|
|
Post by blamerobots on Jul 1, 2024 14:16:29 GMT
I think the Camp-o-meter that is embedded from birth in people's brains has stopped working or has been damaged in some cases. A good gated reverb, 80's DUFF DUFF DUFF tom-tom roll should've gotten that part of their brain working again...
|
|
8,097 posts
|
Post by alece10 on Jul 1, 2024 14:50:45 GMT
Thats not a bad set of reviews at all and really pleased for the show.
I was expecting worse as ALW and the press don't always have a great relationship.
Really hope the show runs for a nice long period and, judging from advance sales, I think that's a real possibility.
At the end of the day I go to the theatre for escapism and be entertained and Starlight does that by the bagful.
|
|
|
|
Post by ash on Jul 1, 2024 15:25:53 GMT
Thats not a bad set of reviews at all and really pleased for the show. I was expecting worse as ALW and the press don't always have a great relationship. Really hope the show runs for a nice long period and, judging from advance sales, I think that's a real possibility. At the end of the day I go to the theatre for escapism and be entertained and Starlight does that by the bagful. I'm also impressed with the reviews, well done! It says online that it only runs until Feb next year, is that just a current booking period or has it been confirmed as a limited run? Could well be limited, but I could imagine this sticking around for at least a year or three... |
|
1,381 posts
|
Post by BVM on Jul 1, 2024 15:36:36 GMT
Thats not a bad set of reviews at all and really pleased for the show. I was expecting worse as ALW and the press don't always have a great relationship. Really hope the show runs for a nice long period and, judging from advance sales, I think that's a real possibility. At the end of the day I go to the theatre for escapism and be entertained and Starlight does that by the bagful. I'm also impressed with the reviews, well done! It says online that it only runs until Feb next year, is that just a current booking period or has it been confirmed as a limited run? Could well be limited, but I could imagine this sticking around for at least a year or three... Just a booking period! Cast have been contracted for a year :-) |
|
1,381 posts
|
Post by BVM on Jul 1, 2024 16:16:51 GMT
|
|
629 posts
|
Post by jamb0r on Jul 1, 2024 16:50:58 GMT
Thanks to all those that mentioned about the single seats being reduced to £29.50. Just managed to get one for the upcoming Sunday matinee in the 1st class section, usually £195!
|
|
7,054 posts
|
Post by Jon on Jul 1, 2024 17:14:43 GMT
Where will they put it though unless Troubabour opens a temporary theatre somewhere. I'm curious what the new ALW musical is, I'm hoping it's A United Kingdom because it's a return to more serious theatre compared to School of Rock and (Bad) Cinderella. |
|
|
|
Post by benj on Jul 1, 2024 17:19:06 GMT
Interesting! I would love to see this new production on a bigger stage. |
|
608 posts
|
Post by chernjam on Jul 1, 2024 20:32:30 GMT
Honestly, I'm not sure who this Michael Harrison guy is - I'm just not that clued into everything - but it sounds like (Finally) he has his new "Cameron Mac" -which sadly he's needed since the two went their separate ways.
Happy for him that at this stage in his career he's able to enjoy the fruits of his labors and seeing them being received receptively rather than ridiculed.
I've never seen Starlight Express - have a couple of CD's of it and enjoy some of the music, but happy to see it doing well
And I am really curious about the new musical
|
|
|
|
Post by marob on Jul 1, 2024 21:28:39 GMT
Even by theatre standards the pricing for this is all over the place. There’s only one performance I can make it to, and yesterday I saw a single seat near the front of the platform area for £45. Stupidly didn’t book it and when I went back to it today it had sold and similar seats were £195. Had a look on todaytix and got one of the first class carriage seats for £33, and only paid £29 as I had some credit. Todaytix is selling the row in front for £225!
Anyway, looking forward to it. The Kenwright tour came to my local theatre years ago but I was very much avoiding ALW like the plague until the ENO Sunset. All I know is trains and roller skates.
|
|
|
|
Post by blamerobots on Jul 2, 2024 1:11:57 GMT
Yeah, the pricing has been all over the place. Every time I come back because I'm reminded I should book this the prices seem to be flying sky high!
|
|
1,828 posts
|
Post by Dave B on Jul 2, 2024 8:58:41 GMT
Extended until June 2025
|
|
|
|
Post by blamerobots on Jul 3, 2024 2:29:22 GMT
The two Starlight cast albums on Apple Music have new fancy animated album artwork, joining the two Sunset albums. I suppose for those two recent productions their team thought to glow up those two shows on music streaming. Might be a good way to clock upcoming news in the future if any albums suddenly get new press artwork or material...  |
|
2,242 posts
|
Post by richey on Jul 4, 2024 12:22:02 GMT
Just heading to this afternoon's matinee and walked past ALW in Wembley Park station. Guess he's been checking on the show, but rather surprised he was on public transport.
|
|
2,242 posts
|
Post by richey on Jul 4, 2024 16:31:23 GMT
I so wanted to like this but I really struggled in parts. It looks very pretty and there are some lovely moments but I was bored. I actually found myself yawning during one of the races.
On the positive- I liked the presence of the child/Control through the whole show, I thought it added a new dimension. The Starlight sequence was stunning- from my seat at the back of the Locomotion section it looked beautiful.
But,like has been said before,the races are a mess. There's no tension, they're all skating in random directions and if it wasn't for the screens you wouldn't know who was winning.
One the whole, am glad I've seen it but it's not up there in my top shows of the year, hence giving it three stars.
|
|
520 posts
|
Post by anthony on Jul 4, 2024 17:04:23 GMT
Saw last night and it was... OK. I don't know if the sound is weird, but the singing sounded so disjointed to the songs? I can't really explain. I feel like if I didn't have a good understanding of the plot, I'd genuinely have no idea what was happening half the time. I liked the inclusion of Hydra. Sad about Next Time You Fall in Love, although its replacement is nice.
Started nearly 10 minutes late and a show stop early on after someone put their drink on the floor and it was knocked over, causing a wet stage, causing Hydra to take a slight fall. Personally, I think they should have been ejected from the theatre. Pearl also took a tumble flat on her face during Whistle at Me. Felt *very* bad for her, but she recovered really well.
It was enjoyable but it just lacked something that I can't put my finger on? It felt very Disneyland ride queue a lot of the time.
|
|
7,054 posts
|
Post by Jon on Jul 4, 2024 17:49:16 GMT
I'm back from seeing the matinee and have to say maybe it's me being nostalgic but I really enjoyed it. I saw Starlight Express as a child and loved it back then and seeing it through adult eyes, it makes no sense but you can enjoy it for what it is, a musical spectacle. The changes are interesting and for the most part works, making Control more central to the story works really well and to give some spoiler thoughts Momma and the Starlight Express also being the character's mother is a fun analogy and also that Rusty is a personification of Control, making the character less bratty is a good change as well The cast are great, young but very talented. I'm honestly more impressed with how they managed to skate and sing in those costumes is a feat in itself. The races are the best bit, I wish they were a tad faster but I suspect H&S means they have to go at a certain speed, there is also a lot of non racing spectacle which I thought was very good. The new songs are very good, I'm Me is better than A Lotta Locomotion and I Do is on par with Next Time You Fall in Love although I hope ALW can finally stop fiddling that second to last song. The classic songs are still the belters I remember especially Pumping Iron, Rolling Stock, the title song and Light at the End of the Tunnel although I still don't like AC/DC even after all these years. The Troubadour is a nice theatre and I was in the First Class section so was in the thick of the action, I would like to sit further back next time just to see how the show looks from a distance. Wembley Park was also nice to wander around before the show, would like to do a tour of Wembley Stadium in the future. This deserves to run and given there is not that many family shows that kids and adults can enjoy, Starlight is a First Class show. |
|
|
|
Post by d'James on Jul 4, 2024 18:15:16 GMT
I'm back from seeing the matinee and have to say maybe it's me being nostalgic but I really enjoyed it. I saw Starlight Express as a child and loved it back then and seeing it through adult eyes, it makes no sense but you can enjoy it for what it is, a musical spectacle. The changes are interesting and for the most part works, making Control more central to the story works really well and to give some spoiler thoughts Momma and the Starlight Express also being the character's mother is a fun analogy and also that Rusty is a personification of Control, making the character less bratty is a good change as well The cast are great, young but very talented. I'm honestly more impressed with how they managed to skate and sing in those costumes is a feat in itself. The races are the best bit, I wish they were a tad faster but I suspect H&S means they have to go at a certain speed, there is also a lot of non racing spectacle which I thought was very good. The new songs are very good, I'm Me is better than A Lotta Locomotion and I Do is on par with Next Time You Fall in Love although I hope ALW can finally stop fiddling that second to last song. The classic songs are still the belters I remember especially Pumping Iron, Rolling Stock, the title song and Light at the End of the Tunnel although I still don't like AC/DC even after all these years. The Troubadour is a nice theatre and I was in the First Class section so was in the thick of the action, I would like to sit further back next time just to see how the show looks from a distance. Wembley Park was also nice to wander around before the show, would like to do a tour of Wembley Stadium in the future. This deserves to run and given there is not that many family shows that kids and adults can enjoy, Starlight is a First Class show. The new songs are fine, but they don’t tell the story. (A Lotta Locomotion is a far better song, by the way.) I preferred it when it was called I Got Me, not I Am Me also. I Do is literally just a pop song shoved in, with no reference to the story; at least Next Time You Fall In Love had the word ‘Starlight’ in in it haha. |
|
660 posts
|
Post by Oleanna on Jul 4, 2024 23:58:28 GMT
If he wants to take it up North, he should take it to Blackpool!
|
|
|
|
Post by benj on Jul 5, 2024 0:33:26 GMT
I'm back from seeing the matinee and have to say maybe it's me being nostalgic but I really enjoyed it. I saw Starlight Express as a child and loved it back then and seeing it through adult eyes, it makes no sense but you can enjoy it for what it is, a musical spectacle. The changes are interesting and for the most part works, making Control more central to the story works really well and to give some spoiler thoughts Momma and the Starlight Express also being the character's mother is a fun analogy and also that Rusty is a personification of Control, making the character less bratty is a good change as well The cast are great, young but very talented. I'm honestly more impressed with how they managed to skate and sing in those costumes is a feat in itself. The races are the best bit, I wish they were a tad faster but I suspect H&S means they have to go at a certain speed, there is also a lot of non racing spectacle which I thought was very good. The new songs are very good, I'm Me is better than A Lotta Locomotion and I Do is on par with Next Time You Fall in Love although I hope ALW can finally stop fiddling that second to last song. The classic songs are still the belters I remember especially Pumping Iron, Rolling Stock, the title song and Light at the End of the Tunnel although I still don't like AC/DC even after all these years. The Troubadour is a nice theatre and I was in the First Class section so was in the thick of the action, I would like to sit further back next time just to see how the show looks from a distance. Wembley Park was also nice to wander around before the show, would like to do a tour of Wembley Stadium in the future. This deserves to run and given there is not that many family shows that kids and adults can enjoy, Starlight is a First Class show. The new songs are fine, but they don’t tell the story. (A Lotta Locomotion is a far better song, by the way.) I preferred it when it was called I Got Me, not I Am Me also. I Do is literally just a pop song shoved in, with no reference to the story; at least Next Time You Fall In Love had the word ‘Starlight’ in in it haha. A Lotta Locomotion is a far superior song to I Am Me. It introduces the carriages so nicely. I think the new show has so diluted the story, it’s just hard to follow now. I found I didn’t really care about Rusty and Pearl anymore. |
|
|
|
Post by d'James on Jul 5, 2024 1:37:10 GMT
The new songs are fine, but they don’t tell the story. (A Lotta Locomotion is a far better song, by the way.) I preferred it when it was called I Got Me, not I Am Me also. I Do is literally just a pop song shoved in, with no reference to the story; at least Next Time You Fall In Love had the word ‘Starlight’ in in it haha. A Lotta Locomotion is a far superior song to I Am Me. It introduces the carriages so nicely. I think the new show has so diluted the story, it’s just hard to follow now. I found I didn’t really care about Rusty and Pearl anymore. Yes. There seem to be many more questions about what the Starlight Express is, and Hydra spoiling the idea of believing in yourself. |
|
3,426 posts
|
Post by ceebee on Jul 6, 2024 0:43:54 GMT
There was a six carriage pile up on the stage right trackside ramp tonight during race two resulting in an extended interval whilst two understudies were costumed up. Somehow the race and show continued without a stop - Control (Arabella Stanton) was commentating, and I've no idea how the cast kept it all going. What an incredible company. Lara Vina Uzcatia stepped up as Greaseball at the interval and was excellent. I think "Green Arrow" was also replaced but I didn't catch who the understudy was. The hitch was really well managed by the Company Manager and the cast got a deserved ovation.
|
|
|
|
Post by evilmat360 on Jul 6, 2024 10:43:30 GMT
There was a six carriage pile up on the stage right trackside ramp tonight during race two resulting in an extended interval whilst two understudies were costumed up. Somehow the race and show continued without a stop - Control (Arabella Stanton) was commentating, and I've no idea how the cast kept it all going. What an incredible company. Lara Vina Uzcatia stepped up as Greaseball at the interval and was excellent. I think "Green Arrow" was also replaced but I didn't catch who the understudy was. The hitch was really well managed by the Company Manager and the cast got a deserved ovation. Was also in last night, impressed that they managed to keep it all going. Only sign that it wasn't an intentional fall was that there wasn't any accompanying effects or audio. Couldn't even tell that it would have been Lara's debut as Greaseball and think it was Blue Lightning that was also replaced with Lucy Glover swinging on for her debut as Blue Lightning. Had to work it out from some of the casts instagrams as all that was announced by the company manager for the switch was the characters not the cast playing them.
Plus an update on the programmes for anyone wondering, they've crept up to £15 since previews and as of last night are still only rehearsal photos rather than production shots.
|
|
1,381 posts
|
Post by BVM on Jul 6, 2024 11:01:39 GMT
It’s a decent programme but 15 quid is pushing it. And be nice to get some show pics in there.
I’d love separated programme and souvenir brochure but appreciate this makes me a dinosaur.
Also, for all the amazing work they are doing with this production, they’re still doing a terrible job of letting us know who’s actually ON stage. I similarly work it out from cast members’ Insta!
|
|
7,054 posts
|
Post by Jon on Jul 6, 2024 11:07:44 GMT
It’s a decent programme but 15 quid is pushing it. And be nice to get some show pics in there. I’d love separated programme and souvenir brochure but appreciate this makes me a dinosaur. Also, for all the amazing work they are doing with this production, they’re still doing a terrible job of letting us know who’s actually ON stage. I similarly work it out from cast members’ Insta! By comparison, the programme at Kiss Me, Kate is 8 quid but absolutely massive. |
|
