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Post by ali973 on Apr 1, 2016 16:21:07 GMT
I would think not  Glenn is quite attractive, but as age has it, she was slightly smaller back then. So I would think they are brand new or old ones that have been tailored. We need to have an #AskGlennClose session on Twitter and ask her. Right..I'm gonna grab a bite and get ready to head out to the ENO! See you queens there. I was going to dress up but opted for a Hamilton t-shirt instead (mainly because I haven't done laundry). Say hi! |
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Post by max on Apr 1, 2016 16:25:55 GMT
Isn't it Joe Gillis's hair we should be talking about? Any time from the 1970s onwards it would be fine, but it's not in period for this show at all. Get it cut Mr Xavier!
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Post by jaqs on Apr 1, 2016 16:29:56 GMT
I'm going tomorrow too. Not sure if I'm excited or scared.
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Post by ali973 on Apr 1, 2016 16:38:24 GMT
Also, just looking at the pictures, it looks like she will wear the same With One Look drag for New Ways To Dream. There's a projector behind her In the photo of her holding Joe's hands and looking onto the audience. That must be the bit when they're watching Joan of Arc. One costume down-10 to go.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2016 17:42:27 GMT
Isn't it Joe Gillis's hair we should be talking about? Any time from the 1970s onwards it would be fine, but it's not in period for this show at all. Get it cut Mr Xavier! I have to agree. His styling looks all wrong. And I hope he can pull off the darker edgy side to joe, michael always seems a bit too smiley and clean cut |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Apr 1, 2016 17:57:33 GMT
Glenn IS wearing her original costumes..
She had it in every contract that she will keep any costumes she wants, and she owns all of hers for Sunset.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Apr 1, 2016 18:37:26 GMT
Glenn IS wearing her original costumes.. She had it in every contract that she will keep any costumes she wants, and she owns all of hers for Sunset. Maybe that's the only reason she got the part this time, because she had the clobber Like Norma with the car  |
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Post by anthony40 on Apr 1, 2016 18:47:53 GMT
Glenn IS wearing her original costumes.. She had it in every contract that she will keep any costumes she wants, and she owns all of hers for Sunset. I'm not worried (she chuckles) it's so good to be back |
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Post by couldileaveyou on Apr 1, 2016 19:56:17 GMT
They are using only the entrance dress (no turban) and the "perfect year" one in act one.
Young Norma Desmond is literally the worst idea ever.
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Post by broadwaylover99 on Apr 1, 2016 19:57:29 GMT
How is Young Norma Desmond used in the show?
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Post by mrbarnaby on Apr 1, 2016 21:39:37 GMT
I've just seen the show tonight and it was great. It sounds really wonderful.. The orchestra that is. The voices are undermiked at times and sometimes it all sounds a little'small' but overall it's a real pleasure to hear that score played by a full orchestra.
And what a score it is. Pretty sublime.
Michael Xavier was pretty good.. Horrible costumes though. And I wish he'd keep his top on. His 'muscles' just look weird- like he's had implants. He has all this ab/moob bulbage and no arm muscles at all. It was really distracting actually (in a bad way). Though the show queens next to us were very easily pleased by it.
Siobhan Dillon was lovely ..
Fred Johnson(?) playing Max was fabulous.
There were some dodgy staging moments- I could do without the 'Young Norma' doing her drifting around bit and the hanging body of Joe was just BAD. Having it hang up in the air all night was so clunky.
However... GLENN CLOSE.
What a superstar. Her slightly unsteady voice only added to the character, and when it's called for, boy can she deliver the money notes. Her 2 big solos were true showstoppers. It's not an Imelda level jaw dropper of a performance but she is pretty sensational in it. Camp .. Funny.. Glamorous .. Heartbreaking.
I have a strong feeling she will get absolute raves for this- and deserves them.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Apr 1, 2016 21:42:44 GMT
Badly. She walks around in a 'musical theatre' way (pointy toes, dragging legs).. And just distracts from Norma at the most crucial moments. Then she has the cheek to get her own bow! CUT please. How is Young Norma Desmond used in the show? |
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Post by anthony40 on Apr 1, 2016 21:49:03 GMT
Maybe this could lead to a musical film adaptation? After he was so impressed by the way the Australian production of Love Never Dies was filmed, Lloyd Webber has publicly stated that he wants all of his shows to be filmed.
Just a thought.
I'm seeing this with BurlyBear Friday week.
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Post by broadwaylover99 on Apr 1, 2016 21:50:25 GMT
Badly. She walks around in a 'musical theatre' way (pointy toes, dragging legs).. And just distracts from Norma at the most crucial moments. Then she has the cheek to get her own bow! CUT please. How is Young Norma Desmond used in the show? Seems so pointless! Why bother? |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Apr 1, 2016 22:02:38 GMT
Glenn C has said in numerous interviews that is the idea... To get the show back in the public a consciousness and then make the movie. Yes yes yes. Jake Gylenhaal as Joe please. Maybe this could lead to a musical film adaptation? After he was so impressed by the way the Australian production of Love Never Dies was filmed, Lloyd Webber has publicly stated that he wants all of his shows to be filmed. Just a thought. I'm seeing this with BurlyBear Friday week. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Apr 1, 2016 22:10:56 GMT
Maybe this could lead to a musical film adaptation? After he was so impressed by the way the Australian production of Love Never Dies was filmed, Lloyd Webber has publicly stated that he wants all of his shows to be filmed. Just a thought. I'm seeing this with BurlyBear Friday week. Bring. It. On. |
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Post by ali973 on Apr 1, 2016 22:12:21 GMT
Loved it. Chris Hampton and Don Black were on the audience. I didn't spot Lloyd Webber. The set is joined black metallic staircases across the stage. Orchestra lush and sounds marvelous. Huge ovation for Close's first entrance. She sounds pretty much the same as she did twenty years ago with slight shortness of breath. Her Norma is funny, bonkers and terrifying and had the audience at the palm of her hands at all times. A few line flubs.
The paramount scene is spine tingling and very emotional. They use a car-can't tell if it's the same one from the original production. Few lyric changes in Too Much In Love to Care.
Michael Xavier slightly hammy and phony. Arches his back a lot and opens his arms wide. Totally bankrupt of originality, cynicism, and was a bit too showbizzy and hammy. He's in slightly better shape, but from my second row seat, I got second hand embarrassment seeing make up around his abdominal and chest. I was very happy when he put the robe on and continued the song, which I thought could have had more grit and grunt. It was too smooth for it to be convincing. Fred was fantastic, and Shivaun was wonderful. I normally don't like soprano ingenue types, but this girl has a lovely voice. I thought she was miscast in Ghost, but she was wonderful in Miss Saigon and here.
"I spent the last month fasting" Joanna is obese; it was very funny. Through the show there is a young Norma that appears and walks across the stage, which I think worked in concept but not in execution.
Overall it's a fantastic and very engaging staged concert where they proved it really was a solid show that wasn't just a big and impressive set.
I bought myself a program and 19/100 framed autographed Anthony Powell Norma Desmond costume design sketches which I am adding to my Norma Desmond shrine.
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Post by Jon on Apr 1, 2016 22:23:57 GMT
Maybe this could lead to a musical film adaptation? After he was so impressed by the way the Australian production of Love Never Dies was filmed, Lloyd Webber has publicly stated that he wants all of his shows to be filmed. Just a thought. I'm seeing this with BurlyBear Friday week. ALW has wanted to do a film adaptation but ultimately it's up to Paramount who own the film rights. |
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Post by anthony40 on Apr 1, 2016 22:24:18 GMT
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Post by londonmzfitz on Apr 1, 2016 22:42:35 GMT
Adored it. Orchestra are at rear of stage, there is a curtain at beginning of act 1 and 2 for projections. The orchestra pit is for lighting and the swimming pool.
I loved Xavier, it works for this middle aged (pathetic?) woman, ta v much. Thought Siobhan was shrill in places. Fred Johanson fabulous. Ms Close - serious goose bumps With One Look. Agree with Mr B, her performance vocally wasn't perfect, which made the performance of a faded star perfect.
Great audience, I thought. Not much coughing etc. Pet peeve, why do people applaude all over the last note of the blooming song? Yes, it's fabulous, just wait a sec until the bird has shuddup
Staircases for storming up and down in anger, or floating up and down - loved that too. My stalls row C seat 3 could still see Xaviers bedroom, seats 1 and 2 could not. Although bags of leg room.
5 stars from me, thrilled I will be there again for the last night too.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Apr 1, 2016 22:45:30 GMT
Oh, Ryan, that wasn't you applauding as Michael Xavier climbed it of the pool, was it? Loved the dropping his shorts under the dressing gown and Max collecting with a white glove ...
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Post by ali973 on Apr 1, 2016 22:48:49 GMT
^ That was slightly crude, I thought. Fred picking it up and grossly walking away was pretty funny. But overall too much going on in the song.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Apr 1, 2016 23:09:46 GMT
I liked it, but didn't love it... a bit of a mixed bag for me. The orchestra was wonderful (apart from the trumpet), too bad they had to play some really dull bits like "Let's Have Lunch". Glenn Close has never been much of a singer and she didn't turn into Betty Buckley, but she wasn't worse than 20 years ago and her performance was magnificent. Honestly, by the beginning of the second act I was very disappointed by most of the things I saw untill then, but her "As if we never said goodbye" healed all my bitterness. It was really, really sensational, I had tears in my eyes since the spotlight hit her. And her performance in the final part was incredible as well.
Michael Xavier is a funny Joe, enjoyable but with no instrospection or anger. His rendition of the title song was lovely, in "Too Much in Love to Care" he couldn't really hit the note. Betty was fine (a part from her costume in the first scene, but you can hardly blame her), but it's a thankless, underdevolped role so it's impossible to shine. Max was strong in the lower notes, but his "fade" in "The Greatest Star of All" was, well, not on point. Quite enjoyed his performancem, tho.
Apart from the sensational Glenn Close, there are no really other memorable performances and the direction didn't help at all. It was quite bad, imo, with some really tacky decisions (the dead body of Joe over the stall all the time, the F*CKING Young Norma just to name the worst bits). Still, quite enjoyable and occasionally fabulous.
★★★½
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Post by Phantom of London on Apr 1, 2016 23:24:52 GMT
When I saw a tape of Glenn Close in the Tony winning production, she seemed to play the role very comedic, has she carried this over to London?
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Post by mrbarnaby on Apr 2, 2016 0:03:46 GMT
They were selling costume design prints?
Loved her costumes.. And even the red wig didn't look so bad in the flesh.
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Glenn is quite attractive, but as age has it, she was slightly smaller back then. So I would think they are brand new or old ones that have been tailored. We need to have an #AskGlennClose session on Twitter and ask her.
