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Post by Being Alive on Sept 11, 2023 10:36:51 GMT
Oh I think this absolutely fine for what it is - great introduction to West End theatre for a lot of people.
It's big, loud, bright and colourful, with good music (some of the new songs aren't great but mostly they fair alright) and it doesnt overstay it's welcome at 2hrs 15 all in.
Would much rather this hung around than some of the other crap we have in London at the moment 😂
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 10, 2023 23:05:13 GMT
Finally exchanged my tickets - sacrificed first night of Sunset as id rather be at first night of this.
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 10, 2023 22:23:52 GMT
And it's one 45 minute TV show at best.
There's no series here, there was barely a play.
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 10, 2023 22:09:00 GMT
This isn't happening.
They sent out a survey trying to gage if people would want (and pay) for another Follies style revival (amongst other things)
Someone saw that and took it to mean they're doing it.
They aren't.
Next.
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 10, 2023 21:53:40 GMT
God can you imagine this going out on BBC2
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 10, 2023 11:16:09 GMT
Wasnt a criticism at all - it's great that the intention to blindside the audience can still happen
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 10, 2023 11:15:24 GMT
He was sat just across from me on Friday - one of the first to stand at the end.
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 10, 2023 11:11:55 GMT
I'm always surprised when people don't see the reveal coming - I guess having known the show for so long it doesn't come as a shock to me, but I still think it's staged pretty clearly from the beginning what's happening (but I'm always pleasantly surprised when there is an OH moment for the audience)
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 10, 2023 9:43:01 GMT
Almost positive the two nurses are just stage crew?
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 9, 2023 10:05:33 GMT
Unfortunately this does have a lot of faults in it, some of which cannot be changed because it's a true story.
I would merge all the brothers into one, possibly two but I understand they're real people so it's not so straight forward. It's also fairly 'on the surface' with some moments of depth, particularly in Act 2, which I think needs some real looking at.
Saying that though, I cried at this in a way I don't often cry at shows - like, I tear up at things, but I don't outright sob all that often, and I SOBBED multiple times tonight.
Linzi Hateley is absolutely fantastic in this - her act 1 number a highlight and she's just such a warming presence on the stage, and I wouldn't be surprised if a supporting actress nom was announced when we come round to it next year.
Is it perfect? Absolutely not, and it's not really going to improve without a substantial overhaul of act 2 to add some depth, but I can't give it any less than 4 stars because of how it made me feel.
I hope it has a successful run, and I'll be going again.
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 8, 2023 17:34:46 GMT
She sounds absolutely mental 😂😂
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 8, 2023 14:11:45 GMT
waaaaaaaay too late - they're not gonna build another set, this is it
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 8, 2023 11:51:50 GMT
I've seen better am dram sets in village halls...this is really really bad
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 7, 2023 15:16:14 GMT
No thanks.
Another vote for AJ from me - or Sam Spiro?
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 7, 2023 15:08:14 GMT
Thrilled some of you think it's a great score - I think If You Came To See Me Cry is a banger and there were 2 or 3 other good ones in there but otherwise...not good!!!
Also, we are getting off topic, but Tammy Faye sold out because it was in a 325 seat house, with excellent names attached to it. Yes, Elton's name helped to shift the tickets, but none of the material was out there when we were buying tickets. People didn't necessarily buy tickets on the quality of the writing for Tammy Faye (they couldn't have, there were no examples of it around) - they bought tickets on the back of the creatives bodies of work...
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 6, 2023 22:49:24 GMT
Sarah O’Connor as Glinda and Casey Al-Shaqsy as a standby or Morrible it seems Standby but otherwise yup
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 6, 2023 22:44:26 GMT
I think this wil end up having an interval in at some point during previews.
Liked it, didn't love it. Production has some interesting, fresh ideas - some of which I liked, some of which I didn't. Bertie is Bertie and is doing what he does really well - to me his Higgins is 100% on the spectrum from the word go, whereas it's always a bit ambiguous in MFL, I didn't feel an ambiguity here. Patsy is excellent - so warm and engaging. I love seeing her on stage, she's such a chameleon and really gets to the heart of the roles she plays. I did wish that they were both doing My Fair Lady, as the script is SO similar (I forgot how similar) but it zipped along at pace and I had a nice time. 3 stars currently, probably 4 once they've ironed a few bits out.
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 6, 2023 16:19:28 GMT
All kids tickets are £20 off apart from the cheapest price band too...
Like others have said, there were opportunities to book cheaper tickets for this when it went on sale (the back of the circle in the Olivier is always £20 on the sides when it goes on sale and brilliant view because of the shape of the Olivier) - and with that many people in the cast, creatives and orch to add on top of that, it's going to be an expensive show to see, but you're getting a lot of bang for your buck, as opposed to a 1/2 person show
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 6, 2023 14:20:35 GMT
Interesting to here what other theatre's would and wouldn't let you exchange for - I also work on a West End box office and we wouldn't exchange in the less than 48 hours notice for this reason.
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 6, 2023 14:00:43 GMT
Most Box Offices have a 48 hour exchange policy, and thus won't exchange with less notice than that.
I get it seems harsh, but there has to be a point where you stop doing exchanges, otherwise you can find yourself in a situation where half of your audience is trying to do it on the day/day before and then you've lost seats you could have sold.
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 5, 2023 15:03:11 GMT
I barely paid for a ticket - I'd be charged more for a large coffee in starbucks than I paid...
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 5, 2023 13:36:23 GMT
Agree - it was fine (and as someone who's dealt with ABBA tribute bands from a booking perspective before it was spot on!) but has absolutely no business being in the West End, regardless of filler or not.
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 4, 2023 13:58:01 GMT
Well that's a great cast, and a solid creative team (let's hope this is a Lyndsey Turner HIT rather than MISS - I find them to be either brilliant (A Number) or dreadful (The Crucible) so here's hoping it's the former.
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 3, 2023 19:32:00 GMT
The feedback on here made me book an offer for Friday - had 0 interest but you've intrigued me!
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 1, 2023 15:33:41 GMT
Fairly sure I'm going to hate this but will be buying a ticket for first preview 😂
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 1, 2023 15:28:51 GMT
I liked a good chunk of the Tammy Faye music, but there was still a lot of it that needs redoing for me (and it needs a new lyricist but that's a conversation for another thread).
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 1, 2023 14:22:40 GMT
Gotta hope she knows what she's doing now - Hannah wouldnt sign up to something she thought to be a dud though, surely?! Did she not know what she was doing before?
It's the lead in a high profile new musical, with music by Elton John, directed by Jerry Mitchell. Why wouldn't she unless it conflicted with something else? No one goes into a show thinking it will be a flop, though what comes out at the end of the rehearsal period might not always be what you hoped it would be. Way too many people involved along the way.
I mean with the Chicago production being such a disaster, this has to have been entirely rewritten to be worthy of her putting her name to it. Yes it's Elton John but half the music to Tammy Faye was dross so it being him doesn't automatically make it good. Jerry Mitchell how being director and choreographer helps I think, but it does still seem to be an interesting choice for her return to theatre - I guess I always presumed (rightly or wrongly) that she'd come back in some big revival built around her 🤷🏻♂️
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 1, 2023 12:31:51 GMT
Gotta hope she knows what she's doing now - Hannah wouldnt sign up to something she thought to be a dud though, surely?!
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Post by Being Alive on Aug 31, 2023 13:45:38 GMT
Shes very big on the tiktok apparently
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Post by Being Alive on Aug 30, 2023 14:04:03 GMT
The RSC are not going to be producing The Devil Wears Prada...!
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