295 posts
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Post by fossil on May 9, 2022 14:27:56 GMT
Sweeney Todd at RADA, From 25 May 2022 until 3 June 2022.
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Post by theatre on May 12, 2022 17:26:40 GMT
Tickets released today for Smile (Howard Ashman and Marvin Hamlisch) and Little Women at Mountview if anyone’s interested - I believe Smile is the UK premiere.
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Post by Dr Tom on May 12, 2022 20:35:00 GMT
Tickets released today for Smile (Howard Ashman and Marvin Hamlisch) and Little Women at Mountview if anyone’s interested - I believe Smile is the UK premiere. Thanks, missed the release but have managed to book tickets. Shall be at Mountview tomorrow for the very short run of Carrie. |
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Post by ThereWillBeSun on May 12, 2022 22:25:54 GMT
Tickets released today for Smile (Howard Ashman and Marvin Hamlisch) and Little Women at Mountview if anyone’s interested - I believe Smile is the UK premiere. Thanks, missed the release but have managed to book tickets. Shall be at Mountview tomorrow for the very short run of Carrie. Seeing Carrie too; I know someone heavily involved. I saw this at Southwark a few years back; but actor-muso always give a new dynamic to any show. |
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Post by thistimetomorrow on May 12, 2022 22:54:00 GMT
Saw Carrie tonight and although I enjoyed it, I think they had some sound problems. The actors were sometimes quite hard to hear speaking or singing over the instruments. I thought the girls playing Carrie and Margaret worked together so well (AND they got Margaret to play the harp which I thought was quite clever with all the religious imagery and so on) and their duets and 'The Destruction' were probably my favourite parts of the show. I thought the girls playing Chris and Sue were also really good. I can't get over how impressive it is generally that all the cast were all playing at least 3 instruments each and dancing and acting and all of it!!!
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Post by Dr Tom on May 16, 2022 10:17:32 GMT
I caught Carrie the Musical on Friday at Mountview. Quite a fitting show for the evening of Friday 13th.
I'm sure we all know the story, covering Carrie's career from faking suicides through to being tied to a statue every night for ALW's pleasure.
Oops, wrong show...
This version was very good. Not a show I know, but it holds together well and as always Mountview put so much evidence in to showcase the cast's talent, with practically everyone moving between three different instruments. To me, the highlight was Samuel Brenton, playing Tommy.
The sound was good where I was sat at the front and, with no orchestra pit, there was decent leg room for a change! A very enthusiastic audience too.
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Post by Dr Tom on May 26, 2022 11:11:20 GMT
The Producers - City Academy
Saw this earlier in the week at the Bridewell Theatre. It's on until Saturday.
This is a slightly odd college, in that it largely provides theatre evening classes for adults. They run a range of productions only for all, but this is the most accomplished company, with auditions required.
Presented and performed well, with a large screen used to provide the backdrop. They did a great job with the big dance numbers. This is an amateur production, but at the better end of the scale.
Programmes are high quality and only £1 each too!
They are also running Evita later in the summer, although that is with the non-audition companies (three different casts), so I imagine the standard may not be the same. Still, another group I didn't know too much about which is worth keeping an eye on.
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Post by fossil on May 30, 2022 13:33:43 GMT
Sweeney Todd at RADA, From 25 May 2022 until 3 June 2022. I attended last Saturday's matinee. RADA productions like this used to sell out but sadly this was only about two thirds full and I was told many regulars have not returned post covid. This was an excellent production which I cannot recommend highly enough. I was particularly impressed by Hughie O’Donnell as Sweeney Todd and Ayla Wheatley as Mrs Lovett, so much so that I checked that they were actually students and not people further on in there acting careers. The sound balance was excellent. Not over amplified and with the vocals clearly heard above the band. Also you could hear every word of the lyrics. Many commercial productions could learn lessons from this (I'm sure one of the reasons Groundhog Day was not too successful is because, at least when I saw it the Old Vic, you could not hear the words!). I went to the show in a foul mood as work on my house was progressing far from satisfactorily. I left the theatre on a high. 5* from me. |
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Post by thistimetomorrow on May 30, 2022 14:16:34 GMT
I went to the show in a foul mood as work on my house was progressing far from satisfactorily. I left the theatre on a high. 5* from me. I can't wait! I'm going later this week  |
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Jun 7, 2022 22:02:28 GMT
Saw JCS at LAMDA (on until Thursday I believe) with a female Judas, female Pilate and female Herod! Have to say this was probably the drama school production that I've seen that I was least impressed by. Compared to the productions I've seen at Mountview or ArtsEd, the singing just wasn't on par. There were some wrong tempos, missed notes and generally strained vocals. However, I think the actors in this production aren't actually trained in musical theatre, so that might be one of the factors behind it.
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Post by Dr Tom on Jun 12, 2022 20:27:57 GMT
Smile - Mountview
Enjoyed this yesterday. It wasn't a musical about Charlie Chaplin, but rather a critique about the ethics of beauty pageants.
Not a show I know much about, but as is custom at Mountview it was staged wonderfully and sounded perfect with some great harmonies. The songs were decent too. And there's a hidden punch to the plot in the current time we live in.
A good choice for an MA level cast as well, with only two male identifying cast members. This did mean that a lot of the minor male characters were played by the rest of the cast. Interesting to look at the student CVs, as well. A very different set of profiles to a typical undergraduate cast.
Little Women is on in about a fortnight, which I believe is the other half of the MA Musical Theatre year group.
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Jun 15, 2022 9:50:15 GMT
Seeing the Light in the Piazza at RAM this week!
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Jun 21, 2022 17:22:52 GMT
Trinity Laban are presenting Candide at Blackheath Halls between 27 September and 2 October, four performances only . Updated to the 1980s, I think this is strictly an opera but a very poppy one which I've booked.
Big Fish at the same venue opens tonight until 25 June. I'd be travelling there now but for the rail strike.
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Jul 8, 2022 2:05:48 GMT
I missed ... Piazza at the Royal Academy of Music but yesterday paid my first visit there for Merrily We Roll Along. I've seen some top notch college productions in the last year, especially at Mountview, but I thought this was the pinnacle so far. Superb cast, great singing, dancing and acting, full orchestra, not a weak link there and a lovely theatre. My front row seat was sold as limited view for £10 but was not in the least.
At the Polish Theatre this week I saw City Academy/Centre Stage's production of Evita - I understand this is a part time college and the performance came across as slightly above average amateur, certainly not in the same league as Merrily. Seating was unallocated so I grabbed the most central front row seat next to two marked reserved. These seats were occupied by two ladies, who were apparently part of the organisation from snippets of conversation I overheard as they were escorted to their seats just before the start and again at the end of the interval. They took pictures and filmed with their phones for several minutes at a time! I was going to say something at the interval but they moved immediately and only returned, again escorted by an official, as the second act began. Even more filming ensued.
Whoever they were and whatever the reason it was permitted (an usher by the door took no notice) I do think this is inappropriate at a public performance. I sent feedback to that effect the following day - no reply received yet.
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Post by Dr Tom on Jul 8, 2022 6:41:25 GMT
I missed ... Piazza at the Royal Academy of Music but yesterday paid my first visit there for Merrily We Roll Along. I've seen some top notch college productions in the last year, especially at Mountview, but I thought this was the pinnacle so far. Superb cast, great singing, dancing and acting, full orchestra, not a weak link there and a lovely theatre. My front row seat was sold as limited view for £10 but was not in the least. I was also at Merrily, sat further back in the Stalls but still a great view. I do wish I'd gone for front row though, not the slightest bit restricted, but a rather large orchestra pit (and a large orchestra - to be expected from the Royal Academy of Music, the sound quality was excellent). Very comfortable theatre too and what looked like a decent bar downstairs, although I didn't drink. I saw cast A, who were excellent. Not the most flashy production, but everything worked and I would have this almost up at the standard of Mountview/ArtsEd, just with less of a dance focus than they usually deliver. I would certainly go to Royal Academy of Music shows again. The one thing they did badly is there was no cast board anywhere and this isn't prominent on their website. The only way to find out who the cast were was buying a thin booklet for £4. Hopefully this money goes to support the students, but I would have thought that the Academy would be aiming to promote them and making sure they had professional representation. However, they only seem to teach Musical Theatre at MA Level (presumably to students who already have an undergraduate degree), so perhaps this isn't an issue. |
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Jul 8, 2022 8:31:56 GMT
I was also at Merrily, sat further back in the Stalls but still a great view. I was also at Merrily yesterday! Looks like we all picked the same day haha. I didn't know the show before going in, but thoroughly enjoyed that. I think this is definitely up there if not better than some of the Mountview/ArtsEd shows I've seen. The one thing they did badly is there was no cast board anywhere and this isn't prominent on their website. The only way to find out who the cast were was buying a thin booklet for £4. Hopefully this money goes to support the students, but I would have thought that the Academy would be aiming to promote them and making sure they had professional representation. This was annoyingly the same for Light in the Piazza. £4 and it had mabye 4 pages in it in total!! Was a little miffed about that I can't lie... |
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Jul 8, 2022 9:08:43 GMT
I'm really hooked on college productions. Already seen one in Bristol (Barnum, they did it proud) and planning to research where else in the country theatre schools put on public performances of musicals. Any tips very welcome.
Such a shame the Bird College in Sidcup doesn't allow the public to their shows. I did try back in January but nobody got back to me.
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Jul 8, 2022 9:38:25 GMT
The ones I've been to include Mountview, ArtsEd, Urdang, RADA, LAMDA and Royal Academy of Music. I think GSA and Central School of Speech and Drama does them too |
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Post by Dr Tom on Jul 8, 2022 9:43:45 GMT
I'm really hooked on college productions. Already seen one in Bristol (Barnum, they did it proud) and planning to research where else in the country theatre schools put on public performances of musicals. Any tips very welcome. Likewise. I think we're about at the end of the academic year, so there won't be much more to come. Lots of universities have a musical theatre degree and so put on their own productions. There are also sixth form courses, although those shows are more geared towards the families of those involved attending. The challenge is tracking a lot of these productions down. We could really do with a list of links. |
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Post by Dr Tom on Jul 8, 2022 9:45:03 GMT
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 9, 2022 6:55:29 GMT
Last nights Merrily at Royal Accedmy was astounding. Even without the crocodile and tap dancing Joe I would have still loved it.
Please can they do Sunday next year ?
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Jul 9, 2022 15:31:47 GMT
I'd expect the majority of performing arts colleges to be in London but there must be more elsewhere in the UK.
I only chanced upon Bristol Institute Of Performing Arts through a google search and we combined their most excellent production of Barnum with a matinee at the Hippodrome, their next show is Shrek in October which is one I've never rated so not for me. I'll do some more googling in September when the new college year starts.
I'm guessing that like Bird College not all open their performances to the public but hopefully there are a few more to uncover. Any excuse to jump on a train and travel halfway across the country ... Suggestions particularly in Manchester, Birmingham or Leeds most welcome.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jul 9, 2022 21:43:23 GMT
Last nights Merrily at Royal Accedmy was astounding. Even without the crocodile and tap dancing Joe I would have still loved it.
Admittedly I've only seen one production of Merrily, the Menier's, but I'm struggling to think where in the show a crocodile might appear....
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 10, 2022 8:19:52 GMT
Last nights Merrily at Royal Accedmy was astounding. Even without the crocodile and tap dancing Joe I would have still loved it.
Admittedly I've only seen one production of Merrily, the Menier's, but I'm struggling to think where in the show a crocodile might appear....
It's the scene which Frank has come back from his cruise and Charlie has bought Frank Jr a toy crocodile - here it is a glove puppet and C&Mary use it a lot. They find it really funny (so did I), Frank didn't as he has moved on to screenplays, luxury lifestyle etc |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jul 10, 2022 12:23:35 GMT
It's the scene which Frank has come back from his cruise and Charlie has bought Frank Jr a toy crocodile - here it is a glove puppet and C&Mary use it a lot. They find it really funny (so did I), Frank didn't as he has moved on to screenplays, luxury lifestyle etc Oh, a toy crocodile is more reasonable. I was thinking of a full-sized stuffed one being wheeled out! |
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