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Post by ceebee on Aug 22, 2019 21:59:09 GMT
Well, what a cracking second half. Total deconstruction of the normal narrative. Excellent and nuanced. So much better with less pyro. Go see!
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3,057 posts
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Post by ali973 on Aug 23, 2019 1:04:32 GMT
Half time this evening. It's largely good but an underpowered band and a few odd directorial decisions. Fab choreography. Pyrotechnics are overdone and unnecessary in my view. I like the modern approach though. Half time? HALF TIME?! This is not football, sir! INTERMISSION, please! Half time indeed. |
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Post by d'James on Aug 23, 2019 5:49:23 GMT
Half time this evening. It's largely good but an underpowered band and a few odd directorial decisions. Fab choreography. Pyrotechnics are overdone and unnecessary in my view. I like the modern approach though. Half time? HALF TIME?! This is not football, sir! INTERMISSION, please! Half time indeed. Eugh no. I hate the word intermission. |
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Post by ceebee on Aug 23, 2019 9:46:24 GMT
I think I could have done with VAR and extra time at the end of the first half... I found this a show of two halves. The first was good but the orchestra's sound seemed suppressed - have to say there was some sublime piano/keyboard work going on, to the point of perfection. I wasn't a fan of the confetti and bangs, though I did like the smoke effects. Unfortunately, the first half felt like somebody was letting off their stash of contraband pyro just because they could. It added little to proceedings other than wake a few of the older members of the audience from their slumber. In terms of acting, I enjoyed the different characterisations but was sad to miss Adam Pearce's "Magaldi" after his absolutely brilliant "Victor" in "Local Hero" in Edinburgh. I will see his performance at the end of the run when I will go again. The second half of this show is off the scale. Dark, brooding, sinister, achingly painful, Che disrobed and dishevelled, Eva discarded and dying. The transition from brunette to blonde worked for me as it reeked of symbolism - transfigurative, Christ-like, another Regent's Park lesson in the risk of creating demi-gods and how modern society consumes, swallows and then spits icons out. The hints towards tarring and feathering were all clever touches, and I felt the second half gave me fresh insights into a show that I know very well. Excellent leads, excellent orchestra. Not on the same scale as JCS for me; that said, I think this show would do extremely well in the states and could be taken on tour with scaled back pyro (no bad thing in my view). Well done to everybody involved for reinventing a show that was starting to risk smelling of mothballs.
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Post by QueerTheatre on Aug 23, 2019 10:07:33 GMT
Aside from the potential damp, what are the grass banks like? Is the view ok? I've been up in edinburgh all month and didn't realise how well this was selling and now they're my only option...
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3,426 posts
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Post by ceebee on Aug 23, 2019 13:09:49 GMT
As an additional piece of advice, if you are flexible and can do last-minute theatre, check the open air site through the day. Find a day that shows as available and then scroll back and forth between the dates (using the arrows rather than the calendar list). Don't ask me why, but this seems to bypass the front-end which can indicate a sell-out (disabling access to the seating plan). Once you get behind the initial page you often find the odd spare or pair (usually comps/production spares) going up for grabs the evening or the morning before a performance. Hope this helps.
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212 posts
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Post by l0islane on Aug 23, 2019 13:13:37 GMT
My friend and I sat on the grass banks last week, they are letting too many people sit there in my opinion, they kept trying to move people around to fit more in. They are on a slope so you feel propelled forwards, but the view is perfectly fine. Make sure you're near the front of the queue to get in and stake your place and take something padded to sit on if you don't have much natural 'padding'!
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3,426 posts
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Post by ceebee on Aug 23, 2019 13:17:10 GMT
The view is side on through railings if you don't bag a space further back. People are moaning about too many allowed to sit there, too. It's better than nothing, though, just sit further back and on the side near the aisle not the shrubbery. Oh, and take the "high numbers" side if you prefer shade to sun. Yeah, it was heaving last night - not sure I'd have enjoyed sitting so close. Plus a lot of the action is played centrally so the sides will be compromised. That said, anything is better than nothing. It's definitely worth seeing (and hearing). Modern yet grounded in the original score. Similar ethos to the JCS production, letting the music and lyrics carry the show. I have a theory that ALW is so embedded in modern culture that his shows are now starting to take a different shape, whereby staging is minimised in favour of greater focus on the quality of band/orchestra and orchestrations. I wonder if "Sunset Boulevard" at the ENO opened producer/director eyes to the power of instruments. The current Les Mis Concert also seems to follow this trend of focusing more heavily on the music. |
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Post by NeilVHughes on Aug 23, 2019 22:20:29 GMT
A great way to spend a warm summer evening, energetic and atmospheric especially once it got dark with a similar rock concert vibe as Superstar.
Not sure whether it was just tonight but found Evita a little screechy when she reached the top notes and seemed to be just above her natural range.
Another evening almost scuppered by Thameslink, fortunately as a little paranoid from 2 weeks ago checked for issues in plenty of time for a contingency. A longer trip than usual, felt like a pint when I reached the Theatre, at £5.95 it was an offer I could refuse and settled for a large glass of free tap water.
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1,132 posts
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Post by Stephen on Aug 23, 2019 23:58:27 GMT
What is the orchestra setup for this? Is it pretty full with a 'band' section for the rocky stuff or is there doubling going on?
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Post by lonlad on Aug 24, 2019 9:28:07 GMT
Understudy Magaldi last night fyi but hardly matters - the production is ON FIRE and in its own defiantly 21st century fully lands. Go go go !! (Pauly in superb voice, by the way.)
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2019 9:32:55 GMT
What is the orchestra setup for this? Is it pretty full with a 'band' section for the rocky stuff or is there doubling going on? From the programme: Keyboard x 2 Double bass/bass guitar Drums Percussion Guitars Brass x 4 Flute/piccolo Clarinet/tenor sax Strings x 5 17 piece orchestra. One interesting thing re this show. The orchestrations are the David Cullen/ALW one, and in a radically different staging are the entirely classic Evita arrangements. For the best I think - had they totally changed the arrangements in the same radical way, think may have been a disaster. |
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3,426 posts
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Post by ceebee on Aug 24, 2019 10:05:17 GMT
A great way to spend a warm summer evening, energetic and atmospheric especially once it got dark with a similar rock concert vibe as Superstar. Not sure whether it was just tonight but found Evita a little screechy when she reached the top notes and seemed to be just above her natural range. Another evening almost scuppered by Thameslink, fortunately as a little paranoid from 2 weeks ago checked for issues in plenty of time for a contingency. A longer trip than usual, felt like a pint when I reached the Theatre, at £5.95 it was an offer I could refuse and settled for a large glass of free tap water. Neil, you missed out. Curious Brew on draft at the OAT is one of the utter delights of summer. There's something wonderful about supping a pint in the open air watching top notch theatre, even as the helicopters and planes fly overhead. I'm not sure I'd want to see Evita in the daytime - can't imagine it being anywhere near as atmospheric. |
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3,426 posts
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Post by ceebee on Aug 24, 2019 10:08:32 GMT
Understudy Magaldi last night fyi but hardly matters - the production is ON FIRE and in its own defiantly 21st century fully lands. Go go go !! (Pauly in superb voice, by the way.) Yes, the u/s Magaldi was on Thursday evening too. I really wanted to see Adam Pearce in the role as he is a performer I've seen a number of times and is unique in every role. Extremely talented and somebody I would probably go out of my way to see. I'm hoping he reprises Viktor in "Local Hero" at the Old Vic next year. Agree that Pauly is superb. Great voice, great sass, and (IMHO) a potential award winning second half performance. |
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3,426 posts
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Post by ceebee on Aug 24, 2019 10:14:01 GMT
What is the orchestra setup for this? Is it pretty full with a 'band' section for the rocky stuff or is there doubling going on? From the programme: Keyboard x 2 Double bass/bass guitar Drums Percussion Guitars Brass x 4 Flute/piccolo Clarinet/tenor sax Strings x 5 17 piece orchestra. One interesting thing re this show. The orchestrations are the David Cullen/ALW one, and in a radically different staging are the entirely classic Evita arrangements. For the best I think - had they totally changed the arrangements in the same radical way, think may have been a disaster. I agree Dom. I was right at the back centre of the OAT on Thurs and some of the orchestra was not quite loud enough, though this seem sorted in the second half. Maybe the confetti cannons blew the speakers off course... Nice to see such a smartly dressed orchestra too (old-fashioned, but still makes it feel special), and some deft work on the keys (particularly for the harp section) which had me actually looking for the harpist. I don't think I've heard the music of "Evita" so on the money. There's no doubting though, this production doesn't seem too popular with the older demographic, mnany of whom remained seated with unenthusiastic clapping at the end. A minority, but noticeable. Not necessarily a bad thing though. Some places (RSC...) feel very geared towards the silver generation and need to try harder to reach out to younger audiences through relevant staging and competitive pricing. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2019 10:26:57 GMT
I very much agree - when I went the reaction was enthusiastic from many, but luke warm from many others. Definitely not more or less universally positive like Superstar.
But yes the orchestra looked and sounded wonderful.
Does anyone know if ALW has actually seen this yet?
Certainly his "best production ever/how I always imagined it" line has not been trotted out for once. Would love to know The Lord's thoughts....
He focusses so much on the MD and orchestra though, you'd hope he'd be impressed :-)
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1,861 posts
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Post by NeilVHughes on Aug 24, 2019 11:33:24 GMT
The musicianship was faultless and also looked for the harpist.
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Post by winonaforever on Aug 24, 2019 12:02:33 GMT
I very much agree - when I went the reaction was enthusiastic from many, but luke warm from many others. Definitely not more or less universally positive like Superstar. But yes the orchestra looked and sounded wonderful. Does anyone know if ALW has actually seen this yet? Certainly his "best production ever/how I always imagined it" line has not been trotted out for once. Would love to know The Lord's thoughts.... He focusses so much on the MD and orchestra though, you'd hope he'd be impressed :-) ALW has seen it. I was listening to Samantha Pauly and Trent Saunders being interviewed on the radio yesterday, and they said he had been in. |
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Post by fiyero on Aug 24, 2019 16:57:20 GMT
My friend (who was expecting balcony etc) has said she loved it. Phew. I’ll get her feedback Wednesday but was expecting her not to take to it.
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Post by ncbears on Aug 24, 2019 18:19:55 GMT
Pauly’s replacement in SiX (US) got good word so curious if Pauly returns to SiX or stays with an Evita transfer if a transfer happens. Hmm, starring in West End or “originating” a Broadway role. Not bad choices if there are choices to be made.
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Post by sfsusan on Aug 24, 2019 18:22:42 GMT
Yes, the u/s Magaldi was on Thursday evening too. I wonder if it was a last-minute thing, as when he first came on his face was so shiny I wondered if it was a clear mask, but turned out to be sweat. He later blotted his face on his shirt or something. I thought the pyrotechnics were waaaay overdone. The smoke completely obscured the performers several times, and the smell was obnoxious. I saw one person leave almost immediately and wondered if that was the reason. I think a very early moment jarred some of the audience and may have put them off... {Spoiler - click to view}
one of the dancers pulled up her skirt, took off her pants, smelled them with relish and tossed them at Magaldi. There was a widespread and audible negative response from the audience. I know of some people who would not have been able to get beyond that to appreciate the rest of the show. I've not seen the show before, although I knew the outlines of the story. As others have said, I really enjoyed Che and thought his clear-eyed commentary added a dimension. Although I thought that dark-haired Eva would morph into the familiar image of Evita during the course of the story, not just at the end. {Spoiler - click to view}
(And I was confused when the first person on stage to assume that look was the little girl... so when they dressed up Evita's 'corpse' in the dress and hair, it was like she was imitating the child, not the other way around.) And it didn't bother me that Pauly wasn't vocally perfect, as Eva is supposed to be succeeding on her other talents. I was confused by what I took to be Evita's drug use when she collapsed (at the end of the Rainbow Tour, I think), but after doing some quick reading at home, I think it was meant to symbolize her chemotherapy (she was one of the first to try that). |
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Post by kathryn on Aug 24, 2019 19:26:21 GMT
As an additional piece of advice, if you are flexible and can do last-minute theatre, check the open air site through the day. Find a day that shows as available and then scroll back and forth between the dates (using the arrows rather than the calendar list). Don't ask me why, but this seems to bypass the front-end which can indicate a sell-out (disabling access to the seating plan). Once you get behind the initial page you often find the odd spare or pair (usually comps/production spares) going up for grabs the evening or the morning before a performance. Hope this helps. Thanks for this tip - just managed to grab a ticket for Thursday afternoon this week! |
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3,426 posts
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Post by ceebee on Aug 24, 2019 19:42:09 GMT
As an additional piece of advice, if you are flexible and can do last-minute theatre, check the open air site through the day. Find a day that shows as available and then scroll back and forth between the dates (using the arrows rather than the calendar list). Don't ask me why, but this seems to bypass the front-end which can indicate a sell-out (disabling access to the seating plan). Once you get behind the initial page you often find the odd spare or pair (usually comps/production spares) going up for grabs the evening or the morning before a performance. Hope this helps. Thanks for this tip - just managed to grab a ticket for Thursday afternoon this week! Glad to be of assistance! |
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3,426 posts
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Post by ceebee on Aug 24, 2019 22:52:57 GMT
Yes, the u/s Magaldi was on Thursday evening too. I wonder if it was a last-minute thing, as when he first came on his face was so shiny I wondered if it was a clear mask, but turned out to be sweat. He later blotted his face on his shirt or something. I thought the pyrotechnics were waaaay overdone. The smoke completely obscured the performers several times, and the smell was obnoxious. I saw one person leave almost immediately and wondered if that was the reason. I think a very early moment jarred some of the audience and may have put them off... {Spoiler - click to view}
one of the dancers pulled up her skirt, took off her pants, smelled them with relish and tossed them at Magaldi. There was a widespread and audible negative response from the audience. I know of some people who would not have been able to get beyond that to appreciate the rest of the show. I've not seen the show before, although I knew the outlines of the story. As others have said, I really enjoyed Che and thought his clear-eyed commentary added a dimension. Although I thought that dark-haired Eva would morph into the familiar image of Evita during the course of the story, not just at the end. {Spoiler - click to view}
(And I was confused when the first person on stage to assume that look was the little girl... so when they dressed up Evita's 'corpse' in the dress and hair, it was like she was imitating the child, not the other way around.) And it didn't bother me that Pauly wasn't vocally perfect, as Eva is supposed to be succeeding on her other talents. I was confused by what I took to be Evita's drug use when she collapsed (at the end of the Rainbow Tour, I think), but after doing some quick reading at home, I think it was meant to symbolize her chemotherapy (she was one of the first to try that). I agree, the first spoiler was crude and I'm no prude. I also noticed Magaldi was a bit sweaty, though it was quite warm. Good point about chemo too, which I didn't consider. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2019 23:37:06 GMT
So the moment Eva’s friend/sister took off her knickers and threw them at Magaldi was the first real moment I knew we were in for something totally different.
1st time I went I was like, wow that’s crude. I’m no prude though and it was symbolic - this is the background Eva, her sisters and her friends have come from and it’s ROUGH! Thats the point I got. Got more on the second viewing when the stress of having to watch sniffing underwear had passed!
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