The Baker's Wife - Menier Chocolate Factory

[max]

May 12, 2024 16:57:16 GMT alece10 said:

I listened to the London cast recording yesterday as I really didn't know any of the music. Have to say I really enjoyed it and some lovely tunes. I think this is going to be a rather nice musical.

I used to borrow that CD from a library back in the day, but I see it's on Spotify now.  All the performers seem to really capture their characters as if it's mid performance, not drily reproduced in studio (though it is a studio recording).  I've never seen it, and have heard that the book isn't hugely dynamic; but based on the CD it feels like a world many will want to step into - one with moderate problems expressed melodically. I'm looking forward to it.  Clive Rowe will be great I think.

[crabtree]

and a theatre full of the smell of freshly baked bread.....

[thedrowsychaperone]

Maybe my most anticipated show of this year, 'Chanson' is just one of those melodies that immediately touches me.

[Sean]

According to email this morning from the Menier…..Sutra Gayle, Norman Pace, Liam Tamne & Finty Williams join cast.

Also joining the cast are Bart Lambert, David Pendlebury, and Annabelle Williams.

[thedrowsychaperone]

Good to see the Menier can still attract some star power - maybe they're hoping to get back into the 'transfer game' with high-calibre shows like this?

[johnie21]

Ah amazing to see Sutra Gayle/Lorna she was the original
Gran Georgeanna In Tina the Musical.

[crabtree]

and there's a real cat as I remember.

[alece10]

Thats one big cast. The Little dressing rooms will be heaving.

[producerfacts]

Great casting - Clive Rowe is brilliant

[Scswp]

May 29, 2024 9:06:24 GMT alece10 said:

Thats one big cast. The Little dressing rooms will be heaving.

It is a huge cast. I didn’t realise there were so many ‘named’ roles in this musical. I wonder why Norman Pace would take such a small role?

[Boob]

May 29, 2024 13:19:35 GMT Scswp said:

May 29, 2024 9:06:24 GMT alece10 said:

Thats one big cast. The Little dressing rooms will be heaving.

It is a huge cast. I didn’t realise there were so many ‘named’ roles in this musical. I wonder why Norman Pace would take such a small role?

Cossy livs.

[nancycunard]

I guess things will change if it gets good reviews but there’s still an awful lot of availability for this into August.

[westendwhistledown]

Is there really a real cat? That alone is worth going for lol!

[Scswp]

Jun 11, 2024 11:04:43 GMT nancycunard said:

I guess things will change if it gets good reviews but there’s still an awful lot of availability for this into August.

Yes, there is - and I’m quite surprised by that, to be honest.

I thought that this would sell really well, given the fact that it’s the first London revival and (despite its rather infamous past outings) given the fact that the revival is surrounded by the long-established popularity of Wicked (and the current talk about the movie version).

I think the most recent revival in the US (can’t remember exactly where it was, but recall reading a review of it) was quite well-received by the critics, so I’m hoping for similar with this revival.

[mattnyc]

The last FULL revival we’ve had in/around New York was in 2005 at the Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey staring Alice Ripley that was very well received. Apart from that there have been a couple small off/off-off Broadway versions that have run for a few days but nothing like that 2005 version.

[singingbird]

Not surprised this is a tough sell, tbh. Schwartz has very little name recognition here, compared with New York. Only Godspell and Wicked have ever been bona fide hits here, and Godspell is a very long time ago. Probably loads of people don't even realise both those shows have the same songwriter. On top of that, Baker's Wife is, for those up on musical theatre, a famous flop, on both sides of the Atlantic, and well-known for paring a lovely score with an inconsequential book.

Don't get me wrong - I don't want it to be a tough sell. I want people who grew up on Wicked, and are now a bit older, to be excited about discovering what else the composer of their favourite show has done. Sadly, it rarely seems to work that way. If it did, productions of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth would sell fairly sluggishly now, and everyone would be rushing to Cymbeline and Timon of Athens, just to see what else that cool playwright dude did!

[Being Alive]

Jun 11, 2024 15:10:16 GMT kit66 said:

Sitting in the Menier during the summer months is not an appealing prospect

If we're to have the summer that they predict it's not likely to be an issue 😂

[alece10]

Jun 11, 2024 15:10:16 GMT kit66 said:

Sitting in the Menier during the summer months is not an appealing prospect

Menier has had air con for sometime now. In fact people sitting under one of the 2 units used to complain that it was too cold.

[Phantom of London]

As a production company the Menier excels, but as a facility it is poor, however I have no gripes with the air con there are worse theatres, just everything else building wise is poor. They have the worst bathrooms anywhere.

[theatrelover123]

Jun 11, 2024 19:19:57 GMT Phantom of London said:

As a production company the Menier excels, but as a facility it is poor, however I have no gripes with the air con there are worse theatres, just everything else building wise is poor. They have the worst bathrooms anywhere.

You’ve been to the toilets in the Arts Theatre, right?

[alece10]

Or the old Union Theatre where the men's toilet was basically a hole in the ground.

[Phantom of London]

Forgot about those two.

[flouise]

Jun 11, 2024 16:21:47 GMT alece10 said:

Jun 11, 2024 15:10:16 GMT kit66 said:

Sitting in the Menier during the summer months is not an appealing prospect

Menier has had air con for sometime now. In fact people sitting under one of the 2 units used to complain that it was too cold.

I was absolutely frozen during Jerry's Girls recently! Definitely don't let warm weather stop you from going (if we even end up getting any this summer)

[alece10]

Jun 12, 2024 7:09:35 GMT kit66 said:

Jun 11, 2024 21:49:27 GMT alece10 said:

Or the old Union Theatre where the men's toilet was basically a hole in the ground.

Oh god!I remember that place.Wasn't it like a cave with purple UV lighting?

I've tried to block if from my memory but I thunk you are right.

[zahidf]

£15 tickets on todaytix