Why Am I So Single? - Garrick

[ladidah]

A show I was supposed to see was cancelled tonight, so booked a Rush to see this, as I'm so curious.

Does anyone know when the matinées usually finish?

[ladidah]

This is such a mixed bag!

[greenandbrownandblue]

Sept 7, 2024 14:53:31 GMT ladidah said:

This is such a mixed bag!

I'm here too - a very mixed bag. Some brilliant moments - 8 Dates is a really good song helped by slick staging. The leads are strong too. But it's annoyingly knowing/meta, self-indulgent and it drags. And that Bee Song... What was that?

For a 'big fancy musical' there's not much of a set.

We'll see what Act 2 brings.

[Steve]

Sept 7, 2024 14:53:31 GMT ladidah said:

This is such a mixed bag!

Yes. Adorable protagonists, meandering story.

But when it's good, it's great.

[gmoneyoutlaw]

Sept 7, 2024 15:04:14 GMT Steve said:

Sept 7, 2024 14:53:31 GMT ladidah said:

This is such a mixed bag!

Yes. Adorable protagonists, meandering story.

But when it's good, it's great.

I was there at the matinee today as well. Great start with title song. Rhyming single with Pringles is cringeworthy but I thought it was rather sweet and salty. I enjoyed the second act more. Would I see it again? Maybe

[greenandbrownandblue]

Sept 7, 2024 15:04:14 GMT Steve said:

Sept 7, 2024 14:53:31 GMT ladidah said:

This is such a mixed bag!

Yes. Adorable protagonists, meandering story.

But when it's good, it's great.

Agree with this. 

You really fall for both Oliver and Nancy as they're both so well played. I hope the Oliviers sort out their awards gendering as Jo Foster must be nominated for this, surely. 

Disco Ball is a terrific number, the highlight of Act 2 for me. 

But I did find it too long and clunky, and I didn't like all the knowing exposition. I agree with Kenny Wax that it would've benefitted from a run elsewhere first - the material itself would not be out of place in Pleasance Courtyard! 

It got extremely meta towards the end for me as I was sat close to Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss - so I was watching the real writers watching the fictional writers watching themselves being portrayed on stage. 

The ending needs work; it just finishes with a mediocre song. I think finishing it a scene earlier would actually be much more effective (loved that I'd Do Anything snippet going into a reprise of the title song).

[max]

Sept 7, 2024 16:55:41 GMT gmoneyoutlaw said:

Sept 7, 2024 15:04:14 GMT Steve said:

Yes. Adorable protagonists, meandering story.

But when it's good, it's great.

I was there at the matinee today as well. Great start with title song. Rhyming single with Pringles is cringeworthy but I thought it was rather sweet and salty. I enjoyed the second act more. Would I see it again? Maybe

You may have come up with a way of defining the current phase of Musicals gmoneyoutlaw :

The Popcorn Musical - one that's "sweet and salty".

It chimes with those social media gif memes of people settling in with a big tub of something to see favourite (or love-to-hate) people and situations they're invested in going at it.

[ladidah]

In the interval I moved seats to an empty box, as my view for the first half was the back of a tall lady's head. A woman came to join me, said she was joining the show and was told to watch the second half. She was on her phone and didn't clap at all, so didn't seem very keen...

Overall I am glad I stayed for the second half. I echo so many of the comments made above - it needs to lose 40minutes and it could have ended 4 times before it actually did. It didn't need the big meta ending at all, it should end when they sing I'll do anything to each other.

Way too much meta jokes, very heavy handed. Some songs sounded like they were rejected from Six (one near the start sounded just like I don't need your love) The Ross and Rachel song isn't as clever as it thinks it is - it also reminded me of Hot Dad from Babies for some reason. 

Jo as Oliver is incredible, completely charming and never going too far. Nancy was a bit whiny (and her costume was so distractingly bad) - but her voice is beautiful.

Overall probably 3 stars, but it could be so much better with some changes.

[greenandbrownandblue]

Slightly off topic: how do the rights for singing I'd Do Anything work? It's only a short verse, but it's fully accompanied by the band. Do they have to get the rights from Cam Mack (and pay?!), or is it short enough that they get away with it? Or is it covered by a PRS licence?

[danb]

I think that theres a number of bars you can perform ‘for free’ before it falls into a rights issue. Someone on here will know.

[osdtdg]

I'm unfortunately unable to attend the show I had tickets to (or any for personal reasons); have one for Tuesday on the noticeboard if anyone was interested just for the record

[ceebee]

Sept 8, 2024 8:52:50 GMT greenandbrownandblue said:

Slightly off topic: how do the rights for singing I'd Do Anything work? It's only a short verse, but it's fully accompanied by the band. Do they have to get the rights from Cam Mack (and pay?!), or is it short enough that they get away with it? Or is it covered by a PRS licence?

Permission is needed and credit should be given as it is a commercial public performance.  They will have struck a deal, not necessarily financial.  One could argue that the timing of it is perfect for "Oliver" as it transfers into London.

[freddyf]

I’d been holding off checking TheatreBoard so I could go into this show with an open mind.

However, immediately after leaving the theatre, I had to see if anyone had made a comment on the ‘bee’ number - turns out, you all have! What the hell was that?!

I’m slightly bewildered at how much I didn’t enjoy this show. I wasn’t expecting this to be Six by any means, but I’m feeling a sort of second-hand embarrassment for everyone involved (and the cast deserve SO much better)

The Cast: First off, the cast are sensational - triple threats the LOT of them. Jo and Leesa are stars and really carry the baggy weight of the show.

The Plot: Non-existent. Which isn’t a criticism by any means, but it does lead the show to feeling VERY long and repetitive.

The Music: Besides 1/2 numbers, I genuinely have forgotten them all after 24 hours. I wasn’t particularly wowed by any number; it was all a bit generic pop sounding.

Thoughts: This feels like a show that should belong at the Southwark Playhouse and could have been done-and-dusted in one act.

It’s obviously a very self-indulgent show (it’s practically a bio-musical without explicitly being a bio-musical) without much to say than BE YOU LOVE YOURSELF LOVE COMES IN DIFFERENT SHAPES SIZES which isn’t exactly giving audiences anything new.

I also found the meta nature of the show really overplayed and a little bit desperate at times when it was cloying for laughs by having the cast wink/point/make a face at the audience after every joke. We get it’s a joke, we don’t need to be told it’s a joke.

Also wtf is the furniture ensemble. It got old real quick and after the sixth appearance, the audience was mute. Without getting too deep into the furniture (I never thought I’d be writing about this when I booked a ticket!) I found it really inconsistent. Physical doors and walls framed the stage but then you would have an ensemble member walk out…as a wall? I never thought I’d have a complex about the legitimacy of walls.

In a nutshell, see it, make your own mind up, but don’t go in expecting the ‘big fancy musical’ it’s making itself out to be.

[showtoones]

Does anyone know the day that the alternates do?

[apwl]

I saw the matinee of this yesterday and wasn’t impressed. Some fun ideas, great performances from the leads and one or two catchy songs. But that’s about it. There was more bad than good.

The worse part of Six was always the dialogue and having this show as a proper two act musical with way more dialogue is painful. I think this show would have been better had it kept the format of Six of mainly songs and no interval. I was shocked act 1 was only 1hr 15mins. It felt much longer.

I can’t see this lasting long. The one thing it does have in its favour is the pricing seems low and reasonable compared to other west end shows. That might get more people through the door.

[ladidah]

It's frustrating, because there is something there. But it's not very good as it is, and would have never been made if this was the creator's first musical.

[mrmushnik]

I seldom do this, but we all left at the interval. One of the worst shows I have seen.

[darreno]

The bad reviews are actually making me want to see this more if I'm honest. 😁

[Being Alive]

Been a while since something that looks bad on paper is actually bad, so I'm hyped for this!

[danb]

I’m waiting until I ‘experience’ this before passing further comment, but will they refund my diesel & train fare if it’s as inept as described here. If it isn’t ‘a big fancy musical’ I’m surely entitled to something?

[ladidah]

The Bee song should be enough for a full refund.

[unseaworthy]

Moss & Marlow were on Radio 4 (Front Row) last week saying they are making cuts to the show, it will be interesting to see what happens before press night.

[greenandbrownandblue]

Sept 9, 2024 12:43:23 GMT Being Alive said:

Been a while since something that looks bad on paper is actually bad, so I'm hyped for this!

I didn't think it was *that* bad - just could've been so much better!

Been thinking more about this, and despite the (at times tedious) exposition, I don't recall us ever finding out how/why our two protagonists have managed to land themselves a West End theatre to open their as-yet-unwritten musical. Obviously we know how Marlow and Moss have - but in this meta parallel universe of Oliver and Nancy, does their previous big hit exist? 

[ladidah]

Yes, I thought it was odd not to mention Six at all

[esteveyb]

Sept 9, 2024 20:42:04 GMT greenandbrownandblue said:

Sept 9, 2024 12:43:23 GMT Being Alive said:

Been a while since something that looks bad on paper is actually bad, so I'm hyped for this!

I didn't think it was *that* bad - just could've been so much better!

Been thinking more about this, and despite the (at times tedious) exposition, I don't recall us ever finding out how/why our two protagonists have managed to land themselves a West End theatre to open their as-yet-unwritten musical. Obviously we know how Marlow and Moss have - but in this meta parallel universe of Oliver and Nancy, does their previous big hit exist? 

It's referred to in the prologue that opens the show... it's also why Faye Gin is calling them chasing the musical, putting pressure on them to just 'write what they know'.