594 posts
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Post by og on Jul 9, 2023 11:50:04 GMT
sorry, the TV was only used for the very opening scene where someone (older Tam??) stares at it briefly. Then in the finale Tam is watching it as Kim sings her song. So nothing apposite like a framing device, just a prop for people to look at as they come in. Think that says enough about this translation for me.
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875 posts
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Post by BVM on Jul 9, 2023 12:18:39 GMT
I also went to see this last night. I didn’t like any aspect of it as a production, unfortunately. It’s a confused production, and oddly lacking in soul. I’ve seen the word sanitised used above, which is absolutely spot on. It feels like it is treading on eggshells and for all the changes, I can’t think of one aspect which was actually improved from prior productions.
On the train home, I was slightly more positive than the rest of my party of four. I am not precious about updating classic shows for modern sensibilities, provided there is a clear and defined vision for the piece. This production in my view sadly fails on this and most other levels, feeling insincere and cold. Last night I was leaning more towards 2*, but having slept on it I think it’s more of a 1* production. I’ve seen some terrific new productions over the years in Sheffield (such as a superb My Fair Lady) but this is not one of them. Finally, I’m not one for debating social politics, least of all in theatre. That said, it would be a terrible shame for theatre to lose its ambition and edge by polishing every rough edge. Not everything in theatre, as in life, needs to be glossy, saccharine and double dipped in sugar. We don’t want to get to a stage where every single moment of every production is workshopped, focus group tested and made “SFT” (Safe for Twitter) for fear of offending someone, somewhere. Oh and the cast were fine. Thanks toomasj, another really interesting review. Similarly not remotely precious about updating but totally agree you need a clear and defined vision. Parts in bold kinda summarise how I feel about the Aspects of Love revival. This was also sanitised and there wasn't actually a single aspect improved. And it's also treading on eggshells. IMHO you need to stick to the original or really go for a creative and daring re-imagining. One doesn't simply want a watered/dumbed down original.... Anyway, of course on Saigon I'll reserve judgement until I've seen it. For Sunset I pray that it will indeed be creative and daring (given the apparent evidence it won't be like the original). Still, it's great to have all these mega musicals still being performed in some format :-)
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1,330 posts
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Post by CG on the loose on Jul 9, 2023 13:35:07 GMT
I was there last night too and agree with much that has been said above about the changes. Sanitisation is a good word for them and, while I undertand the intent, for me it leaves the whole diminished. That aside, I love the score and thought this cast honoured it well - my stand out moment was Bui Doi, both staging and performance - Shane O'Riordan's voice was everything I wanted in a way that, at times, Christian Maynard's was not. I don't have a problem with a female Engineer per se and thought Joanna Ampil played the part, as now written, really well and sang it superbly, but felt she was limited and the character lessened by the changes. Both Ethan Le Phong and Jessica Lee make the most of roles that benefit from being less altered by the production choices - indeed Jessica's Kim is the only character who consistently pushed my emotional buttons. The orchestrations ... fine. The minimal set... meh, although the helicopter scene was cleverly done. Overall, 3 stars I think - and not sure I'll return later in the run as currently planned.
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Post by dan28 on Jul 9, 2023 13:35:25 GMT
The engineer defends Gigi about the "rough" remark? Like a bond of "girl power"? The engineer should care more about money and the clients. The girls can't dance anymore? They can't show or do anything anymore that could upset someone? They can't seduce men anymore? They are only allowed to be weak victims? Weird. No, I wouldn't call it a girl power thing. It plays out as usual but when Gigi flings her sash at John he no longer hits her, the engineer appears and I think she moves him away and then says 'it's ok it's John, he likes it rough'. It sounds more like victimization of the women then, like they can't do or want anything, they are just a victim of the bad men. Come on girl, it's ok, it's just the bad, bad John, who likes it rough. You are just a helpless female, who didn't want anything, don't have an opinion, didn't try to seduce him, and the engineer makes sure, that she and Gigi protect this victimhood. I don't know what was wrong with portraying Gigi as a real person in the first version. Also, the strength and beauty of this show has always been that it is not about good or bad people. It's about everyone being a victim of war. Where all characters make choices. Choices that are based on fighting for what they want, for a better life, on survival, not on what is the most politically correct, wholesome or protective. Which makes you really think about both sides of every story, because some GI's fell victim to some of these ladies too. Who made choices for dreams or survival, which did not come from a bad place. Both wanting to believe something that might not have been really there. The producer and director of this version have no respect for the show. Portraying the women as victims and the men as bullies is not what this show is about. It's about the opposite. About full characters. I can't stand the polarizing view this version imposes.
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Post by dan28 on Jul 9, 2023 14:27:16 GMT
Lastly, Joanna. She's obviously a fantastic performer, she acted and sung the role incredibly well. But it didn't feel like the engineer and it for me felt like a clear shoehorning in places. Also the humour was almost entirely gone and it really needs that from the engineer. This role is written in a male key, in all the parts with Kim, for example the whole "Back in town/Coo Coo Princess" sequences. Which are basically all conversations between Kim, the Engineer and Thuy, reacting on eachother. How did they solve this? Did Joanna sing everything an octave higher or did she sing it very low in the male key? Or did they transpose the whole sequence so that Kim and Thuy sing in other keys as well? About the humour, an important part of the character is the humour indeed, for example in the way he treats Kim, he should be kind of a rat that you root for. I wonder why they think that a woman can't be like that. It seems that their vision is that women can only be victims of circumstance. Without character. Only if the character is noble.
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Post by stepha on Jul 10, 2023 8:16:47 GMT
Hope no-one minds me asking a random question, but it looks like we might have the benefit of Sheffield locals on here... I am coming up to see the matinee on the 15th July but will be driving my campervan - can anyone recommend decent parking which isn't too tight and without a height barriers? I'm about 2.3 metres high so generally any indoor or barriered parking is no good. I'm happy with a fair walk to the theatre so parking doesn't have to be super close. Thanks! Edit - just to clarify, this is only for parking whilst at the theatre, not for overnighting! I've got a campsite booked for the night! Random questions are TB's specialty. With a bit of time to spare, I'll answer your parking question in due course if I may. First off, I want to draw your attention to Sheffield's newly introduced Clean Air Zone. Although private cars are currently exempt, I believe, from reading various online forums, that campervans are a bit of a grey area. May I strongly suggest that you check the status of your vehicle on the Council website: www.sheffield.gov.uk/clean-air-zone-sheffieldEven if exempt, please, please, please DO NOT drive along Arundel Gate, towards the world-famous Crucible Theatre, in a northerly direction. There is now a bus gate in operation. I'd hate anybody to to receive two separate fines for the same theatre trip. Although the Council seems hellbent on deterring visitors, us locals are, on the whole, really friendly and welcoming. Much appreciated @tallpaul, thanks for this info. I've checked my campervan and fortunately, there is no charge for me but I'd have been in a panic had I not known and checked in advance! Noted re. Arundel Gate and I shall try to avoid (hopefully Google maps won't try and send me that way!). I've street-viewed my way around Sheffield and found car parks at Fitzwilliam Street and Carver Lane which appear not to have height barriers, so all will hopefully be OK. I'm now avoiding all of the reviews until after I've seen it on Saturday but will be back with my thoughts after then
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Post by cezbear on Jul 10, 2023 8:29:54 GMT
dan28 I don't think I explained very well - when the engineer says 'it's ok it's John, he likes it rough' she's saying it to the other GIs, to smooth over Gigi having thrown her sash at him. So a complete flip of how it's usually done, where in previous productions she says the same thing to the GIs but is talking about Gigi. On the engineer vocals, someone else with vetter musical knowledge hopefully will be able to comment better than me. To my not very knowledgable ears, there were parts that were raised and parts that weren't. I will say that nowhere did it feel like the vocal didn't fit naturally, even when it was sung higher than usual (and I had been worried about this). Kim & Thuy sang in the usual key.
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1,878 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Jul 10, 2023 12:36:49 GMT
I also went to see this last night. I didn’t like any aspect of it as a production, unfortunately. It’s a confused production, and oddly lacking in soul. I’ve seen the word sanitised used above, which is absolutely spot on. It feels like it is treading on eggshells and for all the changes, I can’t think of one aspect which was actually improved from prior productions.
On the train home, I was slightly more positive than the rest of my party of four. I am not precious about updating classic shows for modern sensibilities, provided there is a clear and defined vision for the piece. This production in my view sadly fails on this and most other levels, feeling insincere and cold. Last night I was leaning more towards 2*, but having slept on it I think it’s more of a 1* production. I’ve seen some terrific new productions over the years in Sheffield (such as a superb My Fair Lady) but this is not one of them. Finally, I’m not one for debating social politics, least of all in theatre. That said, it would be a terrible shame for theatre to lose its ambition and edge by polishing every rough edge. Not everything in theatre, as in life, needs to be glossy, saccharine and double dipped in sugar. We don’t want to get to a stage where every single moment of every production is workshopped, focus group tested and made “SFT” (Safe for Twitter) for fear of offending someone, somewhere. Oh and the cast were fine. Thanks toomasj, another really interesting review. Similarly not remotely precious about updating but totally agree you need a clear and defined vision. Parts in bold kinda summarise how I feel about the Aspects of Love revival. This was also sanitised and there wasn't actually a single aspect improved. And it's also treading on eggshells. IMHO you need to stick to the original or really go for a creative and daring re-imagining. One doesn't simply want a watered/dumbed down original.... Anyway, of course on Saigon I'll reserve judgement until I've seen it. For Sunset I pray that it will indeed be creative and daring (given the apparent evidence it won't be like the original). Still, it's great to have all these mega musicals still being performed in some format :-) Trouble is, Saigon is in danger of being written off as Aspects was by, I think, The Stage, and a couple of other outlets that they don't need to be revived because they have no place in 2023. That is the attitude among many influential people these days, it seems....
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Post by BVM on Jul 10, 2023 12:55:47 GMT
Thanks toomasj, another really interesting review. Similarly not remotely precious about updating but totally agree you need a clear and defined vision. Parts in bold kinda summarise how I feel about the Aspects of Love revival. This was also sanitised and there wasn't actually a single aspect improved. And it's also treading on eggshells. IMHO you need to stick to the original or really go for a creative and daring re-imagining. One doesn't simply want a watered/dumbed down original.... Anyway, of course on Saigon I'll reserve judgement until I've seen it. For Sunset I pray that it will indeed be creative and daring (given the apparent evidence it won't be like the original). Still, it's great to have all these mega musicals still being performed in some format :-) Trouble is, Saigon is in danger of being written off as Aspects was by, I think, The Stage, and a couple of other outlets that they don't need to be revived because they have no place in 2023. That is the attitude among many influential people these days, it seems.... I mean that one star review was just ridiculous - like, it's not credible journalism. I cancelled The Stage earlier this year.... (Edit - as in I stopped subscribing to them. Not as in I cancelled them like they tried to "cancel" Aspects of Love).
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875 posts
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Post by BVM on Jul 10, 2023 12:59:02 GMT
Just wondering - did 7 people on here actually see this on Saturday evening or do some people vote in these polls without seeing the show!?
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197 posts
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Post by Rozzi Rainbow on Jul 10, 2023 13:52:35 GMT
Despite the theatre’s very reasonable prices this is turning out to be the most expensive theatre ticket ever. I’m having to hire a car FFS. I though you'd changed your ticket Burly? Or were you just advising us that we could change ours if we needed to? I've just rung up and changed mine - I was holding out in the hope the strikes might get cancelled. The box office were very helpful, and the only other date I can make - the final Saturday - still has a fair few seats left so I've got almost the same seat, just on the other side. I'm just hoping that they don't call new strikes on that date now! I've looked into Megabus and if push comes to shove I might be able to travel that way (and hopefully be able to get in from Meadowhall). If not, at least I'll only lose £25 - can't really complain at that given the price of most theatres tickets nowadays! Looking forward to reading more reviews between now and then, it certainly sounds intriguing. (Edit - sorry Burly and TallPaul, I've messed up the quotes by trying to delete the middle part!!)
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Post by dan28 on Jul 10, 2023 15:08:41 GMT
when the engineer says 'it's ok it's John, he likes it rough' she's saying it to the other GIs, to smooth over Gigi having thrown her sash at him. So a complete flip of how it's usually done, where in previous productions she says the same thing to the GIs but is talking about Gigi. On the engineer vocals, someone else with vetter musical knowledge hopefully will be able to comment better than me. To my not very knowledgable ears, there were parts that were raised and parts that weren't. I will say that nowhere did it feel like the vocal didn't fit naturally, even when it was sung higher than usual (and I had been worried about this). Kim & Thuy sang in the usual key. Thanks! Yes, I see what they were trying to do. "Hey guys, it's ok, the bad John can take it, because he likes it rough. Gigi can't do anything wrong, whatever she does, the man should take it" Making the men subordinate to women because that's woke nowadays. Women either in power at all times or helpless victims who can't be blamed. The idea of the old script (and reality) is clearly so scary for woke people that now the script has to lower the men to give gigi power, so that audiences know that she is in power at all times, and when she is not, it's because of bad men. Can blame men for anything, but women can't be blamed for anything. The need for completely flipping the script in this scene is bizarre. And I find it worrying. Because this also results in a fairytale in which no woman is ever treated poorly, ever. And women can't be blamed for anything, ever. Completely detached from reality. And it portrays women with such a protective view and a feigned inviolability and lack of responsibility that it is actually insulting and degrading women to merely victims who supposedly couldn't handle reality. And men to puppies whose only right to exist is feeding women's ego. I see this on almost every movie or play nowadays. I wonder if both men and women actually like this. The men and women I know actually don't. Also, it is very weird for a club owner to decide for their clients what they should accept or find ok, without any responsibility of what their employee prostitute is doing to them. Hopefully an audio will surface somewhere sometime. Thanks for sharing your experiences and views!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 10, 2023 15:23:48 GMT
I though you'd changed your ticket Burly? Or were you just advising us that we could change ours if we needed to? Yes, I left mine as is. I did exactly what you suggested for Sky’s Edge and on the date of the re-booking there was another strike. So I’m doing the hire car and will fit a visit to my mum in on the same day.
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Post by c4ndyc4ne on Jul 10, 2023 16:21:37 GMT
when the engineer says 'it's ok it's John, he likes it rough' she's saying it to the other GIs, to smooth over Gigi having thrown her sash at him. So a complete flip of how it's usually done, where in previous productions she says the same thing to the GIs but is talking about Gigi. On the engineer vocals, someone else with vetter musical knowledge hopefully will be able to comment better than me. To my not very knowledgable ears, there were parts that were raised and parts that weren't. I will say that nowhere did it feel like the vocal didn't fit naturally, even when it was sung higher than usual (and I had been worried about this). Kim & Thuy sang in the usual key. Thanks! Yes, I see what they were trying to do. "Hey guys, it's ok, the bad John can take it, because he likes it rough. Gigi can't do anything wrong, whatever she does, the man should take it" Making the men subordinate to women because that's woke nowadays. Women either in power at all times or helpless victims who can't be blamed. The idea of the old script (and reality) is clearly so scary for woke people that now the script has to lower the men to give gigi power, so that audiences know that she is in power at all times, and when she is not, it's because of bad men. Can blame men for anything, but women can't be blamed for anything. The need for completely flipping the script in this scene is bizarre. And I find it worrying. Because this also results in a fairytale in which no woman is ever treated poorly, ever. And women can't be blamed for anything, ever. Completely detached from reality. And it portrays women with such a protective view and a feigned inviolability and lack of responsibility that it is actually insulting and degrading women to merely victims who supposedly couldn't handle reality. And men to puppies whose only right to exist is feeding women's ego. I see this on almost every movie or play nowadays. I wonder if both men and women actually like this. The men and women I know actually don't. Also, it is very weird for a club owner to decide for their clients what they should accept or find ok, without any responsibility of what their employee prostitute is doing to them. Hopefully an audio will surface somewhere sometime. Thanks for sharing your experiences and views! unsure if this is your opinion on a show, seems to have morphed into generalisations about women in contemporary culture... i think the important context here is that the GIs are an invading military force - surely that alters the power dynamic and the conversations around gender that exist in the piece. anyway, like most people on this forum, i've not seen it yet, so won't throw in two cents til i have.
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Post by dan28 on Jul 10, 2023 21:13:16 GMT
unsure if this is your opinion on a show, seems to have morphed into generalisations about women in contemporary culture... i think the important context here is that the GIs are an invading military force - surely that alters the power dynamic and the conversations around gender that exist in the piece. The producer and director are making generalisations about women in contemporary culture and the culture back then. There was a certain kind of reality that you cannot just bend to current desires. So yes, you are right, that context is important for the show.
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Post by jamie2c on Jul 11, 2023 6:48:52 GMT
Most of these types of bars in Asia are actually managed by women mama-sans. I remember my original reaction on first seeing the show years ago was thinking, the engineer character should not be man.
I hope they have not tried to use the show to push an agenda. What matters is the best possible show.
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Post by distantcousin on Jul 11, 2023 9:07:22 GMT
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Post by PhantomNcl on Jul 11, 2023 9:46:12 GMT
Had a trip down from Newcastle to see this yesterday. As a LONG-time fan of Miss Saigon (having seen the original Drury Lane production umpteen times, subsequent UK tours, and Stuttgart and Prince Edward productions) I was very intrigued to see what they had done with this new version.
The set was fairly simple, with just the big back wall opening up to form entry/exit points, a set of steps which were moved around the stage into various positions, a revolve set into the stage floor, and minimal props (a podium, chairs, TV). The cast hardly left the stage area at all, mostly sitting around the edges and getting up when they were performing. All in all the simple staging helped to focus down on the characters themselves, rather than having the 'wow factor' and distraction of the original moving trucks.
The orchestra sounded fantastic, though at times a little bit too loud and drowned out some of the performers.
As other posters have said, it did feel like a very sanitised production, and lacked some of the grit of the original. In Dreamland the girls mostly stood around the edges of the stage while the GIs hung around a central table where they were drinking/gambling - there was very little interaction at all. Quite a lot of lyric changes too - whores replaced with girls, and the guys referring to themselves rather than the girls (e.g. "We won't get up off the floor" instead of "You won't get up off the floor". "Half-breeds" in Bui-Doi was replaced with "little kids" and "boat people" with "refugees".
There were no bar girls/boys in What a Waste, only a few acting as waitresses when we moved into the bar itself.
However, there were some really lovely new moments, like the Engineer joining in with Kim in Movie In My Mind, showing that she's doing what she's doing to reach an end too.
Bui-Doi's staging (with John first in a group therapy session, then on the streets flyering and finally in the conference) was incredibly moving as it really brought home the human impact on what they'd all gone through, rather than just being a plea for money. I confess to copious tears at that point!
There's a really nice section at the beginning of Morning of the Dragon where we see Thuy in training as a soldier, and his rise up to the higher rank later on. However, his death is really strange - there's a gunshot, but then he stands with his arms in the air as the chorus go into This Is The Hour, then turns and walks across the stage with the other soldiers. I heard someone in the bar during the interval say that until Kim burst into Dreamland with "Engineer, Thuy is dead" she hadn't realised what had happened.
The Fall of Saigon is staged really well, with the revolve moving the GIs and locals around, and the final moment as Kim reaches for Chris as he's pulled up to the helicopter is heartbreaking.
I Still Believe was rather strange with Chris wandering around a supermarket with Ellen trailing behind him singing, but there was a moment where Chris thinks he's seen Kim, and and one when someone startles him by dropping their basket on the floor (triggering "it's all over, I'm here, there is nothing to fear") which worked well.
The ending left me totally flat though - it's the first time I've ever seen Miss Saigon and not sobbed buckets. Having Kim stand up after her shooting and observe from the side of the stage (much like Fantine watching Cosette at the end of Les Mis) while Chris bent over an empty section of stage just lost all the sadness, especially when she asks him to hold her one last time then dies in his arms.
The cast were superb though, with some of the best performances I've seen over the years. The venue works really well with the thrust stage providing great views from all seats.
Overall I left act 1 feeling that I wanted to come and see it again, but at the end felt as though the final scene negated all I'd seen before, and wouldn't rush back in a hurry. I've given it 4 stars on the strength of the performances and overall staging, but it lacked the 5* punch of other productions.
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Post by PhantomNcl on Jul 11, 2023 9:48:53 GMT
Lastly, Joanna. She's obviously a fantastic performer, she acted and sung the role incredibly well. But it didn't feel like the engineer and it for me felt like a clear shoehorning in places. Also the humour was almost entirely gone and it really needs that from the engineer. This role is written in a male key, in all the parts with Kim, for example the whole "Back in town/Coo Coo Princess" sequences. Which are basically all conversations between Kim, the Engineer and Thuy, reacting on eachother. How did they solve this? Did Joanna sing everything an octave higher or did she sing it very low in the male key? Or did they transpose the whole sequence so that Kim and Thuy sing in other keys as well? About the humour, an important part of the character is the humour indeed, for example in the way he treats Kim, he should be kind of a rat that you root for. I wonder why they think that a woman can't be like that. It seems that their vision is that women can only be victims of circumstance. Without character. Only if the character is noble. From what I could tell most of the keys were as normal, but Joanna did a mixture of singing low, taking things up an octave, and speak-singing the bits which were too low for her to hit. All in all it worked really well.
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Post by Dr Tom on Jul 11, 2023 22:08:06 GMT
If you know the show well, there’s plenty to enjoy here. If you don’t, I expect you won’t follow what’s going on.
For a production with a shoestring budget, they do well. The main set is a ladder, which can be moved around. The cast is rather small for Miss Saigon, which is a challenge when so many roles really have to restricted by ethnicity, and which leads to some interesting lighting choices and unusual interpretative dance choices to disguise things. Some decisions just don’t work, but some do.
With that said, the main vocals are excellent. Just a bit of muffling in the group numbers.
We had Tam appear at the start tonight, but the rest of the first half was done without Tam on stage. I’d assumed it was an odd artistic choice, but it turned out that Tam had become unavailable, so for the second half Tam was played by one of the directors.
I was sat in a cheap extreme end seat (late booking) and a few rows back. The view was absolutely fine, apart from I couldn’t read the screens. I don’t think I missed much. The show was practically sold out.
I would avoid the front row as there are extra seats in front where the cast sit for a lot of the show when not performing. You’re on the same level, so the view must be restricted.
My gut feeling here is 3 stars. It is still a preview. Some of the heart has been stripped from the show. But it is a cast who could easily give 5 star performances if given a set and better staging. I did warm to this much more in the second half than in the first half. No desire to go back though.
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Post by mikey on Jul 11, 2023 23:43:55 GMT
First time seeing this, I enjoyed it! The cast were excellent
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Jul 12, 2023 7:23:13 GMT
No doubt some people will find parts of the story 'icky'
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Post by cezbear on Jul 12, 2023 8:19:29 GMT
Slightly shameless, but if anyone wants a ticket for Saturday evening, I have a nice close central one for sale in the noticeboard (can't edit the post but will sell it for less).
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18,851 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 12, 2023 9:15:43 GMT
Slightly shameless, but if anyone wants a ticket for Saturday evening, I have a nice close central one for sale in the noticeboard (can't edit the post but will sell it for less). cezbear if you’d like to PM me with a reduced price I can update your notice.
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Post by dan28 on Jul 12, 2023 13:57:15 GMT
We had Tam appear at the start tonight, but the rest of the first half was done without Tam on stage. I’d assumed it was an odd artistic choice, but it turned out that Tam had become unavailable, so for the second half Tam was played by one of the directors. Interesting, to say the least. Aren't there always supposed to be 2 tams for exactly this reason? How did they solve all the lines sung about/to Tam in the first act? "Look Thuy, this is my son", "Let me see his western nose", "Come kiss your brand new auntie Tran", "This kid is ok" etc. How old was the director that played Tam in the 2nd act?
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Post by Dr Tom on Jul 12, 2023 15:59:25 GMT
We had Tam appear at the start tonight, but the rest of the first half was done without Tam on stage. I’d assumed it was an odd artistic choice, but it turned out that Tam had become unavailable, so for the second half Tam was played by one of the directors. Interesting, to say the least. Aren't there always supposed to be 2 tams for exactly this reason? How did they solve all the lines sung about/to Tam in the first act? "Look Thuy, this is my son", "Let me see his western nose", "Come kiss your brand new auntie Tran", "This kid is ok" etc. How old was the director that played Tam in the 2nd act? It was an Asian lady, I would say in her 20s, slightly shorter than the main cast. She did very well in the circumstances. No line changes that I could pick up on. They just sang to an empty space. The director did make a short statement at the start of the second half to ask us to suspend our disbelief! I’m going to guess they’ll have three Tams (and that it would have been the first appearance for this child) but they may well only have one in the building at a time.
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648 posts
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Post by ptwest on Jul 13, 2023 10:38:10 GMT
I saw this last night and was left both entertained but also completely unmoved. Having a female engineer really works and Joanna Ampil gives it her all. I did find myself longing for an opportunity for her to really soar as that’s what I love about her singing but she nails the balance of sleaze and desperation that the character needs. The staging is completely different to any version of the show I have seen before and this had mixed results; the storytelling was clearer in act one without the distractions of big set pieces, but there were also some fairly bizarre directional choices across both acts; the progression from therapy session to conference worked well for Bui Doi, but the two deaths in particular were robbed of any emotion or impact by the static / ghostly nature of the way it was staged. If I didn’t know both characters had died I might have needed it explaining. The word “sanitized” has been used a lot to describe this production and I think this sums it up very well. The use of projections was excellent throughout and the relative lack of scenery was never an issue. The Crucible space is used well throughout. But, I come back to what I felt when I saw the London Revival; the first act moves at a pace and you get wrapped up in Kim’s journey, the second she is reduced to statically standing for most of her stage time and simpering and warbling over Chris whilst all the other characters tell the story around her. Her character seems underwritten until we get to the ending. It doesn’t help that in my opinion The American Dream is a dreadful song, albeit well staged and performed in this version. So much time in act two is given to the Engineer it almost feels like they forgot who we are watching. The finale is a lot less tragic because it feels like a rushed ending when our focus has been taken away from the lead character. Overall, the performances are good, credit needs to be given to Shanay Holmes as Ellen as it’s the first time I’ve actually not despised the character. Jessica Lee sings the role of Kim well but (as I’ve already said) she is hobbled by extremely static direction which makes her seem almost aloof at times – lots of standing still away from other characters with her arms firmly by her side. However, I had the same complaint about the London revival so maybe it is as written. There is good work too from Shane O’Riordan as John, Aynrand Ferrer as Gigi and the ensemble work hard throughout. So for me this was a moderate success. A successful revival in so many ways, really my reservations stem from the source material itself. A shame because when the score and book are good, it really is very good indeed. Its just that for me the weaknesses are too hard to ignore. If you love the show and are prepared to let go your memories of the original then its worth a look.
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2,152 posts
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Post by richey on Jul 13, 2023 11:33:03 GMT
Some official production pics. It looks very pretty but also confirms what previous posts have said about it being sanitised. Really not sure about the outfits that they've given to Joanna. Maybe they work better in the context of the show but she looks very glamourous. http://instagram.com/p/CuojLFfO2Nz
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4,968 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jul 13, 2023 13:00:36 GMT
I was also there last. Sitting just one (and two) seats along from the co-directors, I can confirm that, in Sheffield, notes are made the old-fashioned way, with pen and paper. And boy, were notes made! Saturday's first performance was probably quite different to Monday's, which was probably quite different to Tuesday's... The cast will have had a busy day ahead of opening night proper.
It wasn't really my plan to see a preview, but when I spotted what will be a £60 seat had been reduced to £15, I couldn't resist the temptation. I never normally get to enter the world-famous auditorium through the Red door!
The highlights of each act were, for me, The Last Night of the World and The American Dream. The latter being as close to a traditional production number as you'll get in this 'new' version. Joanna Ampil is so perfect for the role, it's hard to imagine the Engineer as a man.
I went with an open mind and thought it a 4-star production. Just as well, as my initial booking is for the last night.
ETA: Standing ovation, too. After staying for the playout music, and a final wave from the MD, I excitedly exited the Crucible at exactly 10.16pm.
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Post by ptwest on Jul 13, 2023 13:35:00 GMT
We must have been close - I was also able to g through the red door! It would have been good to say hello! But given that I’m also called Paul and am also tall it could have been confusing!!
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