1,217 posts
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Post by nash16 on Aug 11, 2017 20:05:19 GMT
Christ, what IS this?...
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1,064 posts
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Post by bellboard27 on Aug 11, 2017 20:37:46 GMT
Great atmosphere here in the RAH.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 11, 2017 20:44:47 GMT
There is only one star at a John Wilson prom and that is the man himself and, by extension, his orchestra. He conducts Roger's music better than any of the other Broadway/Hollywood greats that he specialises in. The orchestra were magnificent, beautifully balanced textures, subtle rubato and sumptuous string tone.
At today's matinee the cast was OK but nothing more.
Nathaniel Hackman was a rather wooden Curly but he has little light and shade in his voice, which is incapable of expanding at climaxes (Ovenden would have been SO much better.)
Strallen was miscast as Laurey, the part lies a bit too low for her and much as I have enjoyed her in many other productions, Strallen always seems to act Strallen.
Brigstocke was surprisingly good but why is he trying to sound like Jimmy Durante?
The one stand out talent was Robert Fairchild, huge charisma and great presence (predictably inspired dancing.)
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8,096 posts
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Post by alece10 on Aug 11, 2017 21:36:22 GMT
This was truly wonderful. John Wilson Orchestra on top form. Scaled down orchestra but I imagine his full orchestra would have drowned out the singing. Great cast and some of the best dancing I have seen. Robert Fairchild just stunning. Absolutely loved it and had the added bonus of sitting directly behind Julian Ovenden and his family. Can't wait to watch it again on tv.
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5,795 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 11, 2017 21:39:23 GMT
Agreed that Strallen was miscast in this. Seems to be a running theme for her.. says it all that we have so little talent here (that casting directors want to cast) that she gets cast in everything, whether she's suitable or not.
Robert Fairchild is just dreamy. Gorgeous and incredibly talented. Swoon.
Loved Lizzie Connolly too , what a talent.
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3 posts
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Post by david123 on Aug 11, 2017 21:40:41 GMT
ptetty white cast hey? Maybe one mixed race guy in the emsemble...apart from that....
Even the guy playing the Persian was white doing a terrible mel Brooke's voice.
Same problems as in half a sixpence, why would the director cast in the same way after that backlash?
We are in 2017 right?
Man playing curly beautiful voice, one of the best I've heard for a long time....terrible actor.
Goodnight
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721 posts
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Post by hulmeman on Aug 11, 2017 21:59:07 GMT
ptetty white cast hey? Maybe one mixed race guy in the emsemble...apart from that.... Even the guy playing the Persian was white doing a terrible mel Brooke's voice. Same problems as in half a sixpence, why would the director cast in the same way after that backlash? We are in 2017 right? Man playing curly beautiful voice, one of the best I've heard for a long time....terrible actor. Goodnight Wrong, look again, there was a black actor in the company. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2017 21:59:22 GMT
Gawd is 'Aunt Ella' going to shout her way through the whole show? Aunt Yeller. |
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Post by david123 on Aug 11, 2017 22:13:04 GMT
ptetty white cast hey? Maybe one mixed race guy in the emsemble...apart from that.... Even the guy playing the Persian was white doing a terrible mel Brooke's voice. Same problems as in half a sixpence, why would the director cast in the same way after that backlash? We are in 2017 right? Man playing curly beautiful voice, one of the best I've heard for a long time....terrible actor. Goodnight Wrong, look again, there was a black actor in the company.[br Apologies....mistook him for mixed race.....but ONE.....really is that ok?.....ONE? |
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Post by alece10 on Aug 11, 2017 22:15:43 GMT
Wrong, look again, there was a black actor in the company.[br Apologies....mistook him for mixed race.....but ONE.....really is that ok?.....ONE? Bit like all those white cast members in The Color Purple! |
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Post by david123 on Aug 11, 2017 22:22:15 GMT
Bit like all those white cast members in The Color Purple! Wow....and you've shown your true colour.... Amazing to think you think that's an argument. But then trump is president and uk voted brexit. We live in that world, what more can be said. |
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Post by lonlad on Aug 11, 2017 22:46:59 GMT
It is TOTALLY bizarre that Ali Hakim was played by ... huh? .... Marcus Brigstocke! How did the R&H estate allow that?? But then again in the Donmar COMMITTEE musical, Camila B., who is Anglo-Iranian and a real person (unlike Ali Hakim, in case anyone wonders why the distinction: i.e. we're not talking a fictional construct here) was played (very well) by Sandra Marvin, who is black. At this rate, I can't wait to see who plays Tina Turner on the West End next year ....
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Post by tonyloco on Aug 11, 2017 23:09:03 GMT
Robert Fairchild was a joy throughout but I was happy with all the casting, especially the rather sympathetic portrayal of Jud Fry. The dancing was excellent and overall I thought the production worked slightly better than I was expecting in the Albert Hall. John Wilson's contribution was as always superb. I don't see what is wrong with having a white cast performing a musical written in 1943 about the state of Oklahoma, as it was about to become, in 1906. Yes, it is a bit long but what would you cut? My only disappointment was the the cast at the end did not line up for an encore of the title song, go down on one knee and raise their arms in a wide arc as they sang. I am sure this is what happened at the end of the original Australian production in 1949 but I might just be mis-remembering. I know every amateur musical society in Sydney did that in every revue for the next couple of years!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2017 23:15:55 GMT
No need for anyone to throw their toys out of the pram - people are entitled to comment on the casting if they wish (and note to those who have - people are entitled to disagree with you!).
Anyway, I enjoyed this. Sound balance from the Circle wasn't great and some of the diction was poor, but given I was mostly there to hear the fabulous John Wilson Orchestra play that wonderful classic musical theatre score, it didn't matter too much. I had forgotten just how overlong Oklahoma is though - there was a lot of fidgeting near me for the last half hour of Act I (which is far too long) and quite a few people didn't return after the interval. A late night too - I've only just got home and plenty of people in the bus queue were talking about missing last trains!
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4,020 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Aug 11, 2017 23:18:09 GMT
Having only once before seen Oklahoma onstage, a local production when I was 7 about which I remember nothing, I found tonight's Prom very interesting. I hadn't realised that the film omitted 2 songs for starters. Even though the uncut Act 1 must have run about 1h45 I didn't find it dragged. I was impressed the Dream Ballet was fully staged.
Near the end of Act 2, when Aunt Eller is comforting Laurey after Jud's body is taken off, the piece seemed to be screaming for a song-sung-by-older-woman-to-heroine a la "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Something Wonderful" or "Climb Every Mountain". Did anyone else think that? (Though given Belinda Lang's singing elsewhere, if such a song existed they'd've needed a different actress for Aunt Eller.)
Please can the government slap an export ban on Robert Fairchild & keep him in the West End! He was the standout performer for me tonight. For a ballet dancer to be that good at MT is so impressive.
It was very interesting having a more sympathetic Jud Fry. In the film he's such an out-and-out villain but here there was more ambiguity. I thought David Seadon-Young played him very well, though was slight puzzled as to why his AAIP hirpling came with him for this role too.
Yes, Marcus Brigstocke is not remotely plausible as a Persian (if he's supposed to be one) but I'm not bothered & I thought he gave a good performance, better than I was expecting.
Lizzy Connolly was very good as Ado Annie, which was exactly as I'd expected. Did anyone else who'd seen her in DRS like the irony that she was now in Oklahoma? (For those that didn't see it, her character in DRS had a song called "Oklahoma".)
I was pleased to spot Matthew Malthouse & Danny Collins amongst the ensemble & watched them in the ensemble numbers. Not something you can do when watching on TV.
I'm still on the train home & won't get home till about 1am. Not ideal when I have to get a train at 10.45 tomorrow morning to go & see ALNM in the wilds of Berkshire!
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Post by zermatt on Aug 11, 2017 23:24:17 GMT
It is TOTALLY bizarre that Ali Hakim was played by ... huh? .... Marcus Brigstocke! How did the R&H estate allow that?? But then again in the Donmar COMMITTEE musical, Camila B., who is Anglo-Iranian and a real person (unlike Ali Hakim, in case anyone wonders why the distinction: i.e. we're not talking a fictional construct here) was played (very well) by Sandra Marvin, who is black. At this rate, I can't wait to see who plays Tina Turner on the West End next year .... Ali Hakim is not ACTUALLY Persian. He's a wheeler-dealer conman who gives himself the name and persona of a Persian to make his wares seem more exotic and appealing and to make more money. The Wizard of Oz isn't a Wizard either. |
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Post by CG on the loose on Aug 11, 2017 23:32:41 GMT
Yep, too long and started late, so missed my train by 2 mins with an hour wait for the last, all-stopping service which is only just now leaving London - should be home by 2am! But I loved it and I can lie-in tomorrow so I'll stop grumbling.
The orchestra are indeed fabulous, that overture was sublime, while on the stage, I think the choreography was the stand out for me, perhaps because I wasn't expecting much of it in this format. Robbie Fairchild was, as others have said, a dream, David Seadon-Young a revelation (that dream sequence was properly disturbing!) and I really liked Nathan Hackmann's voice, though it would have been good to see home-grown talent in the leads (but then I'd have missed Robbie... OK, as you were).
I was sitting back row of the Side Stalls level with the front of the stage, so look forward to a slightly better angle on the proceedings when I watch it again on TV.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2017 0:15:49 GMT
Even the guy playing the Persian was white So that was realistic. Ethnic Iranians are white. |
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Post by stageyninja83 on Aug 12, 2017 1:08:30 GMT
Please can the government slap an export ban on Robert Fairchild & keep him in the West End! He was the standout performer for me tonight. For a ballet dancer to be that good at MT is so impressive. Unfortunately he leaves for the US tomorrow but I don't think it will be long before he's back, I've already cast him in Strictly Ballroom if it ever transfers! |
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Post by alece10 on Aug 12, 2017 5:51:43 GMT
I forgot to add from my post yesterday that myself, my friends and several people sitting around me in the stalls all commented about how mu check rehearsal must have gonever into the whole thing considering it was just 2 performances. The choreography alone must have taken weeks. They could have easily dropped the whole cast straight into the west end and ready to go.
Someone mentioned earlier about the sound balance which is always a problem at the RAH and there have been issues in pratically everything I have seen there.
Finally apart from Mr Ovenden in the audience I also saw a Neil Pearson down Kennie High St holding a programme so he must have been there 2.
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Post by frankubelik on Aug 12, 2017 7:36:17 GMT
How refreshing to hear something properly sung in the correct style for the piece. (Minority opinion here but) I struggled with Nunn's RNT version and have always found the piece overlong (like many R&H shows) but this seemed very fresh and bright. The five leads pretty prefect and sounded wonderful. I could have done without Belinda Lang's one note shouting though! Orchestra not bad too...........
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Post by purple12 on Aug 12, 2017 8:19:03 GMT
I was at the matinee and really enjoyed it. Stand out I though were Will and Ado Annie but those parts are a lot of fun anyway. Really impressed by choreography in a limited space but it's probably scratched my 'oklahoma' itch for a while. Hope they do more of this type of thing at the Proms. I enjoy the semi-staged operas they do as well.
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Post by hulmeman on Aug 12, 2017 8:20:08 GMT
I'm not playing devils advocate here, I am genuinely interested to read your opinions - Given that John Wilson has created such a niche for himself and his orchestra and can and has created so many magical evenings with his music, do people feel he is playing "second fiddle" (pun intended!)when the performance is semi-staged like this?
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Post by tonyloco on Aug 12, 2017 9:18:02 GMT
I'm not playing devils advocate here, I am genuinely interested to read your opinions - Given that John Wilson has created such a niche for himself and his orchestra and can and has created so many magical evenings with his music, do people feel he is playing "second fiddle" (pun intended!)when the performance is semi-staged like this? I agree. It seems to me we now have two separate John Wilson events at the Proms. One when he appears with his full orchestra and has soloists singing at the front with no staging, and another where a full musical is presented on an open stage in front of what is an orchestra of fairly standard 'symphonic' size such as we had for 'Kiss Me, Kate' and 'Oklahoma!'. For my liking, I want to see more of the big John Wilson Orchestra concerts, especially they end with an encore as amazing as 'Tap your troubles away'! Going to all the trouble of effectively doing a fully staged complete musical seems to be a wasted opportunity for John Wilson's special talents. PS I hit the wrong button when I 'liked' my own post! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2017 9:33:53 GMT
Yep, too long and started late, so missed my train by 2 mins with an hour wait for the last, all-stopping service which is only just now leaving London - should be home by 2am! But I loved it and I can lie-in tomorrow so I'll stop grumbling. You weren't by any chance talking about trains from London Marylebone at the bus stop were you? If so then I was stood beside you and talking to you about which buses were coming next until the number 10 stopped and started letting people on from the back of the queue instead and the lady I was talking to had to run to get on it. |
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