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Post by alece10 on Apr 6, 2022 13:47:13 GMT
I saw this years ago at the Garrick Theatre. I mainly remember 2 things. Lots of swinging across the stage on ropes and real fire and could feel the heat of it in the dress circle.
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3,927 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Apr 6, 2022 16:27:13 GMT
It runs for 2 hours 50 minutes and I felt that the first act up to when Zorro first appears could have been cut back at least 10 minutes. Are they doing the amended version which starts with the main characters as children? I certainly found that a slower opening than the original one.
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Apr 6, 2022 17:52:31 GMT
It runs for 2 hours 50 minutes and I felt that the first act up to when Zorro first appears could have been cut back at least 10 minutes. Are they doing the amended version which starts with the main characters as children? I certainly found that a slower opening than the original one. No, starts with dancing, Flamenco I think, with a bit of audience interaction as people take their seats.
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2,379 posts
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Post by robertb213 on Apr 6, 2022 22:19:42 GMT
I'm there for Press Night on Tuesday 😁
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258 posts
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Post by notmymuse on Apr 6, 2022 22:42:17 GMT
Fingers crossed for them. I've got such good memories of this at the Garrick.
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Post by leanne23 on Apr 7, 2022 6:37:31 GMT
I saw the show on Tuesday and was honestly blown away. It was absolutely thrilling. Creative elements embrace you from all directions and fully immerse you into the colours, noise, heat and textures of the Pueblo. No swinging, but lots of fire and stage combat!
Ben Purkiss is perfect as Diego/Zorro, but the show is really all about the women. Phoebe Panaretos and Paige Felon are exquisite. Phoebe honestly has one of the best voices I have ever heard, it’s just so rich and full-bodied. The female ensemble are one of the strongest and most compelling I’ve seen to date.
RE. the start of the show - in terms of pre-show, there is flamenco dancing, plate spinning, audience engagement etc. The actual show starts with Diego, Louisa, Ramon as children. Their younger selves are played by puppets.
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1,510 posts
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Post by anita on Apr 7, 2022 9:41:29 GMT
The flaming sword didn't flame last night. Still that's what previews are for. Enjoyed it. Marc Pickering seemed to get the most applause.
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3,927 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Apr 7, 2022 12:38:40 GMT
RE. the start of the show - in terms of pre-show, there is flamenco dancing, plate spinning, audience engagement etc. The actual show starts with Diego, Louisa, Ramon as children. Their younger selves are played by puppets. Ah, it sounds like they are doing the newer version then, but puppets? Really? That does not make me want to see the show.
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Post by inthenose on Apr 7, 2022 12:49:19 GMT
RE. the start of the show - in terms of pre-show, there is flamenco dancing, plate spinning, audience engagement etc. The actual show starts with Diego, Louisa, Ramon as children. Their younger selves are played by puppets. Ah, it sounds like they are doing the newer version then, but puppets? Really? That does not make me want to see the show. I laughed a lot when they brought out the puppet child in "Umbrellas of Cherbourg"... It just never, ever works. Maybe in Pinocchio? I don't know, I have an aversion to puppet children.
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851 posts
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Post by longinthetooth on Apr 7, 2022 13:08:37 GMT
Audience engagement? I'm out.
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18,801 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Apr 7, 2022 16:42:18 GMT
That last Shrek tour had two puppets for the two younger Fionas😝
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3,927 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Apr 7, 2022 21:03:44 GMT
I laughed a lot when they brought out the puppet child in "Umbrellas of Cherbourg"... It just never, ever works. Maybe in Pinocchio? I don't know, I have an aversion to puppet children. I have an aversion to puppets full stop! I've been avoiding seeing War Horse for years. The only puppets I can think of that I've ever enjoyed are in the Lonely Goatherd in The Sound of Music, & that's only the film because the stage productions I've seen haven't used them.
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Post by leanne23 on Apr 7, 2022 21:54:24 GMT
Audience engagement? I'm out. Apologies for the confusion, it’s more entirely avoidable interaction. You can spin some plates if you like…or not at all! The cast start dancing and chatting away pre-show to warm the audience up. The puppets are used very briefly at the start of the show for one song, very coraline-esque in their style. Please don’t let any of this put you off, it is the most stunning production and I’d see it again in a heartbeat. I far preferred it to Cabaret which I saw this evening.
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Post by marob on Apr 7, 2022 22:46:38 GMT
Saw this tonight, was down to about 2 hours 40 minutes. Great fun. Wouldn’t have even been on my radar if not for this board.
I think you really need to be sat in the middle of the rows though, as from where I was sitting on one end of a row I couldn’t see the start of the second act. And I can’t help thinking all that business of running through the audience with swords is asking for trouble.
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3,472 posts
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Post by showgirl on Apr 8, 2022 4:31:27 GMT
Would love to see this and have always liked the music of the Gypsy Kings but why is everything so long atm? As with Anyone Can Whistle, yet another show I can only see at a matinee and there aren't enough matinee days in the week - especially since Southwark Playhouse unhelpfully switched their weekday matinee to Tuesdays.
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1,718 posts
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Apr 9, 2022 18:09:31 GMT
Saw this today after But I'm A Cheerleader was cancelled and so glad I did! It takes some effort to bring the soulless Charing Cross Theatre to life but this is by far the most vibrant and immersive production I've seen staged there.
The whole cast are fantastic but Phoebe Panaretos is frankly worth the price of admission on her own. Stunning soulful vocals, dances up a storm and a completely magnetic stage presence.
The pre-show stuff didn't amount to much. Just cast members milling about on stage, one spinning a plate, but no attempts to get the audience involved. Phew! Definitely don't let that put you off seeing it.
If there's any justice, finally the Charing Cross Theatre will have a hit on their hands.
Five stars from me.
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1,718 posts
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Apr 13, 2022 9:22:00 GMT
Press night last night.
Four stars from Theatre Weekly and Reviews Hub and a baffling one star from the Evening Standard.
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4,591 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Apr 13, 2022 10:41:11 GMT
Press night last night. Four stars from Theatre Weekly and Reviews Hub and a baffling one star from the Evening Standard. Oh dear! Nick Curtis -chief critic for ES - is not having a good time at the theatre at the moment with 1 star for Anyone can Whistle and now for Zorro. I could be wrong but is he also expected to review plays ? Papers should have separate critics as its a totally different field.
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Post by stagebyte on Apr 13, 2022 11:11:04 GMT
Press night last night. Four stars from Theatre Weekly and Reviews Hub and a baffling one star from the Evening Standard. Oh dear! Nick Curtis -chief critic for ES - is not having a good time at the theatre at the moment with 1 star for Anyone can Whistle and now for Zorro. Well just read the ES review. The description makes me want to see it even more. Booked.
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Post by austink on Apr 13, 2022 12:20:59 GMT
Nick seems to only like old school musicals in standard staging of anything by ALW. I have heard in a past life he used to give zero star reviews so there is a tendency to give a one star when others would give a 3 star. Oh dear! Nick Curtis -chief critic for ES - is not having a good time at the theatre at the moment with 1 star for Anyone can Whistle and now for Zorro. I could be wrong but is he also expected to review plays ? Papers should have separate critics as its a totally different field.
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Post by lettybetty88 on Apr 13, 2022 13:45:11 GMT
I just think 1 stars should be a nuclear option, ie the show is anything but good. Booked into see the show so will see for myself!
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2,379 posts
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Post by robertb213 on Apr 13, 2022 21:29:42 GMT
I went for 3 stars. There's some good stuff in there and some excellent performances but it's too long and starts dragging after the interval. I found the score underwhelming as well. But there is a flaming sword!
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Post by oxfordsimon on Apr 13, 2022 21:35:39 GMT
It takes a very special show to be worth 1 star.
I never gave out many during my time. The most infamous being the awful Troilus and Cressida with the Wooster Group and RSC.
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1,510 posts
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Post by anita on Apr 14, 2022 9:37:04 GMT
I went for 3 stars. There's some good stuff in there and some excellent performances but it's too long and starts dragging after the interval. I found the score underwhelming as well. But there is a flaming sword! Yes there is a flaming sword I suppose - when it works. It didn't when I saw it. Still think it's worth more than 1 star though. The music lets it down.
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4,960 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Apr 14, 2022 12:21:56 GMT
It's *a* flaming sword when it works, and *that* flaming sword when it doesn't. 😉
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Post by notmymuse on Apr 14, 2022 12:43:06 GMT
Interesting that a few think the music lets it down. I loved the music in the original. I wonder if this is because they've cut some numbers, or how it's being performed or something else? The original cast were all great singers which may have helped.
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Post by matty on Apr 14, 2022 22:18:27 GMT
I saw this tonight and it definitely isn't a 1* production. I came away having really enjoyed it. I saw the concert at Cadogan Hall just before Covid and liked it it and seeing it fully staged made me like it even more.
There were a few moments at the beginning where Diego and Inez didn't seem to be gelling in the dance, but they seemed to warm up as it went on.
It was also nice the Charing Cross Theatre pretty much full.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2022 6:53:51 GMT
I absolutely loved the original Garrick production, although it did feel crammed in there. It really needed a bigger theatre.
This video has a lot of clips of the garrick production for those interested. Thar cast were so strong.
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Post by leanne23 on Apr 16, 2022 7:05:02 GMT
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Post by theatrescribe on Apr 16, 2022 19:42:33 GMT
Agree with the comments about Phoebe Panaretos - she is an incredible talent and one of the sexiest dancers I have ever seen! Also loved Marc Pickering's comic turn; he lifts whatever production he is in.
Thought the show was OK - some of the accents were woeful though - given London has a huge Spanish/Latin American community how come there wasn't a single one in the cast?!
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