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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 5, 2023 17:04:37 GMT
What I like about this board is all the positivity when something new is announced... 🙃 Why should people show positivity when one of the announced cast has been hateful towards large swathes of audience members during a recent production? |
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Post by mrmarmelstein on Jan 5, 2023 17:57:34 GMT
I haven’t been to the HM since before Covid. The stuff they’re programming since reopening just doesn’t appeal. I think the last thing I saw was Rent on line. Didn’t rate it. I did book for Cinderella towards the end of the run just because it was R&H but got covid myself so that didn’t happen. I’m afraid after reading the wiki entry for this one it sounds dreadful and I don’t know the music of the Go Go’s so that doesn’t swing it. I think it’s an odd choice. I might be wrong, but from the producer names on HOH, it looks like this an external production as opposed to an in-house one, but obviously if Hope Mill didn’t want to programme it they didn’t have to |
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Post by marob on Jan 5, 2023 19:03:31 GMT
I haven’t been to the HM since before Covid. The stuff they’re programming since reopening just doesn’t appeal. I think the last thing I saw was Rent on line. Didn’t rate it. I did book for Cinderella towards the end of the run just because it was R&H but got covid myself so that didn’t happen. I’m afraid after reading the wiki entry for this one it sounds dreadful and I don’t know the music of the Go Go’s so that doesn’t swing it. I think it’s an odd choice. I might be wrong, but from the producer names on HOH, it looks like this an external production as opposed to an in-house one, but obviously if Hope Mill didn’t want to programme it they didn’t have to It’s easy to miss but it’s tagged as a visiting company on the Hope Mill website. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 5, 2023 19:44:58 GMT
What I like about this board is all the positivity when something new is announced... 🙃 It’s a discussion forum, not a fan forum. |
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Post by westendfan1 on Jan 5, 2023 20:28:26 GMT
What I like about this board is all the positivity when something new is announced... 🙃 It’s a discussion forum, not a fan forum. I appreciate that. Just a little joke! |
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Post by david on Jan 24, 2023 20:16:53 GMT
I was in two minds whether to book for this one as I'm not that familiar with the group's music. With an offer from ManchesterTheatres.com, I've ended up getting a £40 ticket for £27 (included admin fee) for this Saturday's matinee.
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Post by richey on Jan 24, 2023 22:12:02 GMT
Doesn't look like it's selling particularly well. Glad I held off booking as I've now taken advantage of the Manchester Theatres offer too and got reduced price ticket for Sunday
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Post by marob on Jan 24, 2023 22:19:51 GMT
There’s a rehearsal video on whatsonstage. Doesn’t make me want to see it though.
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Post by stevej678 on Jan 27, 2023 18:22:14 GMT
Tonight's second preview has been cancelled.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 27, 2023 19:12:19 GMT
I was in two minds whether to book for this one as I'm not that familiar with the group's music. With an offer from ManchesterTheatres.com, I've ended up getting a £40 ticket for £27 (included admin fee) for this Saturday's matinee. Check before you travel david! |
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Post by david on Jan 28, 2023 13:14:00 GMT
With the good news early this morning that both scheduled shows are going ahead, I’m heading to Hope Mill to see the show this afternoon.
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Post by aingidh on Jan 28, 2023 13:51:59 GMT
Really really enjoyed the first preview. Went in completely blind so had no idea about anything, what I got was a fun feel good show that's pure cheese and a good night. The cast work well together, and there are some fun songs and a funny script. i think as they settle into the run it'll only get better.
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Post by david on Jan 28, 2023 20:20:07 GMT
Having just got back from this afternoon's show, a few thoughts from my visit. With today's show only being the second the preview due to cast illness, we had a bit of a late cast change today. Due to the absence of Jenny O'Leary as Pamela, with less than 24hrs rehearsal time we had ensemble member Marina Tavolieri step into the role along with the show director Tom Jackson Greaves in the ensemble. I have to say with script in hand, Marina was brilliant both vocally and with the line delivery.
As a second preview, I will say this show is in really good shape and the 2hr 20 min run time didn't drag at all. We did have a bit of mic feedback but apart from that, there were no other technical issues as far as I could see. The sound mixing was spot on and I had no issues hearing either the 5-piece band (guitars, drums and a keyboard) located at the back of the stage or the cast singing the score.
As I previously posted, I wasn't really aware of the "Go-Go's" group and only know of "Heaven is a place on Earth" pre-visit, but I will say that this really didn't impact on my enjoyment of the music or the show. If nothing else, it has encouraged me to have a listen to the original's post visit. With the 18 songs within the show, I certainly didn't feel that there was a big "11-o'Clock" number within the score, though all songs were performed really well and with plenty of energy by the cast and band. Having read the LB thread there were some issues around Iz Hesketh's vocals. I will say that today, I didn't hear anything from them to warrant any concerns of their singing.
With the cast, they really do seem to have a really good on-stage chemistry and worked really well as a group in delivering the show. My own personal favourite was Daniel Page as Dametas who really had really good comic timing.
The book Jeff Whitty / James Magruder is packed with plenty of laughs and some great wordplay on show. It is very much tongue in cheek humour and not very much hard hitting emotion. The language is very much in the vein of a Shakespeare play set to pop songs.
In terms of staging, quite frankly there really isn't much on display. It is very much a bare stage with only a few pillars at the side of the stage to depict the setting. There are few props but in one scene to depict a bush, a white cloth with the word "BUSH" is used instead. The only positive I can say is that if you are sat either end of the rows you are not going to miss anything from set's blocking your view.
The costumes from designer Sophia Pardon, I think are meant to represent an 80's look, though there are a few nods to Elizabethan wear in terms of dresses and ruffs.
Overall, whilst I didn't fall head over heels in love with this show, there was plenty in there to keep me entertained and enjoy for my discounted ticket price and at the end was well received by the audience.
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Post by richey on Jan 29, 2023 19:39:27 GMT
Oh dear. Bit of a mess, that really didn't work for me.
The cast are extremely enthusiastic and give great performances (was hard to tell it was an early preview)there's some good choreography and the songs are wonderfully poppy but the production as a whole felt incomplete.
The almost bare stage with the occasional use of 'witty' labels to convey scenery fell flat for me and felt like they hadnt got scenery ready in time. The costumes looked someone raided an 80s dressing up box.
So i didn't hate it but glad I only got a discounted preview ticket as it's certainly not worth the high prices Hope Mill seem to be charging these days.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 29, 2023 19:53:01 GMT
Sounds cheap. Appreciating fully the financial challenges that the HM is under but most people don’t want to see cheap looking shows with no set. Sorry. That’s just how it is.
We can be all “community” and “kind” as much as we like but tix at the HM are not cheap and people deserve more than this.
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Post by westendfan1 on Jan 30, 2023 9:30:50 GMT
I saw this over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised. Yes, there could have been more in the way of set, but for a show in early previews I was actually really impressed. Very strong cast, and great choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves. The music was fantastic, and there were some really funny bits in the script. I also love the Hope Mill, and may even make a return visit once the show is fully bedded in.
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Post by sukhavati on Jan 31, 2023 1:03:31 GMT
Is this a jukebox musical a la Movin' Out or Mama Mia where the artists songs are used as a narrative device?
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Post by danb on Jan 31, 2023 6:16:12 GMT
Yes. It uses the songs of ‘The Go-gos’ and a couple of Belinda Carlisles solo hits.
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Post by westendfan1 on Feb 2, 2023 11:12:44 GMT
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Post by danb on Feb 2, 2023 11:18:48 GMT
Anyone else off to see the real Belinda this week? I’ll have waited nearly four years by the time Saturday comes round.
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Post by venoose on Feb 4, 2023 10:11:24 GMT
Well that was an extremely fun and entertaining evening at the Hope Mill Theatre! A couple of sound issues at the start, mainly the incredibly loud ventilation system being switched on to maximum for some reason and Maiya’s mic seemed to be very quiet. Thankfully it was all sorted after the first song and from there on in the sound was great.
It’s a very loud, bold and at times silly (in the best possible way) show that delves into topics that some might roll their eyes at whilst others (including myself) will come away from the show feeling empowered.
The cast were firing on all cylinders, it felt like such a treat being sat just a couple of feet away from people performing at such a high standard. Jenny O’Leary is an absolute star who really has a bright future ahead of her.
I really hope I can see this again before it ends.
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Post by westendfan1 on Feb 5, 2023 23:09:15 GMT
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Post by stevej678 on Feb 6, 2023 9:16:21 GMT
Especially with how it's selling. I'm going later this week and the audience looks sparse at best most nights. |
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Post by richey on Feb 6, 2023 20:28:36 GMT
Not surprisingly, I've just had an email from Manchester Theatres offering £25 discounted tickets for every performance for the rest of the run.
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