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Post by theoracle on Aug 3, 2022 22:40:21 GMT
I thought all the principals were very good yesterday evening with Samantha Barks, Hadley Fraser and Joel Harper Jackson being highlights. I only really knew I Know Him So Well and Anthem going into the show and wasn’t sure how the first was going to fit into the show after listening to the first half and when those first few bars started playing, I’m not sure if it does. The story didn’t really make sense to me as I couldn’t make out much of the ensemble parts and I’m not sure how much of the book was cut. Still I found the orchestra very enjoyable and the leads to be brilliant so was happy to join in the standing ovation in the end.
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Post by Oleanna on Aug 3, 2022 23:07:02 GMT
If Merano was cut, how were Freddie and Florence introduced?
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Aug 3, 2022 23:34:20 GMT
Hello Chess Fans!
I saw this on Monday and overall, I thought it was top notch.
Samantha Barks was thrilling, though i thought she was a bit shouty in places. Nobody's Side was the first big number that people were waiting for and she delivered. It was a real goosebumps moment for me and she got huge applause, much deserved.
Hadley Fraser (and his thick Russian accent) was wonderful and Anthem showed how exciting his voice can be. I wish they had let him sing it on a less crowded stage, because he deserved to be center stage and I wished there was cheesy star cloth twinkling behind him. Cliched maybe, but i don't care.
Joel Harper-Jackson played heavily into the usual cocaine addict tropes but without any of the energy that might come with it. It was a choice. Maybe one that tries to explain why he behaves the way he does, but it didn't land for me. He can certainly hit those notes with ease, and I thought Pity The Child easily his best number, but it was a bit pretty sounding, I missed the edgier, rocky sound of previous Freddie's, Zubin Varla being the top of the pack.
Frances Mayli McCann. (played the Russian wife with an American Accent)I don't get it. She seemed all a bit manic and smiley and at one point delusional towards Anatoly. Someone Else's Story was raced through and lost any kind of nuance.
Ako Mitchell. Initially I was getting 'Che' in Evita vibes, but then he started singing and I was embarrassed for him. I felt he improved later on, but I was still nervous for him when he sang. Why not lower the key or find someone who can sing it as originally intended.
I can understand why some of the cuts were made and what story they wanted to focus on, but i don't think they were all successful. I missed Commie Newspapers. I liked that Svetlana was introduced in the first half, but now the end of Act 1 seemed all a bit top heavy with big numbers, but big numbers is the only thing Chess has. As others have stated, it was the clearest presented story out of any of the productions i've seen. The ensemble were over choreographed for such a tight space. I understood the moves relating to specific chess piece at the start of the show and thought it was clever, but it was too fast and overused by the end of it.
I do wonder if Chess could be really stripped back, take out some of the more bombastic endings and be presented in a smaller chamber style show. I'd love to see someone try it.
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Post by danb on Aug 4, 2022 5:05:37 GMT
Yes! Shona White was about the only positive of that drab CRH actor-muso Chess. I liked her too, but she was just a touch too shouty when I saw her. She really did go full Elaine Paige at times. Daniel Fox (?) who played Freddie gave a really turgid, lethargic performance until he suddenly smashed “Pity the Child” out of the park with a phenomenal energy. Then reverted immediately back to looking bored and uncomfortable. Clearly, sometimes, just auditioning the main solo isn’t enough… It was Fame Academy’s James Fox and Daniel Koek was Anatoly.
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Post by richey on Aug 4, 2022 10:19:19 GMT
Have just come across a video of a previous production in Umeda Arts Theatre in Japan also with Hadley and Samantha. It looks like this heavily influenced the Drury Lane production as the distracting choreography looks very similar!
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Post by galinda on Aug 4, 2022 10:58:34 GMT
Have just come across a video of a previous production in Umeda Arts Theatre in Japan also with Hadley and Samantha. It looks like this heavily influenced the Drury Lane production as the distracting choreography looks very similar! Wasn’t it Ramin who did it in Japan or has Hadley done it there too?
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Post by Dawnstar on Aug 4, 2022 11:20:20 GMT
I can understand why some of the cuts were made and what story they wanted to focus on, but i don't think they were all successful. I missed Commie Newspapers. They cut that? I'm glad I didn't go then, as that's one of my favourite numbers & I would have been very disappointed not to hear it.
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Post by dazzlair on Aug 4, 2022 12:01:52 GMT
I do wonder if Chess could be really stripped back, take out some of the more bombastic endings and be presented in a smaller chamber style show. I'd love to see someone try it. Yes, there was a great performance at the Union Theatre in 2013 with a cast of 16 and a band of 6. Spare, dark, gritty and thrilling. The leads were uniformly excellent: Florence: Sarah Galbraith Freddie: Tim Oxbrow Anatoly: Nadim Naaman Svetlana: Natasha J. Barnes Alexandra Molokova: Gillian Kirkpatrick Walter: Neil Stewart The Arbiter: Craig Rhys Barlow Embassy Officials: Katie Bradley and Wayne Rodgers Angela St Angelo (Reporter) Natalie McQueen
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Post by dazzlair on Aug 4, 2022 12:10:15 GMT
I liked her too, but she was just a touch too shouty when I saw her. She really did go full Elaine Paige at times. Daniel Fox (?) who played Freddie gave a really turgid, lethargic performance until he suddenly smashed “Pity the Child” out of the park with a phenomenal energy. Then reverted immediately back to looking bored and uncomfortable. Clearly, sometimes, just auditioning the main solo isn’t enough… It was Fame Academy’s James Fox and Daniel Koek was Anatoly. I thought Daniel Koek's Anthem was phenomenal. He repeated "my heart" at the end with a soaring note (sorry, not musically trained so I don't know to describe it properly - but there are recordings on that video sharing site)
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2022 16:54:58 GMT
Hearing the praise for Hadley has me again lamenting the City of Angels run was stopped so abruptly in its tracks.
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2,153 posts
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Post by richey on Aug 4, 2022 17:49:33 GMT
Have just come across a video of a previous production in Umeda Arts Theatre in Japan also with Hadley and Samantha. It looks like this heavily influenced the Drury Lane production as the distracting choreography looks very similar! Wasn’t it Ramin who did it in Japan or has Hadley done it there too? my mistake, it was Ramin. Oops.
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Post by holbee22 on Aug 5, 2022 13:32:45 GMT
No Morano and Merchandisers? Florence's reprise of "Antham"? Did they use the American book by noted playwright Richard Nelson? I'm not sure that version has ever played the UK before (though it's the published performing version in the States).
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Post by richey on Aug 5, 2022 14:51:35 GMT
No Morano and Merchandisers? Florence's reprise of "Antham"? Did they use the American book by noted playwright Richard Nelson? I'm not sure that version has ever played the UK before (though it's the published performing version in the States). According to the programme, they were left out as part of the decision to focus on the love stories. As for Florence reprising Anthem, that was in both the RAH and Craig Revel Horwood versions if I recall correctly
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Post by scarpia on Aug 5, 2022 15:16:24 GMT
Have just come across a video of a previous production in Umeda Arts Theatre in Japan also with Hadley and Samantha. It looks like this heavily influenced the Drury Lane production as the distracting choreography looks very similar! That'll be because it's the same guy directing/choreographing.
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Aug 5, 2022 22:45:07 GMT
Florence's reprise of Anthem was the only time I was surprised Samantha Barks DIDN'T modulate or riff at the end of it.
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Post by stagebyte on Aug 6, 2022 3:22:21 GMT
Florence's reprise of Anthem was the only time I was surprised Samantha Barks DIDN'T modulate or riff at the end of it. I miss those days.
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Post by distantcousin on Aug 9, 2022 17:31:52 GMT
I really enjoyed this evening...well,most of it. Thought the first few songs were a bit ropey, particularly where the Arbiter was involved. Ako wasn't great,I struggled to make out a lot of the lyrics. In fact I thought even Marti Pellow's performance at RAH was better. However I enjoyed it from the first Chess game onwards (though that was spoiled by the totally unnecessary choreography going on around them) As has been already said it was worth the ticket just to hear Hadley's Anthem but Samantha's reprise was equally as good. Frances was ok, but she grinned through most of her songs. I thought the placement of Someone Else's Story was strange, it seem randomly dropped it, we hadn't really been introduced to Anatoly's wife then suddenly she's there singing. I don't think I've seen a version where it appears that early. All in all glad I came down to see this, it was really worth it to hear it with the choir and orchestra.
Someone Else's Story was placed where it was on the Craig Revel Horwood UK Tour - basically the introductory moment for the character.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 9, 2022 23:23:42 GMT
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Post by stagebyte on Aug 10, 2022 23:43:26 GMT
Saw this tonight also. NYMT did a superb job. Sadly marred by weak tech particularly Act 1 by poor sound mix. Think some of the ensemble numbers are hard enough to follow in the main if it’s your first time watching and you’re not familiar with the lyrics and plot. If it’s inaudible in places you’re screwed. Fair few people commenting they couldn’t hear clearly. Seemed to be sorted in Act 2. The follow spots also seemed to be having a bit of mare in Act 2. Hopefully this will all be sorted by tomorrow. It was a fresh, exciting take. The Orchestra were phenomenal. Hard to believe average age was 17 to play such a challenging score. It really is a thrilling score to hear and the principal singers (when sound had been balanced correctly in Act 2) were amazing. Choral parts gave me chills with Anatoly the highlight for me but strong performances all round. Exciting to see the future of theatre.
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Post by robertb213 on Aug 11, 2022 6:25:08 GMT
Agree with all that, I thought NYMT smashed it. All the vocals were fantastic, some parts even stronger than at Drury Lane last week. Also fascinating to have a gender-swapped Freddie and the Arbiter for a different spin on it. For anyone who saw the NYMT at Manchester cathedral last year, Freddie is played by Lois Mia Chapman who played Esmeralda in that production. Definitely a shame on the various sound and lighting issues last night, it was the first performance so hopefully they'll iron that all out.
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