282 posts
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Post by kyvai on Jul 18, 2024 18:11:56 GMT
7.10pm now, filling up now. I’ve got a good vantage point but only spotted Hannah Waddingham so far.
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8,096 posts
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Post by alece10 on Jul 18, 2024 18:28:31 GMT
I've just watched a Hello Dolly reel and I'm actually quoted on it. Does that mean I'm now an influencer?
😀
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3,325 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Jul 18, 2024 19:36:50 GMT
Steve Pemberton has walked by me several times.
Ian Hallard, on the more random scale.
Also royalty sat behind me (in the form of Angela Rippon).
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Post by blamerobots on Jul 18, 2024 19:38:08 GMT
I've just watched a Hello Dolly reel and I'm actually quoted on it. Does that mean I'm now an influencer? 😀 Yup. Flaunt it gurl, you're on fire now, tell Andy I said hi.
I wonder what's happened in the last few days with the forum being used for pull quotes?
We should start asking for press tickets  |
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3,325 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Jul 18, 2024 19:38:18 GMT
And, further back in the Stalls, if my eyesight doesn’t deceive me, the legend himself, Biggins! I was getting worried.
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8,096 posts
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Post by alece10 on Jul 18, 2024 19:51:35 GMT
And, further back in the Stalls, if my eyesight doesn’t deceive me, the legend himself, Biggins! I was getting worried. It's not a proper press night until Biggins arrives. |
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5,795 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jul 18, 2024 21:28:45 GMT
Saw this tonight on press night and I’m rather deflated.
A totally uninspired production, which struggles with a lead who cannot do justice to her songs and a physical production which is decidedly ugly to look at.
You can’t deny they’ve spent money on this, with an extravagantly large cast and orchestra- but I’d rather they’d saved a few wages there and spent more money on the physical production. It felt like Imelda only had 2 costumes, and Harmonia Gardens looks like a terrible panto set. Clearly money and inspiration ran out by that point.
Apart from sounding vocally weak, Imelda gives, as usual, a classy and moving performance. Full of pathos and humour.
It’s just not the ‘star’ performance this show desperately needs.
The other leads- all fine, nothing special.
No glorious singing here (unlike with Kate Baldwin and Gavin Creel on Broadway)
The dancing is … fine. None of the numbers wows, especially Hello Dolly , which I just cannot forgive.
Compare this with the Broadway production with Bette, where every number was a showstopper and a true star performance at its centre.
I know this is a limited season so restraint is the order of the day, but it’s a very lacklustre evening in the theatre.
2 stars from me.
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3,325 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Jul 18, 2024 21:34:52 GMT
Perfect. Can’t add much to all the previous reviews. The most I’ve teared up in a theatre in a long time. Such a shame it was when I was getting glances from those handsome men (on stage).
Seat was decent for £20. Missed very little apart from some of the staircase. Shorter people may have had more of a challenge.
They had difficulty getting the audience back in their seats after the interval, but the music prompted them.
What a cast! I left leaving behind lots of people I probably should have recognised but didn’t trying find the after party. To be fair, I recognised more people who were 0m away (i.e. on the same WiFi) on a popular male dating app, so that may say something about the audience (or about me).
I will be back… with more tissues…
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Post by blamerobots on Jul 18, 2024 21:55:19 GMT
To be fair, I recognised more people who were 0m away (i.e. on the same WiFi) on a popular male dating app, so that may say something about the audience (or about me) This show was a total fruit market when I went I think Imelda has catapulted into the queer icon stratosphere with this! |
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Post by kyvai on Jul 18, 2024 21:55:20 GMT
That was a very long interval wasn’t it!
I’m afraid this wasn’t really for me, it just couldn’t keep me engaged. There’s only so long that dancing waiters can keep me entertained, and the story just didn’t flow for me, it was just a really slow pace There was some nice singing but that was about it, I was a bit bored for most of it to be honest, none of the jokes landed for me.
However I think I was in the minority, most of the audience seemed much more into the whole thing, chuckling out loud and very enthusiastic cheering at all appropriate moments.
I do wish I’d seen Imelda in Gyosy.
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Post by blamerobots on Jul 18, 2024 21:58:50 GMT
I suppose my rating is probably biased by the fact it was the first time I'd properly seen Hello Dolly (I'd maybe watched the film in an airport hotel some time) and I thought it was incredible, even if the screen at the back doing a lot of the set heavy lifting is the worst part of this production. But the cast are giving it their all so much so consistently that I have to applaud them for it.
I'm not saying set doesn't matter, but I think the simple set is surpassed by the supreme talent of everyone involved.
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Jul 18, 2024 22:01:46 GMT
I think the thing here is that what's happening at the palladium currently is not Hello Dolly the musical - it's Hello Dolly the movie.
For Hello Dolly the movie, it's lovely, but what's happening on that stage is not the musical comedy that we've come to love for the past 50+ years.
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1,217 posts
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Post by nash16 on Jul 18, 2024 22:12:39 GMT
Saw this tonight on press night and I’m rather deflated. A totally uninspired production, which struggles with a lead who cannot do justice to her songs and a physical production which is decidedly ugly to look at. You can’t deny they’ve spent money on this, with an extravagantly large cast and orchestra- but I’d rather they’d saved a few wages there and spent more money on the physical production. It felt like Imelda only had 2 costumes, and Harmonia Gardens looks like a terrible panto set. Clearly money and inspiration ran out by that point. Apart from sounding vocally weak, Imelda gives, as usual, a classy and moving performance. Full of pathos and humour. It’s just not the ‘star’ performance this show desperately needs. The other leads- all fine, nothing special. No glorious singing here (unlike with Kate Baldwin and Gavin Creel on Broadway) The dancing is … fine. None of the numbers wows, especially Hello Dolly , which I just cannot forgive. Compare this with the Broadway production with Bette, where every number was a showstopper and a true star performance at its centre. I know this is a limited season so restraint is the order of the day, but it’s a very lacklustre evening in the theatre. 2 stars from me. The decision to focus on her being a widow throughout makes the show drag, and her performance is kept under a kind of tether by it too. You can feel the control. And that has bled into other performances too. Set being replaced by that video wall… You kind of wish everyone watching it could get to see Bette’s the day after. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jul 18, 2024 22:14:08 GMT
I know it’s not fair to compare- but I’m sure anyone who’d seen the Broadway production would be absolutely let down by this 2nd rate version.
The reviews will be good I’m sure because of Imelda.
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Jul 18, 2024 22:20:37 GMT
You're absolutely right MrB - I enjoyed it a lot because of Imelda, but it does feel like they've tried too hard to create something new, when what already existed is so perfect that they should have done that (or done a different show)
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Post by nash16 on Jul 18, 2024 22:44:12 GMT
Arifa Three-star has given it…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!!!!
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Post by frankubelik on Jul 19, 2024 5:34:28 GMT
THANK YOU Mr Barnaby. Well said.
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Post by argon on Jul 19, 2024 7:10:29 GMT
Firstly, I have to thank Imelda for taking this on, without her this type of musical could be a hard sell these days and may never have happened. So she gave many of us on the board the opportunity to see it either for the first time or again.
She is a tremendous actress and a good singer, but doesn't quite have the vocal chops to deliver what I consider a true Dolly.
I mean that opening number, that's the time she needed to throw down the gauntlet thus priming us for the rest of the show.It never quite happens and never, really, ever does throught the show.
It worked for her in Follies, less so in Gypsy but Hello Dolly is a different kind of beast. The rest of the cast are good and make this and enjoyable watch and I'm planning to see it again.
However, on leaving I could only think about an American actress across town in residence at the Barbican. Who has a superlative voice and is a fine actor. Now that's a Dolly.
4 Stars
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Post by A.Ham on Jul 19, 2024 7:42:13 GMT
Just being discussed by Gaby Roslin and guest Sandi Toksvig on the Radio 2 breakfast show. They both went last night and loved it. Said they’d not seen a standing ovation like that in a long time.
Wonder if these things are (even) more enjoyable when you get invited to come along and don’t have to pay?!
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8,096 posts
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Post by alece10 on Jul 19, 2024 8:06:49 GMT
Just being discussed by Gaby Roslin and guest Sandi Toksvig on the Radio 2 breakfast show. They both went last night and loved it. Said they’d not seen a standing ovation like that in a long time. Wonder if these things are (even) more enjoyable when you get invited to come along and don’t have to pay?! Mid show standing ovation for 1st preview which I was at and I'm pretty sure, apart from the creatives, we all paid for our tickets. So it's not just press night audiences who ovation. |
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Jul 19, 2024 8:09:51 GMT
We do stand at basically the opening of a fridge door since COVID though....
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8,096 posts
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Post by alece10 on Jul 19, 2024 8:10:04 GMT
I'm probably going to be sent to Coventry for this put can we please stop bleating on about Broadway and Midler!
I'm sure the show was wonderful and she was amazing but this is a different version in a different country on a very different budget. So let's enjoy what we have rather than what we don't.
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8,096 posts
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Post by alece10 on Jul 19, 2024 8:11:45 GMT
We do stand at basically the opening of a fridge door since COVID though.... No it's because all us oldies love the opportunity to stand and stretch our legs after sitting for 2 hours before the arthritis kicks in 😀 |
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Post by theatreian on Jul 19, 2024 8:59:09 GMT
I'm sure the show was wonderful and she was amazing but this is a different version in a different country on a very different budget. So let's enjoy what we have rather than what we don't. Exactly, this is a very limited run , so for a musical only on for a couple of months it sounds pretty impressive. I am really looking forward to seeing it next Wednesday. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 19, 2024 9:02:35 GMT
I've just watched a Hello Dolly reel and I'm actually quoted on it. Does that mean I'm now an influencer? 😀 Yup. Flaunt it gurl, you're on fire now, tell Andy I said hi.
I wonder what's happened in the last few days with the forum being used for pull quotes?
We should start asking for press tickets One thing that’s happened is me getting extremely annoyed about it! |
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