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Post by winonaforever on Apr 26, 2019 9:45:06 GMT
I've seen it twice with Adrian Lester performing and, although I do like him myself, I felt as though the rest of the audience were just there to see HIM from the reaction to Rhythm of Life! I'm going again next week, and I think it'll be Le Gateau Chocolat by then. I'll be interested to see if he gets the same reception! I think it's a combination of song and performer. When Sweet Charity was at the Menier it always got the biggest applause. It is a real crowd pleasing number. I expect you're right. I've never seen a production of Sweet Charity before this one, so I didn't know that that song usually creates this reaction. I am really familiar with all the music though, and it's most of the other songs that I was excited to hear live (mostly the ones that are on the Gwen Verdon recording, but weren't in the Shirley Maclaine film) |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2019 10:30:18 GMT
A song that I particularly love from the show is 'Where am I Going?', though it's hardly one of the best known ones. Gwen Verdon struggled with it so much, though, that she would cut it out of some performances.
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Post by djp on Apr 26, 2019 18:21:51 GMT
It's funny innit but I thought 'Rhythm of Life' was pretty underwhelming when I saw it. Adrian Lester isn't that much of a singer, he doesn't really have much charisma and he looked awkward with the choreography. I can well imagine the number will be an absolute showstopper when Beverley Knight or Le Gateau Chocolat get their hands on it though. With Lester at the helm, I thought it just slowed the whole show down and I wouldn't have missed it if it wasn't there. s een stronger male leads, but the depth of the female singing talent made it sound really good . |
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Post by londonpostie on Apr 26, 2019 20:22:48 GMT
It's funny innit but I thought 'Rhythm of Life' was pretty underwhelming when I saw it. Adrian Lester isn't that much of a singer, he doesn't really have much charisma and he looked awkward with the choreography. I can well imagine the number will be an absolute showstopper when Beverley Knight or Le Gateau Chocolat get their hands on it though. With Lester at the helm, I thought it just slowed the whole show down and I wouldn't have missed it if it wasn't there. No issue from me on his singing and dancing. Maybe I'm ascribing too much to him and not enough to the song - and actually the band as well. There might also have been a collective element of relief after the long first half. Anyway, I thought he was somewhat charismatic. I can imagine Beverley Knight being quite different and utterly magnificent! |
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Post by jamb0r on Apr 28, 2019 8:36:30 GMT
Well that was my first visit to the ‘iconic’ Donmar, and I wasn’t impressed at all.
Everything felt so amateurish - I didn’t think any of the performances were particularly good, the choreography was dreadful, all sets and probs looked very cheap, and some of the ‘artistic’ choices made me cringe.
Similar reaction to all that were sat near me at the end. And I heard 2 separate parties saying how disappointed they were that Danielle Steers was given nothing to do and I completely agree. What a waste.
It didn’t help that I was sat 3 seats away from Josie and I’m sure she must have been able to see me subconsciously rolling my eyes. Also the circle was unbearably hot.
Glad I only paid £10.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2019 12:47:29 GMT
It’s interesting that, on the other side of the Atlantic, there is a similar divide over the radically rethought Oklahoma just opened on Broadway, although even more extreme. To the naysayers it is amateurish, confusingly staged, nothing like what they expect (i.e. ‘the way it should be done’) and so on. It seems to be another reflection of the reactionary/progressive division in our society (musical theatre has often been described as a reactionary artform).
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2019 13:15:00 GMT
For what it's worth, Daniel Fish's Oklahoma! is one of the best shows I saw last year, and I also genuinely enjoyed this production of Sweet Charity.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2019 13:43:51 GMT
For what it's worth, Daniel Fish's Oklahoma! is one of the best shows I saw last year, and I also genuinely enjoyed this production of Sweet Charity. There’s a real political edge to the (admittedly few) who have slammed the Oklahoma production in major publications. With the production suggesting that the supposed time the show is set when ‘America was great’ is a lie, though, it’s a pretty direct attack on the current crooks in charge, so a predictable response. Online on chat boards (the usual ones), however, the much greater outpouring of sheer vitriol is something to behold, from those who seem to see the production as an attack on ‘their’ musical theatre. For some, even changing a song key seems to be an act of treason! |
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Post by andrew on Apr 28, 2019 17:04:03 GMT
Not related to Sweet Charity directly but Danielle Steers had to cancel a concert that she had announced for later this year due to work commitments and she received a lot of hate on Twitter from people who had booked tickets/hotels so she spoke about it on instagram and said that this job is a massive opportunity that could potentially change her life. I can't wait to see what it is, she has a huge talent that is completely wasted on SC.
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Post by dontdreamit on Apr 28, 2019 17:26:13 GMT
Not related to Sweet Charity directly but Danielle Steers had to cancel a concert that she had announced for later this year due to work commitments and she received a lot of hate on Twitter from people who had booked tickets/hotels so she spoke about it on instagram and said that this job is a massive opportunity that could potentially change her life. I can't wait to see what it is, she has a huge talent that is completely wasted on SC. I was intrigued too. I guess the issue was that the concert was her and Jordan Luke Gage and they’ve both had to pull out due to work commitments. No need for some of the stuff I’ve seen written though. I’d agree that she was wasted in Sweer Charity, but it’s a hell of a cast they have there. |
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Post by zahidf on Apr 29, 2019 20:21:12 GMT
Put me down in the negative column: duff and davrill try their best, but I found the staging incredibly annoying and I didn't like the story at all.
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Post by horton on Apr 30, 2019 12:23:28 GMT
There is a difference between "progressive" or "innovative", and naive, unpolished and amateurish (as opposed to amateur).
A well-produced and radical 'Company' is fine; a final-year-student-production level 'Sweet Charity', not so much.
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Post by winonaforever on May 1, 2019 13:22:33 GMT
Well I'm here again, in the circle for the first time and it's very uncomfortable compared to the stalls!
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Post by partytentdown on May 1, 2019 15:52:23 GMT
Well I'm here again, in the circle for the first time and it's very uncomfortable compared to the stalls! Welcome to Skid Row! |
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Post by winonaforever on May 1, 2019 16:33:04 GMT
Well I'm here again, in the circle for the first time and it's very uncomfortable compared to the stalls! Welcome to Skid Row! Haha! Luckily I was on the end Of the row,so o could put my feet up on the railings. I have a back injury, so am very aware of uncomfortable seats! |
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Post by NeilVHughes on May 1, 2019 17:50:01 GMT
Not sure what piqued my interest but glad I went.
Anne-Marie not the greatest singer but her acting more than compensated and really pulled the emotion out of the piece and seemed to be really enjoying herself. The small space suited the club feel, Le Gateau Chocolat‘s cameo was monstrous and was surprised by the amount of songs I recognised as not having heard of the musical before.
A record year for musicals having seen 3 so far this year, will now revert to type and return to my usual haunt in Plays with 5 visits to the Globe over the next week and a bit of Chekhov as an aperitif on Friday.
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Post by mallardo on May 3, 2019 6:03:52 GMT
Sadly, Anne-Marie Duff cannot play Charity Hope Valentine. She can't sing and, more crucially for this show, she can't dance. The talent deficiency at the heart of this production is there for all to see and it cannot be overcome.
I felt sorry for choreographer Wayne McGregor - not only does he have to replace the genius work of Bob Fosse, he has to do so lumbered with a leading lady incapable of the most basic routines. The result is dumbed down choreography that saps the life from the show's biggest numbers. "If My Friends Could See Me Now", "There's Got To Be Something Better Than This" and, especially, "I'm A Brass Band", all went for nothing - the last named was downright excruciating.
Josie Rourke's "concept" production provides little help for Ms Duff - the irrelevant Warholishness is barely a concept at all, just a pointlessly ugly setting quite at odds with Neil Simon's witty book and Cy Coleman's bright brash score. The production looks nothing like it sounds.
On the plus side Arthur Darvill is a terrific Oscar, perfect in every way, and Lizzy Connolly and Debbie Kurup stir things up to the extent that they can as Nikki and Helene. Either one of these ladies, cast as Charity, might have turned things around. And the orchestra sounds wonderful playing the brilliantly reduced orchestrations of Larry Blank.
But Sweet Charity is about Charity Hope Valentine and she's what's missing.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 4, 2019 18:39:28 GMT
Saw a fab production of Sweet Charity at the RNCM today directed by Joe Houston from the Hope Mill. Imaginative and effective pop-art design using projection, wonderful full orchestra and a brilliant cast of leads. No tin foil or mini fairgrounds. Twelve squid thank you.
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Post by FrontroverPaul on May 4, 2019 23:21:26 GMT
For anyone who wants to see what should be a more traditional staging of Sweet Charity there's an amateur production at Erith Playhouse from Monday to Saturday. Bookable through Ticket Source.
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Post by latefortheoverture on May 7, 2019 15:09:34 GMT
Rung the box office yesterday just on the off chance of Young and Free tickets for this Friday as I'd rather see Beverley Knight a lot more than Norman from Tracey Beaker (I've got a pair of tickets for Monday) And the lovely man on the phone managed to get me two- great seats aswell!
Worth ringing to find out!
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Post by latefortheoverture on May 7, 2019 15:11:08 GMT
2 Tickets in Row B of the circle for Monday 13th May
DM for exact seats, they're front facing not side on, just want what I paid for them; £40 each, may take lower.
Message if interested.
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2019 15:15:30 GMT
They will put them back on sale if you call them - I did this with a spare yesterday and it sold within about half an hour.
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Post by latefortheoverture on May 7, 2019 15:29:10 GMT
They will put them back on sale if you call them - I did this with a spare yesterday and it sold within about half an hour. Thanks- will call up just now! Do you get credited once they sell? |
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2019 16:34:23 GMT
I think you need to call back afterwards and they will credit your card.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2019 12:34:41 GMT
Thanks- will call up just now! Do you get credited once they sell? Just checked my credit card account and in fact they refunded the ticket cost to my card without me asking, and didn't charge a return fee. Great customer service! |
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