781 posts
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Post by latefortheoverture on Jun 18, 2019 21:25:41 GMT
I understand you're not allowed to talk about getting papered tickets, it's rude to the poor souls who have shelled out far too much next to you!
But how exactly are they meant to track you down- in my experience with papering you just get torn tickets from a massive pile of surplus seats- no way of tracking where every person is sat!
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5,817 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 18, 2019 22:16:29 GMT
She’s not daft. She’ll probably take the rest of the week off. |
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on Jun 18, 2019 22:22:09 GMT
I found this so dull. The score sounds nice but the songs are not distinguishable. I just didn't care about the characters and the RFH is such an unsuitable venue. More suited to presenting scores than presenting musicals.
I left at the interval because I just didn't care which is a shame because I like Alex Jennings and the performances were charming. I love Florence too.
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904 posts
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Post by lonlad on Jun 18, 2019 23:16:23 GMT
Better than I thought it would be given the tiny preview period and the obvious problems with the venue. It's intelligently and capably done, Renee F really ACTS the role of Margaret (as well as singing the hell out of it) and Rob Houchen gives a star-is-born performance and got the biggest round at the curtain call. The programme by the way misspells Richard Rodgers's name consistently, which seems a shame under the circumstances.
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24 posts
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Post by mistertonymac on Jun 19, 2019 9:52:44 GMT
Saw this last night and it definitely exceeded expectations.
I love the score but have never seen it performed. Dove Cameron was absolutely brilliant - as were all the leads.
I think it's funny how people talk about how sleight the story is. Read between the lines. This is a grown up show dealing with some big themes.
I loved it.
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Post by Seriously on Jun 19, 2019 10:00:13 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2019 12:08:02 GMT
I found this so dull. The score sounds nice but the songs are not distinguishable. I just didn't care about the characters and the RFH is such an unsuitable venue. More suited to presenting scores than presenting musicals. I left at the interval because I just didn't care which is a shame because I like Alex Jennings and the performances were charming. I love Florence too. I had contemplated leaving at the interval but gave the second act a chance and it didn't make me like it any more. The score is pretty, but that's about it, and I agree the RFH is completely the wrong place for a staged production. I don't think the story is that grown up at all - ok, the point about letting Clara be her own person is a good one, but equally she falls madly in love in two seconds flat with a guy who spends most of the first act effectively stalking her. Not particularly charming. The sheer number of costume changes are as distracting as the bad Italian accents, and the songs all threaten to build into something interesting then end abruptly before they reach that point. I didnt think the performances overall were much to write home about either, and I was expecting better singing given the calibre of the cast. It's a shame, but I think I'd much rather just listen to an orchestra play the score on its own (which to be fair I was doing at points as the orchestra drowned out the vocal at times) - the production just seemed unnecessary. |
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Post by Seriously on Jun 19, 2019 14:50:44 GMT
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on Jun 19, 2019 17:59:04 GMT
Suspicious of Shenton's review until I remember he liked Promises Promises based on some characters looking like him.
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Post by theatre241 on Jun 19, 2019 18:11:23 GMT
Why do you think the reviews were so poor? I’ve listened to the recording and it is one of the best scores I’ve ever heard in MT!
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Post by xanady on Jun 19, 2019 19:10:02 GMT
Thank you,Seriously,for collecting all the reviews together.I love it when posters do that.Very helpful,especially for techno-dinosaurs like me.
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4,177 posts
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Post by anthony40 on Jun 19, 2019 19:36:14 GMT
Can anyone update me on the merchandise (if any) for this show?
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Jun 19, 2019 19:44:41 GMT
Why do you think the reviews were so poor? I’ve listened to the recording and it is one of the best scores I’ve ever heard in MT! Totally agree but I think a lot of people just want easy and catchy tunes to listen to and think that if a score doesn't give you that it's a negative. The book is pretty messy tbf to other criticisms but seeing so many say that the music goes nowhere etc. is a shock to me (especially one comment saying that it isn't coherent? Like I thought it's one of the most singularly coherent scores tbh, all the songs give me the same vibe that only this musical gives me (although Bridges of Madison County recently occasionally comes close)). |
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Post by theatre241 on Jun 19, 2019 19:51:56 GMT
Why do you think the reviews were so poor? I’ve listened to the recording and it is one of the best scores I’ve ever heard in MT! Totally agree but I think a lot of people just want easy and catchy tunes to listen to and think that if a score doesn't give you that it's a negative. The book is pretty messy tbf to other criticisms but seeing so many say that the music goes nowhere etc. is a shock to me (especially one comment saying that it isn't coherent? Like I thought it's one of the most singularly coherent scores tbh, all the songs give me the same vibe that only this musical gives me (although Bridges of Madison County recently occasionally comes close)). I haven’t seen it yet but do you think it deserves 3 stars? A lot of critics have come from away 3 stars and that was brilliant |
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Jun 19, 2019 20:06:41 GMT
Totally agree but I think a lot of people just want easy and catchy tunes to listen to and think that if a score doesn't give you that it's a negative. The book is pretty messy tbf to other criticisms but seeing so many say that the music goes nowhere etc. is a shock to me (especially one comment saying that it isn't coherent? Like I thought it's one of the most singularly coherent scores tbh, all the songs give me the same vibe that only this musical gives me (although Bridges of Madison County recently occasionally comes close)). I haven’t seen it yet but do you think it deserves 3 stars? A lot of critics have come from away 3 stars and that was brilliant It's my second favourite musical haha so I'd give it 5 stars but I know it's not going to be everyone's favourite. |
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Post by fluxcapacitor on Jun 19, 2019 20:37:42 GMT
I think it’s a shame the reviews aren’t better. I saw this on sunday (when Dove was out and Molly was on) and it was beautiful. Sure, the set is too simple and restricting, but the score and the performances really lifted it for me. Renee is stunning. Expected in the sung parts, but wonderfully emotional in the spoken sections. I can see it’s not to everyone’s tastes maybe, but it deserves better reviews than it’s getting.
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253 posts
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Post by frankubelik on Jun 20, 2019 7:04:04 GMT
Despite the excellent vocals of Victoria Clark & Kelli O'Hara I always found the cast recording quite a hard listen but found the piece worked better in performance. It's in the wrong venue of course and even from the front row, the sound was pretty bad and I struggled to hear the lyrics at times. Dove Cameron (who?) was fine, Alex Jennings brought much needed gravitas and Rob Houchen outstanding - how refreshing to hear a legit singer not sliding on and off notes - he's superb. Ms Fleming sings beautifully but is a huge let down in the acting department; she displayed a remarkable lack of stagecraft and looked uncomfortable throughout; her transitions are "clunky" and she appears not to know how to walk across a stage. The role requires a really First Class singing actress and sadly for me Fleming did not cut it.
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Post by theatre241 on Jun 20, 2019 7:10:25 GMT
I read a 3 star review saying that the sound design lets it all down. Does the orchestra sound okay? Because it said something about it removing the colour of the orchestra! Seeing this on Saturday to make up my own mind lol!
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Jun 20, 2019 7:20:05 GMT
Jake is on the bbc radio two breakfast show tomorrow morning
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904 posts
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Post by lonlad on Jun 20, 2019 7:57:49 GMT
Jake? Isn't that a different show?
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1,502 posts
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Post by foxa on Jun 20, 2019 8:26:02 GMT
I booked a discounted ticket from whatsonstage.com after previously buying two rear stalls tickets via the Southbank Centre for my husband and daughter. When I bought the ticket I THOUGHT it was a specific seat on the raised stalls side, but when the confirmation arrived it just said Blue side. When I picked it up, I found it was a box seat. So there I was in lonely splendour in a high up box. For the first half it was pretty much just me and the lighting guy in that section. For the second half, I chose a different, better box and sat there,again by myself. It was like I was some particularly unpopular foreign dignitary.
I found it a curious show, but Houchen and Lynch (the understudy) were good - three stars seems about right.
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37 posts
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Post by welcometodreamland on Jun 20, 2019 10:22:28 GMT
I'm about to get tickets for Saturday matinee. Reviews aren't putting me off because this is a type of show I haven't seen before.
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98 posts
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Post by paddy72 on Jun 20, 2019 22:44:17 GMT
Saw this tonight and loved it. Renee Fleming is stunning. Dove Cameron great but her Disney Musical tone is not really my thing or appropriate to the role. But Rob Houchen is breathtaking. This is the first production I’ve seen with him where I think you get to see what he can really deliver. He and Renee get the final two songs and his singing off Love to me is way superior to the original recording. This production won’t be to everyone’s taste but the positives out weight the negatives. Especially Adam Guettels music played by one of Europe’s greatest orchestras. No sound issues by the way. It completely swept me away. I came away thinking that since it was written nothing has come close to its beauty.
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4,961 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jun 21, 2019 5:53:06 GMT
8pm start time why?
The set was fine from row E but I imagine from further back it will look like a speck of dust. Did they blow the money for sets on Renee's frocks?
The score is glorious and the orchestra of Opera North and the company do it full justice.
Dave Cameron (!) I'm not rushing back to but I enjoyed everyone else. Despite some strong performances, my friends and I found it unengaging.
I can't help thinking it may work better in a chamber setting (or a theatre). I also question the Dr's ability to recognise and diagnose a brain injury
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on Jun 21, 2019 9:47:59 GMT
I was so far away (TT Stalls) and my eyesight is dreadful so I don't think that helped my enjoyment. I mean Renee and Dove could have been the same woman for all I knew.
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