8,103 posts
|
Post by alece10 on May 16, 2019 17:04:16 GMT
Aren't they cutting it a bit fine with announcement of who will be guesting for rhythm of life for the last couple of weeks?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 16, 2019 18:54:53 GMT
Just got tickets for the young and free for this! I’m in C 39 any reports on this seat? Very excited for it. Hope I’ll enjoy it because I’m reading a lot of negative things If you’re in the circle, same one I sat in - you miss the very edge of the stage but all the action is in the middle. If you’re in the stalls, should be absolutely fine |
|
781 posts
|
Post by latefortheoverture on May 16, 2019 22:18:16 GMT
Aren't they cutting it a bit fine with announcement of who will be guesting for rhythm of life for the last couple of weeks? Wouldn't surprise me if they gave it back to Taylor Shaq. There would've been an announcement by now surely! They don't need to sell any tix for the show, the only thing it does is liven the place up with a bit of fresh meat on the stag for 5 minutes. |
|
660 posts
|
Post by Oleanna on May 16, 2019 23:05:19 GMT
*Shaq Taylor.
|
|
8,103 posts
|
Post by alece10 on May 17, 2019 4:52:57 GMT
Aren't they cutting it a bit fine with announcement of who will be guesting for rhythm of life for the last couple of weeks? Wouldn't surprise me if they gave it back to Taylor Shaq. There would've been an announcement by now surely! They don't need to sell any tix for the show, the only thing it does is liven the place up with a bit of fresh meat on the stag for 5 minutes. To be honest that is what I was also thinking |
|
|
|
Post by raiseitup on May 20, 2019 10:08:46 GMT
|
|
4,155 posts
|
Post by kathryn on May 20, 2019 10:16:24 GMT
I wish I'd booked for earlier in the run now! Missed out on the likes of Adrian Lester, Beverley Knight, Clive Rowe...
I hope I'm eating my words in 10 years' time and boasting about seeing Kadiff Kirwan before he was famous, obviously, but my, what a let-down as a guest star after the previous Daddy Brubeck's!
Apparently he was in the Donmar City of Angels, but I have zero recollection of him in that production (which admittedly I didn't go crazy for).
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 20, 2019 12:28:03 GMT
He's specifically announced for this week (and isn't even doing Thursday's show!), so I am still none the wiser as to who it will be a week tomorrow when I finally see this!
|
|
1,502 posts
|
Post by foxa on May 20, 2019 13:35:09 GMT
I'm going on Thursday so we will see Shaq Taylor.
|
|
8,103 posts
|
Post by alece10 on May 20, 2019 14:06:07 GMT
He's specifically announced for this week (and isn't even doing Thursday's show!), so I am still none the wiser as to who it will be a week tomorrow when I finally see this! The way things are going it will probably be the programme seller. |
|
423 posts
|
Post by dlevi on May 22, 2019 7:14:57 GMT
The only thing good about this production is that it marks the end of Josie Rourke's time at the Donmar. It's fitting that she goes out with something so misguided, miscast and miserable. Now they just have to fumigate the place to get the stench out. Charity has three things going for it: a great score, a funny and heart-breaking book and an opportunity for a choreographer to show what they can do . Thanks to Miss Duff's horrible ( though weirdly confident) singing voice, the score is destroyed. Thanks to Ms Rourke having no sense of what comic timing is ( except of course in the bullet-proof elevator scene and Mr Darvill's considerable skills) the book simply drones on and on. The laughs were few and far between. And while no choreographer is going to be better than Bob Fosse on this show , Mr MacGregor came up with NOTHING. A horrible production. ( and when you can't make Rhythm of Life a show stopper you're in big trouble) . Grrrrrr.
|
|
|
|
Post by partytentdown on May 23, 2019 10:04:04 GMT
The only thing good about this production is that it marks the end of Josie Rourke's time at the Donmar. It's fitting that she goes out with something so misguided, miscast and miserable. Now they just have to fumigate the place to get the stench out. Charity has three things going for it: a great score, a funny and heart-breaking book and an opportunity for a choreographer to show what they can do . Thanks to Miss Duff's horrible ( though weirdly confident) singing voice, the score is destroyed. Thanks to Ms Rourke having no sense of what comic timing is ( except of course in the bullet-proof elevator scene and Mr Darvill's considerable skills) the book simply drones on and on. The laughs were few and far between. And while no choreographer is going to be better than Bob Fosse on this show , Mr MacGregor came up with NOTHING. A horrible production. ( and when you can't make Rhythm of Life a show stopper you're in big trouble) . Grrrrrr. What do you really think though |
|
1,502 posts
|
Post by foxa on May 23, 2019 13:04:47 GMT
Seeing it tonight, so, uh, looking forward to it.
|
|
1,502 posts
|
Post by foxa on May 23, 2019 22:14:02 GMT
Well, I was warned.
|
|
8,103 posts
|
Post by alece10 on May 24, 2019 4:53:03 GMT
I dont use Twitter so may have missed it but there doesn't seem to be any news on who is doing the guest appearance next week.
|
|
|
|
Post by raiseitup on May 24, 2019 8:32:33 GMT
I dont use Twitter so may have missed it but there doesn't seem to be any news on who is doing the guest appearance next week. They announced this week's on Monday morning, so I imagine the same might happen next week. |
|
1,502 posts
|
Post by foxa on May 24, 2019 8:45:53 GMT
We had Shaq Taylor last night. I get the feeling they've sort of given up on the stunt 'Daddy Brubeck' casting, given the recent lack of fanfare in terms of announcements. This is a bit of a grumbling review for two reasons. One is that I splurged and got two stalls seats (C1 and C2) for £40. I cannot tell you the last time I spent that much on tickets at the Donmar - I'm usually £20/£10 up in the circle, but I thought this might be an occasion I didn't want to miss. Just to get the seat comments out of the way C1 and C2 are not good seats. Although your view is not actually restricted, much of the production has been stage out front, so you have a poor view of things like the elevator scene. My daughter said she felt cut off from the show, it was a bit like watching it from the wings - close, but at an odd angel. The other reason, despite the criticism here of the singing, I'm not a musical purist, so thought that since I like the music, a good concept/acting/staging would carry it for me. Alas. The Duff's singing isn't good, and she also sounded like she might be losing her voice, so it was a bit rough and warbly, but I hadn't been entirely prepared for her lack of dancing. However she wasn't alone in that. I'm usually a big fan of ensembles, but, with a couple of standouts, the group numbers were poor. There was scarcely a number that wouldn't have been better staged or executed in your average American high school or a piece of choreography that anyone on this forum couldn't execute. I know someone on here (Steve? Mallardo?) wrote brilliantly about the Warhol influence - and I think that is one of those clever directorial ideas that, in practical terms, sapped the musical. Members of Warhol's factory, judging by their films, were often lacklustre, exhausted, drugged up. When you apply that to the ensemble as they slowly haul out a sign that says 'Park' or whatever, it just deadens the show. I agree Oscar was v. good and the show picked up upon his arrival. The beginning of 'I always cry at weddings' was strong, until {Spoiler - click to view} it became a weird mess of tying balloons to Charity and smearing cake on each other. Though it didn't bring the house down, Rhythm of Life was well sung by Taylor but {Spoiler - click to view}
not well staged and he got bogged down in lighting a big joint which wasn't as funny as they had hoped, I suspect.
Duff was moving and good in her final scene with Oscar.
But overall - what the heck. |
|
1,502 posts
|
Post by foxa on May 24, 2019 8:49:29 GMT
Poop - my spoilers are all over the place in that - sorry, can't fix them - but you get the idea. It was a 'what the heck' evening. (And I'm surprised it got so many 4*)
|
|
|
|
Post by theatregoer2019 on May 24, 2019 9:38:22 GMT
I think there might be a domino effect of negativity here. The production and actors are fantastic. There are a couple of moments where things don’t necessarily land with all audience members, which will always be the nature of a 3-sided space, but having read some of these reviews makes you hate it before you’ve even arrived. I was so wrong to do that. I have now seen in 3 times, twice with a standing ovation at the end of the performance from the entire audience. There’s not a single bad actor in this show, and for those concerned about the Daddy, that is it’s an added thing, the show was already sold out before the Daddy’s were announced, having the hump because you don’t know who you’re gonna have on your week is silly, as far as you knew when you booked the ticket you would never have known until you got there anyway. I hate how much this has been shot down, when there are other shows on right now that are far worse... also £40 for a ticket is the cheapest in most theatres these days, this is the most expensive ticket for the Donmar. They aren’t over price for the work and the actors on that stage
|
|
1,502 posts
|
Post by foxa on May 24, 2019 9:52:33 GMT
Nah - my daughter doesn't read this forum and she really disliked it, probably more than I did. But she loves good dancing, so was expecting more. If I usually pay £10 or £20 at this venue (as I explained) then £40 was a splurge and I explained how that may have influenced my enjoyment. If £40 is a bargain for someone else, great - I'm writing about my experience. If you weren't sat in our exact seats, I'm not sure how you can comment on what the musical was like from them.
Your personal experience, of course, is also valid, and interesting to read. Three times - wow - glad you enjoyed it (and certainly some people did - a couple of people in the front of the circle stood at the end, but certainly no huge standing ovation our night.) And thanks for your first post!
|
|
1,346 posts
|
Post by tmesis on May 25, 2019 17:35:56 GMT
I was apprehensive about today's matinee but actually enjoyed it. My heart sank at the start with the style of production but in the end I thought it worked. The weakest bit was the lack lustre choreography but the band were terrific and the sound balance exemplary. This is the third Charity I've seen, the other two being the Menier one of ten years ago and the Watermill one of last year. This was definitely the best of the three for getting the sleaziness of the club across - the other two were way too 'polite.'
For me Anne Marie Duff was the most convincing Charity I've yet seen and I actually liked her voice. OK she has a limited range and was a little gruff but here intonation was virtually spot on and, because she is such a good actor, she can 'sell' a song really well. I'd love to see here do other musicals (maybe Sondheim) and at the end she was absolutely heartbreaking and made this 'problem' part of the musical really work for me.
|
|
2,389 posts
|
Post by peggs on May 25, 2019 19:52:40 GMT
Loved this. I vaguely remembered reading something on here about Warhol although for unknown reasons kept coming up with the name of Julian Asange instead, did he ever have blond hair? But since I knew nothing about Warhol apart from famous for 15 minutes that didn't explain anything but I just accepted it was all randomly silver and had giant brillo boxes and whatnot. Thanks for the explanation earlier on and the photos, now makes more rounder picture and explains that random pillar!
I don't usually do musicals, people will keep singing, and perhaps that helped as I have little experience and am not really wowed by people dancing or singing amazingly. Also I love AMD and had skipped the last two things I could have seen her in, Common and Macbeth cos of the reviews and feedback on here, so really booked for her and as the final production of the JR regime. Didn't know anything about it and from my reading here it appears it was darker, less upbeat? I like grim so equally that worked for me and AMD not having an amazing voice worked as it seemed to fit the character. I loved some of the bits that seem to have exasperated others, the lift scene, the coney island scene and oohh the songs. The rhythms of life scene does I agree seem a bit shoehorned it but it's a great number, I would have happily bopped for longer (back row of circle, no people behind me to put up with me). I suspect the things that made quite a few people loathe it are rather why I liked it, a sharper, 'better' musical version of this might have done little for me. AMD back on my top I love to watch actresses.
Somehow missed the fact that the bar was full of a band, I kept wondering if it was a live band as I could see someone conducting on the screens but couldn't think where they'd have put it. Doors opened late today, not sure if linked to fact a member of the ensemble had to cover a role due to illness but suddenly realised how small the donmar is when everyone is crammed into the circle bar, stairs and downstairs.
|
|
|
|
Post by xanady on May 26, 2019 19:50:27 GMT
We are seeing this on Wednesday and I have just received from the theatre,a very detailed and comprehensive ‘welcome’ e-mail from them with rehearsal photos,guide to facilities,how to get there etc.Very impressive and classy.Never come across this before in such detail from other venues.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 26, 2019 20:33:27 GMT
We are seeing this on Wednesday and I have just received from the theatre,a very detailed and comprehensive ‘welcome’ e-mail from them with rehearsal photos,guide to facilities,how to get there etc.Very impressive and classy.Never come across this before in such detail from other venues. I've had the same email (I'm going on Tuesday) and it was missing the one detail I actually want to know, which is who the guest star will be! |
|
3,563 posts
|
Post by showgirl on May 27, 2019 3:19:26 GMT
I was at the Wednesday matinee and experienced an astonishing and unexpected act of generosity from the box office: the only seat I had been able to book was a really dire Klaxon ticket at the far end of a back row in the circle and I was dreading sitting there but had had to be a bit devious about going online when I shouldn't even to get that.
Frequent checking for better returns proved fruitless so when I reached the theatre, I asked if they'd had any £30 stalls seats back as I could pay the £25 concession rate for one; not because the show sounded worth it but for comfort.
To my amazement and delight, the box office assistant simply handed me a ticket for a brilliant stalls seat (on the aisle, too!) and declined any payment, though this must originally have been advertised at £40. Once in the auditorium I did see a few gaps in the prime stalls seats and that these were being offered to a handful of latecomers but I think they were guests (house seats?) rather than people who had booked.
|
|
