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Post by firefingers on Feb 8, 2017 10:21:15 GMT
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1,819 posts
Member is Online
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Post by stevej678 on Feb 8, 2017 14:39:09 GMT
It's like a Toxic Avenger reunion!
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Post by paplazaroo on Apr 4, 2017 8:22:14 GMT
Thought I'd bump this as it's a very short run starting this weekend I nearly missed it
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Post by martin1965 on Apr 4, 2017 12:44:11 GMT
Couldnt resist this and am going on 22/4.
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Post by japhun on Apr 4, 2017 16:04:24 GMT
watching on the 19th!  I really enjoyed Floyd Collins and love Wilton's as a venue. |
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Post by romeo94 on Apr 14, 2017 11:12:41 GMT
Are there any discount codes going for this? I remember I had a bargain with Floyd Collins.
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Post by alece10 on Apr 14, 2017 15:35:57 GMT
The reviews i have read so far are not good.
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Post by bellboard27 on Apr 14, 2017 19:08:54 GMT
The reviews i have read so far are not good. Yes: Guardian, The Stage,Telegraph all 3 stars. Evening Standard and WOS each 2 stars. |
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Post by alece10 on Apr 14, 2017 19:30:14 GMT
The reviews i have read so far are not good. Yes: Guardian, The Stage,Telegraph all 3 stars. Evening Standard and WOS each 2 stars. 2 stars from The Times too. But what do critics know..... |
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Post by martin1965 on Apr 14, 2017 20:16:21 GMT
I dont see three stars as bad. Problem is its pretty much an unknown work. Im still looking forward to seeing it saturday week.
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Post by mallardo on Apr 14, 2017 21:11:27 GMT
I dont see three stars as bad. Problem is its pretty much an unknown work. Im still looking forward to seeing it saturday week.
An unknown work? It has been around since 1961 - it's a staple of the MT repertory. It has been a movie. I'd say it's pretty known.
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Post by martin1965 on Apr 15, 2017 7:35:48 GMT
I dont see three stars as bad. Problem is its pretty much an unknown work. Im still looking forward to seeing it saturday week.
An unknown work? It has been around since 1961 - it's a staple of the MT repertory. It has been a movie. I'd say it's pretty known.
Staple of the MT rep? Hardly. This is first london revival in 50 yrs and aprt from Chichester production in i think 2005 its not been seen as far as i know and i dont count am dram or student productions im afraid! Anyhow im going arent i? |
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Post by talkstageytome on Apr 15, 2017 8:46:06 GMT
Well there was a concert at the Royal Festival Hall a couple of years ago, starring Jonathan Groff and Cynthia Erivo. And it was revived on Broadway not long back too, with 3 consecutive big name leads (Daniel Radcliff, Darren Criss, Nick Jonas). I also recall a production with Scott Garnam and Nadim Namaan somewhere not long ago.
However I guess there's been nothing MAJOR in a long while over here (West End/ High profile fringe). As far as I'm aware.
I thought about going to see this as there are some great songs,but I'm afraid when I saw the Jonathan Groff concert I found it EXTREMELY longwhinded, which is putting me off.
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Post by martin1965 on Apr 15, 2017 8:55:21 GMT
Broadway is obvs different. I was surprprised the Radcliffe production didnt come over, esp with his fanbase. Oh well im seeing this next sat so will report😊
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Post by Mr Snow on Apr 17, 2017 21:16:51 GMT
Confused I am.
Hard to argue there's a musical better than Guys and Dolls. Love Frank Loesser and have wanted to see his other works for so long. Charley s Aunt at the Regent's Park Theatre was so enjoyable, Once in Love with Amy is irresistible. And after all this was only the 4th musical to win a Pulitzer Prize.
So why aren't I writing a glowing review? I wish I knew.
I know this piece pretty well. Saw the film years ago and have the Original Cast recording and yet the doubts were always there. There's some good material but...
So praise for this production which on minimal resources works well. Fast moving and stylish in London's most atmospheric space; what's not to love......
And the cast. Loved the women, Hannah Grover is delightful as the sassy but homely Rosemary (hard combination to pull off) with Geri Allen and Maisey Bawden also most impressive. And I enjoyed the male actors, no weak links. Everyone knew there parts and were well drilled. It looked good and (I'm struggling a little here).....
I wished I'd loved the band and arrangements more. A sensitive drummer and a horn based orchestra of 9 should have been right up my street. But...the overture left me cold and I missed things like the 'tap' sounds of the typewriter in A Secretary is Not a Toy (in fairness I think that came into its own in the film?).
Then there's the 'hero' of the piece. What a creep. Hardly surprising that “I believe in you” (by some way the 'great' song in the piece)came across less as a Hymn to Him and more a tribute to narcissism. I don’t know how you can sustain our interest in this part but neither did the director or the actor Marc Pickering. He was the best comedian on stage but...an impossible task? (its a problem in the film too).
I thought that some of the humour was under delivered and the participants came across as ciphers and cliché’s rather than rounded characters with an interesting perspective. Bit like the film really and I wonder if I'm somehow missing the point?
The show had a long run originally and Daniel Radcliffe recently made a success of it, so maybe it's possible to deliver it well. BUT I'm left thinking Loesser was a song writer and not a stage animal, He should never have taken this on. Even for Guys and Dolls he actually wrote a great no of songs for Runyon’s Characters and then left it to Abe Burrows to come up with a book and make it work.
Reading this back, I've been harsh. There’s much to enjoy but my hopes have been dashed and basically I don’t think its a great piece. Given the budget restrictions I think the team here have done really well but I 'm not surprised that they failed to produce a 'silk purse'.
Go see, but don’t expect to discover a neglected gem.
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Post by martin1965 on Apr 17, 2017 21:29:03 GMT
Hmmm, interesting. Am going saturday. I too remember the film though that hasnt been shown for ages. First visit to Wiltons as well.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2017 21:52:28 GMT
I was in a production of How To Succeed many years ago so the show has a special place in my heart. It has a wonderful score and great characters, but it has to be overplayed for it to work. It's very old fashioned and very chauvinistic. It's also a very long show.
Did Act 2 open with Cinderella, Darling or did they use the revised version of How To Succeed?
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Post by mallardo on Apr 17, 2017 22:25:23 GMT
I was in a production of How To Succeed many years ago so the show has a special place in my heart. It has a wonderful score and great characters, but it has to be overplayed for it to work. It's very old fashioned and very chauvinistic. It's also a very long show. Did Act 2 open with Cinderella, Darling or did they use the revised version of How To Succeed?
I wouldn't call it chauvinistic - it's satire. The behaviour of the corporate male toward women is being ridiculed, not supported.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2017 22:29:53 GMT
Yes it is satire, if it's played the right way.
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Post by tmesis on Apr 18, 2017 9:53:25 GMT
Excellent review Mr Snow.
I was there last night (middle of front row.)
I agree with most of what you say; I definitely enjoyed it but still found it wanting. However, even if you only have half an interest definitely go see, there is much to enjoy.
It has a very hard working and talented cast of only 10 which made the WWWC organisation seem distinctly under-staffed.
I thought the band very good but I agree the overture was quite undisciplined.
It's played in a very 'cartoonish' way but for me that worked. They are a very tight ensemble and work well together.
Love the shoes!
Excellent vocal performances all round but, crucially, Pickering did not deliver 'I believe in you' well. It's a very hard number to sing though.
Some of the worst wigs on the London stage! - Rosemary's was particularly bad - makes Alfie Boe look natural.
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Post by martin1965 on Apr 22, 2017 17:28:52 GMT
Saw the mat today. Have to say i liked it! Small cast working overtime and it would have been nice to have a few more to populate the stage. Cast were apart from Andrew Wadsworth new to me. Marc Pickering in the lead was brilliant, fantastic comic timimg. Also like Hannah Grover. Shame it has such a short run. Superb eleven oclock number with Brotherhood of Man. 4 stars
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Post by Phantom of London on Apr 22, 2017 23:16:35 GMT
Saw this, this evening.
A musical of 2 halves, because of the creatives. I satin the balcony for the first half and the sightlines were appalling, cannot blame that on the creatives, but the sound was horrendous, obviously a Victorian musical hall doesn't help, especially with the high ceiling, As nice as it is to have a bit of brass in the orchestra and I do love a brass section, accompanying a decent score, it drowned out the actors' voices and sometimes lines got missed - but saying that with all the technology, you would have thought they could overcome these poor pesky acoustics these days. Maybe one for a resident Soundboard Operator.
With the piece itself I found the directing a bit uninspired and a couple of the roles underpowered, however it wa a good stab at a piece that really is a star vehicle, that didn't pay dividends.
2 Stars
I love my Rosemary on full throttle.
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Post by tmesis on Apr 22, 2017 23:41:19 GMT
It obviously depends where you sit sound-wise. I was in the middle of front row stalls and it was excellent.
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Post by Phantom of London on Apr 23, 2017 12:35:40 GMT
I agree and that is what the point I am trying to convey, the balcony of the Wilton Hall is awful.
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Post by sayers500 on Apr 23, 2017 14:03:06 GMT
I was also in the balcony last night and agree that the sightlines are really poor; comparable to the Sam Wannaker Playhouse or the Dorfman cheap seats.
I really liked this. It's too long but has some great numbers and, despite some minor sound issues, was well produced and acted (the actor playing Pierrepont was superb.
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I really enjoyed Floyd Collins and love Wilton's as a venue.
