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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2017 9:12:36 GMT
Saw this in Manchester tonight. This musical is really a star vehicle with a couple of decent song, this time it is a star vehicle for Sheridan Smith who never hit the heights she did in the fabulous Legally Blonde and really, but ultimately a story you can't emotionally connect with, you don't really care about Fanny Brice and she has been screwed over, the book is flat and pedestrian otherwise it would be fair to say it isn't a good musical. In the end you just had a feeling that the audience were going to be on their feet to give a standing ovation and boy the audience didn't disappoint, this summed it up for me, and where the show failed, it is all about the star, not the piece. Good though it sent the audience away delirious and ready to get home to catch the latest episode of Benidorm on their Sky+ box. Pretty much sums up how I felt about the film - fantastic vehicle for Barbra Streisand to show off her singing chops, but apart from that, I don't remember anything much about the story or the characters.
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Post by alece10 on Feb 24, 2017 9:45:50 GMT
Saw this in Manchester tonight. This musical is really a star vehicle with a couple of decent song, this time it is a star vehicle for Sheridan Smith who never hit the heights she did in the fabulous Legally Blonde and really, but ultimately a story you can't emotionally connect with, you don't really care about Fanny Brice and she has been screwed over, the book is flat and pedestrian otherwise it would be fair to say it isn't a good musical. In the end you just had a feeling that the audience were going to be on their feet to give a standing ovation and boy the audience didn't disappoint, this summed it up for me, and where the show failed, it is all about the star, not the piece. Good though it sent the audience away delirious and ready to get home to catch the latest episode of Benidorm on their Sky+ box. Is there some kind of link between the Funny Girl audience and watching Benidorm on TV?
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Post by duncan on Feb 24, 2017 9:47:56 GMT
Rampant snobbery, looking down at those who dare to watch TV. Its an attitude several people on here seem to have.
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Post by danb on Feb 24, 2017 10:18:04 GMT
Whilst some look down on television acting, not all do. I believe that there was a couple in from Hale Barns last night who went because they'd seen Sheridan Smith on the television. Not only the television but ITV on that Cilla Black thingy. Thought it mightbe frightfully fun! 😏
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 24, 2017 12:28:45 GMT
Rampant snobbery, looking down at those who dare to watch TV. Its an attitude several people on here seem to have. I suspect it might not have been levelled at the London audience too. Of course we're all a bit rough and thick up here in Manc. I'm definitely rough and thick, I've never watched Benidorm though
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Post by alece10 on Feb 24, 2017 15:39:38 GMT
Rampant snobbery, looking down at those who dare to watch TV. Its an attitude several people on here seem to have. Well I like Funny Girl and Benidorm so guess wouldn't be welcome at the theatre forum meet ups!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2017 16:43:00 GMT
we're all a bit rough and thick up here in Manc. I'm definitely rough and thick, I've never watched Benidorm though It's an exotic continental drama.
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8,107 posts
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Post by alece10 on Feb 24, 2017 17:12:43 GMT
Amy way Sheridan has a new doggie. A pomaranian who is so cute. I think that's 5 now.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 16:11:17 GMT
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Post by alece10 on Mar 13, 2017 17:08:29 GMT
Anyone going to see this on tour? I'm off to see it in June in sarffend.
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Post by CG on the loose on Mar 13, 2017 18:52:26 GMT
Anyone going to see this on tour? I'm off to see it in June in sarffend. Yes, Birmingham in May
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Post by daniel on Mar 13, 2017 18:53:30 GMT
Manchester in August for me
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 19:20:16 GMT
Saw it two weeks ago - still in good shape since it's London run. I preferred the original London cast though, but probably because I saw them twice and it's natural to make a comparison. Sheridan's vocals weren't as strong either, but it had been some time since the last run for her. Acting still top quality as usual, but she seemed to be playing Fanny much more clowny on the tour.
I really wasn't keen on Chris Peluso (basically playing the same characterisation of "Death" again from his last role) as Nick.
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Post by groupbooker on Mar 13, 2017 21:35:15 GMT
Does anyone who has seen the show already know if Sheridan is not doing the matinees? No one at the theatres seems to know if she is or she isn't?? Seeing it next week in Bristol.
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Post by daniel on Mar 13, 2017 23:56:57 GMT
Does anyone who has seen the show already know if Sheridan is not doing the matinees? No one at the theatres seems to know if she is or she isn't?? Seeing it next week in Bristol. Sheridan is scheduled for all matinees in Bristol the website states when she isn't - midweek matinees in Newcastle and Cardiff. www.funnygirlthemusical.co.uk/uk-tour/
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Post by groupbooker on Mar 14, 2017 23:41:21 GMT
Thanks Daniel. The groups department when at the theatre couldn't say if she was or was not.
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Post by daniel on Mar 15, 2017 1:46:01 GMT
Thanks Daniel. The groups department when at the theatre couldn't say if she was or was not. No problem. I used to work in a Groups department (not that one) and if someone asked me cast info, the first place I would look if we didn't already have info would be the show's official website - the Groups team could've found that in about 10 seconds! Anyway never mind, now you know
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Post by danb on Mar 21, 2017 23:29:05 GMT
Wasn't expecting to love this, but thoroughly enjoyed all the performances. The show is a bit of a curates egg isn't it? It certainly rests on it's 'fanny', and would struggle to entertain quite so much without Ms Smith. She deserves all the plaudits, as did Chris Peluso (who bears an uncanny resemblence to Brendan Urie from Panic! At The Disco.)
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Post by katykate on Mar 26, 2017 7:53:54 GMT
Chris peluso taken ill in the interval in Bristol last night. Shame as he was fab in the first act. Understudy for the second act did really well in the circumstances! Must be so difficult going on at such short notice mid show! Hope chris is ok.
Sheridan was, if anything, better than when I saw it at the savoy! Great show.
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Post by shady23 on Mar 26, 2017 11:56:30 GMT
It's lovely to see so many of the Savoy Funny Girl cast all starring in 42nd Street at the moment.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2017 19:30:55 GMT
Darius had an interview with Loose Women, discussing Funny Girl. Complementary words on both Sheridan and Natasha, calling both amazing. Particularly very lovely about Sheridan, through her tough times and discussing her achievements such as one of the youngest people to have an OBE and all her award wins. As well as her performance and her strength coming back. And that they are both great friends. Lovely to hear him being so lovely about her and the whole situation, even though I am sure at the time, before he knew the actual issues she was going through, he must of found it frustrating.
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 27, 2017 21:27:13 GMT
As they are both "great friends" I would have asked why they were avoiding each other so fastidiously on the tour!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2017 21:36:42 GMT
As they are both "great friends" I would have asked why they were avoiding each other so fastidiously on the tour! I don't actually think that is a bad idea in terms of business. Sheridan is hugely famous in the UK, and Darius is a known name. They both have selling power, Sheridan moreso but Darius can probably still shift some. Sheridan probably can't sign on to the whole tour as she has other work to do and also probably still isn't 100% well enough to do every venue so it is more smart to have Sheridan do some and Darius do the rest. Much as she is great, not a lot of people care to see Natasha in the role compared to Sheridan. That's why most of the performances are sold out or near to sold out, whilst there is still availability for a lot of Natasha's shows. Sad but true, but both are amazing!
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Post by shady23 on Mar 27, 2017 21:38:01 GMT
I couldn't care less if they are friends off stage. They just needed to look like they are when they were on stage.
They did!
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Post by Dr Tom on Mar 29, 2017 8:55:00 GMT
Saw the show in Stoke yesterday with Natasha and Darius on as the leads. Might have been their first performance on the tour (I did see them both on at the Savoy last year).
Think they're definitely the stronger combination, albeit the one with less star power.
No issues with Natasha and Darius working with the new staging. Natasha missed a couple of lines but they were quickly covered over, nothing you'd really notice if you hadn't seen the show before. She also has the moustache "ad libs" timed to perfection.
I saw the other version of the cast in Liverpool. The casting who change are the two leads, as you'd expect.
Very full house with a deserved standing ovation. I did hear someone saying she couldn't wait to see Sheridan if the understudy was this good!
Different programmes for this version of the cast too, with Natasha's photo on the front cover.
Definitely a version of the cast worth seeing. They're generally doing the smaller venues and there are still some decent seats available.
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