The King and I - London Palladium / Tour / Dominion

[showoff]

Jul 28, 2018 13:48:33 GMT Phantom of London said:

Jul 28, 2018 12:30:05 GMT showoff said:

That may well be, and it may be a convenient set, however, when you are paying £150 per ticket, I doubt you think about what's convenient or most cost effective.

I haven't seen it yet, so have no opinions on the set. I'm looking forwards to going in August. But I still think the set can be criticised, even if it is only being used for a short run.

What you pay is irrelevant to what the set is going to be, the set is there to serve the book and make it look realistic nothing more, which this set just does that. As said you are not going to get something with pieces being flown in and out for just a 3 month run. Another good example would be the Titanic tour, completely different from Titanic on Broadway, where they tried to put the ship on stage. Some of the best sets are where you have a suggestion of a piece and let your imagination do the rest.

We are very lucky to have this production in the West End. 

I'm not so sure it is.
When you pay a lot of money you expect, to a certain degree, that the set pieces will reflect that. A cheaper production, well you can't really complain, but with paying £300 for two tickets, you might expect them to put a bit more money into the sets.

[Deleted]

It is interesting how higher ticket prices may create in some a false expectation for the staging.

[robertb213]

It certainly falls into my expectations - part of what you're paying for is the production values, of which the set is a key aspect. For example, I've never understood why something like Chicago thinks it can charge high prices for, when the set is basically a black box!

[showoff]

Jul 28, 2018 15:37:16 GMT @jbc said:

It is interesting how higher ticket prices may create in some a false expectation for the staging.

For me, if you are paying top prices, you would expect top quality sets. And if not, it's at least worth mentioning that you found them lacking.

[Dr Tom]

Jul 27, 2018 21:29:19 GMT Phantom of London said:

You are being a bit harsh on the production, I assume the set is the one used on the US Tour and will go out to Toronto next, You cannot build a glittering set for just a 3 month run, aside you have one of the best female sopranos in the world to enjoy along with Audra McDonald, saw Kelli again tonight and she is incredible, in one of the best musicals written - I left the theatre on cloud 99.

The set is perfect for the show. It is also running in Toronto (I'm seeing it next week), so I presume that version has the US touring set. After Toronto, I believe the tour goes non-equity, so the set will still be in use.

I presume the London set is a duplicate set that's been made, which will then be used for the international tour.

[Dita]

I went to see it a couple of weeks ago. Kelli O'Hara is amazing. Her voice is so pure and clear. I think the set was absolutely fine. Enough decadence to make it feel special, but not in your face to the extent it is over the top. My only gripe was the columns as I was sitting in the front stalls, (Row D), but more to the left of the stage. Therefore, my view was sometimes obscured by the set-pieces. I did have a great view of Kelli during the ballet scene.

[Deleted]

I mean, I don't expect to get a longer show, or a larger cast, or a greater number of intervals if I'm paying £50, just as I don't automatically expect to get a shorter show, a smaller cast, or fewer intervals if I'm paying £10, so it's fascinating to me that people have decided that the set is the one thing that simply MUST reflect itself in how much the ticket cost.

[showoff]

Jul 28, 2018 18:18:46 GMT @baemax said:

I mean, I don't expect to get a longer show, or a larger cast, or a greater number of intervals if I'm paying £50, just as I don't automatically expect to get a shorter show, a smaller cast, or fewer intervals if I'm paying £10, so it's fascinating to me that people have decided that the set is the one thing that simply MUST reflect itself in how much the ticket cost.

For me, if you are charging a lot, you have a lot to live up to, maybe you shouldn't be sparing expense.

I don't see why you would a longer show though, or more intervals, that's not dependant on money, whereas the expense of a set does depend on money you are taking. I don't see how it compares with where the actual money goes from a production.

[Deleted]

Maybe the playwright gets paid more for an epic drama than a one act. The FOH staff definitely get paid more when a shift is closer to four hours than two!

[Phantom of London]

Lavish set are a throw back to the British mega sung through musicals of the 1980’s, in a way they left a glorious legacy, if you didn’t have them, you wouldn’t have got Wicked or Lion King, they set the standard

The set serves the story, if you don’t like musicals that don’t have lavish sets then skip Come From Away, when it comes over next year.

People have paid north of £200 for tickets for Hamilton and I am not hearing the same complaints and that has no set, Tina: The Musical is very basic and next door Mamma Mia also you will also find disappointing, Jersey Boys well you might as well swerve on that one too. But all those sets are effective for the show it represents.

Also I don’t know where this £200 - £300 a ticket is coming from, I have seen it twice and paid £50 in all.

Musicals aren’t necessary about spectacle, they about setting music to a book.

[Stephen]

It's also worth noting as well that although it is by no means 'small' the Palladium stage is HALF the depth of Drury Lane. I feel as though keeping the set very open may also have been a choice to make the palace feel big and grand.

At the Lincoln Centre they were able to extend the stage too. At the Pally this isn't possible.

Finally, although it may at times be sparse there are beautiful moments with the set and lighting design (the boat, I have dreamed, Shall We Dance)

Everyone has a different take on it obviously but I suppose to me it just works in this space.

[Deleted]

It's about perceived value and if you are paying upwards of £70 per person it is perfectly natural to get an idea of where your money is going. That can be the physical production, size of the cast or orchestra, star names etc. even the length of the show, if you've paid a couple of hundred pounds for two for example and you're out on the street by 930pm you can feel short changed if you were wanting an evenings entertainment. especially if the show doesnt blow you away. same with previews of shows, if you're being charged full price you should expect the full show and judge it as such. The days of preview audiences being used to try out what works and what doesn't has gone with majority of audience members now knowing whether they are at a preview or not.

Personally I found the king and I set to be lavish but in a simple way. People go on about Phantom and Wicked being lavish sets but actually when you look at them it's all quite simple, but executed well.


I remember when Lord of the rings and Drowsy Chaperone were around the corner from eachother and they were both charging the same money for tickets which is crazy.

And people on here do it all the time. comments like 'I'm only going if they do day seats or I can get a deal' or 'I'm not paying that for a fringe venue' etc

[michalnowicki]

I am so extremely tempted to book another visit. 7:30am train, see the show at 2pm, get a train back around 7pm.

[Mr Snow]

There were sets......

[distantcousin]

Jul 28, 2018 22:12:21 GMT Phantom of London said:

Lavish set are a throw back to the British mega sung through musicals of the 1980’s, in a way they left a glorious legacy, if you didn’t have them, you wouldn’t have got Wicked or Lion King, they set the standard

The set serves the story, if you don’t like musicals that don’t have lavish sets then skip Come From Away, when it comes over next year.

People have paid north of £200 for tickets for Hamilton and I am not hearing the same complaints and that has no set, Tina: The Musical is very basic and next door Mamma Mia also you will also find disappointing, Jersey Boys well you might as well swerve on that one too. But all those sets are effective for the show it represents.

Also I don’t know where this £200 - £300 a ticket is coming from, I have seen it twice and paid £50 in all.

Musicals aren’t necessary about spectacle, they about setting music to a book.

I have to say, I LOVE lavish, breathtaking sets - it is part of the joy of theatre for me. I really lament the way they have ebbed away over the years. Especially when some shows would really benefit from them (the ones telling complex tales set in many locales and time periods)

[yokollama]

I revisited the film after seeing the London production. My memory of it was rather hazy having not seen the film since I was a child, and I was stunned by the sheer opulence. I actually rather prefer the toned down set in the current production.

I was in the grand circle for my first visit and had thought part of the set was cut off at the top as I couldn't see the fireworks. Booked royal circle row C for my next visit and turns out I had missed nothing at all.

[BurlyBeaR]

I am a bit of a one for wanting to see my ticket money up on stage, whether that’s in the sets, the number of performers, the size of the orchestra or whatever. It doesn’t have to be ALL of these but when you are paying full price for tickets most of the time (not having the benefit of ‘offers’ outside London) and you see a show like the spamalot tour for £45 and a show like Sunset Boulevard for the same price or Wicked for a tenner more, you start to wonder about how that actually works financially.

ETA I was fine with what I paid for TKAI as I thought it delivered on all counts. I thought that front curtain changing colours in the overture was worth twenty quid of my ticket money alone!

[Stephen]

I noticed that TodayTix are advertising on bus stops for King and I last minute rush tickets.

I haven't managed to check yet but does this mean a second batch is being released later in the day?

[dontdreamit]

Maybe... I could have got R in the stalls at 10am, but it’s currently offering J in the royal circle.

[Dr Tom]

Jul 31, 2018 13:59:29 GMT Stephen said:

I noticed that TodayTix are advertising on bus stops for King and I last minute rush tickets.

I haven't managed to check yet but does this mean a second batch is being released later in the day?

They've been releasing more as the day goes on since the start of the run. But not every day, so I presume it depends on availability.

[SamB (was badoerfan)]

Saw this for the second time last night, and I loved it even more than the first time. It's just gorgeous, and Kelli O'Hara is wonderful. The whole cast is excellent, really, and it's just such a good show - the only slightly weak link is Dean John Wilson's acting, but that's more than made up for by the chest.

Got an interesting 'upgrade' on tickets - bought stalls L40 and L41 on TodayTix rush tickets, when I collected them they were actually L32 and 33. I didn't notice until we were going into the auditorium, so we decided to just sit there, and noticed that there was a large group across L38 to L44. I wonder what happened, maybe they sold our tickets twice by accident? Either way, nice little upgrade into what are technically premium seats, with an excellent view of DJW's nipples.

[greeny11]

I too was there last night and loved it - Kelli O'Hara was just magnificent, and I was similarly impressed by Na-Young Jeon as Tuptim, really lovely voice and performance from her too.

The evening was rather uncomfortable for me, as I found to legroom in row I stalls to be absolutely appalling. My knees were in agony for the whole show.

[couldileaveyou]

Jul 31, 2018 20:28:04 GMT SamB (was badoerfan) said:

nice little upgrade into what are technically premium seats, with an excellent view of DJW's nipples.

@theatremonkey, you must add this to your seatplan!

[waybeyondblue]

Jul 31, 2018 22:18:36 GMT couldileaveyou said:

Jul 31, 2018 20:28:04 GMT SamB (was badoerfan) said:

nice little upgrade into what are technically premium seats, with an excellent view of DJW's nipples.

@theatremonkey , you must add this to your seatplan!

Would lady nipples amount to an improved view due to relative distance from the seat? Could we have seat plans that automatically adjust by chest size, uplift and mobility of the actor? How would understudies be handled?

It’s political correctness gone mad I tell you.

[bimse]

Jul 30, 2018 16:28:46 GMT @theatremonkey said:

I really loved "Shall We Dance" where

SPOILER: Click to show

the pillars moved to indicate in a cinematic way that they were dancing for "miles" through a vast empty ballroom. I thought that was beautiful and very creative.

I thought the set really came into its own during this scene. It was as if the set was joining in as the King and Anna danced through the entire palace . A beautiful sequence.