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Post by princeton on Jul 12, 2018 9:19:14 GMT
Fiona Mountford's reviews often don't seem complete. It feels as though she gets to the end of a sentence, does a word count and decides that's enough. Everything is left hanging.
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Post by princeton on Jul 7, 2018 18:13:46 GMT
I haven't seen this production yet - though I did work on the tour/west end revival with Kathryn Evans (eventually) as Rose and Alex Hanson as his own namesake - and as a piece it is a real oddity. On paper it is a small chamber piece about 5 people and their romantic entanglements - yet at times the music has a really epic sweep to it in the big numbers and with a full orchestra sounded amazing but some of the through sung elements/libretto are fairly pedestrian. The original production looked fabulous but it was slightly lost amidst travellators and large moving set pieces - but the pared down Menier version didn't really work either in spite of a good cast. Perhaps because you were simply too close to a bunch of fairly unpleasant people - for, with the exception of Jenny, none of the principal characters are particularly likeable. I wonder whether the piece will always be an interesting failure. I think our production was the best of the lot - with a good balance between intimate and epic (swishy curtains instead of solid panels) but still had moment which didn't work.
And the character of Alex is really difficult to play. He starts off with the really big hit song - and then suddenly it's flashback and he has to be a credible seventeen year old fan boy. Then in act two he's in his mid-30s with his own teenage fan - and there's not a lot on the page to help the character development. I've seen about seven actors play Alex and no-one has really managed all aspects of the character - either too old for 17 or too young for 35 (or both).
In fairness to Felix Mosse - he's not straight out of drama school. I think he's about 26 (just a couple of years younger than Michael Ball when he played Alex) though may look/play younger - and seems to have worked pretty consistently for the last five years including a year in Book of Mormon and a year in Les Miserables (covering Marius - I heard good things about when he went on) and recently completed the European tour of Rocky Horror Show as Brad.
I'm due to see this production towards the end of the run - and will be approaching with caution - though it will probably be tighter than the first preview. I had hoped for a string quartet as a minimum for the orchestra - but I guess that's not going to be the case!
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Post by princeton on Jul 5, 2018 22:44:22 GMT
£20.99! That''s extortionate! Isn't that pretty much the normal price for a theatre live relay at a cinema in London? I know that NTLive shows tend to be around the £20 mark and Royal Opera House live somewhat more. Given that cinema tickets in London seem to be about £15 for a regular evening screening - I'd expect these to be a little more expensive.
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Post by princeton on Jul 2, 2018 18:20:57 GMT
FEHINTI BALOGUN is playing Algie JACOB FORTUNE-LLOYD - Jack GEOFFREY FRESHWATER - Lane MATT CROSBY - Merriman TIM GIBSON is playing a character called Moulton - a gardener referred to in the play but not usually seen. www.classicspring.co.uk/show/the-importance-of-being-earnest/castUPDATE: Oops Simon - I guess you were posting as I was typing. Sorry everyone for repeating the information.
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Post by princeton on Jun 29, 2018 7:47:49 GMT
I rather enjoyed her as Nina in The Seagull at Southwark Playhouse (pre-Elephant and Castle days) in an adaptation by Anya Reiss which moved the setting to the Isle of Wight.
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Post by princeton on Jun 19, 2018 11:49:25 GMT
Jo Riding and Janie Dee on the Olivier stage again 25 years after Carousel - I might have cried. Actually Carousel was in the Lyttelton - but I agree it's great to have them reunited at the National - almost echoing the story in Follies. I think Joanna Riding will be an astonishing Sally and I actually thought Alex Hanson one of the saving graces of the ROH concert and longed to see him in a better production.
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Post by princeton on Jun 7, 2018 17:10:57 GMT
They are different Olivers. Oliver Tompsett is playing Charlie in Kinky Boots whilst it was Oliver Savile who played Bobby in the Aberdeen Company. They are both former West End Fiyeros - which might be why the confusion arose.
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Post by princeton on Apr 22, 2018 17:14:00 GMT
Might this be related - given earlier speculation
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Post by princeton on Apr 4, 2018 11:16:22 GMT
Looks like lazy subbing from his Hamlet bio to me. Replacing 'for the Almeida' with 'recent theatre'.
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Post by princeton on Mar 30, 2018 16:01:16 GMT
I think that 'I Know Now' was replaced by 'I Only Have Eyes for You' toward the end of the original 8 year Broadway run (apparently the producer David Merrick thought it a better song) - though it remained in the London production for the whole run.
'Keep Young and Beautiful' and 'Plenty of Money and You' were added for the 2001 Broadway revival - as were the new curtain call routine for Peggy and the ensemble - and the staircase ending for 42nd Street! These were all additions and didn't replace anything else.
As you mention 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' was added for this production.
The show in 1984 was a good deal shorter!
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Post by princeton on Mar 26, 2018 13:24:05 GMT
She was so intense and talented, her stage presence filled that giant stage I first saw Wicked in December 2006 - a couple of weeks before Idina Menzel ended her limited run. I'd heard the OCR and knew that Menzel had won the Tony - but I couldn't quite understand why - as her voice on the recording was very much an acquired taste and she'd been up against some amazing actresses giving outstanding performances (inc Tonya Pinkins in the original Caroline, or Change). However it soon became obviously that Idina Menzel was indeed giving an award worthy performance and was something very special. She mined every last drop of comedy and pathos, and used her vocal idiosyncrasies to perfectly serve the character - and above all she had such natural stage charisma that you couldn't take your eyes off her. She made me laugh and she made me cry. This was a great actress at the height of her powers giving a superb performance. She was clearly working well with the rest of the cast (and in particularly Helen Dallimore) but there was no doubt who was the star - she just had IT. I saw the show several months later when Kerry Ellis had taken over the role and while overall it was more balanced - it lacked that special something. Since then I've seen several different Elphabas - most have better vocal instruments (and use more notes!) than Menzel and many have been more age appropriate. I've enjoyed them to different degrees - but none have ever matched that performance that I saw in 2006. Would I choose to listen to Idina Menzel singing the score over some of the more recent Elphabas - no thanks. Do I wish I could turn back time and see her acting the part again (and again) - you bet!
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Post by princeton on Mar 20, 2018 12:21:40 GMT
I always hate it when people get obsessed with an actor prediction for an upcoming show but LORD ABOVE PLEASE LET IT BE JENNA.With you on both counts - and it's looking as though the stars are in alignment on this.
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Post by princeton on Mar 19, 2018 21:03:49 GMT
On her agent's site it says she's second cover Dorothy Brock. Most bizarre. She was several years below Clare Halse at ArtsEd.
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Post by princeton on Mar 10, 2018 1:09:14 GMT
I suspect people are slightly put off because it's in two parts which means twice the commitment and twice the price. £76 (top price post preview period) feels like a lot of money for a new play by a virtually unknown playwright, especially with a cast which isn't that well know outside of theatre circles.
If it receives rave reviews I'm sure that tickets will fly out of the door. Though anything which bills itself as a "hilarious and profound heart-breaker" and "a major world premiere" has got quite a lot to live up to.
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Post by princeton on Mar 7, 2018 13:13:53 GMT
It looks as though The Public Theater is reviving this as part of this year's Shakespeare in the Park season publictheater.org/Tickets/Calendar/PlayDetailsCollection/SITP/Twelfth-Night-2018/Clearly not a small piece - as the Delacorte Theatre seats 1,800 people. The blurb on this version mentions lots of community participants so I'm guessing this will be the case at the Young Vic too. If it is his opening production it does seem a bit odd to do something that he's directed in New York only a few weeks earlier. And equally odd that he'd be out of the country for several weeks immediately before his first season - though as Oskar Eustis is credited as co-director for the Central Park production - maybe Kwame is more hands off this time round.
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Post by princeton on Mar 3, 2018 1:14:28 GMT
Brilliant news as far as I'm concerned Me too - this has the potential to be something really special. I've long hoped that the Crucible would commission a musical about Sheffield from Alex Turner or Jarvis Cocker or Richard Hawley - so I get a third of my wish.
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Post by princeton on Mar 3, 2018 1:06:29 GMT
Of the three Floras I saw in the original production Maria Aitken was by far my favourite - seemed to have the best bits of Diana Rigg and Felicity Kendall - and much more authentic then either. Very much in the Patricia Hodge mode.
In fairness to Belinda Lang - nothing at all was good about that revival of The Secret Rapture and there was only one good thing about the Theatre Royal Haymarket Hay Fever - neither production had any directorial vision. Lang actually played Judith Bliss a couple of years later at the Royal Exchange and was rather good. She may be someone who needs a very strong director - though she seems to have taken to direct herself of late!
Speaking of directors - interesting to note the comment about Paul Miller and 'his trademark quirks'. I've always found him to be quite straightforward as a director - eschewing trickery. What have I missed?
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Post by princeton on Mar 1, 2018 18:27:46 GMT
John Lahr was theatre critic for the New Yorker magazine for more than 20 years but was based in London. He used to go to NYC to binge on theatre and then eke out his reviews over a few weeks, I suspect that's what will happen with Shenton. He'll no doubt review UK theatre for other outlets.
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Post by princeton on Mar 1, 2018 12:43:32 GMT
Daniel Evans has made such smart casting choices in the past that part of me wants to say - let's wait and see. However, the other part is disappointed with this announcement.
I'm very glad that it isn't a very youthful 'smiley' song and dance man. However, having seen the original London production many times with every cast variation, the versions which which worked best were when actor playing Bill had an effortless charm, the comedy was unforced and there was a natural rapport between Bill and Sally. My favourite pairings were Robert Lindsay and Emma Thompson, and Karl Howman and Louise English. I didn't managed to see Gary Wilmot and Jessica Martin together - one of them was always off whenever I visited - but I heard good things about them.
I don't find Matt Lucas particularly charming and he seems a bit self-indulgent as a performer - his comedy has often felt rather leaden and laboured. But people change, and he loves musicals - in past interviews has said that one of his favourite is Me and My Girl - and Evans is a good director. I'm hoping that my concerns are completely misplaced.
I'm still looking forward to seeing this - and interested to hear who else is in the cast (and fingers crossed that Sally is in the Joanna Riding rather than Su Pollard vein - the latter being a performance I have tried my hardest to forget).
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Post by princeton on Feb 23, 2018 0:00:57 GMT
She did Relight My Fire with Take That in 1993 (and then again and again and again!), was in Ab Fab including the very bad movie (playing herself), and was a contestant on Strictly (for a few weeks) in 2011.
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Post by princeton on Feb 22, 2018 23:22:43 GMT
31 years ago (Baz doesn't worry too much about detail) she was in short-lived The Mystery of Edwin Drood at the Savoy Theatre, prior to that she took over in Song and Dance at the Palace Theatre, and played Adelaide in the tour of the National Theatre's production of Guys and Dolls which then came into the Prince Of Wales. Someone who worked with her on G&D said she was an absolute delight - though it was a long time ago!!
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Post by princeton on Feb 22, 2018 14:07:42 GMT
He's also got a name, Wynne Evans, which What's On Stage doesn't seem to think important to mention in its headline. Guess it's all about clickbait these days.
And I'm not sure whether the Shake and Vac woman has ever been in Phantom - but Jenny Logan did play Velma in the original West End production of Chicago.
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Post by princeton on Feb 22, 2018 11:39:20 GMT
So the replacement, like Sheena, might be Scottish, might have sung a Bond theme and might have some previous musical theatre experience? The 'one name' at the top isn't likely to be Madonna or Cher..........
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Post by princeton on Feb 19, 2018 16:17:29 GMT
Geoffrey Streatfeild was very good in The Beaux' Stratagem at the National a few years ago - and also good opposite Justine Mitchell in Wild Honey. I'm rather looking forward to this now.
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Post by princeton on Feb 19, 2018 13:35:36 GMT
This from londontheatre.co.uk
The Way of the World will also feature Fisayo Akinade (Witwoud), Alex Beckett (Waitwell), Gabrielle Brooks (Mincing), Phoebe Frances Brown (Betty/Pig), Sarah Hadland (Foible), Jenny Jules (Mrs Marwood), Simon Manyonda (Petulant), Caroline Martin (Mrs Fainall), Tom Mison (Fainall), Justine Mitchell (Millalant), Christian Patterson (Sir Wilfull Witwoud), Geoffrey Streatfeild (Mirabel) and Nathan Welsh (Mirabel’s Servant/Wishfort’s Footman).
Perhaps a tad more helpful.
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Post by princeton on Feb 19, 2018 13:32:54 GMT
Particularly perverse is choosing Drunk Enough to Say I Love You as James Macdonald's credit. In truth - surely the space would be better used to say which part the actors are playing in this production. I'm assuming that Justine Mitchell and Geoffrey Streatfeild are playing Millamant and Mirabel - or perhaps the entire cast, other than Haydn Gwynne, will be tossing coins a la Mary Stuart!
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Post by princeton on Feb 15, 2018 23:30:36 GMT
Josefina Gabrielle did several stints as Roxie in the early 00s - so another performer shifting roles.
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Post by princeton on Feb 15, 2018 23:26:01 GMT
Interesting - the website image for the production (yes - the one which has divided opinion here) features Dylan Mason who is one of Stuart Neal's covers in 42nd Street. Not that this, of course, means he'll be in the show - though he did do Anything Goes for Daniel Evans at Sheffield.
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Post by princeton on Feb 14, 2018 22:25:37 GMT
it was not done by Evans - it was actually directed by Anna Mackmin Thank you. She did indeed - my memory was playing tricks. Wonder whether she is directing this version too? Guess we'll know very soon.
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Post by princeton on Feb 14, 2018 21:34:30 GMT
Daniel Evans directed a great production of this at Sheffield in 2010. The cast featured Daniel Crossley as Bill, Jemima Rooper as Sally and Miriam Margolyes as the Duchess. Rumour has it that Damien Lewis had been slated to star as Bill but they couldn't get the dates to work.
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