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Post by Being Alive on Aug 23, 2019 13:57:11 GMT
Does anyone know what night of the week Mazz doesn’t do? I know she has one show off... Usually a Friday. Brill thanks. |
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Post by Dr Tom on Oct 31, 2019 13:22:52 GMT
Saw this last night and enjoyed it. It's easy entertainment, nothing to think too deeply about.
The only ever time I've seen Mamma Mia was on the tour a couple of years ago. I remember the bad audience more than the show itself.
I picked up a front row centre seat with a recent ticket offer and the view is perfect. Right behind the conductor, who enters his booth going across the front row, having a nice chat with the people around.
This definitely picks up a tourist audience and not necessarily people who speak English. There was humming, talking and someone who kept tapping the back of my chair vaguely in time to the music. But it wasn't too bad. It may have been worse sat further back.
The current cast are enthusiastic. They have picked men who look good in trunks, especially recent Arts Ed graduate Danny Nattrass (and he coped very well when his shorts split across the crotch). The three lead ladies playing Donna, Rosie and Tanya are all excellent. The sound quality is perfect.
It took me some time to track down a cast board (it is on a high screen in the area where you go through security checks, almost impossible to stop and look at it when being ferried in). All of the leads were on.
This is never going to be a high brow musical, but it has a place and sells tickets. I won't leave it another 20 years before I visit again!
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Post by LaLuPone on Jan 2, 2020 16:24:46 GMT
Few questions; what performances does the alternate do and when is the next cast change? I really want to see Mazz Murray in this after her hilarious performance in Cinderella at Cadogan Hall. Thanks in advance!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2020 16:37:58 GMT
Few questions; what performances does the alternate do and when is the next cast change? I really want to see Mazz Murray in this after her hilarious performance in Cinderella at Cadogan Hall. Thanks in advance! From what I know, the alternate Donna is usually a Friday evening, and cast change should be some time in June but I’m uncertain of the date. |
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Post by ensembleswings on Jan 2, 2020 21:54:48 GMT
Few questions; what performances does the alternate do and when is the next cast change? I really want to see Mazz Murray in this after her hilarious performance in Cinderella at Cadogan Hall. Thanks in advance! Caroline (the alternate) usually has the Friday eve performance. Cast change is the beginning of June, final performance for the current cast should be the 6th |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2020 22:17:12 GMT
Does the alternate doing Fridays usually happen on the tours too?
Desperate to see Sharon Sexton....
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Post by dontdreamit on Jan 2, 2020 22:23:42 GMT
Does the alternate doing Fridays usually happen on the tours too? Desperate to see Sharon Sexton.... We’ve booked for a Friday in Southampton so I am hoping not! |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2020 22:28:12 GMT
Does the alternate doing Fridays usually happen on the tours too? Desperate to see Sharon Sexton.... We’ve booked for a Friday in Southampton so I am hoping not! LOL - ditto! Booked for a Friday in Birmingham as Friday eve for most shows with alternates is not an alternate night! |
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Post by dontdreamit on Jan 2, 2020 22:32:54 GMT
We’ve booked for a Friday in Southampton so I am hoping not! LOL - ditto! Booked for a Friday in Birmingham as Friday eve for most shows with alternates is not an alternate night! We went for a half-term Friday, and are planning to come back on a late train to London to avoid a hotel, cheapskate that I am dragging young across London late at night to come home! |
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Post by david on Jan 2, 2020 22:37:01 GMT
Sharon Sexton + Rob Fowler singing ABBA (and wearing those ABBA style outfits) is going to be a great night out. Booked for the opening night with the ATG Card offer for Liverpool.
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Post by l0islane on Jan 2, 2020 23:39:30 GMT
Does the alternate doing Fridays usually happen on the tours too? Desperate to see Sharon Sexton.... Sharon posted on twitter that Sarah Harlington, the alternate, will mostly be doing midweek matinees so you should be pretty safe on a Friday evening. p.s Sharon's brilliant in it (I think there is a MM tour thread on here somewhere with more comments) |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2020 12:41:36 GMT
Interesting night at the Novello last night. Hadn't been for a few years and it's a show I love (one of the few genuinely well written jukebox musicals) and managed to get row N stalls for 40 quid with GILT.
The show holds up well and remains joyous. Was sorry not to see Mazz Murray, but Caroline Deverill was excellent. We had a second cover Sophie, Lauren Hampton. She was lovely and very likeable. Nice voice too but quite a few missed notes unfortunately. Undeniably talented though so may just need more performances under her belt.
I do think the show has slimmed down over the years and is not as spectacular as it was.
Can anyone with a better memory than me recall what the main set differences were in the original at the Prince Edward? I am sure the floor lit up different colours and also that there was a jetty that rose up for the final scene with all the dry ice beneath it? Also the main set of the white Greek walls, was this three pieces rather than the current two?
Show itself aside, the audience really was barely concentrating. A constant low level muttering and talking (so many people that I couldn't single anyone out), singing along, eating, rustling, drinking, texting. Woman in front of us alternating between talking to husband and texting on phone. Two quite extraordinary lads in the box nearest the stage who were absolutely hammered. Waving arms out of the box, grabbing each other, coming and going constantly from the box especially in the second half, returning with more drinks. No idea how they were getting served. Security man came into box halfway through Act 2 but made no difference. Very distracting as they were so near the stage!
Is Mamma Mia normally this bad? I mean I know it's jukebox and prime fodder for a difficult audience experience, but I don't recall it being this bad and am sure behaviour has got worse? But perhaps I am just getting older....
Anyway, if I were to go again I'd want row A aisle, so can just block out everything behind me.
Interesting look up on Wiki on way home. Mamma Mia currently 5th in the all time West End long runners. In April will overtake Cats and become 4th. And will soon overtake Blood Brothers and be 3rd.
So the 3rd longest running musical in British theatre history. Not bad, eh?
I don't think it will outrun Les Mis and Phantom but guess time will tell!
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3,301 posts
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Post by david on Jan 17, 2020 10:47:13 GMT
Can anyone with a better memory than me recall what the main set differences were in the original at the Prince Edward? I am sure the floor lit up different colours and also that there was a jetty that rose up for the final scene with all the dry ice beneath it? Also the main set of the white Greek walls, was this three pieces rather than the current two? Show itself aside, the audience really was barely concentrating. A constant low level muttering and talking (so many people that I couldn't single anyone out), singing along, eating, rustling, drinking, texting. Woman in front of us alternating between talking to husband and texting on phone. Two quite extraordinary lads in the box nearest the stage who were absolutely hammered. Waving arms out of the box, grabbing each other, coming and going constantly from the box especially in the second half, returning with more drinks. No idea how they were getting served. Security man came into box halfway through Act 2 but made no difference. Very distracting as they were so near the stage! Is Mamma Mia normally this bad? I mean I know it's jukebox and prime fodder for a difficult audience experience, but I don't recall it being this bad and am sure behaviour has got worse? But perhaps I am just getting older.... Anyway, if I were to go again I'd want row A aisle, so can just block out everything behind me. Interesting look up on Wiki on way home. Mamma Mia currently 5th in the all time West End long runners. In April will overtake Cats and become 4th. And will soon overtake Blood Brothers and be 3rd. So the 3rd longest running musical in British theatre history. Not bad, eh? I don't think it will outrun Les Mis and Phantom but guess time will tell! From seeing it back in 2000 at the Prince Edward, I’m certain that the set had 3 parts rather than the current 2 piece set up. The jetty did rise up from the stage floor with all the dry ice and chocking us who sat in the front stalls. I’m also sure the floor did light up different colours at the end. Regarding the audience behaviour, this show like so many other jukebox shows really has gone downhill. First time at the Prince Edward, it was a fantastic experience of watching the show. Over the years certainly both in the WE and on tour in my own experience what you experienced is sadly not a one off. Stuff like that really angers me and ruins what is a fantastic show. |
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Post by Theatre Fan on Dec 15, 2020 20:03:14 GMT
Bookings open from 7th June 2021 x x x
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Post by sampmiller on Aug 23, 2021 16:35:50 GMT
Hi everyone,
Me and my partner are hoping to book tickets to see Mamma Mia once it reopens at the Novello. My partner would love to see Mazz Murray perform as Donna (after seeing her recent performance on'The Show Must Go On' concert via YouTube), and I wondered if anyone might have heard any information on a cast performance / holiday schedule? We are looking at booking for a Monday evening show, and it would be great to find out if this might be a scheduled 'alternate night'. I appreciate that it can never be guaranteed as to what artist will be performing... but we would love to try and increase our odds! :-)
Thanks so much,
Sam
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Post by greeny11 on Aug 23, 2021 20:02:16 GMT
Fridays used to be the alternate night, not sure if that will change when it reopens.
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Post by Theatre Fan on Aug 23, 2021 20:20:15 GMT
Hi everyone, Me and my partner are hoping to book tickets to see Mamma Mia once it reopens at the Novello. My partner would love to see Mazz Murray perform as Donna (after seeing her recent performance on'The Show Must Go On' concert via YouTube), and I wondered if anyone might have heard any information on a cast performance / holiday schedule? We are looking at booking for a Monday evening show, and it would be great to find out if this might be a scheduled 'alternate night'. I appreciate that it can never be guaranteed as to what artist will be performing... but we would love to try and increase our odds! :-) Thanks so much, Sam I asked Mazz as much lol She said as far as shes aware, she'll be doing Mondays x |
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Post by sampmiller on Aug 24, 2021 8:58:45 GMT
Hi everyone, Me and my partner are hoping to book tickets to see Mamma Mia once it reopens at the Novello. My partner would love to see Mazz Murray perform as Donna (after seeing her recent performance on'The Show Must Go On' concert via YouTube), and I wondered if anyone might have heard any information on a cast performance / holiday schedule? We are looking at booking for a Monday evening show, and it would be great to find out if this might be a scheduled 'alternate night'. I appreciate that it can never be guaranteed as to what artist will be performing... but we would love to try and increase our odds! :-) Thanks so much, Sam I asked Mazz as much lol She said as far as shes aware, she'll be doing Mondays x Ah thank you so much! We’ll book our tickets for Monday 6th Sept and keep our fingers crossed! :-) x |
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Post by Theatre Fan on Aug 24, 2021 9:03:27 GMT
I asked Mazz as much lol She said as far as shes aware, she'll be doing Mondays x Ah thank you so much! We’ll book our tickets for Monday 6th Sept and keep our fingers crossed! :-) x Thats when I'm going! Lol I'm taking my Mum to London for the day and I really had to see Mazz as Donna... That voice 😍 x |
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Post by sampmiller on Aug 24, 2021 12:52:14 GMT
Ah thank you so much! We’ll book our tickets for Monday 6th Sept and keep our fingers crossed! :-) x Thats when I'm going! Lol I'm taking my Mum to London for the day and I really had to see Mazz as Donna... That voice 😍 x Amazing! I'm not sure if you've booked tickets already, but TodayTix are currently doing discounted seats for that performance with London Theatre Week :-) And I would love to see Mazz in this, I saw her a couple of times in WWRY years ago and she was incredible! Fingers crossed! x PS. I also see that you're from Bristol... we've just moved here back in July! :-) |
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Post by Being Alive on Aug 25, 2021 23:11:10 GMT
Well that was a lively evening!
A massively enthusiastic audience (on the verge of annoying but I gave them a pass this eve - although they failed ALL the normal tests on being a good audience...singing along, clapping out of time with the music etc!)
LOVED our new Dynamos. Josie Benson and Gemma Goggin do great work with Tanya and Rosie, and Mazz Murray is as spectacular as she always has been. No one sings Winner Takes It All like Mazz, and it's thrilling.
Couple of dodgy male performances (Sky not good but will get better) but a really tight female ensemble, and the three dad's were all great (particularly Harry).
Mamma Mia, and shows like it (Hairspray, Pretty Woman, Joseph) are the things we need to get audiences through the door.
Novello were excellent on Covid checks - pass/LFT checked for all customers, meaning we went up 15 minutes late. But I'd rather that than be rushed through.
Still frustratingly low mask wearing - have said it before but it isn't that much of an imposition I don't feel 🤷🏻♂️
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Post by anthony on Aug 25, 2021 23:16:06 GMT
Novello were excellent on Covid checks - pass/LFT checked for all customers, meaning we went up 15 minutes late. But I'd rather that than be rushed through. Still frustratingly low mask wearing - have said it before but it isn't that much of an imposition I don't feel 🤷🏻♂️ What irritates me about this more than anything is that when I saw Heathers at the end of last month, very few people were wearing masks. The stage manager appeared on stage at the start of act 2 and asked everyone to put masks on. 80% of the audience did so. Why aren't these shows, at the very least, asking for masks during the "turn phones off" announcement?! |
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Post by Being Alive on Aug 25, 2021 23:19:08 GMT
Novello were excellent on Covid checks - pass/LFT checked for all customers, meaning we went up 15 minutes late. But I'd rather that than be rushed through. Still frustratingly low mask wearing - have said it before but it isn't that much of an imposition I don't feel 🤷🏻♂️ Why aren't these shows, at the very least, asking for masks during the "turn phones off" announcement?! Unfortunately they did an announcement, but there's nothing they can do to enforce it...wish people had common decency for their fellow humans but hey |
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Post by fiyerorocher on Aug 30, 2021 22:02:30 GMT
When theatres started announcing their reopenings I went on somewhat of an Unstoppable Ticket Booking Spree and thus ended up with a ticket to see Mamma Mia for only the second time ever. It's still a fun evening - clearly a cheap show to keep open, selling itself on the hits alone rather than any particularly impressive staging or effects. You can't fault the energy and enthusiasm of the cast, for sure. That finale looks exhausting as anything. The current Sophie is very sweet, and whoever I saw as Donna had the best voice of the night - I don't actually know who it was, though. The cast board was listing someone who, according to the website, isn't even in the cast? Very confused!
There were definitely sound balancing issues. I don't know if it was just where I was sat (Grand Circle slips) or they're trying to drown out the caterwauling from the audience, but the band was way too loud and it was difficult to hear the cast most of the time. Which of course brings up the other problem - the audience. Regardless of how much I did enjoy the show, this one falls into the same category as Lion King and Jersey Boys. I simply cannot stand the audience singing along and talking throughout; it drives me up the walls! A shame, really, because this is still an easy watch, a lot of fun and, despite how cheesy some of the dialogue is, ultimately a good night out.
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5,138 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Aug 30, 2021 22:27:46 GMT
You saw Mazz Murray as Donna (there was something weird as hell going on with the cast board today!) - and yeah she's definitely got the best voice of the lot!
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