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Post by groupbooker on Mar 3, 2017 0:20:00 GMT
Thank you Daniel and Tom89
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Post by groupbooker on Mar 3, 2017 0:13:33 GMT
Went to see this yesterday matinee after our cancellation when 4 cast members were sick! Amber was indisposed and Marisha was on as Effie - really stunning!! I was waiting for the squeals and whoops in "I'm not going" but everyone sat,listened and then went mad - result!
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Post by groupbooker on Mar 3, 2017 0:05:53 GMT
I finally saw the show last night after enjoying the cd for a couple of years now. The music is wonderful and I totally agree with chrismis regarding the cast and visuals - the Charing Cross have done it again with a great production. Theatre not very busy and a rather dead audience! Not many applauding at the end and just a handful standing. This season has been excellent and if Thom Sutherland carries on like this, hopefully their name will start to bring more punters in for other productions. How about Maury Yeston's Phantom???
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Post by groupbooker on Mar 2, 2017 23:55:27 GMT
Loved the show on Broadway. Theatre was full and it really worked. There have been big changes to the beginning of the US tour so I have been told by friends who have seen it. I feel it could do well in the West End as a family show and at least you would coming out humming some of the tunes, which is more than you can say for some shows now.
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Post by groupbooker on Feb 28, 2017 21:29:11 GMT
Can anyone tell me what top price normal Saturday matt is please?? Don't want another shock at the Hippo with £80 for Wicked!! I cant get into because I am not an ATG member. Many thanks.
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Post by groupbooker on Feb 22, 2017 16:13:51 GMT
The new call centre in Sunderland dose not know about it coming to the Hippo even though it is advertised as on sale 21st Feb!
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Post by groupbooker on Feb 8, 2017 0:57:08 GMT
Perhaps it's Craig Revel Horwood - then he could have the entire cast sing, dance and play musical instruments all at the same time!! Wonderful!
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Post by groupbooker on Feb 8, 2017 0:27:55 GMT
I too have far too many cd's, dvd's, programmes and posters but wouldn't get rid of them. I like as others have said to have the CD and not digital. The guys in Dress Circle were great and good fun to chat to. John used to be downstairs doing orders and with his help I got a lot of signed cd's. Great pity they had to go down to an online shop. The were always little gems to find hen sorting through the many racks in the shop - many I don't know had been recorded. I also buy now from "Sound of Music" shop in Germany. Lots of shows not even coming near these shores but very interesting to watch even if I have no idea they are singing - but widens the options of other countries musicals.
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Post by groupbooker on Feb 7, 2017 0:44:00 GMT
Good idea TM, perhaps it should be taken up by some one like Cameron Mac? A walk through theatre but similar to the BFI museum that used to be on the South Bank. Good way to preserve an old theatre in London as well. As for programmes and posters,I have every poster for the Theatre Royal in Plymouth up to the very first visit of Les Mis plus every programme, a lot signed. But where to leave it to is a problem of course! Going on to the American side of theatre collections. I have taken groups to the Liberace museum in Vegas, where he had his costumes, cars and furniture on show in two buildings. After his death it was run as a charity but has since closed as no one interested in visiting - just like Debbie Reynolds tried to do and failed.
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Post by groupbooker on Feb 4, 2017 22:10:51 GMT
How about videos of "old" shows say from 60's up? I presume that all shows are on video for archive purposes? Some of the shows that have been in London and never since seen the light of day. I can think of Metropolis, King, La Cava, National theatre and RSC shows and you can come up with many more. I wouldn't be a 100% on when dvd's came about though. Just a room with dvd players and say headphones so you could watch and listen. Perhaps with machines that had a changing rota of shows? Just a thought??
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Post by groupbooker on Feb 2, 2017 22:35:23 GMT
Well booked with the new ATG groups number in Sunderland on Monday for Wicked at Bristol. As I thought it is on the same terms as SEE and Ticketmaster possibly 4 weeks to hold and I am trying to get a group for March 2018!! Top price for Wicked is £80, then £58.50 and finally £51. Yes cheaper slightly on last two prices in the week - but all cannot go in the week. I think even Bristolian people will have a shock booking this!! I will wait to see how normal musicals go price wise and hold details but could be the end of Bristol bookings. Most people (not theatre fans like the board members) will not book for anything almost 12 months ahead unless it has had great promotion and is in their mind to do so - will wait till nearer the time!
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 22, 2017 1:13:18 GMT
If you go to the Hippo at Bristol, get stalls seats. The stalls have a good rake, also have a fairly good leg room for an old theatre. The Dress Circle is rather restricted leg rook wise - I am short and it was a bit of a problem I have never had before! As others have said DO NOT GO IN THE UPPER CIRCLE!! Just benches and NO legroom. Even side stalls have a good view of the stage. I saw Wicked there and it was great as good as London.
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 18, 2017 0:02:49 GMT
I think this was a far far better show than Aladdin! Saw it first in New York before it came to London, then at the Dominion. The original London Cast was better than the Broadway cast I think. The costumes and sets were amazing, in Aladdin it is basically the cave but in B&B every thing just got better and better. Yes some said it was panto but I think that was because we are brought up on panto and most panto's start with the village scene. Pity the recent touring B&B were cheap versions - lets hope the next one goes back to the original.
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 17, 2017 21:31:28 GMT
How can Viagogo be selling tickets for from £600 to £2400?? When this was a system that DMT set up to stop touts - will they stop the tickets being used like Harry Potter??
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 14, 2017 21:52:26 GMT
Too true!!
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 13, 2017 0:37:15 GMT
That is not a good way to work these trips now with short holds. I ask people to let me know how many are certain to book but do not take deposits. IF we have enough to get say 30 people I ask for deposits,then ring then theatre and buy the 30 tickets. Then if more come along I again ring and get more at the price I want as it books. IF the trip is cancelled then now one has been made to pay anything and they have time to book possibly with another person or company. Down here in the West Country nine times out of ten the only other company is Newmarket via local papers. I am told go once with them you will never again! Four am pick up in Truro and by 11.00 am you have reached Taunton! As I said before a LOT of local coach companies have given up doing West End trips because of the hassle.
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 12, 2017 0:04:19 GMT
I don't want to get into an row BurlyBear but as I said before, IF you have had to organise a group you would see how difficult it can be. Even if you have a group that meets every week or every month there are people having to get time off work, have to sort out they have a clear weekend etc. It is not just "ok lets do it!" You say buy 10 tickets less - would you buy 40 tickets at lets say £75 and then find no one wants to go? Even if you tell them its the hit of the year! You have the £3000 loss not the theatre, you have 40 tickets you cannot do anything with. There are a lot of coach companies here in Cornwall and Devon I know who are giving up doing theatre trips to London. They cant hold tickets in enough time to be able to see if they sell enough for the trip. They come to London,cannot park a coach anywhere ending up with parking fines when the driver runs out of driving hours. I love theatre and so does everyone who come on my trips but I am thinking of giving it all up this year - the problems are too great now. That will be one less group organiser out of the way and let tickets go to more deserving people!! lol only joking BB!
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 10, 2017 19:57:04 GMT
Because not all group organisers see the "group" every week/month but have to contact everyone to find out who may want to go. I have 1000 on my mail list and cant afford to send out at a drop of a hat every time I book a show, I need time to get snail mail and email postings out. If you had ever organised a group of 40/50 people to all agree at once about a show, you would know the problems. I expect theatremonkey has had the same problem. At one time groups were important to theatres but not now with the likes of online priority booking. Living where we do, I have to pay top price for Saturday matinees because we cant do a weekday show as a lot still work.
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 10, 2017 0:39:30 GMT
Every ATG group department in their theatres will go to Sunderland. Not good - I expect the same 4 weeks hold on group tickets, perhaps pushed to 6 IF lucky just like SEE and Ticketmaster.
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 7, 2017 0:03:24 GMT
Bristol are one of the best I deal with and a great pity for all of them. Now we will go down the route of not being able to hold tickets past 4 weeks aka SEE and Ticketmaster.
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 6, 2017 14:43:09 GMT
I do not think this will worry most of you on the board. Today I received an email from the Group Booking Department of the Bristol Hippodrome telling me that from the 1st February, they will shut. In future all group bookings will be dealt with by a Sunderland call centre (ATG?). I presume that ALL ATG Group Booking Departments will be shut!
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 5, 2017 23:28:56 GMT
Very interesting programme!! I think if you can slow down the end credits they did give the singers names.
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Post by groupbooker on Dec 28, 2016 0:36:48 GMT
Titanic, Half a Sixpence, Ragtime
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Post by groupbooker on Dec 20, 2016 20:38:58 GMT
A friend in the States tells me - "the children will be played by older teens so it does not cause any problems with the hours of younger performers in the US". May be wrong but who knows what they will end up doing? Mr Barnaby could be right.
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Post by groupbooker on Dec 14, 2016 13:50:26 GMT
Thanks for your help with that. I will keep my fingers crossed when booking!
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Post by groupbooker on Dec 14, 2016 0:02:28 GMT
Yes "Willows" was the real thing but there was know knowledge of where the tour was going or if a London theatre had been picked as yet. I meant the "real thing" is to see the original shows that start in London before coming out on tour, possibly with a cut down cast/set. Many of my people came to see "Willows" at TRP and have also decided to come with me to see it at the LP next year. As I said, I do not organise groups for the TRP any more, I leave that up to themselves to sort out.
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Post by groupbooker on Dec 13, 2016 23:20:02 GMT
Is there any info on how long Amber may stay with the show as yet?? After our cancelled show on the 7th would like to book again. But after the journey from Cornwall and Germany we would like to think we could try to see her this time.
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Post by groupbooker on Dec 9, 2016 23:51:46 GMT
Why shouldn't they Trek from Cornwall to see a show on in London? Some people go for names, some go for a weekend away, some go to see what a full blown London show is like, not a cut down touring production. I am taking some to Bristol for Cinderella with Torville & Dean, I have given up with Torquay for shows - awful theatre. I do not book Plymouth either as it is easy reach for most to do themselves and my days of filling that theatre on 1, 2 or 3 nights are over. Some are big fans of Paul O'Grady and asked me to do the LP panto - that's great. Most of you are lucky with the vast amount of theatres in reach for you to see. We have basically 5 - Hall for Cornwall (small but good), TRP Plymouth, Torquay, Bristol or Cardiff within a days trip, most now are receiving houses. The days of the Royals own shows like Sound of Music, Brigadoon, South Pacific, Copacabana etc starting in Plymouth (Plymouth produced shows) and going West End are over now. They now are building a lot of touring/West End productions sets like "Willows", "Miss Saigon" and many more. So the many people who come with me really enjoy going to see the "real thing" before possibly seeing it again in a tour down here.
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Post by groupbooker on Dec 9, 2016 13:29:19 GMT
I am sure that "Wind in the Willows" will do well there for a limited run. The sets are excellent but can be spread a bit to fill without any loss. I really wonder if "Frozen" IF it comes over will run and run. Many people are getting rather fed up of the constant pushing by Disney, with parents fed up of "Let it Go". It may run for a couple of years unless they pull a BIG rabbit out of the hat and stun everyone. "Aladdin" I feel is a one shot pony, all my people said they enjoyed it but would not want to go again. Word of mouth here in darkest Cornwall "wouldn't be bothered to go up to see it" - I cant seeing it lasting 10 years like Lion King. I agree that the panto's coming back to the LP is a great chance to fill up the theatre and for people to come to London for a BIG panto with BIG names. Hopefully with theatre people in them and not a load of TV "stars" as around the country. Looking forward to "Cinders" and also "Willows".
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Post by groupbooker on Dec 8, 2016 17:54:17 GMT
Saw this last night after the disappointment of Dream Girls in the afternoon. Every thing as good as Titanic, great cast and was well received by the almost full audience. I have always loved Ragtime and was really looking forward to seeing this when it was booked into the Prince Edward after Showboat back in the 90's. Great pity not to see the show with it's huge cast from the States. I really do not like actor/musician shows, to me a musical should be as it started life - cast and orchestra, but I must say I really enjoyed this production. I thought of it as a semi-staged show. I know most of you will not agree as it was fully staged - but fitted my way of looking at it. Standing ovation at the end and really prolonged applause at the end. Two up to the Charing Cross Theatre!! Lets see what "Death" does next.
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