317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Apr 22, 2024 17:35:54 GMT
I hope Lyn Paul is ok. I was looking forward to seeing her.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Apr 6, 2024 14:24:36 GMT
Am I right in thinking this is a concert of songs with 3 female performers (of different ‘generations’)? There is no book to this, is there? I wonder if there will be any ‘names’ in this?
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Feb 13, 2024 8:36:04 GMT
I wonder who will be cast? It has to be someone with some TV name recognition, even if they’re not the best vocally. I think that’s the only way it can stand any chance of selling tickets. I look forward to it though, as I like the score.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Feb 13, 2024 8:34:06 GMT
My mum loved the casting show last year, Stevie in particularly, so I'm taking her to London from Friday 22nd-Sunday 24th next month. Does anyone know which show out Friday evening, Saturday matinee and Saturday evening has the highest likelihood of having Stevie, Tobias and Mazz all on? I would guess that Saturday evening has the best chance of them all being on (illnesses notwithstanding), then Friday evenings (which I think would be a very busy night). Matinees are always a bit of a risk for seeing understudies.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Jan 5, 2024 7:47:02 GMT
Is there any further news on Kerry’s 2024 Queen of the West End tour?
Is it a brand new setlist and are there any supporting acts?
I really hope it goes ahead and that she gives more traditional performances of songs from shows in which she’s appeared. Ticket sales look really poor at most venues so far, but there’s still a long time, I guess. I just don’t see much online advertising for it.
Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Dec 31, 2023 7:19:11 GMT
Sorry just a question I feel like with one look didn't have the key change down at the end am I correct or just mishearing? I think (someone correct me if I'm wrong) it still has the key change but it's earlier - at the start of the orchestral section in the middle rather than at the end of it when Norma starts singing again. I'll check next time I go! You are correct in saying that the key change is still there, but it comes in the short orchestral section within the song. I think by doing it this way, though, it does seem to make the song ending (the final ‘I’ll be me….’) slightly higher in tone than Buckley/Close, but slightly lower than the LuPone original. The changing of the key at that point works well and is somehow less ‘jarring’, I think.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Dec 17, 2023 16:27:28 GMT
I saw yesterday afternoon’s matinee performance too and agree about Joanna Riding’s performance of ‘Ladies Who Lunch’ - it was stunning!
Funnily enough, though I enjoyed seeing Lea and Bernadette, it was definitely others who received the biggest applause. In addition to Riding’s LWL, Bonnie Langford’s ‘I’m Still Here’, Riding’s ‘Not Getting Married’ and, somewhat ironically (or so it would seem on this messageboard), Pennycooke’s ‘Buddy’s Blues’ easily won the biggest applause (and deservedly!) For me personally, those were the highlights too (along with ‘Broadway Baby’).
Bernadette, as has been mentioned by others, is slightly ‘fragile’ vocally, although I enjoyed her version of ‘Send in the Clowns’. In ‘Gimmick’, she is charming, but is vocally ‘carried’ by the other two performers. She is loved by virtue of her legendary status more than her actual performance here, but it is still a treat to see her on stage.
Lea Salonga was pretty good in the ‘Sweeney’ and ‘Gypsy’ sections. She sang with greater ‘rawness of character’ than I’ve seen before (which is a good thing). However, and I know I’ll be ‘shouted down’ for this, I do wish she would moderate the level of vibrato in her voice; for me, it has become ‘too much’.
I enjoyed the performance very much, but like I said, it was often not the two headliners who got the biggest applause. Other performers seemed to be winners with the audience.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Dec 3, 2023 18:46:48 GMT
I saw this yesterday afternoon, Sunset is my fav show, but as not being a Nicole fan i was hesitant to book...but so glad i did, Nicola blew me away...as did the rest of the cast. The beginning of the second act is very clever, did we lose a couple of words going along the Strand? Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and if I lived nearer would be going again. The direction wasn't as 'different' as i was expecting it to be, four people in front of me didn't come back after the interval...their loss I, too, saw it yesterday afternoon and noticed the slight sound problems during the Act II opener on the Strand. As a young man, I saw the original production of Sunset with LuPone, Buckley and Paige, and I loved the excess of it all! Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this production. I thought the cast were all top-notch and Nicole both sang and acted very well. It was much more ‘realistic’ acting than in the original for the most part (maybe because it’s more in-keeping with the semi-filmed style). The horror-style ending, whilst ‘enjoyable’, was somewhat shocking, but somehow lacked poignancy. Nicole acted it well and seemed ‘possessed’ at this point, but in my opinion, it was less ‘affecting’ to me than the very original finale with LuPone. In the original, before it was reworked for Buckley etc…, Norma descended the staircase for her final speech and the WOL reprise looking truly awful - aged, partially-bald and desperately needy. This sight was the most heartbreaking. I don’t think any production of Sunset has quite captured the heartbreak of the ending since the LuPone days - or maybe it was simply because it was the first time I’d seen it. Nevertheless, as a lover of the original, I still enjoyed this fresh and more ‘modern’ take very much! Would love to see it again; alas, I won’t be able to get to London again before January.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Nov 25, 2023 15:12:34 GMT
I was looking for a reasonably decent matinee seat in the first week of January but I can't find any offers (and I had thought there were some). I'm not under 30 unfortunately! Am I missing something? There are lots of seats left for both matinée performances in the first week of January (which, I think, is the final week for this production). I’m guessing it’s too early for discounts at this point. You may have to hold your nerve and wait until nearer the time with Today Tix or TKTS. I’m going in a few weeks and I’m hoping to get rush tickets. This always seems to be reduced on TKTS too. However, given that it’s the final week of performances, the choice for last-minute tickets may be a lot more limited. Good luck!
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Nov 4, 2023 7:11:43 GMT
I do wonder what this is gonna be like, and I'm intrigued that Staunton had personally sought permission to replace a few of the numbers with songs written for the movie (e.g. "Just Leave Everything To Me"). I hope that doesn't mean they'll be straying too far from the traditional staging of the show. We could use a camp, large scale, uplifting version of this - and what made the Bette Midler revival so successful on Broadway was that it wasn't apologetic in how little had changed and much it just bathed itself in the nostalgia of the Carol Channing original. Interesting that some of the original score is being replaced by songs from the film version. Personally, I think ‘I Put My Hand In’ is a far better song than ‘Leave Everything to Me.’ Which others are they thinking of including/replacing?
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Nov 3, 2023 14:55:31 GMT
It’s because she kisses him offscreen is it not? She acts out her script of Salome at the end. From earlier: They bring in his head on a silver tray She kisses his mouth It's a great screenplay That’s interesting to know. I hadn’t considered that.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Nov 3, 2023 13:43:53 GMT
I don't think this is a spoiler, because a lot of curtain call footage has been widely shared, BUT..... Why do we think she is smothered in blood at the end? Why does she smear it around her neck? Is it her "madness". She has definitely shot Joe in this version hasn't she? Or something else? Has she been rolling around on him after he's bled to death?! I haven’t seen the show yet (I see it in December), but my interpretation is that she shoots Joe at close range and, therefore, gets spattered with his blood herself. Not sure if that’s correct.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Nov 3, 2023 7:40:53 GMT
Laughing at the CHF superfans (and even her mum) complaining on social media that her tour stop at the Palladium isn't eligible for best concert. Carrie herself has even posted about it in a very passive aggressive way 🤣 The fact that they are all saying they're going to nominate her anyway shows both their entitlement and how ridiculous these awards and her wins have been. Its just one big pile on. Can you possibly link these messages? I can’t find them. Thanks.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Nov 3, 2023 7:20:14 GMT
Sorry if this has already been mentioned earlier in the thread, but do Bernadette and Lea do all of the shows? I’m a latecomer to this particular show and I’m thinking of buying a ticket, but it would have to be a Saturday matinee. Barring illness, are they both scheduled to perform on Saturday afternoons? Thanks for any information.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Oct 29, 2023 14:09:14 GMT
I've met Kerry a few times and she has always been nice and friendly. I think doing those tours with Brian May might have made her think she is bigger than she is if anything has given the Queen fanbase has always been huge and would turn out to see Brian play. Plus she had the Wicked fangirls who would in varying numbers go to a lot of her shows. Those fans have probably aged out or have families now and other priorities so her actual current fanbase might not be what it was. I’ve booked, probably wrongly, on the assumption that most of the material will be songs from the musicals - certainly, that’s the impression given by the title and description. I think it’s rather misleading if it’s just to push her new album (which isn’t musical theatre-based, is it?) Is this the same concert that she did at the Adelphi? I like Kerry, but I don’t think her voice is what it was and, like I’ve said in a previous post, she has largely been ‘replaced’ by women who have equally ‘big’ voices, but who are far more technically-gifted at acting through song. Anyway, for £30, it’ll still be a cheap-ish night out.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Oct 21, 2023 16:34:20 GMT
Does Kara Lane do matinees? There seemed to be some uncertainty earlier in the thread.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Oct 14, 2023 9:11:59 GMT
Is there a version that isn’t behind a paywall? What does Ball actually say? Thanks
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Oct 1, 2023 18:02:39 GMT
So this is being revived next year at the Menier. I wonder who will be cast as the title role and the Baker himself? Hope whoever is cast has the vocal chops to handle ‘Meadowlark’ - that is a tough song and is, arguably, ‘the song’ of the show. Casting thoughts?
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Sept 25, 2023 5:04:22 GMT
I was disappointed the Donmar don't give refunds. I've got credit in return but as things sell out quickly I don't know realistically if I'll be able to use it. I actually think many patrons are quite willing to accept a credit note. However, if you hold your ground, they have to return your money if a credit note is of no use to you. There may not be another production that you wish to see at the Donmar. They cannot refuse to refund your money when they effectively ‘broke the contract’ by cancelling the performance.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Sept 24, 2023 6:41:48 GMT
I spoke to the box office today actually and they said Kara Lane isn’t doing matinees, now. I don't think she ever did - Danvers has an alternate and from West End Understudies, I think the alternate has done all matinees? Why would the character of Danvers need an alternate? I know the last chorus of the reprise of the title song has some big notes, but Danvers is a supporting role. Even Willemijn (who was clearly the star of the show in Austria) took her bow before the actors playing Maxim and I. If you have Elphabas doing eight shows a week, then surely Danvers should be doing eight (especially for such a limited run). There are far heavier roles in musical theatre than Danvers. I wanted to see Kara Lane, but I’m attending a matinee. At the time of booking, there was no announcement of an alternate.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Sept 17, 2023 18:49:31 GMT
Catherine has been commenting on quite of performers posts lately She does. She follows Alex James Hatton, Sam Ferriday and the Bonnie and Clyde account. She turned 40 today so I would think she’s a bit old but it’s looking likely. Maybe she’s playing Blanche as I don’t think she’s a ‘singer singer’ is she? I guess it’s a smart move casting someone well known. As brilliant as the show is it’s not one that non theatre fans would immediately book to see in their local theatre so she might bring a few more people in. Blanche is definitely a role that needs a singer, I think. It’s not a straightforward singing role.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Sept 17, 2023 16:39:38 GMT
I’ve never been to the Menier before. When are tickets for this likely to go on sale?
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Sept 17, 2023 16:28:44 GMT
Will this be a fully staged version or a concert version? Thanks
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Sept 8, 2023 16:26:41 GMT
Hi everyone. Have I done this correctly? I have booked a spotlight seat (that’s what it says on the ticket, along with ID checked on entry). I am a key worker. Is the spotlight seat the offer for under 30s or key workers? The offer seems too good to be true. Thanks for any advice.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Aug 29, 2023 9:04:32 GMT
Is it really that easy to just put on another matinee? Surely cast and crew are on an agreed schedule - they can't just make them come in on demand? Plus venue staff would need to be organised. No, I think you’re absolutely right - it isn’t easy to schedule in an extra matinee performance. Of course everybody feels great sympathy for members of the audience when a performance is cancelled and, yes, it’s true that the auditorium is free many afternoons of the week, but the number of people/contractual points/additional payments that would all have to be overcome make it difficult to simply ‘put on an extra show.’ I think the situation is probably not as straightforward as some may think.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Aug 26, 2023 14:28:37 GMT
Matinee show cancelled just announced and I have booked accommodation thanks to the train strikes best go see a show tonight instead! They better put an extra shown on for us lot today as the run is a sell out!!!! Oh no! I’m so sorry for the audience, especially on this particularly difficult day with limited/no train services to some areas. It must be difficult for the cast too. I wonder what the technical difficulty is?
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Aug 21, 2023 16:20:35 GMT
I understand that Danvers has treated her very badly, but I think the song should convey that ‘I’ has changed and become stronger; when she sings ‘I am Mrs. de Winter’, it should be firm, showing her newly-discovered authority and show Danvers ‘she means business’ when she says this. To me, that is her arc. She doesn’t need the ‘bitchy’ smirk; this is not her character (despite destroying Rebecca’s cherished ornament during the song - another part of the show I’m not so keen on - does she actually do this in the novel?) She needs ‘polite assertiveness’ to show the changed dynamic in the relationship. I think this is a truer reflection of the character. True, it's not accurate to the book or film. But this is musical theatre, so I'm open to some exaggerated emotion. Earlier in the show Mrs. Danvers pretty explicitly tries to get Ich to kill herself, so I think all bets are off. In the version I saw (Vienna 2022), Ich actually pretended to drop the ornament, took a moment to gloat at Mrs. Danver's panic, then really dropped it. Yes, I saw that production too. I enjoyed it very much, especially Willemijn as Danvers, and I appreciated the mega-musical, if dated, style of it. I, too, noticed the taunting of Danvers before dropping the ornament. I agree it adds to the ‘melodrama’ of it all, but I still think that scene is not true to the character. To me, she needs to show that she has become a stronger version of herself, with the idea that she is still a woman of integrity and kindness, but with the new-found ability to be assertive. In the scene as shown, ‘I’ actively and deliberately becomes spiteful. I get that a modern audience may want to see it this way, but it verges on camp when, in actual fact, it could be such a powerful (and still in-character) moment. Anyway, it is what it is. The London version won’t compare to the Vienna version we both saw, but hopefully, it will still be as enjoyable - even if in a different way!
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Aug 21, 2023 15:34:25 GMT
Re. the Video of "Mrs De Winter is me" - if you know you're going to have to lipsync to a very cleanly recorded track, trying to look as if you're live at the mic, then any possibility of finessing the lyrics with naturalism, a bit of back singing, or other 'in the moment' playfulness is lost, due to being: "riggid -ly - on - four - four - beats, ma - king sure it's safe to sync, scared you'll give the game a - way". Or is that not how these are done? Either the video's just out of sync in its YouTube upload, or much of this is lip synced. Far better to properly act it, and not make these lyrics sound as terrible. I quite like the vocals (whether lip-synched or not) and I like Danver’s subtle mannerisms and expressions. However, whilst I have no issues with Lauren Jones’s singing, I don’t like the way she smiles after each delivery of the line ‘Mrs. De Winter is me’. She smiles in a way that is obviously gloating towards Danvers (slightly taunting her) and I don’t think this is in-keeping with the character (plus it’s a bit like Joan Collins smiling/gloating at Linda Evans or John Forsythe in a 1980s episode of Dynasty!) I understand that Danvers has treated her very badly, but I think the song should convey that ‘I’ has changed and become stronger; when she sings ‘I am Mrs. de Winter’, it should be firm, showing her newly-discovered authority and show Danvers ‘she means business’ when she says this. To me, that is her arc. She doesn’t need the ‘bitchy’ smirk; this is not her character (despite destroying Rebecca’s cherished ornament during the song - another part of the show I’m not so keen on. Does she actually do this in the novel?) She needs ‘polite assertiveness’ to show the changed dynamic in the relationship. I think this is a truer reflection of the character. I’m not sure if I’ve made my point very clear here. I can ‘see’ what I mean in my head, but apologise if it hasn’t come across in my explanation. I’m probably being too critical. Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing it in October. Hope it’s selling better than it was a few months ago.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Aug 17, 2023 18:46:17 GMT
Is it sung all the way through, ie. through composed, or is there spoken dialogue? It has spoken dialogue.
|
|
317 posts
|
Post by Scswp on Aug 15, 2023 10:47:43 GMT
English version of Jenseits der Nacht has been released! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Some interesting translating choices "abandoned spirits" from Ich sounding particularly odd, but it sounds sooo good overall. omg. I agree about the translation choices, but I enjoyed the performance. Was Lauren Jones the understudy for Bonnie recently? I’m sure I saw her in that and she gave a good performance in that role too.
|
|