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Post by princeton on Jan 21, 2019 22:57:32 GMT
I suspect this went to the case of the Broadway producers having deeper pockets than the UK counterparts. Indeed the Broadway producer has very deep pockets - estimated to hold around $100 million. He's also highly litigious and has already had his own legal battle against the Harper Lee estate - which was settled out of court. It's pretty well known that a certain London based musicals producer is a bit of a control freak - apparently he's a pussycat compared to this American film and theatre producer. Anyone familiar with the film Swimming with Sharks, or its stage incarnation which was seen at the Vaudeville a few years back, will not forget the character of montrous movie producer Buddy Ackerman (Spacey in the film, Christian Slater on stage) - who is allegedly based this particular person.
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Post by princeton on Jan 19, 2019 20:38:01 GMT
sf is right - the starting point for Tony eligibility is the first night billing. However there have been quite a few exceptions to that - and producers can request (though not insist) that actors are sometimes considered in categories which run counter to their billing. This has happened a few times - and some make little sense. For example, in the original 1987 production of 'Fences' Mary Alice won Best Featured Actress for playing Rose, while in the 2010 revival Viola Davis won Best Leading Actress for the same role (she then won the Supporting Actress Oscar for the film version!). Likewise Geraldine Page was nominated as Best Leading Actress for playing Madame Arcardi in Blithe Spirit (1987) whilst Angela Lansbury won the Best Featured Actress Tony for the same role in 2009. No consistency at all.
Company was even more complicated. The entire cast, excluding covers, was billed above the title - though in varying different sized fonts. Dean Jones who created the part of Bobby, had top billing - and in the largest type - but he only stayed with the production for a few weeks after in opened - so his replacement Larry Kert was actually nominated for the Tony as Best Leading Actor. Elaine Stritch - who arguably had second billing - at the end with an and and in slightly larger font from most for the cast - was considered Best Leading Actress along with Susan Browning (April) - who was way down the cast list. Barbara Barrie - playing Sarah - was billed immediately below Jones/Kert and the same size as Stritch - and yet was in the Featured Actress Category. All most confusing (I was trying to find a photo of the billing which could post - but have failed).
Perhaps also worth noting that Sheila Gish won Best Supporting Performance in a Musical at the 1996 Olivier Awards for playing Joanne in the Donmar production. She was up against Sophie Thompson as Amy. So there is precedent for Joanne as supporting and I can't see that there's any way the producers would want to have Rosalie Craig and Patti LuPone up against each other in the leading actress category this year.
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Post by princeton on Jan 16, 2019 12:43:17 GMT
Oh wow, the costume design for the new production really is almost identical to the original isn't it? In fairness - costume design is the one element where the new production credits the original - with both Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowland billed as costume designer.
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Post by princeton on Jan 15, 2019 23:03:49 GMT
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Post by princeton on Jan 15, 2019 2:04:18 GMT
I think this might be a key factor in audience expectation and enjoyment, particularly for a show like this. I'm an unashamed Sondheim devotee. I saw this production (I've seen at least 10 previous productions) in preview and having being slightly sceptical about the updating and gender switch I loved it - one or two niggles notwithstanding. It was up there with my favourites. The audience, too, lapped it up. I saw it a few weeks later - and even though the element of surprise had gone - I still adored it. I saw it for a third time last week - an almost full house - unlikely to be rabid Sondheim fans as it was now into the second booking period but no doubt lured by the plethora of five star reviews and a desire to see the latest smash hit musical. To say the atmosphere was muted would be an understatement. Scene after scene played to almost no response. The karate scene, the balcony scene, the pot smoking scene - they all seemed to drag on forever barely raising a laugh. Another Hundred People - meh. Only with Getting Married Today did the audience, and the production, seem to leap into life - though slumping immediately after. The interval came and went - and things were little better. The audience seemed baffled by Tick, Tock, amused by Barcelona and entertained by Ladies Who Lunch. Being Alive, which had previously brought the house down - received enthusiastic applause - no more. And then it was over. When I was leaving I heard "It wasn't what I was expecting", "I wouldn't have given it five stars" "I'd not want to watch that again" and most deadly "It wasn't really a proper musical was it". In almost every respect it was exactly the same production which I'd seen, and loved, and raved about, twice before - and yet somehow it wasn't. It was the same actors, singing the same songs, saying the same lines - the only thing which was difference was the audience - and that had completely transformed the show. I had no desire to see it again, I wouldn't give it five stars. I don't know what the audience was expecting - maybe tap dancing, maybe barricades, maybe singing animals - but this wasn't it. Honestly it was one of the oddest evenings I've spent in the theatre. I apologised to my friend - oh it's OK I quite enjoyed it - she replied. But that wasn't really enough - I'd promised groundbreaking brilliance, near perfection - not mildly entertaining. So I don't really know what the take out is - was I just unlucky to go on an evening with 900 people had booked for the wrong show, do I just have to accept that not everyone thinks Sondheim is a god, or is it a case of over praised and over priced and so not able to live up to expectations? The only thing that I do know is that I immediately booked for the last night. I couldn't let this be my abiding memory. Fingers crossed.
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Post by princeton on Jan 14, 2019 0:41:07 GMT
I remember something similar with the original Broadway production of The Color Purple. Oprah's name was on either end of the marquee - with The Color Purple on the front - and 'presents' in small type on the corner. I can't find a picture from the front of the theatre - but this is what it looked like as you walked up Broadway to the theatre.
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Post by princeton on Jan 8, 2019 19:48:14 GMT
Does anyone know if Linzi Hateley replaced Frances Ruffelle or was there an Eponine inbetween? I suspect there were several people playing Eponine between Frances Ruffelle and Linzi Hateley. I don't know the exact dates they left and joined - but Frances Ruffelle was in the US production from December 1986 - and probably left the London production a while before that - and Linzi Hateley didn't join until after she's done Carrie on Broadway which was in April/May 1988.
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Post by princeton on Jan 8, 2019 16:50:20 GMT
can they still claim that it is the world's longest running musical and still going, or is there going to be a gap They'll definitely still make that claim. There was a week and a half gap between the Barbican and the Palace - and then almost a week between the Palace and the Queens (closed on a Saturday reopened the following Saturday). The Gielgud season has been announced as the vague - end of July - but I'd expect them to want to gap to be less than two weeks. No surprise at all that he's using the 2009 version - for all the reasons mentioned above However, the most interesting thing, to me at least, is having said that the original will close on 13 July and the new will open in December with "a brilliant company" which is being assembled now - the press release says: "LES MISÉRABLES will continue in performance [no mention of which production] on Shaftesbury Avenue with exciting plans being announced shortly for a four-month season at the Gielgud Theatre". I'm sure that Mackintosh has a trick or two up his sleeve - perhaps some curious hybrid semi-staged production directed by himself (oh how he loves a co-creator credit) - I can see the PR spin now - "the only time you will ever be able to see this very special version". And rather than a revolving stage - a revolving cast of favourites from the last 35 years moving into new roles - I mean who doesn't want to see man of the moment Nick Jonas giving us his Javert? Let's start placing bets now.
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Post by princeton on Dec 29, 2018 23:26:32 GMT
Craige Els leaves at the end of the Cardiff run with Elliot Harper taking over the role when the show moves to Plymouth
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Post by princeton on Dec 16, 2018 15:54:31 GMT
Oh even in her 20's she'd be laughing in the faces of some of these performers who can only manage to do 5 or 6 performances a week. Actually in her late 20s she was only doing six performances a week - albeit in one of the most vocally and dramatically taxing women's roles in musical theatre. Even she, I would imagine, would acknowledge that some parts simply cannot be performed eight times a week - which isn't to say that all of the current roles which have alternates fall into this category.
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Post by princeton on Dec 3, 2018 15:48:31 GMT
Really interesting and perhaps something she's planning on taking forward- moving from assistant to co-directing with someone. I agree - I hope that it's a policy adopted by more and more directors - giving assistants and associates an opportunity to co-direct. It would certainly help broaden the field. Often, particularly in long running shows, the AD is the only one involved with rehearsing new casts (admittedly based on the work of the original director) yet you need a magnifying glass to find their credit.
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Post by princeton on Dec 3, 2018 15:35:05 GMT
Very interesting. Miranda Cromwell was the staff director on Angels in America at the National (and Associate for the B'way transfer) and is the Associate Director on Company, so very used to collaborating with Marianne Elliott. She's also worked with lots of other good people including Debbie Tucker Green, Tom Morris and the late Howard Davies, as well as directing the rather excellent Half Breed for Talawa. Brilliant that she's getting this opportunity.
Perhaps it's also an indication that Marianne might be splitting her time during the April rehearsal period......
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Post by princeton on Nov 24, 2018 17:20:50 GMT
Any article (published yesterday) which contains the following paragraph should probably by taken with more than a pinch of salt:
"Former X Factor winner Alexandra Burke is currently in the role of Roxie, supported by Blue member Duncan James as Billy Flynn. But producers had been looking to splash out on a marquee name following the success of Oscar winner Cuba Gooding JR, who took on the role of Billy for six weeks earlier this year"
Almost ran out of fingers counting the errors.
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Post by princeton on Nov 16, 2018 21:35:15 GMT
The official press release (on 1 August) said: "As THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA heads in to its 33rd year, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh are delighted to announce that Tim Howar will play ‘The Phantom’ for an initial run from 3 September – 8 December 2018 at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London"
No official announcement since then about post 8 December.
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Post by princeton on Nov 15, 2018 23:26:51 GMT
Do you remember the 1998 Trevor Nunn production at NT where the set was based on the Rachel Whiteread sculpture "House" and was a cast of the rooms giving an inverse image of them, mirroring the reversed timeline of the play. I do. A very early Es Devlin set if I recall correctly. I remember thinking it was a pretty good art installation - less good as the set for Betrayal.
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Post by princeton on Nov 15, 2018 23:13:30 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.
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Post by princeton on Nov 15, 2018 21:58:49 GMT
The Paris Guys and Dolls is a 42nd Street fest.
I understand that Clare Halse is playing Sarah Brown and Chris Howell as Nathan Detroit with Ria Jones (from the Paris 42nd Street) as Adelaide. It's being directed by Stephen Mear.
I think it's quite a long run - through to the French summer break in July.
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Post by princeton on Nov 15, 2018 19:37:47 GMT
A long post - apologies
I love this show - I'm a huge Adam Guettel fan. I saw it in Seattle with Victoria Clark playing Margaret, Celia Keenan-Bolger as Clara, Stephen Pasquale - Fabrizio and Kelli O'Hara - Franca. It was in a 400 seat theatre with, as noted above, a 5 piece orchestra. It was a small, beautiful mess - there was clearly much work to be done - but there was lots which was very good - most notably key elements of the score. I saw it at the Goodman where Wayne Wilcox had taken over as Fabrizio and Bart Sher assumed director duties. It was bigger, it was better - it still needed work. And then of course at Lincoln Centre where Kelli O'Hara moved over to play Clara and the orchestra increased to around 12 I think. It was, and is, a flawed masterpiece - and, in my opinion, just about managing, thanks to the marvellous Michael Yeargan set, to fill a fairly large space. Central to all three productions was Victoria Clark giving one of the best performances I've ever seen by a singing actress. I didn't see the US tour as reports were that too often it was swallowed up by the huge touring theatres (some around 2,500 seats). I enjoyed the Curve production - though it didn't erase memories of Lincoln Centre - though in fairness nothing will.
So am I looking forward to upcoming production? Yes, of course - the score is wonderful and it will undoubtedly be well played and well sung. But is a 40 piece onstage orchestra, a leading lady better known for her vocal prowess than subtly of acting (her recent recording of Fable is fine - but no more - there's no goosebumps moment), and a venue which has limited staging facilities (it's difficult to think that we will be transported to sun-drenched Italy despite what it may say on the press release) going to mean that everything is too big, too broad, too Broadway with a capital B? And the fact that they mention neither Guettel nor Craig Lucas on the SBS website annoys the hell out of me.
I'm glad it's not going down the full reductive Menier route - the score is definitely better with the New York orchestrations that in Seattle. I've always thought it would be a good fit for Chichester, possibly because it's not dissimilar to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, so there's a certain irony that the AD is directing it - though not on home territory. And where's Audra McDonald when you need her - imagine her performance of Fable.
I know I'll love bits of it - I know I'll loathe others - but ultimately I'm glad it's finally here.
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Post by princeton on Nov 14, 2018 22:31:23 GMT
There is no matinee performance on 28 November.
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Post by princeton on Nov 10, 2018 14:13:04 GMT
Here's some more clearly misleading statistics which were published this week by House of Commons Library (it references the ONS report as part of its evidence base). It focusses on the gender pay gap and not the more complex issue of equal pay - which, largely due to a lack of transparency amongst employers, is more difficult to quantify. researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN07068
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Post by princeton on Nov 9, 2018 14:51:20 GMT
While personally I don't think the word girl (or boy for the matter) should be used today to describe anyone beyond their mid-teens - it's clearly not a view shared by Stephen Sondheim - or at least not in the 70's as The Ladies Who Lunch is peppered with references to girls (I'm not too fond of ladies and gentlemen either - unless a peer of the realm!). However, that song contains one of the many brilliant moments of reinvention in this production - Joanne singing about 'the girls who just watch' - now meaning herself and Bobbi (as referenced earlier in the show) - who when depressed turn to a bottle of scotch or drink a vodka stinger. And guess - what there's Patti LuPone clutching her vodka stinger while Rosalie Craig has glass of whisky in hand. The show and this particular production is full of individual jigsaw pieces like this - which gradually come together to make up a picture - but it's not complete until that final candle is blown out.
PS - I also loathe the word 'chick' which is one of the revised lyrics in You Could Drive a Person Crazy - but I can't remember who says it. If it's the ghastly PJ then it's probably in character - but I'm not sure that Andy would use it and definitely not Theo. That's my view anyway!
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Post by princeton on Nov 6, 2018 22:46:48 GMT
Note also for anyone else thinking of taking up this offer, the understudy Kibong Tanji will be playing the role this Thursday matinee, the 8th, according to the ATG ticketing site. That's going to be fascinating to watch as Kibong Tanji is female - she's a recent graduate of Central School of Speech and Drama - and was excellent in their production of A Chorus Line earlier this year. Quick bit of googling brought up this from an interview which Arinzé Kene gave to Time Out: Q: You’ve got a female understudy, Kibong Tanji. That’s pretty interesting… A: I was adamant that this was an opportunity to think quite open-mindedly. I try and be actively conscious about ways we can improve in the industry. The actual story is not specific to a man’s experience, the stories are about a person from the inner city and a creative person. She’s going to give me a run for my money: the understudy run is going to shut down the West End!
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Post by princeton on Oct 28, 2018 15:30:16 GMT
Me three....
I'm usually a Raul Esparza fan - but my lord was that entire production so humourless, earnest and hugely overwrought. Even the costumes, set (what there was) and lighting were dark. It played better in the theatre than the DVD but still the comedy was almost entirely missing - even Barcelona and Getting Married Today raised a smile rather than a belly laugh. I'm so glad I was in my 40s when I saw it - if I'd seen it a decade earlier - the future would have seemed very bleak.
The Sheffield production, which I loved - in fact probably my favourite of the 10 or so i've seen, was definitely darker than the current incarnation - but still lived up to its musical comedy billing.
Given that it was originally written as a series of brief one act comedies - I think the Marianne Elliott version (for surely that's how it must be known) really balances those laugh out loud moments with deep pathos and truth. And I love how some of the big emotional moments are actually underplayed and ambiguous. No such subtlety in the Doyle version.
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Post by princeton on Oct 21, 2018 14:59:20 GMT
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Post by princeton on Oct 19, 2018 23:02:48 GMT
Other than Stockard Channing it's a completely new production - directed by Daniel Aukin - with an all new design team. Reviews have been good for Channing - less so for the play itself.
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Post by princeton on Oct 9, 2018 20:42:06 GMT
what happened to Charlotte Wakefield? She's just finished a year in the national tour of Crazy for You playing the lead role of Polly - and was absolutely terrific. Prior to that she did the workshop of Heathers playing Veronica (aka the Carrie Hope Fletcher part) and was great in that too.
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Post by princeton on Oct 9, 2018 19:45:46 GMT
Her degree is in musical theatre and from what I've seen has the vocal chops to sing the songs. She'll certainly give the box office a boost, will do lots of press and publicity - and from her twitter feed it's clear that she's taking the preparation very seriously.
As for the accent....
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Post by princeton on Oct 4, 2018 23:42:16 GMT
Tyrone is actually a couple of years younger than George Ure.
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Post by princeton on Oct 3, 2018 16:09:19 GMT
I see that Felicity Lott is listed in the cast. The ideal part for her would be Heidi - so I wonder whether she is sharing the role with Dame Josephine.
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Post by princeton on Oct 2, 2018 23:08:01 GMT
It's a show that has been running for 33 years - and there have been, throughout this time, many cast members who are perhaps less ideally suited to their roles than their predecessors or indeed successors.
I don't think any casting issues are as simple as the actors being much younger that they had been in the past. Michael Ball was one year out of drama school when he played Marius and Frances Ruffelle was 20 when she created Eponine, yet both actually older than the characters they were playing. As for the current Javert being 20 years too young, I believe he's 30 which is the same age as Philip Quast was when he played the role, and only two years younger than Roger Allam in the original cast. John Owen Jones was 26 when he first played Valjean - and his performance is talked about, quite rightly, in the most revered tones. I haven't seen the current cast so am not passing judgement on suitability for roles - just making the point that it can't be put down to age alone.
I can't claim to have seen it nearly as many times as some on this board, nor do I share in the complete adoration for the piece, but I've probably watched it about 15 or so times across 33 years - from the very long version at the Barbican to a couple of years ago at the Queens. I remember thinking that the Original Broadway company was a pale facsimile of the original London cast - played broadly without any subtlety or nuance - and with a Marius and Cosette who were less young lovers and more middle aged couple (I was 23 at the time and, unlike Ball and Rebecca Caine, they seemed so much older than me). I saw it a few years into the run at the Palace (with most lead roles being onto their second or third change) and thought it had become sloppy and self-indulgent with a Valjean and Javert who were both doing a lot of acting to show us how hard they were working but to very little emotional effect. It felt as though it was on its last legs. A couple of years later it was back, fresh as a daisy. And we're not anywhere near the 10th anniversary yet.
In terms of drama school graduates - it does look as though this year's intake is pretty significant. I know that at the time of the aforementioned cull of 2005 - Cameron Mackintosh wanted lots of new blood and he felt that students should look like students - not west end old timers. So since then they've been holding auditions in most of the major drama schools on an annual basis specifically to get younger actors. CML would probably argue that this is for authenticity rather than economics - but who knows.
Finally, and I apologise for the length of this post, I agree with 49thand8th that audiences can adapt and accept theatrical artifice such as a morphing Cosette (even if they talk about it in the interval). There's an awful lot in the staging of Les Miserables which is non-natural and it doesn't seem to have impacted on the success of the show. I certainly don't think such a casting/directorial decision signals the death knell any more than the lacklustre Valjean/Javert combo I saw about 30 years ago.
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