|
Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2016 23:30:39 GMT
I feel this does transfer I think it would go to a small house like the Garrick, Playhouse, Duke of York's etc. Not convinced I thought will transfer though so am so glad I've got tickets for next year!!
|
|
888 posts
|
Post by lonlad on Dec 3, 2016 0:28:12 GMT
It's a gorgeous curio of a musical, always has been and always will be. Done well, it is a near-total enchantment. Time will soon tell if this one is done well. And, yes, the Ruthie Henshall/Traci Bennett version won five Oliviers, rather amazingly.
|
|
1,008 posts
|
Post by talkstageytome on Dec 3, 2016 19:34:21 GMT
I'm in tonight (well, I'm in Costa right now but WILL be in soon!) Anyone else?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2016 21:22:36 GMT
For possibly the first time i kind of agree with parsley. Ive never understood the excessive love for this show. I will be seeing the menier production as i love scarlett strallen but past productions ive always found just ok.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2016 22:24:01 GMT
The cast are excellent
The singing good
The acting fine
Staging and costumes nice
It's just the show is not all that good
Feeble
|
|
1,724 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Dec 3, 2016 22:30:20 GMT
The casting is lovely The singing good The staging nice The songs are all terrible It's just not a good or memorable musical The cast are excellent The singing good The acting fine Staging and costumes nice It's just the show is not all that good Are you stuck in Groundhog Day, dear Parsley?
|
|
1,008 posts
|
Post by talkstageytome on Dec 3, 2016 23:06:34 GMT
Awww, just out from seeing this. It's such a delightful show with a great cast. Agree with some of the comments on Scarlett. She was very good and very endearing but she didn't blow me away. Les Dennis seemed to be overdoing his dialogue at points but I warmed to him in the end. Rest of the leads were excellent. The set was beautiful and costumes were nice enough, though I preferred the men's to the women's. Only element I was unsure on were those wigs. They looked a bit plastic-y and the curls didn't look brushed out enough. That being said, I was in the front row. Further back perhaps it wasn't so noticable? Of course the story isn't the strongestbut at the end of the day it's fluffy festive fun. Absolutely delightful!
|
|
1,103 posts
|
Post by mallardo on Dec 4, 2016 7:22:05 GMT
Yes, it's a beautiful little show - what a score!! - and it worked its magic once again. Matthew White's production is extremely lively and energetic, all the performances turned way up and some agile choreography where required, especially in the Café Imperiale scene, the show's only real production number, led by a very funny Cory English as the Head Waiter.
Unlike some others I loved Scarlett Strallen. I thought she got the feisty but fragile Amalia just right and she has the voice of an angel. Her "Ice Cream" was wonderful but even better was the exquisite "Will He Like Me" in Act One, to me one of the most gorgeous songs even written. Katherine Kingsley certainly got all her laughs but she has been encouraged to play Ilona VERY broadly, laying on the cockney accent with a trowel. That said, her big number, "A Trip To The Library" was fabulous!
Dominic Tighe was a sleek and effective Kodaly while Callum Howells worked very hard to mostly good effect as young Arpad and Alistair Brookshaw gave us a darker and more interesting take on Sipos than is usually the case. I did not care much for Les Dennis's bland Maraczek and I had some issues as well with Mark Umbers' Georg. He was too smooth and, well, posh for a character who is, in his own way, every bit as fragile and frantic as Amalia. The key to the role is in his songs - "Tonight at Eight" and the title song, "She loves Me", where he basically comes apart at the seams. Umbers handled both numbers expertly but the rest of his performance was in a different place.
But these are quibbles. It's a fine production of a gem of a show. By all means see it if you can.
|
|
587 posts
|
Post by Polly1 on Dec 4, 2016 8:01:54 GMT
The casting is lovely The singing good The staging nice The songs are all terrible It's just not a good or memorable musical The cast are excellent The singing good The acting fine Staging and costumes nice It's just the show is not all that good Are you stuck in Groundhog Day, dear Parsley? No, but he actually saw both halves of the show!
|
|
4,530 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Being Alive on Dec 4, 2016 11:54:04 GMT
I liked this. I didn't love it. Scarlett was good but she didn't wow me as others have said. Katherine steals it. Poor Mark Umbers though, he's so awkward he can barely walk. Nice chap though.
Minus a few songs the score is pretty unmenorable. It's very funny though which is good.
Probably give it 3 and a half stars? Glad I saw it anyway.
|
|
416 posts
|
Post by schuttep on Dec 5, 2016 9:53:36 GMT
I saw this yesterday and thought it was charming. Scarlett Strallen and Mark Umbers as good as ever. And the lovely song Vanilla Ice Cream.
Aside: the building directly to the right of the Menier (set back from the road) has a number of market stalls inside selling food and drink. At the bar buying drinks was a certain Eddie Redmayne. I've heard he's an actor?
|
|
1,253 posts
|
Post by londonmzfitz on Dec 5, 2016 9:54:10 GMT
Saw this on Friday night. I thought it was very pretty. Well performed throughout. Well acted for the most part (Les Dennis could do with more gravitas as Mr Maraczek and the accent is awful). Kathleen Kingsley and the adorable Callum Howells as Arpad are the best things about the show. That little Welsh lad is one to watch. He's adorable.
No mentions from anyone about the ghastly wig that Scarlett wears? Jeez, from front row it felt like it needed it's own animal trainer in the wings. Unnecessary, surely. Special mention for the costumes, generally lovely (the Where's My Shoe - I have those shoes!!).
Nice Christmassy show, glad I've seen it.
And lovely too to meet Phantom of London *waves*
|
|
1,008 posts
|
Post by talkstageytome on Dec 5, 2016 11:46:12 GMT
I mentioned the wigs a page back. Thought both Ilona's and Amalia's were a bit plasticy and the curls didn't look natural in any way.
|
|
1,253 posts
|
Post by londonmzfitz on Dec 5, 2016 14:20:58 GMT
Awww, just out from seeing this. It's such a delightful show with a great cast. Agree with some of the comments on Scarlett. She was very good and very endearing but she didn't blow me away. Les Dennis seemed to be overdoing his dialogue at points but I warmed to him in the end. Rest of the leads were excellent. The set was beautiful and costumes were nice enough, though I preferred the men's to the women's. Only element I was unsure on were those wigs. They looked a bit plastic-y and the curls didn't look brushed out enough. That being said, I was in the front row. Further back perhaps it wasn't so noticable? Of course the story isn't the strongest but at the end of the day it's fluffy festive fun. Absolutely delightful! Ah, how could I have missed the wig comments? 'Cos I was scrolling quickly past Parsleys hate. I was front row too. Nylon wigs. Tsk! Wonder if the discontent fellow next to me was Parsley ....
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2016 14:43:17 GMT
Hate to say it but you DID think Bend it was good. There are lots of people who think this is a good musical. It won the critics circle award It also closed less than a year in.
|
|
416 posts
|
Post by schuttep on Dec 7, 2016 8:56:30 GMT
...the adorable Callum Howells as Arpad are the best things about the show. That little Welsh lad is one to watch. He's adorable. And only 17 years old. What a find!
|
|
7,583 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by alece10 on Dec 8, 2016 9:02:17 GMT
Great reviews so far. 5* WOS 4* The Times (that's a shocker!) 5* Evening Standard 5* The Stage
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2016 15:29:53 GMT
Very excited as it has been getting very good reviews but in one I read from the Sunday times it said something that has made me slightly nervous and that I had not heard anyone mention. Apparently on the final preview Mark Umbers was upstaged by a mouse that has somehow made it onto the stage and lots of people freaked out. I am not a massive fan of mice like many people so If there is a mouse on stage when I see it I will probably let out a helpless scream as I am also front row. Let's all hope they have dealt with Mr Meneir Mouse.
|
|
888 posts
|
Post by lonlad on Dec 11, 2016 18:18:04 GMT
No mice on press night.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2016 20:02:01 GMT
I'm surprised more mice don't make an appearance at the Menier myself. I imagine there's loads of 'em scuttling around the building all the time.
|
|
3,485 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by showgirl on Dec 13, 2016 6:06:06 GMT
Now if the Menier would give a discount for the possible mouse hazard (I don't mind them), I might be able to afford a ticket!
|
|
|
Post by lolli on Dec 16, 2016 22:57:50 GMT
Delightful. And wonderful performances. Do go!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2016 23:29:35 GMT
I enjoyed this more than i expected. Its a great production of an average musical, sorry I still don't see what people rave about. Very strong cast, and nice to see scarlett strallen give more comedic performance and the wig looks fine to me in reality.
The set has to be one of the menier best and most opulent. Which highlights even more to me how rubbish funny girls was considering they had a transfer earmarked and a bigger budget
|
|
1,465 posts
|
Post by foxa on Dec 18, 2016 20:55:11 GMT
You're going to have to indulge me while I write a big sloppy Valentine to this show. What you need to know: When I was growing up in some godforsaken place, we had about 10 musical albums which I listened to over and over again. 'She Loves Me' was one of those albums. I hadn't seen the show - I don't think anyone in my family had - I have no idea why we had the album. But growing up as an intense, bookish, awkward girl I loved this musical. Songs like 'Will He Like Me' and 'Ice Cream' spoke to my insecure, hopeful soul. I read books, I wrote letters, maybe someone would love me one day. So, this production: Is superb. I worried that they would treat it as a quaint period piece and be arch and condescending, but it is a full-hearted, sensitive, funny show. You actually care if the main characters get together, you feel their awkwardness and insecurity. I brought my daughter and she felt the same way - she related entirely, emotionally she felt it was very modern. It is beautifully staged, brilliantly cast and for two hours and forty minutes took us absolutely away from all our worries. Recommendation: If you can get tickets, do. A rare Foxa 5*
Side note: There was some adventurous hat-wearing in the audience.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2016 23:23:13 GMT
I went back to see this again
It is nice
The scene in the restaurant is truly bizarre
|
|
1,724 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Dec 19, 2016 11:17:34 GMT
I adored this. On pretty much every level, it's a triumph. Gorgeous score, exquisite staging, a sublime cast, bags of charm and often laugh-out-loud funny. The whole cast are fantastic but Scarlett Strallen and Mark Umbers in particular give performances that couldn't be bettered. The highlight of the year for me.
|
|
134 posts
|
Post by Mr Crummles on Dec 19, 2016 11:39:57 GMT
I really enjoyed this too. A happy, feel-good story, with some rather dark undertones. The result, I think, is a very humane show, where vices and virtues mix vigorously to flesh out its ordinary characters and make them vibrantly real.
The cast was excellent, especially Katherine Kingsley, Dominic Tighe and Callum Howells, but I guess it wouldn't have moved me so much if it didn't have such strong performances from the two leads, who after all, are the true heart of the piece. Mark Umbers and Scarlett Strallen were so tender and affecting that their characters stayed with me long after I left the theatre. I hope they all win awards.
|
|
83 posts
|
Post by catqc on Dec 20, 2016 3:32:21 GMT
You're going to have to indulge me while I write a big sloppy Valentine to this show. What you need to know: When I was growing up in some godforsaken place, we had about 10 musical albums which I listened to over and over again. 'She Loves Me' was one of those albums. I hadn't seen the show - I don't think anyone in my family had - I have no idea why we had the album. But growing up as an intense, bookish, awkward girl I loved this musical. Songs like 'Will He Like Me' and 'Ice Cream' spoke to my insecure, hopeful soul. I read books, I wrote letters, maybe someone would love me one day. So, this production: Is superb. I worried that they would treat it as a quaint period piece and be arch and condescending, but it is a full-hearted, sensitive, funny show. You actually care if the main characters get together, you feel their awkwardness and insecurity. I brought my daughter and she felt the same way - she related entirely, emotionally she felt it was very modern. It is beautifully staged, brilliantly cast and for two hours and forty minutes took us absolutely away from all our worries. Recommendation: If you can get tickets, do. A rare Foxa 5* Side note: There was some adventurous hat-wearing in the audience. Couldn't put my finger on it at the time but this sums it up for me too. Loved it
|
|
1,465 posts
|
Post by foxa on Dec 20, 2016 9:16:03 GMT
I'm still thinking about it two days later, so really enjoying reading others' positive responses.
|
|
5,324 posts
|
Post by mrbarnaby on Dec 21, 2016 23:00:38 GMT
Saw it tonight- dreadful.
Ugly cheap set. Scarlett Strallen is utterly wrong. Playing it like Mary Poppins. All of the accents are problematic, worst one- Katherine Kingsley mangling every joke.
And to think Jane Krakowski was so sexy and effortless in the role in NYC.
One of my worst shows of the year.
Utterly charmless and a huge disappointment.
|
|