21 posts
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Post by sushisamba on Jun 5, 2016 8:54:59 GMT
I was also there last night. Great view from central row j of dress circle.
We all thought it was a spectacular production; no expenses spared. Yes perhaps an element of pantomime at times which I can ovelook.
The main problem I think is that Aladdin and Jasmine are underwritten characters, and, whilst not fatal to this type of show, left me feeling a bit cold when it came to the whole new world number. Visually it was incredible and very moving; but I thought the singing just wasn't up to anything in this number. Maybe they still need time to gel together, and I appreciate this is still in previews so that will come, - and I also suspect the slight technical issues that occurred just before this scene might have meant a few nerves in trusting the mechanics of the carpet thus impairing the full commitment to the scene - but the performances just fell a bit flat here. However, Jasmine and Aladdin knocked it out of the park in the rest of the show so I can't hold this against them too much.
Genie was brilliant (although some people will tire of the shtick quickly (not me mind!). The 3 sidekicks were also great and I loved their second act number giving them a chance to shine.
7.5/10.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2016 8:57:08 GMT
Going back to the show
I LOVED Trevor as the Genie
Arguable also that he should have the final bow and not Aladdin
Was also impressed with singing voice of Irvine Iqbal as the Sultan in the fragment of the song he has been given
Bend it bend it
Surprisingly also liked Jafar very much and thought his pantomime style worked well
Sadly Aladdin and Jasmine aren't the best singers to my ear rather shrill and a bit all over the place
Babkak Omar and Kassim are a real trio though and wonderful to watch on stage
There is no denying this is the Genie Show and the energy flags whenever he is offstage
As soon as he appears the audience attention refocuses
As mentioned above some major costume issues at the moment
They need sorting
And to be honest the choreography needs tightening up
Isn't it interesting how on Broadway
It didn't even get Tony nominations for costume or set
I have to say the costumes are glitzy and eye catching no doubt
But verge on the tacky almost every time
The Cave Of Wonders is the only moment which looks eye popping and high budget
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2016 8:59:09 GMT
You're right. Those who can see the wires should really start screaming "I CAN SEE HOW YOURE DOING THIS" until the shows stopped. And then close it down until they have found a way to not fly it on wires or an arm... No I didn't mean this And dont want to argue But I was just disappointed in the current end result Compared to other spectacle I have seen on stage The Lord of The Rings had more impressive visuals for example And that was some years ago |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2016 9:04:23 GMT
Are you judging the original glass elevator or the current one? I sat in the front stalls (amongst other places) and never saw the arm on the original version Sometimes I saw the arm on Chitty- sometimes not.. It didn't matter really as it's still impressive. It often depends where you sit doesn't it . Because something like that can be hidden a lot better, just look at chitty (personally never saw the arm). For a high budget show luke charlie I was surprised so little effort had gone in to disguise it I saw the original one, I was in the first 5 row of stalls, can't honestly remember the exact row, but could see the arm and hole in stage it came from. It didn't help.that the elevator juttered and never had a smooth movement so it didn't really keep help suspend disbelief. As for the carpet, I actively looked and couldn't see them from my seat last weekend. But as has been mentioned, if the moment is well done it doesn't matter if some of the trick can be seen. You can clearly see Mary's wires but the moment as a whole (staging, music, story) is so seamless and well done it's still magical. |
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Post by jaqs on Jun 5, 2016 9:42:05 GMT
I agree the Genie should have had last bow, he got entry applause yesterday matinee and held the audience entirely whenever he was on.
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Post by steve10086 on Jun 5, 2016 9:50:16 GMT
People choose to ignore a lot of reality in life We know. We read all your Bend it Like Beckham posts. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 5, 2016 11:34:12 GMT
Well we'll have to agree to disagree. I thought LOTR didn't deliver on spectacle In any way. Apart from the fabulous proscenium treatment (covered in roots etc) You're right. Those who can see the wires should really start screaming "I CAN SEE HOW YOURE DOING THIS" until the shows stopped. And then close it down until they have found a way to not fly it on wires or an arm... No I didn't mean this And dont want to argue But I was just disappointed in the current end result Compared to other spectacle I have seen on stage The Lord of The Rings had more impressive visuals for example And that was some years ago |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 5, 2016 11:35:42 GMT
I think the costumes look particularly nasty. Amazing how applying so many (costly) sequins can result in cheap looking costumes. They also reveal too much skin on the female cast and it just looks trashy. Going back to the show I LOVED Trevor as the Genie Arguable also that he should have the final bow and not Aladdin Was also impressed with singing voice of Irvine Iqbal as the Sultan in the fragment of the song he has been given Bend it bend it Surprisingly also liked Jafar very much and thought his pantomime style worked well Sadly Aladdin and Jasmine aren't the best singers to my ear rather shrill and a bit all over the place Babkak Omar and Kassim are a real trio though and wonderful to watch on stage There is no denying this is the Genie Show and the energy flags whenever he is offstage As soon as he appears the audience attention refocuses As mentioned above some major costume issues at the moment They need sorting And to be honest the choreography needs tightening up Isn't it interesting how on Broadway It didn't even get Tony nominations for costume or set I have to say the costumes are glitzy and eye catching no doubt But verge on the tacky almost every time The Cave Of Wonders is the only moment which looks eye popping and high budget |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2016 11:44:48 GMT
I think the costumes look particularly nasty. Amazing how applying so many (costly) sequins can result in cheap looking costumes. They also reveal too much skin on the female cast and it just looks trashy. Going back to the show I LOVED Trevor as the Genie Arguable also that he should have the final bow and not Aladdin Was also impressed with singing voice of Irvine Iqbal as the Sultan in the fragment of the song he has been given Bend it bend it Surprisingly also liked Jafar very much and thought his pantomime style worked well Sadly Aladdin and Jasmine aren't the best singers to my ear rather shrill and a bit all over the place Babkak Omar and Kassim are a real trio though and wonderful to watch on stage There is no denying this is the Genie Show and the energy flags whenever he is offstage As soon as he appears the audience attention refocuses As mentioned above some major costume issues at the moment They need sorting And to be honest the choreography needs tightening up Isn't it interesting how on Broadway It didn't even get Tony nominations for costume or set I have to say the costumes are glitzy and eye catching no doubt But verge on the tacky almost every time The Cave Of Wonders is the only moment which looks eye popping and high budget Given how much effort and expense has been given to the costumes Including fabric sourcing research beading etc etc They do look nasty and tacky |
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Post by greeny11 on Jun 5, 2016 17:04:24 GMT
Saw this yesterday afternoon and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Trevor Dion Nicholas is the obvious highlight and I think will be a shoe-in for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical at the Oliviers. That said, the rest of the cast were very good too. Dean John Wilson is the perfect fit for Aladdin and Jade Ewen as Princess Jasmine really does shine, and I thought they were great together. I love Aladdin's 3 sidekicks too - they delivered some great one-liners.
I loved the magic carpet - and could not see anything attached to the carpet (though I know there are wires, they're well hidden by the staging of the number). That was the one moment that made everyone go 'WOW'. It was so well done and I love how it flew all around the stage in every direction, rather than just limited to back and forth (like the Glass Elevator in CATCF).
The score is great - especially Friend Like Me and Proud of Your Boy (can't understand how that got cut from the film). The new songs complement the others well and are very well performed.
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Post by HereForTheatre on Jun 6, 2016 15:25:38 GMT
Saw this yesterday afternoon and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Trevor Dion Nicholas is the obvious highlight and I think will be a shoe-in for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical at the Oliviers. That said, the rest of the cast were very good too. Dean John Wilson is the perfect fit for Aladdin and Jade Ewen as Princess Jasmine really does shine, and I thought they were great together. I love Aladdin's 3 sidekicks too - they delivered some great one-liners. I loved the magic carpet - and could not see anything attached to the carpet (though I know there are wires, they're well hidden by the staging of the number). That was the one moment that made everyone go 'WOW'. It was so well done and I love how it flew all around the stage in every direction, rather than just limited to back and forth (like the Glass Elevator in CATCF). The score is great - especially Friend Like Me and Proud of Your Boy (can't understand how that got cut from the film). The new songs complement the others well and are very well performed. Where we you sitting? |
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Post by Jon on Jun 6, 2016 15:49:05 GMT
High Adventure and Proud of your Boy are probably my favourite numbers in the show apart from the film songs.
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651 posts
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Post by greeny11 on Jun 6, 2016 17:37:10 GMT
Saw this yesterday afternoon and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Trevor Dion Nicholas is the obvious highlight and I think will be a shoe-in for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical at the Oliviers. That said, the rest of the cast were very good too. Dean John Wilson is the perfect fit for Aladdin and Jade Ewen as Princess Jasmine really does shine, and I thought they were great together. I love Aladdin's 3 sidekicks too - they delivered some great one-liners. I loved the magic carpet - and could not see anything attached to the carpet (though I know there are wires, they're well hidden by the staging of the number). That was the one moment that made everyone go 'WOW'. It was so well done and I love how it flew all around the stage in every direction, rather than just limited to back and forth (like the Glass Elevator in CATCF). The score is great - especially Friend Like Me and Proud of Your Boy (can't understand how that got cut from the film). The new songs complement the others well and are very well performed. Where we you sitting? Dress circle - from up there, no wires could be seen. |
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Post by littlefluffychick on Jun 6, 2016 18:00:54 GMT
I'm new to the forum and wanted to share my thoughts about Aladdin. I went to the preview on Saturday night and I have to say I was very impressed. No understudies. The cast were all very very good, Trevor stole the show as one would expect. I have seen numerous shows in my time and never ever have I seen an audience react so positively than how Trevor's 'Friend like Me' number was received. It was amazing to witness. A whole new world was also a very magical piece of theatre. I cannot understand the obsession on here with whether the wires are visible! I was too engrossed in the amazing staging and moment to care about how the magic carpet was done. I also personally was very impressed with Stephen Rahman-Hughes (the guy who plays one of aladdins' friends Kassim) He was by far my favourite performer of the night and has an excellent voice and stage presence. Dean as Aladdin was perfectly cast and gave a flawless performance, hard to believe it was a preview he was so polished. Jade as Jasmine I felt was better at the acting aspects of her role rather than the singing. She makes a convincing Jasmine, but I felt her voice was a little bit shrill at times, just my personal preference. I loved the addition of aladdins' 3 friends and thought the number they perform in the 2nd act was an unexpected highlight. I was laughing so much! I think the show is going to get rave reviews as it delivers exactly what it promises to in bucket loads. Costumes are amazing, simply stunning (although as previous posters have rightly pointed out there were a few wardrobe malfunctions during the performance i saw, lots of hats and accessories falling off mid number). The lighting was also exceptional and really captures the Arabian nights feel. The sound was the very best I have heard in the west end, everything was crystal clear. Final observation is the fact I liked that the show knows exactly what it is. The book makes fun of the fact much of Jafars' scenes are rather panto like and shamelessly goes with it, tongue firmly in cheek. It's nice to see a high budget and profile show that hasn't taken itself too seriously. Children will love it, I loved it. Well done to th cast and crew of Aladdin.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2016 18:18:32 GMT
Welcome!
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Post by waybeyondblue on Jun 6, 2016 21:21:13 GMT
I'm new to the forum and wanted to share my thoughts about Aladdin. I went to the preview on Saturday night and I have to say I was very impressed. No understudies. The cast were all very very good, Trevor stole the show as one would expect. I have seen numerous shows in my time and never ever have I seen an audience react so positively than how Trevor's 'Friend like Me' number was received. It was amazing to witness. A whole new world was also a very magical piece of theatre. I cannot understand the obsession on here with whether the wires are visible! I was too engrossed in the amazing staging and moment to care about how the magic carpet was done. I also personally was very impressed with Stephen Rahman-Hughes (the guy who plays one of aladdins' friends Kassim) He was by far my favourite performer of the night and has an excellent voice and stage presence. Dean as Aladdin was perfectly cast and gave a flawless performance, hard to believe it was a preview he was so polished. Jade as Jasmine I felt was better at the acting aspects of her role rather than the singing. She makes a convincing Jasmine, but I felt her voice was a little bit shrill at times, just my personal preference. I loved the addition of aladdins' 3 friends and thought the number they perform in the 2nd act was an unexpected highlight. I was laughing so much! I think the show is going to get rave reviews as it delivers exactly what it promises to in bucket loads. Costumes are amazing, simply stunning (although as previous posters have rightly pointed out there were a few wardrobe malfunctions during the performance i saw, lots of hats and accessories falling off mid number). The lighting was also exceptional and really captures the Arabian nights feel. The sound was the very best I have heard in the west end, everything was crystal clear. Final observation is the fact I liked that the show knows exactly what it is. The book makes fun of the fact much of Jafars' scenes are rather panto like and shamelessly goes with it, tongue firmly in cheek. It's nice to see a high budget and profile show that hasn't taken itself too seriously. Children will love it, I loved it. Well done to th cast and crew of Aladdin. You are the anti- Parsley I want to have your babies. |
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Post by westendwendy on Jun 6, 2016 21:43:23 GMT
We love littlefluffychick....
Please post more!
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Post by littlefluffychick on Jun 6, 2016 21:53:42 GMT
Thank you both posters above, very kind. Who is Parsley and why am I the opposite?? I regret to inform you I am just an ordinary girl (although not from Southall for all you Bend it Like Beckham fans) and I already have two beautiful children so I won't be taking up any offers to have fellow forum members babies! I am passionate about musical theatre so I am glad you enjoyed my post!
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Post by Hamilton Addict on Jun 6, 2016 21:55:40 GMT
I won't be taking up any offers to have fellow forum members babies!  |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 7, 2016 8:27:32 GMT
Welcome! You will Soon Meet Parsley. Still not 100% Sure If they are a He or she.. But they Always Give great Comedy value Thank you both posters above, very kind. Who is Parsley and why am I the opposite?? I regret to inform you I am just an ordinary girl (although not from Southall for all you Bend it Like Beckham fans) and I already have two beautiful children so I won't be taking up any offers to have fellow forum members babies! I am passionate about musical theatre so I am glad you enjoyed my post! |
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Post by littlefluffychick on Jun 7, 2016 9:31:53 GMT
Wasn't it the press night for Aladdin last night or am I getting confused?
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Post by westendcub on Jun 7, 2016 12:52:52 GMT
Not press night, too early in previews.
Might have been a media night but these tend to be later in the preview period.
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Post by theatre-turtle on Jun 7, 2016 15:55:06 GMT
Press night is next Wednesday
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Post by niklas on Jun 7, 2016 19:56:14 GMT
Speaking of press night, bumping my question from two weeks ago: Me and my friend will go to the opening night on 15 June. We have never been to an opening night on this scale before. Will all the guests who attend the performance walk the red (or in this case purple) carpet or is it for invited guests exclusively and those who regularly booked their tickets will be guided in through a different entrance? On the website, it says the performance begins at 7pm and guests should be seated by 6:30pm. How early in advance should we be at the Prince Edward to not miss out on any of the pre-show red carpet buzz/publicity? Does anybody here have experience with London press nights and can help me?  |
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Post by SamB (was badoerfan) on Jun 7, 2016 22:40:07 GMT
Saw this tonight, from a great seat right in the middle of Row D in the stalls, and my impression is... 'good, but not great'.
I think it has three main problems:
1. The songs are very uneven and vary greatly in quality. The ones from the film, plus Proud of Your Boy, are best, though in a couple of cases they've actually been toned down from the film, and really don't give the cast the chance to sing out. And several of the other songs are just filler, plain and simple.
2. Similarly uneven are the sets. The treasure cave set is astounding. The palace is good. The magic carpet is wonderful. The marketplace in the early scenes, on the other hand - very obviously made of cardboard.
3. Dean John-Wilson. He's just lacking in the charisma needed of a leading man, and doesn't have the vocals too. When he's playing second-man to the Genie he's good, and he works well in his scenes with Princess Jasmine. However, in a song like One Step Ahead or Somebody's Got Your Back, he's outshone by his three sidekicks, and when it's his moment, neither his acting nor his singing are strong enough. I didn't 'believe' Proud of Your Boy at all, which is a shame.
That all meant that I thought the first 20 minutes or so was very poor, and the rest of the show, which does get much better, is just playing catch-up. One Step Ahead and the scenes that surround it, for example were just painfully amateur, almost school-production level, because of the combination of Dean John-Wilson and the cardboard set, as well as one-too-many self-consciously deliberate 'bad' jokes.
I did enjoy the evening - there's some real stand-out moments, and Trevor Dion Nicholas is fabulous as the Genie, ruling the stage whenever he's on it, in several brilliantly scripted scenes. Jade Ewen is really good as Princess Jasmine, even if the way the show is scored prevents her from really being able to sing out and belt like she can. And the magic carpet scene really was wonderful, and made the hair on my arms stand up, even if I could see how it was done.
So yes - good, but not great. But the audience around me seemed to love it (totally sold out tonight), so it's certainly hitting its target audience, and will run and run.
Edit: and if nothing else, there's lots and lots of mostly bare torsos (very sweaty and shiny ones tonight, as it was a warm evening), so there's plenty to look at if the set doesn't take your fancy.
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