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Post by horton on Jun 10, 2016 8:14:10 GMT
Some threads on this excellent board a clearly places where fans go to enthuse about their favourite shows or people- fair enough. It seems churlish to go into those to say you don't share their enthusiasm. It tends to lead to very circular, dull arguments. So how about this thread as a refuge and/ or confessional where people can express their unpopular opinions without offending the fans?So I'll get the ball rolling... HARRY POTTER at the Palace Theatre!!! One of our loveliest theatres has been taken over by a theme park of a show. No, it's not "deeper than just a boy wizard story". {Spoiler - click to view}
Any plot that has to start time travelling to undo the bad events and create "alternate realities" immediately undermines its own dramatic tension. It's how Dr Who started to disappear up its own rear end, too. People dressing up as wizards to go to the theatre? Really? OK so I'd appreciate seeing some people go to La Cage as Cagelles, and yes Rocky Horror encourages audience participation, but this feels to grumpy old me like theme park mentality. Of course the fans love it- they have shown themselves to be indiscriminately accepting of every aspect of the saga- or "loyal" as they would probably put it- but my absolute biggest gripe is that the play will not "encourage new audiences to see live theatre". They will see Harry Potter and that's it. Just as 'Wicked' hasn't created a generation of young people desperate to sample all original new musicals, (see the demise of our musical industry), these plays will continue to boost the Harry Potter brand, but not enrich live theatre more widely. And the lazy media will fall in line because they won't have to think or work too hard, seeking out exceptional new writing. So no doubt when it comes to the people's choice awards etc the mass exposure will mean Harry Potter will sweep the board and prove how brilliant the brand is. Yikes I sound a real kill-joy.
Anyway, it doesn't have to be Harry Potter, but feel free to confess the thoughts that would only lead to accusations of being a meanie elsewhere!
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Post by mallardo on Jun 10, 2016 8:30:04 GMT
You're wrong about Wicked but right about Potter.
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Post by theatre-turtle on Jun 10, 2016 8:31:33 GMT
I think Wicked has done a huge service to bringing people into theatres.
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Post by horton on Jun 10, 2016 8:39:27 GMT
My point is, it's only the Victoria Apollo they go into- 20+ times...
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2016 8:39:52 GMT
Some threads on this excellent board a clearly places where fans go to enthuse about their favourite shows or people- fair enough. It seems churlish to go into those to say you don't share their enthusiasm. It tends to lead to very circular, dull arguments. So how about this thread as a refuge and/ or confessional where people can express their unpopular opinions without offending the fans?So I'll get the ball rolling... Parts of this, if true, need putting behind spoilers, if they are true then I'm seriously not impressed, there's a spoilers thread for a very good reason. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2016 8:40:01 GMT
Um... is that spoilers? We've literally had one preview each for part one and part two of the Cursed Child, and we've specifically created a thread in the plays section for spoilery discussion to go in so that people who want to be unspoiled know what to avoid, so you create a whole new thread with an unrelated title and drop big clues about plot points without even a spoiler tag? Have you NO manners?
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642 posts
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Post by Stasia on Jun 10, 2016 8:59:00 GMT
Could you please delete Harry Potter spoilers from here?
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2,051 posts
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Post by infofreako on Jun 10, 2016 9:03:42 GMT
You're wrong about Wicked but right about Potter. Very true. I know many who started going to theatre because of Wicked. They visit different shows on a monthly or even weekly basis because their first theatre experience got them hooked not on Wicked but on live theatre in general. Sure, they return to Wicked but to claim thats their only theatre experience is ridiculous |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2016 9:07:57 GMT
And while we're here, what the hell is the problem if someone sees a show like Wicked then only ever sees Wicked? How is it anyone's business but their own? What right does anyone have to judge them for their devotion? What kind of snobbery says you only count as a person if you see more than an arbitrarily decided number of shows? Why is a person who sees Wicked thirty times a year somehow worthy of disdain but no one ever feels the need to bitch and moan about a person who only goes to the theatre once a year, or less, or never?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2016 9:22:00 GMT
I'm with horton on the Harry Potter plays. I know this wonderful theatre has been home to many long-runners in the past, but to see it home for the next however many years with this seems wrong somehow...
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Post by TheatreDust on Jun 11, 2016 15:17:12 GMT
Thread edited by admin team to add spoiler tags.
Given that this is/could be a fairly wide-ranging thread covering all sorts of productions, please will subsequent posters take care to use spoiler tags as needed.
You can find more information about how to add spoiler tags in our FAQs - number 10.
Thanks.
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Post by Jon on Jun 11, 2016 16:05:34 GMT
i don't get upset when a show closes, to me unless it's been an absolute turkey then running a few years isn't a failure and the West End needs new shows, it's not a museum.
Also a not theatre related opinion, I can't stand people who use social media to constantly complain to companies about things. Once or twice is enough
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751 posts
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Post by horton on Jun 11, 2016 17:29:11 GMT
And while we're here, what the hell is the problem if someone sees a show like Wicked then only ever sees Wicked? How is it anyone's business but their own? What right does anyone have to judge them for their devotion? What kind of snobbery says you only count as a person if you see more than an arbitrarily decided number of shows? Why is a person who sees Wicked thirty times a year somehow worthy of disdain but no one ever feels the need to bitch and moan about a person who only goes to the theatre once a year, or less, or never? I'm not judging them as a person, I'm judging them as a so-called fan of "live theatre". They are clearly not a "theatre fan", but a "Wicked fan". If that's what they want to be then that's their choice, but just call it for what it is. If I only ever ate crisps, I wouldn't presume to call myself a gourmet. Personally, as I have mentioned elsewhere, I am greatly concerned for the industry and for our culture, when there is so little diversity of programming in the West End compared to 30 years ago. New work is at an all-time low, with only a few juggernauts making anything like a reasonable return. I am horrified to see that GCSE Drama will no longer require students to see a live performance, (though I'm sure most teachers will still try to include it in the courses), and I am even more horrified by the way this government is sidelining the arts in school and pressurizing headteachers into squeezing the expressive arts out of the curriculum. How are we to expect future generations to be aware of anything other than reality TV drama, if we do not pass on our incredible heritage and shared knowledge? Contrary to the education minister's assertions, the entertainment industry offers many excellent career paths and films,TV and theatre make a huge contribution to our economy. Who is going to sustain those businesses if all we have are X-Factor participants and TOWIE "stars" to delight us? More than ever, "live theatre" needs promoting. In all its weird and wonderful forms. |
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Post by musicallady on Jun 11, 2016 17:43:48 GMT
I know I haven't seen her live but from seeing video clips I cannot understand why everyone raves over Rachel Tucker. To me she sounds ordinary.
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4,369 posts
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Post by Michael on Jun 11, 2016 18:05:51 GMT
Here we go: I think the world would be a much better place if Sondheim had never written Musicals.
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1,103 posts
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Post by mallardo on Jun 11, 2016 18:11:37 GMT
Here we go: I think the world would be a much better place if Sondheim had never written Musicals. Michael, I'm pretty sure Alan Menken does not share your opinion. |
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Post by foxa on Jun 11, 2016 18:36:13 GMT
Here we go: I think the world would be a much better place if Sondheim had never written Musicals. Noooooooooo! Michael, we can never be friends. I'm sad now. |
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Post by Jon on Jun 11, 2016 18:43:38 GMT
Here we go: I think the world would be a much better place if Sondheim had never written Musicals. BLASPHEMY!! TBH Sondheim isn't for everyone but his contribution to musicals cannot be discredited, he wrote the lyrics for Gypsy and West Side Story, both classics. |
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 11, 2016 19:08:21 GMT
Agree with Somdheim who has written some excellent mind blowing stuff and has an envious back cataloque, however I don't get the unstinting worship of him, by his fans, to a level that makes everything else inferior. Frank Rich - Chief Theatre Critic of the New York Times, made it his ambition to make him the superlative composer, trashing very decent musicals in the process, to fulfil his personal crusade, ever since he reviewed Follies for the Harvard Crimson. Oh boy didn't he place himself perfectly to accomplish his wish.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jun 11, 2016 19:16:49 GMT
I love A Little Night Music but apart from the odd song could survive without the rest of Sondheim's output & I certainly wish to goodness Sweeney Todd had never been written. I find that Sondheim fans' attitude of "my compser is superior to all others" is remarkably similar to Wagner fans' attitude in the opera world. Both sets of fans tend to be much more male dominated than your average opera/musical audience.
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Post by horton on Jun 11, 2016 19:19:50 GMT
Not strictly theatre (except for all the theatrics!) but I can't stand the last night of the Proms.
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Post by Michael on Jun 11, 2016 20:11:28 GMT
Not strictly theatre (except for all the theatrics!) but I can't stand the last night of the Proms. And I couldn't stand anymore after seeing Proms in the Park  |
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Post by shady23 on Jun 11, 2016 20:12:14 GMT
Cats is the most pointless thing I have ever seen on a stage. I just don't get it and how it is still going, despite being so dated.
Sorry Cats fans.
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Post by ptwest on Jun 11, 2016 20:13:45 GMT
Cats is the most pointless thing I have ever seen on a stage. I just don't get it and how it is still going, despite being so dated. Sorry Cats fans.
Totally agree!
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jun 11, 2016 20:51:20 GMT
Here we go: I think the world would be a much better place if Sondheim had never written Musicals. Correct Michael, still never wrote a world class song |
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