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Post by MoreLife on May 2, 2022 10:23:33 GMT
And yet Today Tix haven't removed the tickets for sale past the closing date yet. I can't imagine what the atmosphere is going to be like when they have to perform on Tuesday, I feel for the cast and the audience in that situation. Shows close early - it happens. Performers understand this is the nature of their industry. It absolutely didn't have to be this mess of bad feeling though. There’s human beings behind Today Tix, actual human beings who put in data and set up seating plans etc. Most of them will have been / still are at home because of the bank holiday weekend… plus they will need to be told by the production to remove those tickets, they won’t do it of their own initiative just because whatsonstage has announced the show’s closure.
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Post by MoreLife on Feb 3, 2022 11:48:01 GMT
I saw this years ago at Soho Theatre. I remember it had a great cast including Cynthia Erivo before she was famous and possibly Julie Atherton? I don't remember any of the music but do remember that the musical was very strange. Not sure it's worth a revisit for me. Your memory serves you well, Julie Atherton was indeed in the show, and she got to sing what to me was the most (only?) memorable number in the score, "Lost in translation". The concept is an ok way of linking together the stories of these characters, as they all happen to share a ride in one of the lifts at Covent Garden's tube station. However, I do remember questioning if that isn't perhaps too little to actually bring the various pieces together, particularly as they were quite diverse. Personally I think it could be worth a revisit if they put together a really strong cast of new faces - plus previews at the Southwark Playhouse are typically rather gentle on the audience's wallets.
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Post by MoreLife on Jan 31, 2022 9:57:05 GMT
This is B******T So what, half the cast got Covid? Are they not double vaccinated and boosted? Covid tests should have been done early this morning and everything should have been done to get that show on tonight. Even if it meant Rupert Gould going on with script in his hand. Denise Wood executive producer on Matilda the musical and Almeida knows how it works by now. Its outrageous to send an email at 6.15. I dont believe them. ANGRY!!!!! One of my best mates is in this. You really think they’re not devastated? You think they didn’t do everything in their power to put the last show on? Of course they’re not lying! Why on earth would they do that? People are sick. We’re still in a pandemic and despite what the government want you to think the situation is still very serious with Covid infections at an all time high. And of course you can’t send a non-actor on to read the show out loud, half the audience would walk out. Wait for the transfer and go see it then. Very much what samuelwhiskers just said! I have a lot of sympathy for those who had tickets for one of the very last performances that had to be cancelled, especially if this was going to be their first time seeing the show. And I can also understand the sense of frustration for being told the show was cancelled less than two hours prior to what was meant to be showtime. Having said that, I also have loads of sympathy for a cast of young performers, for some of which this production of Spring Awakening has been the first big credit (if not their first professional credit at all), who have had to contend with the pandemic throughout the run and already had some performances cancelled in the lead-up to Christmas, and who were logically looking forward to finishing their run on a high note... and who have been denied the closure they deserved. I have no direct insight, but I guess a possible reason why emails announcing the cancellation went out that late is that those who were still healthy in the cast and crew, the Almeida and the producers had a good think about what could potentially be done to save the last shows, if anything at all. They probably came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be safe (for the audience and theatre FOH, etc.) to have a cast of close contacts of people who tested positive stand on a stage a few metres away from an audience and belt in their faces for a couple of hours. On top of that, they possibly also didn't want to close their run with a pared down version of the show they worked so hard and lovingly on. Yes, we're still in the midst of a pandemic, so let's be driven by compassion and understanding (even though the ones who're meant to lead us have no f-ing how that is done!).
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Post by MoreLife on Jan 28, 2022 15:46:02 GMT
Bit late to this thread, but I thought I'd add my two cents to the discussion. I'm among the ones who really loved this production and, while I do think certain things could be improved (and I kinda hope they will, if this production gets to play to more audiences and possibly in a more central location), I also think some aspects of it were so, so good.
I have an unusual "history" with this show. When the OCR came out, and all the cool kids were raving about it, I had some reservation. Primarily, I was to realize, because many of the musical numbers, suspended as they are in a dimension where the plot is essentially put on hold to offer us more of an insight into one or more characters' inner world, were difficult for me to digest fully out of context.
Cue to less than a couple of years later, I was in NYC and got a lovely afternoon to fill with a matinee, and the good old TKTS booth in Times Square had unusually few options to pick from. They offered me and my friend a pair of fantastic seats for Spring awakening with such a heavy discount we thought we couldn't say no, although neither of us had the greatest expectations. And... we were both blown away. Mind you, we still had a good chunk of the original cast in the show, but it wasn't even about that: all of a sudden those songs and lyrics made a lot of sense, and I just cared for those kids and how emotionally open they dared to be. I remember that when intermission came I was so thrilled about what I was seeing I ran to buy a copy of the score, because hey, it finally made full sense to me! So from that day I have definitely had a soft spot for this show, and I've been lucky enough to see the original London production and a couple of years ago the absolutely brilliant Manchester run.
In my eyes, the Almeida production hit the spot in many respects. First and foremost, they've gone for a cast of truly young performers who work wonderfully well as an ensemble, and the visual and choreographic impact are up there with the best. Secondly, they have had the courage to revisit the score slightly, replacing the act two opener with a song that had been cut on Broadway, which works in context because its haunting melody and choral set-up create a stark contrast against the entrance of the male adult figure at that point. The show sounds and looks great, and the energy on stage is undeniable.
To me the absolute highlight is Stuart Thompson's performance as Moritz. There's not a single word, not a single gesture of his that doesn't convey meaning, a choice, an intention... he clearly has done such a detailed work in recreating the role that even in ensemble numbers where Moritz is one among many I found myself checking out what he was doing, so alive and present was he the whole time. I hope we will get to see him tackle some other challenging role soon, I can't wait to see what he could pull off an entirely different set of circumstances and a different score.
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Post by MoreLife on Jan 19, 2022 12:10:14 GMT
I was there last night and very much enjoyed the production - to think that they put all of that on its feet with five days of rehearsal and ridiculously little tech time is mind blowing. Amazing atmosphere and very warm reception, great performances across the board. Not sure that the material itself can put 'Bonnie & Clyde' among my favourite scores / shows, but I am definitely very happy to have experienced it, and may go see the fully staged production later this year, provided that they cast a similarly charismatic Clyde.
Now for a slightly unrelated note: bit of a long shot, but I thought it may be worth mentioning this here, because the person involved may actually be on this forum. Last night, when we were about to leave, my friend and I found a credit card holder underneath the seat next to ours in the royal circle. We left the credit card holder with one of the ushers on the ground floor just by the bar, and advised them of the exact number of the seat the owner was sat in, in the hope that the theatre may more easily be able to hand it back to them.
So yeah, if the owner is reading this and didn't manage to get back to the Royal Drury Lane last night, you may want to contact them and they should hopefully be able to help.
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Post by MoreLife on Oct 8, 2021 10:57:06 GMT
TBH if you want a show with emotional heft or challenge you intellectually, you're not going to find it in a musical comedy like Anything Goes. There's nothing wrong with a show that is designed to entertain and give you a good night out and judging by the fact it sold really well means it's done something right. I prefer my shows both entertaining and with some depth, and there's nothing wrong with that either. There's plenty of musical comedies I've seen that don't feel so hollow and underdeveloped. I'm entitled to an opinion, even if it's different to the majority. If everyone liked the same thing, the West End would be a bland and boring place so it's a good thing there are plenty of differing views I am definitely with you on this one, Fiyerorocher. Of course there's nothing wrong with a show that's designed to be light-hearted and funny, and so many - on this board and elsewhere - who have responded with delight and have had a strong emotional response to it in spite of (dare I say it?) the lack of a clearly devised emotional punch in the plot. And of course I am super happy that it made for such a joyful night at the theatre for me. Personally, I failed to have that kind of connection with the material, and as the show was unfolding before my eyes I couldn't quite put my finger on why it was leaving me that cold. Sure, this would not be the type of show I'd put at the top of my list, but it felt wrong not to take a look at a real classic or to miss an opportunity to see Sutton Foster at work. Plus, I have seen other classics with a rather light-hearted vibe and plot that I have enjoyed because, in the midst of all that light-heartedness, I could still connect with their "heart" and care about the characters. In the end I came to the conclusion that my (very personal, of course) issue with Anything Goes is that, for however well executed and produced it was, I never felt that those characters had any real challenge to face or a dream to pursue, and so I was not able to relate to them on a human level in any way. I just never cared for them, and the paper-thin plot to me felt like a (not always very effective) excuse to sew a series of musical numbers and farcical scenes together.
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Post by MoreLife on Sept 28, 2021 16:45:07 GMT
It's a hard sell as a West End show. It's so NY-focused, and it was pretty much a star vehicle for Idina Menzel who is a much bigger star than Kerry is, and was running during Idina's peak fame..and it still tanked. The score is good enough I think, and the though the story and plot are weak, it's a compelling theme for a formidable leading lady of that generation. Though I like Kerry and would see her in things, I don't think she's got the Idina-level charisma or box office draw to make this work. Her vocals were her best attribute, and though she can still carry a tune, I don't think she has the same vocal prowess she possessed even five years ago. It should be a concert/staged concert or regional tour a la Wonderland, which means it will also close too soon because..no one cares. As far as Broadway is concerned, Brits love light American musical comedies like Hairspray, Legally Blonde, or Kinky Boots. They wouldn't know what to do with an If/Then experimental mainstream pop musical theatre which was a hit or miss to begin with. I also don't think that following Idina's footsteps in every role under the sun is a good career move. This is not a must-do role, or a staple of musical theatre. The comparison will be invevitable. A better move for Kerry would be to play Heidi Hansen and just sing the crap out of Good For You. Very much this! I remember seeing the show in NY with Idina as the lead, and while I enjoyed it and was happy to have seen it, I came away thinking that the book was a bit shaky, and the various shifts between the alternative storylines were not always clear-cut and "easy to read". All in all, it doesn't strike me as something that British audiences would really take to. Despite a more than decent score with a bunch of solid contemporary MT numbers - and the kind of ballads designed around Idina's vocal sweet spot - and despite a stellar cast (alongside Idina, the likes of Anthony Rapp, Lachanze and Jenn Colella were among the OGs), this didn't quite flow as smoothly as perhaps it could have. However, Idina's solos were little lessons in acting through song. I think Ellis is a brilliant vocalist, but not nearly as brilliant as an actress, and I fear she would struggle to carry the show on her shoulders. She may as well belt the high section towards the end of 'Always starting over' beautifully, almost certainly technically more accurately than Idina, but... if she fails to make me connect with and care for her character(s) on the way there, her 'my new life starts right now' won't move me nearly as much as it should.
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Post by MoreLife on Feb 13, 2020 10:53:45 GMT
Afraid I didn't get on with this. Started 20 mins late due to epic box office queue (presumably lots of on the day discounts?) which made the whole thing even longer. A set that was somehow both over technical and too basic, dwarfed by the size of the stage. Costumes that were strange. The ensemble are clearly talented but were given repetitive tasks and made to act out some theatrical clichés that wouldn't look out of place in amdram or college productions. And so many songs yet none that stick in the mind except THAT well known one, which takes well over 2 hours to get to. And yet a standing ovation, so either I'm in the minority or there were lots of friends and fans in. I am very much with you on this one. I found it slow and very samey... none of the tunes - bar that one, which is milked again and again - stood out for me. On top of what you noticed about the very talented ensemble, I found that many of the leads' solo numbers suffered from sloppy direction (or lack thereof?) where the actors stood and made awkward arm gestures and didn't really seem to have connected with the text or the characters' choices behind them. In fairness, I thought you could cut a good few of the numbers, and you wouldn't really be able to tell the difference, from a story-telling viewpoint. And yet... a massive standing ovation. Of course if you're fond of the movie and all, you're probably very excited to see it come to life before your eyes, but personally I was very underwhelmed and generally uninterested in Moses' predicaments, which meant I was never really drawn in emotionally.
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Post by MoreLife on Jan 17, 2020 10:06:43 GMT
I've heard from a very reliable source that it is indeed going to be CHF who plays the lead in this one. Not sure when it will be announced to the world, but by the sound of it there's hardly ever been any doubt about it.
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Post by MoreLife on Dec 6, 2019 11:03:18 GMT
Is Elsa the one who’s really cold and distant? Not much personality? Difficult to warm to? Great casting! 🥶 You forgot bidimensional (as cartoons are, by definition)! Personally I didn't have much interest in seeing this show, but to an extent seeing Caissie Levy performing two of the numbers at her concert at Cadogan Hall had made think that maybe there could be a value in seeing that character growth, that heart and commitment, plus of course those numbers sounded amazing when delivered by Caissie. And now this... means that no, I doubt I'll bother to visit Arendelle @ Royal Drury Lane.
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Post by MoreLife on Nov 26, 2019 11:15:46 GMT
So. Much. Angst.... its one show i have never gotten into. The music all sounds the same to me. I've tried with it a few times but it just (mamma who) bores me to death. I remember listening to the OBCR a first time and giving up after three songs top. I couldn't quite get what the hype was about and put it aside for a few months. I gave it another try and still failed to get through to the end of it... and assumed it just wasn't for me. Cue to probably about a year later, I was in NY at the TKTS booth deciding on the spot what to see... and almost as a joke asked if they had anything for 'Spring awakening' (I mean, both Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele were still in the cast) and I was offered amazingly good seats at a ridiculous prize. So I said, well, why not? And... it was a revelation. Everything that kind of annoyed me on the recording, all the bits that I couldn't quite get the point of... it all immediately made sense and I remember at intermission saying 'why on earth has it taken me so long to get it? it's just beautiful!' So my advice is, if you get an opportunity maybe with a rush ticket or offer, give it a chance. Maybe you'll still hate it, but it's got a story to tell.
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Post by MoreLife on Nov 21, 2019 11:34:43 GMT
The case seems to serve no purpose. As many have said, if it doesn't block signals and if someone has left their phone on loud, it could ring and ring and ring until the person leaves the venue, which would be their prerogative unless an usher heard it and would escort them out. Before putting phones in the cases, they could make sure, for definite, that everyone was putting their phone into airplane mode. But this seems like total overkill, to me. It's condescending to regular, well behaved theatregoers. I also think it would put me off going to a show if I knew I was going to be treated like a plebian. Theatre ushers just need to be more proactive, unfortunately, it doesn't seem that many of them care enough or get paid enough to intervene with phone users and possibly cause a scene. Could this work best in immersive shows, possibly? I believe the Yondr case has been designed not so much to prevent people from taking calls, as - perhaps in an ideal world - people would normally be expected to switch their phones off or into flight mode, such that they cannot ring or vibrate during a performance. By contrast, I believe Yondr cases have been designed - and are being used on Broadway right now - with the aim of preventing people from going online during a performance. This is both so: a) people don't go sharing copyrighted material or, in the case of an improv show like Freestyle Love Supreme, material that is created there and then and the value of which lies also in that it is unique and unrepeatable; and b) people can stay focussed on what is happening live before their eyes instead of being distracted by the online world. Reason b) may perhaps look silly to many of us who haven't grown up with a cell phone, but it is pretty significant for the younger generations who at times seem to be inseparable from their phones and social media. Years ago I attended a Mumford and Sons concert where they were premiering some songs ahead of the release of their third album, and we had to leave our phones with the FOH staff before going in. It was remarkable how much closer attention everybody was paying to the music being played and how closer the engagement with the band was, as nobody could give in to the temptation to video a song or the like. Having attended a performance of Freestyle Love Supreme earlier this year, I can just say that it was a super smooth and quick procedure, both going in and leaving the auditorium, and if that can prevent those"could you please turn it off?" directed to your neighbor who is suddenly feeling the urge to check their Insta account or tell their Facebook friends what they're seeing or who the special guest on stage is... I actually see a good deal of positive about it.
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Post by MoreLife on Oct 1, 2019 16:03:03 GMT
Is it just me or... link ... the cast for this is remarkably... well, monochromatic/white? At least for a show that their creators describe on their website as "celebrating the capital's most colourful district"... (apologies, I'd paste the tweet as a whole, but I just realised I don't know how to do that!)
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Post by MoreLife on Sept 27, 2019 10:31:31 GMT
Interesting that Nica is saying that if they can’t sing then they can’t play the role. That never stood in the way of casting John MaCrea... I mean it’s one thing to suggest, as is your right, that you didn’t enjoy John’s performance, but another thing entirely to suggest he can’t sing?!? Amen to that!
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Post by MoreLife on Sept 18, 2019 16:05:29 GMT
Having read the book and having just seen the first production photos, I have also asked myself why something so inherently British - in terms of setting, cultural references, language, not to mention the composers and part of the cast - is seeing the light across the pond.
Here are a couple of possible answers I've come up with:
First of all, it may be that (in general) there is an expectation that a production that's been tested by US standards and audiences could stand a better chance at a longer life (and more incarnations). It was quite clear to me when I saw 'The Prom' on Broadway that there is always going to be an audience for a show that's about inclusivity and the importance of being your true self, that has a positive LGBTQI+ angle and a feel-good vibe, that comes with hummable tunes and a lot of energy... Sure, producers may at some point need to pull the plug on it, but it's a kind of show that's always going to be received warmly by the (US) theatre(going) community.
Secondly, it seems to me that right now 'Becoming Nancy' would have a bit of a potentially counterproductive overlap with 'Everybody's talking about Jamie'. Both have an exquisitely British angle on a queer coming of age story with a similar working class setting. Both plots focus on a teenage male lead who has to deal with school bullies, has a best girl friend who supports him unconditionally... I mean, both follow the lead as he prepares to appear on stage in front of an audience wearing a dress! Personally, I'd be absolutely happy for these shows to be on in neighbouring theatres on Shaftesbury Av., but I can see why a producer would want to first test 'Becoming Nancy' in a more "neutral" context where there's no direct "competition".
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Post by MoreLife on Sept 18, 2019 9:17:26 GMT
Not sure if this has been posted before but there’s a video from two years ago of Sam Tutty singing Waving Through a Window whilst at drama school Erm... ok. I suppose it IS tricky one to sing 😐 I believe that video is from a school performance from two years ago, which - in the context of drama school full-time training - is a really long time... and Sam's recent turn as Daniel in 'Once on this island' at the Southwark Playhouse already showed a much more mature and solid performer. Sure, in that video he and the band seemed to have more than a disagreement as far as tempo is concerned, and his interpretation was perhaps lacking in depth, but the tone and range were there already, so I'm confident he'll do a good job (and I am very relieved we'll get an American accent). As for the "generic MT trained sound"... Evan's role truly is a beast vocally - only a few minutes into the show and he's already hitting and sustaining high B-flat's, his next number has him dealing with nasty intervals and singing high As and Bs, and the score stays equally demanding when the emotional stakes get higher later on (see 'Words fail'), so I'm personally very glad we get a solidly trained voice that can handle all that for 6-8 shows a week.
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Post by MoreLife on Sept 17, 2019 10:56:18 GMT
Can someone explain to me why Che (in a Che Guevara tshirt! - really??) stripped down to his pants and got covered in paint and confetti and then just sat freezing on stage?? As for the t-shirt, I thought this tied in with the rest of the symbols used throughout and with the overall modernised language. I'll put my thoughts in spoiler format, as it may give away details about the staging etc. {Spoiler} {Spoiler}{} The story of Evita as a social climber is told here - visually and formally - as if she were a very contemporary (pseudo)celebrity, an Instagram influencer etc. There's a public version of herself she presents to the world, and which she uses for her and Perón's propaganda, but we as the audience get to see behind the mask - hence the lack of wig and all that makes the iconic look we've been used to.
The world sees that image, so much so that the little girl does wear the wig and the white dress, and everyone immediately knows she is trying to look like Evita. For us in the audience there's plenty of hints of that, like the balloon held by Perón during 'Don't cry for me Argentina', which bears the iconic portrait of Eva, and yet we get to see Eva at her most "naked" and perhaps farthest from what she is projecting to the world.
I thought Che wears a "Che" tee precisely because that image has become equally as iconic, if not even more iconic than Eva's one, and many, over the years, have worn that t-shirt despite not properly knowing what Che did and what role he played in South American history.
Not unlike with Eva, there's a Che "public persona" and a perception of Che that the world associates with his name... but again, as the audience, we get to see past that and are presented with the real, more personal thoughts and actions of a narrator/observer who, at the end of the show, comes to personify Argentina and physically bears the signs of all the damage inflicted to the country by the powers that be.
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Post by MoreLife on Sept 16, 2019 11:22:10 GMT
As I've always said on here, and will say again, I think a fair reason the place fails is just comfort. So many on here say the same - won't go for that reason only, don't care what's on there. I am 6ft 3' and I have sat in different sections of the auditorium at the Other Palace, and I don't think I've ever had a comfort issue there... whereas I have found myself awfully squeezed between people on the benches of the Menier Chocolate Factory, I've had my knees in my mouth for two hours in the dress circle at the Adelphi, and I've had to take on some rather contorted posture in the main space at the Trafalgar Studios.
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Post by MoreLife on Jul 26, 2019 11:01:24 GMT
I disagree. It's like you won't actually allow people to say they didn't dislike something quite as viscerally as you did, although they are willing to acknowledge certain flaws and/or aspects they didn't like, and yet they find that some aspects didn't deserve the 1-star treatment. I’m glad I’m not married to you! Haha.... I wish the production well, I didn’t like it and some did - that’s the beauty of art and theatre. Haha we'd make such an adorable pairing, wouldn't we? Definitely, that's the beauty of it. And it's great that we have a platform to compare our opinions and impressions and.... one where we can peacefully agree to disagree at times
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Post by MoreLife on Jul 26, 2019 9:48:04 GMT
The 1 star reviews are completely uncalled for/unwarranted. I would have given it 3 stars/ 6 out of 10 easily. I totally agree with its 1 star reviews. I left at the interval I was so bored! It’s like some of you won’t actually allow people to say they thought something didn’t work for them and in their eyes bad.. I disagree. It's like you won't actually allow people to say they didn't dislike something quite as viscerally as you did, although they are willing to acknowledge certain flaws and/or aspects they didn't like, and yet they find that some aspects didn't deserve the 1-star treatment.
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Post by MoreLife on Jun 25, 2019 11:33:59 GMT
I know that some people look down on riffing. My mother in particular always says that people who riff "couldn't hold a note in a bucket". But you really do need to be damn good at singing to be able to carry it off with any aplomb. You don't have to enjoy listening to it, but there's no need to incorrectly put down performers who do it by haughtily implying they're unskilled. Yup, I'm afraid the old adage of "can't hold a note" is plain incorrect. Holding a note in fact is the relatively easy bit, unless you've got really poor breath control and support... riffing is the tough part if you want to do it right! You need to hold basically anything else in the set-up of your vocal instrument you use for your first note in the run - embouchure, tongue position, false folds retraction, vowel shape, placement in the resonator(s) - unchanged, whilst varying pitch alone. As this requires for your vocal folds to be lengthened/shortened by tilting forward/backwards your larynx, or for a change in vocal fold mass or a change in larynx height or for some combination of all the above, and as all the components of your vocal tract are physically connected... well, riffing properly is actually an indication of very solid vocal technique. Of course there are contexts where - if overdone - it doesn't bring any added value in terms of storytelling and communication and it becomes plain annoying. I have never been a fan of over-riffing Elphabas, to be honest, as I don't think that the character requires that. By contrast, if used at the right time and in the right amount, it seems to me that it can become another valuable "option" in the singer's toolbox, just as a different brush can allow a painter to obtain a different effect in a portrait. As far as 'She used to be mine' is concerned, there are effectively riffs written in the score , and they are not accidentally on the two long "mine" which correspond to the maximum emotional release for Jenna. Not even Sara Bareilles herself sings them exactly the same every time, either in concert settings or in the context of the show, which tells us that the vocal line is indeed open to a certain free execution in those few bars. If the actress playing Jenna sticks to the vocal line as written in the score substantially all the rest of the time, as Lucie Jones does, then by giving herself permission to go "off script" precisely there, she stresses how that is the moment when Jenna positively reclaims and makes peace with "that girl that [she] knew" and she starts to break free from the dysfunctional relationship she's been living in.
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Post by MoreLife on Jun 18, 2019 12:15:09 GMT
The show itself is very good and the orchestra sounded glorious. Renee Fleming was on top form and sang wonderfully. The rest of the cast were no more than adequate. Some of the Italian accents were atrocious, a tad OTT and ridiculous at times. The set is a bit basic, but I guess they wanted something uncomplicated for just 20 performances. To be fair, while it is true that the accent work was often rather sloppy, as an Italian I can say that the writing of the sections in my language is just really rather poor to begin with. It is often grammatically incorrect, verging on parodistic and, at times, it even feels slightly insulting. Yes the orchestrations are lush and yes the melodies soar and give room to beautiful voices to shine... but to an Italian ear the lyrics and bits of the book sound remarkably awkward and unnatural.
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Post by MoreLife on Jun 18, 2019 9:12:17 GMT
I feel very sorry for her, she was probably so excited about the role but has been bombarded with messages saying it's a disgrace she got it because of how Laura was treated and Laura is a million times better. No wonder she is nervous! We are all entitled to our opinions but you do not @ the person. That's bad form. A minority of theatre fans really need to get over themselves. All this was beyond her control. Blame the show not her. The show have really set Ashley up for a fall here. She can't win! Totally agree. For sure the whole situation hasn't helped Ashley, as having people basically expecting you to fail and ready to call you out the moment you put a foot wrong cannot do much good to your nerves. And yet... she must have been aware she was unfit and unprepared for this kind of job, right? I'll try to make it clearer with an example... Let's say that, a few years ago, you worked for some time at a small cafe which used to serve the typical brunch items, and enjoyed a certain success and popularity. Everybody loved to go there on a Sunday, although it was mostly because the owner made a really great bloody Mary and was charming AF, while you were mostly in the kitchen making scrambled eggs. Cue to today, you haven't worked as a cook in a while, yet for some reason you're offered to go work for a couple of months at a Michelin star restaurant, and of course you're going to have to deliver that kind of quality each night of the week. It also happens that the patrons have fallen in love with the delicacies the sous chef who's going to be off during that time would cook as specials. Would you really accept the job on a whim? What can ever make you think it'll all be just fine? You have to know from the start you're highly likely to screw things up!
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Post by MoreLife on Apr 30, 2019 10:13:17 GMT
Which of the male actors (ie the entire rest of the cast) would be likely to transfer with it? Andrew Burnap and JBH being based in the US would seem appropriate, any of the rest of them? Sam H. Levine (Adam/Leo) is also American, so I guess he could also go back to playing the role - unless for marketing reasons they want to replace him with a bigger name... which would be a pity, as he was amazing!
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Post by MoreLife on Mar 20, 2019 15:10:45 GMT
That being said, if I did have a criticism it would be that song Me and the Sky. Apart from when the women join in near the end it is mostly a solo number and it feels out of place in this ensemble musical. The rest of the time the limelight keeps moving round all these characters but all of a sudden the musical stops so we get this empowering number that has nothing to do with the story until the last eight lyrics I can see where you're coming from with this one, as quite evidently "Me and the sky" does stand out as the only, actual, big solo number in the show. However, I would disagree that it has nothing to do with the story... Sure, it focuses on the personal background of a single one of the people who were in Gander, as opposed to their community, yet Beverley Bass' story does make her stand out, not unlike "Me and the sky" stands out in the score. A pioneer of civil aviation, as a pilot she clearly carried on her shoulders the weight that comes with being ultimately responsible for the safety of her passengers and crew, the day she was ordered to land in Newfoundland. It is only by telling the audience about her past, and about how her love for planes and for flying never stopped growing and, to an extent, almost came to define her, that the audience can get a feel for how huge it must have been to find out that the object of her love had been used to cause so much pain and destruction.
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Post by MoreLife on Feb 19, 2019 10:17:31 GMT
Can anyone remember what the professional reviews for CFA in New York were like? Did the show succeed there on word-of-mouth or were the critics more kindly disposed to it? Here they are I especially like this passage from the NY Times: "But we are now in a moment in which millions of immigrants are homeless and denied entry to increasingly xenophobic nations, including the United States. A tale of an insular populace that doesn’t think twice before opening its arms to an international throng of strangers automatically acquires a near-utopian nimbus. So does the reminder that there was a time when much of the Western world united in the face of catastrophe. And when politicians who have since become the butts of jaded jokes (hey there, Rudolph Giuliani and Tony Blair) stood tall as leaders of substance." Maybe some of the professional critics on the main newspapers felt they couldn't quite embrace the show's message as wholeheartedly, now that on the verge of Brexit this very country holds its arms less than fully open to foreigners and most politicians in power can only aspire to be the butts of jaded jokes?
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Post by MoreLife on Feb 13, 2019 14:33:55 GMT
MoreLife completely respect your opinion. I don't agree with it, which is fine, that's the thing with opinions. And I absolutely respect yours Personally, I have recently found a lot creepier - and I have felt definitely more uncomfortable watching - 'Aspects of love', but I'm definitely taking your point on board.
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Post by MoreLife on Feb 13, 2019 13:25:19 GMT
I loved lots about the show a great deal, but danieljohnson14 is completely right, that bit is a serious mis-step that could SO EASILY have been fixed with a little re-writing and really SHOULD have been. Also, the best pie jar is the banoffee one, you can put that on the posters if you like. When I saw the show in NY weeks ago with Sara, Gavin and the original Ogie (Christopher Fitzgerald) in the cast, I must say I never for a moment felt annoyed or disturbed by the whole Dawn-Ogie interaction. I'm afraid what you guys have noticed has little to do with the book, and is instead down to the IMHO rather appalling job that Jack McBrayer does here. Not only does he probably have THE worst singing voice I have ever had the displeasure of hearing in a professional production of a musical, but he plays the role purely for the laughs and constantly over the top. He pulls faces, he contorts his eyebrows, he acts with the same subtlety that Jack McFarland would display after too many coffees or energy drinks... and there is no need for all that for the character to work. Most of all, you need to see that Ogie genuinely cares for Dawn, and that behind all his craziness there is a sweet and vulnerable side to him. When I saw it on Broadway, I honestly felt the whole Dawn-Ogie relationship was rather a playful celebration of two unconventional characters - as both are slightly odd ones, with their quirks and unusual interests - falling for each other and finding in each other's peculiarities just what goes well with their own ones, and what makes them both happy. Last night I thought Dawn's portrayal was practically perfect - as I instantly cared for her, I smiled at her quirks and just wanted for her to be happy, to find the right guy and all - but sadly I found Ogie's interpretation to be seriously sub-par. And I couldn't believe for a moment that those two would actually have any chemistry!
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Post by MoreLife on Feb 5, 2019 11:01:23 GMT
I love that using KMP is a thing now. I've started using KMP when I talk about the show with my friends, too. That's when I don't call her by her old stage name Karen Cartwright, of course...
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Post by MoreLife on Jan 16, 2019 9:58:17 GMT
I booked for this before I knew who was going to play Jenna. I guess I was hoping for Sara Bareilles or Jessie Mueller, but thought that was probably unlikely as neither have a big profile here in the UK. Does KMP have much more of a profile? I don't think she has that much of a profile. But what she does have... is a fiancé with loads of clout in the music industry (and twice her years)
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