1,999 posts
|
Post by distantcousin on Nov 14, 2023 8:47:52 GMT
Tom Francis as Joe really is the "motor" of this production isn't he?
|
|
1,409 posts
|
Post by BVM on Nov 14, 2023 9:03:41 GMT
Tom Francis as Joe really is the "motor" of this production isn't he? He really is. Joes are so often less remembered/acclaimed in Sunset, but like the Joseph Narrator, they really do drive the production. And Tom is sensational. I hope he wins as many awards as Nicole will/ought to. Best double act in the West End currently! |
|
80 posts
|
Post by jay78uk on Nov 14, 2023 9:08:17 GMT
Tom Francis as Joe really is the "motor" of this production isn't he? He really is. Joes are so often less remembered/acclaimed in Sunset, but like the Joseph Narrator, they really do drive the production. And Tom is sensational. I hope he wins as many awards as Nicole will/ought to. Best double act in the West End currently! Well I thought Gregor was brilliant in his debut last night. I haven’t seen this production before so I cannot compare him to Tom, but he owned the role of Joe Gillis last night. His dead pan delivery suited the direction perfectly and contrasted wonderfully with him having much fun back stage at the start of the second act. |
|
|
|
Post by traveller15 on Nov 14, 2023 9:13:17 GMT
Agree re. Francis. I've never seen (or heard) a better Joe.
|
|
80 posts
|
Post by jay78uk on Nov 14, 2023 9:33:37 GMT
Agree re. Francis. I've never seen (or heard) a better Joe. Its funny how much time is spent on this forum discussing which actor/ actress is better than the other. Maybe it would be more supportive for us to discuss what different people bring to a role rather than whom is better than whom? |
|
1,409 posts
|
Post by BVM on Nov 14, 2023 9:34:08 GMT
Agree re. Francis. I've never seen (or heard) a better Joe. Same! Although it's impossibly hard to compare this production to the other ones. That said I loved OLC Joe, Kevin Anderson. And in fact him and Tom Francis play it not dissimilarly. Brooding, cynical, understated. As I've previously said I think this works so much better than the "alpha male American jock" type Joe that the role morphed into over the years. |
|
|
|
Post by 141920grm on Nov 14, 2023 9:45:29 GMT
He really is. Joes are so often less remembered/acclaimed in Sunset, but like the Joseph Narrator, they really do drive the production. And Tom is sensational. I hope he wins as many awards as Nicole will/ought to. Best double act in the West End currently! Well I thought Gregor was brilliant in his debut last night. I haven’t seen this production before so I cannot compare him to Tom, but he owned the role of Joe Gillis last night. His dead pan delivery suited the direction perfectly and contrasted wonderfully with him having much fun back stage at the start of the second act. not disagreeing but if you are in a position to do repeat visits, I always say (and love) to catch both leads and covers to see which mannerisms are direction and which their own takes on the role |
|
|
|
Post by danb on Nov 14, 2023 11:24:22 GMT
”Actually, what surprised me most was how much I missed Tom Francis's Joe - he really is the glue that holds the whole show together. Gregor Milne was fine and I don't want to be too critical of him for what was his first performance. But he just didn't seem to inhabit the role in the way that Tom does, which unfortunately the minimalist direction only seemed to highlight.”
I think that the direction is anything but minimalist. The style is minimalist but it has been directed to death with every last detail attended to.
|
|
309 posts
|
Post by jm25 on Nov 14, 2023 12:00:30 GMT
”Actually, what surprised me most was how much I missed Tom Francis's Joe - he really is the glue that holds the whole show together. Gregor Milne was fine and I don't want to be too critical of him for what was his first performance. But he just didn't seem to inhabit the role in the way that Tom does, which unfortunately the minimalist direction only seemed to highlight.” I think that the direction is anything but minimalist. The style is minimalist but it has been directed to death with every last detail attended to. Oh yes, I meant more stylistically - I should have been clearer. There’s no doubting the attention to detail. The Sunset Boulevard sequence alone is testament to that. |
|
|
|
Post by apubleed on Nov 14, 2023 12:10:32 GMT
Tom back tonight?
|
|
|
|
Post by yeahyeahyeahs on Nov 14, 2023 13:03:29 GMT
Gregor per West end understudies tweet. |
|
|
|
Post by A.Ham on Nov 14, 2023 15:27:16 GMT
Email sent to RUG - can’t do any harm! 🤞🏻 Should it not be LWH to contact? It’s not a RUG production. I used the contact form on the link posted a few posts above my reply. I assumed it was RUG but if it was LW Theatres then that’s who I emailed. |
|
1,481 posts
|
Post by steve10086 on Nov 14, 2023 16:42:43 GMT
Should it not be LWH to contact? It’s not a RUG production. I used the contact form on the link posted a few posts above my reply. I assumed it was RUG but if it was LW Theatres then that’s who I emailed. Know what you mean, but not RUG or LW Theatres - it’s produced by Lloyd Webber Harrison (LWH). |
|
1,409 posts
|
Post by BVM on Nov 14, 2023 16:57:26 GMT
So with this run now over half way through, have increasingly found myself wondering what, if anything, it's legacy will be.
I think it's safe ish to say it's been a pretty big success and possibly an unexpected one. Certainly based on this non scientific thread we have 85% at 4/5 stars which I think is a higher level of enthusiasm that the early pages of the thread would have predicted. Also appreciated by critics and a definite buzz from the public. Many of my vaguely-but-not-specifically-into-theatre friends have either seen it and loved it or have booked to see it.
And for ALW after the chaos of Cinderella/Bad Cinderella, Aspects of Love failing to set the world alight and some hit and miss concerts, it's been easily his best selling and acclaimed show this side of the coronavirus.
First I wonder if there could be a future life for this production in the UK. Seems certain it won't be extending, likely it won't be transferring and highly likely there can't be another run here with Nicole if she is taking it to Broadway. I would love for a further run to be announced hot of the heels of this one but I do wonder if they could do it without Nicole. No criticism at all of the alternate, but you need only look at the relative sales to see how much of a draw Scherzinger is. I kind of think there must be someone else like her that could take this forward, but I can't actually name one! But then I am neither Jamie Lloyd nor a casting director. Does anyone think it could have a future life in the UK?
The second thing I wondered is if there are any other post Phantom ALW musicals that could have such an extreme reworking into such a breathtaking, hitherto unimagined production. Are there any that could have the Jamie Lloyd treatment? I've been through them all in my head and sadly am not sure there are. In fact I think it's testimony to what an insanely good musical Sunset Boulevard is that it has worked so well in a version so radically different from the original. And in fact as a result really of this production I think Sunset (already high in my estimation) has risen a long way above all the other post Phantom stuff. Be interested to hear if anyone thinks there is anything that could be revitalised in this way?
Pre Phantom I'd love to see Lloyd's Evita return. And I think he could definitely do Phantom itself but while the original is still there that's not really going to be on the table. I know it's not Jamie Lloyd, but after Starlight Express, I do think a new radical take on Cats would be interesting. As like Starlight and Phantom, the original production is so welded to the piece - be good to see something new. I mean it has been tried before but never on a huge West End scale. Be that Lloyd or a different director.
So I guess in summary as a huge ALW fan I do hope this may pave the way for some more epic revivals. I must confess my hunch though is that there isn't much that could generate this kind of buzz. That said I have high hopes for the new Starlight production and as for the rest, time will tell.
(Oh and in the meantime, have I mentioned I am desperate for a new Sunset cast recording.....?!)
|
|
1,409 posts
|
Post by BVM on Nov 14, 2023 17:01:30 GMT
Should add, am sure when LWH musicals were "formed" they said they were initially planning three ALW revivals. We have Sunset. We have Starlight. What is the third? When the Love Never Dies concert was generally well received there was some rumours might be that. I don't think that was based on anything other than wishful thinking from those that enjoyed the concert however. That said, I do think it's the most obvious. My personal vote would be for The Beautiful Game or a decent lavish version of Whistle Down The Wind.
|
|
1,481 posts
|
Post by steve10086 on Nov 14, 2023 17:08:13 GMT
Should add, am sure when LWH musicals were "formed" they said they were initially planning three ALW revivals. We have Sunset. We have Starlight. What is the third? When the Love Never Dies concert was generally well received there was some rumours might be that. I don't think that was based on anything other than wishful thinking from those that enjoyed the concert however. That said, I do think it's the most obvious. My personal vote would be for The Beautiful Game or a decent lavish version of Whistle Down The Wind. Please be WDTW! |
|
|
|
Post by A.Ham on Nov 14, 2023 17:19:28 GMT
I used the contact form on the link posted a few posts above my reply. I assumed it was RUG but if it was LW Theatres then that’s who I emailed. Know what you mean, but not RUG or LW Theatres - it’s produced by Lloyd Webber Harrison (LWH). Perhaps you could share their contact details if you have them. |
|
|
|
Post by danb on Nov 14, 2023 17:32:10 GMT
…but it would be Really Useful that released a recording surely? Or does that arm of RUG not exist any more?
|
|
1,999 posts
|
Post by distantcousin on Nov 14, 2023 17:42:21 GMT
Should add, am sure when LWH musicals were "formed" they said they were initially planning three ALW revivals. We have Sunset. We have Starlight. What is the third? When the Love Never Dies concert was generally well received there was some rumours might be that. I don't think that was based on anything other than wishful thinking from those that enjoyed the concert however. That said, I do think it's the most obvious. My personal vote would be for The Beautiful Game or a decent lavish version of Whistle Down The Wind. Whistle Down The Wind or The Beautiful Game totally spring to mind too - there is some complex and intense levels Lloyd could mine with both these pieces. |
|
1,999 posts
|
Post by distantcousin on Nov 14, 2023 17:42:52 GMT
What record label was Cinderella released on?
|
|
1,999 posts
|
Post by distantcousin on Nov 14, 2023 17:44:49 GMT
There is a radical new production (I think Off Broadway) being done next year of Cats... taking inspiration from ballroom/vogue culture.
|
|
|
|
Post by panda on Nov 14, 2023 17:56:52 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by danb on Nov 14, 2023 18:12:03 GMT
What record label was Cinderella released on? Polydor |
|
3,444 posts
|
Post by ceebee on Nov 14, 2023 18:25:07 GMT
Whistle Down The Wind.
|
|
309 posts
|
Post by jm25 on Nov 14, 2023 18:49:18 GMT
The official Twitter account has advertised a trailer coming this Thursday
|
|
