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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2018 18:15:59 GMT
I do wonder if Sarah Brightman has considered doing a West End or Broadway comeback? I am curious what ALW's new show is, Baz mentioned that one idea was about the relationship between Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams but given both are dead, I imagine it's not that. Given ALW's love for My Fair Lady, I wonder if Drury Lane doesn't get Frozen after its refurb, they'll transfer the Lincoln Center production of My Fair Lady, would be a fitting way to reopen the theatre God, I wish she would. She is bonkers but utterly fabulous and with an incredible range. A wonderful leading lady, she was underrated in 1986! I can’t ever see her returning to the West End or to Broadway... She earns megabucks now from her recordings and from her successful one-woman shows which are a big deal in the US and many parts of Asia. I last saw her recording her Dreamchaser PBS special over at Elstree. Fab-u-lous (although I didn’t go overboard on the album). Previously I saw her in her La Luna concert at the RAH and the Harem concert at Wembley where I reckon poor ticket sales puts her off adding the UK on her tour schedule now. Such a pity... Her shows really are spectacular and she is a great performer. (And ALW was in the audience for Harem!) The best Christine Daae ever. Just stunning! |
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Post by Jon on Mar 20, 2018 18:21:49 GMT
I do wonder if Sarah Brightman has considered doing a West End or Broadway comeback? I am curious what ALW's new show is, Baz mentioned that one idea was about the relationship between Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams but given both are dead, I imagine it's not that. Given ALW's love for My Fair Lady, I wonder if Drury Lane doesn't get Frozen after its refurb, they'll transfer the Lincoln Center production of My Fair Lady, would be a fitting way to reopen the theatre God, I wish she would. She is bonkers but utterly fabulous and with an incredible range. A wonderful leading lady, she was underrated in 1986! I suspect she makes more money doing her concerts than a limited run of a play or musical, |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 20, 2018 19:44:38 GMT
Those clips from the phantom video where she’s staring bug-eyed at the camera while Crawford fannies about behind her. I don’t know how they kept a straight face.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2018 21:03:59 GMT
The only thing I took away from it, was what has Sarah Brightman done to her face??
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2018 23:00:37 GMT
Those clips from the phantom video where she’s staring bug-eyed at the camera while Crawford fannies about behind her. I don’t know how they kept a straight face. I think that's the one that was directed by Ken Russell! |
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Post by distantcousin on Mar 20, 2018 23:26:17 GMT
Manchester cancelled due to “unexpected work commitments to Jesus Christ Superstar - The Live Broadcast” Otherwise known as lack of ticket sales (I was still getting ads for the event yesterday, it's not exactly a large venie to sell!) Yet the London one sold out - and was much more expensive - bizarre. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 21, 2018 12:55:16 GMT
Oh I don’t know tm. I knew nothing about his early life, childhood and the “cuckoo in the nest” situ. It was an odd family which may explain why he’s a bit odd himself. Or the suicide attempt, the interest in architecture, the lone travelling as a 14 year old or the toy theatre. You could argue that the stuff they rushed through was all the well known well documented “oh yes I got the idea for phantom one day when...”.
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Post by alece10 on Mar 21, 2018 17:51:41 GMT
I've just finished watching it and thoroughly enjoyed it. Interesting to hear about his childhood and early years which I knew nothing about.
When he talked about his early shows it was a bit of a trip down memory lane and loved the footage especially that of the outside of the theatres. Made me think about how good my life has been and all the amazing things I have seen over the years which I probably didn't appreciate at the time.
From seeing one of the first performances of JCSS, sitting in a box for Evita next to a man who had flown in on Concorde just to see it, being in one of the revolve seats for Cats and Paul Nicholas sitting on my lap and marvelling at the lunacy of Starlight Express.
And the book arrived as I was watching the documentary so looking forward to delving into it.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 21, 2018 18:12:59 GMT
I’ve asked about this before but I still don’t really get it. What exactly happened with the seats at Cats? Are those seats, to this day, on some sort of mechanical turntable or was this done just for one production? And which seats moved because from being there last year for SoR I couldn’t see how it could happen.
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Post by danb on Mar 21, 2018 18:19:46 GMT
I’ve asked about this before but I still don’t really get it. What exactly happened with the seats at Cats? Are those seats, to this day, on some sort of mechanical turntable or was this done just for one production? And which seats moved because from being there last year for SoR I couldn’t see how it could happen. Basically the thrust bit of stage and the front block of seats were in each others place, and they revolved during the overture to create a more traditional theatre arrangement. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 21, 2018 18:21:54 GMT
You mean they slid in some way? I still don’t get it!
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Post by danb on Mar 21, 2018 18:34:57 GMT
“Audience will not be admitted while the auditorium is in motion” it said on my ticket.
I only saw it once and don’t really remember. I’ve tried googling it but it just keeps showing me car seats for cats!!!
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Post by danb on Mar 21, 2018 18:45:24 GMT
Try contacting Ian Grundy and see if he has any photos of the auditorium in it’s Cats days. That might help.
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Post by alece10 on Mar 21, 2018 18:46:44 GMT
I remember that written on my ticket too. Was such a long time ago but from what I remember it was some kind of massive revolve which moved during the overture and those sitting in those seats ended up facing the stage at the start. It was very spectacular at the time.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 19:06:16 GMT
Try contacting Ian Grundy and see if he has any photos of the auditorium in it’s Cats days. That might help. Somewhere in the depths of this board I've asked about this also, and someone replied with a picture. I'll try hunt. |
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Post by viserys on Mar 21, 2018 19:12:34 GMT
www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/NewLondonTheatre.htmThis has a very interesting brochure that shows pretty well how the auditorium worked. I think the coolest bit was that the audience (except those in the first rows on the revolve) would only see the back of the stage when they entered - they didn't see the proper "junkyard" stage until the first rows turned around during the overture. I was lucky enough to see Cats in there a few times and even got a private guided tour by a really nice backstage crew guy once.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 19:17:05 GMT
I’ve asked about this before but I still don’t really get it. What exactly happened with the seats at Cats? Are those seats, to this day, on some sort of mechanical turntable or was this done just for one production? And which seats moved because from being there last year for SoR I couldn’t see how it could happen. Ok. So heres the Auditorium. With the stage in show position. Stage > Thrust > Seats  And if you look at the second half of this video (1.35 onwards), pre-show, you can see the front few rows of seats 180degrees around. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 21, 2018 19:31:02 GMT
Ok NOW I get it. Has it been used since Cats? |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 21, 2018 20:51:31 GMT
In the tv program much was made of not having the budget to hire the New London. Maybe it would have been cheaper without the moving seats?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 21:15:43 GMT
Do it on a budget: instead of a huge revolve have the front four rows of the audience pick up their seats and trudge round to the right place before they can sit down.
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Post by Jon on Mar 22, 2018 0:28:34 GMT
No, it hasn't, and I think the mechanism has been partly removed. The original theatre was designed to be "flexible" - they could move walls and there was a massive turntable. When Cats went in, the tyre part and front four rows of seats were built on the turntable. You went in and most of the audience faced a pile of junk. As the overture started, those in the front four rows found themselves moving slowly to the right, and the scenery assembled itself as in the photo above. I assume it's still flexible given that both War Horse and Showboat were done with thrust staging. It's a shame that the New London is such an ugly building but I suspect there isn't much they can do to make it look prettier. |
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Post by viserys on Mar 22, 2018 10:04:02 GMT
At least you can watch it. I tried to access the iPlayer yesterday through my VPN and was once more told "Nope, you filthy foreigners cannot watch the BBC, go away"  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2018 10:41:34 GMT
At least you can watch it. I tried to access the iPlayer yesterday through my VPN and was once more told "Nope, you filthy foreigners cannot watch the BBC, go away" The version I tried to watch on iPlayer ended rather abruptly 80mins in so no great loss. |
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Post by danb on Mar 22, 2018 10:54:28 GMT
At least you can watch it. I tried to access the iPlayer yesterday through my VPN and was once more told "Nope, you filthy foreigners cannot watch the BBC, go away" The version I tried to watch on iPlayer ended rather abruptly 80mins in so no great loss. I dropped off near the end, but his latter work was really brushed over wasn’t it? |
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Post by Phantom of London on Mar 22, 2018 11:05:16 GMT
Michael Billington has done an interesting essay on him and it is clear they don't like each other and Michael doesn't hold his works in too much regards, he seems to be one of these people you either love Sondheim, therefore it is obligatory to hate Webber.
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