8,095 posts
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Post by alece10 on Sept 11, 2023 19:04:41 GMT
Is the theatre still jumping on people to check bags etc? I saw people with biggish bags in the auditorium and was quite surprised but it was the first preview and there were quite a lot of creatives and family in the audience so maybe we're turning a blind eye. |
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Post by andypandy on Sept 12, 2023 8:48:20 GMT
I saw this last night.
I come to this piece with a unique angle that my father last year had an accident and also ended up permanently in a wheelchair. I have lived and breathed the entire process. It wasn’t a good one.
I’m afraid I thought this musical was a missed opportunity. I give it 3 stars because I sat there and enjoyed it and that was all. I liked some of the rip off Dear Even Hanson type songs and some scenes but apart from the female character in the wheelchair who I thought was wonderful - the rest of the material sugar coated the entire experience and journey.
It was a very American contemporary/folk/rock Pasek and Paul score for a very British show. Make sense?
Two two boys playing Henry were superb (though I didn’t like they had different hair cuts!) For such subject material The Little Big Things was not harrowing, it wasn’t raw or deep or desperate enough - especially in act 1. It was rarely still. I had deep heartbreaking texts from my father saying he wanted to kill himself - last night he said “I had some dark moments” and the show moved on. It could have been so much more….
I really longed for some heartbreaking mix that “Jamie” the musical delivered and it didn’t reach that peak. When I watched Jamie I laughed and cried so much, last night I chuckled just a few times. I also don’t like such swearing in productions.
I thought the flying was clunky, some of the songs like “sh*t happens” pretty average and need to be cut and the whole show needs a few more earworms and stand out ballads that drama school students can sing in assessments for the next 50 years. I sadly didn’t like the mothers act 1 song - though it was directly well at every angle it wasn’t memorable and missed the mark.
I loved the references to colours and the boat and the staging in this wonderful new space we have in London BUT the whole show - score, script, songs, casting all seemed 7.5 out of 10
I’m really proud that we have a new British musical that’s a success - because it is. But it should have pushed the boat out the water a little more. Why make one of his brothers BAME if that isn’t the case in real life? The show is diverse and inclusive enough?
Ps the costumes were all HORRIBLE! The ugliest clothes I’ve seen in a show! (Sorry)
3 stars from me. (The wheelchair girl gets 5)
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307 posts
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Post by jm25 on Sept 12, 2023 21:24:18 GMT
Really enjoyed this! Funny, moving, great songs, a wonderful cast and a story with real heart. There were loads of people in tears at the end too!
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Post by shownut on Sept 12, 2023 21:40:55 GMT
Saw this tonight.
A reluctant 3 stars from me.
Overwrought, sitcom level writing and a score that was derivative and forgettable.
Mostly good cast but what a shame they didn’t have better material to work with.
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Post by andypandy on Sept 12, 2023 23:55:31 GMT
Saw this tonight. A reluctant 3 stars from me. Overwrought, sitcom level writing and a score that was derivative and forgettable. Mostly good cast but what a shame they didn’t have better material to work with. Totally agree - sitcom level writing and a forgettable score. |
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 13, 2023 12:28:42 GMT
Some of the score is forgettable sure, but there's some undeniable bangers in there (The World Is Waiting For You, title song, The Things We Shouldn't Do to name just three)
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Post by shownut on Sept 13, 2023 13:19:46 GMT
Some of the score is forgettable sure, but there's some undeniable bangers in there (The World Is Waiting For You, title song, The Things We Shouldn't Do to name just three) But I just saw the show less than 24 hours ago and I couldn't hum either of them if I tried....and some of them were just plain bad/misplaced, especially Linsey's first number. When an audience has barely met the character you can't really expect them to care about their trauma/deepest emotions over a 5 minute aria. It would be like putting Rose's Turn towards the beginning of GYPSY. I wish the writers could have figured out a way to make their songs inform/move the action forward with it stopping the action cold through clichés (those lyrics) and cloying attempts to grab the emotions again and again. It became irritating rather than engaging. Lots of passion from the authors but an abysmal lack of musical theatre craft. |
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Post by intoanewlife on Sept 13, 2023 14:20:35 GMT
Some of the score is forgettable sure, but there's some undeniable bangers in there (The World Is Waiting For You, title song, The Things We Shouldn't Do to name just three) I wish the writers could have figured out a way to make their songs inform/move the action forward with it stopping the action cold through clichés (those lyrics) and cloying attempts to grab the emotions again and again. It became irritating rather than engaging. Lots of passion from the authors but an abysmal lack of musical theatre craft. Seriously, you could remove well over half of the songs as they do absolutely nothing except bring everything to a screeching halt. They are thrown in for no other reason other than to have a musical number. The entire book needs re-writing to resemble reality, dump 10 songs, the horrendous flying (seriously WTH!) and give Henry something to do other than fight with himself for 90 minutes. He feels like a side character in his own show and all he does is have the same argument with himself over and over again, before being hoisted to the ceiling. Oh and can we teach the brothers how to walk properly instead of like braindead neanderthals... |
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8,095 posts
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Post by alece10 on Sept 13, 2023 14:22:17 GMT
I rather liked the songs and if I heard them 2 or 3 times more then some would certainly stick in my head.
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629 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Sept 13, 2023 14:23:54 GMT
Conversely I saw the show over a week ago and haven't been able to get the songs out of my head. Hoping they'll release the rest of the cast recording in time for opening night tomorrow!
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4,171 posts
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Post by anthony40 on Sept 13, 2023 14:28:01 GMT
Conversely I saw the show over a week ago and haven't been able to get the songs out of my head. Hoping they'll release the rest of the cast recording in time for opening night tomorrow! I was at the same performance as jamb0r and similarly, cannot get The Little Big Things song out of my head! |
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Post by westendfan1 on Sept 13, 2023 14:41:01 GMT
I get what intoanewlife means about Henry feeling like a side character in his own show, but having read the programme notes/a few interviews, I think that was (almost) what the creatives were going for. It was always meant to be a show about family, about 'Team Fraser' in the aftermath of the horrific accident, rather than just about Henry himself.
As for the brothers walking like braindead neanderthals, I guess that's their perception of how rugby players walk!
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2,370 posts
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Post by theatreian on Sept 13, 2023 14:45:06 GMT
After the positive comments just booked for a matinee on our next London trip which includes Madonna and Sunset with Nicole.
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Post by shownut on Sept 13, 2023 15:00:49 GMT
I wish the writers could have figured out a way to make their songs inform/move the action forward with it stopping the action cold through clichés (those lyrics) and cloying attempts to grab the emotions again and again. It became irritating rather than engaging. Lots of passion from the authors but an abysmal lack of musical theatre craft. Seriously, you could remove well over half of the songs as they do absolutely nothing except bring everything to a screeching halt. They are thrown in for no other reason other than to have a musical number. The entire book needs re-writing to resemble reality, dump 10 songs, the horrendous flying (seriously WTH!) and give Henry something to do other than fight with himself for 90 minutes. He feels like a side character in his own show and all he does is have the same argument with himself over and over again, before being hoisted to the ceiling. Oh and can we teach the brothers how to walk properly instead of like braindead neanderthals... Completely agree. For such serious and potentially inspiring subject matter the material felt so twee with characters based on sitcomish stereotypes instead of real people. That said, I did enjoy Amy Trigg as Agnes. On a side note, someone should explain to the geniuses managing their webpage that musicals don't have 'soundtracks' unless they are working with pre-recorded material to lip-sync/perform to. If it is a recording of a musical that is performed live, it is a cast recording. Yes, we are STILL having to point that out, even to people working in the industry. FFS. |
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 13, 2023 15:03:27 GMT
Love how theatre can make people have such different reactions.
I for sure thought this had it's issues, but the positives outweighed the negative considerably for me.
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Post by shownut on Sept 13, 2023 15:21:31 GMT
Love how theatre can make people have such different reactions. I for sure thought this had it's issues, but the positives outweighed the negative considerably for me. Well, with A STRANGE LOOP now gone, we have our new 'marmite'..... |
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 13, 2023 16:02:23 GMT
I really struggle to see how this can be anywhere near as divisive as ASL was, but you may be right.
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Post by intoanewlife on Sept 13, 2023 16:15:03 GMT
I really struggle to see how this can be anywhere near as divisive as ASL was, but you may be right. Only ASL was an amazing experience and a ground-breaking show and this...well..isn't. This is Tyler Perry at his finest  |
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 13, 2023 16:16:07 GMT
I really struggle to see how this can be anywhere near as divisive as ASL was, but you may be right. Only ASL was an amazing experience and a ground-breaking show and this...well..isn't. This is Tyler Perry at his finest And I feel the exact opposite 😂 can't wait to see what the critic's think. |
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Post by max on Sept 13, 2023 16:18:15 GMT
What does the flying represent in this show?
I've just deleted a longer post about 'magical disability' in case I'm being unfair to this show, having not seen it yet.
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Post by intoanewlife on Sept 13, 2023 16:24:27 GMT
Only ASL was an amazing experience and a ground-breaking show and this...well..isn't. This is Tyler Perry at his finest And I feel the exact opposite 😂 can't wait to see what the critic's think. This has about as much chance of getting 'bad' reviews as Legally Blonde did last year |
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Post by intoanewlife on Sept 13, 2023 16:25:25 GMT
What does the flying represent in this show? I've just deleted a longer post about 'magical disability' in case I'm being unfair to this show, having not seen it yet. I don't know, I hid under my chair with embarrassment as soon as I saw the winch go on the chair... |
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Post by FJ on Sept 13, 2023 16:34:04 GMT
Love how theatre can make people have such different reactions. I for sure thought this had it's issues, but the positives outweighed the negative considerably for me. Well, with A STRANGE LOOP now gone, we have our new 'marmite'..... Based on the current poll results here I don’t know if this qualifies for for a ‘marmite’ show yet 😂. Will be interesting to see the masses opinions though once it gets out of previews and officially opens. |
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8,095 posts
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Post by alece10 on Sept 13, 2023 16:36:38 GMT
What does the flying represent in this show? I've just deleted a longer post about 'magical disability' in case I'm being unfair to this show, having not seen it yet. I don't know, I hid under my chair with embarrassment as soon as I saw the winch go on the chair... Blimey you must be really tiny if you managed to fit under one of those pull down seats. |
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Post by intoanewlife on Sept 13, 2023 16:38:45 GMT
I don't know, I hid under my chair with embarrassment as soon as I saw the winch go on the chair... Blimey you must be really tiny if you managed to fit under one of those pull down seats. HA! They are also very uncomfortable, my back was killing me for days after! |
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