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Post by newyorkcityboy on Jul 2, 2021 17:12:15 GMT
Also, not meaning to derail, but I've loved stuff others have hated. "The Woman in White" revival at the Charing Cross (I went twice!), "Marguerite", "Eurobeat"... and absolutely loathed some highly rated ones very popular with stagey people, like " ... Jamie". It would be classic me to absolutely love this. I also loved the new Woman In White. ALW and team clearly identified everything that was wrong with it the first time around and fixed it all. Maybe in 10 years he will do the same with Cinderella! |
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Post by inthenose on Jul 2, 2021 17:34:15 GMT
Also, not meaning to derail, but I've loved stuff others have hated. "The Woman in White" revival at the Charing Cross (I went twice!), "Marguerite", "Eurobeat"... and absolutely loathed some highly rated ones very popular with stagey people, like " ... Jamie". It would be classic me to absolutely love this. I also loved the new Woman In White. ALW and team clearly identified everything that was wrong with it the first time around and fixed it all. Maybe in 10 years he will do the same with Cinderella! Was fabulous wasn't it! I even liked the Glyde actor, whose name escape me, who I thought was ghastly in the Miss Saigon recast. Loved that show very much. Not feeling seasick the whole time really helped! |
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Post by singingbird on Jul 2, 2021 17:59:09 GMT
I also loved the new Woman In White. ALW and team clearly identified everything that was wrong with it the first time around and fixed it all. Maybe in 10 years he will do the same with Cinderella! Was fabulous wasn't it! I even liked the Glyde actor, whose name escape me, who I thought was ghastly in the Miss Saigon recast. Loved that show very much. Not feeling seasick the whole time really helped! I agree - it was pretty great. I also think Whistle Down the Wind is massively underrated and long overdue for a (hopefully non-Really Useful) revival. But Sunset was the last time I feel an ALW show really absolutely worked. I know musicals are notoriously hard to get right, but I do think it odd that ALW nailed it for two decades and then lost his way, even if I've enjoyed elements of his work since then. Even the shows from his golden period that I don't really rate personally (Cats, Starlight) undeniably feel like they work, that all the pieces are in the right place. I don't buy the fact that the decline is all down to yes-men and lesser collaborators as, for example, Love Never Dies involved Jack O'Brien, and Stephen Ward had Christopher Hampton and Richard Eyre. I'm happy he's still trying, though, and not just given up - I'm ever hopeful for another great show! |
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Post by ceebee on Jul 2, 2021 18:02:36 GMT
ceebee I’ll be very interested to read if much has changed in a week. The one thing people seem to agree on is that it’s years since ALW’s turned out a classic show, and yet they seem to have gone in expecting one anyway, even after Mr Hot Buns and talk of Magic Mike dance sequences. All I want it to do is keep me entertained for two and a half hours. If it does that I’ll be happy. Arrrgghhh - how am I going to explain Mr Hot Buns, the suggestive milkmaid, and Magic Mike to my daughters? We were expecting slippers, doilies and west-country fudge, not this bawdy tawdry muck and nonsense. |
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Post by ceebee on Jul 2, 2021 18:05:55 GMT
Far too late to build a new set. Far too late to change the score. Am I getting early onset? This show is poor. I don't agree but I did sing your lyrics, which possibly makes them more memorable than Zippel's! |
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Post by newyorkcityboy on Jul 2, 2021 18:09:34 GMT
I also loved the new Woman In White. ALW and team clearly identified everything that was wrong with it the first time around and fixed it all. Maybe in 10 years he will do the same with Cinderella! Was fabulous wasn't it! I even liked the Glyde actor, whose name escape me, who I thought was ghastly in the Miss Saigon recast. Loved that show very much. Not feeling seasick the whole time really helped! Yes the intimate atmosphere helped too - hard to be spooky in a barn of a theatre! A lot less overacting and the characters seemed far more ‘real’. |
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 2, 2021 18:50:07 GMT
Woman in White in 2004 at the Palace Theatre 4/10
Woman in White in 2018 at Charring Cross Theatre 8/10
Amazing how a different staging, set, direction and production can do! I totally agree.
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Post by inthenose on Jul 2, 2021 18:54:36 GMT
ceebee I’ll be very interested to read if much has changed in a week. The one thing people seem to agree on is that it’s years since ALW’s turned out a classic show, and yet they seem to have gone in expecting one anyway, even after Mr Hot Buns and talk of Magic Mike dance sequences. All I want it to do is keep me entertained for two and a half hours. If it does that I’ll be happy. Arrrgghhh - how am I going to explain Mr Hot Buns, the suggestive milkmaid, and Magic Mike to my daughters? We were expecting slippers, doilies and west-country fudge, not this bawdy tawdry muck and nonsense. Tell me more about the suggestive milkmaid! |
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Post by inthenose on Jul 2, 2021 18:57:10 GMT
One last thing on the WiW production. There are people here who would call it "cheap". And it was certainly done on a budget compared to the original production. But it was so much tighter and more attractive with a simple physical set. It worked as a chamber style piece, which is how it should've been in the first place.
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Post by steve10086 on Jul 2, 2021 19:01:11 GMT
Woman in White in 2004 at the Palace Theatre 4/10 Woman in White in 2018 at Charring Cross Theatre 8/10 Amazing how a different staging, set, direction and production can do! I totally agree. Yep, the Charing Cross production was a miracle. I watched TWIW and didn’t want to kill myself by the end. A major change from the original. |
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Post by Jon on Jul 2, 2021 19:21:01 GMT
I agree - it was pretty great. I also think Whistle Down the Wind is massively underrated and long overdue for a (hopefully non-Really Useful) revival. But Sunset was the last time I feel an ALW show really absolutely worked. I know musicals are notoriously hard to get right, but I do think it odd that ALW nailed it for two decades and then lost his way, even if I've enjoyed elements of his work since then. Even the shows from his golden period that I don't really rate personally (Cats, Starlight) undeniably feel like they work, that all the pieces are in the right place. I don't buy the fact that the decline is all down to yes-men and lesser collaborators as, for example, Love Never Dies involved Jack O'Brien, and Stephen Ward had Christopher Hampton and Richard Eyre. I'm happy he's still trying, though, and not just given up - I'm ever hopeful for another great show! Sunset Boulevard was a good show that was mired with problems during its original run. |
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Post by vabbian on Jul 2, 2021 19:49:39 GMT
At the interval
@ ALW how in the bloody hell am I meant to follow the plot with this many shirtless men?
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Post by magnificentdonkey on Jul 2, 2021 19:57:04 GMT
@ ALW how in the bloody hell am I meant to follow the plot with this many shirtless men? Maybe that was the idea?.. |
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Post by vabbian on Jul 2, 2021 19:58:52 GMT
is this Magic Mike the Unauthorized Rusical
Edit: poor Rebecca Trehearn, I did not see her in her number I did not hear her in her number
I can't believe I was LIVING whilst Rebecca Trehearn was not existing
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Post by hitmewithurbethshot on Jul 2, 2021 20:03:46 GMT
I also loved the new Woman In White. ALW and team clearly identified everything that was wrong with it the first time around and fixed it all. Maybe in 10 years he will do the same with Cinderella! Was fabulous wasn't it! I even liked the Glyde actor, whose name escape me, who I thought was ghastly in the Miss Saigon recast. Loved that show very much. Not feeling seasick the whole time really helped! Chris Peluso! Wonderful actor, one of those who manages to have chemistry with everyone onstage, including the furniture |
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Post by inthenose on Jul 2, 2021 20:05:26 GMT
Was fabulous wasn't it! I even liked the Glyde actor, whose name escape me, who I thought was ghastly in the Miss Saigon recast. Loved that show very much. Not feeling seasick the whole time really helped! Chris Peluso! Wonderful actor, one of those who manages to have chemistry with everyone onstage, including the furniture In Miss Saigon, the furniture was the only thing he had chemistry with sadly, but that's only because they were both wooden. Terrific in WiW though. |
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Post by stagebyte on Jul 2, 2021 20:09:26 GMT
ceebee I’ll be very interested to read if much has changed in a week. The one thing people seem to agree on is that it’s years since ALW’s turned out a classic show, and yet they seem to have gone in expecting one anyway, even after Mr Hot Buns and talk of Magic Mike dance sequences. All I want it to do is keep me entertained for two and a half hours. If it does that I’ll be happy. Arrrgghhh - how am I going to explain Mr Hot Buns, the suggestive milkmaid, and Magic Mike to my daughters? We were expecting slippers, doilies and west-country fudge, not this bawdy tawdry muck and nonsense. He is really called Mr Hot Buns? And did Andy Reece end up playing him? And is he an oi oi saveloy cock-er-ney in this? |
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Post by ceebee on Jul 2, 2021 21:11:59 GMT
Arrrgghhh - how am I going to explain Mr Hot Buns, the suggestive milkmaid, and Magic Mike to my daughters? We were expecting slippers, doilies and west-country fudge, not this bawdy tawdry muck and nonsense. He is really called Mr Hot Buns? And did Andy Reece end up playing him? And is he an oi oi saveloy cock-er-ney in this? He opens the show asking an attractive lady if she'd like his hot buns - I can't remember the accent, but it was reminiscent of the Oliver "who will buy" scene. The suggestive milkmaid milks her (half) cow. It's sll very surreal borderline Alice In Wonderland at the beginning. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jul 2, 2021 22:09:16 GMT
It’s a worry when the best thing in a show is the seating revolving.
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Post by inthenose on Jul 2, 2021 22:19:13 GMT
Took my nearly 16 year old son to this tonight , he is my Theatre Buddy but likes the old fashioned types of musical ,ie Les Mis , Phantom but is always willing to see something new . We really enjoyed it , very camp and part panto , we enjoyed the moving seats and just thought it was fun We see a lot of theatre and mainly for us it’s a fun but expensive hobby but we tend to enjoy most things , we just love being in a theatre . I was 50 in April and my present to myself is 50 shows for 50 years , this was number 5 since the shows opened in May , 6 and 7 tomorrow! I'm glad you and your son had a good evening out 😊 |
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Post by fluxcapacitor on Jul 3, 2021 7:24:58 GMT
So odd that they have moved the press night UP for this one -- it is now opening on the 8th, not the 14th, so ALW must either be very optimistic or else very worried about another theatre shutdown .... Has anyone seen the Press Night date change confirmed anywhere official? Time Out have tweeted that it’s been brought forward to next week, but I can’t see the actual date mentioned anywhere. There are still cheap tickets available for the 8th, so if it is that night I might grab a couple for the craic. |
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Post by ceebee on Jul 3, 2021 8:37:55 GMT
Limited edition signed pink vinyl in Cinderella online shop if you missed out first time round.
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Post by fiyerorocher on Jul 3, 2021 11:09:43 GMT
In case anyone is interested, here are the changes I noticed from the first preview to last night: {Spoiler - click to view}- The wedding march is shorter. Still not short enough, but definitely shorter.
- They have added full bows, which greatly improves the tone of the ending – it felt pretty flat before. The ensemble get changed back out of their salsa costumes (into, I think, a mix of ball and wedding outfits), the stepsisters put their ballgowns back on. The queen puts her red dress from I Know You but I’m not sure this will stick as, while it is one of the most gorgeous costumes in the show and currently gets little stage time, she can’t really walk backwards in it and since there’s no narrative reason for her to be wearing it, they might choose something more mobile.
- Prince Charming’s husband has lost his long wig. This is a vast improvement.
- Minor dialogue changes. Mostly noticed some to the queen’s dialogue, and the girls who talk to Sebastian at the ball. There might be a few others I’ve missed. Certainly nothing substantial has yet been changed. |
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Post by jassie on Jul 3, 2021 12:15:33 GMT
I saw it with my boyfriend a couple of nights ago. I really liked Carrie in it, she isn't in it a lot mind...but I've always enjoyed her performances and this one was no different. Ivano has a nice voice, but needs to be a bit stronger, his dancing near the end of Act 2 was amazing though! Loved the Queen and the Stepmother, Stepmother gave me Dot Cotton vibes! I loved the solo performances but found any song with more than one person singing at a time really hard to listen to, I couldn't really understand what they were singing and was relying on lip reading to understand what was being said. Although the Prince Charming 'surprise' did little for the story line, it did make me happy seeing a theatre full of people cheering for it, especially as I see so much hatred on social media and stories of abuse towards the community. I agree that it should be marketed under a different name, as there isn't really much connection to the traditional Cinderella story.
We enjoyed it enough, but I'm glad we got the cheaper seats. I probably won't be back to watch it again.
I think the ending was a little abrupt, they could have used that wedding scenery again, maybe a quick change into a black wedding dress for Carrie and have a proper 'Happily Ever After' ending. EDIT: sorry, I don't know how to get rid of that spolier that isn't a spoiler!
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Post by ceebee on Jul 3, 2021 17:20:14 GMT
Well, just seen this afternoon's show. Much tighter second half - pace much better. Wedding scene is shorter as fiyerorocher mentioned. Prince Charming is toned down and his bloke has lost the ridiculous blonde wig. Much better 'reveal' scene, less exaggerated and much more joyous for it. Some of the dialogue still being lost to music or poor diction. After seeing today's effort, it's a solid four stars from me. It still came in at 2hr 40 mins but felt shorter. Hang around for the playout - it might be synth strings but it's still beautiful. Look forward to hearing an orchestra play the score.
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