4,361 posts
|
Post by shady23 on Sept 29, 2017 22:13:18 GMT
True but with her background in music you would have higher hopes.
|
|
2,775 posts
|
Post by daniel on Sept 29, 2017 22:35:59 GMT
You know what, I didn't think Louise Redknapp was all that bad. I haven't seen it before so have no prior experience of it as a show or people who have played the part previously, but I was pleasantly surprised and thought she did a good job on Thursday.
|
|
396 posts
|
Post by djp on Sept 29, 2017 22:41:27 GMT
The only problem i see with her casting is that she's too old. She can sing and dance and nobody's seen her really act before, so i dont see why its such a big problem. If Kenwright really wanted her that badly, she should have been Mrs J in the new blood brothers tour. Its time Lynn Paul stopped playing Mrs J. I saw her last night. It is a very very very big problem. She can’t act at all. Think the worst ever then times by ten. She ruins what is a good show. We all know kenwright cares more about box office than quality. Actually we don't - because he also sent the same show on tour with Siobhan Dillon playing Sally, Brilliantly. Beutifully acted and powerfully sung. He's also sent out very good Sound of Musics recently with Danielle Hope and Lucy Byrne. And Evitas with painfully wooden names undermining some outings, followed by much better successors. Its also true that some TV names are very good , or actually are now pretty established as MT performers of merit . Legally, Grease , and Addams Family, all currently have good performances by people from soapland and , Diana Vickers is the watchworthy bit of Preacherman, His problem is that he's either very clever at knowing when to send quality, and when to send names without it. Or he can't tell the difference. My problem is having seen and heard Siobhan, do I really want to hear something not as good or equally interesting again? |
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 29, 2017 22:54:46 GMT
I suppose it is a balancing act between names that can fill theatres up and down the country and performers that can deliver the goods. Some names will be better or more suited to roles than others.
I have seen many BK productions over the years - some very very good and others appalling - the quality varies enormously I find. His musical productions tend to be better than his plays generally. He sends some appalling plays out with ex TV soap stars (currently A Judgement in Stone).
But it is show BUSINESS and he employs hundreds of actors and crew who otherwise would be out of work.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2017 7:33:57 GMT
And to be fair to Brian Kenwright, he keeps Jenny Seagrove gainfully employed which is nice of him.
|
|
32 posts
|
Post by oldstager on Sept 30, 2017 9:49:20 GMT
May I respectfully remind everybody that the original London Sally Bowles was Judi Dench. This is the benchmark for older board members. Mrs.Redknapp wouldn't even be considered for an understudy in that Harold Prince/definitive production. And Barry Dennen (the original London MC) died earlier this week. The memory of that performance also puts Mr. Young's rather perfunctory presence into perspective. I feel envious of the younger audiences who can go to see these revivals unhampered by memories of performances and productions which are indelibly carved on our older hearts and minds. |
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Sept 30, 2017 10:10:20 GMT
I feel envious of the younger audiences who can go to see these revivals unhampered by memories of performances and productions which are indelibly carved on our older hearts and minds. Yes, youth is wasted on the young! Sigh! Inevitably you do see things differently as time goes by. I was amused by a young man on his mobile phone to a friend outside Drury Lane after the first preview of 42nd St who was saying " OMG, I cannot believe what I have just seen, incredible, I've never seen anything like it before!" and envying him his naïve enthusiasm having never seen high production values before in his lifetime. However, I think maturity can be an advantage too, having got so much more from Follies recently than I did back in the 80's when I saw it at the Shaftesbury. The ghosts of past selves, opportunities lost, passions spent, roads we didn't take, regret all have more resonance as you get older. I spent many moments watching the show in tears which didn't come when I was younger. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2017 13:09:33 GMT
May I respectfully remind everybody that the original London Sally Bowles was Judi Dench. This is the benchmark for older board members. Mrs.Redknapp wouldn't even be considered for an understudy in that Harold Prince/definitive production. And Barry Dennen (the original London MC) died earlier this week. The memory of that performance also puts Mr. Young's rather perfunctory presence into perspective. I feel envious of the younger audiences who can go to see these revivals unhampered by memories of performances and productions which are indelibly carved on our older hearts and minds. I am sad to hear of Barry Dennen's death- a man dear to my heart as he was my first introduction to Pilate on the original recording of Superstar, my second hand copy played and played until the scratches were louder than the orchestra! He popped up again in the film (shown to us in school at our 'Foreign Film Club' (!) by an avant-garde English teacher) and then when I eventually got my hands on a Broadway recording (much, much harder to obtain in those days than now!) there he was again. I didn't see his MC at the Palace (just a bit too young) although the same theatre was to become my West End home for quite a few years a bit later...! I couldn't agree with you more about younger audiences of today having access to this vast catalogue of shows up and down the country. But I don't envy them one bit. I'm happy I've seen some of these iconic productions before they became overblown or dumbed down (they seem to go both ways) for a wider audience. And as for the individual performances, it's hard to describe what was so special about Elaine Paige's Eva, Colm Wilkinson's Valjean, Roger Allam's Javert, Michael Crawford's Phantom, Sarah Brightman's Christine, Lea Salonga's Kim... live. And they were incredibly special. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2017 13:17:05 GMT
I feel envious of the younger audiences who can go to see these revivals unhampered by memories of performances and productions which are indelibly carved on our older hearts and minds. Yes, youth is wasted on the young! Sigh! Inevitably you do see things differently as time goes by. I was amused by a young man on his mobile phone to a friend outside Drury Lane after the first preview of 42nd St who was saying " OMG, I cannot believe what I have just seen, incredible, I've never seen anything like it before!" and envying him his naïve enthusiasm having never seen high production values before in his lifetime. However, I think maturity can be an advantage too, having got so much more from Follies recently than I did back in the 80's when I saw it at the Shaftesbury. The ghosts of past selves, opportunities lost, passions spent, roads we didn't take, regret all have more resonance as you get older. I spent many moments watching the show in tears which didn't come when I was younger.You too...! You've summed up exactly how I felt watching it a couple of weeks ago. |
|
1,281 posts
|
Post by theatrefan77 on Sept 30, 2017 18:26:07 GMT
Overall I enjoyed it. I saw this production at the Lyric, and a notice a few changes, but this is still a good production of a classic musical.
Loved de Frutos's choreography and the ensemble were generally quite good.
I didn't like the way the used Don't Tell Mama just sang in background while we hear some of the dialogue. I remember the number at the Lyric with Sally dressed as a nun, and I really liked it.
Will Young was fine as the MC, although I didn't like his If You Could See Her. He played it for laughs, and for me the number is quite sinister and ultimately evil. It could be the way it was directed but for me it didn't work.
Louise Redknapp wasn't as bad as some people have been suggesting. Her acting is not quite there yet and you don't care enough about her Sally, but I think she can get better as the tour progresses and she gets more comfortable with the part. Thought she sounded good in the songs and handled the musical numbers very well.
|
|
2,245 posts
|
Post by richey on Oct 11, 2017 16:53:37 GMT
Ooh naughty!
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Oct 11, 2017 21:40:16 GMT
Can no professional actor in musical theatre manage 8 shows a week these days? The Emcee is hardly the most demanding of theatre roles - he just does the Kit Kat Club numbers and is off stage a huge amount.
|
|
541 posts
|
Post by drowseychap on Oct 15, 2017 1:27:11 GMT
Appears to be selling well last 3 nights in Malvern sold out every seat not even a spare single
|
|
58 posts
|
Post by drfootlights on Oct 15, 2017 2:46:29 GMT
Appears to be selling well last 3 nights in Malvern sold out every seat not even a spare single It's doing incredible business.. Cardiff is sold out next week, as are most of the performances in Bromley, Leeds & Brighton |
|
1,119 posts
|
Post by martin1965 on Oct 15, 2017 8:01:51 GMT
How about Salford? Im there on 11/11. Really looking forward to it. Anyone know when the press night is?
|
|
2,775 posts
|
Post by daniel on Oct 15, 2017 22:21:23 GMT
How about Salford? Im there on 11/11. Really looking forward to it. Anyone know when the press night is? Looks to be busy but not yet sold out. Press night usually the first night. |
|
1,119 posts
|
Post by martin1965 on Oct 16, 2017 5:45:37 GMT
How about Salford? Im there on 11/11. Really looking forward to it. Anyone know when the press night is? Looks to be busy but not yet sold out. Press night usually the first night. No i mean the national press night, there havent been any reviews yet. |
|
20 posts
|
Post by fridayfan on Oct 16, 2017 18:34:26 GMT
Looks to be busy but not yet sold out. Press night usually the first night. No i mean the national press night, there havent been any reviews yet. Press night was at the New Wimbledon theatre and there have been reviews. |
|
1,119 posts
|
Post by martin1965 on Oct 16, 2017 19:04:32 GMT
No i mean the national press night, there havent been any reviews yet. Press night was at the New Wimbledon theatre and there have been reviews. If you say so. Ive not seen any, even when googling. Maybe the national critics didnt bother. Oh well im going anyway. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 8:36:27 GMT
Oof well firstly there's not been a scrum to get in the New Theatre foyer like that since Tom Jones was a lad. Say what you will (and I will) about erm Will and Louise but they get bums on seats....
It's always a worry isn't it when you find yourself playing 'in your mind' another version of the show you're seeing? In a way I can't help it the Donmar version is SO ingrained in my head, as is Alan Cumming's voice that I have never fully let it go. That said I've seen plenty of productions I've enjoyed of Cabaret, so it is possible.
Overall I felt Act 2 hits the mark a bit better than Act 1. Maybe it was a first night thing. Anyhoo. I remember the production being 'alright' at the Lyric and it still is 'alright'. It feels a bit too glossy in places.
And I don't know what it is but I remember hating 'Money' 10 years ago and I still loathe it now. I have no real discernible reason for it but I don't like it. I do have discernible reasons for hating If You Could See Her. Someone else said I think it's really played for laughs, loses that sinister vibe and people actually laughed when the girl is revealed wearing the Star of David on her coat and that just really didn't sit right.
Overall as well the audience were doing a lot of laughing at things that shouldn't be funny- part of that was the production pitching it wrong combined with the giggling at Will Young factor but it made me feel uncomfortable throughout (side note Cardiff on a Tuesday evening can't handle a penis on stage it seems).
As for the leads, Louise was...meh I didn't hate her but she wasn't 'Sally Bowles' for me. Her voice is lovely there's no denying, unfortunately that's one of the few things not required for Sally. There was no real sense of her 'journey' or any real darkness or conflict to her character just coming on singing a song nicely and that's about it. Sally is one who needs to act through song, and well..it wasn't really there sadly.
Will was...fine. His Emcee is passable, and I can see what he's doing. I just prefer my Emcee with a bit of a darker edge. The weirdness he brings to it works, and he CAN act through song (I don't care much was very well done I thought) and I think perhaps with a stronger Sally as well he might have been better.
The ensemble were great, and there's some I think new choreography there that is really nice. I also hated 'Don't Tell Mama' being changed, but it's not a massive issue. The ending is still powerful, and certainly shocked the New audience into silence, there's a few ways you can get that over and I think this version is pretty effective.
Overall it's not terrible, but it doesn't do this great musical justice either.
|
|
19,670 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 18, 2017 9:55:38 GMT
Cardiff on a Tuesday evening can't handle a penis on stage it seems. Who gets their penis out? I don’t remember that bit (although to be fair I was watching through my fingers most of the time when I saw it last time thanks to Miss Sleep trying to cock her leg up then doing that comedy walking with a bad back gag... god it was hideous). |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 10:02:15 GMT
Is it basically the RuNo production? I seem to recall the entire ensemble gets their various bits out, near the end of act one?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 10:08:26 GMT
Cardiff on a Tuesday evening can't handle a penis on stage it seems. Who gets their penis out? I don’t remember that bit (although to be fair I was watching through my fingers most of the time when I saw it last time thanks to Miss Sleep trying to cock her leg up then doing that comedy walking with a bad back gag... god it was hideous). There's a Sailor who bounces across the stage in Act 1 with his flagpole hanging out, and then yes at the end everyone is naked (but mainly facing the back wall) |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 10:10:42 GMT
Is it basically the RuNo production? I seem to recall the entire ensemble gets their various bits out, near the end of act one? Ah no, they save the nudity for the very end for the dark 'and this is what happened next' moment. Not entierly sure that works in this version either as I'm sure a good 60% of the audience just got distracted by whether Mr Young was going to slip his robe off or not (not going to lie I did too) Side note: did previous Sallys get naked at that point or not? I'm struggling to place whether that was different or not. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 10:35:15 GMT
Sailor who bounces across the stage in Act 1 with his flagpole hanging out, England Expects Every Man To Do His Duty. Well there is a line about them doing their Patriotic duty (though to Germany....be a bit awkward if it was England in the show) |
|
