd seen before. Revoltingly sinister and disturbing... I suppose what I meant is the song doesn't feature in any form anywhere else in the show. It's a stand-alone. Whereas almost every other song has overlaps or shares themes or whole melodies with others. This is exactly right - I have seen too many productions when the Herod song is done as a full on comedy number and it completely derails the mood and atmosphere. The Lyceum take on it was perfection.
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Post by ptwest on Sept 5, 2016 19:13:02 GMT
Well Ive never been to stage school so given that my entire experience is this programme and the TV series of Fame, I believe that it is perfectly normal for people there to burst into song with full backing at every emotional crisis, with a camera crew picking up multiple camera angles. How could it possibly not be real?!!!!
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Post by ptwest on Sept 4, 2016 21:12:04 GMT
For me - Master of the house.
Almost like they thought ok, the first 40 minutes have been a bit depressing, we need a crowd pleaser. It makes the Thenardiers comedy villains which is at odds with the rest of the show.
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