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Post by ladidah on Aug 1, 2023 7:17:24 GMT
I think that's almost the price they pay. Because they are benefitting from people's nostalgia and warmth for the original production - they also suffer from being compared and mostly ultimately being found lacking.
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Post by tommy123 on Aug 1, 2023 9:04:39 GMT
Does anyone have the understudy list for this show?
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Post by evilmat360 on Aug 1, 2023 9:43:35 GMT
Does anyone have the understudy list for this show?  |
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Post by capybara on Aug 7, 2023 23:38:05 GMT
Well, that was underwhelming. For a show with parental love and affection at its heart, it felt almost entirely gutted of emotion in an attempt to play it safe and appeal to the once-a-year West End tourists. And maybe we need shows like this for musical theatre to thrive more generally.
But that doesn’t stop me being frustrated with the bland score (almost entirely generic filler) which didn’t challenge an undoubtedly talented cast to show off their vocals at all. Laura Tebbutt, playing Miranda, gave us the highlight with ‘Let Go’ - the only moment of genuine passion in this cold piece.
The choreo was unadventurous, the direction baffling in places and, in this era of adaptation, you could only wonder why this was chosen for a stage musical beyond being a cynical cash grab. The restaurant scene was especially tedious with most of it given up to a Spanish singer/dance act.
It’s not all bad. The source material (thanks Anne Fine and Robin Williams) give the cast a lot of meat to work with. There are well executed comedic moments, among the less well executed humour. Gabriel Vick is perfect in the role of Daniel and demonstrates his repertoire of impressions, physical comedy and, at times, vulnerability.
It didn’t drag quite as bad as some recent adaptations (naming no names, Pretty Woman…) but it misses the mark and is dining out purely on audience affection for Williams and the 1993 film. The story is there - get the score right and it could have been something special. Alas.
Two stars.
(Note - the worst audience I’ve experienced. I know it’s the summer holidays but come on. If you are talking, using your phone to text, using your phone to receive a call *mid-performance* or too much of a greedy f***ing slob to go an hour without stuffing your face with noisy crisps or sweets, do us all a favour and stay on your sofa at home)
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Post by greeny11 on Aug 8, 2023 7:33:47 GMT
I was quite pleasantly surprised by this when I saw it last week - I haven't seen the film, but was laughing throughout. I thought Gabriel Vick was fantastic as the lead - the amount of impressions he does is fantastic (even if some are very much aimed at the British audience, which doesn't necessarily fit in with where this is set) while showing off the vulnerability, and he kept the Mrs Doubtfire persona up very well, and Cameron Blakely was brilliant as Frank. I know people are saying the music isn't great, and I thought that when I listened to the cast album, but I quite enjoyed it. There are quite a few 'filler' songs, but I did leave with 4 stuck in my head (Let Go, As Long As There Is Love, Make Me A Woman and What The Hell), which was a pleasant surprise.
The audience was filled with families, and the theatre quickly ran out of booster seats, but audience behaviour was generally very good at the show I was at.
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Post by dip on Sept 5, 2023 16:08:37 GMT
So, any deals about for this at the moment?
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Post by evilmat360 on Sept 25, 2023 15:10:14 GMT
Another extension announced up to 29th September 2024.
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Post by stagedreamer23 on Sept 28, 2023 22:00:09 GMT
I really enjoyed this! I thought the pacing was spot on. The story moved along well without getting boring. The only song that felt a bit like filler was the Cooking Montage but that wasn’t a big deal. I thought the whole restaurant scene was really well done. Vicki Lee Taylor was Miranda when we went to see it and she sung so well, with so much emotion. It’s a shame because some audience members were laughing at one point at how much Gabriel Vick’s mask was dripping with sweat. This seemed to knock Vicki Lee Taylor’s confidence as she might have thought the laughter was directed at her.
However, everyone in the show did a great job and even though the songs aren’t super memorable, they sound good in the context of the show.
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Post by fluxcapacitor on Oct 13, 2023 12:40:02 GMT
I was pleasantly surprised by this yesterday. Granted I'm a big fan of the original movie so nostalgia might have been in overdrive, but I thought it was a solid - if flawed - adaptation. Is it the best musical in the world? No. In fact, all of the songs are utterly forgettable, although in the moment most are enjoyable enough and some of the big production numbers are impressively staged (though the whole thing could do without the tediously shoehorned "Shape of things to Come" at the top of Act 2)
This is a musical which tries to very closely match the original movie on stage, and just like Back to the Future the production always shines most when it's sticking to the source material. The songs - on the whole - tend to "get in the way", pausing the action and filling emotional gaps that didn't need filling. Having said that, some of Miranda's expanded journey works well and Laura Tebbutt totally delivers with her poignant arc. Gabriel Vick is a force. He gives everything and totally steals the show in a role which is incredibly difficult to get right, although - if I'm being critical - as impressive as his impressive toolbox of impressions is, he's really at his best when he's simply delivering a (strong) impression of Robin Williams, line delivery and all. Then again, that's when the audience reacts, so... is that necessarily a bad thing?
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Post by Mark on Nov 8, 2023 15:16:36 GMT
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Post by anthony40 on Nov 8, 2023 17:04:39 GMT
Love it!
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Post by anita on Nov 9, 2023 11:12:14 GMT
The best Christmas ad ever.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 9, 2023 11:16:07 GMT
Yes. It made me cry.
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Post by Dave B on Jan 5, 2024 15:32:31 GMT
No announcement but tickets now on sale until Feb 2025, so another extension.
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Post by Peter on Jan 6, 2024 19:23:14 GMT
That seems a suspiciously long booking period - it used to be that a large extension indicated producers gauging interest when considering a closing notice… Anyone know how the show has been doing - it rarely gets talked about and I rarely see much publicity for it, but it is a very popular film.
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Post by anthony40 on Jan 6, 2024 19:40:02 GMT
I rarely see much publicity for it, but it is a very popular film. Not sure exactly where you're based Peter but in London, there are posters at most bus shelters and on the side of escalators in most tube stations. |
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Post by demelza on Jan 6, 2024 19:57:53 GMT
That seems a suspiciously long booking period - it used to be that a large extension indicated producers gauging interest when considering a closing notice… Anyone know how the show has been doing - it rarely gets talked about and I rarely see much publicity for it, but it is a very popular film. My office isn't far from the Shaftesbury so I have to walk past it when I go to the post office and when the midweek matinees are on the queues take up a good part of the street. Always seems to be a lot of coach trips and school groups from what I've noticed! |
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Post by gmoneyoutlaw on Jan 6, 2024 20:00:08 GMT
That seems a suspiciously long booking period - it used to be that a large extension indicated producers gauging interest when considering a closing notice… Anyone know how the show has been doing - it rarely gets talked about and I rarely see much publicity for it, but it is a very popular film. Im not aware of the current booking period. If they were booking until February 2024 and extending beyond August seems unusual. Im a fan of the show. It has many delightful performances. |
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267 posts
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Post by gmoneyoutlaw on Jan 6, 2024 21:26:42 GMT
That seems a suspiciously long booking period - it used to be that a large extension indicated producers gauging interest when considering a closing notice… Anyone know how the show has been doing - it rarely gets talked about and I rarely see much publicity for it, but it is a very popular film. Im not aware of the current booking period. If they were booking until February 2024 and extending beyond August seems unusual. Im a fan of the show. It has many delightful performances. I’m now aware that the current booking period is September 2024 so extending 6 months is not unreasonable. They are likely selling well through September and want yo get the year end holiday bookings started. |
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Post by hannechalk on Jan 7, 2024 13:53:54 GMT
Are part of the devoted fans by any chance a young teenage crowd active on TikTok?
Teenage girls who haven't quite worked out yet Tom Scanlon in the ensemble is gay, and teenage boys who have.
Tom is very active on TikTok, often does clips BTS.
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Post by danb on Jan 7, 2024 13:57:39 GMT
Lol, Tom is responsible for one of the funniest backstage clips I’ve ever seen.
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Post by hannechalk on Jan 7, 2024 21:09:58 GMT
Lol, Tom is responsible for one of the funniest backstage clips I’ve ever seen. He is definitely funny, I follow him myself. 😄 |
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Post by Peter on Jan 7, 2024 21:47:10 GMT
I rarely see much publicity for it, but it is a very popular film. Not sure exactly where you're based Peter but in London, there are posters at most bus shelters and on the side of escalators in most tube stations. A fairly frequent visitor to central London (a couple of times a month), but it’s entirely possible that I tuned them out for whatever reason! I do tend to be in world of my own on public transport…  |
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Post by theatreloverlondon on Jan 7, 2024 23:24:11 GMT
Not sure exactly where you're based Peter but in London, there are posters at most bus shelters and on the side of escalators in most tube stations. A fairly frequent visitor to central London (a couple of times a month), but it’s entirely possible that I tuned them out for whatever reason! I do tend to be in world of my own on public transport… True. It’s not a poster I see as much as others either. |
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Post by theatrefan62 on Jan 28, 2024 16:29:10 GMT
Not a big surprise but learnt yesterday they are looking at touring this. Don't know if it's a separate production or closing London, though.
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