421 posts
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Post by carmella1 on Aug 4, 2016 15:40:04 GMT
Carrie does not look matronly. That is just silly. And I think its great to see that someone who actually looks normal can be one of the stars of a production. The world is not made up of tiny skinny people, she is healthy.
Carrie and Lee together look gorgeous. Lee is very dashing in those outfits, especially the car scene, and they both sing the heck out of the production.
Lee is the handsome caring father who children can relate to and women feel for and want to make happy who sings and dances phantastically. Perfect in the part. As is Carrie. Doll In a Music Box/Truly Scrumptious is so wonderful with feeling. All the emotions are conveyed. Though I loved Me Ole Bamboo and Hushabye Moutain is epic.
And to the poster who said no one would say Jason was fat, he just did himself.
JasonManfordVerified account
@jasonmanford
There's no panic like the panic you feel when you get stuck half way down a water slide! #themomentIrealisedIwasfat
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2016 16:23:05 GMT
And to the poster who said no one would say Jason was fat, he just did himself. JasonManfordVerified account @jasonmanford There's no panic like the panic you feel when you get stuck half way down a water slide! #themomentIrealisedIwasfat Um, I wasn't saying that to be disrespectful to Jason, I was using it as an illustration that we rarely see comments like those directed at Carrie towards men-we'd never get 'Oh he's too fat to play Potts' for example. Also bigger men tend to openly make comments (I know Peter Kay does for example) because again it's not the norm to 'bring down' men for that. Again, I wasn't making a comment about him, but using it as a comment on the double standards for women, which the nasty comments about Carrie illustrated. |
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421 posts
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Post by carmella1 on Aug 4, 2016 16:28:07 GMT
I knew that. I was simply saying he knows it.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2016 16:32:09 GMT
Oh right sorry, I wasn't clear!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2016 17:23:47 GMT
The show. Firstly there's a thing about seeing a show like Chitty for the first time as an adult having never seen the film. Yeah, it's really not for me. I didn't 'get' it at all. That said it's a lovely production, really slick, well put together and an excellent cast. Carrie and Lee are excellent in the leads, Claire Sweeney was glorious I thought in a frankly thankless role and Scott and Sam (sorry I forget last names!) as the idiot spies are delightful. The car looks great too, I honestly never knew it was a boat as well... Oh, emicardiff, you are generous spirited. I went this afternoon, only having booked last night, and it's definitely a Musical I've Seen But Definitely Shouldn't Have. The actual show (not considering this production) is crap - an idiotic and outdated transatlantic view of the UK and continental Europe cast in the medium of a homage to pantomime. I thought that Truly sang nicely (assuming it was live, as I couldn't tell) but her spoken lines all fell like lead balloons to deathly audience silence, although I'd largely blame that on the dreadful script. Lee Mead was pure panto, as opposed to proper acting, and I'll avoid him in future. The child catcher moved very well but the rest of the choreography was crass, in the manner of the tradition of musicals which puts most sane people off ever attending a musical. After the wonder of Billy Elliot at the WMC in June and July, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang takes us right back to the Dark Ages. However, everyone else relished clapping along to the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang song, on each of its many reprises in this tosh. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2016 17:35:09 GMT
You give a fair account! I was being over-generous as I blamed my dislike on the dislike of the material (I also saw The Wizard of Oz as an adult an loathe the thing so assumed it was a simlar effect) I was fairly bored...I shall quote my text reaction to a friend...
"It's called that because it's a rubbish car?"
"Has it always been a boat as well?"
"Why are people singing about stealing a car?"
"Why has the child catcher caught no childrens yet?"
"Lee Mead is quite sweaty isn't he?"
Maybe we aren't the target audience for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?
I also agree that while Carrie's singing voice is lovely (and frankly should have been given more to do!) her acting is not quite as good, but as you say she's given some terrible lines to say so, I reserve judgement until she's in something better!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2016 17:42:59 GMT
I quite expect an immediate tweet from Rachel O'Riordan, and possibly a full page Announcement in the Western Mail:
"The Sherman Theatre wishes to make it clear that it has ABSOLUTELY NO CONNECTION to the Sherman Brothers."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2016 17:50:59 GMT
hahaha NO RELATION I REPEAT NO RELATION
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421 posts
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Post by carmella1 on Aug 4, 2016 17:59:45 GMT
Get on that venom train and off the weight train.
But having seen the show I totally disagree with both of you. And cannot wait to book for Lee Mead (sweaty and all) in his next show. His performance is quite not panto and in fact very reseved. But if you do not like him to begin with, you will make a comment about this. The paid press does not agree with you.
But to each his own.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2016 18:33:35 GMT
Yes, I probably only saw this because it's August and all the Cardiff theatre has gone to Edinburgh or is on a summer break, so this is the only professional theatre in the city for the next month. And I was hoping for a family storytelling musical, and hadn't remembered (from seeing the film as a very young child) that the show is a crass moronic american fantasy spin on false stereotypes. With the addition of even more crass panto references in the script, e.g. Truly Madly Deeply, sex toys for the Baron, the sh*tsu dog, etc., etc. The children were genuinely the freshest element in it, and I suppose that Lee Mead can take some of the credit for that, as he spends so much time on stage with them. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2016 19:17:57 GMT
My comment about him being sweaty was merely a tongue in cheek comment. As my comments on many other threads indicate I'm very fond of Lee Mean (some might say too fond, but I'm sure that joke will fall flat as well)
And all my comments come from disliking the actual musical/story/film as a whole-I was bored by the story, didn't enjoy the humour which IS very panto, which is fine as it's a family show it's just not my preferred humour. As Honoured Guest says there were some very panto style jokes in it, that cannot be denied, and that's 100% fine if you like that, I don't.
And as I said I've never seen the film, perhaps if I had fond memories of it as a kid I'd love the stage version, however to me it was just a very odd musical about a flying car which for me personally didn't have great jokes and had ok but not outstanding music. I said in my original post I felt it was a good production if that's your thing. I loved Claire Sweeney Carrie and Lee, all talented performers IMO who deserve better.
Oh and by the way, I was there as press.
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Post by danb on Aug 10, 2016 8:36:02 GMT
Well....this was pure panto...the first hour was dull as anything...the 'not Chitty' song going round and round and round...interupted by the odd bit of attractive trilling from Carrie or Lee Mead...finally we're flying, proper 'Chitty' song then interval....more panto comedy...lovely Carrie solo...actual threat & excitement...more 'Chitty'...end.
I'd been led to believe that this was a cheapo version of it's previous incarnations but it looks great thanks to the back projections and decent sets. It was fine, thankfully Sweeney was off or I may not have been so accepting of the Baron & Baroness...her cover was lovely & danced it a lot better than I imagine she would have after enduring her in the Hairspray tour a couple of months ago. It was exactly what I expected it to be and my youngest loved it.
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19,674 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 14, 2016 22:40:05 GMT
Well that was looking decidedly tired tonight. Why dos Phil Jupitus keep getting cast in musicals? His acting is rubbish. If dropping out of accent was supposed to be an in-joke then it bombed.
Jason Manford has a nice voice but mugged his way through the show, I understand the panto accusations above. I think the spies are the very same actors I saw at the WYP a year ago. They could be forgiven for seeming a bit jaded after all that time but were actually the best in the show.
It was all a bit lacklustre compared with Leeds.
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Post by crabtree on Dec 14, 2016 23:02:48 GMT
and probably looked a little exposed on that vast Lowry stage
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Dec 16, 2016 9:12:14 GMT
Oh Jason and Phil are in this now. Still got bad memories of the Producers!
Thankful I saw this show with a previous cast.
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19,674 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 16, 2016 18:12:18 GMT
and probably looked a little exposed on that vast Lowry stage No it fitted very well actually. Don't forget it originated on that big WYP thrust stage. I still feel as though the design, while very pretty, was wrong for the show. Pastel coloured projections on a pastel coloured backdrop, sepia coloured sets and costumes apart from the purple in Vulgaria. Even when I first saw it I felt it needed an injection of colour. After a year it looks like it's suffering from aneamia. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2017 12:14:39 GMT
Just heard Jason Manford on Michael Ball's radio show say there could possibly be a return of the show next year as 2018 will be the 50th anniversary of the film. What do we think? Another tour already or West End transfer possibly?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2017 12:43:27 GMT
Just heard Jason Manford on Michael Ball's radio show say there could possibly be a return of the show next year as 2018 will be the 50th anniversary of the film. What do we think? Another tour already or West End transfer possibly? Hopefully neither, the production that just finished touring was AWFUL - packed with useless, talentless celebs. Saw the first performance in Southampton - Michelle Collins and Martin Kemp were a disgrace and there were major technical problems. Let's put this rumour to bed pronto please! |
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345 posts
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Post by johartuk on Apr 23, 2017 14:43:44 GMT
Just heard Jason Manford on Michael Ball's radio show say there could possibly be a return of the show next year as 2018 will be the 50th anniversary of the film. What do we think? Another tour already or West End transfer possibly? Hopefully neither, the production that just finished touring was AWFUL - packed with useless, talentless celebs. Saw the first performance in Southampton - Michelle Collins and Martin Kemp were a disgrace and there were major technical problems. Let's put this rumour to bed pronto please! To be fair, there were cast changes, and from May to September, both leads (Caractacus and Truly) were played by musical theatre performers. Also, the ensemble were all musical theatre performers, as were the Child Catcher, the Spies and Grandpa Potts. In fact, the only roles filled by Celebs from May to September were the Baron and Baroness, so hardly a cast "packed with useless, talentless celebs..." |
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421 posts
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Post by carmella1 on Apr 23, 2017 16:49:31 GMT
Hopefully neither, the production that just finished touring was AWFUL - packed with useless, talentless celebs. Saw the first performance in Southampton - Michelle Collins and Martin Kemp were a disgrace and there were major technical problems. Let's put this rumour to bed pronto please! To be fair, there were cast changes, and from May to September, both leads (Caractacus and Truly) were played by musical theatre performers. Also, the ensemble were all musical theatre performers, as were the Child Catcher, the Spies and Grandpa Potts. In fact, the only roles filled by Celebs from May to September were the Baron and Baroness, so hardly a cast "packed with useless, talentless celebs..." Hard to picture Jon Robyns as terrible since he was the first Caractacus. He is very talented. If you saw Jason Manford maybe different, since he is not really a musical theatre performer and people were suprised Jason could carry a tune. When Lee Mead and Carrie Flecher were in it, they are bona fide musical theatre performers and it was very good and I enjoyed it. Actually the whole production was a tight running machine when I saw it and the ensemble was on point. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2017 17:17:17 GMT
When I saw it with Lee and Carrie I found it painful to watch 😖 Blighted with issue after issue. I can only assume things improved as the run continued.
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Post by Dan213 on Apr 23, 2017 17:39:32 GMT
Wasn't really that impressed by this production. The car is supposed to be the centrepiece of the show, but I thought it was just cheap. Compare this to London, and the original UK tour, where the car actually had wings instead of a kite stuck on the side
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Post by CG on the loose on Apr 23, 2017 18:59:35 GMT
There was talk during the tour of a possible return to the West End for the 2018 anniversary, but while I really enjoyed the latest version, there's no denying it would need to be upgraded (particularly the car) for a run of that kind.
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4,984 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Apr 23, 2017 19:32:49 GMT
i saw the tour opener in Leeds with Jon Robyns. I didn't think he could carry the show. Th car only went upwards, well my Nissan Juke does that. The car didn't go into the audience, as it did in the Palladium. The production relied too much on projections, that at times seemed to be unfocused.
Saw this again in Birmingham with Lee and Carrie and both leads were better than what I saw above.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2017 22:23:49 GMT
Hopefully neither, the production that just finished touring was AWFUL - packed with useless, talentless celebs. Saw the first performance in Southampton - Michelle Collins and Martin Kemp were a disgrace and there were major technical problems. Let's put this rumour to bed pronto please! To be fair, there were cast changes, and from May to September, both leads (Caractacus and Truly) were played by musical theatre performers. Also, the ensemble were all musical theatre performers, as were the Child Catcher, the Spies and Grandpa Potts. In fact, the only roles filled by Celebs from May to September were the Baron and Baroness, so hardly a cast "packed with useless, talentless celebs..." Michelle Collins, Martin Kemp, Phil Jupitus and Jason Manford kicked the tour off after the original cast left at the end of the West Yorkshire Playhouse. I stand by what I said - they were AWFUL in Southampton. Those four were 50% of the principals and none of them were up to it! I saw it, believe me! |
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