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Post by jamesxxx on Jul 15, 2021 17:10:09 GMT
So one thing leads to another. I have just listened to Benedictus... as mentioned above. Its really moving. Beyond words. Sometimes things just take you off guard and something deep inside is stirred. The power of music I guess. Thank you.
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Post by FairyGodmother on Jul 15, 2021 18:27:47 GMT
BurlyBeaR I have a very random question. Do you know why the Cinderella poll is the other way up than the & Juliet one? This one goes 5–1, the other goes 1–5.
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Post by danb on Jul 15, 2021 19:17:32 GMT
So one thing leads to another. I have just listened to Benedictus... as mentioned above. Its really moving. Beyond words. Sometimes things just take you off guard and something deep inside is stirred. The power of music I guess. Thank you. I absolutely love ‘The Armed Man’. Such a gorgeous song cycle, and the ‘Benedictus’ moves me in ways I didn’t know were possible. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 15, 2021 19:22:29 GMT
BurlyBeaR I have a very random question. Do you know why the Cinderella poll is the other way up than the & Juliet one? This one goes 5–1, the other goes 1–5. No reason. It’s just the way I posed the question and set the options. |
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Post by ceebee on Jul 15, 2021 19:24:29 GMT
BurlyBeaR I have a very random question. Do you know why the Cinderella poll is the other way up than the & Juliet one? This one goes 5–1, the other goes 1–5. No reason. It’s just the way I posed the question and set the options. So maybe folk gave 1's accidentally when they meant to give 5's? :-) |
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Post by FairyGodmother on Jul 15, 2021 19:48:04 GMT
Thank you.  I clicked on the threads back to back, so noticed! |
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Post by fiyerorocher on Jul 15, 2021 22:06:42 GMT
Ivano's back in the show. He's wearing some kind of brace on his thumb so clearly not 100%, but if you didn't know you wouldn't be able to tell. A few tiny bits of blocking in Man's Man are changed so he doesn't have to catch the shot put(? cannon ball? whatever it is that they throw at him) or do push ups, and he doesn't have the quick change into and out of the fencing jacket. But his dancing at the wedding party was still fantastic. I thought they'd tone it down, but if they did, I didn't notice. It was great to have him back, he really does deserve all the applause he gets.
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Post by countryjames on Jul 16, 2021 7:14:43 GMT
So if it was press night last night when should we expect the reviews? Critics are in on Monday 19… |
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Post by Oliver on Jul 16, 2021 21:39:37 GMT
If you go hoping for a score that sweeps you away like Phantom, Sunset etc. you will be disappointed, it's not that kind of show. This is more a fantasy world for you to step into. I rate ALWs score for Cinderella very highly. It's not on a par with his very finest work, no, but then we wouldn't dismiss every musical by Jerome Kern that isn't Show Boat, would we? This is in a different vein to his big romantic shows, it taps into other sides of his musical personality, but it is no less clever in its own way. The only song I would say I dislike is "I know I have a Heart", which as a melody is rather weak, subpar for ALW. The other pre-released songs are easy to dismiss because they are not as enjoyable outside of the context of the show as other songs of his, which is why I was disappointed when I first heard them. I didn't love "Bad Cinderella" when I heard it originally, for example, but was thrilled with it in the theatre because of the dramatic power it delivers at that point, particularly in connection with its intro "It has to be her" (which of course you don't hear in the pre-released version). It was a perfect introduction to her character. "Far too late" is a pretty ALW song, only middling ALW if you look at it objectively, perhaps the equal of or slightly better than "I'm hopeless when it comes to you" from Stephen Ward. However, this also works perfectly as part of the Cinderella score. "Only you, Lonely you" is perhaps the most enjoyable song to hear out of context but even this takes on a new dimension in the musical and, as such, becomes something of a showstopper. However, I think the important thing to keep in mind is that ALW isn't primarily trying to come up with hits outside of the show but to serve the drama of the story. When I went to see the show I was delighted that there was far more to enjoy in the musical than the pre-released songs (which were good). It showed that even now after all these years ALW hasn't lost his great gift for melody. There are a few lulls unfortunately; the ball, for example, is a rather ordinary pastiche, very well crafted, but I would have preferred that ALW come up with something more original and exciting at this point. I feel this should have been a big highlight in the musical, a centrepiece of sorts, and this was something of a missed opportunity. If he was going for pastiche here he should have tried to emulate Tchaikovsky or Strauss II. I was also rather surprised that Cinderella's soliloquy at the end turned out to be a medley of her earlier songs. It would surely be better to have something entirely new for her to sing at this point? They might have considered a more elaborate dance sequence in "Man's Man" but I'm guessing the cast were not trained dancers which would have made that more difficult. This might also be why some of the choreography was rather rudimentary.
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Post by david on Jul 16, 2021 23:04:24 GMT
So with my Hairspray performance being cancelled, watching ALW’s Cinderella was my last minute ticket purchase tonight. Turning up at the Box Office at 6.30pm got me a centre block seat in row O for £30. A fantastic seat from which to watch the show I thought until a family of 5 with 3 young kids (under 10) sat in the row in front of me and all through Act 1, the youngest decided to give mum and dad a very audible running commentary of what we could all see on stage. Thankfully the kid fell asleep in the second Act so at least I could watch it in piece. Talking about kids, there where quite a few kids in the audience tonight from what I could see in the stalls. As a lot of the humour is quite adult in nature, I wonder what age range the producers are aiming for?
Anyway, kids aside, I really had a fun time watching this, mainly due to the humour from Emerald Fennell’s book delivered brilliantly by the cast, particularly Rebecca Trehearn and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as well as the scenes featuring the guards The score by ALW really was a mix of rocks and diamonds for me. Some great pieces by ALW here, some of them actually during scene changes and the ballroom scene in Act 2 in particular. Standout numbers Only You, Lonely You and I Know I Have A Heart. Whilst on the other hand, I couldn’t get into the Bad Cinderella number even after hearing it in context of the show. Though ultimately it’s a score that I wouldn’t listen to straight through in the future. It wasn’t really score that really hit me listening to it. What was going on with the Entr’actre. It started off great then goes briefly all Tetris? I have no idea why it was needed to be there, just bin it please it’s just naff. I also had issue with the fact that no live percussion was used in this score but rather programmed. I just didn’t like how it came across and much prefer a real sound.
Whilst on stuff that’s naff, the topless baker at the start of Act 1, what was the point of that? Funny, but in a Carry On film way. Also the dancing guards doing their Magic Mike dance routine in Act 1. Was that really necessary?
The Good stuff - CHF, excellent vocally, though it was Ivano Turco for me was the star. His Only You, Lonely You brilliant, but his dance routine in Act 2 really was a joy to watch. He still had his hand strapping on tonight so I don’t know how much of his stuff has been reworked to take this into account, but that guy deserved the standing ovation at the end. Also the frocks for the Queen and Stepmother designed by Gabriela Tylesova were another highlight.
Ultimately, whilst I had a good night tonight I just think it was more down to the performances than the score itself. I didn’t come out of the GL humming any of the songs. Giving it a star rating I’m going 3⭐️.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2021 8:14:46 GMT
the set design and costume are better then i thought they would be
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Post by musicalmarge on Jul 17, 2021 9:59:06 GMT
the set design and costume are better then i thought they would be Did you see any of the West End musicals in the 80’s/90’s? The set design for this show is awful and cheap. Same for the click track percussion and small band! The costumes are ok. I dislike the mixture of Carrie’s modern black goth look with Dr Martin’s and Rebecca’s 17th century French baroque queen. They don’t mix at all. The style of the show, look of the show, logo of the show and advertising of the show is a mess unfortunately. Apart from three neat ALW ballads the rest of the score is his worst work ever. It’s still a one star from me. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2021 10:13:31 GMT
the set design and costume are better then i thought they would be Did you see any of the West End musicals in the 80’s/90’s? The set design for this show is awful and cheap. Same for the click track percussion and small band! The costumes are ok. I dislike the mixture of Carrie’s modern black goth look with Dr Martin’s and Rebecca’s 17th century French baroque queen. They don’t mix at all. The style of the show, look of the show, logo of the show and advertising of the show is a mess unfortunately. Apart from three neat ALW ballads the rest of the score is his worst work ever. It’s still a one star from me. I have actually. I have seen Les Mis and Phantom. I find the set to be modern and unique. I do like different sets and costumes. And these are different and I do enjoy them from the photos I have seen. I did not enjoy Phantom or Les Mis. I saw Phantom on Broadway and Les Mis in West End . I found them both boring to be honest. I do find the set to be underdeveloped in this. But not bad at all. It reminds me of Hairspray to be honest. I actually like style of the show. I do like the quirky nature of them And some of the sets look amazing. From all the cookie cutter costumes and sets in the world I do like when someone tries to do different. |
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Post by fiyerorocher on Jul 17, 2021 12:59:18 GMT
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Post by richey on Jul 17, 2021 13:10:22 GMT
Just got a text as I was going tonight!
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Post by BoOverall on Jul 17, 2021 14:07:30 GMT
Just got a text as I was going tonight! Same. Hoping cast and crew are well. Almost arrived in London when got the text. But going to still enjoy the restaurant we'd booked. |
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Post by richey on Jul 17, 2021 14:20:13 GMT
Just got a text as I was going tonight! Same. Hoping cast and crew are well. Almost arrived in London when got the text. But going to still enjoy the restaurant we'd booked. I waa sat in Palladium waiting for Joseph matinee to start. At least I've got to see one show. |
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Post by danb on Jul 17, 2021 14:36:50 GMT
My third attempt is meant to be on weds…fingers crossed. Hope they’re all ok.
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Post by max on Jul 17, 2021 15:38:06 GMT
I'm not suggesting the reason for today's cancellation is to do with a cast or production team member - but knowing someone in another show that lost performances it's a horrible knife-edge everyone's on, on a daily basis.
I saw a recent Vlog by Carrie, and was surprised when she arrived at the theatre in a minicab because the Metropolitan line had let her down. Perhaps the tube is usually better than negotiating car traffic - but it highlighted the tricky choices performers and production teams are having to make. I thought the producers might send a car really in these difficult days.
As Danb and others said above, hope they're all ok.
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Post by Jon on Jul 17, 2021 15:44:06 GMT
I'm not suggesting the reason for today's cancellation is to do with a cast or production team member - but knowing someone in another show that lost performances it's a horrible knife-edge everyone's on, on a daily basis. I saw a recent Vlog by Carrie, and was surprised when she arrived at the theatre in a minicab because the Metropolitan line had let her down. Perhaps the tube is usually better than negotiating car traffic - but it highlighted the tricky choices performers and production teams are having to make. I thought the producers might send a car really in these difficult days. As Danb and others said above, hope they're all ok. The Metropolitan Line has been cancelled for the rest of the day due to the control room shortages so I don't blame Carrie or the producers having to resort to using cabs to get to the theatre previously. |
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Post by max on Jul 17, 2021 15:51:31 GMT
I'm not suggesting the reason for today's cancellation is to do with a cast or production team member - but knowing someone in another show that lost performances it's a horrible knife-edge everyone's on, on a daily basis. I saw a recent Vlog by Carrie, and was surprised when she arrived at the theatre in a minicab because the Metropolitan line had let her down. Perhaps the tube is usually better than negotiating car traffic - but it highlighted the tricky choices performers and production teams are having to make. I thought the producers might send a car really in these difficult days. As Danb and others said above, hope they're all ok. The Metropolitan Line has been cancelled for the rest of the day due to the control room shortages so I don't blame Carrie or the producers having to resort to using cabs to get to the theatre previously. Hi Jon - no blame from me; just wondering what I'd do if my job was so time critical, and my health or covid status enmeshed with others. So difficult. On the day of her blog it was an unscheduled stoppage on the Met line. I'd assume a cab with separation between driver and passenger is safer than a train - but I don't have data to back that up. |
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Post by firefingers on Jul 17, 2021 17:03:04 GMT
The Metropolitan Line has been cancelled for the rest of the day due to the control room shortages so I don't blame Carrie or the producers having to resort to using cabs to get to the theatre previously. Hi Jon - no blame from me; just wondering what I'd do if my job was so time critical, and my health or covid status enmeshed with others. So difficult. On the day of her blog it was an unscheduled stoppage on the Met line. I'd assume a cab with separation between driver and passenger is safer than a train - but I don't have data to back that up. How many people work on Cinders on a day? 30 odd cast members, plus the band, plus I'd guess a good 20 technical, then front of house and box office staff... Maybe 70 cabs to and from peoples homes which could be an hour or more away. It just wouldn't be financially viable or practical to have 140 long cab trips a day. |
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Post by max on Jul 17, 2021 17:32:16 GMT
Hi Jon - no blame from me; just wondering what I'd do if my job was so time critical, and my health or covid status enmeshed with others. So difficult. On the day of her blog it was an unscheduled stoppage on the Met line. I'd assume a cab with separation between driver and passenger is safer than a train - but I don't have data to back that up. How many people work on Cinders on a day? 30 odd cast members, plus the band, plus I'd guess a good 20 technical, then front of house and box office staff... Maybe 70 cabs to and from peoples homes which could be an hour or more away. It just wouldn't be financially viable or practical to have 140 long cab trips a day. I do agree. I may sound brutally pragmatic but....just til Press Night? Opens a can of worms re. are you protecting us, or the show? And yes, an unlucky moment can happen even in a more protected setting, but public transport isn't what I'd use if in a crucial moment in my job. One day we'll let people live in all those half empty office blocks that early and night workers have to expensively commute past! Things change mid-August when the requirement to self isolate falls away for those who are double vaccinated - just hope that we get there without occurrences in the meantime requiring much tighter control of events. |
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Post by Jon on Jul 17, 2021 17:39:20 GMT
I do agree. I may sounds brutally pragmatic but....just til Press Night? Opens a can of worms re. are you protecting us, or the show? And yes, an unlucky moment can happen even in a more protected setting. Things change mid-August when the requirement to self isolate falls away for those who are double vaccinated - just hope that we get there without occurrences in meantime requiring much tighter control of events. Taxis still come at a cost and I doubt ALW or the other producers really want to spend more money and it wouldn't really solve the issue. |
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Post by richey on Jul 17, 2021 18:23:30 GMT
So have compensated tonight's cancellation by going back to Joseph instead and the two women next to have done the same. They're moaning it's not good enough that the messages went out so late. I did say the theatre had no choice and had to test on the day!
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I clicked on the threads back to back, so noticed!
