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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2017 10:36:00 GMT
No Zac Efron, no Michelle Williams, no Rebecca Ferguson, no Zendaya, no Hugh Jackman, none of the proper songs.
People will be asking for their money back.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2017 10:38:20 GMT
Snugger than these, @ryan ?  I think James liked a peach too. But his was a giant one!  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2017 11:08:24 GMT
Snugger than these, @ryan ? I think James liked a peach too. But his was a giant one! Oh my. I think they may indeed be the same trousers. I need a lie down. My man-o-pause is kicking back in. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2017 1:25:31 GMT
What about Leo Butz as Barnum ?
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Post by frankubelik on Dec 6, 2017 5:37:18 GMT
Oh dear I am rather dreading this. I do not want to mix with the cast pre-show..............I know it's panto season, but really?
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Post by lonlad on Dec 6, 2017 8:36:27 GMT
>>Well. Marcus Brigstocke managed to get from one end of the tightrope to the other without falling off.
Wow, which performance was that??? On press night, the poor lamb fell off twice and then, after falling off the third time, got back on in the middle and needed a companion to help steady him so he could reach the other side. It was wince-making. The supporting cast, though, is ace.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2017 9:25:14 GMT
Oh dear I am rather dreading this. I do not want to mix with the cast pre-show..............I know it's panto season, but really? You don't have to. It's not like they pick on every single person. It's only things like card tricks and such like, they're not asking you to join them in a sing-a-long. >>Well. Marcus Brigstocke managed to get from one end of the tightrope to the other without falling off. Wow, which performance was that??? On press night, the poor lamb fell off twice and then, after falling off the third time, got back on in the middle and needed a companion to help steady him so he could reach the other side. It was wince-making. The supporting cast, though, is ace. Monday evening. He was a bit unsteady and might have grabbed one of the poles for a moment to steady himself but he never fell off. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2017 10:19:10 GMT
This is why Spiderman previewed for ever with no hint of a press night. Any incidental mishap on a press night would have been hammered into the public consciousness as an indelible flaw of the show.
Marcus Brigstocke could cartwheel across the tightrope every night for the rest of the run but Lonlad and others would always insist he's a tightrope failure because he disengaged on the press night.
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Post by dani on Dec 6, 2017 11:01:07 GMT
I'd have thought the least of his worries was his ability on the tightrope. The questions are surely: can he sing, and does he have presence and a kind of easy charm? Most of what I have read so far indicates not, but there seem to be some glimmers of positivity.
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 6, 2017 11:01:31 GMT
This must really be bad as it only has a 2* review from Mark (who likes everything) Shenton! He is scathing about Marcus Brigstocke.
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Post by musicalmarge on Dec 6, 2017 11:20:37 GMT
This must really be bad as it only has a 2* review from Mark (who likes everything) Shenton! He is scathing about Marcus Brigstocke. What a FLOP! “The colours of my lifeeeeee” |
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Post by Oleanna on Dec 6, 2017 11:45:40 GMT
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Post by Anniek on Dec 6, 2017 12:04:55 GMT
Although I do agree with most of it, I have to admit it was quite easy for me to just block Marcus singing and focus and enjoy others/other things happening on stage. That said, it's ofcourse not an excuse, as the leading man should be a leading man and at least be able to sing and act.
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 6, 2017 12:13:28 GMT
As it is playing until the beginning of March two and a half long months stretch ahead............
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2017 12:17:58 GMT
Well damn.  |
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Post by tmesis on Dec 6, 2017 13:19:06 GMT
Brigstocke is bringing the rest of the cast/creatives down. Everyone else was really excellent.
So, on the strength of seeing Saturday's matinee, a split rating would be fair:
Brigstocke (no stars)
rest of cast/creatives ****
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Post by Phantom of London on Dec 6, 2017 14:11:06 GMT
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Post by Oleanna on Dec 6, 2017 14:16:44 GMT
Interesting that none of the reviews mention the Chichester production/UK tour but speak of the original production as being the most recent one.
Wonder how Cameron feels about the Menier doing their production now, so close to his...?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 6, 2017 15:12:03 GMT
They did that audience interaction thing, with the cast doing tricks and stuff in the stalls before curtain up on the Conley “longest cold in the world” Tour. Hideous.
And if Marcus is being truthful when he says that during the show he interacts with the people who look away then I think that’s odd, if not a bit malicious. Leave people alone if they don’t want to take part.
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Post by bimse on Dec 6, 2017 15:34:36 GMT
They did that audience interaction thing, with the cast doing tricks and stuff in the stalls before curtain up on the Conley “longest cold in the world” Tour. Hideous. And if Marcus is being truthful when he says that during the show he interacts with the people who look away then I think that’s odd, if not a bit malicious. Leave people alone if they don’t want to take part. Cajoling audience members to join in on a kazoo, selecting people who look away (thus indicating their discomfort ), how unpleasant . Must admit I’d definitely hate this , I don’t pay good money to be embarrassed. I saw Barnum at the reopening season at the Manchester Opera House. Apart from enjoying the charismatic performance of Michael Crawford , it’s not my favourite show. |
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Post by sam22 on Dec 6, 2017 21:25:42 GMT
I booked this for all the family as a Christmas present and now getting a bit worried after the reviews and the comments on this board :0
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Post by herculesmulligan on Dec 6, 2017 22:00:28 GMT
Don't be Sam, it's a really fun show and everyone leaves with a smile on their face. There's spectacle and more than enough for the family to enjoy. It's not a stinker of a show by any means
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Post by Steve on Dec 6, 2017 23:30:05 GMT
I booked this for all the family as a Christmas present and now getting a bit worried after the reviews and the comments on this board :0 One trick I learned about giving presents is to manage expectations. For example, I told my guests at Lazarus that there would be no story, and to think of it as a concert. They LOVED it, but I know they would have hated it if they sat there trying to understand the "story." In this case, maybe say, everyone knows Brigstocke is no Barnum, but you booked this so your guests could feel like they were at the centre of a circus. Tell them to enjoy the pizzazz and parades and forget the story. Or come up with some other line of your own. The key is to have them not expect a passionate Barnum, and to discount that disappointment in advance.  |
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Post by lonlad on Dec 7, 2017 0:13:50 GMT
Very sensible advice, Steve. Tell anyone going along NOT even to look at the leading man, and all will be well: a tall order, though, not least when Marcus baby is in fact noticeably tall.
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Post by alece10 on Dec 7, 2017 8:14:09 GMT
I really like what they have done with the space and even completely changing the bar area for this production. The interaction with the audience before the start of the show is nothing to worry about, just a few magic tricks which were fun.
Barnum is a musical that I had never seen before and actually didn't realise how much of the music I knew.
This show belongs to the ensemble who are outstanding and work their socks off. So much going on all around you its hard to know where to look. Multi talented, singing, dancing and some proper acrobats amongst the troupe. The leads were excellent with one exception.... and I am not going to dwell on that. Nothing to be said that hasn't already been said by forum members and critics.
Overall I thought this was a fun show, great cast, great music and a lot of fun.
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