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Post by musicalfan on Jun 28, 2024 22:04:32 GMT
It was a solid 3 star for me, but what struck me the most was that none of the vocals were anywhere near the strength of the Broadway cast recording. Whilst it didn’t affect my enjoyment, it just wasn’t the ‘belt-fest’ it was on Broadway. Castle’s big numbers especially were just ‘ok’. Completely agree. Regina arguably gets the best two songs in the show, and she did a good job, but unfortunately it didn’t blow me away like it should have for two huge numbers like that. I guess lip syncing parts of World Burn doesn’t help. I thought Gretchen and Karen were the stand outs. What parts of World Burn does she lip sync I didn’t notice the other day |
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Post by LaLuPone on Jun 28, 2024 22:13:35 GMT
I thought Georgina was thrilling at the first preview but maybe she’s vocally tired already, previews are hard work, might be a possible explanation for the difference of opinion.
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Post by midge on Jun 30, 2024 15:17:43 GMT
Loving Susannah Clapp’s Mean Girls review, and how apt it is for Pride weekend.
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Post by andrew on Jul 7, 2024 9:01:40 GMT
This is tough to formulate my thoughts on because I actually quite enjoyed my time there even though as I run through the constituent parts they're all a bit underwhelming. I haven't seen the film for well over a decade but I remember it being quite sharp, almost unexpectedly funny, and I suppose you can predict that it's very difficult to translate that style of comedy to musical theatre. I still thought the whole thing was pretty funny (I laughed several times more than I managed in 'Kiss Me, Kate' earlier in the day, for example) although probably not as much as I remember the source material being.
That begs the question immediately - what's the point in doing it? Maybe it makes its point better, and they certainly didn't want you to leave the theatre not knowing the moral of the story, by shoving "Be a good person" on the screen at the back in big letters and shouting "don't be mean" a few times. There's nothing wrong with that, it's not quite earth shattering in its construction, but it's not a terrible take-home message.
If you can make a witty and fun musical that leads you to remember that being a teenager can be awful, that growing up is about learning to be good to each other, with catchy and well-constructed songs and a laugh-out-loud book, then that's no bad thing... it's just unfortunate that Heathers got there first, did it many years earlier, and is much more convincing at doing all of those things.
The songs are extremely hit and miss for me. Some of them are completely worthless, don't even know what the second act song in Cady's bedroom was called but I sat there the whole time thinking I'm not even sure what this song is trying to say, it's elevator music. But 'Revenge Party' is fun, 'I'd Rather Be Me' has some very questionably torturous lyrics but is a nice moment for Karen, 'Apex Predator' was a nice enough number.
The second act is much weaker than the first, but you could say that for the majority of musicals that exist. I guess when the score is a bit flimsy it just maybe shows up a bit more here.
Shoutout to Freddie Clements as Damien, extremely funny and assured as the understudy, one of my favourite bits of the show. All the cast were pretty good though, I saw some commentary a few pages ago about the US cast recording sounding better - cast recordings always sound better, these guys are doing an amazing job.
The direction is too pedestrian and unoriginal, the set design probably the same. I don't like digital sets unless you use them cleverly or they make sense as part of the point of the show, here it just seems lazy.
So I dunno, it's not a great musical. I think I'm saying it's good? Good not great. I sat there chuckling along and was taken by the talent on stage and thought some of the numbers were pretty good. You can get snooty about that but I went to go and see 'Mean Girls' not Shakespeare and I'd give it credit for being better than the average musical that's been passing through the west end recently. Or maybe I'm just trying to justify that there's something entertaining about this show, the whole being better than the sum of its parts. Worth my time anyway.
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Post by winonaforever on Jul 8, 2024 6:59:11 GMT
I saw it yesterday and gave it 3 stars on the poll. I couldn't work out why I was underwhelmed, but I think it's because I love the film so much and kept comparing the two unfavourably (though I already knew all the songs from the show)
I did think Georgina Castle was absolutely wonderful and Freddie Clements was an excellent Damian. Really nice to see Ako Mitchell as Mr Duvall (and Aharon Rayner in the ensemble, I loved him in Bronco Billy) I wasn't wild about Charlie Burn as Cady or Grace Mouat as Karen, not because I didn't think they were both very good, but because neither fitted my idea of those characters.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jul 8, 2024 7:12:17 GMT
Completely agree. Regina arguably gets the best two songs in the show, and she did a good job, but unfortunately it didn’t blow me away like it should have for two huge numbers like that. I guess lip syncing parts of World Burn doesn’t help. I thought Gretchen and Karen were the stand outs. What parts of World Burn does she lip sync I didn’t notice the other day Yeah she doesn’t lip sync that song. Certainly didn’t when I saw it |
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Post by andrew on Jul 8, 2024 20:35:24 GMT
What parts of World Burn does she lip sync I didn’t notice the other day Yeah she doesn’t lip sync that song. Certainly didn’t when I saw it I was paying attention and didn't see an obvious lip sync either, for what it's worth. |
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Post by doornumberthree on Jul 8, 2024 23:19:43 GMT
She doesn’t lip sync her song! I have to say none of my complaints about Georgina have to do with her voice - vocally, she’s lovely and the song fits nicely in her range and sits well in her voice. It was her acting that I wasn’t keen on.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jul 9, 2024 5:12:24 GMT
She doesn’t lip sync her song! I have to say none of my complaints about Georgina have to do with her voice - vocally, she’s lovely and the song fits nicely in her range and sits well in her voice. It was her acting that I wasn’t keen on. Wow. I thought she was pretty sensational In this, both acting and singing. |
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Post by normasturban on Jul 9, 2024 8:22:19 GMT
Yeah other than Damian’s actor whose name escapes me right now, Georgina was the star of the show for me.
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Post by Being Alive on Jul 9, 2024 8:35:57 GMT
She sings the show perfectly fine, her Regina just had absolutely nothing about her and as such everything that she said had absolutely zero meaning.
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Post by osdtdg on Jul 9, 2024 8:38:53 GMT
Yeah other than Damian’s actor whose name escapes me right now, Georgina was the star of the show for me. Tom Xander, the lead or perhaps Freddie Clements who recently debuted in the role? |
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Post by osdtdg on Jul 9, 2024 8:41:23 GMT
I should add that I enjoyed the show, but some of the lyrics were substantially lacking. While Elena was giving an intresting take on the "divorced from emotion" take on the inevitable trauma that Janis would have, I found that she seemed a bit bored? Like, i get thats the character take but I just didnt connect with it personally. I wonder if thats a direction thing or Elena's choice? Would be interesting to see any covers on to see for certain; but I'm not sure I'd come back. Like, its good campy fun which is fine, but not my choice to return I think
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Post by winonaforever on Jul 9, 2024 9:16:11 GMT
She doesn’t lip sync her song! I have to say none of my complaints about Georgina have to do with her voice - vocally, she’s lovely and the song fits nicely in her range and sits well in her voice. It was her acting that I wasn’t keen on. Wow. I thought she was pretty sensational In this, both acting and singing. Me too. She was the only person in the cast that I preferred to the actoŕ in the original film (I KNOW shouldn't be comparing them, but it was my first time seeing the musical) |
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Post by winonaforever on Jul 9, 2024 9:18:33 GMT
I should add that I enjoyed the show, but some of the lyrics were substantially lacking. While Elena was giving an intresting take on the "divorced from emotion" take on the inevitable trauma that Janis would have, I found that she seemed a bit bored? Like, i get thats the character take but I just didnt connect with it personally. I wonder if thats a direction thing or Elena's choice? Would be interesting to see any covers on to see for certain; but I'm not sure I'd come back. Like, its good campy fun which is fine, but not my choice to return I think I know Baylie Carson went on for Janis last week, I think she'd have been very different. |
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Post by samchap8787 on Jul 10, 2024 15:05:05 GMT
Gosh.. where to start... THE WORST SHOW OF 2024 SO FAR. What a disaster. Opening Night was more watchable. Thankfully only paid the rush ticket price on todaytix. Cast were good but the songs... the musicality... ZERO. Instantly forgettable songs. The story is the story and the cast tried their best but the music is really quite terrible. Thankfully its a 10pm finish and we were sitting near the exit.
All so predictable and utterly boring. A musical with worthless instantly forgettable songs.
AVOID.
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Post by winonaforever on Jul 10, 2024 18:32:19 GMT
Baylie Carson on as Janis again this evening.
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Post by BVM on Jul 10, 2024 21:08:58 GMT
Gosh.. where to start... THE WORST SHOW OF 2024 SO FAR. What a disaster. Opening Night was more watchable. Thankfully only paid the rush ticket price on todaytix. Cast were good but the songs... the musicality... ZERO. Instantly forgettable songs. The story is the story and the cast tried their best but the music is really quite terrible. Thankfully its a 10pm finish and we were sitting near the exit. All so predictable and utterly boring. A musical with worthless instantly forgettable songs. AVOID. You enjoyed it then?! |
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Post by Joseph Buquet on Jul 10, 2024 21:43:30 GMT
Gosh.. where to start... THE WORST SHOW OF 2024 SO FAR. What a disaster. Opening Night was more watchable. Thankfully only paid the rush ticket price on todaytix. Cast were good but the songs... the musicality... ZERO. Instantly forgettable songs. The story is the story and the cast tried their best but the music is really quite terrible. Thankfully its a 10pm finish and we were sitting near the exit. All so predictable and utterly boring. A musical with worthless instantly forgettable songs. AVOID. For me, it’s definitely been a show where the more I’ve listened to the songs, the more I’ve enjoyed them. I wasn’t that taken with the songs when I saw it on Broadway soon after it opened, but now I’ve got some real favourites in there. Just wish they hadn’t messed around with It Roars in the London version… |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jul 10, 2024 22:10:54 GMT
I couldn’t get Revenge Party out of my head!
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Post by lewjohnny96 on Jul 11, 2024 15:56:12 GMT
I totally understand that every show will generate differing opinions but I can’t get over how anyone could give this a 1 * rating 🤣
It’s not the best show on the entire planet by any means, but it’s great fun with some absolute knockout performances. The cast alone bring the show up to at least a 2/3* before you even begin assessing the book / music / direction etc.
I know theatre is subjective but I just can’t imagine going and having such a terrible experience to give it a 1* when there is surely something that every single person can take away as good. Because the cast are exactly that
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Post by Being Alive on Jul 11, 2024 18:50:21 GMT
It a really fun first half with a really bad second half and some major miscasting that comes out at a 3 for me (just)
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Post by danb on Jul 11, 2024 19:07:50 GMT
I totally understand that every show will generate differing opinions but I can’t get over how anyone could give this a 1 * rating 🤣 It’s not the best show on the entire planet by any means, but it’s great fun with some absolute knockout performances. The cast alone bring the show up to at least a 2/3* beforewant you even begin assessing the book / music / direction etc. I know theatre is subjective but I just can’t imagine going and having such a terrible experience to give it a 1* when there is surely something that every single person can take away as good. Because the cast are exactly that This is why we are all different people and not just clones of each other; The power of critical thought. We can like and dislike whatever we want. If we are going to stick our necks out on a public forum we need at least to show our working out. |
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Post by robertb213 on Jul 11, 2024 20:42:21 GMT
A generous 3* from me too. Poor material saved by a decent cast.
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Post by alece10 on Jul 13, 2024 9:42:08 GMT
I went to see this show last night as a friend wanted to see it, otherwise it would not be something that I would go and see, however I did enjoy it as it was a lot of fun. But not a show I would go again to see.
I thought the staging was excellent and they made great use of the LED screens at the back of the stage, it was very colourful. I didn't see the point of the hydraulic lift in the middle of the stage which would have cost a fortune and was only used twice and on both occasions they could have easily wheeled the cubicles and sofas onto the stage. It didn't seem to add anything for the expense.
The cast were excellent and sang really well although one or two of the women were a bit "screamy" at times. I really enjoyed Tom Xander who was very funny (he was always one of my favourites in BOM). I did feel that Georgina Castle as Regina George looked a lot older than the rest of the cast and certainly not of high school age, however she looked, sang and acted well.
As for the music it was fine. I don't remember any of the songs now but if I listened to the recording a few times I think one or two would stick in my head.
Quite a young audience, certainly where I was sitting in the dress circle and mainly female. No bad behaviour to report and they all seemed to enjoy themselves but there were only a handful of people who stood at the end.
I especially liked the bit at the end after the bows which was great fun.
I am giving it 3 stars which is the lowest score I have given in a long time but this is really because it wasn't something that I would choose to see. Oh and the story is so simple that even me who has never seen the film or knew the story could follow what was happening.
One gripe - £10 for the programme which is extortionate as its normal size, not glossy, no production pics and absolutely not worth the money. I probably wouldn't have bought it if I had known the cost before I bought it.
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