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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 6, 2021 0:44:11 GMT
Bar 2 or 3 songs, I would rather pickle my ears than listen to that album Can you really, fully appreciate a song after just 1 listen?
I'm looking forward to the album. I can't speak for others, but musical theatre songs (more often than not) only get better after a few listens. You get to appreciate the lyrics more, that are sometimes lost in the theatre, you hear orchestrations that you couldn't hear before, and the sound quality is far better than the live performance.
My issues have been with the book, the score i'm still undecided on. But i'm more than willing to give it a chance.
I really liked the duet 'I Know You'. Yes it's not a duet in the typical ALW lush romantic way, but i felt it really worked for the characters. Now, was that because of the actresses playing them and are they the same people singing it on the recording? Another reason to listen!
And there's the Sea Witch number. That one i'm intrigued about. Roll on Friday.
Now, what address shall i send the pickling vinegar too?
There are ALW songs like Only You, Lonely You, Far Too Late, Bad Cinderella and I know I have a Heart that all jump out at you immediately. Great melodies, and like most ALW ballads, pop type songs, musical chorus anthems, recitative or uptempo numbers - the wonderful melodies jump out at you the VERY FIRST time you hear them. You don’t have to listen to them 4 times. You come out whistling Phantom of the Opera or Jelicle Cats or With One Look. That’s why he’s made his millions! He was an incredible composer and genius. That’s why this new show is so disappointing. Cinderella let’s all be honest here. has 4 decent songs in it and the rest are just fillers and speak singing patter songs. I’ll stick with Evita, Cats, Starlight, Phantom, Sunset, JCS, Joseph, Aspects of Love, School of Rock, Beautiful Game, Tell Me On a Sunday and even 60 per cent of Woman in White / they are all worth listening to and owning the CD.
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 5, 2021 23:47:13 GMT
Bar 2 or 3 songs, I would rather pickle my ears than listen to that album All the songs worth listening to have already been released! All four of them. There is not ONE good extra song is there? Such a shame…. I’m so disappointed. Not one duet!. ((((
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 5, 2021 23:41:49 GMT
I saw this tonight.
After seeing the dreadful Deathdrop and very dissapointing Cinderella tonight was FINALLY a show that delivers; goosebumps galore, sensational singing, the best dancing in a show I’ve seen in years, glorious staging and a powerful religious and political story told in the most creative way. It is NOT easy to stage an adaptation of the Book of Exodus following the life of Moses… and with the current Palestine/Israel situation the message of Hebrew slaves being set free (and the trouble both violent religions create) is stronger now in 2021 than the Dreamworks 1998 cartoon could have ever imagined.
The show I hear has been reworked again since it was briefly in the West End for a few weeks last year and WOW, it produced the epic Broadway experience we’ve all missed so much and we left in tears.
It’s not perfect, it’s too long, acting from two cast members not spot on, there are parts of the story I thought could be clearer and two new songs that I question… but damn, I want to see it again tomorrow!
Though not the gigantic hydraulic multi million pound stage sets we saw in the 80’s/90’s this was creative and clever and they even parted the Red Sea on stage!
9/10 from me. My group of friends all LOVED it.
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 5, 2021 23:37:17 GMT
I saw the last performance of this before lockdown, with three of the four leads missing (although the covers were excellent). Saw this again tonight from near the front, with everyone back (and a few new cast members). Very glad I did too, as somehow with this being my last show before lockdown, now it just feels like closing a chapter and theatre being back! It is a long show, but there is a real sense of electricity there with the big moments. I do think they've improved the staging and there's more going on than I remember. A shout out to Jack the usher, who was asking people as the went in to give him good reviews. He scanned my ticket perfectly and directed me to my seat, what more can you ask? I had a TV presenter sat next to me (well, socially distanced next), but it's one of those annoying moments where he looked familiar but I can't think who he was. The masks don't help, of course (unless you're not wanting to be recognised). An enjoyable evening anyway. The theatre seemed pretty full (long queues to get in) and everyone was on their feet very quickly for the ovation at the end. Were you sat on Row B stalls? ))
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 4, 2021 15:10:47 GMT
I think after watching the horror of Cinderella we can safely say his best composing is sweeping stringed melodies and romantic tragedies. My vote is for a musical on Alan Turing: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_TuringAmazing story and legacy, early tragic death, ticks the woke/gay/pc modern box ticking (I say that in a positive way) and is complex, fascinating and changed the world. I might even write to ALW and suggest it! I’m feeling Evita meets London vibes and chorus.
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 4, 2021 14:59:04 GMT
My vote is O
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 4, 2021 14:58:41 GMT
Although It was sensational - I always questioned whether it could have been a one off event. Maybe three acts? One evening instead of two parts.
It will be very interesting to see what they have cut and what the interval/s will be!
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 4, 2021 12:56:45 GMT
Seeing it tomorrow and so excited.
What’s up with the set? Cheap? Plain?
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 4, 2021 11:18:17 GMT
I was at yesterday’s matinee and would definitely encourage any ne’er sayers to give this fun and lively show a chance… it’s certainly not the Lord’s best work but it is far, far from his worst. The audience lapped it up, especially when Carrie was belting her numbers… she really is quite good and is on stage a lot more than I had been made to expect from comments on here! The little magical coup de theatre used in the show in Act Two brings the BIGGEST of smiles to everyone sitting in the theatre and adds a fascinating dimension to the piece for 15 minutes. I found the book very easy to follow and the book niggles mentioned in the first couple of show certainly weren’t apparent to me. The whole cast gave it their all (RT and VHB ruled every scene) and deserve huge praise for sticking the last year out and bringing a fresh and vibrant new show into the West End. Biggest downside for me was definitely the quite basic sets and flats and the cast and stage crew moving things around but they mask most of it with other action on the stage… we loved it and would hope to go back once it’s bedded itself in. (And the rather fine male bodies on display were a much welcomed boost to my post-pandemic recovery… more please!!) 👍🏻 Stephen Ward aside then..:.. which is his worst work? I rate Cinderella as his worst score ever sadly. There are two sweet ballads and a Eurovision type strong anthem. The rest are filler songs and Woman in White type forgettable patter/parlour songs. I was shocked they were so bad. I hope they make vast changes and add new material. What was the song end of act 1? There could be a good show in there somewhere. Sadly the flats and set will stay. Ugh. .
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 3, 2021 15:49:25 GMT
Wrong thread, really, but as we've started, we may as well finish! Despite the involvement of many of the usual suspects, the full film is worth a watch. That Nicole Roberts is DREADFUL. I’ve heard better amateurs. How sad it is that we have these Amanda Holden and Sheridan Smith performers in the UK. They are all AWFUL!!!!! Ugh
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 2, 2021 18:50:07 GMT
Woman in White in 2004 at the Palace Theatre 4/10
Woman in White in 2018 at Charring Cross Theatre 8/10
Amazing how a different staging, set, direction and production can do! I totally agree.
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 2, 2021 15:39:33 GMT
Okay, I tried to be succinct but it didn't really work: This is an absolute mess of a show (although it does have an award-worthy performance in it). The big problem I think actually lies with Emerald Fennell and her truly terrible book. It's crass, crude and vulgar in so many places (what's with all the unnecessary swearing in a show that had a lot of children in the audience? The word 'Cinderella' sells to a family audience and they know that, but it was just vulgar) I don't understand the Fennell hype (I also thought Promising Young Woman was a mess because the screenplay was so bad - but then she won an Oscar so....!) Couple of points that really irritated me were: 1. If you're going to make the Prince gay/pan/whatever - DO SOMETHING WITH THAT. He's absent for the whole show, is not spoken about for at LEAST 90 minutes and then suddenly appears, half dressed and then marries his lover. A bizarre bolt on that added absolutely nothing to the story. 2. Godmother - so she's a plastic surgeon? Fine, but tell us something about her. The song she has at the end of act 1 tells us nothing about her, or her motivations. She just IS, and to me that's not good enough. 3. It's like everyone who works for ALW (including the work experience kid) was asked how they would update Cinderella and they used ALL the ideas. Because there is so much going on in this show, but even then it still feels like they did the absolute bare minimum to come up with an interesting concept. There is a good story somewhere in there, but you'd need to completely start again, and have 2 or 3 solid ideas and flesh them out properly, rather than 45 that all amount to nothing. and they have 2 weeks of previews to do that in, and it aint gonna happen. On top of that is ALW's worst score to date. Rebecca Trehearn's big number in Act 1 with all the half naked men (something for the gays and gals to look at I suppose) is literally the same verse repeated approximately 11 times. The Stepsisters first song I couldn't understand a word of because they were singing so fast and over each other it was impossible to pick out anything they were saying. And the 11 o'clock number (Far Too Late?) is AWFUL. It's structurally wrong and in the wrong place. I Know I Have A Heart is the 11 o'clock number but it's in the wrong place. (Minor bug bear but why is this show not automated? The stage crew coming on all the time to move the set was most off-putting and really took you out of the show) It's funny that every single review/comment I'd seen up until I went last night didn't mention Carrie at all, and I wondered why... and it's because she's hardly IN IT! If she got 90 minutes stage time in a 2 hour 40 show I'd have been shocked. Which again up-ends the show when you're central character is essentially a supporting role. She's fine and sings well, but just isn't in it enough to be a 3D character. there are multiple chunks of 20 minutes where she just...isn't in it! the stand-out by a mile is Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, who (as a friend put it) is playing Jennifer Saunders playing Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil - and it works a TREAT. I was HOWLING with laughter at quite how hysterical she is in this. A real star turn. Otherwise, the cast as a whole are very forgettable (which is a shame because people like Rebecca Trehearn and Laura Baldwin are usually good value but...nope) - thought the Prince was the definition of 'fine' but I couldn't work out why he'd been cast (until he starts dancing near the end and then I understood.) It just frustrated me more than anything, because there's a glimpse of an idea that has scope to be a good show. It's just structurally and musically wrong, and they're too far down the road to make any serious changes to it that could actually fix it (unless they do a Love Never Dies and shut it for a week and completely re-hash it) That said, was on the moving chairs for the ball which is a nice gimmick. £100 is a rip off though - glad to have got one for £29! You said exactly the same as me.. we have totally the same view. Awful Since posting my review on here and Facebook a performer I know reached out to me. They were in the workshop but dropped out because they said the whole show was cringe-worthy and Lloyd Webber’s worst show and score. They said ALW has had 2/3 years to iron out bad songs, the complicated woke story and strange godmother character/songs/objective and have done nothing. “I would rather be unemployed than be in that car crash of a show” they said to me. On another note two industry insiders I know have seen it and adored it! This will be a show supported by lovers and haters. As said above it’s too late to write 8 new songs and build a new set…. It’s Far Too Late😆
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 30, 2021 23:37:54 GMT
Does the King feature in this production (the counterpart to Rebecca Trehearn's Queen?), or, if not seen on stage, is he depicted in some way, such as a portrait? You can see where I'm going with this.....sighs.... There is no photo of the King so yes he could be/is presumably black. But this would mean that the three main love affair relationships in the entire show are mixed race. I could question that but I really didn’t want to go down the race/demographic/colour blind casting route with my review as it’s meant to be a fantasy land. I personally would have cast Asians in the show too, or made the Queen played by a black actress instead of the godmother. I’d actually love to see Cinderella played by a non white actress/singer! Either way, the casting is the least of this shows issues. It needs to be completely re-written, re-staged, re-directed, needs new songs, order changed and story made clearer. Yes the rotating seating section is fun. Shame they only do it once!
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 30, 2021 23:01:17 GMT
The worst part of this new musical is the music. This is second to Stephen Ward as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s worst score. When he released Far Too Late, I know I Have a Heart AND Only You, Lonely You I was excited to hear the rest of the score - that WAS the score! I couldn’t believe it. The rest of the show was unforgettable, tedious, below average and… well…. rubbish. Do you mean unmemorable rather than unforgettable? I've not been impressed by any of the songs I've heard or the way they're performed either. . I'm unlikely to see the show, not really my cup of tea, but it sounds like they've nicked bits of every other Cinders and chucked them all in a blender producing a rather lumpy unappetising smoothy. Sorry… rushing typing on my iPhone. FORGETTABLE!
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 30, 2021 22:35:16 GMT
So my review!
A revamped subversive modern twist on Cinderella? As I said above it was a hot mess.
The set and scenery is mixture of styles, it doesn’t know what musical it is dressing and not even the revolving seats helps this. The folding dated flats that constantly come on and off look cheap sadly and like cardboard cut-outs dotted underneath the gold baroque framing of the pros arch / it just looks like a muddled Phantom meets Panto. Moving stalls aside, it’s a serviceable average set and it doesn’t marry together.
Same for the costumes - there is a mixture of gothic, love island, 17th century France, panto, drag, gladiator, Beauty and the Beast… and unlike something genius like Wicked, though it’s a fantasy world, it made no sense.
The worst part of this new musical is the music. This is second to Stephen Ward as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s worst score. When he released Far Too Late, I know I Have a Heart AND Only You, Lonely You I was excited to hear the rest of the score - that WAS the score! Though all ALW plonky they are decent tunes. I couldn’t believe it. The rest of the show was forgettable, lacked decent melodies, tedious, below average and… well…. rubbish.
The casting was questionable, swearing uneccessary, I don’t think Carrie should have been cast against Ivano who plays Sebastian, I found the colour blind casting questionable (why is the Queen white?), I found the wokey gay sub plot and characters actually OFFENSIVE rather than fresh and contemporary, the hot buns and gym scene weird, the screen change in the awful end of act of one TERRIBLE and the Godmother/plastic surgeon character just bizarre.
A massive thumbs down from me and a 1 star. Dare I say this, I don’t understand the appeal of Carrie either or what her journey in the show was meant to be (though to be fair she sang well - it was the direction and show that makes the cast look bad. This will flop terribly sadly and no rewrites can save it. It needs a new set, to be recast, 8 new songs and an clearer book and story.
I can’t believe this was written by the same man who gave us Sunset, Evita and Phantom! The fact that this awful show sounds like it’s played on a click track meets tinny Casio keyboard is the icing on the cake!
Ugh
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 30, 2021 21:19:51 GMT
Has Sebastian's breathing and phrasing improved any on his big number? It was bloody awful when he first performed it. His breathing and phrasing is awful. He was also terribly flat in many parts in act 2 and I've heard better amateur singers. That said, his dancing in act 2 is sensational. Full review coming up! …… (it’s not gonna be nice I’m warning you all)
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 30, 2021 20:01:19 GMT
At the interval now…
This show is a HOT HORRIBLE MESS.
How on EARTH has the compose of Evita, Sunset, Joseph, Phantom and Starlight written such awful songs.
The style is a mixture of Blackadder, panto, drama school show, love island and a rubbish regional gothic meets 17th century French chamber musical with a good cast but with recorded tinny Casio keyboard music and average set.
I’m SOOOO dissapointed. The awful gym song, terrible forest scene duet Carrie/Sebastian have and the screen change end of act one I laughed out loud!!!
The ONLY good thing in this show is Sebastian’s solo Only You, Lonely you. (And then he needs to keep still!)
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 29, 2021 10:17:25 GMT
Are there no offers on this yet?
The tickets are extortionate!!!
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 29, 2021 7:26:48 GMT
I gave the show 5 stars without watching it. Do you want to kick me out of the group for this?! OK! I followed the entire creation process of the show from the beginning. All of Andrew's struggle to take this forward and I'm not from the "Oh I hate ALW" group. I followed absolutely everything that exists on the net about this Cinderella. All songs already released. In the midst of this hunt I came across this forum that only reinforced my passion for the show. For those who really love Musical Theatre, I could not remain indifferent to the efforts of a 73-year-old man, in the midst of a serious health crisis, to deliver something new to the public. I perfectly understand the "Oh I hate ALW" group's arguments. Even so, I think it's gratuitously evil to massacre the efforts of several artists in a show that isn't even a week old. I don't know how they didn't put a defect in the door frame of the theatre or in the fabric that covers the seats. That's my thinking. Less meanness, more appreciation! We didn't come from easy times. You can’t vote for the show unless you’ve seen it. You can’t vote for a show just because the composer is over 70 or that it’s been staged at the end of a pandemic. You can’t vote for a show unless you’ve seen the live production, staging, costumes, songs in place, full casting, the revolve, audience reaction, live singing and so on. Plus some shows are great soundtracks/recordings but shows with vast problems in them (and vice versa). Please DO NOT VOTE unless you have seen the show live on stage. Otherwise what’s the point? Ugh…
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 28, 2021 10:19:33 GMT
I saw her in Me and My Girl 1000 years ago and have been a fan ever since! Hahaha same! ANDREW O’Connor? What ever happened to him?!!!
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 28, 2021 10:00:35 GMT
He cut/changed the carriages Ashley and Buffy and “Lotta Locomotion”, gave Papa a sex change to Mama, removed Only You/Next Time You Fall in Love to the awful song written by his son “I Do”, cut all the melodic mid song sections/recitative, cut There’s Me, most of the character Caboose (in some productions totally), cut Engine of Love/Liebesexpress (in the German/Bochum production, cut all of the goosebump moments from version 1.7 and The Other Palace/complete new production of Starlight Depressed 4.3 totally woke, ruined, flat and destroyed. Moral of story - if something like Wicked or Phantom is sensational and gets give star reviews LEAVE IT ALONE. "Only You" remains in Starlight... The post race 4 amazing full goosebump tastic “Only You/Du Alein” is no longer in the Bochum show. Anyway there are different productions of Starlight/Love Never Dies etc. I know this is a Cinderella thread. My point being that changes can be made and he can close a production after a year or so like he did with the original Sunset Boulevard to make changes - but constant changes can ruin a production. That said due to time, technical aspects and only limited hours in the day for the cast and creatives - this current Cinderella in previews can’t be changed THAT much - they can’t rewrite the whole show, add characters or give it a brand new set! They can cut or add songs or new scenes/change the order but that’s about it. Has anyone ever seen a terrible one star show in previews become a masterpiece? Sadly not.
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 28, 2021 9:32:54 GMT
It’s all to do with ego and creative differences. I used to work in theatre and now work in TV. Something clearly muddled to me is ideal to someone else. I’ve been in edit bays shaking my hands in my head wanting changes from people above that literally made no sense. Often it’s also a case of too many cooks spoil the broth. You need the composer, director, producer, MD, choreographer, book and script writer, set and costume designer AND casting to all work magic to make a hit musical. If one of the cogs in the wheel are off, or two aren’t right then it can ruin the creative process. As proved with the recent Starlight Express sadly ALW changes his productions to the point they are totally ruined. I presume the reality is that ALW is the one in charge not the director or writer and as proven with LND’s that’s why there are plot holes and part of his shows that make no sense! I’m seeing Cinderella on Wednesday - I’m excited and scared at the same time. Ha Oh my Gosh!!! What happened to Starlight Express?! He cut/changed the carriages Ashley and Buffy and “Lotta Locomotion”, gave Papa a sex change to Mama, removed Only You/Next Time You Fall in Love to the awful song written by his son “I Do”, cut all the melodic mid song sections/recitative, cut There’s Me, most of the character Caboose (in some productions totally), cut Engine of Love/Liebesexpress (in the German/Bochum production, cut all of the goosebump moments from version 1.7 and The Other Palace/complete new production of Starlight Depressed 4.3 totally woke, ruined, flat and destroyed. Moral of story - if something like Wicked or Phantom is sensational and gets give star reviews LEAVE IT ALONE.
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 28, 2021 7:13:41 GMT
Considering the workshops they have previously done for Cinderella at the St.James, along with the delays they have had with this production, i was/am surprised it isnt more cohesive. How can they not see the plot holes in it? It’s all to do with ego and creative differences. I used to work in theatre and now work in TV. Something clearly muddled to me is ideal to someone else. I’ve been in edit bays shaking my hands in my head wanting changes from people above that literally made no sense. Often it’s also a case of too many cooks spoil the broth. You need the composer, director, producer, MD, choreographer, book and script writer, set and costume designer AND casting to all work magic to make a hit musical. If one of the cogs in the wheel are off, or two aren’t right then it can ruin the creative process. As proved with the recent Starlight Express sadly ALW changes his productions to the point they are totally ruined. I presume the reality is that ALW is the one in charge not the director or writer and as proven with LND’s that’s why there are plot holes and part of his shows that make no sense! I’m seeing Cinderella on Wednesday - I’m excited and scared at the same time. Ha
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 26, 2021 9:13:46 GMT
Do 'work in progress' previews normally have a properly printed programme? Will it become a collectors item if everything changes before opening night proper? Will it be worth £600 in a few years time...or 60p? If you pause this clip between 6 and 8 seconds, it gives a very, very rough idea of what merchandise is available. Far too small to see prices, of course, but better than nothing. 🙂 And why us no one, apart from the ushers, wearing a tie? So many questions! I have a few collectors items from show from decades ago. Sadly they will be just for musical cult collectors and a woman in white sweet tray sadly isn’t a Star Wars limited edition doll from 1985. Things like this often all sell under 100. Same with limited CDs.
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 26, 2021 5:59:17 GMT
Though I’ve been moved from the spinning seats - I can’t wait for Wednesday.
I’ve always said that the title should be BAD Cinderella.
I think as per ALW they will open it but will close it in 8 month time and make changes. Either that or future productions will be hacked at with things added/cut.
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 25, 2021 21:57:29 GMT
TELL US ABOUT ZE REVOLVING CHAAAAAIRS
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 25, 2021 20:36:55 GMT
Half-time... the doubters aren't going to like this, but for a first preview the first half has been slick. Funny. Witty. Ivan Turco almost took the roof off with his ovation for his ballad. VHB is sublime - she will win awards. Only one half played but I have a hunch this will be a resounding hit. The music fuses modern with traditional themes, and the most epic soaring ALW music I've heard in a long time. To those going tomorrow or later in the week, I'm jealous already. Oh, and for those who like such things, lots of extremely toned men cavorting with their muscles bulging. An observational fact, not a judgement. Hope the second half is as good - ALW gave a nice intro too with a wry reference to a certain health minister... You do know it’s theatre and not a football match!!? Lol #halftime #parts v #intervals #acts
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 25, 2021 18:42:38 GMT
I love the gold framing and masking. I do not like the panto style flats. This is like the Frozen Ice Castle all over again. Should be more 3D. Sets are looking cheaper. Hm... I hope I’m proved wrong.
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 25, 2021 8:20:42 GMT
To be fair CFA isn’t about the music. It’s the feeling, the story & the stagecraft of it all. The music is nice but by no means the be all and end all. Agreed. CFA is not about its soundtrack but staging, story, characters, social history and triumph over adversity. Amazing show.
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Post by musicalmarge on Jun 25, 2021 8:15:07 GMT
I’m more excited for the front section auditorium revolve and spinning seat section than the show! Ha
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