19,659 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 5, 2022 13:21:29 GMT
Looks like the touring cast as an impressive and inspired list of names… Y What have you heard? |
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Post by sleepflower on Aug 6, 2022 18:53:26 GMT
I enjoyed this last night, although it did seem notably quiet even from the front of the upper circle. Microphones needed to be turned up more. The whole stage/set was also swallowed by the size of the enormous theatre, more so than when I saw Hairspray there last year.
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Aug 8, 2022 2:11:11 GMT
Seeing MFL for a third time last week really brought home how much difference seating position can make to how I feel about a show.
It's my all-time favourite musical. I've travelled the length and breadth of the country* to see around 30 different amateur productions and I know by now every word of the script, so spot immediately if any dialogue has been removed or changed - a fair bit in this one, mainly in act two after the Embassy Ball scene.
First visit was early in the run. I refused to pay the pre-opening price which was around £125 for most of the stalls so happily took the first Rush ticket I could get. It was a long way from the stage, I enjoyed the show but it didn't feel as special as I hoped and expected and yes the sound was iffy. Second time I got the stalls but side and a fair way back, then last week through the What's On Stage offer I finally got to see the show from the centre front row stalls and I absolutely loved it. Stephen K. Amos has settled into playing Alfred P. Dolittle and the orchestra, all of whom I could clearly see from my seat, was loud and clear so the score sounded wonderful. I could make out details in the set and costumes I was previously too distant to see clearly. Apart from the cut-down overture it was everything I expected. I even finally bought a programme. Happy Days!
* The furthest was at Lancaster Grand Theatre, quite a trek from Kent for the Saturday matinee but not a problem as I enjoy train travel almost as much as musicals. Advance tickets booked, uneventful journey to Lancaster, 2.15 start. MFL usually runs for about three hours so I had booked a train back to London at 5.45. Station is about 10 minutes walk away. It started just a few minutes late, had a HUGE strong amateur cast way bigger than at the Coliseum. The musical numbers were done really well and most were longer than usual especially the opening Covent Garden scene which was around double the usual length and included a group of children dancing.. Interval therefore not till well after 4 pm and unfortunately for me at 5.30 we were still in Mrs Higgins' garden which is at least 15 minutes from the end. I decided to leave then as it would have cost about £80 for a new ticket to travel on the next train. It would otherwise have been a strong contender for my favourite ever presentation.
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Post by nottobe on Aug 8, 2022 19:27:18 GMT
Anyone know of any deals or codes for this as wanting to see it this week.
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Post by interval99 on Aug 8, 2022 19:50:30 GMT
What's on stage site seems to have the best offer deal at present with 95 seats down to 50 (unless the ENO 25 offer as per earlier in this thread is still going)
Otherwise Ticketmaster or love theatre have discounted tickets.
And the Leicester square TKTS site always has on the day tickets but not as good discount as the above sites
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3,303 posts
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Post by david on Aug 8, 2022 20:24:10 GMT
Anyone know of any deals or codes for this as wanting to see it this week. You could try the box office direct. I did this for a wed night an hour before the show started and asked about day seats. The Box Office gave me Stalls F27 for £29.50 which looking at the seating plan at seats around that one were going for around £125. |
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Post by A.Ham on Aug 9, 2022 8:10:49 GMT
Plus there’s rush tickets on TodayTix of course…
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3,325 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Aug 9, 2022 9:02:43 GMT
Saw this again last week with Charlotte Kennedy on as Eliza. Very good, but also a very different presence compared to Amara.
Got to sit front row as well, thanks to the ENO offer.
I really don't know why people bring young children to a show that runs more than three hours and sit them in the front row. A woman a few seats along had a daughter of around four who could not keep still and was even going in front of the (unrelated) man in the next seat. Then there was another front row member who tried to get the orchestra to play her Happy Birthday. These little things always take you out of the moment.
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Post by sukhavati on Aug 10, 2022 5:41:29 GMT
...there was another front row member who tried to get the orchestra to play her Happy Birthday. These little things always take you out of the moment. I don't know what it is about the public these days. The venue where I'm working now is pop music oriented, but in FOH we are always getting requests for recognition from the stage about a birthday, or to arrange to meet their favorite singer, or to have someone's uber-talented child allowed to go onstage to perform with the star. Um...no. We are forever telling people that when it comes to those kinds of requests, if they don't know the artists in real life, it isn't going to happen, and we're not going to give them contact info for the artist's management to make it happen. Yet they persist... Oh well... Let's not even get into the unknown bands or their managers trying to cold call us to see if they can be booked into the venue...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2022 8:03:33 GMT
...there was another front row member who tried to get the orchestra to play her Happy Birthday. These little things always take you out of the moment. I don't know what it is about the public these days. The venue where I'm working now is pop music oriented, but in FOH we are always getting requests for recognition from the stage about a birthday, or to arrange to meet their favorite singer, or to have someone's uber-talented child allowed to go onstage to perform with the star. Um...no. We are forever telling people that when it comes to those kinds of requests, if they don't know the artists in real life, it isn't going to happen, and we're not going to give them contact info for the artist's management to make it happen. Yet they persist... Oh well... Let's not even get into the unknown bands or their managers trying to cold call us to see if they can be booked into the venue...
Entitlement and 'I'm special/I'm a victim in someway mentality'. It's skyrocketed since covid. I work in completely different sector but still dealing with public and get the same thing. And every friend and family member who works with the public has said the same thing with their own nightmare stories. |
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421 posts
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on Aug 12, 2022 12:38:13 GMT
You’d hope by now they’ve cast the tour!
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217 posts
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Post by zsazsa on Aug 20, 2022 11:16:17 GMT
Is this tour in danger of being pulled? Still no word on casting and there seems to be a very big gap in dates between the last two venues.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2022 11:50:03 GMT
Is this tour in danger of being pulled? Still no word on casting and there seems to be a very big gap in dates between the last two venues. I'm beginning to wonder that. It's not selling well at all at my local venue and still no cast who must he in, or about to start rehearsals. You'd also think they'd want the cast announcement help drum up sales |
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324 posts
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Post by barrowside on Aug 20, 2022 15:56:01 GMT
The advertising spend on Dublin seems enormous - lots of big press ads and on the sides of the buses. The run is nearly a month long which generally only happens with the mega musicals. I do hope it comes as it should sit much more comfortably in our theatre compared to The Coliseum.
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Aug 20, 2022 19:43:10 GMT
Is this tour in danger of being pulled? Still no word on casting and there seems to be a very big gap in dates between the last two venues. I'm beginning to wonder that. It's not selling well at all at my local venue and still no cast who must he in, or about to start rehearsals. You'd also think they'd want the cast announcement help drum up sales Could it be that the London cast will remain for the tour - or have there already been announcements to the contrary ? |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2022 20:00:42 GMT
I'm beginning to wonder that. It's not selling well at all at my local venue and still no cast who must he in, or about to start rehearsals. You'd also think they'd want the cast announcement help drum up sales Could it be that the London cast will remain for the tour - or have there already been announcements to the contrary ? I'd be surprised, especially Henry. But even if they were you'd think they would want to drum up as much business as possible as quickly as possible when looking at sales. The tour opens in a month, it must be sorted by now |
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Post by interval99 on Aug 23, 2022 22:52:23 GMT
Picked up one of the many reduced ticket offers for this for Tuesday matinee and stalls seemed full.
After the comments in the thread about the orchestra they sounded superb and played the score wonderfully but unfortunately often drowned out the vocals who sound was very strange, often sounded just muffled and garbelled, safe to say most of the audience knew the story but several of the classic lines fell flat.
Harry as Henry Higgins was the stand out but all cast were good despite the lack lustered design of the show.
It's always unclear what relationship the two leads could have going forward but the total lack of a sexual chemistry between these two makes the last half hour where they are meant to be in turmoil over their emotions bit daft as no one would have believed there was the slightly spark, a friendship yes, relationship no.
My fair lady has too many classic songs and one liners and just hearing those makes an enjoyable show. Biggest disappointment was the I'm getting married which in this version just seems a clumsy and crude routine rather than the normal celebratory number it is.
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Aug 24, 2022 0:53:19 GMT
Tour cast due to be announced end of the week
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Post by A.Ham on Aug 24, 2022 9:04:20 GMT
Michael Xavier (swoon) as Henry Higgins, Charlotte Kennedy as Eliza, and drumroll please… Adam Woodyatt as Alfred Doolittle 😱
I’m sure Michael and Charlotte will be great but Adam being cast would definitely put me off I’m afraid 😞
Some nice press photos of Adam and Charlotte outside the Coliseum though!
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Post by crabtree on Aug 24, 2022 9:11:46 GMT
And Lesley Garrett as Mrs Pearce is a bit of a surprise - i love though that they give her credit as The Messiah.
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Aug 24, 2022 9:17:49 GMT
Oh I'd been told Garrett was Mrs Higgins so that IS a surprise.
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Post by crabtree on Aug 24, 2022 9:35:59 GMT
yes I had to re-read the whatonstage info, but there we go. at least Mrs Pearce sings doesn't she?
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Post by inthenose on Aug 24, 2022 10:23:03 GMT
I saw Xavier back in 2001/2002 as Freddy in the brilliant National Theatre production at Drury Lane.
Lesley Garrett is a strange choice!
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7,054 posts
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Post by Jon on Aug 24, 2022 10:28:54 GMT
Lesley Garrett would make more sense as Mrs Higgins.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2022 10:38:41 GMT
What's even weirder is she doesn't seem to be being used in the promotion of the cast. I know its a small role but she is a pretty big name , you'd think theatres would emphasise that
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