194 posts
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Post by thebearofwestend on Dec 17, 2016 4:01:41 GMT
With so many shows this year on the west end. As we are approaching the end of 2016. What are the best shows that opened this year and what are the worse shows? please stick to west end shows !
Also what are the best acting performances you have seen?
It can be plays and musicals or comedies but no family shows please
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2016 9:44:03 GMT
Best of the year: Funny Girl, Hairspray, The Bodyguard, Guys and Dolls
Worst of the year: Bend it like Beckham (the one show I couldn't stand and usually I love all the shows I visit)
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Post by d'James on Dec 17, 2016 9:55:01 GMT
Best for me: In The Heights and Titanic. Also Miss Saigon which I saw for the first time ever in February.
Worst (sorry George): Guys and Dolls. Really not my thing even if I couldn't fault the production itself.
Best performances for me were Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard and Josie Benson in In The Heights.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2016 10:22:28 GMT
Best: Titanic.
Best Performance: Sheridan Smith as Fanny Brice, Philippa Stefani in In the Heights, both Beverley Knight and Rachel John as Rachel Marron and Rachel Tucker as Elphaba.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2016 0:25:22 GMT
Groundhog Day. Technically not on "the west end" but it should be there already!!
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1,013 posts
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Post by talkstageytome on Dec 18, 2016 3:17:24 GMT
Fave shows - Hand To God, Dreamgirls, Titanic, Groundhog Day (although the last two weren't actually West End shows soooo..) Best performances - Andy Karl (Groundhog Day), Harry Melling (Hand To God - Underrated play imo!), Sophia Anne Caruso (Stole the show in Lazarus), Amber Riley and Adam J Bernard (Dreamgirls  ) I still can't believe how poorly received Hand To God was. I saw that play twice and found it just as funny, shocking and moving the second time round. Excellent cast too! |
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2,702 posts
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Post by viserys on Dec 18, 2016 6:22:33 GMT
Still gutted that I missed Groundhog Day and haven't seen Dreamgirls or Lazarus yet, so as of now:
Fave new shows - School of Rock, Half a Sixpence, Harry Potter, Hangmen
Best performances - McKellen & Stewart (No Man's Land), Charlie Stemp (Half a Sixpence), Glenn Close (Sunset Blvd)
Worst shows: None in London really (I don't get to see so much, so I choose carefully and didn't have a complete dud this year). My worst show by a mile was the godawful Wildhorn "King Arthur" in Germany. Wildhorn can be salvaged when done well, but here a crappy direction and awful costumes made it only worse. I was also very disappointed by the Sunset Blvd production I saw in Dortmund with its awful direction/stage sets and Little Shop of Horrors in Bonn was "okay" at best, too. In short, rhe three out of three shows I've seen here in Germany ranged from okay via meh to ugh, whereas I left shows in London and Paris with a big happy smile and a feeling of "wow, that was great!" (well, not every, but the majority). So I think this may have been the year where I finally gave up on trying to wring some enjoyment out of German productions and will just focus on abroad completely.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2016 8:04:20 GMT
Best
Groundhog Day, especially Andy Karl's performance
Harry Potter
Aladdin
Worst
Funny Girl
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840 posts
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Post by Steffi on Dec 18, 2016 9:09:45 GMT
Best
Groundhog Day (especially Andy Karl)
Lazarus (I know lots of people didn't like it but I loved it)
Dreamgirls
Murder Ballad (again, one that clearly wasn't for everyone)
Worst
27 (not a bad show in general it just felt underdeveloped and some of the cast weren't very good in my opinion)
Not West End but two New York favourites:
Hamilton (just wow)
Sleep no more (all time favourite)
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3,575 posts
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Post by showgirl on Dec 18, 2016 14:58:40 GMT
I can't remember when Mrs Henderson originally opened, and I know Kinky Boots wasn't new this year, or they'd have been 2 of my list, but definitely Half A Sixpence, Miss Atomic Bomb and Groundhog Day.
Worst: without question School Of Rock.
Best performance from the above: Charlie Stemp in Half A Sixpence.
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Post by gjones72 on Dec 18, 2016 21:24:58 GMT
Best show for us: sunset boulevard - was amazing and exceeded all expectations
Worst show - for disappointing us is disneys aladdin - loved it in New York but the London production left us cold :-(
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2016 1:17:19 GMT
Best: Dreamgirls and Funny Girl - the Savoy's had a good year. And The Color Purple on Broadway, but that's beyond the scope of the thread.
Worst: I was away for much of the year so my theatregoing was severely curtailed. Also meant I managed to avoid a lot of the dross, don't think I've seen anything particularly terrible this year!
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1,827 posts
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Post by stevej678 on Dec 19, 2016 11:53:34 GMT
Best (in order):
(1) She Loves Me
(2) Half A Sixpence
(3) Groundhog Day
(4) Titanic
(5) The Comedy About A Bank Robbery
Other highlights included The Rivals, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, School of Rock, Legally Blonde (at Leicester Curve) and In The Heights.
Worst:
(1) Exposure The Musical
(2) Devilish
(3) All or Nothing
(4) Aladdin
(5) Showboat
The standout performance of the year for me came from Natasha J Barnes in Funny Girl. The moment when she took her bows, both in terms of the audience reaction to her and her subsequent reaction to the audience, was a lovely moment, thoroughly deserved, that's stayed with me long after the memories of the show have started to fade a little.
There's two shows I've still to see before the end of the year - Grease at Leicester Curve and Strictly Ballroom.
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2,452 posts
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Post by theatremadness on Dec 19, 2016 12:38:27 GMT
If I had to pick one for best & one for worst, I'd say:
Best - Groundhog Day
Worst - The Entertainer
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1,102 posts
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Post by zak97 on Dec 19, 2016 20:16:15 GMT
Best:
Harry Potter (twice)
Guys and Dolls (second visit this year, wish I could go again)
Half a Sixpence (thrice so far)
Donmar The Tempest (outstanding and unique)
Nell Gwynn
Sunset Boulevard (outstanding, but glad I only went once so it remained very special)
Meh:
Funny Girl (loved the score but that was it)
Showboat (loved the score and narrative, sadly the day I went wasn't on top form)
Worst:
The Threepenny Opera (didn't get it)
Matilda (annoying audience made it hard to enjoy it. Bad sound quality didn't help)
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2,778 posts
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Post by daniel on Dec 19, 2016 23:14:22 GMT
Gonna stick to new shows rather than stuff I've seen before...
Best:
In The Heights - wasn't expecting to enjoy it and was pleasantly surprised to love it.
Groundhog Day - big fan of Tom Minchin, wonderful production with a great cast, bargain paying £30 for a £90 seat, well impressed.
Harry Potter - need I say more?
Worst:
Lazarus - possibly an unpopular opinion but it just didn't click with me.
1984 - it was alright...again, just not my thing I think.
Genuinely don't think I saw any "bad" theatre this year, just the odd few bits that I didn't enjoy on a personal level rather than it being any fault of the production.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2016 23:41:38 GMT
Gonna stick to new shows rather than stuff I've seen before... Best: In The Heights - wasn't expecting to enjoy it and was pleasantly surprised to love it. Groundhog Day - big fan of Tom Minchin, wonderful production with a great cast, bargain paying £30 for a £90 seat, well impressed.Harry Potter - need I say more? Worst: Lazarus - possibly an unpopular opinion but it just didn't click with me. 1984 - it was alright...again, just not my thing I think. Genuinely don't think I saw any "bad" theatre this year, just the odd few bits that I didn't enjoy on a personal level rather than it being any fault of the production. You forgot to add that you were sat next to me... which really added to the overall enjoyment.  |
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2,778 posts
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Post by daniel on Dec 20, 2016 0:57:59 GMT
Gonna stick to new shows rather than stuff I've seen before... Best: In The Heights - wasn't expecting to enjoy it and was pleasantly surprised to love it. Groundhog Day - big fan of Tom Minchin, wonderful production with a great cast, bargain paying £30 for a £90 seat, well impressed.Harry Potter - need I say more? Worst: Lazarus - possibly an unpopular opinion but it just didn't click with me. 1984 - it was alright...again, just not my thing I think. Genuinely don't think I saw any "bad" theatre this year, just the odd few bits that I didn't enjoy on a personal level rather than it being any fault of the production. You forgot to add that you were sat next to me... which really added to the overall enjoyment. Sorry made a typo, it should've been in worst..... |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2016 1:25:30 GMT
Best: Titanic, Show Boat
Worst: The Libertine, The Lorax
Performances: Victoria Serra in Titanic, Gina Beck in Show Boat, Andy Karl in Groundhog Day.
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1,936 posts
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 20, 2016 1:38:10 GMT
Best shows for me in 2016 - Funny Girl. Showboat. JCS - Regents Park. Hangmen. Titanic.
Nothing bad as I am too picky.... but meh were Amadeus, Lazarus, School of Rock
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2016 9:24:04 GMT
Best Shows : Ragtime, Dead Funny and The Tempest Stratford upon Avon.
Best Performances : Anita Loiuse Combe, Rebecca Trehearn (Showboat), Michael C Hall (Lazarus).
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1,064 posts
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Post by bellboard27 on Dec 20, 2016 16:30:28 GMT
Sticking to the OP request for WE shows that opened this year (but expanding WE to Southbank!):
Best for me: The Flick, Love, Half a Sixpence, Sunset B.
Worst: War of the Worlds!
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