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Post by viserys on Dec 31, 2023 9:11:31 GMT
Following a conversation with a friend, the recent “sproutgate" on the Sunset Blvd thread and looking back on my 2023, I would like to hear other people’s opinion on this: To what extent do you think it’s fair to give things a chance when they don’t seem to appeal initially?
To speak about myself: For years I would try to see every new bigger musical in London (definitely West End, sometimes bigger fringe theatres like Menier, Almeida, etc.) and sometimes I left something pleasantly surprised, while in other cases disliked it as much as I had expected.
As I live abroad (Germany) and travelling to London is expensive, I rarely ever returned to see shows I enjoyed a second or even third time. This began to shift five years ago with Bat out of Hell, which I absolutely loved and went to see in London nearly ten times over the stretch of a year. I saw 42nd Street three times because it took me three attempts to see Ashley Day on stage, one of my favourite performers. I also saw Six twice because I had enjoyed the first time (at the Arts Theatre) far more than I had thought and wanted to see it from up closer (at the Vaudeville). After the Covid break, I caught the UK Tour of Bat twice in Birmingham and Eastbourne as well.
More recently I fell absolutely in love with Hadestown and went to New York three times (don’t judge) to see it a total of five times – I did catch other shows on each trip of course, but also missed out on some because it mattered more to me to see my favourite show twice. For 2024, I have already booked Hadestown twice in London (to take separate friends along) and Starlight Express as well (again, mostly because two different people want to see it with me, but I don’t mind at all because it’s one of my all-time favourite musicals).
At the same time I feel myself getting increasingly impatient and dismissive of shows I can’t bring myself to care for. The nadir for me was Dear Evan Hansen, which I was very meh about after hearing the OBC, but thought I’d give it a chance in London – and still hated it. I took things one step further with shows like Mean Girls and Waitress where I found the music utterly boring and forgettable and in the latter case, the story godawful as well. So I didn’t bother seeing them live and don’t feel like I’ve missed anything.
The next step came with some of the new stuff announced in London and to some extent on Broadway. I’m so dog-tired of “blokes in a frock” shows that I just don’t care for Mrs Doubtfire or To Wong Foo at all (and I ignored Tootsie before already, though I did watch Some like it hot on Broadway because I had enjoyed the music). Similarly, I don’t care for trite banal sappy love stories and couldn’t even bring myself to listen to Time Travellers’ Wife (to consider whether I might want to see it) and Notebook is at the very bottom of the new shows on Broadway I’d want to see this year.
BUT: There have also been cases when I had already dismissed a show and then came round to it. When The Bands Visit opened on Broadway I thought it was extremely boring with forgettable music and just not worthy of a big musical. But the Donmar production piqued my interest and I thought I’d give it a go live and absolutely loved it – I began to see it more as a “play with music” than a musical and the show certainly benefitted from the intimacy of a small house.
The same happened with Next to Normal – I had seen it on Broadway, but couldn’t really get on board with it and its very American approach to treatment and when the hype for London got going, I initially dismissed it. But thanks to the casting, I decided to give it a go after all and really liked it so much better than back then – perhaps again to do with a more intimate setting, but I also found that the story spoke far more to me now than it had back then, because it now felt far more personal (without going into details, Dan’s plight in trying to get through to Diana while trying to keep the family together resonated strongly with me).
Lastly, I hated everything Jamie Lloyd touched in recent years with a passion, especially The Seagull, and was very wary of seeing Sunset Boulevard. I only booked because I still had an ATG Voucher from Covid days that was expiring at the end of the year, so I could basically see it for free. And while I don’t think it’s all that amazing as many here seem to think, I AM glad that I have seen it and could witness Nicole Scherzinger’s incredible performance.
So what do others think? Is it worth opening up yourself to shows you are doubtful about in case they are a positive surprise and give you a great experience, like Band’s Visit did for me, or is it better to nope out early when things just don’t appeal topic-wise and/or music-wise? Would you rather revisit a favourite show once more to see new people tackling the roles or just experience the magic of your favourite numbers, or rather see something fresh to widen your horizon? And how do you choose what IS worthy to give it a go and what isn't?
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Post by Mr Crummles on Dec 31, 2023 9:59:11 GMT
I’m on the same boat. I also live outside of the UK (Ireland) and my trips to London are now more carefully planned than they used to be. These days I tend to cross over less often but stay longer. Because theatre prices have gone up quite steeply, very rarely I will see the same show twice. Planning for me is essential because I cannot enjoy the same benefits of someone living in London. I need to think a lot before choosing what to see. So no, I don't give shows I'm not interested in much of a chance. I usually pick something based on its creative team and hope for the best. I mostly trust people's feedback in this board, so I buy the ticket and pray that their response will be generally positive when the show opens. Sometimes I miss a boat or two only to be mortified, with the result that I need to make last-minute trips at much higher costs.
I think that this way mostly works for me. I used to be a lot more open minded when I lived in London and could afford potential misfires. But that’s no longer the case. I am sure I have missed one or two shows that I should have probably seen, but by and large I am happy this way. |
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Post by Adalea on Dec 31, 2023 10:27:34 GMT
It's absolutely worth it trying new and different things. There will be some misses, but also some really things. Some of my favorite theatre experiences were shows I went in blindly. Saw the UK tour of Cabaret and was just blown away. It can be difficult to live up to high expectations, but I often have great experiences going to shows where I have no expectations.
It was a little easier when I lived in Edinburgh. It was either seeing a show I don't know or not going to the theatre. So I went. It's harder in London because there are so many shows to pick from, just seeing shows from my wishlist drains the budget.
And for you as a traveler, it's different again. You're likely only flying over when you have a show you really want to see. If you're coming over for a long weekend and you have a free slot, why not try a wild card show on a cheaper seat?
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Post by christya on Dec 31, 2023 10:30:06 GMT
For me, it's too expensive to see shows in anything approaching a decent seat for me to 'give things a chance' and risk wasting money. The last time I did that was 'Six', and I hated it and wished there was an interval to leave during. I'm fortunate enough to be able to travel to London for work and see shows without the added cost of travel a lot of the time, but I'm still not paying London prices for something I'm not reasonably sure I'll enjoy.
I will say that if I was more flexible about where I'll sit, it would be easier, but I just can't stand heads between me and the stage, ruins it for me regardless, so I usually have to shell out a bit more.
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Post by jaybird89 on Dec 31, 2023 13:54:26 GMT
This resonates with me much more since moving away for work I used to live just outside london and really room for granted how easy it was for me to see things.
That being said I did give up the chance to see little big things yesterday to see old friends for a second time before I head back home for work this week.
I agree that I've sometimes took a bit of a risk seeing things and ended up pleasantly surprised I went to see the witches last week as I have a friend in it and no it wasn't the best musical ever but I had a nice evening and I'm glad I saw something new rather than tried and tested.
I also made a rash decision to travel down to london late august from the Lake District and see Oklahoma and then go straight home for work the next morning and although it was an expensive and very tiresome day I'm so pleased it did it because o thought the production was outstanding.
I'd definitely like to take more risks and chances going forward because even if you only take one little thing away it's nice to experience different things I think prices these days do not help however it is much harder to see things at a reduced rate if you aren't able to be as flexible although I have since re located to Norfolk where a pre booked train to london is actually reasonably priced so I will
Hopefully see a lot more theatre this year.
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Post by Dawnstar on Dec 31, 2023 16:22:34 GMT
I'm far more likely to see a production I enjoy multiple times, often to see different casts/cast members, than to see lots of different productions. If I do see something new then I read as much about it beforehand as I can - synopses, reviews, etc. - to try to ensure I don't get any nasty surprises. I don't like too much novelty in theatre, or in anything else for that matter.
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Post by danb on Dec 31, 2023 19:46:07 GMT
I guess I’m somewhere in the middle. I’ve taken plenty of risks on things I know that I will or might not like. If there’s enough positive word of mouth or something to hook me in I’ll give stuff a go.
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Post by Jon on Dec 31, 2023 20:12:42 GMT
I like seeing new shows and TBH Ive never seen the appeal of seeing the same shows multiple times, surely it's better to have new experiences and not just stick to the same old shows,
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Post by marob on Dec 31, 2023 20:47:00 GMT
Sorry, very long post…
I have pretty broad tastes, and in the past I’d give a lot of stuff a chance. I do find I’m being more selective though, for a range of reasons.
My nearest venue is undergoing major renovation work, so where they used to have mid-size touring shows as well as their own productions, it’s now mostly fringe-type stuff in a tent, which is of more limited appeal. And because there’s only one bus an hour it means it effectively takes 2 hours to get there and 2 hours to get back, which I can’t be bothered with if it’s something I’m unsure of. The result is that I’ve only booked about 3 shows in the next 6 month season.
Another nearby venue began as a pop-up open air theatre in the summer months, but I only started going when they redeveloped an old Odeon into a ‘proper’ theatre. I’d generally go to every in-house show they put on, but their output seems to have shrunk this year, focusing heavily on the theatre/cinema events they do outdoors during the summer. Decided to give those a miss this year, and will be skipping the Christmas show too. They’re all quite samey, so don’t feel like I’m missing out.
Used to go regularly to the Everyman and Playhouse theatres in Liverpool and the Royal Exchange in Manchester. Again, I’d try and see most of their in-house productions, and was part of both their membership schemes. When the pandemic came along both were absolute nightmares to try and get refunds off, both had also had changes of leadership, so whatever sense of good-will/audience loyalty I had toward them kind of evaporated. Cancelled both memberships once they were allowed to reopen. Have recently started going to the RE again as a result of being able to book cheap tickets online now, but have only been to the Liverpool Playhouse once since then.
The biggest issue for me though is transport. It’s not just the strikes on train services, they’re all too infrequent and unreliable regardless. Because I’m limited to public transport any show I book ends up taking up the entire day. The novelty of travelling to another city has worn off long ago. I’d like to see the current run of Evita, but can’t be bothered with the hassle of getting to Leicester. Same with Oliver in Leeds, and White Christmas in Sheffield. And it’s putting me off other stuff in places that I can get to fairly easily, like I didn’t book The Merchant of Venice 1936 in Manchester. I’d like to have seen it, but not enough to spend an entire day seeing it.
As things stand, it’s too much of a nuisance getting anywhere, so unless I really want to see it, I won’t.
Completely different story on a recent trip to London where I saw King Lear, She Stoops to Conquer, My Neighbour Totoro, Sunset Boulevard, My Favourite Things (the Rodgers & Hammerstein concert,) Sondheim’s Old Friends, Pacific Overtures, Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York, Feeling Afraid as If Something Terrible is Going to Happen, The Nutcracker (both the traditional Royal Ballet version, and Drew McOnie’s rather queer jazzy version,) West End Does… Christmas, Mates in Chelsea, Peter Pan, Hamnet, Edward Scissorhands, and Stranger Things: The First Shadow.
As grotty as the Tube is, it’s incredibly liberating.
It was a much longer trip than usual, one I’d been planning for ages, made possible by the money saved seeing less locally. Still more I’d have liked to have seen besides. I’d like to have seen Crazy for You with Jack Wilcox in the lead, or Guys and Dolls with Daniel Mays back in the cast, but couldn’t justify using the slot up on a show I’d already seen, even if they were ones I’d enjoyed.
The only show I saw I didn’t like much was Hamnet, but several of them are shows I probably wouldn’t have been willing to spend a whole day going to if they were playing in Manchester instead. Which is a shame as there’s probably lots of good work that I’m missing out on.
So… for the next few months there’s not a lot on locally, but also (apart from Ian McKellen’s Player Kings) there’s not much I want to see on the touring side of things either until next autumn, so looks like the first half of 2024 will be pretty quiet. I’d like to see Plaza Suite but can’t justify the expense of another London trip so soon after the last.
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Post by Rozzi Rainbow on Dec 31, 2023 21:38:26 GMT
I live too far out of London to get there as often as I'd like, so I'll only really make the effort to see a show there if I already know I really enjoy it, or to see a specific cast member I like. If I lived nearer I'd give many more shows a chance, but as it is it's too expensive and too far to travel to risk not enjoying the show and feeling as though I'd wasted my time money and effort.
I'm hopeful that the West End shows that I'm interested in seeing will tour at some point, as I'd then be prepared to take more of a risk on them.
Local theatre is a bit of a different story. If there is something on within my nearby range of theatres I know I will really enjoy, that will normally be my first choice. Otherwise, I'm happy to give other things a go, rather than staying home and doing nothing. I generally enjoy a day out at the theatre, and even if the show is a bit meh, I don't then feel as though I've missed out on going to something else.
I nearly didn't go to a show I was interested in a few weeks ago due to the bad reviews I read on here. But then I decided I should go and make my own mind up, especially as I didn't have anything else on, and I ended up really enjoying it and also seeing it again a couple of weeks later.
So to sum up, when availability and travel is an issue I will prioritise shows I know I enjoy; but when time and locality allows, I'll happily try something a bit different rather than not getting to the theatre.
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Post by hannechalk on Jan 6, 2024 20:39:48 GMT
Despite my love for one particular show, I do see many other things as well, and always willing to watch something new or different. One thing which haunts me in the wrong way is 2018 Selladoor Flashdance. (Hello ruby - will I ever forgive and forget?) One thing which haunts me in the right way is The Woman In Black. I've never been so scared in a theatre in my life! One thing I cannot get on board with is Six - despite probably knowing most of the songs by now thanks to TikTok. Might change my mind if Carly Burns ever becomes a Queen. |
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jan 6, 2024 22:30:22 GMT
Peace
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Post by David J on Jan 7, 2024 3:04:26 GMT
In the 2010s I practically gave a lot of things a chance. Went to so many plays and musicals with an open mind.
There are gems I would not have seen if I didn't risk going out of my way to see and spend money on.
I trust people's thoughts on shows on this forum more than the mainstream critics and that has also allowed me to see some great shows. But at the end of the day only you alone can decide whether something is great or not.
Case in point, My Neighbour Totoro, which I finally got to see last weekend, despite my apprehension about the wide variety of reviews one can read on the thread. And I loved it in the end, despite it being 5-10 minutes too long.
Sadly I have given up all that spending to see all kinds of shows and rely on good reviews on this board alone. As everyone has said the prices are going up. There's also the feeling of do I want to go all the way to London to see a production that is just passable. Even a four star production that ticks all the right boxes, but doesn't leave me emotionally enthralled enough to move it up a tier, isn't appealing anymore.
And it does mean I have missed some hidden gems this past year. But that's how it goes sadly.
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Post by PhantomNcl on Jan 8, 2024 12:08:19 GMT
I work as an usher at a regional touring venue, and over the years have had the extremely good fortune to have seen many productions over the years which I wouldn't normally have thought about going to see. I often look through the new season brochure, look at some shows and think "Nah, not really", then when I work them they turn out to be a huge surprise and I want to see them again.
The first UK tour of Beautiful was like that - really didn't grab me from the marketing blurb, but was such a wonderful show and such a pleasure to watch. Titanic the Musical was like that last year too - I didn't really hold out much hope for it, but in the end I went back to see it twice and worked extra shifts!
Of course there have been some absolute stinkers too, but it's a small price to pay for having the opportunity to see so much theatre, and such a wide variety.
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Post by threeletteracronym on Jan 8, 2024 15:49:37 GMT
It's all about the distance/effort for me. If I'm making a big effort (day trip to London), I want to be reasonably assured it's worth my time and money. If it's local, then I'm more likely to give something a chance, even if I'm not totally sure.
But isnt it joy to go to something with low/neutral expectations and finding it was wonderful.
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Post by jm25 on Jan 8, 2024 21:23:17 GMT
I'm a proponent of going into things with an open mind and will book for more or less anything if the price is right. There have been multiple times at work where colleagues have asked what the play/show I'm seeing in the evening is about and I've had to admit that I've got no idea, and that I'd simply found a cheap ticket and decided to go! I've seen some real duds using this approach but some true gems too.
I live in London, though, and that's what gives me the luxury of being so unfussy. If I had to book travel/accommodation each time I wanted to see a show then I would absolutely be more selective and most likely only book things I was really interested in or knew I'd be likely to enjoy. Living here also means I'm able to go to shows at quite short notice and make use of dynamic pricing where it applies. I also currently qualify for a few age-related discounts, so it makes sense to make the most out of them.
That said, it's not possible to see absolutely every show. Pricing is a strong guiding factor in my decision-making process but so too is the show itself and the names attached. If a show stars someone I'm a fan of then I will book a ticket, irrespective of price. Likewise, if a big celebrity A-lister comes to town then I'll usually grit my teeth and fork out for a ticket as it's always interesting to see if they have that tangible star quality about them in person. (In my experience, some do, some don't.)
Also, if a production of a 'big' play or musical from the literary/theatrical canon comes to the West End then I'll make an effort to see it. I only really started going to the theatre regularly in the last few years so there's decades' worth of theatre history that I'm not familiar with, and I try to redress that one show at a time whenever there is the opportunity. That's how I've ended up at shows like 'Vanya' and 'Anything Goes' in recent months/years, even though they don't necessarily appeal to me on paper.
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