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Post by isabel on Sept 15, 2021 22:34:46 GMT
I overheard a comment In the row behind me during the interval, was so funny I burst out laughing.
A girl in a very loud voice to her friend “ Well we are much louder than the Broadway audience “ .......
That sums up a large majority of the audience tonight
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Post by Negamuse on Sept 15, 2021 22:35:17 GMT
Like for real if you were going tonight for performance nuances and a flutter of polite applause between songs I don't know what to tell you 😂
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 15, 2021 22:37:30 GMT
That’s me done with Wicked now. can I ask how many times you have seen it? |
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 15, 2021 22:41:17 GMT
To be fair, Sophie never was a particularly strong or funny Glinda... I've seen Wicked 10 times since 2006 but I think it'll have to be a very exciting cast to lure me back again. I'm glad it's got to 15 years though and it's the first show I ever saw in the West End so it'll always be special.
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Post by danielwhit on Sept 15, 2021 22:43:07 GMT
TheatreCafe have posted the opening 2 minutes on their Instagram if anyone wants to watch. I'm all for enthusiasm but it does seem overkill. And such a shame to not hear the 'It's good to see me, isn't it' line. Broadway seemed to hold - here it seems that Sophie blasted on before waiting for audience applause to subside. Now perhaps that's what she was told to do (did cast have last trains to catch?!) - but seems a total waste of that line to have it swallowed under applause. Having listened to some of the audio material already online from tonight (Wicked fans do work swiftly, don't they?) - I'm very glad I didn't decide to try to get in after work tonight. Partially for the audience, who seemed even more randomly OTT than I predicted, but partially as I'm not at all convinced by Laura's vocals at all - seems to put odd emphases all over the place. Also - is filming now well and truly allowed? There's coverage from at least 3 different phones in the one theatre. None of them any good, obviously, but I'm surprised FoH were not all over this like a rash. |
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Post by daisy24601 on Sept 15, 2021 22:44:33 GMT
I think you're a bunch of negative Nancy's 😛 I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, the atmosphere was great and what I booked reopening night for. Loved Laura and Sophie.
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Post by fiyero on Sept 15, 2021 22:45:38 GMT
So, I’ve been to see Wicked at the first preview, opening night, 10th anniversary and about 30 other times. I didn’t mind the crazy fans, I’d be considered one of them on my stats (though a quieter one). It was never going to be a normal performance. I mind the general lack of consideration. A couple in front leaned to an extreme degree and took lots of photos. An adult family behind spoke through most of the show and made repeated unneeded noises culminating in dropping a wine bottle during For God.
It’s just a lack of respect.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2021 22:57:43 GMT
So, I’ve been to see Wicked at the first preview, opening night, 10th anniversary and about 30 other times. I didn’t mind the crazy fans, I’d be considered one of them on my stats (though a quieter one). It was never going to be a normal performance. I mind the general lack of consideration. A couple in front leaned to an extreme degree and took lots of photos. An adult family behind spoke through most of the show and made repeated unneeded noises culminating in dropping a wine bottle during For God. It’s just a lack of respect. Yes, I think that was partly my issue as well. I've never seen so many people going out to the toilets during the show, or so many bottles and glasses dropped at inappropriate moments. Quite a few people were obviously drunk and there was a fair bit of talking. The woman next to me took her shoes off, didn't applaud once and I had to tell her to put her phone away twice - just about sums it up. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2021 22:59:35 GMT
Like for real if you were going tonight for performance nuances and a flutter of polite applause between songs I don't know what to tell you 😂 Performance nuances can and should be expected - this is their job so it isn't unreasonable to expect a good performance! And there is a difference between respectful enthusiasm and attention-seeking - tonight was the latter. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2021 23:03:28 GMT
To be fair, Sophie never was a particularly strong or funny Glinda... I've seen Wicked 10 times since 2006 but I think it'll have to be a very exciting cast to lure me back again. I'm glad it's got to 15 years though and it's the first show I ever saw in the West End so it'll always be special. That pretty much sums up how I feel as well. The fact that despite it being reopening night it felt flat and less enjoyable than probably all but one of the 15 times I've seen the show in those 15 years says it all to me. It was my first West End show as well, it'll always be special and I will always love the score (even though the recording isn't the greatest!), but I have well and truly outgrown the show itself and especially its "fans". I have no patience for them at all anymore and it isn't the first show I'd recommend now. |
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Post by isabel on Sept 15, 2021 23:05:12 GMT
I’m amazed people were allowed to.carry bottles of wine & champagne or something into the auditorium
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Post by fiyero on Sept 15, 2021 23:07:23 GMT
I’m amazed people were allowed to.carry bottles of wine & champagne or something into the auditorium I don’t drink so didn’t study it but saw a sign along the lines of buy 2 glasses, get the rest of the bottle for £6. |
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Post by inthenose on Sept 15, 2021 23:20:38 GMT
For me, there is just no personality to it any more. Looking back at the original West End cast, the characters were cast with quirky and interesting choices. Oodles of charisma. Idina was full of life, Helen Dallimore had that squeaky voice gimmick. Adam Garcia was wonderful as Fiyero. It even had Miriam Margolyes shouting her way through the evening. It was just full of character and nuance. The cast had easily identifiable character traits which made them interesting and relatable. It had a soul.
I think what I'm getting at is over the years it has become more and more identikit in nature. The jokes don't land because they are being delivered by your standard, identically trained, identical looking actors.
As with all these long runners, the show is a machine and the cast are just small cogs. Cast member leaves, there's an identical one giving the exact same performance beat for beat, with no process of character discovery whatsoever. "Stand here, walk here four paces to this mark. Deliver this line with this expression on your face. Pause two beats".
Last time I went it just all felt so safe and utterly lacking in the eccentricities and personality needed to bring the world to life.
Without resorting to stunt casting, it needs some star power. Some character. Some energy.
Doubt I'll ever see the show again and reports from two separate friends who went tonight were extremely negative.
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Post by shady23 on Sept 15, 2021 23:23:22 GMT
Everyone has their favourite Elphaba and Glinda but to claim they weren't interested or bothered is pretty outrageous.
I have seen plenty of phoned in performances at Wicked over the years and this was certainly not one of them.
I really don't know why some of you go to theatre as you seem to get no real enjoyment from it at all. It's opening night of a show that has been closed for 18 months. Of course it is going to be emotional.
If you don't want to see that go tomorrow... go next week...
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Post by aingidh on Sept 15, 2021 23:28:25 GMT
Well put shady23. Personally really enjoyed myself tonight, so that’s all that matters. |
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Post by isabel on Sept 15, 2021 23:36:55 GMT
Wicked have posted a recording on Twitter of the audience when Sophie came down in her bubble
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Post by sb on Sept 15, 2021 23:42:48 GMT
Everyone has their favourite Elphaba and Glinda but to claim they weren't interested or bothered is pretty outrageous. You are correct Shady, it is really unfair of me to say that about both Laura and Sophie. Just because I did not connect with their performance doesn’t mean they were not bothered etc. They were giving it their best, and I believe the Defying Gravity Laura gave was perfection. I do apologise to anyone who has read my comment and feels I have been too harsh. I do believe something was missing from tonight, but on reflection it might be me that needs to change my attitude or give Wicked a rest. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2021 23:44:28 GMT
Everyone has their favourite Elphaba and Glinda but to claim they weren't interested or bothered is pretty outrageous. I have seen plenty of phoned in performances at Wicked over the years and this was certainly not one of them. I really don't know why some of you go to theatre as you seem to get no real enjoyment from it at all. It's opening night of a show that has been closed for 18 months. Of course it is going to be emotional. If you don't want to see that go tomorrow... go next week... Oh for goodness' sake, who made you the forum police?! We're all entitled to our opinion and it doesn't have to be positive. I paid good money for my ticket tonight hoping for a night that would live long in the memory. On a performance level it didn't deliver, so I'm not going to lie and say it did. No-one is complaining about emotion, in fact several posts are noting the lack of it at times! |
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Post by shady23 on Sept 16, 2021 0:04:31 GMT
Ah yes I am starting to remember why I left this forum...
You are perfectly entitled to say you don't like a performance, but comments saying the performers aren't even trying or show no emotion really are ridiculous and are, quite frankly, pretty insulting to them as professionals when they have been so desperate to get back to work after 18 months off.
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akh
Ensemble
Aiming to see 100 shows this year...
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Post by akh on Sept 16, 2021 0:12:11 GMT
I think this is number 9 for me and I've never seen an atmosphere like tonight. Cast and audience all radiating "we're so happy to be back" and everyone giving it their all. Any other day and I could see the argument about "screaming superfans" but tonight felt special in the room. I have seen shows where people have tried to interrupt with enthusiasm and this absolutely was not that. Yes there were some pauses at obvious moments but then people would go back to listening like they wanted to cheer the balloon into the air but then didn't want to break the spell. It wasnt just a few people either it was kind like everybody involved including the audience knew it was as much a celebration than anything else. We were up in the dress circle and the ovations were going on up there too, it felt like everyone was invested in giving energy to the cast and the cast to a one looked like they were having a blast. I thought the performances were great tonight, im sure other shows will have a different vibe and we'll get ones that stand out for other things. This show was what it needed to be and could never have been anything else and I'll remember it forever as I'm sure will everyone that was there Yeah it started late and they could've opened the doors from the bar a little earlier than they did, not gonna cry over that. Couldn’t agree more. Well said |
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 16, 2021 0:27:58 GMT
Legit any other day and you can moan about audience behaviour...you do not get that right on the reopening night.
Don't want to be surrounded by 2000 people who are so excited to be there and having the time of their lives...go tomorrow.
I had the best time. No it's not the strongest cast that Wicked has ever seen but it was a good show, with an incredible atmosphere
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 16, 2021 5:43:45 GMT
I am terrified for attending tonight now!
But hopefully that is the first night jitters out of the way.
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Post by danb on Sept 16, 2021 6:55:42 GMT
Legit any other day and you can moan about audience behaviour...you do not get that right on the reopening night. Don't want to be surrounded by 2000 people who are so excited to be there and having the time of their lives...go tomorrow. I had the best time. No it's not the strongest cast that Wicked has ever seen but it was a good show, with an incredible atmosphere With respect, I disagree, and think this post reeks of entitlement. If the show existed in a vacuum, and was just there for ‘the fans’, it would be fair enough. But it doesn’t. How many tourists or casual theatregoers stumbled into this performance not knowing the level of hell they were about to encounter? The show has a responsibility to everyone that has paid for a ticket. “Do not get that right”….have you heard yourself? |
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Post by tsxmitw on Sept 16, 2021 7:04:50 GMT
Also, I was close to the group of standbys/the swing who got pulled backstage by stage management just before Popular. They were some of the worst/behaved around me, constantly talking/moving around and texting on their phones. They even filmed the end of Defying Gravity.
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Post by stuartmcd on Sept 16, 2021 7:26:36 GMT
Legit any other day and you can moan about audience behaviour...you do not get that right on the reopening night. Don't want to be surrounded by 2000 people who are so excited to be there and having the time of their lives...go tomorrow. I had the best time. No it's not the strongest cast that Wicked has ever seen but it was a good show, with an incredible atmosphere If people on here were there last night and found the audience behaviour too much then they have every right to moan and comment about it if they wish. You don’t get to decide that. Nor do you get to decide when people go to a show to accommodate yours and the rest of the audiences behaviour. |
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