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Post by 141920grm on Jun 10, 2024 14:17:54 GMT
It's simply tragic just there's not much for the brilliant supporting players to be supporting, their secondary storylines are practically nonexistent. If the main story isn't engaging enough at any point (due to performances or otherwise) and you'd like to find something else to root for- there's nothing. Didn't realise the book was so annoyingly basic!
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Post by ladidah on Jun 10, 2024 14:43:45 GMT
Four of us went to this on Saturday night. There are positives and negatives, but ultimately the basics of the show (book/music) are why this fails to truly soar, no matter how much editing/polishing.
The Positives
Wonderful to see SJB on our stages and being so brilliant. She grabs every opportunity to show off her vocal range, and brings the energy and wit, that is lacking elsewhere but more on that later.
It’s a show where the supporting players (sometimes lost in KMK) actually steal the show.
Georgina, Hammed, and Nigel all driver knock out performances, and help the second half to fly by. The audience fall in love with all three of them.
The orchestra sound great, and from where we were in Upper Circle slips (great view and proximity as most played centre stage) we heard every line and note.
The Negatives
The Design: they’re using a revolve split into three sections, like Sher’s My Fair Lady. Unfortunately where that had range in design, this appears to have little difference for the three rooms/views.
Brick Wall.
Brick Wall.
And…Brick Wall.
Unlike the MFL revolve this doesn’t retract, so it then leaves only a small playing space in front of it (and that terrifying hole into the orchestra pit). As a result, despite the vastness of the Barbican stage, it all looks a bit lost. They could have used the WHOLE stage, but the revolve kills this. As a result, supposedly BIG numbers like Another Opening and Too Darn Hot feel stifled. You want and need that soace; that exhilaration. But they’ve designed themselves (literally) into a corner.
Maybe they want to tour it?
Oddly for Catherine Zuber the costumes aren’t all that either. Some nice dressing gowns, but the play within a play designs are not good.
And the wigs…. Poor Charlie Stemp looks like he’s in drag. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing in a drag show, but…
Lighting wise it’s fine, but when they want the audience to go nuts, they blind us with multiple spotlights that finally land on SJB/Georgina/Adrian delete as appropriate. We get it. We’ll clap louder for them on these numbers, but don’t blind us in the process.
Speaking of Charlie, his character is supporting, but just feels not there. And if they’re going to show horn him into Too Darn Hot with hunky Butterworth at least make a back story for them. Eg a rivalry over Lois/Bianca. Not then just jumping in unison 8 times and smiling at each other.
Also, where was the heat in that number? Is what mentioned in act one? We couldn’t remember. But it didn’t seem hot enough or sexy enough. It should have the audience going nuts. On Saturday one woman in the stalls stood up brandishing her wine glass, looked around, as realised she should probably sit down as everyone else was.
But then that’s the show too: which is another downside. We get what’s going on, but there isn’t enough depth in the book or the songs to make us truly care. Direction wise this hasn’t been kind either, so the show happens, without truly investing and engaging its audience. That’s not to say it feels long. It doesn’t. But it just…happens.
Peter Davison rocks up so late and with the thinnest of the plots that it almost seems pointless to have made it starry casting. Someone needs to put him in a Gene Hackman bio pic immediately though.
And finally, Mr Dunbar. He’s giving a wonderful performance, for television. But not for the theatre. Or that stage. You can hear he’s thought about the wit and delivery, but it’s delivered in such a quiet, half energised way that we completely switch off. SJB is giving her all, but, as the show goes on even she herself loses energy because she has none coming back to her.
He CAN sing. But it’s a cautious singing.
Those two characters should be at raging loggerheads, then in love, then loggerheads again. But there’s no opportunity for that because he’s simply too under energised. The stakes are…zero.
Watch those early scenes with them together and it’s painful. His song in the second half is completed, rather than performed.
But we all knew this would be the case.
He’s a good actor, but has completely misjudged the show’s tone and requirements for a big space.
The ensemble are great and give there all, but ultimately the bad, cramping design, and Dunbar’s lack of energy kill it being a true hit.
Go for the supporting players, but this ain’t no Anything Goes. I agree with all of this, exactly how I felt. Adrian's performance was so placed, it felt like he was thinking about his next line constantly and the songs had no life. |
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Post by alece10 on Jun 10, 2024 15:33:01 GMT
Agree about Charlie's wig it is awful. Someone should be shot for that.
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Post by Jon on Jun 10, 2024 15:42:23 GMT
TBF the wig is only for the scenes where he's playing Bill as Lucentio, SJB's wig when she's playing Lilli as Kate is equally not good.
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Post by mattnyc on Jun 11, 2024 17:27:43 GMT
Just got an email from The Barbican -
“We’re writing to you as we regret that, due to changes in the production schedule, it is necessary to cancel the 7.30pm evening performances on all Tuesdays from 9th July to the end of the run. An additional 2.30pm matinee show will now take place on these Tuesdays instead.”
A easy fix for my schedule and I think it’s a smart move to add an additional matinee during the summer tourist months.
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Post by nash16 on Jun 11, 2024 22:49:02 GMT
Just got an email from The Barbican - “We’re writing to you as we regret that, due to changes in the production schedule, it is necessary to cancel the 7.30pm evening performances on all Tuesdays from 9th July to the end of the run. An additional 2.30pm matinee show will now take place on these Tuesdays instead.” A easy fix for my schedule and I think it’s a smart move to add an additional matinee during the summer tourist months. Let’s hope the pensioners step up and save the day/ticket sales. |
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Post by alece10 on Jun 12, 2024 6:22:59 GMT
I'm pretty sure a board member actually suggested this a few pages back. Maybe the producers read it here first.
Does make sense as this is a perfect show for an older audience and coach parties.
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Post by frankubelik on Jun 12, 2024 7:05:40 GMT
Very enjoyable if lacking the sparkle of the Blakemore London revival. There is obviously a problem with our leading man's vocal ability; he looks so uncomfortable during the numbers (please cut the reprise of So In Love as Where Thine That Special Face has been) but I thought his ironic, throw away acting style was engaging and funny. SJB takes a while to warm up but ultimately delivers well. I thought she lacked a little poise and agree that her "Kate" wig did her no favours at all and found the faux Dior costumes underwhelming. Not sure why Charlie was shoe-horned into Too Darn Hot other than to give him something else to do but he gives his usual charming performance. I didn't feel the Lois Lane well cast but she nailed her big Act 2 number. The gangsters were great. It was being filmed last night which was very slightly irritating. Perhaps they plan to air on Sky! A fun night. 4 stars.
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Post by ladidah on Jun 12, 2024 7:08:08 GMT
The issue with Dunbar is that everyone expects him not to be able to sing at all, so when he sings and it sounds okay, people are thrilled. The couple behind me couldn't believe he could sing, and were so impressed. But when it came to the bows at the end, his applause was noticeably quieter.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Jun 14, 2024 10:07:26 GMT
I'll post my thoughts later, this is for the people who were asking how the book has been edited. I'm not an expert on KMK, so I'm not sure if some of these changes have already appeared in recent revivals.
* The cast rushes on stage before Fred/Petruchio spanks Lilli/Kate, so she never gets spanked
* After "Too Darn Hot", Fred has a little awkward speech in which he addresses the audience (the actual audience and the audience of the show) and talks about The Taming of the Shrew being an early modern play, with different sensibilities etc. Very clunky
* In "Always True To You" they replaced "When you know baby I'm your slave" with something like "when you know you're the one I crave".
* Like in the latest Broadway revival, Bill's colleagues act horrified when he sings "You'd better answer yes or Poppa spanka", and then the chorus girls prevent him from repeating the line when he tries to reprise it.
* They kept the original lyrics of "I Am Ashamed That Women Are So Simple" (the latest Broadway revival replaced "Women" with "People") but turned it into a conciliatory duet, which works nicely.
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Post by showtoones on Jun 14, 2024 16:40:28 GMT
Who are the understudies for the four leads? Many thanks.
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Post by bigredapple on Jun 14, 2024 18:07:18 GMT
Does SJB stage door after this? Lots of barriers near the stage door for crowds
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Post by damaskanddark on Jun 14, 2024 21:16:06 GMT
I'm going to this in a few weeks and it sounds like such a slog. Christ.
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Post by d'James on Jun 14, 2024 21:27:23 GMT
Can anyone tell me how much Josie Benson is in it?
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Post by nash16 on Jun 14, 2024 21:41:57 GMT
Can anyone tell me how much Josie Benson is in it? Only significantly at the start. She kicks off Another Opening Another Show. Not much else after that beyond background/ensemble. |
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Post by d'James on Jun 14, 2024 21:43:27 GMT
Can anyone tell me how much Josie Benson is in it? Only significantly at the start. She kicks off Another Opening Another Show. Not much else after that beyond background/ensemble. Oh that’s a shame. Do you know if she’s understudying anybody? |
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Post by Being Alive on Jun 14, 2024 21:45:11 GMT
Hattie is a principle role so I doubt it
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Jun 14, 2024 21:49:42 GMT
Saw this tonight for a tenner in row C so despite my misgivings about Dunbar's casting based on the clips of him singing I had to take the opportunity at a price like that. And it was quite possibly the best seat in the house - slap bang in the centre of the row, great leg room, and as close as you can get without any restriction in view. And I have lots of good things to say about the show too - it's a pretty faultless production. That is, until Adrian starts singing.
I'm most familiar with the 1999 Broadway revival cast recording of this show with the soaring Marin Mazzie and the sumptuous Brian Stokes Mitchell, so it would be difficult for any performance of this material to stack up. But when you sound like Dunbar it's especially glaring.
Frustratingly, Dunbar is actually pretty good in the book scenes. He and Block have great chemistry and timing. But when he starts singing it's like he goes dead behind the eyes. All of his movement becomes stilted and unsure. His singing is just about on key but his tone is so mushy like he's eating his vowels or something. He just doesn't have the technique to make what should be a brilliant baritone role a real showstopper. The great shame is that the rest of the cast are fantastic, Block especially, so he'd look bad on the best of days but when up against a group this talented he's really climbing an uphill battle.
They also cut Were Thine that Special Face which is one of my favourites from the score but perhaps that's for the best because I'm not sure I'd want to hear him butcher it. It's just sad because outside of this and a few issues I had with the book (some that I'm sure are intrinsic to the show, others that have clearly been added to paper over the more problematic elements of the story), it was such a wonderful time. He just sticks out like a sore thumb. Though I didn't hear any complaints from the other audience members and the response was rapturous with a standing o (and I did stand for Ms Block at the end) so I guess it's not a problem for a lot of people.
Sorry this is basically just a rant about how bad Dunbar's singing is, they just came so close to getting everything right and then they fell at the last hurdle (and when that hurdle is the casting of your co-lead it's a pretty devastating hurdle to fall at).
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Post by damaskanddark on Jun 14, 2024 21:49:49 GMT
Hattie is a principle role so I doubt it "Principal" |
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Post by greatauntedna on Jun 14, 2024 22:03:33 GMT
Saw this tonight for a tenner in row C How, where please? |
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Post by bigredapple on Jun 14, 2024 22:36:44 GMT
Front row tonight. It’s not that high, you miss people’s feet, which is fine. Nothing bad at all compared to Kathy and Stella at the Ambassadors, now THATS a high stage.
Mainly went to see SJB, and her alone is worth the ticket price.
First time seeing the show. It’s fine. Dated but not in a bad way, but just not the best theatre there is. The cast are the reason to see this, almost all are standouts at their craft. Adrian wasn’t awful, but just not my cup of tea.
SJB is lovely too. Came out to stage door and genuinely took her time with everyone, so friendly.
I’ve a feeling this isn’t selling too well, SJB at stage door was asking people to spread the word that they enjoyed the show. I do hope it does well, as I’d love to see her do another show (maybe something new) in London in the future.
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Post by nash16 on Jun 14, 2024 22:48:28 GMT
Only significantly at the start. She kicks off Another Opening Another Show. Not much else after that beyond background/ensemble. Oh that’s a shame. Do you know if she’s understudying anybody? I’m presuming she’s covering SJB, as the only other actress of age is Jaqui Jameson in the Ensemble and she’s covering Benson’s role. |
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Post by d'James on Jun 14, 2024 22:49:38 GMT
Oh that’s a shame. Do you know if she’s understudying anybody? I’m presuming she’s covering SJB, as the only other actress of age is Jaqui Jameson in the Ensemble and she’s covering Benson’s role. That’s what I was wondering/hoping! |
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Jun 14, 2024 22:54:44 GMT
Saw this tonight for a tenner in row C How, where please? Under 25s ticket! |
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Post by Being Alive on Jun 14, 2024 23:15:23 GMT
Hattie is a principle role so I doubt it "Principal" Alright grammar police 😂 |
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