Rip It Up - Garrick Theatre

[jaqs]

As a gymnastics fan I’m sad Louis announced his retirement for this. I was hoping he’d still try for a +1 Olympic spot through the World Cup circuit.
Can’t see this doing well in town but not a lot does in February.

[danb]

Perhaps they’re banking on it being a cold Winter and people wanting to take shelter on a cold shopping Saturday? Price it right and it’s a good alternative to frostbite! (But let’s not forget that it will be keeping someone in work.)

[anthony40]

So, some quick observations after watching the teaser trailer.

They've all done Strictly and they've all done very well- if not won.

I seem to remember seeing somewhere at the photoshoot that the original line-up was Jay, Louis and Natalie Lowe. Clear she's been dropped (possible choreographing?).

So, put the four boys in matching pastel suits and skinny ties aka The Four Tops of Jersey Boys, which is all very stylish, slick and captures the era.

And then what? Rip off their shirts in order be free to move and have Louis perform gymnastics and have Aston (maybe) to do a standing backflip? So, it's like step put of the stylish 60's theme and do s Strictly mash-up?

Hmm, I appreciate it's about entertainment, reputations, making money, selling tickets and getting bums on seats. I just hope this doesn't turn into one of those shows where people are coached in .

Again, I wish them the best.

[ellie1981]

I take it none of them can book a holiday during those four months, as it’s seemingly built around their names rather than the show.

[Dr Tom]

Nov 9, 2018 18:40:09 GMT ellie1981 said:

I take it none of them can book a holiday during those four months, as it’s seemingly built around their names rather than the show.

Will they have understudies? Or do they just go on as a three if someone is ill or absent?

[Dr Tom]

It would be good if they had alternates from their band on standby.

Harry could have Tom Fletcher (yes, him with the famous sister).

Louis could have Max Whitlock.

[tonyloco]

I wasn't going to get involved in this discussion but so far nobody seems to have seen either the previous version using 1950s music with Jay McGuinness, Louis Smith and Natalie Lowe or the touring version of the current show using 1960s music with Louis Smith, Aston Merrygold and Harry Judd so having seen both, I thought I would add my views.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 1950s show which I saw at Richmond but hated the 1960s one at Hayes and this is what I wrote in my diary:

"The three boys were lovely, but that's about all. The show for me was not nearly as enjoyable as the 1950s one and today everything was earsplittingly loud and heavy which is not what that music was originally like at all back in the 1960s. The Beach Boys' 'Good Vibrations' was the most expensive track ever recorded up to that date because it was subtly mixed not because it was the loudest ever put on tape! I thought overall the choreography was uninspired and the costumes for the three boys were not good. The second half may have been wonderful but I left in the interval.

Aston is hugely talented as a singer and dancer and it just shows what a dotty show 'Strictly' is that he got booted off so early in the series. Louis moves well enough but he performed an adagio with a leggy brunette that included several breath-taking lifts and the whole thing was just magical and demonstrated why he won 'Strictly'. Harry Judd is not in the same league as the other two but he is rather sweet and plays the drums nicely."

I was astonished when I saw that it is coming in to the Garrick for such a long run and I cannot believe that the addition of Jay McGuinness will pull in any more punters. Personally, I would have added Natalie Lowe, but what do I know?

[drowseychap]

My work colleagues went to the 1950s one and raves about it thought it was a top night out
So they booked for this one and a lot of them thought it was far inferior all around and some thoroughly bored a couple said it was all just topless male celebreties showing off ...... hmmm 🤔I thought that must be dreadful I must see how bad it is 🤗
Certainly couldn’t be as much a let down as the full monty after sitting through Gary Lucy’s wooden acting and inaudible Sheffield accent I forgive Michelle visage her shortcoming she was positively RADA darling

[tonyloco]

Nov 10, 2018 18:56:11 GMT @theatremonkey said:

Nov 10, 2018 18:19:22 GMT tonyloco said:

today everything was earsplittingly loud and heavy

Is that because of the studio equipment of the day, partly, tonyloco . Funny enough, I was wondering it as I was listening to a CD of WW1 and 2 songs, and I've always put the slightly high and tinny voices down to that as much as the style of the day.

I never heard any of the groups of the 1960s live in concert (apart from Cliff and the Shadows at the Palladium in a pantomime!) and my comments are made solely on the basis of their recordings.  Just a few months ago I went to a brilliant presentation at Abbey Road called 'The Studio that Became a Legend' when I sat in Studio Two and heard extracts from recordings by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Freddy and the Dreamers, Cliff and the Shadows, Helen Shapiro, Cilla Black and other 60s artists played back on top class equipment in the very room where most of the recordings were made and it was a memorable experience. What I heard at the Beck Theatre, Hayes, certainly bore no resemblance to anything I heard at Abbey Road.  If I remember rightly, the instruments at Hayes were a lead guitar, a bass guitar, a keyboard and a drum kit, sometimes with a second guitar. The over-amplification of this particular combination made for a harsh and opaque wall of sound, over which the voice or voices were laid and to me it sounded distinctly unmusical. 

Of course, had the presentation of the show (choreography, costumes, staging, etc) been better then I might not have minded the sound so much but, compared to the 1950s show, it struck me as being all very much inferior.  At Richmond I was drawn in by the winning performances of the artists whereas at Hayes I was put off by the poor quality of all the other components, of which the over-amplification was just one element, and the three guys were overshadowed by what was going on around them.

I don't want to see the boys have a flop in the West End but unless the show is seriously overhauled before it opens at the Garrick then I fear the worst.

[Deleted]

Aston Merrygold is *such* a brilliant name though. Positively Tolkien-esque.

[helso1]

Anyone seen this since is transferred to the Garrick?

[BurlyBeaR]

I walked past when they were kicking out the other weekend and a more glum looking crowd I’ve never seen. Not what you’d expect from a high energy dance spectacular.

[wickedgrin]

Nov 11, 2018 13:07:00 GMT tonyloco said:

I don't want to see the boys have a flop in the West End

I don't want to see boys flop anywhere to be honest!

[sagiirl]

Just had a look at ticket sales, March is OK and infact sales in general are not too bad. Not my cup of tea but would like the boys to do well

[tonyloco]

Still no reports on the actual show. 

Has nobody been to see it? 

I would really like to know whether it is working better now than it did when I saw it at Hayes last year when it was hugely disappointing and not a patch on the previous 1950s show.

[Dr Tom]

Braved Rip It Up for Theatreboard! Got to say, this is highly polished and deservedly selling really well.

Looked full on all four levels tonight and there are few discounts around. I did get a discounted Stalls seat on the aisle which turned out to behind a pillar, still a decent view near the front and of the action and stars hitting the aisles.

Most of the audience were in their 60s and 70s and this show has a clear demographic. I was worried by the opening telling the crowd to take photos and videos, join in and sing and dance. Few did and the crowd had to be forced to their feet at the end.

I know this is a hit, as my mum, who rarely braves the theatre, told me she heard about it on Michael Ball and was hoping to make a trip to London. All before she knew I was attending. People love Strictly (and also Dancing With The Stars as the compere referred to it for the benefit of Americans in the audience).

This is 100% a dance show, with music. Definitely not a musical. 2 hours 40 with interval.

It’s a series of group and individual numbers. A lot of songs in medley form. Band on stage, one male singer with guitar, one female singer. All the stars apart from Harry sing as well (although Louis isn’t a natural singer). But none sing for long.

Supported by a decent group of dancers. All good looking and the boys were a variety of costumes, some topless.

Between the songs, there are short (scripted) interviews with the stars and the video clips with 60s icons (mostly Theatreboard favourite Lulu), who the cast pay tribute to with their closing number.

The boys also get to showcase their talent. Louis shows he can still handle the pommel horse and Harry plays the drums.

For Aston fans, he’s offstage more than the others. At first I thought he looked rather rough (ill or recovering from a pop star lifecycle) as the fourth part in some songs and some solo dances were handled by professional dancers. But later I decided it was probably scripted that way, or had evolved that way over the course of the run. He probably just isn’t as strong a dancer as the others.

Highlights, easily Louis and Harry. Two excellent ballroom dancers. Jay didn’t embarrass himself either, but a very different style of dancer.

A lot of the good stuff is in the second half. Beatles Medley, Bacharach medley, Motown etc. But it’s all good. Even some hits from Hair in the first half, fittingly as I’ve just seen it in the past few days.

I think you’ll know if you’re the target audience but this was a lot of fun. And they announced that Rip It Up The ‘70s was coming soon at the end.

[shady23]

A 70s version just announced....




THEATRE / News

Rip It Up the 70s to tour the UK later this year
Register now for early tickets.

Tom Stafford / MON 3 JUNE

Find tickets here

Having delved into the 1950s and 1960s, Rip It Up the 70s is set to take on the iconic decade that spawned disco, glam rock and so much more.

The brand new show tours throughout the UK this September, October and into November.

The new show will star Strictly Come Dancing champion Louis Smith MBE, Strictly finalist Rachel Stevens and The Pussycat Dolls star Melody Thornton.

The new show will feature the trio of stars singing and dancing to some of the biggest classics from the decade. More casting to be announced soon.

From David Bowie to Marc Bolan, through disco, soul and unmistakably huge pop anthems, the 1970s saw the likes of Eagles release Hotel California, the Bee Gees drop the genre-defining Saturday Night Fever and the boss himself – Bruce Springsteen – unveil Born to Run.

Elsewhere, the hugely influential songwriter and performer Carole King released Tapestry, Fleetwood Mac unleashed Rumours into the world, while iconic pop outfit and the arguable launch of boybands The Beatles dropped Let It Be as their frontman John Lennon revealed the stunning Imagine.

If that wasn’t enough, the 1970s were responsible for the rise of Queen, Elton John, The Carpenters, Mavin Gaye, and Barry White, as Led Zeppelin climbed their Stairway to Heaven and Pink Floyd explored The Dark Side of the Moon.

With a new cast, a new show and – of course – a new decade, Rip It Up the 70s is set to tour across the UK later this year.

The announcement follows the success of Rip It Up the 50s and 60s, the latter starring Harry Judd, Jay McGuiness, Aston Merrygold and Louis Smith, which sold over 100,000 tickets across the UK and enjoyed a four month sell-out run at the Garrick Theatre, London.

Register for pre sale via blog.ticketmaster.co.uk/theatre/rip-it-up-the-70s-44491/?fbclid=IwAR3DlFqNnAz9-UOaA0eWe2f2trukHYimGYlYGj-c-gMAokzveJUw2eipj4M

Pre sale starts Wednesday

[Dr Tom]

That’s a very different cast!