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Post by richey on Nov 2, 2023 22:46:36 GMT
So some thoughts whilst on the tram home...
Totally brash and over the top as was to be expected.
Bit disappointed they've included several stereotypical overly camp gay characters. And a few dodgy punchlines including one about dementia
There are hearts everywhere.. in the set (which is never ending), the costumes, the props and it gets a bit nauseating.
A few more obscure song choices but very Kylie oriented. And some cute appearances from the goddess herself who looks stunning.
Plot paper thin and could see the ending a mile off but in the end I stopped caring and just enjoyed the tunes.
This is soo going to attract the ladies night out crowd and so glad tonight's audience was fairly restrained though there was some singing and clapping.
So on the whole,Ok. Would probably go back to see it again
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Post by stevej678 on Nov 3, 2023 13:04:01 GMT
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Post by Being Alive on Nov 3, 2023 14:15:35 GMT
God it looks...awful
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Post by anthony40 on Nov 3, 2023 15:56:35 GMT
Be that as it may, I predict lots of girlie nights out, hen parties, etc.
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Post by stevej678 on Nov 3, 2023 16:02:27 GMT
I battled through horrendous traffic on the M62 last night, thanks to the closure of the M6 near St Helens, with what's usually a 50-minute journey taking double that time.
It was worth the effort despite the show's shortcomings with its paper thin book and occasional misjudged punchline, "I've got dementia" being the worst offender, which plenty in the audience seemed to find hilarious.
If you enjoyed seeing Dolly Parton appear in the clockface in 9 to 5, you'll love Kylie's many appearances in a mirror here as she tells Ella, our leading lady, to be "strong, beautiful and fabulous".
There was a short show stop part way through act one, when a basket failed to descend for a balloon ride. The running time is currently 2 hours 20 minutes without that delay.
The plot, such as it is, involves the a bride being jilted on her wedding day, heading off on honeymoon to a Turkish resort with family and friends in tow. She finds a new love interest there, only for the groom to follow her out there begging for a second chance. The explanation we're eventually given of why the groom jilted Ella at their wedding is quite laughable. His character is treated as a bit of a buffoon for much of the show, so it's certainly hard to root for Ella to say 'Better the Devil You Know' and get back with him at the expense of her new love interest, Nadeem.
Standouts in the cast are Lucie May-Sumner in the lead role of Ella, as well as Jamie Chapman as Spencer, the resort host. I'd have liked to see more of Sydney Isitt-Ager in the underwritten role of Helen, especially the potential rivalry between her and Ella which could have been further explored. Scott Paige seemed to go down a storm with the audience as the stereotypical camp gay bestie but it's a character and portrayal we've seen far too many times before. Jessica Daley's character is given hints of a sub plot which don't go anywhere. The plot as a whole rather disintegrates into nothing once, ten minutes into act two, Ella's decided which of her two suitors she's choosing.
When the show puts its lame book to one side and focuses on the music, as it does for much of the latter stages of act one, that's when it comes into its own, although where many of the song insertions in & Juliet feel genuinely witty, here they're mostly served with a slice of cheese. There's obviously the obligatory medley at the end to send everyone home happy.
All in all then, I think this is probably the show people expected it to be. If you can put the creaky book to one side, it does boast a talented cast delivering some fabulous songs from Kylie, Rick Astley and Bananarama among others. I left the scaffolding-clad Opera House thinking the cast were great, the show was pretty terrible, but I had a fun and fairly enjoyable evening regardless! At least until getting back to my car and finding that now the M62 was shut.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2023 16:12:21 GMT
I'd be interested to see what the show numbers were as SAW did write a lot of original hits and a lot could fit pretty well into this type of show.
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Post by richey on Nov 3, 2023 19:11:40 GMT
I'd be interested to see what the show numbers were as SAW did write a lot of original hits and a lot could fit pretty well into this type of show. It's all the basic ones you'd expect. Very Kylie heavy. There was some Brother Beyond and Hazell Dean and a nice Mel and Kim medley |
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Post by toomasj on Nov 3, 2023 19:42:03 GMT
Are they full songs or snippets? A bugbear of mine is never actually completing a song in jukebox musicals…
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Post by richey on Nov 3, 2023 19:44:56 GMT
Are they full songs or snippets? A bugbear of mine is never actually completing a song in jukebox musicals… They're pretty much full songs in the main. There's a few which are shortened versions but it's not as bad as something like Moulin Rouge which jumps from song to song |
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Post by drowseychap on Nov 3, 2023 23:54:34 GMT
The plot sounds a little like that 80s club Tropicana musical few years back with Joe maceldry in it ?
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Post by WireHangers on Nov 4, 2023 0:55:07 GMT
Someone in the show said on Twitter that this show was destined to become the next Mamma Mia… which immediately put me off.
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Post by drowseychap on Nov 4, 2023 2:09:20 GMT
good smash-hit pop classics, it’s Club Tropicana the musical UK Tour.
Club Tropicana the musical UK Tour
It’s a time when hair was big, shoulders were padded and mobile phones were shaped like bricks and weighed a tonne! Take a fun-packed trip back in time to the electric 80’s with the world premiere of Club Tropicana The Musical UK Tour, a summer adventure of love in the sun, with a soundtrack of smash-hit pop classics – it really is the feel-good musical of the year!
When our budding bride and groom get cold feet, they decide to jet off separately to sunnier climes and feel the heat – but little do they know they’ve checked into the same hotel… the vibrant Club Tropicana!
Sounds like a few similarities
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Post by stevej678 on Nov 4, 2023 8:21:33 GMT
Someone in the show said on Twitter that this show was destined to become the next Mamma Mia… which immediately put me off. That was the Head of Production Marketing for the show who also shared a short clip of Never Gonna Give You Up from the encore. |
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Post by richey on Nov 4, 2023 9:44:01 GMT
Someone in the show said on Twitter that this show was destined to become the next Mamma Mia… which immediately put me off. It's nowhere near being in the same league as Mamma Mia. |
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Post by anthony40 on Nov 4, 2023 16:41:14 GMT
For me, reading these comments and seeing the clips I feel it's a double-edges sword.
It's somewhat re-assurring that Mamma Mia! it isn't. It means that, again, ABBA and their music is still leading the way and after 20 + years everything else is a poorer version.
On the other hand, in these financially tough times, if it's getting bums on seats and it's going to bring in those who may have never been to the theatre, well, that can't be a bad thing, can it?
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Post by david on Nov 4, 2023 16:57:06 GMT
A visit to Manchester Opera House for me for tomorrow's show. Looking forward to it.
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Post by richey on Nov 4, 2023 17:44:49 GMT
For me, reading these comments and seeing the clips I feel it's a double-edges sword. It's somewhat re-assurring that Mamma Mia! it isn't. It means that, again, ABBA and their music is still leading the way and after 20 + years everything else is a poorer version. On the other hand, in these financially tough times, if it's getting bums on seats and it's going to bring in those who may have never been to the theatre, well, that can't be a bad thing, can it? It's not actually getting that many bums on seats. Just been looking at availability and there's loads of seats left for the rest of the run. It's being heavily promoted around Manchester. ATG don't seem to have many offers on this either which is putting me off booking again. I'd like to see it again but there's no way I'm paying the full prices they're asking for it, it's not worth that. |
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Post by gmoneyoutlaw on Nov 4, 2023 17:53:20 GMT
For me, reading these comments and seeing the clips I feel it's a double-edges sword. It's somewhat re-assurring that Mamma Mia! it isn't. It means that, again, ABBA and their music is still leading the way and after 20 + years everything else is a poorer version. On the other hand, in these financially tough times, if it's getting bums on seats and it's going to bring in those who may have never been to the theatre, well, that can't be a bad thing, can it? I wish Muriel’s Wedding had a chance in the UK. With Mamma Mia running it’s too much of a risk. By the time Muriel is on the West End the Daly jokes won’t work anymore. As for ISBSL I’m traveling 7000 miles to see it before the Vegas residency. I’m lucky, or maybe not so…. |
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Post by anthony40 on Nov 4, 2023 17:56:50 GMT
For me, reading these comments and seeing the clips I feel it's a double-edges sword. It's somewhat re-assurring that Mamma Mia! it isn't. It means that, again, ABBA and their music is still leading the way and after 20 + years everything else is a poorer version. On the other hand, in these financially tough times, if it's getting bums on seats and it's going to bring in those who may have never been to the theatre, well, that can't be a bad thing, can it? I wish Muriel’s Wedding had a chance in the UK. I too wish that Muriel's Wedding came over too. I am from Sydney-where Muriel escapes Porpoise Spit to go to- an when I was home last (4 years ago) I had just missed it. I picked up some flyers and has the cast recording. Although I am returning home in February, it won't be playing. |
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Post by gmoneyoutlaw on Nov 4, 2023 18:28:51 GMT
I wish Muriel’s Wedding had a chance in the UK. I too wish that Muriel's Wedding came over too. I am from Sydney-where Muriel escapes Porpoise Spit to go to- an when I was home last (4 years ago) I had just missed it. I picked up some flyers and has the cast recording. Although I am returning home in February, it won't be playing. I’m so sorry. I may be the only American to have seen Muriel’s Wedding Musical 3 times. It was so much funny. Fun fact, I’ve seen Mamma Mia 3 times, once in Barcelona. |
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Post by anthony40 on Nov 4, 2023 18:30:33 GMT
I too wish that Muriel's Wedding came over too. I am from Sydney-where Muriel escapes Porpoise Spit to go to- an when I was home last (4 years ago) I had just missed it. I picked up some flyers and has the cast recording. Although I am returning home in February, it won't be playing. I’m so sorry. I may be the only American to have seen Muriel’s Wedding Musical 3 times. It was so much funny. Fun fact, I’ve seen Mamma Mia 3 times, once in Barcelona. #envy gmoneyoutlaw! #envy |
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Post by danb on Nov 4, 2023 21:11:38 GMT
This increasingly looks & sounds like it was written by chatgpt, based on the last 47 jukebox musicals and every straight to netflix romantic comedy ever made.
Can’t wait.
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Post by benny20 on Nov 4, 2023 21:46:44 GMT
Show been ruined by some so called theatre fans tonight....
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Post by stevej678 on Nov 4, 2023 21:46:51 GMT
Oh dear, show stopped for rowdy audience members to be thrown out tonight.
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Post by richey on Nov 4, 2023 22:04:39 GMT
Oh dear, show stopped for rowdy audience members to be thrown out tonight. Well I expected it, but not quite this early into the run |
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