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Post by TallPaul on Sept 5, 2019 10:04:19 GMT
Hi! Wonder if anyone could offer any advice. Has anyone sat in the restricted view seats at Leeds Grand Theatre before? Just trying to work out how much we might miss for this show if we go with them. Difference of almost £40 a ticket compared to the Stalls. Thanks for any help :-) There are, broadly, three types of restricted view seats at Leeds Grand - those that are high, those that are at the sides, and those behind one of the theatre's numerous pillars. I have to wait until next February, but I'm seeing it in Hull from a £20 stalls seat, which seemed like the better option.
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Post by helso1 on Sept 6, 2019 9:36:19 GMT
Hi! Wonder if anyone could offer any advice. Has anyone sat in the restricted view seats at Leeds Grand Theatre before? Just trying to work out how much we might miss for this show if we go with them. Difference of almost £40 a ticket compared to the Stalls. Thanks for any help :-) There are, broadly, three types of restricted view seats at Leeds Grand - those that are high, those that are at the sides, and those behind one of the theatre's numerous pillars. I have to wait until next February, but I'm seeing it in Hull from a £20 stalls seat, which seemed like the better option. Thank you! I'll report back with how the view is if I go the restricted view route!
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 6, 2019 21:34:30 GMT
One thing I noticed at the Alexandra tonight is that there are posters up advertising the tour being there over Christmas. The posters have Annalene Beechey and Jose Llana listed as the leads.
I think that's great news they're returning after the break, as previously this was listed as "star casting to be announced". Jose Llana is the strongest of the kings for me. Hopefully means they're both seeing out the rest of the tour.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2019 22:14:21 GMT
I'm personally hoping to see Maria as Anna if I see this in Edinburgh due to her recent connection with one of my favourite shows. She has said she will be on in a 9 show week which I am guessing will be the Thursday matinee during half-term, so I guess I could go then.
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 11, 2019 10:00:59 GMT
Last night in Birmingham was my first time seeing the tour since the cast change (and also the first show in the Birmingham run, which extends until 4 January).
The theatre seemed pretty full. I had a ticket at the extreme end of the front row, probably the closest to the stage I've ever sat as the orchestra pit was further along. Lots of leg room too. Do steer clear of the aisle end of the side front row sections. The orchestra pit extends out with a fence and the leg room there looks horrible.
The seat I had was one with an extreme angle into the wings, as well as one of the only seats where you could see the stage crew pushing the boat into position and standard there during the first song. It is also very restricted view as several points, particularly when Anna sits in the corner during The Small House of Uncle Thomas ballet and her dress blocks much of the stage. Didn't matter too much to me as I've seen this show a few times, but it may be annoying if you've not seen the show before. A lot of the seats at the front edges suffer from the same problem.
Also had a man sat next to me who just could not sit still, but otherwise the audience was pretty good.
Annalene Beechey and Jose Llana were excellent as usual.
Cezarah Bonner was playing Lady Thiang with a walking stick. Don't know if I completely missed that before.
Paulina Yeung has taken over as Tuptim, a role she played on tour in North America. I think I've seen her before. She has a pleasant voice and did a great job.
I had hoped to see Ethan Le Phong, who has taken over as Lun Tha, but he was off and the role was played by Joaquin Pedro Valdes. He was fine, good build, his voice better suited to I Have Dreamed than We Kiss In The Shadow. Will hopefully see Ethan another time.
Joseph Black was on as Louis and did great. Unusually, they listed the names of all the children on the information board.
Started a few minutes late yesterday, finished about 10:35pm.
Still a fantastic show which doesn't date.
Just seen Kok-Hwa Lie is on as The King from 17 December until 4 January, so I'll try and catch him too. It does mean there are only a few days to catch Jose Llana's excellent portrayal in Birmingham.
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Post by xanady on Dec 14, 2019 21:18:24 GMT
My work boss has just texted me to say that after sitting with her Mum in their seats for 45 mins at the start time,the show(in Birmingham)was cancelled due to stage heating problems making it unsafe for actors.Oh dear!
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 14, 2019 22:38:14 GMT
My work boss has just texted me to say that after sitting with her Mum in their seats for 45 mins at the start time,the show(in Birmingham)was cancelled due to stage heating problems making it unsafe for actors.Oh dear! What a shame for everyone concerned. It was Jose Llana's last Birmingham date as well.
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 31, 2019 23:13:27 GMT
Final show of the decade and only fair it should be arguably the greatest musical of all time, seen from a perfect front row centre seat.
Quite a few of the cast were absent (this was the New Year's Eve matinee, then there are no more shows until January 2). And many others were keen to get away as quickly as possible; one of the male ensemble was changed and zoomed by me only minutes after the show ended.
We had:
Kok Hwa Lie as The King of Siam. I was looking forward to seeing him and he was great. It's hard to replace Jose Llana, but Kok got across the humour and inner turmoil of the role.
Eu Jin Hwang as the Kralahome. Perfectly fine. It's not a role there's too much to say about.
Jessica Gomes-Ng as Tup Tim. Really good. Her voice matched up perfectly with Ethan Le Phong for I Have Dreamed, which got the most applause of the night. She also said "Oh My God" quite loudly to Ethan during the bows when the full house standing ovation happened.
Sunny Yeo as Lady Thiang (or Thaing as the cover notice listed it). Excellent voice, particularly during Something Wonderful. Acted well, lots of little touches. Only problem was she invented a few lines, particularly during the first verse of Western People Funny when she sang the wrong line too early and created something of a pause before the ensemble filled in. She might not have been on as Lady Thiang many times.
Joseph Black was on as Louis and was excellent (I also saw him last time).
Glad to have finally seen Ethan Le Phong as Lun Tha too. Vocally excellent. Facially, he looks older than the actors who normally play Lun Tha. He doesn't really get the chance to show off his body either (not that his Instagram leaves much to the imagination).
Anyway, this remains an excellent production and fits perfectly in the Alexandra. It's very hard to keep dry eyes. It was my pleasure to see this very different combination of cast members to usual, all accompanied by the truly accomplished Annalene Beechey. Let's hope the next decade starts off just as strongly.
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Post by danb on Jan 12, 2020 19:09:46 GMT
Might treat myself to the Weds matinee in Cardiff. Assuming that the production values are high and it’s as sumptuous as it looks?
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Post by Dr Tom on Jan 13, 2020 13:40:36 GMT
Might treat myself to the Weds matinee in Cardiff. Assuming that the production values are high and it’s as sumptuous as it looks? Yes, high production values and elaborate sets. But the sets are designed to be realistic, rather than opulent.
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Post by danb on Jan 13, 2020 17:36:11 GMT
I’m not really familiar with the show. I just remember the film a little bit. Will it hold my interest or will I just appreciate the quality?
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Post by Theatre Fan on Jan 13, 2020 17:43:03 GMT
I’m not really familiar with the show. I just remember the film a little bit. Will it hold my interest or will I just appreciate the quality? For me, I don't see there being a better production of this show. It's gorgeous 💖
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Post by undeuxtrois on Feb 27, 2020 4:56:22 GMT
Probably a silly question, but if I take my ticket meant for the 21st to the box office on the 13th, will they just switch the ticket date without a fee?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2020 7:26:31 GMT
I’m not really familiar with the show. I just remember the film a little bit. Will it hold my interest or will I just appreciate the quality? For me, I don't see there being a better production of this show. It's gorgeous 💖 I dont think a better production will tour, or probably be done in London, for many years. It's not selling particularly well at my local venue and I think generally a trend is emerging that these golden age shows are not quite as popular as they once were, partly because the generations the loved them the most are slowly dieing out. Both king and I and my fair lady had unexpectedly short broadway runs. I'd say see this if you want to see a quality production of a classic
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Post by Dr Tom on Feb 27, 2020 8:59:28 GMT
Nipped to Milton Keynes last night to see the tour and had a shock when the King appeared and it wasn't Jose Llana.
Then, it took me quite a while to warm to the gentlemen playing a weathered, abrupt and argumentative King. A very different portrayal of a cold King, who only let a slight smile grace his lips when he was introducing his children.
Apparently Jose Llana left the tour after Cardiff and Darren Lee has taken over. He is advertised as having played The King on the US tour, although I believe that he really played Phra Alack and covered occasionally.
If you're used to The King being played with a light touch, this is very different. Have to say, I've seen six different Kings for the Lincoln Theatre production (in the UK and in North America) and Jose Llana was by far the best, so it's disappointing to see that he's left the tour, but keen to give Darren Lee a chance. He enunciates every word clearly whether he's speaking or singing, which is something different. And I can still see what Anna sees in him. Good that he's made the part his own.
Apart from that, all of the leads were on and in fine form. Sound in Milton Keynes was excellent. Only downside was I was sat in the centre of the fourth row of the Stalls and the seat is directly behind and on the same level as the one in front. It is discounted, but probably not one to go for if you haven't seen the show before. The whole row is made up of strange fold-out seats which do end up with lots of legroom, but it's a tight squeeze to get into the role.
In my detective work, I also noticed that Annalene Beechey has tweeted that she is leaving the tour on April 4, which is a shame as she has been excellent and I won't get to see her in the role again. Do catch her before she leaves.
Incidentally, I see that people have said this show is struggling, but there are lots of high priced tickets and very few discounts in Milton Keynes (Birmingham was the same) and several of the cast tweeted that it was the best selling UK tour of 2019. Perhaps this is venue selective?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2020 9:35:00 GMT
Probably a silly question, but if I take my ticket meant for the 21st to the box office on the 13th, will they just switch the ticket date without a fee? They will probably just tell you to come back on the 21st.....
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Post by TallPaul on Feb 27, 2020 9:44:57 GMT
Probably a silly question, but if I take my ticket meant for the 21st to the box office on the 13th, will they just switch the ticket date without a fee? This is for the Liverpool Everyman, right? If you search the ATG website, then you can exchange your ticket for a fee. However, the exchange must take place 48 hours BEFORE the start of the performance.
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Feb 27, 2020 10:17:33 GMT
Probably a silly question, but if I take my ticket meant for the 21st to the box office on the 13th, will they just switch the ticket date without a fee? They will probably just tell you to come back on the 21st..... You could alternatively phone ATG Customer Care on 03330 096 690 if you definitely want to switch dates and it is the Liverpool Empire Theatre. There may be a small fee but I have always found theatre customer service helplines to be very accommodating. Of course if you have an ATG Theatre Card such exchanges are readily available.
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Post by undeuxtrois on Feb 28, 2020 3:50:40 GMT
They will probably just tell you to come back on the 21st..... You could alternatively phone ATG Customer Care on 03330 096 690 if you definitely want to switch dates and it is the Liverpool Empire Theatre. There may be a small fee but I have always found theatre customer service helplines to be very accommodating. Of course if you have an ATG Theatre Card such exchanges are readily available.
Ah thank you, I was hoping to avoid the exchange fee but nevermind Does anyone know the press night date for Lpool??
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 28, 2020 7:52:50 GMT
Probably a silly question, but if I take my ticket meant for the 21st to the box office on the 13th, will they just switch the ticket date without a fee? This is for the Liverpool Everyman, right? If you search the ATG website, then you can exchange your ticket for a fee. However, the exchange must take place 48 hours BEFORE the start of the performance. Schoolboy error there TallPaul, i think you mean the Liverpool Empire.
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Post by TallPaul on Feb 28, 2020 9:43:44 GMT
You are of course right, BurlyBeaR, as always, but as I'm much closer to school age than you are, I'm still allowed to make them! 😉
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Feb 28, 2020 10:34:03 GMT
You could alternatively phone ATG Customer Care on 03330 096 690 if you definitely want to switch dates and it is the Liverpool Empire Theatre. There may be a small fee but I have always found theatre customer service helplines to be very accommodating. Of course if you have an ATG Theatre Card such exchanges are readily available.
Ah thank you, I was hoping to avoid the exchange fee but nevermind Does anyone know the press night date for Lpool?? I don't think touring productions have a press night at every venue. They probably give out some free tickets at the opening night to local journalists, radio presenters and maybe the mayor !
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Post by Dawnstar on Mar 4, 2020 23:11:59 GMT
Then, it took me quite a while to warm to the gentlemen playing a weathered, abrupt and argumentative King. A very different portrayal of a cold King, who only let a slight smile grace his lips when he was introducing his children. Apparently Jose Llana left the tour after Cardiff and Darren Lee has taken over. He is advertised as having played The King on the US tour, although I believe that he really played Phra Alack and covered occasionally. If you're used to The King being played with a light touch, this is very different. Either Darren Lee has completely changed his portrayl in the last week or I "read" him completely differently to you, as this afternoon I thought he was less stern & playing the role more for comedy than I was expecting. Admittedly I didn't see Jose Llana in the role so this is in comparison to Ken Wanatabe in London, plus the film. I too was sitting 4th row stalls & I thought is was excellent value, consideing it was only £30 & the rest of the stalls were about £60. I don't know why it was sold as restricted view, as I didn't miss a thing. I mostly went to see Annalene Beechey, having been a fan since seeing her as Glinda back in 2007 & having seen her Mrs Anna debut performance in London. I thought she was excellent again, though I am biased. I was pleased that this time Tuptim & Lun Tha actually had some chemistry, unlike in London where I thought Dean John Wilson came over as more in love with himself than his co-star! The production seemed to be the same as in London, IIRC, but with what looked to be fewer cast members. Sir Edward Ramsay had no "party" & there were no twins among the children.
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Post by undeuxtrois on Mar 11, 2020 22:50:20 GMT
Just came out, and what a gorgeous show!
I was on the 2nd row (moved to 1st cos no one was sat there) and seeing all those costumes upfront)
I didn't buy a programme so excuse the lack of names, but the women playing Lady Thiang and Tuptim had fantastic voices and stage presence!! Showed so much emotion, I shed a few tears during the scene when the king is meant to beat Tuptim. Ethan Le Phong was good and Lun Tha definitely.
I dont know the name of the man who played the king, but he was genuinely hilarious. Him and Annelene Beechey has so much chemistry I adored them together.
Just a beautiful performance; I was rapt throughout, despite seeing it before. Completely worth seeing if you can!!
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Post by tonylony on May 2, 2020 4:25:42 GMT
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Post by crabtree on Aug 29, 2020 7:24:17 GMT
I had the immense joy of watching the Palladium King and i last night, and it is a simple, direct and hugely emotional production, with anger, frustration and much love. Some gorgeous economical visuals. Dare I ask what our Asian chums think of it today. Are they uncomfortable with the element of caricature. Some original casting suggestions were alarming, Rex Harrison, Noel Coward, and even Brando all once considered for the king, and Farley Grainger got to play it, somewhat easternised. But our view of Anna is slightly incorrect as she was Anglo Indian. But if such issues are uncomfortable towards the show it still remains a masterpiece of wit and construction, managing to be both epic and intimate.
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Post by Theatre Fan on May 17, 2021 18:51:43 GMT
Looks like it is returning, buried in the press release about the news of the Olympia Theatre development, a couple of days ago.
Co-founder of Trafalgar Entertainment, Howard Panter, commented: “… Next month, our remodelled Trafalgar Theatre will open in the West End, Anything Goes plays a summer season at the Barbican, and we’re launching UK tours of The King and I and The Rocky Horror Show…”
🥳
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Post by undeuxtrois on Jul 12, 2022 10:00:58 GMT
Back at the Liverpool Empire 21st-25th February 2023!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2022 10:52:19 GMT
I wondered if this would go out again considering it had its tour cut short in 2020
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Post by hades on Jul 12, 2022 11:40:09 GMT
At the Bradford Alhambra 11th-15th April
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