342 posts
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Post by Figaro on Feb 2, 2017 21:49:37 GMT
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122 posts
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Post by kirstylovesmusicals on Feb 3, 2017 6:45:30 GMT
Michelle had her Hatter rehearsal yesterday and is expected to be Hatter Tonight and possibly Saturday night in Sunderland from what I've been told
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3,057 posts
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Post by ali973 on Feb 3, 2017 7:07:43 GMT
I just went back to look up previous Wonderland incarnations. It's incredible how many drafts this thing went through and to remember that so many people were pegged to be Alice. Wildhorn had Lauren Kennedy and Brandy Burkhardt in mind before Janet Ducall got the part, and originally the Queen of Heart was an Acid Queen a la Tommy type written for Cheryl Freeman before it was rewritten for Karen Mason!
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Feb 3, 2017 17:07:28 GMT
West End Understudies are saying Michelle is on as the Hatter tonight!
I'm doing a two show day tomorrow and can't go tonight too... can I?!
I won't but oh I am tempted 😂
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Post by djdan14 on Feb 3, 2017 19:08:12 GMT
I'm there tomorrow night and going into this with no prior knowledge. Looking forward to it. I do enjoy a theatre trip to Sunderland!
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351 posts
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Post by Scswp on Feb 3, 2017 19:51:11 GMT
Is Through The Looking Glass song the act one finale? How is this song staged in this version?
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4,177 posts
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 4, 2017 15:38:25 GMT
So has anyone seen Michelle Pentecost in the roles? What is she like?
I did want to see full lead cast but think it's possible i will end up seeing her one way or another next week so want reports.
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Feb 4, 2017 15:51:00 GMT
Is Through The Looking Glass song the act one finale? How is this song staged in this version? Yes! Staged with most of the cast, a giant mirror and lots of colour. I'm here now seeing Michelle as Alice and will see her tonight as the Hatter. Full report to follow... |
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Post by shady23 on Feb 4, 2017 15:51:49 GMT
So has anyone seen Michelle Pentecost in the roles? What is she like? I did want to see full lead cast but think it's possible i will end up seeing her one way or another next week so want reports. Next week she will do weds and sat matinee as Alice and weds night as Hatter. |
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4,177 posts
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 4, 2017 16:11:22 GMT
So has anyone seen Michelle Pentecost in the roles? What is she like? I did want to see full lead cast but think it's possible i will end up seeing her one way or another next week so want reports. Next week she will do weds and sat matinee as Alice and weds night as Hatter. I thought she was doing thurs night as hatter too? |
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489 posts
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Post by djdan14 on Feb 4, 2017 22:09:16 GMT
Saw this tonight. An enjoyable evening of theatre, nothing new but pleasant enough. Strong cast and some good songs in there but also slow at times. Set was ok for a tour but a bit flimsy at times.
Unfortunately the theatre had run out of programmes which was surprising because it was less than full, assuming they just didn't print as many as usual based on advance sales. I would say give this a go if it comes near but don't go with to many expectations. 3 stars from me.
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Feb 4, 2017 23:02:28 GMT
Next week she will do weds and sat matinee as Alice and weds night as Hatter. I thought she was doing thurs night as hatter too? Sorry, yes she is. I'd been enjoying the £1.85 pints too much in the pub over from the theatre! |
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Post by shady23 on Feb 5, 2017 20:53:21 GMT
I didn't think I would like this show (the deviation from the original story thing) but ended up loving it and went three times in a week.
Saw three combinations of roles;
Kerry as Alice and Natalie as Hatter
Michelle as Alice and Natalie as Hatter
Kerry as Alice and Michelle as Hatter
I don't think anyone would be disappointed if they saw Michelle. She is incredibly talented, acts it so well and has a beautiful voice and how hard it must be to play both of these parts considering how much they interact with each other and even sing a duet. But Natalie and Kerry just have that something extra special. Natalie is sublime as Hatter. Snarling, Sarcastic and moody. She is menacing and playful and utterly brilliant. Kerry is Kerry. When she sings you could hear a pin drop. Sublime, effortless and real star quality. This production needs this.
Wendy Peters sings a couple of songs and eats a few jam tarts. That's it.
Stephen Webb is sublime as the "hero" of the show.
My query is though why does all publicity photos have an opened street sewage grate when that's not featured in the show at all? Confusing.
All in all I adored this and am hoping for a cast recording. Please do go and see it if you can!
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Post by duncan on Feb 5, 2017 22:07:59 GMT
It represents the rabbit hole, for a show thats a modern take on a well known story its a far more relatable link to AIW than a set of lift doors would be.
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213 posts
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Post by Rozzi Rainbow on Feb 5, 2017 22:15:34 GMT
I saw this yesterday afternoon and enjoyed it. I didn't know anything about it beforehand, or know any of the songs but I liked the music and the staging. I really enjoyed the start before they went to Wonderland, but the Wonderland scenes took a bit of getting used to. It was quite strange - but that's what you'd expect from Alice in Wonderland. It did grow on me, and I thought Michelle was great as Alice.
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Post by alison on Feb 10, 2017 20:48:10 GMT
I may have seen this too many times this week (and have another trip planned tomorrow to catch Michelle as Alice). What can I say, I'm a theatre addict (also, a £12.10 offer for midweek tickets didn't hurt  ). On Monday night, I enjoyed act one but didn't love it, although I did love act two. I'm very familiar with the Broadway production from YT and the cast recording, and it took me a while to get that out of my head. By last night I was able just to appreciate this version for what it is - which is, imo, a very enjoyable show, with a fantastic cast. I'll admit, somewhere in my brain Kerry had become associated with the fangirl craziness and I'd forgotten that I actually liked her in the first place for her talent. Whatever you think of the book, the score for the show is great, and she sings the heck out of it, as does Natalie as the Hatter. Stephen Webb and Naomi Morris are wonderful as Jack and Ellie, too. I've been trying to work out for the last few days why This Is Who I Am irritates me a little, and last night I finally got it. Most of the songs in the show are verse-chorus in structure, but the words for the chorus change somewhat each time round, it's never exactly the same. This Is Who I Am is the only song where they repeat the same chorus three times, and it feels jarring. But I'm awkward like that. |
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Post by shady23 on Feb 10, 2017 21:36:04 GMT
I am really missing this show. Need to schedule in a little road trip I think!
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Post by kirstylovesmusicals on Feb 10, 2017 21:50:31 GMT
Here are my thoughts. I had quite a bit to say at the end of the video about the show and there are spoilers
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2,452 posts
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Post by theatremadness on Feb 10, 2017 22:07:42 GMT
Caught this in Birmingham earlier this week. Gosh it was bad. Nothing to do with the cast, who were almost unanimously excellent (bar Michelle Pentecost who was VERY annoying as Mad Hatter, and in my opinion only, not a very good actress). Wendi Peters seemed like she was in a different show - and that's the show I wanted to see. Dave Willetts still has a cracking tenor voice and Kerry Ellis was also brilliant, as was the young girl who played her daughter - what a talented little lady! Some great characterisation, especially from the Cheshire Cat. Absolutely off his face and I really liked it. Theatre was unfortunately pretty empty, with extremely 'polite' applause after songs, but a fair amount of cheering at the end. No standing ovation.
Direction was pretty shoddy on the whole (I understand there have been maaaasvie problems with the director) and pretty dull and uninspired choreography and I thought the production values were rather poor. That first scene in front of that god-awful cloth of a block of high-rise flats with the ensemble having just a few inches of playing space was excruciating. The stage was far too bare on multiple occasions and the initial use of cloths were really embarrassing, especially the lift with painted on buttons that meant the whole cloth shook every time an actor 'pressed' it in haste. I believe the tour was designed to fit the Edinburgh Playhouse, an utterly stupid decision seeing as this is the largest theatre in the UK and therefore any venue smaller than this (which will be most, but in this instance the No.2 touring venue New Alexandra) means that there are elements of the set that simply cannot fit and therefore aren't used. A big shame.
But none of that compared to the utter embarrassment that is the show itself. An entire score of bland, boring and limp pop songs (even when they're sung well), a ridiculous amount of ballads and a section in Act 1 that felt like more of a series of short vignettes followed by a song. The very worst part was the formulaic, basic, clumsy, cheesy and excruciatingly clichéd book. An absolutely non-existent plot where, as What'sOnStage rightly pointed out, hardly any of the threads are anywhere near satisfyingly concluded. If this is a re-worked version, I cannot even bear to think what the original Broadway production was like. A not-so-brilliant production of a really, really poor musical performed by a cast that are better than the material they have.
This should get no more than 2*.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 10, 2017 22:20:07 GMT
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Post by theatreian on Feb 10, 2017 22:37:49 GMT
Have to agree with theatremadness I'm afraid. I saw the show on Thursday night in Birmingham. Thought mostly the same, although no fault to any of the cast who performed well inspite of poor choreography and direction. The material is nowhere near strong enough and production values really poor. The cast sung really well however and I did actually enjoy it although it does not compare well with other shows. However Kerry was magnificent with her effortless vocals and the other leads great too. Just don't expect too much and you may enjoy it.
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3,057 posts
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Post by ali973 on Feb 11, 2017 7:28:02 GMT
I have absolutely zero expectations from this besides good quality, ear-bleeding, high-octave, power belting.
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351 posts
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Post by Scswp on Feb 11, 2017 7:46:40 GMT
I saw this in Birmingham too. I actually quite enjoyed it - yes, it's cliché and very sugary in its message, but still entertaining, I thought. The sound design, however, was appalling. You couldn't make out many of the lyrics (and this was true of many of the performers ). Wendi Peters was funny as the Queen of Hearts and McQueen was good as the Mad Hatter (although she was a casualty of poor sound design; she certainly hit the notes and acted well though).
Kerry Ellis, I thought, was actually quite weak and was the main victim of poor sound design. Her voice was very nasally and you couldn't make out many of her lyrics in several songs. I also don't think her voice had the same power and resonance as it did a few years ago. She struggled with some of the notes here and there.
I enjoyed it though and may see it again when it returns to Wolverhampton. But for Heaven's sake, do a proper sound check!!!
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Post by shady23 on Feb 11, 2017 8:28:42 GMT
Struggled with the notes? If that's struggling bring on the struggle..
The sound really does need to be improved though. You cannot hear most of the words of dogs. I had to listen to the cast recording to work out what was being sung.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 11, 2017 9:04:02 GMT
I don't understand how these sound problems happen. Surely it's immediately apparent if there's something wrong. That's what the soundchecks are for. Why don't issues get picked up and corrected? Does the person running the deck have the ability to change things or are they effectively stuck with what the sound designer came up with?
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