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Post by daniel on Dec 20, 2017 23:09:19 GMT
Another Dreamgirls example relating to split tracking due to illness...the Four Tuxedos!
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Post by dippy on Dec 20, 2017 23:43:07 GMT
I have a thing for numbers so often count people on stage, counting the girls in this show is hard since there are so many but I've definitely seen the show a couple of time with only 10 or 11 male ensemble members instead of 12. I find it fascinating watching swings jump between different tracks in one show and seeing which track is the more important in which number.
For example I saw a show where Josh Andrews was covering both Philip Bertioli and Greg Bernstein (Martin was playing Andy and Zac wasn't on) and it was really interesting seeing when he played which person's track. He was the thief in 42nd Street and Philip's policeman was either cut or Martin played him (can't remember but I know Martin did appear in the ensemble). In Lullaby of Broadway he covered Philip because he's one of the 4 that are at the back in the middle but just before that he was Greg because he's who gets lifted up when they plead for Julian to give Peggy a chance. In Peggy's intense rehearsal session in the first dance which normally has her in the middle with three guys either side suddenly went down to only 4 because Josh couldn't split himself in two and there's no point doing it with an odd number.
In the show I saw last weekend there were even non-swings doing things they wouldn't normally do which was nice to see but very confusing! It must be a great puzzle to have to solve working out the best way to get as full a show as possible on with missing ensemble. Would love it if my job had as interesting things as that to work out.
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Post by grannyjx6 on Dec 20, 2017 23:53:59 GMT
Would anyone like a free ticket to tonight's show? I'm sick so can't go. Solo seat in Grand Circle, free to a good home. DM me.
So sorry to hear that. Hope you soon feel better.
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Post by wanderingranger on Dec 21, 2017 15:02:24 GMT
Folks who regularly see this show, does anyone know where I can get tickets that are reasonably priced for this? Currently looking for Feb 12 in the evening and, unless I pay 70-90 quid each I will have to sit right at the top of the balcony.
What is the view like from up there? The very back row. I can't imagine it being much good
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Post by Sam on Dec 21, 2017 15:38:37 GMT
Folks who regularly see this show, does anyone know where I can get tickets that are reasonably priced for this? Currently looking for Feb 12 in the evening and, unless I pay 70-90 quid each I will have to sit right at the top of the balcony. What is the view like from up there? The very back row. I can't imagine it being much good The Today Tix app has rush seats every day at 10am if you don't need to book in advance. I used it when I went a few months ago and found it really easy. Went on the app at 10am and got the tickets straight away before travelling up to London from the South Coast. Second Row for £25 each, really good view! We also had a £10 off code, there's a thread on here full of referral codes if you end up using it (mine is BUTXA). They also sell full price tickets on there that you could get a little cheaper with the discount code. I had an email from Amazon this morning to say they were offering tickets with no fees, which should save a little. Theatremonkey has some commentary on seat locations as does seatplan. There's also the potential for tickets in the New Year Sale on Official London Theatre, but these are only for performances between the 2nd Jan and 9th Feb, so would only be of use if your dates are flexible. Hope you get to see it, it was really an amazing show! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2017 15:45:57 GMT
I always use TodayTix Rush, as they always add more throughout the day to accomodate everyone if wanted. Usually they have a set few dotted in the Stalls and Royal to get started, and then as the day goes on, sell more in the Stalls. Usually to fill in the gaps that haven't sold throughout the day. Only £25, bar the firdt time I booked in advance, I have been front of Stalls the other 4 times hrough the app, once central Row B, twice side Row D, once the other side, Row E. So its worth it.  |
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Post by alece10 on Dec 21, 2017 19:18:41 GMT
I also second the Today Tix app. I've managed to get rush tickets 3 times now always been in Row A stalls for £25
Remember the £15 AA seats at the start of the run which was filled with forum members. Happy days!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2017 19:33:21 GMT
The award for the "biggest steal" was without doubt those front row seats when they were £15. I sat there for thr 3rd Preview and it was one of the most thrilling experiences ive ever had in the theatre, just magical. Those who pay £75 or whatever it is, god bless them because whilst the show is worth it in my view, we saw it cheaper.  |
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Post by showtoones on Dec 21, 2017 19:53:04 GMT
The award for the "biggest steal" was without doubt those front row seats when they were £15. I sat there for thr 3rd Preview and it was one of the most thrilling experiences ive ever had in the theatre, just magical. Those who pay £75 or whatever it is, god bless them because whilst the show is worth it in my view, we saw it cheaper. DJ - have you ever tried a weekend or only during the week? And would you recommend going on the App later in the day or early morning to get the best seats? Thanks |
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Post by shady23 on Dec 21, 2017 20:41:55 GMT
The award for the "biggest steal" was without doubt those front row seats when they were £15. I sat there for thr 3rd Preview and it was one of the most thrilling experiences ive ever had in the theatre, just magical. Those who pay £75 or whatever it is, god bless them because whilst the show is worth it in my view, we saw it cheaper. When do they go up as I booked one last week for mid January and it was still fifteen quid. I was pleasantly surprised! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2017 22:24:47 GMT
The award for the "biggest steal" was without doubt those front row seats when they were £15. I sat there for thr 3rd Preview and it was one of the most thrilling experiences ive ever had in the theatre, just magical. Those who pay £75 or whatever it is, god bless them because whilst the show is worth it in my view, we saw it cheaper. When do they go up as I booked one last week for mid January and it was still fifteen quid. I was pleasantly surprised! The end seats have always been £15, but the whole front row was £15 for the first couple of months until the producers figured out the view wasn't restricted in the slightest and re-priced them up to full price! |
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Post by shady23 on Dec 21, 2017 22:40:23 GMT
Oh I didn't realise. Definitely the bargain of the century!
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Post by grannyjx6 on Dec 21, 2017 23:59:36 GMT
The award for the "biggest steal" was without doubt those front row seats when they were £15. I sat there for thr 3rd Preview and it was one of the most thrilling experiences ive ever had in the theatre, just magical. Those who pay £75 or whatever it is, god bless them because whilst the show is worth it in my view, we saw it cheaper. When do they go up as I booked one last week for mid January and it was still fifteen quid. I was pleasantly surprised!
We are going again in April and the A0 and A1 seats are priced at £25. We got them for £15 in April and they were definitely the bargain of the century. I think I will wait until we're actually in London and try the Today Tix app, or maybe TKTS as they always seem to have them discounted there.
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Post by Steffi on Dec 22, 2017 6:53:55 GMT
I always get day seats from the theatre. They are only £15 and so far I've always ended up with front stalls tickets. Last Saturday I only got there at 11:30am-ish and got a single seat in the centre block of row A for the evening show.
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Post by grannyjx6 on Dec 22, 2017 14:38:20 GMT
I always get day seats from the theatre. They are only £15 and so far I've always ended up with front stalls tickets. Last Saturday I only got there at 11:30am-ish and got a single seat in the centre block of row A for the evening show. What time do you usually go please? We would be looking at Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (Hamilton booked for the Wednesday :-) ) and have you ever been unsuccessful? |
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Post by Steffi on Dec 22, 2017 14:53:49 GMT
I always get day seats from the theatre. They are only £15 and so far I've always ended up with front stalls tickets. Last Saturday I only got there at 11:30am-ish and got a single seat in the centre block of row A for the evening show. What time do you usually go please? We would be looking at Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (Hamilton booked for the Wednesday :-) ) and have you ever been unsuccessful? I've seen the show 4 times via day seats, two times on a Saturday evening. 3 times I was there about half an hour before the box office opened (never more than 3 people in front of me in the queue). I think especially on a Tuesday and Thursday you will be fine just rocking up around 10am. I've never been unsuccessful and the "worst" seats I've had were side stalls row G (which for £15 are still a real bargain). :-) |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2017 18:18:20 GMT
Thought I’d give this another go as I last saw it early on and people seem to like it, so saw the matinee but left underwhelmed, once again. The numbers are still fabulous but the directon of the book scenes and the strenuously exaggerated acting style I find to be shockingly poor. It’s like a trip back to the seventies.
It was understudy city (which is fine, and they acquitted themselves well, given the parameters set) but the Billy went over the top with a leap at the top of Dames, landed off balance, crumbled into a heap, got up after missing a line or two, looked cheesed off for the rest of the number, hobbled around and the show had to stop whilst an understudy got kitted out to take over and get us to the interval. The dressing room door had fallen off earlier during a scene, so that didn’t help. To tell the truth the Billy understudy was an improvement as the one who started was so over the top I thought he was going to explode at some point anyway. Tenth show this week anyway and I think I’m pretty much caught up now.
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Post by tonyloco on Dec 24, 2017 1:54:05 GMT
The numbers are still fabulous but the directon of the book scenes and the strenuously exaggerated acting style I find to be shockingly poor. It’s like a trip back to the seventies. Actually, it's meant to be a trip back to the early talkies. The show is based on the Warner Brothers movie '42nd Street' made in 1933 when talking pictures were in their infancy and screen acting was exaggerated in just the way we see it at Drury Lane. Well, that's how it seems to me, having seen most of those early Warner Brothers musicals like 'Footlight Parade', 'Gold Diggers of 1933', 'Dames' and 'Gold Diggers of 1935'. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2017 2:46:00 GMT
The numbers are still fabulous but the directon of the book scenes and the strenuously exaggerated acting style I find to be shockingly poor. It’s like a trip back to the seventies. Actually, it's meant to be a trip back to the early talkies. The show is based on the Warner Brothers movie '42nd Street' made in 1933 when talking pictures were in their infancy and screen acting was exaggerated in just the way we see it at Drury Lane. Well, that's how it seems to me, having seen most of those early Warner Brothers musicals like 'Footlight Parade', 'Gold Diggers of 1933', 'Dames' and 'Gold Diggers of 1935'. I know the RKO movies very well and what they do is a very poor copy, the reason being that they co-opt the rapid fire tempo but completely miss the psychology behind the lines. Powell, Keeler et al may not have been the greatest actors but they had a belief in their dialogue. It’s also seemingly got worse as the run has gone on, there was barely a laugh today because they stepped on each laugh line. |
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 24, 2017 10:15:20 GMT
when talking pictures were in their infancy It must have been fascinating being there at the birth of talkies.  |
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Post by tonyloco on Dec 24, 2017 12:30:28 GMT
I know the RKO movies very well and what they do is a very poor copy, the reason being that they co-opt the rapid fire tempo but completely miss the psychology behind the lines. Powell, Keeler et al may not have been the greatest actors but they had a belief in their dialogue. It’s also seemingly got worse as the run has gone on, there was barely a laugh today because they stepped on each laugh line. Actually, they are Warner Brothers movies, not RKO, but I take your point about the performance you saw a few days ago. That's a shame, although quite honestly for me the production numbers are what it's all about, rather more so than in the original movies. |
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Post by tonyloco on Dec 24, 2017 12:33:13 GMT
It must have been fascinating being there at the birth of talkies. Yes, TallPaul, indeed it was. Fortunately I was a very precocious baby! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2017 13:43:54 GMT
I know the RKO movies very well and what they do is a very poor copy, the reason being that they co-opt the rapid fire tempo but completely miss the psychology behind the lines. Powell, Keeler et al may not have been the greatest actors but they had a belief in their dialogue. It’s also seemingly got worse as the run has gone on, there was barely a laugh today because they stepped on each laugh line. Actually, they are Warner Brothers movies, not RKO, but I take your point about the performance you saw a few days ago. That's a shame, although quite honestly for me the production numbers are what it's all about, rather more so than in the original movies. You're right, getting mixed up with the Astaire/Rogers films. One of my frustrations with this adaptation is how it sidelines the economic pressures of the original, something that Warner Brothers musicals were known for highlighting. it keeps bits of detail (the automat, Marsh’s desperation, Peggy only having spare change left etc.) but resolutely glosses over them. As such the stakes are not high and appear artificial where there should be a feeling that they are only steps from penury. The direction could still do that with the scraps that are given but, as it is, it’s very shallow and has emotion manufactured through spectacle in its place. This all adds up to why I referred to the seventies, it isn’t period authentic and like watching a later pale imitation. |
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 24, 2017 17:45:53 GMT
It must have been fascinating being there at the birth of talkies. Yes, TallPaul, indeed it was. Fortunately I was a very precocious baby! When he's back from his luxury Caribbean cruise, you'll have to get together with @caiaphas to reminisce about the old times. I'm sure he can fill in any blanks. |
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Post by tonyloco on Dec 26, 2017 11:02:08 GMT
You're right, getting mixed up with the Astaire/Rogers films. One of my frustrations with this adaptation is how it sidelines the economic pressures of the original, something that Warner Brothers musicals were known for highlighting. it keeps bits of detail (the automat, Marsh’s desperation, Peggy only having spare change left etc.) but resolutely glosses over them. As such the stakes are not high and appear artificial where there should be a feeling that they are only steps from penury. The direction could still do that with the scraps that are given but, as it is, it’s very shallow and has emotion manufactured through spectacle in its place. This all adds up to why I referred to the seventies, it isn’t period authentic and like watching a later pale imitation. Thanks, Cardinal Pirelli, for that clear explanation of your views, with which I cannot disagree. But I think it is unlikely with a big glitzy spectacular production such as we have at Drury Lane that we would get a more realistic treatment of the reality of life in New York in 1933, although you say that the direction could still have achieved more, even with the scraps that are left. For me, and for most of the other posters on this thread, the pleasure we get from the wonderful singing and dancing of all those glorious songs is why we keep returning to see it over and over and the weakness in the dramatic side of the show hardly matters. |
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