4,598 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 16, 2018 10:05:57 GMT
Michael Ball aside Chess at ENO Sunset at ENO
An early preview of Legally Blonde with La Smith
Follies at the Nash Merrily at MCF Lion King
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 10:24:34 GMT
Really enjoyed reading this thread.
A few for me:
The main one - Hamilton. The main issue - laughing! There's a few moments where you would smile, or maybe a little laugh but in the main it is not a comedy. But people around me were in loud hysterics at every 'joke,' immediately, sometimes a fraction before the 'punchline' was delivered. To me that created an atmosphere of 'we know the show and we know it backwards and this is our club. That aside, a good musical, but nowhere near the hype. Oddly I would have enjoyed it much more in a half empty theatre.
Other recent ones: Young Frankenstein - everyone around me in HYSTERICS. The odd light amusement from me only. Jamie - now this show I enjoyed and the message is a good one. But the fan girl screaming and hysteria contingent is increasing.
Oh and lots of mentions of Fun Home - never seen it but not surprised. The CD is awful, just music that IMHO is not pleasant to the ear!
I could be another of the 'old' (well, 42) cynics - my Golden era being 80/90s. But I am always open to loving new stuff so I don't think it's limiting factor (Here Lies Love/Dagenham/Sixpence/Kinky/Bat all loved)
Oh, one last one - ENO's Sunset. Everyone LOVED Glennis. But she just cannot sing that score - don't care if she's the world's best actress, and anyway in the ENO unless you'd remortgaged your house you wouldn't be in a seat where you could see her facial expressions. And even if you could would be obvious she's far too old for the role. But again, I was totally in the minority. The audience went wild!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 11:30:42 GMT
A hype based one: Hamilton. Did not enjoy it in London at all to the extent I cancelled a return trip. Which is not the musical's fault- I loved it in NY, but at that point it was over-saturated and I just wasn't into it. A year on and actually I may revisit in 2019, the music and the production is wonderful, but you can have too much of a good thing in the wider white noise sense.
Also The Inheritance for me. I have particular issues related to the closeness of my work/research etc to it. And while it's a marvellous work, it's not a perfect masterpiece that some think it is (not the same as 'i had an incredibly emotional experience') which made me feel like I was missing something.
Also to a lesser degree Dance Nation, I just didn't feel as strongly about it- a very well crafted play and production but it didn't floor me.
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494 posts
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Post by ellie1981 on Dec 16, 2018 11:39:32 GMT
A couple at the Old Vic in recent years - The Crucible and Clarence Darrow. I was just bored throughout and struggled to keep my head up. My friends loved them both and I had to feign interest in their post-show discussions.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 11:43:40 GMT
A couple at the Old Vic in recent years - The Crucible and Clarence Darrow. I was just bored throughout and struggled to keep my head up. My friends loved them both and I had to feign interest in their post-show discussions. I had a really weird one with The Crucible, with a friend berating me for not crying. Let's be real first of all I was only there because I enjoy looking at Richard Armitage for extended periods of time. Secondly I have studied and taught that play to the point as a play I bored to DEATH (pardon the pun) and also I don't personally find it that emotional...but I was apparently very wrong because I didn't sit sobbing at the end
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2,575 posts
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Post by viserys on Dec 16, 2018 12:07:05 GMT
A hype based one: Hamilton. Did not enjoy it in London at all to the extent I cancelled a return trip. Which is not the musical's fault- I loved it in NY, but at that point it was over-saturated and I just wasn't into it. A year on and actually I may revisit in 2019, the music and the production is wonderful, but you can have too much of a good thing in the wider white noise sense. This
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 13:08:11 GMT
The main one - Hamilton. The main issue - laughing! There's a few moments where you would smile, or maybe a little laugh but in the main it is not a comedy. But people around me were in loud hysterics at every 'joke,' immediately, sometimes a fraction before the 'punchline' was delivered. To me that created an atmosphere of 'we know the show and we know it backwards and this is our club. That aside, a good musical, but nowhere near the hype. Oddly I would have enjoyed it much more in a half empty theatre. This is very similar to my response to Heathers. I wouldn't have minded if we'd all gone in fairly blank and warmed up to the show together, I think I'd've enjoyed it a lot more if we had, but when the audience goes from 0-60 the second the lights go down, it really does affect the atmosphere for those who aren't already in the club, as it were.
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1,885 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Dec 16, 2018 13:24:39 GMT
The main one - Hamilton. The main issue - laughing! There's a few moments where you would smile, or maybe a little laugh but in the main it is not a comedy. But people around me were in loud hysterics at every 'joke,' immediately, sometimes a fraction before the 'punchline' was delivered. To me that created an atmosphere of 'we know the show and we know it backwards and this is our club. That aside, a good musical, but nowhere near the hype. Oddly I would have enjoyed it much more in a half empty theatre. This is very similar to my response to Heathers. I wouldn't have minded if we'd all gone in fairly blank and warmed up to the show together, I think I'd've enjoyed it a lot more if we had, but when the audience goes from 0-60 the second the lights go down, it really does affect the atmosphere for those who aren't already in the club, as it were. I hate that. My experience of Rocky Horror Show was marred by this. It smacks of terrible "we're in the gang" mentality.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 13:36:20 GMT
The main one - Hamilton. The main issue - laughing! There's a few moments where you would smile, or maybe a little laugh but in the main it is not a comedy. But people around me were in loud hysterics at every 'joke,' immediately, sometimes a fraction before the 'punchline' was delivered. To me that created an atmosphere of 'we know the show and we know it backwards and this is our club. That aside, a good musical, but nowhere near the hype. Oddly I would have enjoyed it much more in a half empty theatre. This is very similar to my response to Heathers. I wouldn't have minded if we'd all gone in fairly blank and warmed up to the show together, I think I'd've enjoyed it a lot more if we had, but when the audience goes from 0-60 the second the lights go down, it really does affect the atmosphere for those who aren't already in the club, as it were. Add me to this club. I had issues with the show but i didn't hate it. I did hate feeling like I was the odd one out for not losing my sh*t as, you say, as the lights went down.
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Post by winonaforever on Dec 16, 2018 14:57:25 GMT
The main one - Hamilton. The main issue - laughing! There's a few moments where you would smile, or maybe a little laugh but in the main it is not a comedy. But people around me were in loud hysterics at every 'joke,' immediately, sometimes a fraction before the 'punchline' was delivered. To me that created an atmosphere of 'we know the show and we know it backwards and this is our club. That aside, a good musical, but nowhere near the hype. Oddly I would have enjoyed it much more in a half empty theatre. This is very similar to my response to Heathers. I wouldn't have minded if we'd all gone in fairly blank and warmed up to the show together, I think I'd've enjoyed it a lot more if we had, but when the audience goes from 0-60 the second the lights go down, it really does affect the atmosphere for those who aren't already in the club, as it were. Oh dear, that would have been me then, I was wildly excited every time I went to Heathers...
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806 posts
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Post by duncan on Dec 16, 2018 14:59:31 GMT
Wicked.
For me its a 4/10 show, poor songs and hideous plotting do not a good show make but everyone else there was cheering after EVERY single little thing that happened on stage. Actress comes on, near standing ovation. Actress sings song, near standing ovation. Actress does some terrible comedy bit, near standing ovation. Actress recites lines from a script that sounds like it was written by a 4 year old, near standing ovation. Actress goes off, standing ovation.
It must have been what its like to be at the Cup Final but sat in the wrong end.
Terrifying.
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1,885 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Dec 16, 2018 15:46:12 GMT
Wicked. For me its a 4/10 show, poor songs and hideous plotting do not a good show make but everyone else there was cheering after EVERY single little thing that happened on stage. Actress comes on, near standing ovation. Actress sings song, near standing ovation. Actress does some terrible comedy bit, near standing ovation. Actress recites lines from a script that sounds like it was written by a 4 year old, near standing ovation. Actress goes off, standing ovation. It must have been what its like to be at the Cup Final but sat in the wrong end. Terrifying. I'm part fascinated, part horrified as to what conditions created the audience culture of this show...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 15:55:50 GMT
Wicked. For me its a 4/10 show, poor songs and hideous plotting do not a good show make but everyone else there was cheering after EVERY single little thing that happened on stage. Actress comes on, near standing ovation. Actress sings song, near standing ovation. Actress does some terrible comedy bit, near standing ovation. Actress recites lines from a script that sounds like it was written by a 4 year old, near standing ovation. Actress goes off, standing ovation. It must have been what its like to be at the Cup Final but sat in the wrong end. Terrifying. Were you by any chance at a cast change performance? Superfans are not normally that over the top at a normal performance, judging by my experience. Not defending them, I know they can be really annoying sometimes.
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Post by SamB (was badoerfan) on Dec 16, 2018 17:09:01 GMT
The main one - Hamilton. The main issue - laughing! There's a few moments where you would smile, or maybe a little laugh but in the main it is not a comedy. But people around me were in loud hysterics at every 'joke,' immediately, sometimes a fraction before the 'punchline' was delivered. To me that created an atmosphere of 'we know the show and we know it backwards and this is our club. That aside, a good musical, but nowhere near the hype. Oddly I would have enjoyed it much more in a half empty theatre. I loved Hamilton, but I did enjoy it more the second time round, when the audience was more muted. The first time was very shortly after opening, and the audience was clearly full of super-fans, as you say, in hysterics at every mildly funny part or laughing ahead of the joke. The second time was more recently, with a much more relaxed audience, and less of the feeling you describe of not being in the club.
I think I'm right in saying that early performances had an extra bar of silence factored in after the first 'Alexander Hamilton' to wait for cheers to die down, which didn't happen on my second visit.
I still really enjoyed the show on both occasions, but I totally get where you're coming from. And it's the reason I didn't even bother going to see Heathers, as the descriptions of audience behaviour both here and on Twitter put me off.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 19:11:31 GMT
'The Emperor's New Clothes'. I mean 'Hamilton'.
The audience around me were acting like it was the second coming of Christ. Thank ALW for being Jewish. We don't go in for all of that normally, let alone at the theatre.
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18,861 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 16, 2018 20:44:14 GMT
I think when someone described Hamilton as the most important piece of art of the 21st century I lost interest in seeing it.
Book Of Mormon: I went into the bar for a bottle of water before it started and was faced with a completely different crowd to that which I’m normally exposed to at a show. Groups of “lads”in their office work attire drinking from beer bottles. By the interval I HATED it. I stayed because I’d paid a lot and had booked a whole weekend in London around it. What a complete waste of money. Every aspect of it was cheap, in very sense of the word except the ticket prices.
Follies. Didn’t get it. Another train/hotel/ticket wasted.
Heathers. Just no.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 21:05:54 GMT
Book of Mormon: ten minute sketch spun out of all proportion. Still baffled this is still on. Don Quixote: haven’t eaten a bread roll since.
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25 posts
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Post by mt24601 on Dec 17, 2018 10:41:32 GMT
Absolutely hated Bat out of Hell, the acting was WEAK, the plot was boring, the dancing did not fit the style of musical at all, the only good thing about it was the vocals and the set design! Other than that I hated everything else about it
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2018 11:06:18 GMT
Ooh @souchyboy just reminded me of another one: Ferryman.
I was looking at my watch 15 minutes in, which in any show isn't good. In that one it was pure torture. On one level I get why it's a good piece of work. I do however contest that it's not the work of unparalleled genius people think it is. I also maintain that it's just very very dull for large swathes and the payoff isn't enough.
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2,816 posts
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Post by couldileaveyou on Dec 17, 2018 13:26:44 GMT
Me: *walks up to the gallows* Hangman: Any last words? Me: 42nd Street is boring as sh*t Crowd: Death! Death! Death! Death!
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1,885 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Dec 17, 2018 13:32:16 GMT
Me: *walks up to the gallows* Hangman: Any last words? Me: 42nd Street is boring as sh*t Crowd: Death! Death! Death! Death!
I saw 42nd Street in Leicester about 5 years.
Apparently, if you can't appreciate it, you have no joy in your heart.... hmmm.
I thought it was boring as hell too. Too old fashioned for me, utterly predictable. Back-of-a-fag-packet plot - leave your brain at the door.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2018 13:42:38 GMT
Ooh @souchyboy just reminded me of another one: Ferryman. I was looking at my watch 15 minutes in, which in any show isn't good. In that one it was pure torture. On one level I get why it's a good piece of work. I do however contest that it's not the work of unparalleled genius people think it is. I also maintain that it's just very very dull for large swathes and the payoff isn't enough. Oh heavens, 'The Ferryman' was a load of old rubbish. It was so diddle-dai-diddle-dai Irish that I half expected them to Riverdance at the end and shout "top of the mornin'!" each time someone walked in through a door. The goose and the rabbit were cute though, I'll give them that. And Fra Fee is a cute little pocket gayer with nice hair. Still, I'm not sure it was worth 6 and a half hours of my time or however long it was.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2018 14:58:53 GMT
Ooh @souchyboy just reminded me of another one: Ferryman. I was looking at my watch 15 minutes in, which in any show isn't good. In that one it was pure torture. On one level I get why it's a good piece of work. I do however contest that it's not the work of unparalleled genius people think it is. I also maintain that it's just very very dull for large swathes and the payoff isn't enough. Oh heavens, 'The Ferryman' was a load of old rubbish. It was so diddle-dai-diddle-dai Irish that I half expected them to Riverdance at the end and shout "top of the mornin'!" each time someone walked in through a door. The goose and the rabbit were cute though, I'll give them that. And Fra Fee is a cute little pocket gayer with nice hair. Still, I'm not sure it was worth 6 and a half hours of my time or however long it was. 6 and a half hours? was that all... I thought I was in there for at least a week...
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3,933 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Dec 17, 2018 15:27:47 GMT
Me: *walks up to the gallows* Hangman: Any last words? Me: 42nd Street is boring as sh*t Crowd: Death! Death! Death! Death!
I saw 42nd Street in Leicester about 5 years.
Apparently, if you can't appreciate it, you have no joy in your heart.... hmmm.
I thought it was boring as hell too. Too old fashioned for me, utterly predictable. Back-of-a-fag-packet plot - leave your brain at the door.
I agree about the plot (lack of). I don't dislike the current London production - I've seen it 3 times for the various casts & might try to see it once more to catch Bonnie Langford - but I felt very much the minority when so many people were raving about it on here when it opened & I was decidedly so-so. I had expected it to be right up my (42nd) street, as I'd loved Lend Me A Tenor, Crazy For You and Top Hat, but unlike those shows there's so little characterisation that I can't manage to care much about the characters or what happens to them.
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874 posts
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Post by daisy24601 on Dec 17, 2018 15:39:02 GMT
Wicked. For me its a 4/10 show, poor songs and hideous plotting do not a good show make but everyone else there was cheering after EVERY single little thing that happened on stage. Actress comes on, near standing ovation. Actress sings song, near standing ovation. Actress does some terrible comedy bit, near standing ovation. Actress recites lines from a script that sounds like it was written by a 4 year old, near standing ovation. Actress goes off, standing ovation. It must have been what its like to be at the Cup Final but sat in the wrong end. Terrifying. Blimey, what were the 4 marks you give it for?
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2,041 posts
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Post by 49thand8th on Dec 17, 2018 16:40:24 GMT
Something Rotten and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels — everyone around me was howling with laughter and all I could think about was how the material was straight-up dumb or how I could make it better. And I'm all about funny low-brow stuff (I watch Jackass whenever it's on TV), but this just didn't do it for me.
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61 posts
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Post by dgjbear on Dec 18, 2018 8:51:33 GMT
The main one was Mama Mia. I love musical theatre and am an ABBA superfan - but this is just God awful. The film too. It actually diminishes the songs.
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Post by MrsCondomine on Feb 1, 2019 11:38:58 GMT
Rocky Horror (hate this, I don't understand why it's popular with anyone except goth kids) Fun Home (the dad is a beast and the mother is a screecher) Company (it was good but I wouldn't rush back) The Ferryman (tedious in the extreme)
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2,965 posts
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Post by crowblack on Feb 1, 2019 11:59:41 GMT
It was so diddle-dai-diddle-dai Irish that I half expected them to Riverdance at the end Oh hell yes - a really great cast, and started so promisingly but then bunged in every cliche with half an eye on Broadway and the sort of people who have giclee prints of John Wayne in The Quiet Man on their wall. Towards the end I thought, no, they're not going to actually have a banshee are they oh god they did. With characters coming on and doing their little turns, it felt more like a kitsch musical without the songs. Maybe they should rework it? The cow gum song, old granny reminisces etc.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2019 12:11:36 GMT
Rocky Horror (hate this, I don't understand why it's popular with anyone except goth kids) I did see Rocky Horror when I was a teen and it was just fine. But I didn't really get into The Whole Thing. Then I watched it again a few years ago and honestly, if it didn't have this enormous cult following, then it would be coming perilously close to just not standing up anymore. There's some really dubious scenes, consent-wise, and I think the messages of sexual liberation are ridiculously tame when viewed through a twenty-first century lens. Yeah I'm a fun-sponge, but if they took it away for a decade or two, then I don't think it would ever make it back.
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