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Post by d'James on Jun 29, 2022 22:40:35 GMT
Well that was definitely a lot more strobe (or at least strobe effect) lights than I anticipated! A sweet show, overall. Belle's dress reveal really is gorgeous - you can't go wrong with a little bling, but the big showstopper numbers were definitely lacking in spectacle. With little in the way of physical set for a lot of them, a relatively sparse ensemble, and some lacklustre ensemble costumes, they fell a bit flat. The extended dance breaks just drag it out and make it feel a little sad. I'm thinking specifically Be Our Guest and Gaston here, and also Human Again. The title song was gorgeous, though. And a very well behaved audience, considering the large number of kids in princess dresses. Worst people were the middle aged women behind me who rustled a bag of sweets all the way through both acts... Worth a visit, certainly. Thank you for this review. Especially the details about the sets. This was the first show I saw on Broadway so I’m not sure I want to spoil its memory. |
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Post by SuttonPeron on Jun 30, 2022 9:24:57 GMT
Well that was definitely a lot more strobe (or at least strobe effect) lights than I anticipated! A sweet show, overall. Belle's dress reveal really is gorgeous - you can't go wrong with a little bling, but the big showstopper numbers were definitely lacking in spectacle. With little in the way of physical set for a lot of them, a relatively sparse ensemble, and some lacklustre ensemble costumes, they fell a bit flat. The extended dance breaks just drag it out and make it feel a little sad. I'm thinking specifically Be Our Guest and Gaston here, and also Human Again. The title song was gorgeous, though. And a very well behaved audience, considering the large number of kids in princess dresses. Worst people were the middle aged women behind me who rustled a bag of sweets all the way through both acts... Worth a visit, certainly. Thank you for this review. Especially the details about the sets. This was the first show I saw on Broadway so I’m not sure I want to spoil its memory. By all means go if you want, but you´ll be getting a smaller cast, much cheaper (or as Disney would say "modern") costumes, a set that´s mostly projections, nowhere as grand as the monumental original; and a band that´s almost a third of what the Broadway orchestra was. |
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Post by jaqs on Jun 30, 2022 9:59:24 GMT
I thoroughly enjoyed myself last night.
Never seen it before so can’t compare to previous versions.
The cast were high energy, as were the audience, the applause for the big numbers was huge and most the jokes hit well.
Loved the costumes, so nice to see something so brash and cheerful.
Not been to the palladium for a while, love how enormous the letters are to indicate the row, and wide seats appreciated too, though not much legroom. And vast numbers of loos, didn’t have to queue before the show or at the interval.
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Post by h86 on Jun 30, 2022 10:46:43 GMT
Thank you for this review. Especially the details about the sets. This was the first show I saw on Broadway so I’m not sure I want to spoil its memory. By all means go if you want, but you´ll be getting a smaller cast, much cheaper (or as Disney would say "modern") costumes, a set that´s mostly projections, nowhere as grand as the monumental original; and a band that´s almost a third of what the Broadway orchestra was. You’ll also see a wonderfully talented cast, great leads, the amazing Gavin Lee, some awesome choreography, a stunning dress, top notch vocals. If you just base your decision on comparisons to the original then you’ll be disappointed but it’s a modern take and there are differences, that’s the whole point. |
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Post by inthenose on Jun 30, 2022 11:08:41 GMT
By all means go if you want, but you´ll be getting a smaller cast, much cheaper (or as Disney would say "modern") costumes, a set that´s mostly projections, nowhere as grand as the monumental original; and a band that´s almost a third of what the Broadway orchestra was. You’ll also see a wonderfully talented cast, great leads, the amazing Gavin Lee, some awesome choreography, a stunning dress, top notch vocals. If you just base your decision on comparisons to the original then you’ll be disappointed but it’s a modern take and there are differences, that’s the whole point. I am a little confused and perhaps you can elaborate please. What exactly makes it a modern take? |
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Post by h86 on Jun 30, 2022 11:55:57 GMT
You’ll also see a wonderfully talented cast, great leads, the amazing Gavin Lee, some awesome choreography, a stunning dress, top notch vocals. If you just base your decision on comparisons to the original then you’ll be disappointed but it’s a modern take and there are differences, that’s the whole point. I am a little confused and perhaps you can elaborate please. What exactly makes it a modern take? Belle with reading glasses and no apron. Gaston not punching Le Fou every second. Projections and video wall utilised a lot. Removal of Maison Des Lunes. Gaston’s ladies being called ‘villages lasses’ as opposed to ‘silly girls’. |
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Post by Jon on Jun 30, 2022 12:00:12 GMT
I don't think you can compare the original production with this production as that was made by Disney's theme park division whereas Disney Theatrical came about from The Lion King plus the original production was downsized on Broadway when it moved from the Palace to the Lunt Fontanne so it's not the first time Disney has scaled down Beauty
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Post by alece10 on Jun 30, 2022 14:03:45 GMT
Someone posted that the big showstopper numbers lacked in spectacle.
Without giving anything away to those planning on seeing it I don't think they could have chucked anymore into that number apart from adding a kitchen sink and maybe some whistles!
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Post by danb on Jun 30, 2022 14:24:59 GMT
Someone posted that the big showstopper numbers lacked in spectacle. Without giving anything away to those planning on seeing it I don't think they could have chucked anymore into that number apart from adding a kitchen sink and maybe some whistles! Another four ensemble would have been nice… |
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Post by h86 on Jun 30, 2022 14:50:09 GMT
Someone posted that the big showstopper numbers lacked in spectacle. Without giving anything away to those planning on seeing it I don't think they could have chucked anymore into that number apart from adding a kitchen sink and maybe some whistles! Another four ensemble would have been nice… Just out of interest what is the normal ensemble numbers for productions such as this? |
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Post by danb on Jun 30, 2022 15:26:37 GMT
No idea? Enough to fill the massive empty stage?
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Post by SuttonPeron on Jun 30, 2022 23:24:00 GMT
By all means go if you want, but you´ll be getting a smaller cast, much cheaper (or as Disney would say "modern") costumes, a set that´s mostly projections, nowhere as grand as the monumental original; and a band that´s almost a third of what the Broadway orchestra was. You’ll also see a wonderfully talented cast, great leads, the amazing Gavin Lee, some awesome choreography, a stunning dress, top notch vocals. If you just base your decision on comparisons to the original then you’ll be disappointed but it’s a modern take and there are differences, that’s the whole point. I love when shows are reimagined for modern audiences, as long as they respect the human factor and don’t see modernizing as a way cheapen the show. My Fair Lady at the Coli, South Pacific and Anything Goes at the Barbican… to name a few, are perfect examples that show that it can be done. Disney, on the contrary, uses the “latest theatrical technology” as an excuse to hire less people and deliver a product of a much lesser quality than both the original production and many wonderful non-replicas. |
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Post by fiyerorocher on Jun 30, 2022 23:58:42 GMT
Someone posted that the big showstopper numbers lacked in spectacle. Without giving anything away to those planning on seeing it I don't think they could have chucked anymore into that number apart from adding a kitchen sink and maybe some whistles! Another four ensemble would have been nice… Exactly this! It just felt very empty with the numbers they had. |
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Jul 1, 2022 0:42:18 GMT
No Matter What is quite a dreary song so no real loss they've cut it. I find it strange that despite cutting three songs, the show is still 2 hours 40 minutes. I think it's a lovely little song that sets up the relationship between Belle and her papa. I'm sad to hear they have cut it. |
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Post by h86 on Jul 1, 2022 16:57:40 GMT
You’ll also see a wonderfully talented cast, great leads, the amazing Gavin Lee, some awesome choreography, a stunning dress, top notch vocals. If you just base your decision on comparisons to the original then you’ll be disappointed but it’s a modern take and there are differences, that’s the whole point. I love when shows are reimagined for modern audiences, as long as they respect the human factor and don’t see modernizing as a way cheapen the show. My Fair Lady at the Coli, South Pacific and Anything Goes at the Barbican… to name a few, are perfect examples that show that it can be done. Disney, on the contrary, uses the “latest theatrical technology” as an excuse to hire less people and deliver a product of a much lesser quality than both the original production and many wonderful non-replicas. Have you actually seen it? I’ve seen my fair lady which I enjoyed but it had some terrible sound issues. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 1, 2022 17:54:05 GMT
This is like saying that you’re not going to see Sunset Boulevard ever ever again because it doesn’t have the Napier sets. It will never be staged like that again so fine, stop seeing revivals. Really? I’m all for the material being retained and not mucked about with (although I find myself being more relaxed about that these days) but insisting that the production matches the original isn’t reasonable.
My first experience of BATB was lovely. Go see it, and try to find within yourself the mental capacity to deal with the fact that it’s changed. Things change.
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Post by inthenose on Jul 1, 2022 18:15:28 GMT
This is like saying that you’re not going to see Sunset Boulevard ever ever again because it doesn’t have the Napier sets. It will never be staged like that again so fine, stop seeing revivals. Really? I’m all for the material being retained and not mucked about with (although I find myself being more relaxed about that these days) but insisting that the production matches the original isn’t reasonable. My first experience of BBATB was lovely. Go see it, and try to find within yourself the mental capacity to deal with the fact that it’s changed. Things change. It feels like most "changes" are downgrades nowadays because of the development of new technology - and the world we live in with Covid meaning cost cutting is inevitable. Sometimes it really feels like one is paying more to get less. Some people, myself included, are leery about revisiting a beloved past show with a sub-par (compared to the original) revival. The original production had a cast of 33, this revival has three fewer. It has fewer musicians, fewer/smaller sets replaced by much cheaper projections - which require fewer crew. I accept why downsizing happens - it doesn't mean I have to like it or endorse it by giving over hard-earned. And if I do decide to do so, and discover a production is inferior in my view to a previous incarnation, I'd be well within my rights to share those feelings publicly. For those who haven't seen it before it provides an opportunity. For fans of the show, it gives them a chance to see a version of the show on stage. The option is there at least. I just feel many (not all) revivals at the moment are like chocolate bars, getting smaller and more expensive each year. |
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Post by Jon on Jul 1, 2022 18:15:35 GMT
This is like saying that you’re not going to see Sunset Boulevard ever ever again because it doesn’t have the Napier sets. It will never be staged like that again so fine, stop seeing revivals. Really? I’m all for the material being retained and not mucked about with (although I find myself being more relaxed about that these days) but insisting that the production matches the original isn’t reasonable. My first experience of BBATB was lovely. Go see it, and try to find within yourself the mental capacity to deal with the fact that it’s changed. Things change. I agree, you cannot compare to the original production because it no longer exists and hasn't existed for 20 years. |
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Post by inthenose on Jul 1, 2022 18:22:54 GMT
This is like saying that you’re not going to see Sunset Boulevard ever ever again because it doesn’t have the Napier sets. It will never be staged like that again so fine, stop seeing revivals. Really? I’m all for the material being retained and not mucked about with (although I find myself being more relaxed about that these days) but insisting that the production matches the original isn’t reasonable. My first experience of BBATB was lovely. Go see it, and try to find within yourself the mental capacity to deal with the fact that it’s changed. Things change. I agree, you cannot compare to the original production because it no longer exists and hasn't existed for 20 years. Well, I mean, you can... and people do. Everyone constantly compares previous productions of shows (Cabaret to the Mendes production or Legally Blonde to the original production, for example) in practically every thread about a revival. I think it is actually very helpful in highlighting when standards slip. Miss Saigon a while back on tour - would you rather see a huge physical helicopter on stage, or go to a different venue a year later, pay £10 more for a similar seat and see a projection? |
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Post by d'James on Jul 1, 2022 18:28:30 GMT
I agree, you cannot compare to the original production because it no longer exists and hasn't existed for 20 years. Well, I mean, you can... and people do. Everyone constantly compares previous productions of shows (Cabaret to the Mendes production or Legally Blonde to the original production, for example) in practically every thread about a revival. I think it is actually very helpful in highlighting when standards slip. Miss Saigon a while back on tour - would you rather see a huge physical helicopter on stage, or go to a different venue a year later, pay £10 more for a similar seat and see a projection? Exactly. If it was a completely reimagined production I would be interested, but by the sounds of it, it’s like they’re doing this on the cheap. I, for one, would love to see a reimagined version of Blood Brothers. I’m not back in the UK for long, so I have to make tough decisions. This was a ‘possible’ on my list and the reviews on her have helped me decide. Don’t know why I’m trying to justify myself. |
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Post by jacob on Jul 1, 2022 18:38:53 GMT
sure, the design and show itself is not ‘bad’.. it just missed the mark for me in terms of set depth and production quality - for Disney I wanted more
not asking for a complete replica here, and I’m sure many are satisfied with the show as it is!! but in comparison to shows like Wicked and Moulin Rouge w grand sets (that notably also can / have toured )
b&tb felt lacking
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Post by h86 on Jul 1, 2022 19:08:18 GMT
There is much more to a show than a set and the number of people on stage. I personally don’t chose whether to watch a show on this basis.
For me it’s the story, the music, the talent of the cast, that all help me determine whether I want to see a production. The other stuff, set, projections, costumes, number of people in the band etc all contribute to it but aren’t the deciding factor as to whether I want to go and see a production.
When watching a revival, I want it to be different. I don’t want to see the same thing again.
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Post by d'James on Jul 1, 2022 19:25:46 GMT
There is much more to a show than a set and the number of people on stage. I personally don’t chose whether to watch a show on this basis. For me it’s the story, the music, the talent of the cast, that all help me determine whether I want to see a production. The other stuff, set, projections, costumes, number of people in the band etc all contribute to it but aren’t the deciding factor as to whether I want to go and see a production. When watching a revival, I want it to be different. I don’t want to see the same thing again. Depends how they advertise it I guess. |
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Post by danb on Jul 1, 2022 19:42:59 GMT
There is much more to a show than a set and the number of people on stage. I personally don’t chose whether to watch a show on this basis. For me it’s the story, the music, the talent of the cast, that all help me determine whether I want to see a production. The other stuff, set, projections, costumes, number of people in the band etc all contribute to it but aren’t the deciding factor as to whether I want to go and see a production. When watching a revival, I want it to be different. I don’t want to see the same thing again. I have no memories of the original production so no axe to grind there. I was just very disappointed in what I saw vs what I was expecting. |
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Post by apwl on Jul 2, 2022 11:44:16 GMT
Looks like they are doing on the day standing tickets for £15 on the website if anyone is interested.
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