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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2016 21:18:21 GMT
Just back from tonight's show. All the performances are great except the young actor who played Tommy. He was off key the entire show. AJC is great I agree and Ben Lewis was butch and sexy. There was just something missing for me though, I can't quite put my finger on it. The stage is absolutely vast, it's huge anyway at the crucible but the backdrop was so far back it was almost out on the dual carriageway outside. So there was this big expanse of stage and I didn't think the sets filled it sufficiently. Apart from an ingenious train created on the revolve I was really underwhelmed. I actually thought the design on the Jason Donovan touring version a couple of years ago was better. There are a couple of lovely set pieces, the Ballroom scene with the waiters and waitresses being one of them but it was all just a bit flat. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood. I can see me in that photo! I loved it! I don't know the musical at all, I just know Anything You Can Do, so I didn't really have any expectations. But I loved how utterly bonkers and fun it was. I like the big expanse of stage in the Crucible (it's my local, I love it there) and you can't fill it with scenery otherwise the people at the sides wouldn't be able to see properly (plus you wouldn't have room for the dance routines). Anna Jane Casey was so good! She's doing a solo show in the Crucible Studio on January 16th if anyone wants to see more of her. I wasn't a big fan of Showboat last year - the performances were all excellent, but I thought the story was awful, and it all felt a bit worthy. I like my Crucible Christmas musicals completely bonkers and OTT with big dance routines and some comedy. I adored Anything Goes, and My Fair Lady was really good too. I loved how crazy this was - the glittery fringing and the guys turning their chaps inside out to have fancy ones for a routine... everything really. I'm going again on Tuesday. |
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Post by dazzerlump on Dec 19, 2016 0:24:58 GMT
I absolutely loved Showboat last year, it was one of the best regional theatre productions I have ever seen, it was up there with the Crucibles "My Fair Lady". Lets hope Annie Get your Gun lives up to its predecessors
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 19, 2016 14:51:44 GMT
Yes, I loved Showboat too. I saw it in Sheffield - the best for me, and then subsequently twice at the New London Theatre. Very unusual for me to see a show more than once ( too many new things to see) but I made an exception for this. However, the loss of Michael Xavier and a few ensemble members in London, the show made less of an impact.
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Post by musicalfloozie on Dec 20, 2016 16:11:01 GMT
I saw this last night and thought it was good. It didn't amaze me as much as anything goes or my fair Lady did but was still a perfect way to end my theatre year. I think AJC was phenomenal in it and appears to effortlessly perform she just oozes showbiz! The lead men were good and enjoyed the staging esp the train scene which was fantastic.
On a side note noted next year's tickets for wizard of oz already on sale so went to get our usual seats, £40 where has my crucible bargain gone sure only paid £18 for preview tickets in years gone by!!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2016 10:24:03 GMT
I saw this last night and thought it was good. It didn't amaze me as much as anything goes or my fair Lady did but was still a perfect way to end my theatre year. I think AJC was phenomenal in it and appears to effortlessly perform she just oozes showbiz! The lead men were good and enjoyed the staging esp the train scene which was fantastic. On a side note noted next year's tickets for wizard of oz already on sale so went to get our usual seats, £40 where has my crucible bargain gone sure only paid £18 for preview tickets in years gone by!! AJC was fab, wasn't she? I went again last night, and really enjoyed it a second time. They've introduced new pricing for the Crucible now - instead of everything being the same price, they've upped the price of premium seats and lowered the price on some of the others. The cheaper seats are now £15 or less, which to me is a bargain, because there isn't a bad seat in the place. |
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Post by ada92 on Dec 23, 2016 14:21:29 GMT
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Post by ada92 on Dec 23, 2016 14:27:24 GMT
Trying to post a YouTube link but it won't embed - Annie get your gun, trailer to the music of no business like show business :-(
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 23, 2016 18:06:57 GMT
You succeeded!
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Post by ada92 on Dec 23, 2016 19:33:25 GMT
Haha ! Thanks!
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 14, 2017 13:10:18 GMT
I'm currently on an interminable train to Sheffield to see this. Anyone else in this afternoon? I know Saturday matinees are the most popular time for those of us travelling to regional theatres.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 14, 2017 18:49:27 GMT
I guess no-one else was!
Anyway, I really enjoyed this & thought it was well worth my long train journey (writing this on train back). I've never seen this on stage before & not even seen the film, though a number of songs were familiar, given how much Berlin is done out of context. I thought Anna-Jane Casey & Ben Lewis were both excellent & it was nice seeing them opposite each other again after Forbidden Broadway. I don't know how Anna-Jane does it but she managed to look in her 20s on stage even though I know she's in her 40s. With not only Ben Lewis but also Matthew Malthouse & Matthew Croke on stage I was spoilt for gorgous & talented men to look at! Matthew Malthouse is pretty busy, this is the 3rd show I've seen him in in under a year. It was also nice to finally see Nicolas Colicos again as I saw him in Kiss Me Kate back in 2002 & then haven't happened to see him in anything else in the intervening 14 years.
I was impressed by the production. There was much more set than I was expecting for a short running show & the train curving round the revolve (jolly glad this revolve worked after the Menier last week!) was very clever. They also managed plenty of costume changes for everyone including the ensemble. (The one thing that bugged me about Show Boat was the ensemble still wore the same 19th the century costumes at the end when the leads had changed into 1920s styles.)
I'm not sure I can see this one getting the West End transfer that Show Boat got but I'm glad I made the effort to go & see it.
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Post by grannyjx6 on Jan 15, 2017 0:09:29 GMT
Glad you enjoyed it Dawnstar. Sheffield is my home town and I will be seeing it on Tuesday evening. It's had rave reviews, but a friend of mine who is very much into musical theatre saw it at one of the previews and didn't like it (you can't please everyone). Probably won't transfer as last year Showboat, although was loved by all who saw it, wasn't a financial success in the West End. Anna-Jane Casey can appear any age can't she? I saw here in Flowers for Mrs Harris and she was playing a 50-60 year old!
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