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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2017 19:41:20 GMT
Work commitments mean I've a spare cheap seat in the Balcony going free for Wednesday afternoon. Would be a shame for it to go to waste if anyone would like it. Would be happy to post 1st class tomorrow, which should reach a destination on time, but isn't 100% guaranteed, or could send it Special Delivery if you are able to Paypal over the postage costs. DM me if interested.
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1,736 posts
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Post by fiyero on May 1, 2017 22:10:29 GMT
On my way home after seeing Carousel. This is the first time I've seen any production and I was hoping seeing it live would give me an understanding of the plot. Nope!
A little drama at the start when s man came on to say Katherine Jenkins was ill.... but would give it a go anyway (I'm paraphrasing). Lovely show but the redemption didn't really work for me.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2017 8:01:36 GMT
Check out the Glynebourene touring opera video of him playing one of the leads in La Boheme I saw him in the WNO Boheme years back and he was very good- as much as his fans irritate me (mainly due to being in close proximity to one of them haha) he's got a good voice, can act in the right roles and I must concede is a very nice chap!
But my god that wig is awful and I never want to see him darken Les Mis' door again 
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Post by Dr Tom on May 2, 2017 23:15:28 GMT
Some real disappointment tonight.
Before the show, the director (I presume) came on stage to announce that Katherine Jenkins was unwell and had a viral chest infection.
Pause for audience gasps.
He then said she would be performing anyway...
To be fair to her, had the announcement not been made, I doubt anyone would have known she was ill.
(looks like this happened the previous night too)
The show was much better than I expected based on the mixed reviews. Both leads were in good voice and there were some interesting staging decisions. I was sat in the Circle though, so was able to ignore some of the lack of facial reactions.
Very little in the way of set, mostly simple set items and furtinuture wheeled on and off and projected background. Some creative use of the large space and a huge cast/orchestra to get the most out of the material.
I notice there were a few lines throughout and at least one song skipped. Still a long production (didn't drag). I didn't like the way they paused during several songs for applause, then just resumed the rest of the song.
Stalls looked fairly full. Circle was about half full. Didn't see the upper levels. I got a reduced ticket from TodayTix and I think the TKTS booth has some reduced tickets too. Towards the side of the circle, where the reduced price tickets seem to be, was a good view due to the rake.
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Post by wickedgrin on May 3, 2017 0:13:18 GMT
Yes some quiet discounting for this on Today Tix. Side circle row E for £50 instead of £80 on the ENO website. A lot of availability. This has done nothing like the business Sunset did last year.
The producers must be on the phone to top American stars as we speak saying something like "what musical would you like to do in the glittering West End of London next year Catherine/Meryl/Barbara/Liza/Chita?"
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Post by carmella1 on May 3, 2017 2:23:08 GMT
The West End does not need American/Hollywood stars they just need to cast properly. This was horrible casting from the beginning. Alfie is wooden, Katherine not qualified. Even Alfie and Michael Ball's concert is not selling the way they expected in NY. Actually terrible.
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 6:18:03 GMT
The West End does not need American/Hollywood stars they just need to cast properly. This was horrible casting from the beginning. Alfie is wooden, Katherine not qualified. Even Alfie and Michael Ball's concert is not selling the way they expected in NY. Actually terrible. Actually yes they do. To fill the theatre and charge the prices they want they need to make the shows a real limited run event that people are willing to pay extra for. You need the perfect combination of star and show. Otherwise these shows are just a limited run revival without even a decent set and staging. |
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 7:02:42 GMT
You can cast properly *and* cast American/Hollywood stars. The two ideas are not mutually exclusive. Some Hollywood stars are even quite good.  |
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Post by wickedgrin on May 3, 2017 8:02:56 GMT
The casting has to be right clearly but I cannot think of any British stars big enough to fill the theatre at high prices.
However, cast Angela Lansbury as Madame Armfeldt in A Little Night Music with Catherine Zeta Jones as Desiree Armfeldt and watch a box office meltdown!
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Post by SageStageMgr on May 3, 2017 17:31:55 GMT
Seeing this tonight from the Gods...
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 18:25:11 GMT
This production is probably the best thing I never went to see.
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Post by crabtree on May 3, 2017 19:05:10 GMT
A Little Night Music at the ENO might just be the wrong venue. That's such an intimate piece.
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Post by SageStageMgr on May 3, 2017 20:03:25 GMT
Oh my God this is awful. Interval. Does it get better or should I go home?
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Post by fiyero on May 3, 2017 20:05:59 GMT
Oh my God this is awful. Interval. Does it get better or should I go home? The second half is shorter and has the guy from Only Fools and Horses in it |
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Post by SageStageMgr on May 3, 2017 20:13:58 GMT
Oh my God this is awful. Interval. Does it get better or should I go home? The second half is shorter and has the guy from Only Fools and Horses in it Sold. This is f***ing dire. |
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Post by shady23 on May 3, 2017 21:14:20 GMT
Oh come on, it really is not THAT bad.
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Post by SageStageMgr on May 3, 2017 21:24:18 GMT
Oh come on, it really is not THAT bad. Have you seen it? The first Act was just about the poorest I can recall seeing since The Far Pavilions. Absolutely joyless gulch. The second Act was thankfully hugely improved and the show seemed to find some heart. Overall a very poorly realised piece of theatre. |
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Post by shady23 on May 3, 2017 21:40:40 GMT
I preferred the first act as I found all the star keeper stuff in the second bizarre.
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Post by SageStageMgr on May 3, 2017 22:01:54 GMT
Just out of "Carousel". The production is an ENO semi-staged affair; I think a definition needs to be created once and for all as to what this really means. Much like "Sunset Boulevard", this is to all intents and purposes "fully staged" with full sets and, this time, a revolve. I can't help but feel the semi-staged disclaimer is a gentle reminder to not expect full blown opera theatrics, given to season ticket holders and top paying sorts as a kind of pre-show waver. I didn't enjoy the design, but as with Sunset, I can't see how anyone could feel short changed. There is, however some dissonance between the enormous venue and the modest sized cast, which would leave opera buffs bemused - along with people in the Gods like myself tonight, who couldn't help but notice the large gaps in the stage.
To call the first act ropey is an injustice to hemp. My only other previous experience of Carousel was seeing a national tour starring Sam Kane - I'm not familiar with the movie although I know the songs and story - but the first act felt like it was in a coma. The songs come out of nowhere, with little provocation, slowing the plot into a standstill.
Here, I should comment on Katherine Jenkins, who I think comes out of this train wreck okay - strangely, particularly with her acting! Her singing is entirely disconnected from her acting, as is so often with opera singers. But is Ms. Jenkins even a legitimate opera singer? Her vocals were gravelly and less than stellar. The same can't be said for Alfie Boe who is note perfect, but is terribly miscast as Billy. I found myself shutting my eyes and enjoying the huge orchestra and Boe's voice rather than looking at the boring visuals. With eyes shut, this production could pass for a good one.
The "pirate song", as I've just christened it, features some laughably dreadful camp choreography. Also, like much of the first act, it was completely unnecessary, out of place and gave me at least a little entertainment.
It was only the prospect of Rodney which kept me for the second Act, and in truth I'm happy I stayed. The pace and energy of the show improved tenfold. I actually really enjoyed the final forty minutes or so, where the plot comes together (or takes a ridiculous twist, depending on your perspective)
There's no doubting something is rotten, even Kismet rotten, at the core of this production. The first Act is unforgivable and some of the staging is atrocious, hurt by a dated book where people really do burst into song for no reason, but nothing is done to address of obvious drop of energy when a random song starts. An improvement in the second Act is tied in closely to an improvement in the source material. Some nice staging emerges too; the creation of the carousel by the dancers was a genuinely impressive moment.
But no, don't see this. It's dated, the staging is naff and the performances forgettable.
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Post by Mr Snow on May 4, 2017 5:45:39 GMT
To call the first act ropey is an injustice to hemp. My only other previous experience of Carousel was seeing a national tour starring Sam Kane - I'm not familiar with the movie although I know the songs and story - but the first act felt like it was in a coma. The songs come out of nowhere, with little provocation, slowing the plot into a standstill. Its one thing to criticise a production and quite another to say the songs come out of nowhere. "The Bench Scene" i.e. where they meet, is commonly cited for as breaking new ground for (musical) theatre as a way of evolving a story through music, naturally. It was highlighted in the recent BBC4 series on musicals. I marvelled once again, at the way it unfolded. Something was out of tune that night and likely it was you. Carosel is one of the great glories of MT, despite many problems. That said, I agree with many of your comments re scale. |
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Post by martin1965 on May 4, 2017 6:02:14 GMT
Just out of "Carousel". The production is an ENO semi-staged affair; I think a definition needs to be created once and for all as to what this really means. Much like "Sunset Boulevard", this is to all intents and purposes "fully staged" with full sets and, this time, a revolve. I can't help but feel the semi-staged disclaimer is a gentle reminder to not expect full blown opera theatrics, given to season ticket holders and top paying sorts as a kind of pre-show waver. I didn't enjoy the design, but as with Sunset, I can't see how anyone could feel short changed. There is, however some dissonance between the enormous venue and the modest sized cast, which would leave opera buffs bemused - along with people in the Gods like myself tonight, who couldn't help but notice the large gaps in the stage. To call the first act ropey is an injustice to hemp. My only other previous experience of Carousel was seeing a national tour starring Sam Kane - I'm not familiar with the movie although I know the songs and story - but the first act felt like it was in a coma. The songs come out of nowhere, with little provocation, slowing the plot into a standstill. Here, I should comment on Katherine Jenkins, who I think comes out of this train wreck okay - strangely, particularly with her acting! Her singing is entirely disconnected from her acting, as is so often with opera singers. But is Ms. Jenkins even a legitimate opera singer? Her vocals were gravelly and less than stellar. The same can't be said for Alfie Boe who is note perfect, but is terribly miscast as Billy. I found myself shutting my eyes and enjoying the huge orchestra and Boe's voice rather than looking at the boring visuals. With eyes shut, this production could pass for a good one. The "pirate song", as I've just christened it, features some laughably dreadful camp choreography. Also, like much of the first act, it was completely unnecessary, out of place and gave me at least a little entertainment. It was only the prospect of Rodney which kept me for the second Act, and in truth I'm happy I stayed. The pace and energy of the show improved tenfold. I actually really enjoyed the final forty minutes or so, where the plot comes together (or takes a ridiculous twist, depending on your perspective) There's no doubting something is rotten, even Kismet rotten, at the core of this production. The first Act is unforgivable and some of the staging is atrocious, hurt by a dated book where people really do burst into song for no reason, but nothing is done to address of obvious drop of energy when a random song starts. An improvement in the second Act is tied in closely to an improvement in the source material. Some nice staging emerges too; the creation of the carousel by the dancers was a genuinely impressive moment. But no, don't see this. It's dated, the staging is naff and the performances forgettable. Not sure what you were expecting but liked it and dont recognise the show you are describing |
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Post by martin1965 on May 4, 2017 6:06:05 GMT
The West End does not need American/Hollywood stars they just need to cast properly. This was horrible casting from the beginning. Alfie is wooden, Katherine not qualified. Even Alfie and Michael Ball's concert is not selling the way they expected in NY. Actually terrible. Actually yes they do. To fill the theatre and charge the prices they want they need to make the shows a real limited run event that people are willing to pay extra for. You need the perfect combination of star and show. Otherwise these shows are just a limited run revival without even a decent set and staging. As has been said above this is in no way "semi staged". What show would you suggest? |
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Post by oxfordsimon on May 4, 2017 6:08:55 GMT
There is a massive structural problem with the plot of Carousel. Dramatically there is very little plot development in the first half that really lands with any dramatic power. Billy woos Julie, he wins her, then finds out that he is going to be a father and freaks out. Yes, there is some lovely music and some innovation in terms of how that music is interwoven with the narrative - but essentially there is no big dramatic climax to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
For me, the end of the first Act should be the death of Billy. That is the real emotional climax of the first part of the story arc. The fact that this comes part way into Act 2 means the first half fails to satisfy me. Of course there is not enough plot after Billy dies to fill a full second half.
I have sat down with the script and the score to see if there is any way to restructure the existing material in order to deliver a more balanced piece and I could not find a way.
Perhaps once it drops out of copyright, someone will take it apart and remake it completely - but until that point, we are going to have to live with the many flaws. There are enough good tunes for me to enjoy it on CD but it is not a piece that works for me in the theatre.
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Post by loureviews on May 4, 2017 6:34:55 GMT
The pirate song was one of the highlights for me, even if it does feel as if it belongs in another show.
Any problems with the first act are purely down to Alfie Boe's acting in my opinion. You don't believe he and Julie falling in love.
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Post by Someone in a tree on May 4, 2017 7:03:49 GMT
I adore Carousel but I've always thought June is the wrong song. This production with its naff direction, technicolor set and jazz hands is terrible
I wish I had seen the NT production and the recent Arcola - both of which got amazing reviews. However I did love the Opera North production which did the work full justice.
The ENO production will be remembered for all the wrong reasons
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