Opening Night - Gielgud

[mattnyc]

No, it didn’t detect from the orchestra.

[joem]

I wouldn't say this was a disaster but it's far from being a great musical. Conceptually the idea of a musical of a documentary of a play onstage is already stretching it a bit, much as I like Rufus Wainwright this is pretty thin on good tunes and some of the more interesting lyrics are lost.

If Sheridan Smith leaves this it will be closed in a fortnight, can't help feeling casting her in this is a bit too close to the bone.

Very few people left at the interval apart from a caveman who doesn't know how close he came to leaving with a black eye.

[mrbarnaby]

Poor Benjamin Walker!!

Come all this way to appear in a turkey of a show.

If only he’d done American Psycho (sp?) in London

[mattnyc]

Mar 7, 2024 23:55:37 GMT mrbarnaby said:

Poor Benjamin Walker!!

Come all this way to appear in a turkey of a show.

If only he’d done American Psycho (sp?) in London

Benjamin Walker and Matt Smith both in shows at the same time now- they should do an “American Psycho” concert together .

[max]

A small win, but this sounds like the best featured use of a Hoover in a musical since ANNIE.

[singingbird]

I don't know if I'm perverse, but the more I read here, the more I want to see this!

[frankubelik]

Absolutely dreadful. There is so much wrong with this that it's almost impossible to critique. I have to commend the leading lady for literally throwing herself into this though, but I never once believed she was a (Broadway???) star struggling with age and despite her ability to carry a tune, we all know the voice is poor. Mind you there is little for anyone to sing since the score ranges from that Kander & Ebb-ish solo through interminable dirges (one performed particularly badly by Benjamin Walker - whose credits I was amazed to read - replace him please) to a baffling all-out showbizzy final number!!!!! A duet opening Act 2 is performed behind the voile curtain which I thought was an error. Amy Lennox comes out of this best finding warmth and surprising depth in character (and she can sing). The videos and projections are simply distracting and add nothing. Really amazed this has found it's way on to a stage. General interval comments all agreed.

[ladidah]

When will this be reviewed?

[youngoffender]

What a shame. I was holding out for word of mouth before buying tickets, but this sounds like a grand folly. I'd happily see a jukebox musical built around Rufus's back catalogue, but it sounds like this is fatally short of the great songs that might have redeemed it.

[FJ]

I'm booked to see this at the beginning of April, and if the hoover gets cut during previews I'm going to be absolutely distraught. It's the main reason I'm going at this stage.

[youngoffender]

Mar 8, 2024 9:24:32 GMT ladidah said:

When will this be reviewed?

Press night is Tuesday 26th

[youngoffender]

Mar 8, 2024 9:28:01 GMT FJ said:

I'm booked to see this at the beginning of April, and if the hoover gets cut during previews I'm going to be absolutely distraught. It's the main reason I'm going at this stage.

It's a gift for reviewers - "This show sucks from the outset..."

[ladidah]

That is quite soon!

[mrbarnaby]

Mar 8, 2024 8:46:30 GMT singingbird said:

I don't know if I'm perverse, but the more I read here, the more I want to see this!

Me too

I’m also excited to possibly be able to make a dinner reservation and leave at the interval

[rosscoe]

This sounds brilliant in a flop way.

[adamkinsey]

Friend of mine who goes all over the country to watch musicals saw this last night. Posted a lengthy comment on his Facebook this morning giving it one helluva slating.

One assumes it has had an ok advance box office purely on the basis of Sheridan which might be enough for it to last longer than it should.

[ladidah]

Surely it seems to need too many changes to become a good musical?

[alece10]

I'm going tonight and with an open mind but it's not boding well at the moment.
I haven't told the friend I'm taking about the opinions so far and don't think I will in case she pulls out. Fortunately she doesn't follow any social media at all so she won't have a clue.

[greatauntedna]

It was almost incoherent on Wednesday. I think Magic, The Pantomime and the Broadway one are good, hooky songs (and I liked the overture), but they’re tonally at odds with the rest of the show. And I like that contrast, it goes from optimistic to very bleak. But the bleak stuff is really poor.

It was really sketchy and unclear why some things were happening. The strangling was bonkers, for that long.

If the idea is it’s meant to be this intense jumble of Sheridan’s mental breakdown, with the director just shouting nothingy demands at her, little vignettes of her interactions with the leechy production team etc, then ok but that can’t sustain a 2.5 hour show.

I hope they can fix it!

[mrnutz]

I'm seeing this tomorrow night and was hoping for a good one after some recent theatrical disappointments! 😭

[erik24601]

Mar 8, 2024 11:52:57 GMT alece10 said:

I'm going tonight and with an open mind but it's not boding well at the moment.
I haven't told the friend I'm taking about the opinions so far and don't think I will in case she pulls out. Fortunately she doesn't follow any social media at all so she won't have a clue.

That's evil lol

[lucynancylala]

Diabolical torture

[tysilio2]

Mar 8, 2024 0:18:32 GMT max said:

A small win, but this sounds like the best featured use of a Hoover in a musical since ANNIE.

*starts writing Shake'n'Vac - The Musical*

[graham]

Mar 8, 2024 15:22:32 GMT tysilio2 said:

Mar 8, 2024 0:18:32 GMT max said:

A small win, but this sounds like the best featured use of a Hoover in a musical since ANNIE.

*starts writing Shake'n'Vac - The Musical*

The Shakin' Stevens musical? 

[meister]

Mar 8, 2024 15:22:32 GMT tysilio2 said:

Mar 8, 2024 0:18:32 GMT max said:

A small win, but this sounds like the best featured use of a Hoover in a musical since ANNIE.

*starts writing Shake'n'Vac - The Musical*

Whoost Side Story - The Sharks vs the HooverJets