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Post by longinthetooth on Nov 25, 2022 14:40:26 GMT
Interesting ....
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Nov 25, 2022 14:46:27 GMT
Sort of not surprised - the last tour didn't sell super super well, and it was a little soon to bring the same production back out again so not surprised they've gone for a name.
The only singing I've heard of her was on the Cinderella cast recording, and she was singing garbage material so who knows whether she actually can do it...
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324 posts
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Post by barrowside on Nov 25, 2022 16:12:46 GMT
We've been rather spoilt with Kelli O'Hara and Annalene Beechey (and indeed Josefina Gabrielle in the previous Curve tour). It may have been written for Gertrude Lawrence but since Marni Nixon we all like this score with a four octave sweep. I think an actress is either an Anna or she's not (Elaine Paige was not).
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Post by theatrefan62 on Nov 25, 2022 19:47:29 GMT
4m 20secs
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Post by Jon on Nov 25, 2022 20:07:59 GMT
Helen George can sing, I know she's best known for Call the Midwife but she trained at the Royal Academy of Music.
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Post by sph on Nov 25, 2022 23:18:33 GMT
Was really hoping for a proper theatre performer as Anna! They aren’t easy songs to sing so hopefully Helen has the voice for them. Funnily enough, they were actually written to be easy, in a more limited range so that Gertrude Lawrence could sing them. The more vocally demanding songs were written for Tuptim and Lun Tha to make up for it. |
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Post by ctas on Feb 11, 2023 17:44:15 GMT
Just saw the matinee at Canterbury and Helen George really surprised me! Quite good vocally, which I definitely didn’t expect. Turns out I must have seen her in The Woman in White during that show’s Palace run, which was quite the throwback! I’ve actually never seen The King and I before but it’s got some lovely songs.
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Post by Dr Tom on Feb 16, 2023 8:59:24 GMT
A wonderful show, seen from the front row at Wimbledon on Monday. I've seen this production many times and in several countries, but this was my first time seeing this since the previous tour ended prematurely. I even loved every moment of The Small House of Uncle Thomas.
Maria Coyne is an excellent Anna and a beautiful singer and dancer. Very lucky to have finally seen her in the lead role, having missed out during the last tour. Many of the cast are returners, some looking a bit more weathered than their last runs. I have seen Darren Lee before as the King and he has fabulous diction. Dean John-Wilson has kept himself in shape. Cezarah Bonner continues to be such a perfect Lady Thiang.
This version of the tour has seen a few cost savings, possibly so it can play smaller venues. The ship has a different design, the Bhudda statue is now a board, there are fewer young children (and two of the adult ensemble doing their best to age down) etc. But it all works and the music is as sharp and timeless as ever.
I know some in the audience were disappointed not to see Helen George, especially as I didn't spot a single sign in the building advertising that Maria Coyne was on. I know the audience were won over. I booked before the cast was announced and I did spot the cover date on the ATG website, so it was not a surprise to me. I would go back again later this week, but the Wimbledon run is close to sold out and the remaining seats are outside my price range. But I will certainly catch this at a later venue (if this is not sold out already).
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Post by sph on Feb 16, 2023 12:26:46 GMT
Saw this too and enjoyed it, but it was nowhere near as tight as it was at the Palladium. A pleasant version of a very good production though.
I was a little put off by some of the set pieces being drastically cut down - the ship and the Buddha statue did not look good and I feel that maybe there could have been better alternatives, but anyway.
Would recommend just to see this wonderful production overall, as I believe it may be the best this show will ever have, and I can't see it being produced too often in the near future as it is a classic which hasn't aged quite as well as many others of its time.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Feb 16, 2023 14:07:16 GMT
Helen George out already?
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Post by Being Alive on Feb 16, 2023 15:55:28 GMT
She's only doing Wed-Sat in all venues
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Post by sph on Feb 17, 2023 1:39:07 GMT
Seems odd - surely the local press will be there for the first night in each venue, why would the "name" miss it?
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Post by interval99 on Feb 22, 2023 17:06:28 GMT
Possibly the Helen George effect but this will be sold out but the time it starts at the Bristol Hippodrome at the end on March.
Been a longtime since looked up a show running for the week there and seen such limited seats five weeks before it starts.(bar six musical)
Limited seats even for the Tuesday when she is not on so there is still demand for the old classics but interesting that this one is getting people in (Dr Tom post above shows its doing well over the tour) when others have struggled. My Fair Lady is concluding it's two week run and while good bookings plenty of tickets available and there was a lot of reduced tickets on offer before it opened.
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Post by abitoftap on Feb 22, 2023 18:03:29 GMT
We've booked for this in November. It's advertised as being with a "full orchestra". I'd be interested to know from any attendees on the current leg of the tour what that means. I'd hope 22 musicians......
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Post by marob on Feb 23, 2023 16:05:55 GMT
We've booked for this in November. It's advertised as being with a "full orchestra". I'd be interested to know from any attendees on the current leg of the tour what that means. I'd hope 22 musicians...... It looks like 11. |
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Post by danb on Feb 23, 2023 17:06:18 GMT
Possibly the Helen George effect but this will be sold out but the time it starts at the Bristol Hippodrome at the end on March. Been a longtime since looked up a show running for the week there and seen such limited seats five weeks before it starts.(bar six musical) Limited seats even for the Tuesday when she is not on so there is still demand for the old classics but interesting that this one is getting people in (Dr Tom post above shows its doing well over the tour) when others have struggled. My Fair Lady is concluding it's two week run and while good bookings plenty of tickets available and there was a lot of reduced tickets on offer before it opened. Yeah, looked today and there are only upper circle seats left. Think I’ll give it the swerve if I have to sit in agony for 3 hours! (Or I could have just booked sooner!) |
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Post by SuttonPeron on Feb 23, 2023 17:11:37 GMT
We've booked for this in November. It's advertised as being with a "full orchestra". I'd be interested to know from any attendees on the current leg of the tour what that means. I'd hope 22 musicians...... It looks like 11. They´ve reduced it even more for this tour? The Broadway production had 29, the Palladium transfer, 17. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 23, 2023 17:36:41 GMT
I wasn’t going to go seeing as I saw it at the palladium but I’ve crumbled and booked for Manc. Selling pretty well given that it’s still some time away. I wonder if Miss George will deign to show up or whether she’ll have somewhere more important to be  |
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Post by marob on Feb 23, 2023 17:50:00 GMT
I wasn’t going to go seeing as I saw it at the palladium but I’ve crumbled and booked for Manc. Selling pretty well given that it’s still some time away. I wonder if Miss George will deign to show up or whether she’ll have somewhere more important to be She was on for today’s matinee, the second two-show day in a row, which I wasn’t expecting TBH, so as long as you haven’t booked the start of a week you you’re probably good. |
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Post by david on Feb 23, 2023 19:14:43 GMT
A few thoughts on last night's viewing in Liverpool. I only booked for this a few days ago and got a front row stalls seat for half price and overall, I really thought this was a really good production of this iconic musical and I got more out of this viewing of a Lincoln Theatre production than the My Fair Lady one last year at the London Coliseum. We had the full cast on last night. With Helen George as Anna, I enjoyed her performance both with the acting and singing and was getting really positive reviews from other patrons at the end of the show. Darren Lee was a really enjoyable king balancing out a wonderful mean and moody performance alongside some nice humour to the character. I can't really fault any of the other cast on last night and really are a joy to watch. Cezarah Bonner as Lady Thiang was a really great Lady Thiang and following on from his recent stint in Hope Mill's "Passion", it was great to see Dean John-Wilson back on stage. Bringing this wonderful score to life was the job of the 11-piece orchestra. I've got no complaints with the sound here and the sound mixing was spot on in my opinion. Certainly, there did appear to be a few cost savings in this production as Dr Tom noted. The boat and Buddha in particular were the main ones and even though an obviously older actor was playing the child prince, I really didn't feel this detracted from my enjoyment of the show. |
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Post by Rory on Apr 4, 2023 14:43:44 GMT
Six weeks at the Dominion with Helen George.
20th Jan - 2nd March 2024
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Post by sph on Apr 4, 2023 18:49:06 GMT
I love the show generally, so I'm happy to see it coming back into London - but I must say I am quite surprised!
Is that the future of the Dominion then? Basically just an additional tour stop for every show going?
Side note - the tour set for this is very underwhelming. Very scaled down. The boat at the opening is now more of a dinghy and those grand Buddha statues are just painted flats.
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Post by capybara on Apr 4, 2023 20:15:04 GMT
Was thinking of seeing this at Woking, having missed its stop off in Wimbledon. Will probably wait for the Dominion run now, as assuming there will be ticket offers and rush tickets available.
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Post by Mark on Apr 4, 2023 20:28:38 GMT
Is that the future of the Dominion then? Basically just an additional tour stop for every show going? It's not a terrible shout in fairness. It's such a big venue that unless it gets a show like Wicked or Lion King, nothing can sustain a long run there. Just gladly it isn't the third return of Dirty Dancing this time. |
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Post by sam22 on Apr 5, 2023 5:49:07 GMT
I love the show generally, so I'm happy to see it coming back into London - but I must say I am quite surprised! Is that the future of the Dominion then? Basically just an additional tour stop for every show going? Side note - the tour set for this is very underwhelming. Very scaled down. The boat at the opening is now more of a dinghy and those grand Buddha statues are just painted flats. [br It seems it has really been like that since We Will Rock You closed. Haven't most shows there only been open for months save for 2 years for Prince of Egypt? It does seem a shame but I suppose it is hard to get a show in that's going to sell in such a big venue. |
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