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Post by danielwhit on Sept 15, 2023 23:33:53 GMT
I found this an issue when I saw it a few years ago, too. I actually found it equally jarring when he was sharing the stage with a young Linda. I most recently saw it last year with his understudy playing Mickey and I found it worked much better when the three character were played by a younger cast who are all closer in age. I don't wish the guy out of a job - especially when he does play Mickey so well - but realistically if this were being cast from scratch today they would either cast an older Eddie/Linda to match or all three would be cast from the same age bracket. I do wonder if they have ever considered moving him into the Narrator role instead... Sean has allegedly been told a few times now Kenwright wants to go in a different direction, they start casting for Mickey, and a couple of days before rehearsal he gets the call asking if he's free... Can't blame him for taking the work. One Eddie from recent years actually went up for Mickey, but got Eddie instead. This is strange if true though as the current u/s has been in the cast for a while now and would be able to take the role on full time. I can only guess with this that whoever is casting director doesn't rate him highly enough? |
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526 posts
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Post by danielwhit on Sept 15, 2023 23:36:10 GMT
Went to see it tonight at the Oxford playhouse, and fell back in love with it…it’s been a few years, and usually I’ve seen the tour at the much larger New Theatre, but it really suited the smaller stage and auditorium. It was much tighter and intimate. And yes, I cried like a baby! Agreed, it sits in the Playhouse much better than in the New Theatre. I enjoyed seeing the "small stage version" too, hadn't seen this before. Definitely didn't deminish anything. The only scene which felt a bit tight in this staging was Light Romance. |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Sept 16, 2023 1:14:50 GMT
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Post by showgirl on Sept 27, 2023 18:39:20 GMT
I saw the matinee in Guildford today and as it was 40 years since I first saw this in London, all I had remembered was the basic plot, but though it was a slow burn and very old-fashioned, it's obviously still powerful and there were 4 curtain calls and a standing ovation. I hadn't expected any school groups, let alone so many of them and so raucous, but they did settle down once the performance got going - thank goodness. Though this is a musical, it struck me this time that the plot is actually quite operatic; wonder if that's a clue to its longevity and enduring popularity, rather than the score, which is quite repetitive and doesn't have any big, memorable numbers, unlike other well-known musicals.
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1,736 posts
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Post by fiyero on Oct 7, 2023 19:02:17 GMT
They had a few items of merchandise which presumably bill kenwright has been storing while it's been off the road. The souvenir brochure at £6 was the 1995 story so far one and is Interesting in its own right and does remind you of some of the stars who did star in it. Still sad to see lost too soon Stephane Lawrence name and picture and didn't know music legend Carol King played mrs johnstone on broadway, it also celebrates how it’s still running in the west end!. Best of all over four pages you have the complete text of the book so you can recreate the show at home. But think it must be a record selling 28 year old brochures as new at a show. Thanks for the heads up on the antique brochure. It is both my newest and oldest one in my collection in one go! Full standing ovation from a virtually sold out Theatre Royal Brighton for the matinee today. I think this is my first time since it closed in London (certainly no more than second) and I loved every moment and still cried at the end. It is a great museum piece and I am not sure a new production would have the same impact. I would be very happy to be proven wrong as long as we can get this show back if a new version flops. I was intrigued that there are no off stage swings so the actress playing Brenda also covered Donna-Marie today. Surely they will be in trouble if 2 females are off? |
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Post by hannechalk on Oct 8, 2023 14:55:02 GMT
It depends who is off. Josh Capper sometimes covers the female tracks. In a previous tour Grace Galloway once covered Mrs Lyons, Donna Marie and Brenda all in one show. If say two of the female leads were known to be indisposed for a full day or so, they usually call in a cover who played the role previously. Tracy Spencer was once called upon to cover Mrs J after an eight year absence from the show, with very little notice. There was the memorable Saturday in Derby a few years back when the actor playing Mickey was already off for the day, and the actor covering Mickey was taken ill during the first act, so understudy Eddie Shaun McCourt stepped in as Mickey with script in hand. It was Blood Brothers-history, as he was the first actor to play both Eddie and Mickey in the same week. For the evening show they called upon Sean Jones to make the long trip to Derby to play Mickey. Then there was that memorable week in Manchester in February 2022 when Covid was rampant amongst the cast, plus Storm Eunice wreaking havoc. Josh Capper covered every single one of his tracks plus others - he played Mickey and Eddie on two consecutive days, the latter with less than 24 hours notice, and without script in hand. Joe Sleight was called back in to play Eddie after a seven year absence, but already had prior commitments for the night Josh covered. Pete Washington came back to play Sammy, and Karl Greenwood and Graeme Kinniburgh came back to cover too. |
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Post by Being Alive on Oct 8, 2023 15:17:53 GMT
Your knowledge is insane - if you aren't employed by the production they're seriously missing a trick...
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Post by hannechalk on Oct 8, 2023 18:38:25 GMT
Your knowledge is insane - if you aren't employed by the production they're seriously missing a trick... Why thank you, I try. I know a few people far more knowledgeable than me, as I'm not so good with the proper history of the show, but I'm learning. |
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Post by hannechalk on Nov 1, 2023 23:21:33 GMT
The final day of this leg is Saturday in Bradford.
If anyone is going to either show that day, a bunch of fans will be meeting at about 5.30-7.15pm at Wetherspoons (Turls Green) in Centenary Square, which is a very short walk from the theatre.
After the evening show a few of us are going out as well.
Hopefully see you there!
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Post by theatreian on Dec 5, 2023 14:10:37 GMT
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Post by erik24601 on Dec 5, 2023 14:46:43 GMT
Yes. Feels like a bit of an odd 'non-announcement' to me considering there is casting still to be announced. Why bother! |
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Post by toomasj on Dec 5, 2023 14:55:52 GMT
Yes. Feels like a bit of an odd 'non-announcement' to me considering there is casting still to be announced. Why bother! Just advertises/reminds people there’s a tour and the show exists etc. Free easy copy for WoS, they post whatever they’re sent by PR’s. |
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Post by erik24601 on Dec 5, 2023 15:01:09 GMT
Yes. Feels like a bit of an odd 'non-announcement' to me considering there is casting still to be announced. Why bother! Just advertises/reminds people there’s a tour and the show exists etc. Free easy copy for WoS, they post whatever they’re sent by PR’s. Oh I know, but considering the tour kicks off in 6(?) weeks you'd think they'd just hold off and do a full casting announcement in a week or so. They can't be that far off having the cast finalised by now, surely. |
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Post by toomasj on Dec 5, 2023 15:04:50 GMT
Just advertises/reminds people there’s a tour and the show exists etc. Free easy copy for WoS, they post whatever they’re sent by PR’s. Oh I know, but considering the tour kicks off in 6(?) weeks you'd think they'd just hold off and do a full casting announcement in a week or so. They can't be that far off having the cast finalised by now, surely. I guess they can get two articles out of it this way. Costs them nothing (10 minutes of an intern’s time) and even if it sells 10 extra tickets it’s worth it I suppose. |
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Post by distantcousin on Dec 5, 2023 17:13:42 GMT
What's the likelihood we will finally get a completely reimagined production of Blood Brothers now Kenwright is no longer with us?
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Post by erik24601 on Dec 5, 2023 18:48:50 GMT
What's the likelihood we will finally get a completely reimagined production of Blood Brothers now Kenwright is no longer with us? I would imagine it will remain a Holy Grail tribute piece for a good few years as part of the Kenwright Ltd rep. |
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5,138 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Dec 6, 2023 12:32:01 GMT
Blood Brothers really is a job for life for Sean, eh?
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Post by hannechalk on Dec 9, 2023 13:20:12 GMT
Blood Brothers really is a job for life for Sean, eh? And what is wrong with that, why would he refuse work when they keep asking him back? He does other work on the side too. No-one bats an eyelid when people spend 30 years at the same workplace, they even get a bonus and/or present and praise, but if an actor does it... |
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Post by Being Alive on Dec 9, 2023 13:42:31 GMT
Bit different when the part he's playing ends up being a maximum of 30 years old and he's now a good 20+ years older than that, so any real believability goes out the window (for me anyway.)
I have no problem in actors staying in a role for so long if it works age wise - comparing an actor in the same role for 30 years (when half of that role is them as a child) to someone in an office is...interesting.
Have at it though I guess 😂
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Post by hannechalk on Dec 9, 2023 14:09:08 GMT
Bit different when the part he's playing ends up being a maximum of 30 years old and he's now a good 20+ years older than that, so any real believability goes out the window (for me anyway.) I have no problem in actors staying in a role for so long if it works age wise - comparing an actor in the same role for 30 years (when half of that role is them as a child) to someone in an office is...interesting. Have at it though I guess 😂 The number of times I hear 'I only go see Blood Brothers if Sean is in it' does show people go to see him especially, and with the number of positive comments he gets from people who have watched it for the first time, most people do not seem to have a problem with his real age compared to his acting age. But hey, chacun à son goût. |
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Post by danielwhit on Dec 9, 2023 22:16:16 GMT
Bit different when the part he's playing ends up being a maximum of 30 years old and he's now a good 20+ years older than that, so any real believability goes out the window (for me anyway.) I have no problem in actors staying in a role for so long if it works age wise - comparing an actor in the same role for 30 years (when half of that role is them as a child) to someone in an office is...interesting. Have at it though I guess 😂 The number of times I hear 'I only go see Blood Brothers if Sean is in it' does show people go to see him especially, and with the number of positive comments he gets from people who have watched it for the first time, most people do not seem to have a problem with his real age compared to his acting age. But hey, chacun à son goût. In fairness you're probably getting a fair bit of an echo chamber going on with those views. I imagine a lot of people are not fussed who plays who, but I also imagine there's a number of people who find it really difficult to buy into the show with the age relationships as they are. It was the same story when Lyn Paul was still Mrs J way beyond plausibility. I'm fine with whoever I see but I won't pretend that seeing a u/s Mickey last time who was broadly the same age category as the actor playing Linda and distinctly younger than the Mrs J made their relationships easier to process. |
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Post by toomasj on Dec 10, 2023 7:20:28 GMT
When you had Mark Hutchinson as a man in his mid-50’s pretending to be a 7 year old it was very cringey. Sean Jones is a very nice man and knows the role inside out, and does a professional job. Is it a bit embarrassing? Yes, but I’m sure Sean would be the first to admit that he has no business playing that role any more.
This is down to the casting process. The “job for life” culture at this particular show is unique.
The producers will (rightly) point out that their casting strategy had led to Blood Brothers having a 24 year run in the West End, with touring productions going on to this day.
Their view is this show is money. It’s cheap (very cheap to run, extraordinarily so compared to other musicals) and makes consistently big box office.
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Post by hannechalk on Jan 7, 2024 21:16:42 GMT
Scott Anson will be The Narrator (again). Haven't heard who will be Perkins/Understudy Mickey as yet - won't be Connor Bannister as he is playing Sherlock Holmes at the Watermill. |
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Post by distantcousin on Jan 7, 2024 21:45:49 GMT
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Post by toomasj on Jan 7, 2024 23:00:29 GMT
Thanks for this! Haven’t listened yet. What happened to Vivienne Carlyle? Felt like she was everywhere for Kenwright for a long while then seemingly disappeared (Joseph and Blood Brothers both for ages). Is she still in the business? |
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