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Post by tonyloco on Nov 3, 2018 13:36:13 GMT
I really miss this show and need to revisit it ASAP! . Don't we all live in a constant state of missing this show the day after we have seen it? Sorry to be an old bore, but with seventy or so years of theatre-going behind me, I cannot recall any other show that has given me so much sheer musical pleasure as this particular production with its wonderful songs that I have know for almost my entire life performed so well by a superb orchestra in brilliant orchestrations and sung and danced to perfection. For me, it is absolute joy from start to finish! I said in my first review to the theatremonkey website that I was in musical theatre heaven from the very first note of the overture and it has continued to deliver on each and every one of my ten viewings. I have one more ticket and can't wait, especially as I have just received a voucher for a free glass of Tattinger Champagne courtesy of LW Theatres!
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Post by tonyloco on Nov 1, 2018 15:09:10 GMT
I have no idea when my next appearance – in the Andrea Bocelli programme – will be shown but I'm not holding my breath! I have just discovered that the Andrea Bocelli episode in Sky 'Opera Legends' has already been shown, presumably to cash in on his singing at the latest royal wedding. Whether on not Bocelli qualifies as an opera legend, he is a major figure in that area of popular entertainment that might be described as 'crossover classical' and continues to perform with great success. The programme is quite entertaining with some impressive clips of Bocelli performing at huge arena concerts, although rather light on 'experts' which is why I was unexpectedly invited to talk about Bocelli's operatic work, which was not something I expected to be doing, but I thought it would be rude to decline the appearance fee!
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Corrie
Oct 27, 2018 15:40:51 GMT
Post by tonyloco on Oct 27, 2018 15:40:51 GMT
Saving Roy's life = free bacon sandwich. Not a bad reward, really - unless you are a rabbi, I guess. And they should bring that woman detective in as a full-time character. Rather good in that walking conversation with Kevin, I thought. There's something interesting about her acting. Good thoughts, TM, but although I am enjoying her performance, I don't think real-life detectives are supposed to discuss the progress of cases with the witnesses the way the female detective talked to Kevin about Abi's involvement. Still, who said Corrie was real life...??
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Post by tonyloco on Oct 26, 2018 13:16:36 GMT
The first show I ever saw in Regents Park was their production of Bashville, a musical version of The Admirable Bashville by GBS. It was delightful -- they should consider reviving it. Apart from that, I wish they would go back to true repertory as well as their annual production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
If I can divert for a minute from the current entertaining speculation about Evita, which I am enjoying a lot, I would like to talk a bit more about Bashville. I remember enjoying this show very much, which opened on 2 August 1983 with music by Denis King and book and lyrics by David William and Benny Green based on the play The Admirable Bashville by GB Shaw. It starred James Cairncross, Christina Collier, Douglas Hodge, Peter Woodward and Joan Davies, was directed by David William, and the Musical Director was Anthony Bowles. I checked in the splendid book by David Conville called The Park (Oberon Books, 2007) and found it was the very first musical ever staged in Regent's Park. There is an original cast LP (That's Entertainment TER 1072) and it was revived in the Park in 1984 but it never got a West End transfer, so I am sure it is ripe for a revival somewhere.
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Post by tonyloco on Oct 22, 2018 12:56:44 GMT
Immmm, I don't really want to state the obvious but you do all realise that 'Strictly' isn't really a dance show don't you? At least not anymore and hasn't been for some time. It's a Saturday night entertainment show with a bit of dancing if they can be faffed. Just like 'The X Factor' isn't really a talent show. Enjoy it for what it is but if you really want dancing, I think you may need to look elsewhere. As you were. Of course you are right, Ryan, but even as it has been morphing from a dance show into an 'entertainment show' in recent years many of us still found a lot to enjoy, but judging from most of the current posts that is no longer the case. I would not like to see it retired completely but maybe a major shake up or change of format might be worth trying while still keeping it as some kind of dancing competition. But what form the new show should take I really don't know.
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Post by tonyloco on Oct 22, 2018 9:56:14 GMT
I've just had a really ground-breaking idea which might perhaps make Strictly seem a bit more appealing to me and rescue it from the depths to which it has currently sunk, in my humble opinion.
Next time a couple is to perform a classic ballroom dance like a Foxtrot, a Quickstep, a Waltz or a Viennese Waltz, put the man in a proper white tie and tails evening suit and the woman in an extravagant but beautiful shortish ball gown. That would show off the steps that the dancers were doing and add elegance and glamour to the routine.
I know this is a revolutionary idea and goes totally against all the current costuming practice on Strictly but hey, it might just help rescue this dying series that was once so gloriously entertaining!
Oh, and we don't need 'contemporary dance' which has no place in the ballroom.
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Post by tonyloco on Oct 7, 2018 13:03:56 GMT
I read in the Telegraph today that Fergie had met with her ex-husband and her youngest daughter to discuss the forthcoming wedding. But Fergie only has two daughters – Beatrice and Eugenie – so to my mind it should have referred to 'her younger daughter'.
This same thing has been annoying me in my work on Maria Callas where a researcher working for a TV production company keeps referring to Maria as the youngest daughter of Evangelia Callas, but Evangelia had only two daughters – Jackie and Maria – so surely Maria is the younger, not the youngest.
Is this a bit of English grammar (positive, comparative, superlative) that is no longer taught in schools?
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 30, 2018 12:30:37 GMT
Another very poor week from the costume and hair departments. Dress malfunction, very poor colour combinations - a very ugly looking show. And the music does not improve either. Waltzes, both Traditional and Viennese, have three distinct beats to the bar which I did not hear in the Waltzes last night, and to my mind Paso Dobles and Tangos should have some kind of Spanish or Latin feel which was also missing last night. Would it be such a crime to repeat some of the classic Waltzes, Pasos and Tangos that have been used in previous shows? The judges are demanding more basic steps in the routines, so how about a bit more basic music as well?
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 25, 2018 10:27:32 GMT
Now up at 809,000 views! Now bare in mind that the Strictly Youtube channel only has 123,000 subscribers so there's hundreds of thousands of people specifically seeking out Joe's video. If he can encourage all of his followers to vote for free online then he pretty much has this in the bag. I had a feeling that would happen as soon as he was announced. Seems to be a nice enough guy, and he was one of the best of a pretty terrible set of dances on Saturday, though that's really not saying much. I don't consider him to be a celebrity so the thought of him winning doesn't really sit well with me, especially if he does it over some far superior dancers - it's happened in the past and it's always a shame for me when the final doesn't contain the best dancers, even if they don't win. Thankfully it doesn't look as if I'll be massively invested in this series anyway - after all the promise of the launch show there were only 3 dances I really enjoyed on Saturday (Lauren, Graeme and Faye) and it seemed as if pretty much all the pros apart from AJ, Oti and Giovanni had forgotten how to actually choreograph the dance they were supposed to be doing and gone for disco (Latin) or American Smooth (ballroom) instead - really unimpressed. I very much agree with everything you say, poster J, but I do wonder these days just what is the definition of 'celebrity' when it comes to TV quizzes or reality shows?
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 24, 2018 16:42:05 GMT
tonyloco Fair enough but I fear I'll be having recurring 'trapped in Westfield' nightmares for years to come... The old tatty-round-the-edges shopping centre is much nicer, I hope it survives the competition. Actually, abby, I was quoting in my post something that really happened when I was playing piano for the monthly Sunday Night Variety Shows at the Theatre Royal. On one occasion they had booked as top of the bill a little-known stand-up comic who began his routine with a string of jokes that portrayed Stratford as a horrible place. I suspect he had the jokes already written to just insert the name of anywhere he chose, but the local Stratford audience did not find this funny and somebody shouted out: "We live here, mate, and we like it!" The comic then went off into some other material and managed to finish his spot, but he was never booked again. But that of course was long before the days of Westfield!
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 24, 2018 12:32:15 GMT
God, Stratford is horrible, though. I accidentally took the wrong entrance from the Overground and ended up in Westfield, and at one point I really thought I would never find my way out again. Hideous place. Of course, a lot of people live in Stratford …. and like it!
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 21, 2018 11:13:52 GMT
This thread does not seem to be gathering much response but I might as well add my two-penneth at this stage.
The series started with Luciano Pavarotti, which was quite good. The second episode turned out to be Plácido Domingo, rather than José Carreras as announced, which was fairly dull but covered the subject adequately for the purpose. Then came Maria Callas in which I made a number of appearances.
To me this was the least successful of the three, partly because I was aware of a number of errors of fact in what was said (despite the correct information being available in dozens of reference books and biographies) and partly because some of the 'experts', who apparently turn up in all Sky Arts programmes of this nature such as Bonnie Greer and Professor Kate Williams, were unaware of how to correctly pronounce names like Karajan, Luchino, di Stefano and 'I vespri siciliani' (the last being said like 'I Claudius').
But in a 47 minutes programme it gave an acceptable overview of the life and career of Callas for the broad public with some striking audio and video clips, some powerful photographic images and some comments by people who are supposed to know about the subject!
I have no idea when my next appearance – in the Andrea Bocelli programme – will be shown but I'm not holding my breath!
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 16, 2018 14:13:20 GMT
I first saw Dudley Sutton in Joan Littlewood's production of The Hostage at Wyndham's Theatre in 1960. The copy of the script I have shows him as a Russian Sailor, but I have an idea he may have moved up to playing Rio Rita, a homosexual navvy, by the time I saw it! I also remember him making an impression playing the lead in the premiere of Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane in 1964.
Like all of Joan's actors, he was a great talent and went on to become a national treasure in his film and TV roles.
Bravo, Dudley!
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 7, 2018 12:39:42 GMT
Latest news is that the second Opera Legends on Sky Arts on Monday 10 Sept will be José Carreras so we assume Callas will be 17 September.
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 1, 2018 18:41:23 GMT
That reminds me: when Joan Littlewood died I sent Colin Sell to the crematorium and I played at the wake at the Old Chelsea Town Hall where we had a nice sing-along with Joan's Theatre Workshop actors, or at least those who were still alive and were mobile enough to get to the venue! Oops! I think it might have been the old Hampstead Town Hall. But wherever it was, we gave the old girl a right good send off!
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 1, 2018 18:36:49 GMT
Very popular at cremations, I understand. (Andrea, not you!) That reminds me: when Joan Littlewood died I sent Colin Sell to the crematorium and I played at the wake at the Old Chelsea Town Hall where we had a nice sing-along with Joan's Theatre Workshop actors, or at least those who were still alive and were mobile enough to get to the venue!
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 1, 2018 10:41:41 GMT
Just to report that at the last minute I was asked to be a talking head on the "Opera Legends" episode about Andrea Bocelli. Draw your own conclusions about what that indicates!
Does anybody want to discuss whether Bocelli deserves a place in 'Opera Legends' or shall we just draw a veil over the whole thing?
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Corrie
Aug 30, 2018 13:16:38 GMT
Post by tonyloco on Aug 30, 2018 13:16:38 GMT
Maybe Liz is meant to look dowdy as she was recently jilted so is not in a good place. And yes you are right about the cruise. World cruises sell sectors of the cruise as well as the full itinerary. Yes, but if I was Liz and had just been jilted I would start wearing my most flamboyant clothes and jewellery and adopt my most glamorous hair styles, perhaps even several in the one day as she has been seen to do in the past. But each to his or her own!
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Corrie
Aug 30, 2018 8:24:25 GMT
Post by tonyloco on Aug 30, 2018 8:24:25 GMT
Probably just me, but does anyone else think that Peter's current hairstyle and moustache make him look like Hitler?! Particularly when the camera angle is from slightly above, angled downwards? Ho! Ho! I hadn't really thought of Hitler but I have noticed that he looks rather different these days. While on the subject of Corrie comments, I am really concerned that Liz is looking particularly dowdy these days with her choice of frumpy clothes, and last night her hair looked dreadful. Another comment is that I have searched the internet but I cannot find any six-week cruises like the one Rana's mother is allegedly booked on. The longest normal cruises available are about 17 nights and then the longer ones are around-the-world cruises that go on for months and months (15 weeks and 24 weeks round the world and 9 weeks around America). I sometimes wonder whether the writers of Corrie actually check things like that or just make up fanciful "facts" that suit their storylines?
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Post by tonyloco on Aug 28, 2018 12:18:50 GMT
Set to record on my Box! (And a regular reminder that if you don’t have Sky, you can get access to Sky channels over the internet through NowTV. If you wait until the end of the series, you can probably see the whole thing on demand during your month’s free trial) Thanks n1david. I didn't know that and I don't have SKY so I will certainly take advantage of NowTV, but the prospect of waiting to the end of the whole series and then binge watching is not such an enticing one – I think just the first couple of episodes will probably be quite enough!
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Post by tonyloco on Aug 26, 2018 7:25:54 GMT
I watched the TV broadcast in HD and agree with what has already been said about the sensationally good casting of all the performers. And I am also impressed with tmesis's analysis of why the LSO is less good at playing this kind of music than the John Wilson Orchestra.
But I do want to make one rather negative comment, which is that unlike the music of those three great composers for the dance: Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Stravinsky, I find Bernstein's dance music less rewarding to listen to without having dancers to watch. This is what made the recent production of OTT in Regent's Park so successful because we had Drew McOnie's wonderful choreography superbly danced to bring Bernstein's dance music fully to life. I also felt this somewhat during the radio broadcast of West Side Story. Having got that off my chest, and I may well be in a minority of one, I did thoroughly enjoy the performance of OTT as a whole and I heartily agree with tmesis that 'Some Other Time' is one of the most touching songs in musical theatre, and it never fails to make me well up.
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Post by tonyloco on Aug 24, 2018 12:07:25 GMT
Thanks for those kind words, TallPaul.
Modesty does happen to be one of my better qualities, but I have no hesitation is saying that being Prime Minister of Australia is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy!
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Post by tonyloco on Aug 24, 2018 8:52:33 GMT
I have just heard that a new documentary series called "Opera Legends" will start on Sky Arts on Monday 3 September with a one-hour programme on Pavarotti.
Episode 2 will be about Maria Callas on Monday 10 September and episode 3 will be on Carreras the following Monday and so on each week thereafter to cover the usual suspects like Kiri Te Kanawa, Domingo, Caballé, etc.
The series will be 'fronted' by Danielle de Niese and the tenor Dennis O'Neill will be seen in the programme about Caruso and possibly others.
Oh, by the way, yours truly will be seen briefly three times as a talking head in the second episode giving forth his views and opinions about the life and career of La Divina.
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Post by tonyloco on Jul 27, 2018 11:21:03 GMT
Me neither. Guess I was thinking of Oxo not Bisto or something. Funny how sugar can colour meat juice. We live and learn, and never say this board is anything other than educational. Thanks monkey for reminding me of a Ken Dodd classic: "The show was very educational. Well, it taught me a lesson!"
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Post by tonyloco on Jul 22, 2018 18:20:25 GMT
I have just checked the FROM THE BOX OFFICE advert and I see there are very few seats sold for this in the Stalls and Dress Circle, even for the opening night, and of the many seats remaining available, about half of them are being offered at something around 50% discount.
I know that I said some very unkind things about Tommy Steele earlier in this thread, along with some other members, but he is a living legend – as Ryan rightly pointed out – and it would be sad to see him in a show in the West End that nobody turned up to see even on the first night! Where are all his fans? Mostly in care homes, I expect!
I am now feeling rather guilty and wondering whether I need to do penance by going to see it, but I think I will wait until after the opening night. But then again, this is Show Business and it has not been unknown on Broadway at least for Opening Night and Closing Night to co-incide!
Meanwhile, I wish Tommy the very best of luck and I will refrain from saying 'break a leg!' because with people over 80 that can mean more than just bad luck!!
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Post by tonyloco on Jul 22, 2018 10:10:44 GMT
We are doing Cats at oru local theatre next summer, and it's interesting what is off limit - everything, basically, save the songs, though I don't know which of the many versions we are doing. But no type face similiarities, nor design and so forth. You can understand it, and it will be a challenge to reinvent it. In a way I wish that would happen for Les miserables and Phantom. That reminds me that after Cameron Macintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber decided to go ahead and create their own version of 'Phantom of the Opera' and not proceed with adapting Ken Hill's version that they saw at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, Ken was then free to mount other productions of his work, but he did get some strictures from the Really Useful Company that he had to make it clear that his show had nothing to do with the Andrew Lloyd Webber one. Well, some of the music in Ken's 'Phantom' was taken from the rather spooky Wolf's Glen scene in an opera called 'Der Freischütz' by a German composer called Weber and the RUC said that the name 'Weber' was not to appear in the billing of the show alongside other names that included Verdi, Offenbach, Gounod and Mozart. It looks therefore as if the RUC don't know how to spell the name of their boss, or they think the general public can't tell the difference between 'Webber' and 'Weber'! Ken went ahead and included 'Weber' among the list of other composers and there was nothing the RUC could do about it.
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Post by tonyloco on Jul 19, 2018 19:34:29 GMT
The new one playing Craig's girlfriend / daughter of the paedophile is having a few problems with her close-up acting as well. The casting department is not in the best of shape at the moment, I fear. Yes, it is ironic that the actor who used to play Steve's twin-brother Andy got sacked for his poor acting and yet Dev has survived all this time. I would also cast a vote for 'Worst Male Actor in a Soap' to the guy who plays Mary's son Jude!
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Corrie
Jul 19, 2018 13:49:48 GMT
Post by tonyloco on Jul 19, 2018 13:49:48 GMT
Perhaps it's just me – and don't be afraid to tell me so – but I thought both of last night's two episodes of Coronation Street reached new depths of ineptitude.
The dramatic scenes were distinctly OTT, especially Eva's TV appeal and the scenes with Johnny trying to look after baby Susie and the associated scenes with Jenny and Liz. Also, the apparently more light-hearted scenes with Eileen and Steve and Abi as well as those with Daniel and Sinaid battling with Kathy and Brian over the empty shop seemed just silly, and as for Gemma and Chesney and Henry...words fail me.
Yes, I know. I can always change channels or switch the TV off altogether!
Did other viewers enjoy what happened in Weatherfield last night?
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Post by tonyloco on Jul 17, 2018 13:17:07 GMT
Blimey, that's a very tough one to answer! Thinking back, I have several different criteria. One is the tracks that I played over and over and over from original cast albums, another is the show tunes that I most enjoyed playing when I was accompanying variety and music hall shows and another is just the big musical anthems that scream 'Musical Theatre'. My choices are all mainly rather old!
So the show tunes that gave me most pleasure to perform:
I'm still here (Follies) Broadway Baby (Follies) Can't help lovin' dat man (Show Boat) All I need is the girl (Gypsy) The Picture of Happiness (Tenderloin)
The tracks that I played over and over and over:
Lizzie Borden (New Faces of 1952) Shall we dance? (The King and I) All that jazz (Chicago) There is nothing like a dame (South Pacific) Diamonds are a girl's best friend (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)
The big anthems:
There's No Business Like Show Business (Annie Get Your Gun) Hello Dolly Oklahoma! Everything's coming up roses (Gypsy) Cabaret
And here's another group – best romantic songs:
Some enchanted evening (South Pacific) If I loved you (Carousel) Make Believe (Show Boat) On the street where you live (My Fair Lady) They say that falling in love is wonderful (Annie Get Your Gun)
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Post by tonyloco on Jul 14, 2018 18:21:25 GMT
For those tennis fans who also watch Coronation Street, it looks as if the Duchess of Sussex had her hair done by Maria of Weatherfield as it was rather reminiscent of the styles Maria recently gave to Angie and Tracy which came in for much praise on the street!
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