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Post by Mark on Apr 3, 2024 3:01:28 GMT
I thought this one was great! Really good music throughout, and some very impressive visuals - the scene mentioned above with the rain - hugely impressive. I'd not read the book or seen the film so the story was also a nice surprise. Brody Grant was absolutely wonderful as Ponyboy Curtis, and a very strong supporting cast. I think this show could do very well and settle in for a decent run.
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Post by Mark on Mar 31, 2024 15:28:34 GMT
This is the show I feel like I’ve been waiting for. I was captivated from the get go - the score is really great, and has some absolutely banging numbers - “Don’t Bet Your Heart”, “I Will Paint Her”, “Woman Is”, “Women” - I can’t wait for a cast album.
The whole cast are great but the night belongs to the Women. Eden Espinosa is triumphant and sounds great, Amber Iman has stage presence for days, Natalie Joy Johnson is hilarious in a part that seems written just for her, and Beth Leavel is great if unfortunately underused.
Staging all feels very fresh and exciting, really that’s the word for it - exciting. I think the word of mouth on this one will be really strong and I’m hopeful it will turn into a huge hit.
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Post by Mark on Mar 31, 2024 3:49:36 GMT
This was enjoyable. Act two is much stronger than act one, but overall it's a fun show with a fair bit going for it. The score is nothing special, but workable. The highlight is the circus performance elements. Felt very "American", not sure we'll see this one transfer over.
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Post by Mark on Mar 31, 2024 3:47:42 GMT
I found this much more like an opera than a musical. Found it difficult to engage, I wouldn't say it was a pleasant score to listen to and it really was Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James which made this watchable. The plot is certainly unusual for a musical.
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Post by Mark on Mar 28, 2024 14:00:15 GMT
Criteria has changed for the £25 tix it seems. Both ticket holders need to fit the criteria (previously your +1 could be anyone if you weren't going based on age), and Key Workers now defined as those eligible for a Blue Light Card (no mention of teachers/shop workers anymore).
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Post by Mark on Mar 28, 2024 10:37:11 GMT
I liked this a fair bit. The main bit about the writing I didn't like was all the asides to the audience and some of the more surreal parts. I thought when it was focused on the main content it was very good, and the actors were excellent. Lots of interesting elements contained within the script
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Post by Mark on Mar 27, 2024 13:39:56 GMT
We have Mean Girls announcing a cast of established names and familiar faces and complaints they’re too old or predictable, and we get a cast of fresh faces for Starlight and it’s a “graduate showcase”.
Producers can’t win it seems!
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Post by Mark on Mar 26, 2024 0:13:26 GMT
It can't be worse than Viva Forever Yes, yes it can.
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Post by Mark on Mar 24, 2024 12:30:20 GMT
So was this planned to be open ended or planned to be limited run? Semi rhetorical question as I guess nobody other than the producers know. Wonder how long cast were initially contracted for. Anyway, I don't think this is selling nearly as badly as some online prophets of doom are decreeing. Advance seating plans for next few weeks look much healthier than Crazy For You ever did at same theatre! There are also no decent advance offers yet.... It was announced as an “initial 6 month run”. Vague, yes, but it’s not a doomsday early closure. deadline.com/2023/04/olivier-award-standing-at-the-sky-edge-west-end-transfer-1235316107/
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Post by Mark on Mar 22, 2024 10:33:00 GMT
I found it rather slow and agree that it's only 3 stars because of how strong the leads are. A very average afternoon.
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Post by Mark on Mar 21, 2024 22:35:37 GMT
This was awful. Bad music, bad script, bad acting - the lot. Possibly the worst “musical” I’ve seen in the West End.
There was a lot of mic cracks in act two, resulting in a show stop 10 mins from the end. The funniest moment of the night was the scripted scene (in the show) comes and apologises for the delays, just moments after the actual stagehand did the same.
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Post by Mark on Mar 21, 2024 0:05:18 GMT
I just got a reduced ticket for today's matinee near the end of Row D in the Dress Circle for £50. Hope I can see some of it! How did you manage it? Also does anyone have opinions of stalls row V or W? Trying to contemplate a way of seeing this that I can afford. They were reduced to £50 online. I'd definitely avoid the back of stalls for this one and opt for side dress at the same price instead. If the screens cut off you'll lose a lot.
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Post by Mark on Mar 20, 2024 19:41:04 GMT
Was there today matinee the opposite end of row D dress (seat 27) very little restriction for this one. Thought it was great, a tour de force performance and wonderful staging with some very clever camera work. Must-see
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Post by Mark on Mar 19, 2024 9:39:05 GMT
Hercules has also been rumoured and mentioned for TRDL Will the show be ready? Wasn't it undergoing a full rework? Considering it's already in previews in Hamburg and has it's big opening in 5 days time, I hope it's ready!
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Post by Mark on Mar 18, 2024 15:46:26 GMT
I caught this on Saturday night. It was fun, although looked to be a fairly cheap production. Cast were uniformly excellent though, loved Ethan Slater, Alex Brightman, James Iglehart and Chris Fitzgerald in particular. It certainly feels dated though, although fortunately still plenty of laughs.
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Post by Mark on Mar 18, 2024 15:44:48 GMT
"Dawn O’Keefe is an evangelical Christian teen with a powerful secret not even she understands – when men violate her, her body bites back."
Is this the next cult musical? I managed to catch this yesterday and it is such a treat. A fantastic score and book, the hour and fifty minute runtime wizzed along, with some truly hilarious and gory moments throughout. It's Heathers meets Little Shop in the best possible way. The run is pretty much sold out but I'm certain there'll be a future life for this one.
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Post by Mark on Mar 16, 2024 8:08:24 GMT
Lots of support for Marisha last night on late and live. I think she has come across very well on the show to be honest.
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Post by Mark on Mar 15, 2024 21:40:19 GMT
Davina has just said on Comic Relief that this will be going to the West End. Would this fit in the Harold Pinter? I think it could fit into most venues. The set is static and very simple.
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Post by Mark on Mar 15, 2024 21:06:17 GMT
I work for an airline and requests for upgrades are persistent throughout the boarding process. Can imagine some people will also try it on at the theatres.
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Post by Mark on Mar 15, 2024 14:53:56 GMT
Hercules has also been rumoured and mentioned for TRDL
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Post by Mark on Mar 13, 2024 1:24:54 GMT
There were tix available for the Dorian whatsername play and I would have liked to see it. But clicking on every date and performance the tix were too expensive. So I didn’t book. Sitting behind a screen which was a cheaper option isn’t my idea of going to the theatre. So yes the tix prices have affected my choices. I’m not looking at West End now when we used to go regularly. I’ve done the same. I tend to buy tickets close to the date and often feel like these ticketing systems are biased against me. Does dynamic pricing work the opposite way? Seats getting cheaper if the show is not selling too well? Maybe wishful thinking! Also, if the tickets are silly prices…does it matter to the producers if it’s not sold out, but they’ve made profit? There’s actually some fantastic seats mid stalls for Dorian Gray available for tomorrow’s matinee at £40. Considerably cheaper than other dates.
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Post by Mark on Mar 12, 2024 22:37:52 GMT
How does Operation Mincemeat qualify as a new musical? I saw it 3.5 years ago and that was a revival. Same way that Next to Normal does. It's the first time it's played a West End house.
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Post by Mark on Mar 12, 2024 18:44:06 GMT
No noms for Doubtfire, Ain't Too Proud or The Witches. Quite surprising. I think the musical categories should definitely have had 5 nominees each, it was really a bumper of a year for London theatre. Best Actress in a Musical is a great category!
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Post by Mark on Mar 10, 2024 23:04:28 GMT
Palladium I must say also seems to have pretty decent views and sight lines, although I admit it’s been many years since I was in the upper circle there.
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Post by Mark on Mar 9, 2024 22:56:21 GMT
Enjoyed it as much as last time - super funny show and the cast really put everything into it. If you didn’t catch it last time and want a really fun night out do not miss this! And you can see it for as little as £15 with the PAYG scheme. Really hope they make a cast recording because there’s some banging songs.
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Post by Mark on Mar 7, 2024 15:14:47 GMT
In fairness to them, loads of venues charge to use cloakrooms... This show requires you to check them in though if you are on the dancefloor. I guess you could wear your coat but you'd be pretty warm.
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Post by Mark on Mar 7, 2024 14:06:34 GMT
I enjoyed this a lot. I found the music overall to be very good (a rarity in a lot of new musicals sadly) and it felt cohesive even though there were several different styles. I really liked the story and agree with Steve's comparison to Titanic, you have some interesting characters here and all their stories are woven in very well into what happened on Cable Street. It also has the opposite of what many musicals struggle with, act two is unquestionably stronger with some really great numbers - it is the first act which needs some tweaks. I found some elements similar to shows like In the Heights and Paradise Square, in the essence of it is a story of the community.
I actually thought the show felt too "big" for Southwark Playhouse. This is the sort of show that with some work, and a visionary director, could look absolutely stunning in a bigger house, and could justify a cast of 20+ actors. I'd be curious how it might have looked had somewhere like the Almeida or Old Vic taken it on. I hope this show sees a future life.
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Post by Mark on Mar 7, 2024 13:56:02 GMT
I agree with a lot of what samchap8787 has posted. This is a cut down version of the full show. I had fun, the music was great, the cast were great. The "immersive" nature is not quite there yet, especially compared to G&D for which i also attended an early preview. This is the sort of show you want to dance too, it was just way too crowded to do that comfortably. Some of the movements of the stage you were really pushed out the way and hemmed in so tightly. There is some audience participation in the third act which is really very funny and well done. My main issue is how they don't even try and disguise how much of a cash grab it is. £2.50 to check your coat, and another £2.50 to check you bag, oh and do you want to leave a tip?!? That's another £5 down before it even starts. Two intervals, the first act of which ends "oh you all look parched, you need to get some drinks". Stops the show dead, one interval would be more than sufficient. They were at least 15 minutes each. Something about the venue and this show just didn't click right for me. Is this a staged immersive production, or is it a high end drag show. Would I go again? Yes (at a heavy discount), but they have work to do and I don't think word of mouth will be strong enough to sell it at full price.
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Post by Mark on Mar 5, 2024 18:22:11 GMT
Marisha Wallace entered the Celebrity Big Brother house last night... How can you enter the Celebrity big Brother House if you aren't a celebrity? She’s more of a celebrity to me than a lot of the other housemates who are only famous from other reality tv shows and famous relatives. I was at the launch last night - she got a very good reaction.
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Post by Mark on Mar 4, 2024 12:10:09 GMT
On a first look, "Giant" really appeals in what looks to be a strong season and a good way forward for the Court.
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