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Post by stevej678 on Apr 9, 2022 18:09:31 GMT
Saw this today after But I'm A Cheerleader was cancelled and so glad I did! It takes some effort to bring the soulless Charing Cross Theatre to life but this is by far the most vibrant and immersive production I've seen staged there.
The whole cast are fantastic but Phoebe Panaretos is frankly worth the price of admission on her own. Stunning soulful vocals, dances up a storm and a completely magnetic stage presence.
The pre-show stuff didn't amount to much. Just cast members milling about on stage, one spinning a plate, but no attempts to get the audience involved. Phew! Definitely don't let that put you off seeing it.
If there's any justice, finally the Charing Cross Theatre will have a hit on their hands.
Five stars from me.
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Post by stevej678 on Apr 13, 2022 9:22:00 GMT
Press night last night.
Four stars from Theatre Weekly and Reviews Hub and a baffling one star from the Evening Standard.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Apr 13, 2022 10:41:11 GMT
Press night last night. Four stars from Theatre Weekly and Reviews Hub and a baffling one star from the Evening Standard. Oh dear! Nick Curtis -chief critic for ES - is not having a good time at the theatre at the moment with 1 star for Anyone can Whistle and now for Zorro. I could be wrong but is he also expected to review plays ? Papers should have separate critics as its a totally different field. |
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Post by stagebyte on Apr 13, 2022 11:11:04 GMT
Press night last night. Four stars from Theatre Weekly and Reviews Hub and a baffling one star from the Evening Standard. Oh dear! Nick Curtis -chief critic for ES - is not having a good time at the theatre at the moment with 1 star for Anyone can Whistle and now for Zorro. Well just read the ES review. The description makes me want to see it even more. Booked. |
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Post by austink on Apr 13, 2022 12:20:59 GMT
Nick seems to only like old school musicals in standard staging of anything by ALW. I have heard in a past life he used to give zero star reviews so there is a tendency to give a one star when others would give a 3 star. Oh dear! Nick Curtis -chief critic for ES - is not having a good time at the theatre at the moment with 1 star for Anyone can Whistle and now for Zorro. I could be wrong but is he also expected to review plays ? Papers should have separate critics as its a totally different field. |
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Post by lettybetty88 on Apr 13, 2022 13:45:11 GMT
I just think 1 stars should be a nuclear option, ie the show is anything but good. Booked into see the show so will see for myself!
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Post by robertb213 on Apr 13, 2022 21:29:42 GMT
I went for 3 stars. There's some good stuff in there and some excellent performances but it's too long and starts dragging after the interval. I found the score underwhelming as well. But there is a flaming sword!
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Post by oxfordsimon on Apr 13, 2022 21:35:39 GMT
It takes a very special show to be worth 1 star.
I never gave out many during my time. The most infamous being the awful Troilus and Cressida with the Wooster Group and RSC.
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Post by anita on Apr 14, 2022 9:37:04 GMT
I went for 3 stars. There's some good stuff in there and some excellent performances but it's too long and starts dragging after the interval. I found the score underwhelming as well. But there is a flaming sword! Yes there is a flaming sword I suppose - when it works. It didn't when I saw it. Still think it's worth more than 1 star though. The music lets it down. |
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Post by TallPaul on Apr 14, 2022 12:21:56 GMT
It's *a* flaming sword when it works, and *that* flaming sword when it doesn't. 😉
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Post by notmymuse on Apr 14, 2022 12:43:06 GMT
Interesting that a few think the music lets it down. I loved the music in the original. I wonder if this is because they've cut some numbers, or how it's being performed or something else? The original cast were all great singers which may have helped.
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Post by matty on Apr 14, 2022 22:18:27 GMT
I saw this tonight and it definitely isn't a 1* production. I came away having really enjoyed it. I saw the concert at Cadogan Hall just before Covid and liked it it and seeing it fully staged made me like it even more.
There were a few moments at the beginning where Diego and Inez didn't seem to be gelling in the dance, but they seemed to warm up as it went on.
It was also nice the Charing Cross Theatre pretty much full.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2022 6:53:51 GMT
I absolutely loved the original Garrick production, although it did feel crammed in there. It really needed a bigger theatre.
This video has a lot of clips of the garrick production for those interested. Thar cast were so strong.
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Post by leanne23 on Apr 16, 2022 7:05:02 GMT
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Post by theatrescribe on Apr 16, 2022 19:42:33 GMT
Agree with the comments about Phoebe Panaretos - she is an incredible talent and one of the sexiest dancers I have ever seen! Also loved Marc Pickering's comic turn; he lifts whatever production he is in.
Thought the show was OK - some of the accents were woeful though - given London has a huge Spanish/Latin American community how come there wasn't a single one in the cast?!
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Post by Dawnstar on Apr 16, 2022 20:33:07 GMT
Thought the show was OK - some of the accents were woeful though - given London has a huge Spanish/Latin American community how come there wasn't a single one in the cast?! None at all? That's a shame. About half the ensemble in the original production were Spanish & it really gave the show a different vibe to the usual West End ensembles. |
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Post by theatrescribe on Apr 16, 2022 20:55:55 GMT
Four lead roles were all British/Australian; couldn't identify a Spanish background in any of the ensemble either
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Post by inthenose on Apr 17, 2022 10:27:44 GMT
I hated the original production, despite being a big fan of the two leads (Matthew Rawle and Emma Williams). I saw it in a group of eight, and everyone in the group loathed it. I have the opportunity to see this but I'm really not sure it's worth the trip.
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Post by david on Apr 24, 2022 19:27:53 GMT
Having booked to see ZORRO during the original Hope Mill run back in 2020 but having the run cancelled at the start of COVID, it’s been a 2 year wait to finally see the show and after this afternoons viewing at the Charing Cross theatre it was definitely worth the wait. Having picked up a discounted ticket this morning from TKTS for £22.50 (FV £40), I was sat in row D and really got the full immersive experience sat here.
Director Christian Durham and his team have done a wonderful job at bringing this musical to the stage. It’s full of energy and colour and for the 2.5 hr run time was thoroughly entertained by the cast. The traverse staging works really well within the theatre’s auditorium and the intimate nature of the auditorium means that you feel part of the on stage proceedings and good use is made of the aisle in the block of seating I was sat in so you have cast wandering up and down it during the show.
The flamenco choreography is just a joy to watch and making it an actor-musician production works really well in my opinion in delivering the Gypsy Kings’s wonderful score. The nice encore at the end got me out of my seat dancing away.
Casting wise, I couldn’t fault anyone here and deliver the goods both in acting and singing. As has been mentioned by a few board members, Phoebe Panaretos as Inez is definitely worth the ticket price alone as she is both a great singer and her dancing is top drawer stuff. Marc Pickering provides some great comic relief as Garcia.
The sword fighting was impressive (the flaming sword worked this afternoon and was a nice touch) and I’m just glad for once I wasn’t sat front row as some of those fights came pretty close to those patrons sat there.
The only slight criticism I would make is the use of the puppets at the start of the show to represent the two brothers. I’m normally a big fan of puppets in shows, but this is one of the rare occasions where I felt they didn’t work in the context of the show and would of preferred kids in the role. As the puppets don’t get too much stage time, this wasn’t a major issue for me and didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the show.
I’ve got no hesitation in awarding this a 5⭐️ rating and strongly recommend getting a ticket.
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Post by Mark on May 7, 2022 23:25:55 GMT
Enjoyed this tonight, I also picked up a TKTS great seat for £22.50.
This works best in the upbeat, uptempo numbers and there is some great choreography. I have nothing to compare it to regarding previous productions or even the film, but I thought visually the production was very impressive. I knew a few of the songs but found it to be quite ballad heavy and a lot of the numbers didn't really add much.
That said, an enjoyable evening and worth seeing.
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Post by mammabat on May 23, 2022 19:24:46 GMT
I have to say I absolutely loved this show. I think the leading lady who plays Inez is phenomenal. Her voice is perfect for the part. Yes she is Australian but I don’t think you would ever know. The female ensemble are also incredibly strong. I think the show has deliberately added some tongue in cheek moments which I love. The Ballards are great and the lively numbers have so much passion.
I attend the theatre maybe 4-5 times a month and have seen most of the big WE shows several times but this is just a little bit of immersive fun. I will be there at closing.
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