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Post by fiyerorocher on Aug 10, 2021 22:10:08 GMT
I was meant to be seeing Be More Chill tonight but, as it has to so many of us lately, Covid said no. (Which I’m taking as a sign from the universe that I was mercifully spared that experience, since I was already a little apprehensive). I bought the last free ticket to Heathers instead and I have to say. What the hell happened?
I like this show, I really do. And when I saw the first preview of this new run, I had really high hopes. It was very promising and I had hoped I’d get the chance to see it at least once more to see how the cast settled in. I can say good things about Jordan. His JD is really great, although not quite on par with Jamie’s. Frances' Heather Mcnamara is also a delight. But Christina’s Veronica has turned into… a complete mess.
I heard her sing pretty much every night for about 5 months when we worked in the same venue so I know she has a phenomenal voice, but you wouldn’t know it from most of Heathers tonight. Veronica is hammed up and overacted for the whole show, a complete caricature. The ridiculous pronunciation and inflection made a lot of the dialogue hard to hear and ruined a lot of songs that I know Christina would otherwise be able to absolutely nail. It’s such a shame. I presume it’s a directorial issue as a few of the other characters suffer from the same over-acting, notable Kurt and Ram’s dads. I hope this isn’t the fate of the show going forwards, because it did not work for me at all and it completely killed Veronica’s character.
That aside - audience behaviour was predictably poor - the theatre is not your living room, get your feet off the damn seats! A few songs (Heather Duke’s and Ms Fleming’s) also felt a little flat, but that could have been where I was sat in the theatre. When the ensemble get to shine, they do so brilliantly, but it was far too rarely to save the overall performance tonight and I was unimpressed with a show I usually know to be a great night out.
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Post by anthony on Aug 11, 2021 8:27:26 GMT
Okay so, it seems as if enjoying Heathers is a bit of a controversial opinion around here and after my first visit during it’s original run in the other palace did not leave me feeling great about it (probably because CHF is not my cup of tea) my visit last night definitely changed my opinion. The crowd where I was (row H in the stalls) were very well behaved and any whopping came at sensible places which is a massive improvement from my last time where the rowdiness was constant. Performance wise, Christina is leaps and bounds better than CHF but I do agree with some criticism as I did find her a little bit too giddy at times but her voice is incredible. Jodie really did steal the show for me. She was so funny and I love her voice. She is Heather C for me. I do not agree with the comment that Shine a Light fell flat. Lauren Ward was hilarious and Andy Fickman was in the audience last night and during SAL, he spotlight went on him and I’m pretty sure some lyrics were changed (i’m not too familiar with the song but i’m sure a bit about not getting a part was added into the Steve affair verse) and he obviously lapped it up. The crowd loved it and the cast seemed to be holding back giggles. I spotted him in the box before it began and he went around taking pictures and speaking to audience members which was nice of him. I have a soft spot for Jamie as JD, however, I really enjoyed Jordan’s take on it. He was slightly less deranged than Jamie but his Meant to Be Yours gave me chills. Heather Duke suffered a bit from poor sound during Never Shut Up Again but she still sounded fantastic. Heather Mac was utterly delightful, though. Overall, I actually really enjoyed this show, much more than I did the first time around. Definitely not one of my favourites but it was a good night out. 3.5/5 I wouldn't say it's controversial, rather that there have just been a couple in a row (me included) who didn't like it for a number of reasons. Incidentally, I think the score is great; there are several wonderful songs many of which I've listened to practically on repeat since seeing it. However, in my opinion, it just doesn't "come together" on stage. To me, it almost feels like the writers wrote many of the songs for someone particular in mind and therefore made each song an exercise in vocal gymnastics, rather than content which actually progresses the story. The effect of which is that act 1 feels like it goes on for eternity for repeated "end of act songs" (if you know what I mean?) |
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Post by fiyerorocher on Aug 11, 2021 9:04:43 GMT
Okay so, it seems as if enjoying Heathers is a bit of a controversial opinion around here and after my first visit during it’s original run in the other palace did not leave me feeling great about it (probably because CHF is not my cup of tea) my visit last night definitely changed my opinion. The crowd where I was (row H in the stalls) were very well behaved and any whopping came at sensible places which is a massive improvement from my last time where the rowdiness was constant. Performance wise, Christina is leaps and bounds better than CHF but I do agree with some criticism as I did find her a little bit too giddy at times but her voice is incredible. Jodie really did steal the show for me. She was so funny and I love her voice. She is Heather C for me. I do not agree with the comment that Shine a Light fell flat. Lauren Ward was hilarious and Andy Fickman was in the audience last night and during SAL, he spotlight went on him and I’m pretty sure some lyrics were changed (i’m not too familiar with the song but i’m sure a bit about not getting a part was added into the Steve affair verse) and he obviously lapped it up. The crowd loved it and the cast seemed to be holding back giggles. I spotted him in the box before it began and he went around taking pictures and speaking to audience members which was nice of him. I have a soft spot for Jamie as JD, however, I really enjoyed Jordan’s take on it. He was slightly less deranged than Jamie but his Meant to Be Yours gave me chills. Heather Duke suffered a bit from poor sound during Never Shut Up Again but she still sounded fantastic. Heather Mac was utterly delightful, though. Overall, I actually really enjoyed this show, much more than I did the first time around. Definitely not one of my favourites but it was a good night out. 3.5/5 I don't think it's controversial to like the show! I promise I actually really do like it - I own the soundtrack and I saw the last run several times. I just think that run was so much better, and that they're wasting the crazy vocal talent they have with Christina. With such a good cast so recently, you can't help but compare and this feels like a massive downgrade (but not, I should add, because of the cast themselves. Most of them have heaps of talent). What a worry that Fickman was in and that was how Veronica was played. I sincerely hope the tour isn't over-acted in the same way - is it even open yet? If so, has anyone seen it to report back? Might have to book a ticket if it comes near London at some point to compare :') |
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Post by danb on Aug 11, 2021 11:14:52 GMT
He has been over for the whole of the London run working on it and the tour. I love the change to Veronica in Christina’s hands. Giddy is exactly the word. I never understood how somebody so desperate to ‘fit in and be popular’ never got to enjoy it or play it other than the last minute of ‘Beautiful’. Carrie went from being overjoyed to laconic and bitter within the space of seconds. I think Christina’s take on things shows an actual journey and a hope that she can pull off being a Heather. It was much more enjoyable to watch as a result.
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Post by leanne23 on Aug 11, 2021 12:10:55 GMT
He has been over for the whole of the London run working on it and the tour. I love the change to Veronica in Christina’s hands. Giddy is exactly the word. I never understood how somebody so desperate to ‘fit in and be popular’ never got to enjoy it or play it other than the last minute of ‘Beautiful’. Carrie went from being overjoyed to laconic and bitter within the space of seconds. I think Christina’s take on things shows an actual journey and a hope that she can pull off being a Heather. It was much more enjoyable to watch as a result. Agreed! Her Veronica is high on optimism and wonderment at becoming a Heather; she shares her sheer disbelief at reaching these heady heights with the audience. Some may feel that her Veronica is too giddy, goofy or over-indulgent but honestly, I think Christina is an absolute joy to watch. Carrie was way too dour and sour for my liking. Christina is completely buoyant and effervescent on that stage. I haven't laughed so much at a theatre than during 'Fight For Me' - that choreography is a strike of brilliance imo! Going back to what others have said earlier in the thread - on both occasions, I've also thought that Heather Dukes song fell entirely flat. My partner turned to me and asked if there was a sound/mix issue. I just don't think it's a very inspired song either and I find it a bit jarring. |
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Post by fiyerorocher on Aug 11, 2021 12:21:12 GMT
Well if this is how they direct all future Veronicas I'm not sure I can sit through the show again! I had been wondering why I was seeing such negative comments about it, but last night I completely understood. Good thing there's two cast recordings already to keep me entertained. I would still love to hear Christina sing the songs properly - I know she'd sound phenomenal if not for trying to act some bizarre mix of drunk and high at all times. Hope Finkman considers re-limiting that to just Big Fun...
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Post by fiyerorocher on Aug 11, 2021 12:26:14 GMT
He has been over for the whole of the London run working on it and the tour. I love the change to Veronica in Christina’s hands. Giddy is exactly the word. I never understood how somebody so desperate to ‘fit in and be popular’ never got to enjoy it or play it other than the last minute of ‘Beautiful’. Carrie went from being overjoyed to laconic and bitter within the space of seconds. I think Christina’s take on things shows an actual journey and a hope that she can pull off being a Heather. It was much more enjoyable to watch as a result. Agreed! Her Veronica is high on optimism and wonderment at becoming a Heather; she shares her sheer disbelief at reaching these heady heights with the audience. Some may feel that her Veronica is too giddy, goofy or over-indulgent but honestly, I think Christina is an absolute joy to watch. Carrie was way too dour and sour for my liking. Christina is completely buoyant and effervescent on that stage. I haven't laughed so much at a theatre than during 'Fight For Me' - that choreography is a strike of brilliance imo! Going back to what others have said earlier in the thread - on both occasions, I've also thought that Heather Dukes song fell entirely flat. My partner turned to me and asked if there was a sound/mix issue. I just don't think it's a very inspired song either and I find it a bit jarring. Duke's song has always been a bit of a miss, although it was worse than usual last night. I think it's partially a sound issue (particularly from where I was sitting), and partly them never having had a performer who can quite nail both vocals and stage presence. I think it could be a good song - an a lot of fun, with that quick change - if they had the right actress. I'd be very intrigued to see an understudy for Duke, or the tour performer, and see if it's being done well at all point. |
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Post by sophie92 on Aug 11, 2021 14:02:21 GMT
He has been over for the whole of the London run working on it and the tour. I love the change to Veronica in Christina’s hands. Giddy is exactly the word. I never understood how somebody so desperate to ‘fit in and be popular’ never got to enjoy it or play it other than the last minute of ‘Beautiful’. Carrie went from being overjoyed to laconic and bitter within the space of seconds. I think Christina’s take on things shows an actual journey and a hope that she can pull off being a Heather. It was much more enjoyable to watch as a result. I have no issue with her characterisation, it was actually the thing I enjoyed most about her performance, however as I’ve previously mentioned on here, at the performance I saw (and at others according to comments I’ve seen) she was rushing through so many of her lines. It meant the jokes didn’t land, the dramatic moments didn’t land - it was really disappointing, for someone who adores the show. (Disclaimer: I’m not a huge fan of Carrie as Veronica either) |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2021 23:03:11 GMT
That’s been one of the sources of arguments. No stage dooring but accusations that a select few are being allowed to meet Christina Bennington and Jordan Luke Gage after the show and someone has the photos to prove it (apparently). It’s all very childish and pathetic. But thats probably because the individuals involved seem to be pathetic children. Sadly CB seems to be another Carrie HF when it comes to her social media which can only encourage this sort of rancid behaviour. I can't lie... I'd never heard of Bennington until I saw it last weekend. Her reveal at the start of the show literally got screams and applause that rivalled Goldberg appearing on stage during her run as Mother Superior. Literally to the point it momentarily stopped the show. I thought it was because theatre has only recently reopened, but I guess not. I just don't get it. I genuinely thought it was the worst thing I've ever seen. Act 1 felt like it was never-ending. I was wondering this about her entrance, are they cheering as they are big fans of her or because it’s Veronica entering? I do appreciate that the screaming is less than when CHF was Veronica I could hardly hear a lot of it! |
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Post by leanne23 on Aug 12, 2021 7:58:12 GMT
I can't lie... I'd never heard of Bennington until I saw it last weekend. Her reveal at the start of the show literally got screams and applause that rivalled Goldberg appearing on stage during her run as Mother Superior. Literally to the point it momentarily stopped the show. I thought it was because theatre has only recently reopened, but I guess not. I just don't get it. I genuinely thought it was the worst thing I've ever seen. Act 1 felt like it was never-ending. I was wondering this about her entrance, are they cheering as they are big fans of her or because it’s Veronica entering? I do appreciate that the screaming is less than when CHF was Veronica I could hardly hear a lot of it! I think mostly because it's Christina? She has a huge following from Bat (deservedly so) and is doing very well at cultivating an 'influencer' presence on instagram/tiktok. |
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 12, 2021 9:28:47 GMT
I saw this yesterday, mostly just to see Christina Bennington as Veronica. Anyone who saw her in Bat knows that her voice is glorious and she handles this score with ease. Unfortunately the show is pretty dire. I've seen each incarnation of this production, at The Other Palace and in its previous run at the Haymarket, and every time it comes back the performances gets broader and less refined. I don't think it's the fault of the performers, I think that the director keeps pushing things further and it's just getting ridiculous now. Go and watch some bootlegs of the Off-Broadway run and you'll see how effective this style of direction can be when it's kept tame and focussed (incidentally the Off-Broadway run had the benefit of a slick set that didn't look cheap and flimsy...). It's such a shame because I really rate the material, but here the inherent comedy in the script is trampled over and laughs are instead provided by over-acting and slapstick blocking. I'm glad that I got to see Bennington, and Frances Mayli McCann and Madison Swan are both very impressive, but I'm sad that this show has ended up in this state.
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Post by danb on Aug 12, 2021 16:22:30 GMT
Positive tour review from my daughter today. Voices strong and an u/s Miss Fleming on. A few wonky accents was her only criticism.
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Post by ellesbelles on Aug 13, 2021 10:36:25 GMT
Hello,
Saw last night’s performance (the second time I have seen the current west end cast) and it does seem that the giddy characterisation of Veronica has been amped up since I saw it. I think it’s a bit much during the songs and it impacted my enjoyment of the show as it felt distracting? Also a shame as I feel Christina has a great voice. It also makes Veronica seem dumb and less wry/ smart as a character but I totally get the take on it.
We had understudy Martha debuting who was very good, and also under study Heather Chandler who was again very good, but Jodie Steele’s shoes are hard ones to fill and there wasn’t as much scene stealing as when Jodie plays it.
Again Dead Gay Son was my highlight! Current Heather Duke doesn’t feel vocally strong enough for never shut up again and the costume transition was messy. I am nit picking but would love to hear this and see this executed well!!
Theatre was almost completely full and everyone i saw was behaving with masks etc.
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Post by christya on Aug 13, 2021 11:28:06 GMT
I saw a couple of pics of the Martha understudy, and I'm glad she was good, but - she's not fat. Are they so scared of having two fat people in the cast that they can't even have an understudy who fits the role?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 13, 2021 18:00:01 GMT
In accordance with TheatreBoard law as we have a WE production running concurrently with the tour I've created separate threads
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Post by craig on Aug 15, 2021 10:03:59 GMT
First time seeing this show last night and really enjoyed it.
The material is pretty average and the set is more than a little shonky, but the enthusiastic cast more than made up for it. Jodie Steele was, as always, a delight. I loved Christina Bennington and Jordon Luke Gage’s voices and Lauren Ward had a lot of fun.
The auditorium at the TRH is beautiful but who owns it? The bar is a bit depressing with a choice of pretty poor quality wine and spirits. Maybe I’ve just got a bit spoilt with CamMac offering us Harris gin with a slice of grapefruit but this was like stepping back in time to the 90s.
For those interested, ushers were pretty proactive about enforcing the mask policy and compliance was certainly higher than the Barbican, though probably about 75% rather than 100%.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Aug 22, 2021 7:57:51 GMT
It's better than I thought it would be - put that on the posters! As piece of writing it's strong but the production is cheap and played for laughs. Cast are strong but not in the tedious sitcom moments.
I didn't realise sets like that still existed, reminded me of my am dram days in the 90's at Hull New Theatre.
I'd be interested in seeing a different production of it. One that's much darker in tone.
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Post by squidward on Aug 22, 2021 18:45:30 GMT
I love this show and saw it a couple of times with the previous cast.
I revisited it again last night and this time I did feel the first half was overlong. I don’t remember the song Heather sings in the field with the jocks and wondered if it had been added later in the run or for this run, same with a solo Heather has in Act 2.
I thought Jordan Luke Gage gave a fabulous performance as JD. Very different to the glorious Jamie Muscato, but equally impressive.
I’d never seen Carrie HF before Heathers and knew precious little about her, but was blown away by the strength of her performance in the original run. I liked her take on the character much more than Christina Bennington’s. To be honest, I didn’t understand CB’s acting choices for most of the show, Undoubtedly she has impressive vocal skills, but at times it felt to me like her vocal gymnastics were overshadowing her acting.
I thought Jodie Steele was utterly brilliant during the first run, but this time around, to me, her performance had become so big that it wasn’t as funny.
The Dads in this run were terrific and their rendition of Dead Gay Son was a real stand-out.
Shine a light felt superfluous to me the first time I saw the show and same again last night.
Overall though it was really good to see ithe show again. The company got a big,well deserved standing ovation at the end and it felt like people left the theatre buzzing.
The audience were very well behaved, minimum whooping and there were more people wearing masks than those who weren’t.
Such a shame the show has to move out for Only Fools and Horses. I reckon it could sustain a longer run judging by what looked like a full audience last night.
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Post by shady23 on Aug 22, 2021 19:03:12 GMT
Just checked the date it is closing and it will be gone by my next trip to London, shame, there's a few of the cast I am a fan of. I will catch it on tour.
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Post by drfootlights on Aug 28, 2021 14:00:06 GMT
Caught this the other night, having seen it last at the Haymarket during its last West End outing (which I loved!).
What I saw last night was SO far away from what the show used to be. Characters hamming it up, trying desperately to be funny - it was all very amateurish. Jodie Steele gave a masterclass in chewing the scenery, which the fangirls lapped up, leaving the rest of us in the audience somewhat perplexed. Then there was Lauren Ward's impromptu stand up routine in the middle of shine a light, making references to a mans toupee on the front row looking like some kind of animal, and that she'd like him to 'stroke her p**sy'. You could tell she was making it up as she went along, and it simply was not funny. Grotesque in fact and so unprofessional. I can only imagine the creatives have not visited the show for a while, I think they'd be very disappointed.
We had the cover on for Veronica, who was very good, she was nervous, but by the time we got to I Say No in the 2nd act, she'd warmed up and really let go.
The music in parts felt really slow in parts and there didn't seem to be any sort of cohesion between the cast and the band.
For the nature of the piece, the set was fine. It doesn't offend me. I am offended however, that Kenwright seems to have built a carbon copy for the tour and not extended it at all - i saw a photo on Twitter the other day of it in Liverpool Empire, looking like a postage stamp in the middle of the stage.
Really REALLY disappointed by this latest production.
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 28, 2021 14:14:16 GMT
I can only imagine the creatives have not visited the show for a while, I think they'd be very disappointed. Unfortunately, I think the creatives are totally fine with what’s on stage! I believe that the director (Andy Fickman) was around not that long ago as he was rehearsing the cast for the touring production. Paul Taylor-Mills also checks in with the show fairly regularly judging by his Twitter posts. |
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Post by anthony on Aug 28, 2021 19:24:06 GMT
Caught this the other night, having seen it last at the Haymarket during its last West End outing (which I loved!). What I saw last night was SO far away from what the show used to be. Characters hamming it up, trying desperately to be funny - it was all very amateurish. Jodie Steele gave a masterclass in chewing the scenery, which the fangirls lapped up, leaving the rest of us in the audience somewhat perplexed. Then there was Lauren Ward's impromptu stand up routine in the middle of shine a light, making references to a mans toupee on the front row looking like some kind of animal, and that she'd like him to 'stroke her p**sy'. You could tell she was making it up as she went along, and it simply was not funny. Grotesque in fact and so unprofessional. I can only imagine the creatives have not visited the show for a while, I think they'd be very disappointed. We had the cover on for Veronica, who was very good, she was nervous, but by the time we got to I Say No in the 2nd act, she'd warmed up and really let go. The music in parts felt really slow in parts and there didn't seem to be any sort of cohesion between the cast and the band. For the nature of the piece, the set was fine. It doesn't offend me. I am offended however, that Kenwright seems to have built a carbon copy for the tour and not extended it at all - i saw a photo on Twitter the other day of it in Liverpool Empire, looking like a postage stamp in the middle of the stage. Really REALLY disappointed by this latest production. I have a feeling this is the norm. She made comments like this when I saw it a few weeks ago and in the Heathers Vlog that was uploaded recently, Jordan Luka Gage and Lauren Ward are seen looking through the curtain and deciding which audience member she would ridicule that night. I've seen a bootleg version of the original off-broadway cast, and I have to say that the claims of over the top acting in the London production seem to be somewhat unfounded - in fact, the original version was so much worse with the actors "desperately trying to be funny." I can only assume the original UK production toned it down a lot? I'd argue Christina Bennington and Jodie Steele are tame and calm in comparison to Barrett Wilbert Weed and Jessica Keenan Wynn. I don't think the creatives would care. I mean it's a show that literally glorifies suicide (literally Heather sings about how great being dead is because she's so popular and famous with no follow up) and it uses homophobic slur repeatedly for literally no reason. They're not going to care about a lil' smut. |
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 1, 2021 14:09:16 GMT
Managed to get a Rush ticket yesterday so I was able to see this again before closing night.
Giles Surridge was on as JD. Not that the theatre likes you to know that one of the leads is off. I only spotted one small sign hidden away in the bar area. Anyway, he was very good, but I will always miss Jordan Luke Gage.
I thought this was a nice and calm performance. There were the screaming fan girls, but that's to be expected. The stuff aimed towards "Steve" has gone beyond funny and to the embarrassing level, but it seems much longer and more scripted now than how I remember it.
This should be an excellent venue for mask wearing. There are signs up all over requiring them and there was an announcement before the show. But people still seem to think they can do what they want. It got to the stage where someone had to come to the front of the theatre before the second half and make an announcement over the microphone asking people to comply. A few more people did, but the theatre is fighting a losing battle here.
I don't find this an offensive show. It is very much a black comedy based off a well-known film and people attending should know what to expect. It is quite watchable too. I won't see this run again, but I do have tickets for the tour.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 2, 2021 18:51:41 GMT
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Post by theinvisiblegirl on Sept 2, 2021 20:16:02 GMT
Both JDs are out sick tonight so the dance captain, Chris Parkinson, has stepped in!
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