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Post by couldileaveyou on Mar 6, 2020 19:15:32 GMT
They're having lighting issues and they haven't let the audience in yet
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Post by couldileaveyou on Mar 6, 2020 23:57:17 GMT
Just a few days ago I was thinking that ever since Company closed there hasn't been any musical for "grown-ups" in the West End, and here it is. It's slick, sophisticated, sexy and has a fantastic jazz score. Not everything about the book has aged brilliantly, but it's still great entertainment. Beautiful set, lighting and direction, although it was probably a bit smoother at the Donmar and still pretty much in previews, with some issues going around with the doors.
Vanessa Williams, Theo James, Hadley Fraser deliver fantastic, charming performance and Rebecca Trehearn sings deliciously one of my all time favourite showtunes, "You Can Alway Count On Me". I second Playbill99's disappointment about Rosalie Craig. Not that she was bad, but after her brilliant star-turn last year I feel like she is now delivering one of her usual fine, if somehow bland, performances of the pre-Company days.
****
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Post by latefortheoverture on Mar 7, 2020 1:31:09 GMT
Vanessa Williams is a great addition to the cast, stellar comic timing and a fine voice. But of course the experienced MT actors stole the show. Rebecca, Rosalie and Hadley eat this up. Was also great to see Rosalie playing a Bobbi again, even if it's in a different capacity.... Vanessa Williams isn't an experienced MT actor? She the person i'm looking forward to seeing the most. I think her sexy, sassy style will really suit the part. I can't wait to see the show next week. I didn't think she was a seasoned MT actor before this, no. To my knowledge she had done some singles and a lot of TV. You'll love her, she eats up every part of her role. |
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Post by latefortheoverture on Mar 7, 2020 1:32:33 GMT
Beautiful set, lighting and direction, although it was probably a bit smoother at the Donmar and still pretty much in previews, with some issues going around with the doors. Yes, Rosalie nearly got crushed by one of the sliding panels the other night, if that's what you're referring to. |
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Post by sf on Mar 7, 2020 9:50:19 GMT
Vanessa Williams isn't an experienced MT actor? She the person i'm looking forward to seeing the most. I think her sexy, sassy style will really suit the part. I can't wait to see the show next week. I didn't think she was a seasoned MT actor before this, no. To my knowledge she had done some singles and a lot of TV. You'll love her, she eats up every part of her role. She’s done several musicals on Broadway, and is at least as seasoned a musical theatre actor as anyone else in this cast. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Mar 7, 2020 10:01:00 GMT
Into the Woods on Broadway.. Kiss of the Spiderwoman on Broadway.. she’s hardly new at the rodeo..
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Post by marob on Mar 7, 2020 10:23:03 GMT
Lots of little teething problems. Stone's office door wouldn't close at one point and you kept seeing a hand trying to sort it out. There was a problem on the other side when you could hear a thud as Jonathan Slinger tried to enter through the door with the panel still in place, before it was quickly yanked across. During the nightclub singer bit Rosalie's dress got caught as she made her way down the stairs, though as it came loose pretty easily as she carried on down I doubt most people even noticed. Seemed to be quite a bit of noise from backstage/the wings in general.
None of that really matters though, I loved the show anyway.
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Post by latefortheoverture on Mar 7, 2020 11:55:44 GMT
I didn't think she was a seasoned MT actor before this, no. To my knowledge she had done some singles and a lot of TV. You'll love her, she eats up every part of her role. She’s done several musicals on Broadway, and is at least as seasoned a musical theatre actor as anyone else in this cast. Well I apologize, she was smashing! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2020 12:05:40 GMT
Vanessa Williams isn't an experienced MT actor? She the person i'm looking forward to seeing the most. I think her sexy, sassy style will really suit the part. I can't wait to see the show next week. I didn't think she was a seasoned MT actor before this, no. To my knowledge she had done some singles and a lot of TV. You'll love her, she eats up every part of her role. On Broadway she was the Witch in ITW revival, she took over from Chita in Kiss of the Spider Woman, and even got a new KOTSW cast recording, Sondheim on Sondheim, lots of experience, but i agree that she is probably best known from TV. Loved her in Ugly Betty.
edit. Oops. Just seen others had posted the same thing. sorry to repeat that.
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Post by tmesis on Mar 8, 2020 11:30:32 GMT
I really enjoyed this this last night. It's an extremely classy production of a top-notch musical. The band played the jazz-inflected score with great flair and the sound balance was exemplary. It's an extremely strong cast, vocally particularly on the female side, but the dialogue is done full justice too - the one-liners in the Marlowe-esque pastiches are timed deliciously by Theo James et al.
Will definitely re-visit.
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 8, 2020 13:07:32 GMT
Saw this on Friday and thought it was so classy, stylish and enchanting.
I didn't know anything about the show going in (the cast sold me) but it's such a slick musical. Easily the sexiest musical I've ever seen. It's just so self assured and unlike anything else!
The cast were pretty much all spectacular. Hadley Fraser is a dream (that man's voice goes on forever!), Theo James was a much better singer than I'd expected and also is so gorgeous, Rebecca Trehearn and Rosalie Craig are their usual excellent selves (Trehearn's performance of You Can Always Count On Me is knock-out). Vanessa Williams is everything I'd hoped she'd be and more (stylish, sly, sophisticated, cheeky and all the rest).
Jonny Slinger and Nicola Roberts are a little tricky - he can't really sing and she cant really act, but they just about get away with it. The ensemble are also excellent (and a special shout to Rob Houchen who gets to showcase his wonderful voice).
Such a wonderful design too - projections, set, COSTUMES (!) - well done Josie Rourke for this fantastic production. It wasn't technically on the money 100% yet (they had a door that wouldn't close or stay shut, which became a bit of a problem) but they'll work it out.
Back in a few weeks time on the £20 front row tickets and can't wait!
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Post by mrbarnaby on Mar 8, 2020 17:26:18 GMT
Is Marc a Elliot in this still? I remember him being a standout at the Donmar
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 8, 2020 18:11:49 GMT
Is Marc a Elliot in this still? I remember him being a standout at the Donmar Yes. I thought he was good, but because the main principles were so good, he sort of falls a little by the wayside. |
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Post by fiyero on Mar 8, 2020 19:11:43 GMT
For those who have seen this is it great because of the cast? I booked for August stupidly thinking the cast would do the whole run, should I try and book for earlier in the run? I can then decide whether to see it again or cut my losses!
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Post by tmesis on Mar 8, 2020 19:17:36 GMT
I thought the cast was exceptional but so is the production, band, costumes, set - everything really, so I'm sure it will be fabulous with a different cast.
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 8, 2020 19:36:30 GMT
I think it's an excellent production, and the cast elevate it just that notch higher.
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Post by iainc on Mar 9, 2020 0:14:22 GMT
Well, I went to see it on Friday night. Now - a slight disclaimer - I was lucky enough to see the original London production of City of Angels which I absolutely loved.
Unfortunately I can't say the same of this production which is hit and miss. First the good : The staging / set and lighting is fabulous - there were a few teething troubles as others have alluded to above, but by and large it worked very very well. The orchestra were also great.
The cast that remained from the Domnar production were all excellent. Hadley Fraser was outstanding as Stein. Rebecca Trehearn and Rosalie Craig were also great as Oolie and Gabby (although I still prefer Haydn Gwynne as Oolie - sorry!). Newcomer Theo James did a very creditable job of Stone, despite looking a little too fresh and young (but then I am comparing to Roger Allam who does dishevelled brilliantly).
Then there are some remarkably "odd" casting choices. Vanessa Williams and her massive Biog promised a lot, but delivered little, and frankly her age made Stone look like he was molesting his grandmother (if you don't know who she is you won't be able to find her easily from her picture in the programme - some serious vanity photography in use there...). There was absolutely no chemistry on display and little to suggest that Stone would be believably attracted to Alaura. The Tennis song was flat as a pancake and very uncomfortable. Similarly rather than a slick suave but thick Jimmy Power, we had Rob Houchen who seemed like he was visiting from Me and My Girl. He sang nicely but has quite a strong vibrato - he's not a crooner and Jimmy Power is supposed to be a crooner. He also didn't come across as the sex symbol that could carry the movie, and that Alaura would be infatuated with. The whole dynamic just failed for me.
Then we move to Nicola Roberts. She sang nicely, but she is not a jazz singer and she couldn't deliver alluring blonde bombshell for Mallory or thick blonde bombshell for Avril. She was also the victim of a really odd directorial decision (unless it was her idea). The line in Stein's novel in this production alludes to Mallory not wearing much more than a sheet (it was changed from the original script). In this show however "not much more" comprises a full set of underwear and a shirt. In the original production Mallory was naked (although her nudity never shown to the audience except for the back) and used a sheet throughout the song to cover her modesty. This sets up the staging for the framing of Stone and sets up the joke - "I don't remember you coming back with those sheets from the laundry..." . Much more importantly, Stone is *not* supposed to be seduced by Mallory, but caught off guard for the incriminating photograph. In this production Stone seemed quite happy to get it on with everyone be it grandma or grand-daughter, thus ruining the narrative and making him look stupid. Stone isn't supposed to be stupid.
The archetypes are really important to make this show work and the casting needs to be done carefully. Dropping big names in to sell seats that don't fit the roles does no-one any favours.
Then we move to Jonathan Slinger. Maybe he was having a bed night, or was under rehearsed. He seemed to be nervous and seemed to be reading lines from his desk at one point. He was average vocally, and his acting was hit and miss. I wish they could have got Peter Polycarpou.
Another issue I couldn't quite pinpoint was with the Angel 4. They are used a lot to carry set changes and scene changes, which means that they are often quite distant from each other whilst trying to deliver what should be their very tight close jazz vocals. They were slightly off on occasions. I'm not sure if it was the bigger stage or if Manuel Pacific (Tenor) just wasn't quite on it sometimes. Their voices didn't quite gel as the vocal group. I imagine they will improve with time however - this was only the second preview.
So - generally a good show but I'd go see it after 25th July and hope they don't parachute more famous people in to fill seats.
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Mar 9, 2020 9:06:58 GMT
(although I still prefer Haydn Gwynne as Oolie - sorry!). Newcomer Theo James did a very creditable job of Stone, despite looking a little too fresh and young (but then I am comparing to Roger Allam who does dishevelled brilliantly). Having had the opportunity of seeing that OLC (a number of times) is one of the redeeming features of being the wrong side of 40. It was just something I could not get over watching the Donmar production. If there’s an actress more perfectly suited to Oolie’s caustic sense of humour than Haydn Gwynne then I’m sure I can’t think of them. In fact her ENTIRE performance was so definitive that absolutely no apology is necessary (good as Rebecca Trehearn may be). |
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Post by sf on Mar 10, 2020 1:07:03 GMT
OK. So.
It's a good-enough revival of a show that CAN be one of the funniest musicals ever written. A few very strong performances (Rebecca Trehearn and Rob Houchen, both of whom absolutely nail the period style of the score, and Jonathan Slinger, who does a better job than nearly all his castmates in finding the sting behind the Hollywood satire), a couple of weaker ones (Theo James is a bit too lightweight as Stone, Rosalie Craig delivers a flawless acting performance but her big torch song - With Every Breath I Take, which is possibly my favourite thing Cy Coleman has ever written, is shrill where it should be sultry), and one absolute disaster (Nicola Roberts has no grasp of the style of the music, can't act for toffee, has the stage presence of styrofoam, and seems to be sleepwalking through most of her scenes). Nobody - NOBODY - gets the kind of laughs the original London cast got.
On the plus side, Josie Rourke doesn't quite iron out ALL the problems with the ending of the show - Gelbart wrote himself into a corner - but she does manage to stage it so that the reappearance of one key character at the very end of the show is less unconvincing than it was in the original Michael Blakemore staging. That's the only instance where this production surpasses the original, and we're talking about less than thirty seconds of stage time.
The set is OK, and sometimes better than that, and the costumes are terrific. The score badly needs more musicians - the original Broadway production had twice as many as this does, and there are places where the smaller band seriously short-changes the score (Alaura's Theme, Funny). I had a good time - I know this show inside out, I've loved this score for thirty years, and I am never going to not have a good time at a production of City Of Angels - and with the exception of Ms. Roberts, who is awful, this is a perfectly competent production. It's just that, as I said, if it's done well this can be one of the funniest musicals ever written. This production is funny, but it's never THAT funny. And it should be.
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Post by vabbian on Mar 10, 2020 23:04:02 GMT
City of Angels didn't land for me. I was desperate to love it; I guess I was expecting too much from SUCH a stellar cast.
It was just a bit flat to be honest. Reading previous reviews, this was supposed to have been a hilarious evening, but I laughed maybe three times total.
Standout moment was With Every Breath I Take performed by (queen) Rosalie Craig. I spent the rest of the show bald.
Rebecca Trehearn was also a delight.
3/5 stars. I don't know if I'll be back.
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Post by frankubelik on Mar 11, 2020 7:37:44 GMT
Having seen it on Broadway and the original London cast (several times) this was always going to be a hard sell for me. It was good at the Donmar and slightly better here but not really re-imagined for a proscenium arch venue which was a shame. I agree with a previous poster about the laughs never "landing" and I, too couldn't quite work out why apart from the cast not being that well directed. It's (perhaps too) smart and stylish; I would have preferred the Angel City Four to have had closer, tighter harmonies and for the band to be bigger but nevertheless there is much to enjoy. Rebecca Trehearn is the standout here - she is simply terrific. Nice work from Vanessa Williams too; I can really take or leave Ms Craig and it's best to draw a veil over Ms Roberts. Theo James looks good but does lack that 1940s cynical mood and Hadley Fraser fine. The theatre was incredibly hot which could have led to an "incident" during Act 1 when someone was taken ill.
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Post by theatrefan77 on Mar 11, 2020 7:53:34 GMT
I was there last night too and saw the commotion when the lady was taken ill. She was in row G in Stalls ans Staff acted quite quickly. Hope she's ok. It was was extremely hot and uncomfortable.
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Post by sf on Mar 11, 2020 15:07:15 GMT
Been to the first preview. First thoughts, but very impressed by Nicola Roberts. Theo James in good voice. Rosalie and Rebecca both fantastic in my opinion. Same. Thought Nicola Roberts was excellent, and Hadley Fraser makes an even better Stine than he did five years ago. Loved the two jokes thrown in there for pop fans... As far as I know, those lines are both in the original script. They weren’t added because of the casting. |
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Post by intoanewlife on Mar 11, 2020 15:08:46 GMT
Going tonight...expectations are now in check.
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Post by carriesparkle on Mar 11, 2020 16:22:14 GMT
Same. Thought Nicola Roberts was excellent, and Hadley Fraser makes an even better Stine than he did five years ago. Loved the two jokes thrown in there for pop fans... As far as I know, those lines are both in the original script. They weren’t added because of the casting. Then they've cast because of those lines, which is kind of brilliant. |
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