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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 27, 2017 6:35:15 GMT
That makes me wonder: Does anyone have a suggestion where I could offer some old T-Shirts (anywhere that's not eBay)? These are really old T-shirts that have been in a cupboard for a long time but have rarely ever been worn. I know I'll never wear them again but would hate to just throw them away. Joseph, Miss Saigon, Les Mis, heck even one from Starlight Express that says Apollo Victoria on the front... My Mom is nagging me to clear out space back home in my old room Good luck with this. Gave me a flashback. My folks asked me if they could throw out those old piles of newspapers still in the (now spare) bedroom. Reluctantly I agreed. They were editions of the NME from about 1975 to 80 and they were well over 100 of them. This came to be regarded as a sort of clasic era with the writers Nick Kent, CSM (you'll know who I mean if you know!) Burchill and Parsons etc. About 10 years ago I was in a music shop in Denmark st, where they were selling for £10 each!
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 25, 2017 17:06:34 GMT
Beggars Opera was way before Moe. I suspect BO was not the first So far its the one wot got away. Never managed to see it.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 25, 2017 14:32:41 GMT
The first Juke Box musical I ever saw. Can it be 26 years since we saw the Original production at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Clarke Peters was the creator and main man. Paul J. Medford was good in this and later in The Lion King. Fun, but no desire to see it again, will stick to original Louis Jordan’s recordings. (Same applies to all JBM).
So what was the first Juke Box musical, or is it a long standing thing?
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 25, 2017 8:39:46 GMT
So many memories stirred. Our Price, Kingston. How did I miss that one. Probably received the biggest share amount of my cash over the years. MDC. tick! Yes the Original Dress Circle was on top of the Covent Garden Market building, up steps on the South Side. I think I only went once but liked it more than the newer one. I agree U St M lane was scary. Very cliquey and sky high prices. But where else provided that fix? Apparently there’s a documentary about the down fall of Tower Records. RIP 1967-2006 www.imdb.com/title/tt3272570/So the only places I ever specifically look out for CD’s today are. Charity Shops. Great if you haven’t got the complete oeuvre of Catherine Jenkins! Oxfam have specialist Book/Music outlets where I’ve had success in Winchester and St Albans. At their prices you can afford to take a chance. There’s a good classical shop with some real bargains where Great Marlborough St meets Noel St. Walk from there down towards Great Windmill st and there’s a no of second hand CD stores. Excellent value but mainly Rock and some Jazz, World. Flicking though the covers is a lost pleasure. But CD’s were never as nice as LP albums, even if it meant the shop could hold and display more stock. The Record Shop. RIP circa 2009?
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 23, 2017 17:23:50 GMT
More thoughts
There was a small chain in London in the 90’s? ‘London Discount Classical Music’? It had a big branch on the Strand opposite Charing Cross and then they later took over the shop of the ENO at the Colosseum. NO owner prescence but knowledgeable helpful staff, and a time when my musical appreciation was heading in every direction, the pricing was very tempting. Bought an autographed copy of Kiri singing Songs of the Auvergne there.
Am I dreaming? but wasn’t Dress Circle once very close to the old Covent Garden Market? Was that pre CD?
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 23, 2017 17:05:53 GMT
When I was a student in Birmingham around 1493 there was a record shoppe with a big sign just inside You can say what you like about Francis Albert Sinatra, But in this shop… it better be polite. I would like to celebrate the demise of the sadly missed specialist independent record shop. Oh the joy of physically holding something you'd previously only heard of... Of browsing for whole afternoon...of having to get up, get dressed and go downtown and ask to hear something before you could buy. I have still have some vouchers for the Dress Circle reward scheme. For fans of musicals it was a little bit of heaven in Upper St Martins lane. This was before the internet and it was stuffed with soundtracks of the latest shows from Broadway that you’d never heard of. When did it go and join the galaxy of online retailers? www.dresscircle.com/ My all-time favourite was Caruso and Co. They were near the umbrella shop (I think that’s gone too) where Shaftesbury Avenue meets Bloomsbury Way. Owned and run by an Old couple in I think the late 80s who loved all aspects of great vocal music. Can’t have been that busy as they were happy to chat and play you music for hours. Mainly Opera but I think I bought my first album of Chanson form them. After that they moved to a pedestrian alley somewhere in in Fitzrovia(?). But it didn’t last long. I went back there one day and it was shut. One of the hairdressers smoking outside next door, said they’d hardly been open since the move and she though that he had become ill. Within a year it was gone. I have projected all kind of romantic notions into what happened there. Youngsters will be amazed that there once was a London shop selling nothing but film music at the bottom of Dean(?) St. And there was an excellent Cinema bookstore in Great Russell St, just by Tottenham Court Road. I don’t lament the passing of Tower Records. It was huge taking up the entire store across several floors of the corner plot where Regent St and Piccadilly met. This was about 23 years ago. I was invited to an industry do where drink but very little food was served from 5 p.m. About 10 PM I staggered down Regent St to find that the legendary Barbara Cook was performing in the Green Room (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Cook) of the Café Royal. It was full except I could sit on a stool at the bar. More Champagne was ordered and then I was told food was only served at the tables. Next morning, I was very quiet at breakfast. Mrs Snow produced a Tower Records bag continuing 10, yes TEN full priced CDS. She then proceeded to establish that not only could I not work out how I got home but that I had no idea what the CDS were! The killer was when she said “I thought you were saving up to replace our CD player that was stolen last month!” I had nothing to play them on! Discovering a huge record store is open 24/7 (as they say today) when ‘tired and emotional’ can seriously damage your wealth. Tower Records also failed my test because it was too corporate. You never saw the same assistant twice and you couldn’t build any rapport like you could with the owner of a small shop. Not only that if you got to know the owner …well there was a stall in Kingston Market in the late 70’s where once he got to recognise you he’d ask “Have you got the live album?" As long as you were cool and didn’t say “They haven’t done a live album?” he’d say come back in 2 days and you could return for a bootleg. Particularly cool in 1976 to own Electrif Lycanthrope by Little Feat and Back it Up! by Nils Lofgren (a bootleg of a bootleg no less en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_It_Up!!) (PS I always heard the best place in London for scoring bootlegs was Kensington Market but I always felt out of place with the way everyone dressed! Disco time!) I’m sure others will come to me, but where were your hangouts of choice? (I'd like it if people want to widen this to include long lost bookstores).
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 20, 2017 10:04:34 GMT
Mr Snow, on the 10th I am sat in the stalls ... "Cheers!" I think we're one up on you! Lets try and do this. I now have my badge.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 20, 2017 8:49:06 GMT
I can see all the criticism and I just hope I dont fall out of love with it.
City of Dreams is stuck in my head. Beautiful low key tune...
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 20, 2017 8:46:23 GMT
If you’ve never seen a G&S production why might you want to go to see this (and will the Mods move this thread to another forum!) ? Is it an Opera? Well… not quite. Nor is it really a musical, but they did make Musical Comedy possible. Ira Gershwin and Yip Harburg worshipped Gilbert’s Bab Ballads and always credited them as their inspiration. List songs (e.g. Cole Porter, “Let’s Do It”) and any patter song (“I’m not getting married”) take their inspiration direct from G&S. AND their shows had a plot and a purpose. Once a upon a time shows offered satire, part of the "Comedy" that is now lost. Amongst other things this one satirises the Victorian aesthetic movement, Oscar Wilde etc. I have to confess I’ve never seen this show but it was their longest running (they were an established success by then) and features several of their best known numbers. The ETO are a fine co using mostly young singers and I will happily buy a round for anyone attending the beautiful Hackney Empire on 10th March. After that it tours the country. Enjoy. englishtouringopera.org.uk/productions/patience
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NHS
Jan 19, 2017 22:17:06 GMT
Post by Mr Snow on Jan 19, 2017 22:17:06 GMT
Parsley on the one hand I can see that you really care, that you remember far longer the one patient you couldn’t help because of NHS limitations, than the 20-29 you send home happier each day. If you could turn that passion into positivity you might achieve something. Instead you radiate negativity (I bet you patents pick this up) and you spend your time with others who like you have given up and find it hopeless. I met people with your views in the NHS and Teaching 30 years ago and yet here we are. People are living longer and more people receive treatment than ever – SUCCESS. But we never did provide total healthcare to everyone and its more contentious when we fail.
Just reading this thread will remind you there are millions of people successfully being treated each and every day in the NHS. Don’t underestimate the great work you and your team do. Yes the no of limitations on you are growing and you find it intolerable, but saying its insolvable is no answer. Its nihilism. And get used to it, life is cruel, good people die and you just don’t like having to live within societies means.
And I do have a lifeteimes experience of living and socialising with employees of the NHS and its not my experience at all that “most staff have given up”. Just walking though a hospital the workers attitudes are really not that dissimilar to any large organisation. Perhaps you need to get out more.
The one thing we agree on is that it is a political football. There is no secret Tory plan to break up the NHS (come on Julian Assange show me that one!), they are s+++ scared of it and that prevents them taking big decisions like closing hospitals that don’t provide effective and efficient cover. They are just trying to keep the budgetary increases (and the facts show there are real increases every year) manageable. Just like Tony and Gordon did when it was their turn. Labour don’t want it to become apolitical because a Tory F up is the only thing they will have going for them at the next election. So they invent straw man arguments about what the Tories are going to do to the NHS. Well the Tories have had power for 28 of the last 40 years and the NHS is still here.
The same is true for lots of government expenditure, costs are rising and the tax take isn’t.
Somehow we need to get people to go back to read Beverage the ''architect of the welfare state”. He wanted the government to find ways of fighting the five 'Giant Evils' of 'Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness. His report published in 1942 foresaw the dangers of a growth of dependency on a benefit culture and the waste that could come, but he though it worth the price to get the country back together after the war. These were problems that could be tackled later. He was against much that bedevils a free at he point of service provision. But to many people I am demonisng the 'working class', just by pointing this out.
But the budget remains key – there isn’t' enough money in the world to give everyone optimum treatment. Once that is set then hard choices can be made. The NHS cannot continue expanding its range of services to an ever ageing population unless robotiseation produces some huge economic boom. I'm not holding my breath and we are still borrowing money just to keep today’s government expenditure intact – a day of reckoning is due. So with Brexit to distract us all, how we get to an apolitical NHS is the real difficulty...but like a lot of political nettles it can be dealt with ...
PS Parsley please don’t call me ignorant of the situation when you know nothing about me. Also I'd like to point out that any target in an organisation like the NHS that isn't regularly breached is just not worth having. It sets no challenge. Targets have radically imporved waiting times. I bet you were against their introduction and now you use them as more evidence to support your viewpoint. . The breaches point us to the problems. This is basic management and I somehow get the feeling you just aren’t interested in that. You rather just moan about how hopeless it is.
I have said my piece. Thank you.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 19, 2017 16:54:02 GMT
Since Mr. Lyttleton was ousted as President of the RAH he has been waging war on the building in general, and the trustees in particular. He is a seat holder himself, and knows full well that Members do not deprive the venue of one penny of revenue. If anyone would care to check the Annual Report that is published on the RAH website they will see how much the Members contribute to the Hall. They own their seats, the RAH do not. If they return the tickets to the venue, the profit goes to the promoter and not to the RAH. In the past few years Mr. Lyttleton has been waging his own personal vendetta again the Hall and has cost the venue hundreds of thousands of £s in legal fees. Money that could have been ploughed back into the charity. Funny how the papers never looked past their own headline. We absically dont have reporters any more, just "copywriters".
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NHS
Jan 19, 2017 7:07:23 GMT
Post by Mr Snow on Jan 19, 2017 7:07:23 GMT
Please do all take time to watch Episode 2 Of hospital on iPlayer You are more likely to get a Hamilton ticket Than a bed in ITU if you need it
Sobering Its nonsense like this that means the general public tune out of most political discussion these days. Carry on with hyperbole, straw men, and 'post factual' shouting if you must. You are not helping move the debate forward at a time when interested parties can see we are at a crossroads. An aging poulation thanks to Health staff (typically as a Doctor your posts only reference your own hard working profession) delivering better but ever more expensive care and costs rising. Those, death and taxes are the future. And if you think this years bad, just wait. Now if the people within the NHS cared to lead the discussion sensibly, we might get somewhere. 3 Q's How do you propose in the light of the above challenges that free, at point of contact, care can be afforded in the future? Please reference your expenditure plans to a % of GDP, then it might mean something. As a Doctor what are your views on timewasters, no shows, drug courses not completed etc? What in your opinion are the most challenging issues facing the NHS in the next 3 years and next 10 years? Of course without knowing me you can dismiss me becasue of the politics you ascribe to me, or you can start a sensible debate. AS a Doctor people would like to hear some really well thought out arguments.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 19, 2017 6:46:41 GMT
One of the boxes is (was?) owned by St Mary's Hospital Paddington, it was given to them some years ago.
Mrs Snow used to work there and we enjoyed an Elton John performance. Sadly I missed Willie Nelson, which I shall always regret.
Couldn't Mr Littleton have done something about abusers when he was in power?
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 18, 2017 17:08:50 GMT
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 18, 2017 16:40:49 GMT
How about a great big appropriately cast revival? Actual Latin performers as Sharks, not just whichever auditionees have the most olive-toned skin? *dreams* They did this on Broadway a few years back. Even did some of the musical numbers in Spanish. Revive this as a way to annoy Trump. "Me gusta estar en America..."
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 18, 2017 6:41:42 GMT
Oh my. I am genuinely astonished by some of the response to this movie. It is not the best movie of the year. It is not even the best movie I've seen this month. Perhaps it's the way it's been hyped- maybe it just couldn't live up to that. It is probably the most ambitious thing I've seen this year (and that is to be applauded) but that doesn't mean it works. First things first- I adore musicals.I was off on Friday and was so excited when I went to see it at the midday showing but I found it to be extremely disappointing. The opening of the movie is stunning but it goes downhill quickly. For me, it felt like two movies meshed together, and neither were executed very well. It seems afraid to be a full blown musical and it does not work very well in the more dramatic moments either. There are some high points. It has moments of absolute beauty where everything works very well- music, visuals, choreography. Though sometimes I felt that the set pieces were trying to emulate moments from Moulin Rouge etc and coming up short. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are charming and beautful leads but the material is so flat at times. There are visually superb moments but these are as many dull moments. I thought the pacing was just dreadful and I even considered walking out at one point. I heard a number of people making this point afterwards. The score is brilliant towards the beginning but I felt it petered out for the rest of the movie and I found much of the score later on to be largely forgettable. I was hoping for this glorious, sumptuous, mesmeric movie and it just isn't what I hoped for at all. I feel that they sacrificed what could have been a superb musical in favour of a sub par melodrama with a few songs interspersed. It all felt very disjointed. I did enjoy the ending of the movie as it was unexpected and deserves kudos as I imagine it won't be to everyone's taste. I have a habit of seeing shows and movies I like a number of times but I just would not sit through this again. I'm not sharing my thoughts with friends as I don't want to influence their view but I will wait with baited breath for their reviews. Is it possible you were to hyped up for this? I've done that to myself. Leave it 24 months and try the DVD, I do think there's a lot to be enjoyed even if I can see what you a getting at.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 17, 2017 16:16:55 GMT
This Bat will be on skates before I go and see it!
Rimshot!!!!!!!!!!!Cymbal Crash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 15, 2017 9:38:22 GMT
Cant seem to get the post I want above. Needs following added
For a quick fix watch the number at 102 mins and the Tap at 19. Enjoy.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 15, 2017 9:36:03 GMT
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 15, 2017 9:26:33 GMT
Had a great time at yesterdays matinee. Left with the same feelings I had after La La Land. Good music and dancing sends me out with a smile on my face.
But...
I saw the version at the Savoy and I still think there's a great production of this musical to be had. Its a delicate soufflé and very hard to get it all right.
Loved Scarlett in Candide but she didn't quite work for me here. Ice Cream is THE stand out no and I still have fonder memories of Ruth Henshall and Barbara Cook, who performed in concert this well into her 70's. It needs a kind of innocence that SS and the Director eliminated from the role.
Katherine Kingsley was the start turn but she set a tone that didn't quite sit with the rest of the show? She was a purely comic character and there was no real sadness at the way she was treated.
Norman Pace (a revelation) and all the business with the trays was immaculately timed but again pushed the show away from 'the Lubitsch touch' of the original film.
Thought Les Dennis was hopeless with zero warmth - necessary so we see him turn cold and feel for his character.
Kept thinking Mark Umbers is a shoe in if they ever make a film about AA Gill. He's always very good but he lacks a certain star Quality. The rest of the cast are strong.
Makes it sound like I didn’t have a great time. I did, but I've raced back to the box office after previous Menier productions, but not this time. (Reserve the right to change my mind on that!)
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 15, 2017 7:40:02 GMT
between this and Whiplash, I now have a very real fear of being trapped in a lift with the director, he strikes me as being an even bigger jazz bore than Ryan Gosling's already pretty dull character. Hope you caught the intro to Graham Norton this week? Or perhaps you even wrote it! Well put me down as a bore as I loved Whiplash, not exactly a musical but as hard edged as they come. I did feel the Jazz edge to the songs in La La Land saved them from blandness. Thank God (or whoever) for diversity. Simon Cowell is not into Jazz! Damien Chazelle's first piece is only available on DVD at crazy prices, but it is currently on Youtube en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_and_Madeline_on_a_Park_BenchB+W - the guys authentic!!!
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 14, 2017 21:43:34 GMT
This was centre of the stalls The FOH at the ROH are total idiots Slow dated and lack any dynamism Shame for them They act as if they are opera stars and just by working there they automatically take an air of arrogance NOTHING to shout about doing that job Which they don't even do If anyone was monitoring the auditorium properly people would not be blatantly filming Funnily enough I recently posted on another thread about their professionalism and efficiency. Not an easy job. What can they do about members of the audience who take it upon them selves to utter forth a 'bollocking' during the action?
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 14, 2017 11:50:00 GMT
I was musing about the great celluloid couples
Tracy and Hepburn Astaire and Rogers Powell and Moy Bogart and Bacall who else?
The energy comes from the female and the male is more reserved. This pair have a while to go before they join that list, but the dynamic is the same?
In this way it’s very old fashioned because I believe in the couples above the male is somehow more …serious?…profound?…wiser? Whatever, they get their way in the end.
IN La La Land he follows his dream and she goes off to be a working mother.
(Please tell me if you think I’m reading too much into this.)
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 12, 2017 11:41:40 GMT
Difficult one. I've sat in a theatre near someone with an incredibly load braying laugh (at the Royal Court & the Southwark Playhouse, not sure if it was the same person but sounded like it!). Very annoying and sounded like an affectation but then again if he was genuinely responding to what was on stage and laughing at things that were funny ... A few years ago there was a woman who appled for tickets to the recordings of all the BBC Radio Comedy shows. Her laught was so loud and annoying that huge no's of listeners complained. There was a "Feedback" item about her and I believe she was banned. Some peopel have no self awareness whatsoever. Even tougher to call. PS I am often amazed at the lines or develpoments some of the audinece find funny.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 12, 2017 11:36:34 GMT
Bit of a fracas at Much Ado at TRH yesterday evening. During the second half I heard a rather loud “Oh shut up!”, but thought nothing more of it. However, after curtain call an altercation took place in the stalls. It seems someone objected to the rather over the top laughter from another audience member. The latter was part of a group mostly in their 20s, the objector a guy part of a group of older audience members. It seems his objection left the other in tears. The argument moved from the stalls to the area behind the stalls when friends separated the protagonists. Both fortunately avoided contact in the street outside. I was not sure what to make of it. I did hear the laughter and did think it a bit much, but it did not bother me. However, it was not taking place right behind me. Was the laughter natural or affected (or even effected!)? I am not sure. On the other hand if that was behind me, I can imagine watching the play hoping there is not another funny line coming (which is not ideal!). Of course I don’t know the whole story (e.g. whether the objector said something quieter and more polite earlier), but it is one of the few occasions when I am not sure which side the bad behaviour was on! Mmm its seems it’s not just the kids. The pair below were senior citizens. Royal Opera House last night, Amphitheatre L Rows C&D (I believe) Although this is a fabulous new Production of Der Rosenkavalier, the big draw last night was the final performances from one of the very greatest Diva’s of the past quarter century, Renee Fleming. As she came on stage you could feel the excitement but at the very moment she starts to sign a stage whisper comes from the end of the row, “Oh Shut up”, a few seconds later its repeated. Then a reply from the person in the next row, slightly less audible. This interchange continues with both sides managing a “no you shut up”. Hard to take sides. I know a Gentleman would never embarrass anyone, not even the person in front doing the talking, but we’ve all had to sit through too much of that. Luckily the rest of the evening more than made up for this.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 11, 2017 10:45:38 GMT
So can the leads sing? Strange that there has been no discussion of this given all the debate re Emma Watson About as well as Nicole Kidman or Ewan McGregor or..... ie you wouldn't want to go to a concert they gave but they get by. I think its acknowledged that since Marlon Brando was cast as Nathan Detroit, in Hollywoodland it's more important we like the singer than love the voice.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 11, 2017 6:47:51 GMT
I wonder how long before this delicate charming colourful chamber piece of a musical heads to the stage. Nice summation. My worry is that take away the chemistry of the performers and the direction and what have you got? The strenghts are not in the plot or the songs (or the singing and dancing for that matter). I was happy to suspend my critical faculties and just enjoy. I am a little worried that on the small screen it may not impress as I still hope it will charm me for years to come. Funny because in 'real life' I am extremely sensitive to spotting which charmers have no talent to back it up. It's a musical.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 9, 2017 10:04:32 GMT
www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/steve-ross-the-song-is-youSteve Ross is a legend in the New York Cabaret Scene. Reputedly has 10 000 songs from the Great American Songbook in his head. He came to prominence in the revival of the Cabaret singer in the 80s at venues like the Algonquin and the Rainbow Rooms (atop the World Trade Centre). He was a regular visitor here to Pizza in the park in the 90’s and noughties. He reassembles an even thinner Fred Astaire and always appears in Black Tie. His Piano playing is fantastic and the Astaire comparison is apt for his voice is light but his diction immaculate. I’ve never seen him tap dance! One night, between sets he sat and chatted with us. Full of charm and always keen to talk about favourite songwriters. A class act. Sadly I will be away that weekend. Hope you can enjoy.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 9, 2017 6:18:27 GMT
The penny has finally dropped. I thought you looked familiar...
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Post by Mr Snow on Jan 8, 2017 21:12:43 GMT
It came, I saw, It conquered.
If you've ever loved movie musicals its at the very least, a must see.
Will resist going overboard as I've just come out on a complete high.
PS Do not wait for the DVD/Blueray needs to be seen on a widescreen.
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