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Post by theoracle on Jun 4, 2020 17:20:15 GMT
I have to say I find Maria Friedman very annoying. There's something very corny in the way she performs which absolves her performances of any real sincerity. In particular, her Too Many Mornings with the lovely Julian Ovenden at the BBC Proms made me very uncomfortable as she tried to cosy up to Mr. Ovenden.
Although I was much younger with little theatre knowledge or understanding at the time, I really enjoyed Viva Forever and thought it was very funny and moving.
The Evita movie always has me in tears and Madonna's performance was definitely Golden Globe worthy and she was snubbed of an Oscar nomination.
Legally Blonde should have never become a musical
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Post by impossibleprincess73 on Jun 4, 2020 18:48:13 GMT
Interesting that you say that about Marin Mazzie (RIP). I saw her play Diana on Broadway and from clips I’ve seen of Alice Ripley, I much prefer MM’s more understated and utterly heartbreaking performance. I absolutely loved the show and it’s one I’ll never forget ( particularly as some of the subject matter was very close to home for me). I wonder why the license has so far been withheld for a UK production given it’s been produced in a lot of other countries ? It’s hard to imagine who would be the right casting for Diana over here. My nightmare casting would be Jenna Russell, Hannah Waddingham or any of the Menier Choc Factory repertory company. And God forbid Trevor Nunn getting his hands on it too 😱. I was fortunate to see both Alice and Marin in the role and I'm still sad that Marin wasn't eligible for a Tony nomination for her performance in that show. She was remarkable and heartbreaking. As for a London Diana, I know that Ruthie Henshall, Sally Ann Triplett, Joanna Riding, and Jenna Russell are all desperate to get their hands on it. I assume there will be others, but those are the ones I know about through having conversations with them. I must admit, I saw Sally Ann play the role overseas and she was stunning as Diana. |
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Post by Being Alive on Jun 4, 2020 19:13:02 GMT
Diana is a role I think Jo Riding is utterly perfect for, but I think they'd possibly pick Jenna or Ruthie for their larger profile.
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Post by impossibleprincess73 on Jun 4, 2020 19:17:25 GMT
I 100% agree with your thought process.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jun 4, 2020 19:21:43 GMT
I have to say I find Maria Friedman very annoying. There's something very corny in the way she performs which absolves her performances of any real sincerity. In particular, her Too Many Mornings with the lovely Julian Ovenden at the BBC Proms made me very uncomfortable as she tried to cosy up to Mr. Ovenden. Although I was much younger with little theatre knowledge or understanding at the time, I really enjoyed Viva Forever and thought it was very funny and moving. The Evita movie always has me in tears and Madonna's performance was definitely Golden Globe worthy and she was snubbed of an Oscar nomination. Legally Blonde should have never become a musical MF is someone who has not 'aged' well - nothing to do with the process of getting older per se, it is just that her performances have not maintained the quality she had as an younger performer. I thoroughly enjoyed her in Weill's Lady in the Dark at the NT in 1997 - she pitched that one perfectly for me (and what a great set of songs!) And I remember enjoying hearing her sing songs from Merrily |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jun 4, 2020 20:14:12 GMT
Cassidy Janson would have knocked the role of Jenna in Waitress out of the park. Yes! Yes! Yes! |
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Post by danb on Jun 4, 2020 20:30:45 GMT
As with a poster above, I’m not feeling the hype for Rachel Tucker these days though I appreciate lots of people love her and she’s clearly got an incredible work ethic. Sadly I personally can’t stand her corny American accent which is very amateur theatre to my ears. Her vocals sounds flat and strained to me, particularly in recent years, and I’ve often felt she’s not really in control of those big belting moments. I’ve definitely winced at some real duff notes more times than I haven’t with Rachel. Also a bit too much showboating for me, but there’s lots of performers guilty of that... sorry! I thought all of her big notes seemed really thin & strained in CFA. Never saw her Elphaba so can’t compare, but it can’t be easy having to belt in an accent. |
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Post by danb on Jun 4, 2020 20:34:41 GMT
[quote timestamp="1591274229" source="/post/351048/thread" author=" squidward" I saw Sally Ann play the role overseas and she was stunning as Diana. Please can I borrow your memory of this? I bet she was sublime. |
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Post by impossibleprincess73 on Jun 4, 2020 20:43:28 GMT
It was in Sinapore in 2013 (there is a very short trailer of the production on YouTube). I love Sally Ann, but I must admit I was a bit nervous that she would struggle with the score but she blew it out of the water. She was a fantastic Diana, giving a nuanced performance which broke my heart. She's got that lovely raspiness to her voice that really worked for the more gentle songs, and her comedic timing was spot on. Shame it was never filmed.
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Post by barrowside on Jun 4, 2020 21:45:08 GMT
I have to say I find Maria Friedman very annoying. There's something very corny in the way she performs which absolves her performances of any real sincerity. In particular, her Too Many Mornings with the lovely Julian Ovenden at the BBC Proms made me very uncomfortable as she tried to cosy up to Mr. Ovenden. Although I was much younger with little theatre knowledge or understanding at the time, I really enjoyed Viva Forever and thought it was very funny and moving. The Evita movie always has me in tears and Madonna's performance was definitely Golden Globe worthy and she was snubbed of an Oscar nomination. Legally Blonde should have never become a musical MF is someone who has not 'aged' well - nothing to do with the process of getting older per se, it is just that her performances have not maintained the quality she had as an younger performer. I thoroughly enjoyed her in Weill's Lady in the Dark at the NT in 1997 - she pitched that one perfectly for me (and what a great set of songs!) And I remember enjoying hearing her sing songs from Merrily I saw her in Passion and thought she was really mannered and hammy. The critics raved about her in it and she won the Olivier. I loved the piece though and Elena Roger was perfection when the Donmar did it. |
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Post by djp on Jun 5, 2020 22:11:08 GMT
Six is one of the worst shows to ever come out of the West End. Struck me as unfinished - unless its got longer since, its a short show -when the historical material offers far more. Its a historical musical but needed someone with more historical knowledge writing it. Good idea but b - book. |
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Post by djp on Jun 5, 2020 22:28:42 GMT
As with a poster above, I’m not feeling the hype for Rachel Tucker these days though I appreciate lots of people love her and she’s clearly got an incredible work ethic. Sadly I personally can’t stand her corny American accent which is very amateur theatre to my ears. Her vocals sounds flat and strained to me, particularly in recent years, and I’ve often felt she’s not really in control of those big belting moments. I’ve definitely winced at some real duff notes more times than I haven’t with Rachel. Also a bit too much showboating for me, but there’s lots of performers guilty of that... sorry! Deservedly famous though for spotting that Elphaba was physically changing in the story and changing the vocal to match the change. The growl is a great addition.
Wicked strikes me as a strange show that every now and then decides to go for a new couple of leads who are great ideas who really fit and develop the role . But at other times it goes for very lazy casting of someone its tried and used before on tours or as understudies who is less striking. And because many of the top singers who we know tried for the roles, like to sing Wicked songs elsewhere ,or have played similar parts to Glinda , you end up thinking why don't they use that person - who is better than what they have, or try that one who really looked an attractive option.
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Post by djp on Jun 5, 2020 22:43:31 GMT
Why is it that the Westend casts so many major musicals with luvvies who have Olivier as their middle name even if they can't sing the score, or by twitter follower numbers , while the better big tours and out of town productions often feature really exceptional people who reliably sell out the big theatres and get 5 star reviews. Its quite amazing how some of our best performers have spent only a few months in London and years bringing in the money and reviews elsewhere.
Its almost as if there's an assumption that London audiences will fall for big acting or TV names, and can be assumed to not know who they are missing and willingness to pay exorbitant prices is inverse to knowledge of who is actually really good. It also looks like there's an assumption there's enough twitter followers and fans for some people in the capital to sustain a run regardless , the older critics will go for the names they recognize from the past , and the tourists will just go anyway.
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Post by ncbears on Jun 6, 2020 4:00:51 GMT
We Will Rock You is not the worst “popular” show I have ever seen. Close, but not a champion.
Stephen Ward was not that bad. Neither was The GoBetween.
I enjoy proseco at the interval.
West End Live performances overall are disappointing.
Laurence Connor is even less original of a director than his critics claim
Scarlett Strallen is the most talented Strallen sister.
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Post by frankubelik on Jun 6, 2020 16:04:00 GMT
Proof, if any were needed, that winning an Olivier is not a sign of musical excellence: Sophie Thompson, Samantha Spiro, Martine McCutcheon, Elena Roger, Sheridan Smith, Zrinka Cvitesic, Shirley Henderson........
While I'm here, why does Jenna Russell get cast in everything? She leaves me cold.
Poor Ria Jones has no voice left at all and Ruthie Henshall now makes a career out of singing flat.
And as for Tracie Bennett, I would be banned from this board if I started.
Did anyone really believe Imelda as a former showgirl?
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Post by alece10 on Jun 6, 2020 16:37:25 GMT
I'll probably get shot down but aren't we being a bit cruel in this thread especially with regard to the British cast members.
I'm pretty sure quite a few actors actually read the posts on here and it can't be nice to read something about yourself that's not nice.
I'm to blame as well as I criticised Patti earlier on.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2020 6:14:30 GMT
I'll probably get shot down but aren't we being a bit cruel in this thread especially with regard to the British cast members. I'm pretty sure quite a few actors actually read the posts on here and it can't be nice to read something about yourself that's not nice. I'm to blame as well as I criticised Patti earlier on. I just assumed using “truth hurts” in the title was carte blanche to be awful? Generally when someone has been awful to you they follow it with truth hurts!! Some nice racism on page 3 too! This is REALLY is the thread to TELL IT LIKE IT IS |
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Post by Dave25 on Jun 7, 2020 9:55:23 GMT
No Betty. Thinking in human is not racism.
If you would like to discuss this further or learn something about being human you can send me a DM as we are not allowed to discuss it here.
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Post by christya on Jun 7, 2020 10:41:08 GMT
It's a shame that Six took off the way it did. It's a great concept and a solid beginning, but desperately needs development to be a complete show, and will never have it because the fanbase grabbed it and ran with it - why develop what's already raking in the coin?
There should be a strict limit placed on riffs. Especially in 'Wicked'.
With some notable exceptions, someone going straight from school to the lead in a major musical is not a good thing, just a good 'story'.
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Post by theatremadness on Jun 7, 2020 13:32:21 GMT
Interesting that without being mentioned in any way, shape, or form, Dave25 thought betty's post was about him. If the shoe fits, I guess...? |
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Post by sf on Jun 7, 2020 14:04:41 GMT
There should be a strict limit placed on riffs. Especially in 'Wicked'. And that limit should be ZERO. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2020 14:27:57 GMT
Interesting that without being mentioned in any way, shape, or form, Dave25 thought betty 's post was about him. If the shoe fits, I guess...? It was pretty obvious what was meant. Dave25: We know your opinion about treating everyone as humans and in a future world where there's no racism that might work, but right now there is racism and we need strategies to counteract it. And in the Miss Saigon thread dismissing Diep Tran's opinion of her own culture was insensitive to say the least. Everyone else: Please think before accusing people of racism just because they disagree with you on the subject of race. Some of the people you've accused of racism are not white, and in some cases people have been attacked for having the "wrong" opinion of their own race. |
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Post by djp on Jun 9, 2020 0:17:52 GMT
It's a shame that Six took off the way it did. It's a great concept and a solid beginning, but desperately needs development to be a complete show, and will never have it because the fanbase grabbed it and ran with it - why develop what's already raking in the coin? There should be a strict limit placed on riffs. Especially in 'Wicked'. With some notable exceptions, someone going straight from school to the lead in a major musical is not a good thing, just a good 'story'. Agree Six- they should have watched the Tudors as well as Horrible histories.
Riffs are OK if they underline the drama, or the musical was designed to produce one then. Random ever changing riffs just weaken the story, or ruin the impact of the song - riffing Eponines being a terrible case that runs contrary to the character, lyrics and emotions she's living.
Not sure of 3. Some of our very top performers were plucked from out of school and can sing better and act better than most who went off to drama school or university. Working with and watching top people who are good at what they do, is essentially how university level education works anyway - or it used to be, .And some people just can inhabit a role, whether they come in from school or pop careers , and.or were taught how to sing well early in life. If i listed who is on my always see list they tend to divide between people who were plucked out at 17 or 18 and people, who did extremely well and won prizes at drama school .
What is annoying is the people plucked from TV shows who can't sing or act well enough , and the pop singers who can't sing enough shows a week and are not on when you buy a ticket. Its not mandatory to be unable to last a week - i can think of X factor graduates who didn't miss a show in a big role in a long run as well as some who can't sing seemingly sing much smaller roles roles 8 times a week.
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Post by intoanewlife on Jun 9, 2020 4:18:07 GMT
I don’t know when people saw Six but the show had always gone through a lot of small subtle changes to improve it throughout its run. It is a much tighter and complete show now than it was early on and certainly since the US Productions. The very end into the last track still niggles me a little and needs to be fixed, but for the most part it is a million times better than the first 6 months of its run.
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Post by Jon on Jun 9, 2020 17:05:12 GMT
I like Blood Brothers but the Kenwright production and its cheap sets and costumes need to be retired and given to someone else to breathe new life into it. When it closed in the West End, I wasn't exactly sad to see it go.
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