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Prince
Apr 21, 2016 18:49:37 GMT
Post by horton on Apr 21, 2016 18:49:37 GMT
So distraught just now
Sometimes he went places I didn't quite get, but he was always the supreme artist
And he could play EVERYTHING!
Such a bad year
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Post by horton on Apr 20, 2016 16:25:14 GMT
Self-promoting nincompoop- god knows how he has risen to the level he has!
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Post by horton on Apr 20, 2016 14:51:38 GMT
So sad
62 baps Connie- you slice, I'll spread...
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Post by horton on Apr 13, 2016 10:31:55 GMT
A sweet man. He will be missed.
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Post by horton on Apr 13, 2016 10:18:26 GMT
Really? I've only seen £82 seats half way up the circle!
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Post by horton on Apr 12, 2016 17:03:24 GMT
I have to agree- there are some shows I simply won't see (unless I get a comp) at the prices charged, (I'm looking at you Book of Mormon). I just don't support those prices- or more importantly, a proper RANGE of prices so that even those on modest budgets can book in advance without the rigmarole of lotteries or dayseat queues!
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Post by horton on Apr 11, 2016 14:38:02 GMT
I mentioned the hype because some twits will leap to the conclusion that I dislike the show because of the huge amount of attention and praise it has garnered. I wanted to clarify that I did not like the material, music, staging from the outset, regardless of its reception elsewhere.
Incidentally, I really like old school rap and hip hop but I find Lin's style in Hamilton and In the Heights too bland and trite.
The thing I really hate is when people try to belittle other people's dislike of a show. For some, it seems impossible to accept that others just don't like a show. I like shows ranging from 'Hair' to 'Amour', 'Rent' to 'Pacific Overtures', 'Evita' to 'La Cage'. 'Hamilton' I find irritating- to full of tell instead of show.
We have threads going on ad infinitum about how excited people are to see one show or another. We should be equally able to express our dislike.
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Post by horton on Apr 11, 2016 13:15:50 GMT
I suspect that I am not the only one for whom this show does absolutely nothing. Even before the hype, I didn't enjoy it.
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Post by horton on Apr 11, 2016 12:48:06 GMT
I disagree
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Post by horton on Apr 11, 2016 11:11:09 GMT
As was mentioned on the other board, New York has Playwrights' Horizon, the Public Theatre, all developing adventurous new musical including Giant, Caroline or Change and Hamilton. These places are supported by private donations and first-look deals with leading commercial producers.
Sadly, our leading musical producer- Cameron Mackintosh- isn't interested in offering more than a trickle of funding to a couple of prestige projects. Sonia Friedman also cherry-picks established work. It's these people who need to be investing to develop the dynamic new British musicals of 21st Century, rather than re-hashing old faithfuls.
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Post by horton on Apr 11, 2016 7:43:02 GMT
Plus technically if it doesn't recoup, whatever the reviews, it is a flop. People will lose money. There's an interesting thread on the other chatboard about how British musical theatre is in crisis- I was shocked to actually think in the cold light of day how few British musicals have made back their investment over the past 20 years!
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Post by horton on Apr 10, 2016 17:14:52 GMT
And you think people will say, "Les Mis has run for 30 years, Wicked for 10, and Mrs Henderson for... 4 months- that's fine"
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Post by horton on Apr 10, 2016 10:37:15 GMT
This will be horribly synthetic compared to the classics mentioned from 30 years ago!
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Post by horton on Apr 10, 2016 10:16:30 GMT
Only to a limited degree. Plus it won't help the finances.
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Post by horton on Apr 10, 2016 9:46:42 GMT
It always intended to extend
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Post by horton on Apr 9, 2016 23:05:36 GMT
I'll miss this landmark show.
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Post by horton on Apr 9, 2016 23:03:04 GMT
I don't think any of the old hands would be surprised- the writing has been on the wall since the start of previews. The bigger names will be lining up other work, whilst junior cast members may hold out for work in a possible tour to follow.
Right now, the only people really fighting the show's corners will be those with money in the production!
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Post by horton on Apr 9, 2016 22:17:32 GMT
I hate to say I told you so...
But given its sales in Bath, it could do ok in the home counties, Cheltenham, York and other gathering places of genteel theatre folk.
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Post by horton on Apr 9, 2016 19:18:50 GMT
School of Rock is coming though
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Post by horton on Apr 8, 2016 10:21:43 GMT
Bonnie Langford is a delight- it wasn't her!
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Post by horton on Apr 8, 2016 9:01:50 GMT
The Hound/ Lindsay feud is widely known but one of the ladies was equally objectionable and another reason Hound couldn't wait to escape. It was acrid backstage and there's nothing like weak box office to make personal animosity stronger!
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Post by horton on Apr 7, 2016 9:52:41 GMT
Although it's a very good show- and I loved it on Broadway- it just doesn't manage to capture the public imagination, (which these days is admittedly very limited). The West End run was subsidized for many months by one of the leads who did not wish to have his/ her (well, his) reputation tarnished by appearing in a short-running flop.
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Post by horton on Mar 31, 2016 21:23:22 GMT
Running joke in the cast at the moment- the amount of workshops taking place working and re-working the script feels like a Groundhog Day has already engulfed the production!
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Post by horton on Mar 31, 2016 11:03:09 GMT
More sad news- seems to be someone in the news every day!
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Post by horton on Mar 29, 2016 12:46:54 GMT
Saw this last night in a full house.
Nice to see a play I know nothing about- it passed a happy couple of hours. Contrary to what others have said, I thought the play had some interesting things to say about the nature of identity and how we accept responsibility for our past- and especially how we come to terms with the indiscretions of our youth.
Given the surreal nature of the plot, I would have liked a more surreal staging- I kept thinking of Too Clever By Half at the Old Vic 25+ years ago.
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Post by horton on Mar 29, 2016 12:06:37 GMT
I understand it is scheduled for late Autumn
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Post by horton on Mar 25, 2016 9:46:46 GMT
Anybody heard who is playing the Andi McDowell role- I don't know anyone who knows!
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Post by horton on Mar 17, 2016 8:38:02 GMT
Popped this in the wrong thread...
Caught up with the tour at Plymouth last night. It was quite a long train journey to get there but the good news is: It's in pretty good shape!
The show is still probably the best British musical of all time- sure Phantom is lush and Les Mis is epic- but Billy Elliot is intensely moving and profound in its portrayal of 1980s politics and the decline of a community and industry. Plus it's bloody entertaining!
This tour is a little scaled down- a slightly smaller cast and Billy's bedroom rolls in from the wings rather than coming through the floor, but there's plenty of money on stage!
The cast work hard- Annette McLaughlin is more Haydn Gwynne than Ruthie Henshall whilst Martin Walsh is a very solid, sincere Dad with a great voice. Daniel Page- from the original London cast- most convincingly captures the spirit of that show as the hilarious Mr Braithwaite- and he's a big lad to be dancing as he does! But what he demonstrates is the difference between being in at the beginning like he was, and coming in new and "re-activating" roles other people made. Like musical theatre Chinese whispers, there's a lot of times when it feels like cast members are walking in other people's footsteps- Grandma is the most noticeable example: the problem is, if you haven't got a genuine really old biddy, it's just not as impressive when she bursts into wild dancing. (Same problem as Mrs Henderson- when a middle-aged woman overcomes the ravages of old age, it's just not as impressive as when a real "old girl" shows she's still "got it"- like the irreplaceable Ann Emery, or old legends like Dora Bryan). The principals are like facsimiles of memories long gone. (It's not as bad as the Wicked tour where it looks like every step, look and syllable is choreographed and performed robotically).
Sadly, the Billy I saw wasn't quite up to the quality of any of the boys I ever saw in London- I know the show only opened recently but he didn't convince as being "exceptional" as the story demands.
Other plus points include fantastic sound and a really first-rate chorus of young girls of all shapes and sizes. Overall, though, it's just a little disappointing that it doesn't quite hit the heights of the West End production- especially since the tickets are West End prices!
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Post by horton on Mar 16, 2016 14:11:05 GMT
Caught up with the tour at Plymouth last night. It was quite a long train journey to get there but the good news is: It's in pretty good shape!
The show is still probably the best British musical of all time- sure Phantom is lush and Les Mis is epic- but Billy Elliot is intensely moving and profound in its portrayal of 1980s politics and the decline of a community and industry. Plus it's bloody entertaining!
This tour is a little scaled down- a slightly smaller cast and Billy's bedroom rolls in from the wings rather than coming through the floor, but there's plenty of money on stage!
The cast work hard- Annette McLaughlin is more Haydn Gwynne than Ruthie Henshall whilst Martin Walsh is a very solid, sincere Dad with a great voice. Daniel Page- from the original London cast- most convincingly captures the spirit of that show as the hilarious Mr Braithwaite- and he's a big lad to be dancing as he does! But what he demonstrates is the difference between being in at the beginning like he was, and coming in new and "re-activating" roles other people made. Like musical theatre Chinese whispers, there's a lot of times when it feels like cast members are walking in other people's footsteps- Grandma is the most noticeable example: the problem is, if you haven't got a genuine really old biddy, it's just not as impressive when she bursts into wild dancing. (Same problem as Mrs Henderson- when a middle-aged woman overcomes the ravages of old age, it's just not as impressive as when a real "old girl" shows she's still "got it"- like the irreplaceable Ann Emery, or old legends like Dora Bryan). The principals are like facsimiles of memories long gone. (It's not as bad as the Wicked tour where it looks like every step, look and syllable is choreographed and performed robotically).
Sadly, the Billy I saw wasn't quite up to the quality of any of the boys I ever saw in London- I know the show only opened recently but he didn't convince as being "exceptional" as the story demands.
Other plus points include fantastic sound and a really first-rate chorus of young girls of all shapes and sizes. Overall, though, it's just a little disappointing that it doesn't quite hit the heights of the West End production- especially since the tickets are West End prices!
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Post by horton on Mar 15, 2016 16:02:22 GMT
Nope- totally starkers
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