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Post by vickyg on Nov 28, 2022 23:32:29 GMT
Back from seeing this tonight with my cynical friend who didn’t believe it could possibly be as good as my shouting about it suggested. She was won over and I still love it.
It seemed extra emotional tonight, maybe because I was in the front row and Katie Brayben really lets those tears flow. Extra funny and extra touching. I will miss this one!
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Post by JJShaw on Nov 28, 2022 23:50:43 GMT
vickyg how funny I was also there tonight, front row! Katie really does let those tears flow as you say. It really is as good as everyone says, wonderful performances, Katie would be a shoe in for awards, great score; while it does of course have gospel influences it really felt like a fresh-yet-classic musical score (the trio in act two with some of the supporting characters, when was the last time we had a trio number?!) Loved the set, wish that we could have maybe delved more into what Tammy and Jim did and maybe a smidge less of the political stuff, but I guess it is all important and paints a well rounded picture of the state the world was in, but I was just hungry for more Jim and Tammy in an already long show. The bows are just ever so slightly off that makes them feel really weird, but other than that, great show and London is lucky to have a new musical premiere like this one.
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Post by dazzerlump on Nov 29, 2022 17:37:46 GMT
I am soooo looking forward to seeing this tomorrow!!!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 30, 2022 9:10:29 GMT
Some posts and posts which quote them have been removed/edited. This was getting into quite detailed discussion about an actor’s personal life and an unconfirmed rumour. Can we steer away from that moving forward please. Further posts have been edited for the same reason.
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Post by jr on Nov 30, 2022 9:28:42 GMT
I am clearly in the minority but I did not enjoy this, it left me cold. It is entertaining but not much than that.
In my opinion, the mixture of the political with TF's story does not work. It is forced and preachy. The actor playing Jerry Falwell plays more a caricature than a character.
The pace is fine but for my taste too many songs that don't let you get closer to the main characters. One thing I truly hate is when a song finishes and the director (I assume) does not know how to switch to the next scene so the play a bit more of the song until they can move on. This happened at least 4 times that I noticed. There is a number on the second act, when everyone turns against Tammy that I thought it was terrible. The director has KB running around the stage, jerking, holding the TVs wall, etc. You can get away with that in an amateur production, not here.
Andrew Rannells is quite wooden. Only saw him once before, in the recorded version of Falsettos, and I thought the same.
Katie Brayben is great, lots of energy, great singing and acting. I must say though that the number that ends the first act was a bit over the top, it did not ring true to me. People loved it, so it must be me.
For such big names and great reviews (except S Clapp's in The Observer) quite a disappointment.
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Post by mjh on Nov 30, 2022 22:35:04 GMT
All creatives in the house tonight with Elton John, Jake Shears and James Graham appearing for the bows. Feel very lucky - joined returns queue at 5.30, was 3rd in line and got 2 returns at 7.10. Some pics from the curtain call here: http://instagram.com/p/ClmlxfZjEf7
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Post by david on Dec 1, 2022 0:30:09 GMT
Having had a chance to chew over my viewing at todays matinee, Katie Brayben deserves to get some theatre gongs for her performance as Tammy. She is simply sensational in this and that Act 1 closing number “Empty Hands” was stunning. I thought she worked well with Andrew Rannells. I enjoyed seeing him on stage and vocally was great but I wanted more emotional depth with his portrayal as Jim as well as a bit more story for him that led to his downfall.
With the Jan Crouch character, as soon as Amy Booth-Steel came on stage in that pink wig, all I saw was a younger version of Are You Being Served’s Mrs Slocombe. I really couldn’t take that character seriously at all.
Bunny Christie’s set was great and I loved the use of the live camera feed bits to give the to screen feel as though as an audience member you were seeing them on tv.
I got more out of Act 1 which I think had the stringer writing and musical numbers than Act 2. I’d definitely of liked to have had a bit more on Tammy’s life after the collapse of the tv show and how she made a comeback. If I was involved in the creative process, I’d be having another look at Act 2 and to make some changes in how it flows.
As for the score, Jake and Elton really have written some great numbers here that would get a second listen to if an OCR ever got made.
Overall, I really enjoyed it though mainly for KB’s performance. An absolute star.
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Post by showgirl on Dec 1, 2022 5:02:34 GMT
Having seen yesterday's matinee, whilst I'm glad to have been able to form my own view, I'm definitely not in the "100% wonderful, bound to transfer" group.
Yes, Katie Brayben was great but the show was far too long - needs to and easily could lose 30 minutes - the music was surprisingly limited in range and samey and I from some point in the first act I found my mind wandering.
This is partly a matter of taste: I'm more of a plays than musicals person; the words are really crucial to me, so if the music isn't good enough to make up for this, there's something missing, ie really engaging dialogue instead, which this production doesn't offer. I don't recall finding the recent film version over-long and that, of course, didn't even have an interval.
All in all and despite the creatives involved, it didn't seem that different in approach or treatment from many other biographical musicals I've seen, and maybe those are the twin issues, ie too many cooks and being forced to adhere to what is clearly a long and complicated story.
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Post by vickyg on Dec 1, 2022 7:52:27 GMT
All creatives in the house tonight with Elton John, Jake Shears and James Graham appearing for the bows. Feel very lucky - joined returns queue at 5.30, was 3rd in line and got 2 returns at 7.10. Some pics from the curtain call here: http://instagr.am/p/ClmlxfZjEf7 I’m so happy someone from here was there last night! What a special experience!
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 1, 2022 8:20:04 GMT
I'm not sure those blue glasses do anything for Katie 'KB' Brayben. Does she wear them for the whole show, or just at the curtain call? 😂
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Post by mrnutz on Dec 1, 2022 9:45:31 GMT
I'm in tonight - looking forward to it!
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Post by vickyg on Dec 1, 2022 21:02:15 GMT
Katie Brayben off tonight so we have Gemma Sutton (I’m pretty sure). Both swings are on and lots of shifting in the company. I hope Katie is just resting ahead of the closing shows and will be able to see out the run. It’s not the same without her!
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 1, 2022 21:02:27 GMT
Gemma Sutton is on as Tammy tonight. I didn’t spot any signs in the theatre. She is brilliant!
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Dec 2, 2022 0:26:36 GMT
I was also there tonight, for my third and final time. Previous visits I was in row A and B upstairs, tonight I was front stalls.
There were no signs that I saw around the theatre and I didn't get a programme, so when the show started, I was looking at Tammy Faye and thinking to myself how she looked different from the circle. And then when she started speaking I realised that the understudy was on.
To her credit, Gemma Sutton did a great job. I'm guessing she had very little rehersal, but she knew the show well (there was only 1 line dropped that i noticed) She didn't quite have the character or the voice down, which is understandable given how little time she had. She seemed more comfortable in Act 2 rather than in Act 1, but thats just my opinion. Some of her comstumes were different also.
It definitely highlighted the need for Katie Brayben or anyone who has really had the chance to learn the part. Ketie's charisma and personality really boost the show that I felt was slightly lacking tonight. Jake Shears was in the house watching. (Elton was in last night)
One of the ensemble was also off, so all the swings were on, covering and swapping tracks.
I really do hope this does transfer to the West End before it goes off to NYC, which it inevitably will do at some point.
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Post by showtoones on Dec 2, 2022 0:59:45 GMT
Does anyone know why Katie was off tonight? Hope she’s ok…
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Post by mrbarnaby on Dec 2, 2022 6:19:11 GMT
Jake shears seems to be in watching every single night 🤣
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Post by mrnutz on Dec 2, 2022 11:13:26 GMT
My first visit last night and, though I didn't know what Katie Brayben looked like, after reading the rave reviews for her performance on here I was pretty sure within the first few minutes that we were watching her understudy. No disrespect to Gemma Sutton who did well - stronger on the acting front than in the songs - but it was disappointing not to see KB after so many of you saying she made the show!
I still enjoyed it overall, but with various other changes in the cast to fill the gaps there was more hesitation and fluffing than you'd expect from a show at this point in its run.
I thought Zubin Varla was particularly excellent and I really enjoyed Andrew Rannells' performance too.
Thought the story was good, zipped along at a nippy pace, the set was fun and there were a handful of great songs in there as well.
In summary, a hard one to judge considering the circumstances but I can only rate based on what I saw last night - 3.5/5.
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Post by mrnutz on Dec 2, 2022 11:15:17 GMT
Also - the bows. What is going on here? So awkward.
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Post by kathryn on Dec 2, 2022 12:17:02 GMT
Jake shears seems to be in watching every single night 🤣 Can you blame him?! It’s his first hit show!
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Post by vickyg on Dec 2, 2022 12:42:53 GMT
Jake shears seems to be in watching every single night 🤣 Can you blame him?! It’s his first hit show! I’d be in every night if I could afford it/get tickets and I didn’t even write it!
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 2, 2022 12:46:40 GMT
Last night, I was there in the (side) front row for what I expect will be my fourth and final visit. I had hoped to catch Katie one more time, but I always like to see other people in the same roles, so definitely not disappointed to have seen Gemma. I think what this has showed me is how strongly written the role is.
What I am disappointed about is that there were just no signs up at all. I am sure there are people in the audience who will have thought they saw Katie. Very unfair on Gemma, who got well deserved applause at the end.
Gemma did play the role differently, perhaps underplaying at some points, but that didn't hurt the performance at all. Plus, she really nailed the big numbers.
I will have to work out who covered what, but they certainly had Michael Kent on in a usually female track at one point, and I think there were some split tracks in there. Speaking of Michael, he didn't get to appear during the final number or bow.
I would suspect there is some illness going around the cast unless they just wanted to make sure that Gemma got to go on in the lead role once before closing night.
Gemma did have different costumes to Katie and at one point wore an almost identical dress to the woman playing Jessica Hahn, so it did make me think that appearance likely wasn't planned in advance.
Well done, Gemma. Will be interesting to hear who is on tonight.
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Post by mrnutz on Dec 2, 2022 12:52:07 GMT
What I am disappointed about is that there were just no signs up at all. I am sure there are people in the audience who will have thought they saw Katie. Very unfair on Gemma, who got well deserved applause at the end. I managed to find two in the interval as I was looking for them - they were stuck on the walls either side of the bar. But definitely not obvious at all.
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Post by vickyg on Dec 2, 2022 13:15:45 GMT
I was also looking last night and couldn’t see a sign but I did only look around the box office which is where I would have expected to have found it. Two ladies near me were chatting in the interval about the screens in the foyer showing the rehearsal footage saying they couldn’t believe how different the lady playing Tammy Faye looked without a wig and make up. They obviously had no idea it was a different person and I think 90% of the audience will not have known. It was quite a different performance. I agree with Dr Tom that it didn’t seem to have been planned in advance and I thought the nervously shaking hand when Tammy went on PTL alone for the first time looked very real and made me root for her even more! It did show how strong the underlying material is which is interesting because I had previously thought that Katie Brayben was a much larger part of it’s brilliance. She is fantastic, don’t get me wrong, and I still can’t imagine the show without her, but it’s also just a really great show imo. I thought the second act was much more confident and seemed more rehearsed than the first for Gemma, but the missed line in the first 2 seconds of the show really put me on edge in the first half so maybe that contributed to my perception. Glad to have seen Gemma, but I’m really hoping to get a ticket for tomorrow and it would be great to see Katie one last time.
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Post by kathryn on Dec 2, 2022 14:06:40 GMT
! It did show how strong the underlying material is which is interesting because I had previously thought that Katie Brayben was a much larger part of it’s brilliance. She is fantastic, don’t get me wrong, and I still can’t imagine the show without her, but it’s also just a really great show imo. Interesting to hear this. I was wondering if this was one of those cases where people mix up a great role with a great performance. It’s often the case that what we attribute to an individual performer is baked into the role itself. Though, naturally, as KB originated the role she will have influenced it during rehearsals, and an understudy is expected to deliver the interpretation of the lead rather than do something totally different.
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Post by matildaswinton on Dec 2, 2022 15:57:02 GMT
Saw this on Wednesday with Elton. What a gift to be able to see the beginnings of a potentially great piece. The music is mostly wonderful. Very catchy. Love, If Only Love was a standout for me in Act One, as well as Tammy’s solo. Act One heavily follows her… she barely has offstage time. Same goes for Jim, but everything besides Katie is in grayscale compared to her technicolor star quality.
Act Two isn’t as good because the focus shifts to the villains, although I’m glad she got some time to rest. There is a number that tries to be Easy Street, right down to the choreography, but it’s not effective because our villains aren’t on that campy love-to-hate Hannigan level. He Promised Me sounds amazing. However, these two moments bring me to one issue I had…
The limits of the Almeida inhibited the direction. It’s a small space, even smaller when you can’t use the sides because of so many restricted view seats. A lot of the show was front and center head-on, presentational and simple. I think some moments worked, but if this is going to transfer to a bigger space, they need to bring in more tricks. It felt like a great regional production with star talent. I want this piece to flow Michael Bennet Dreamgirls style. It should be a constant surprise of where we use the space and how we reveal scene and time changes. Let us get enveloped in this world. The choreography is energetic but rote. I think a director/choreographer could really give it needed focus.
In He Promised Me, it wasn’t clear that we were really inside Tammy’s paranoid and drugged-up head…. I kept thinking, “Why are we villainizing Jessica Hahn?” Then I finally got it at the end. It just wasn’t clear because it started after their plea for money on PTL, which was a very real and grounded scene. Then we transitioned into this number that was probably meant to be a break from reality. Katie was showing some great stuff, but it’s not enough to have her emote on an elevated box surrounded by everyone. They could go much further with her darkness. Generally, the “sad section” of the show is a slog and lasts way too long. Too many villain ballads.
If this goes to New York, I think Raul Esparza or Cheyenne Jackson could make a great Falwell. Casting someone who can compete with Katie would help the piece. Same with Jim. Rory O’Malley? John Groff? Andrew seemed too aware he was acting. His timing is almost too perfect. Katie is alive. Oddly enough, the cartoonish Tammy is the most realistic human on that stage. Everyone in the roles around her needs to be on a better level for us to buy the stakes.
I really want this show to succeed. The pathos of Katie as Tammy is begging for a better show to work from. Rework the book and focus the concept. Change directors. Go big. As of now, we don’t know what this show is because it’s trying to be other things. It is part Tammy Faye Superstar, part Beautiful: the Tammy Faye Musical, part Dear Tammy Faye…. But if it gave into its most powerful moments and worked forward, it could be an incredible event. I could easily see this role joining the great leading lady repertoire. And I can’t wait for a cast album.
Shoutout to the very talented ensemble!
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Post by kathryn on Dec 2, 2022 16:48:55 GMT
. Oddly enough, the cartoonish Tammy is the most realistic human on that stage. I don’t think this is odd - it’s part of the point of the show, to humanise this person who was treated as a cartoonish figure (and is still used as a punchline). She should seem like a realistic human. Camp and larger than life, but still a realistic (and sympathetic) human. I agree with the point about it not being entirely clear when we are in Tammy’s drug-addled imagination and when we’re in reality.
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Post by ShoreditchTom on Dec 2, 2022 17:29:12 GMT
Cancelled tonight, cast illness!
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Post by matildaswinton on Dec 2, 2022 17:42:02 GMT
it’s part of the point of the show, to humanise this person who was treated as a cartoonish figure (and is still used as a punchline). She should seem like a realistic human. Camp and larger than life, but still a realistic (and sympathetic) human. Totally agree she should be humanized. I just felt that Katie did that work, not necessarily the book. And that it cheated her hero’s journey a bit because the rest of the characters were not fully fleshed out.
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 2, 2022 18:11:45 GMT
Cancelled tonight, cast illness! What a shame for everyone. I hope they are able to get in shape for the closing performance tomorrow.
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Post by ThereWillBeSun on Dec 2, 2022 18:46:11 GMT
Cancelled tonight, cast illness! What a shame for everyone. I hope they are able to get in shape for the closing performance tomorrow. Seconded and how gutting for audience members too. :/
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