Guys and Dolls - Bridge Theatre

[mattnyc]

Thanks for that. I had been wondering about it since I saw it.

[ceebee]

Mar 6, 2023 12:25:59 GMT gmoneyoutlaw said:

Mar 4, 2023 10:17:24 GMT karloscar said:

Every production of Guys and Dolls I've ever seen has Sarah physically attack whoever Sky is dancing with in Havana, because she's drunk for the first time, out of control and showing her true feelings, possessive jealous rage. It shouldn't make any difference whether he's dancing with a man or woman. We see her with her defences down, and it's supposed to be shocking as well as funny. 

My biggest problem was Miss Adelaide. Marisha Wallace does a reasonable job, but Hytner has transformed the character from a ditzy, dumb broad played for comedy, to someone altogether more earnest and human. In the context of this piece, that does not work.

Miss Adelaide would never act this way in any production.  I hope it changes during previews.  My friend was disgusted by her interaction with an audience member.  He said, there were cops already in the theatre and she wasn't arrested?

I say "lucky audience member". I'd have happily swapped places with him for that interaction.

[theatrelover123]

Mar 6, 2023 15:53:36 GMT ceebee said:

Mar 6, 2023 12:25:59 GMT gmoneyoutlaw said:

My biggest problem was Miss Adelaide. Marisha Wallace does a reasonable job, but Hytner has transformed the character from a ditzy, dumb broad played for comedy, to someone altogether more earnest and human. In the context of this piece, that does not work.

Miss Adelaide would never act this way in any production.  I hope it changes during previews.  My friend was disgusted by her interaction with an audience member.  He said, there were cops already in the theatre and she wasn't arrested?

I say "lucky audience member". I'd have happily swapped places with him for that interaction.

Inappropriate

[ladidah]

What happened?

[ceebee]

Mar 6, 2023 16:28:45 GMT theatrelover123 said:

Mar 6, 2023 15:53:36 GMT ceebee said:

I say "lucky audience member". I'd have happily swapped places with him for that interaction.

Inappropriate

Oh don't be so ridiculous. The current production of "Cabaret" is far more inappropriate for risque and suggestive innuendo than "Guys and Dolls" could ever be, and it has been quite rightly lauded for its artistic merits.

[ceebee]

Mar 6, 2023 16:33:41 GMT ladidah said:

What happened?

Miss Adelaide sang to an audience member seated at an onstage table and buried his head in her cleavage. (When I saw it on Friday.) It went down a storm in the theatre and the audience member (if not a plant) went along with the gag. Some prudes seem offended by it.

[gmoneyoutlaw]

Mar 6, 2023 16:55:15 GMT ceebee said:

Mar 6, 2023 16:33:41 GMT ladidah said:

What happened?

Miss Adelaide sang to an audience member seated at an onstage table and buried his head in her cleavage. (When I saw it on Friday.) It went down a storm in the theatre and the audience member (if not a plant) went along with the gag. Some prudes seem offended by it.

It's far more complicated.  The character of Miss Adelaide would never do such a thing. I could not image Gypsy Rose Lee doing that.  It's a lack of understanding the character.  There is also a legal issue of consent. If the young man was employed by the production then there would have been consent as mentioned above, he was not employed by the production.  

My comments are about the character of Miss Adelaide and I stand with that opinion. 

[ceebee]

My hunch is that the person is a plant. I'll know when I go back to see it again. I see the characters in this version as having evolved from the more traditional interpretations - it feels fresher as a result. But each to their own - apologies if I misinterpreted your original comment.

[mrbarnaby]

Surely it can only have been someone Marisha knows? I just don’t believe she could do that to a random stranger in todays climate.

[marob]

Is he the new Christine Patterson? Because otherwise I don’t see how you can get away with that nowadays.

[Being Alive]

100% has to be a plant - it's exactly what I thought the second I saw it at first preview. The guy looked far too knowing as far as I was concerned and I never got one second thought he was a real audience member.

[mattnyc]

I remember what he looked like and I’m seeing it again Wednesday, so I’ll post if it’s the same guy.

[ceebee]

Mar 6, 2023 23:59:30 GMT Being Alive said:

100% has to be a plant - it's exactly what I thought the second I saw it at first preview. The guy looked far too knowing as far as I was concerned and I never got one second thought he was a real audience member.

Even if he is a plant, it's a great gig.

[FJ]

I saw this last night and whilst I enjoyed it, I wouldn't say I was blown away by it.

I reluctantly booked a standing ticket, and was glad I did actually, I tended to stand at the back of the crowd, which meant I wasn't having to constantly move but was never more than about 4 people deep from the stage, and because I'm 6'3 the view was always fantastic.

I really liked the changes in the Havana scene, and thought the whole scene worked the best of the whole show in the immersive nature.

All 4 leads were great, in particular I thought Sky and Nathan were brilliant.

This might be a controversial opinion, but whilst I thought Marisha has an incredible voice, and did act it very well, I really missed the ditzy, played-for-comedy characterisation of Adelaide, and have to say having seen Rebel Wilson in the role twice at the Phoenix, I really preferred Rebel in the role to Marisha..

I also think the standout member of the cast for me was Cedric Neal as Nicely Nicely. Really enjoyed his gospel voice in Sit Down you're rocking the boat, even if I thought the number was a bit underwhelming in this production.

I did enjoy the show overall, but I was just maybe expecting a little more from it.

[FJ]

Also the audience member that Adelaide 'interacted with' last night was Obi Ugoala from Frozen.

[bram]

Saw this last night. Wow. Absolutely stunning. Loved every exciting minute.

[anniel]

What was everyone’s favourite cast?

I think Jamie Parker as Sky Masterson will be hard to beat. He is a fantastic singer and for me had a touch of danger about him, which I think Sky would have.

I’ve seen Richard Fleeshman, Oliver Tompsett, Maxwell Caulfield, Clarke Peters and Ashley Zhangasa in Manchester.

[alece10]

Sarah Lancashire and Euen McGregor for me.

I also rather enjoyed Rebel Wilson

[foxa]

Richard Kind was bizarrely good as Nathan Detroit - so effortlessly funny - and had a terrific rapport with Samantha Spiro as Adelaide. He would watch her songs as if he just adored her.

[marob]

I’ve only seen it once, the tour with Richard Fleeshman at Liverpool Empire. Was running late but got there to find that they hadn’t let anyone in because of a fault. Ended up queueing around the back of the building for over half an hour, and overheard a woman say she’d travelled specially to see Louise Dearman playing Miss Adelaide.

Didn’t realise how lucky I was to see her as I’d never heard of her. She was great, but it’s only seeing her on some of the musical-based Proms since that I’ve realised just how good she is.

Royal Exchange one sold out, so hopefully this one will be the second.

[ctas]

Have very vivid memories of Ewan McGregor but also loved Jamie Parker. A very high bar — I saw that it was this production’s Sky’s stage debut on Friday and thought he did very well.

Very amused to see fond memories of Rebel Wilson - I thought she was average at best but the true highlight of the time I saw that cast was seeing the exasperated conductor getting visibly frustrated at every ad lib the entire cast did - Simon Lipkin was a repeat offender. Saw him even tap his watch angrily once as the show was going off tracks. Absolute car crash of a performance.

[ruthieh]

Still fondly remember Patrick Swayze!

[theatrelover123]

Average production imo (apart from the staging). Little original or different. If you’ve seen the show before then you’ve seen this production. Adelaide miscast. Sarah good. Nathan OK but comic timing not great. Sky looked great but felt flat. Rest of cast poor actors. Humour fell flat a lot. Band sounded gorgeous. Maybe it will settle after previews. All very traditional and dated tbh (and not in a good way).

[alexandra]

Mar 7, 2023 20:27:48 GMT anniel said:

What was everyone’s favourite cast?

I think Jamie Parker as Sky Masterson will be hard to beat. He is a fantastic singer and for me had a touch of danger about him, which I think Sky would have.

I’ve seen Richard Fleeshman, Oliver Tompsett, Maxwell Caulfield, Clarke Peters and Ashley Zhangasa in Manchester.

Julia McKenzie, Bob Hoskins, Julie Covington and the lovely Ian Charleson. With Imelda Staunton as a Hot Box dancer, and Jim Carter (who met Imelda on this show) and Bill Paterson as gamblers. Fabulous.

This was pretty good though. Definitely worth standing for. Just one complaint: way too many plants. Not just the face-to-cleavage (which is ill-judged; if you’re taken in and think it’s spontaneous then it’s an unfunny sexual assault, and if you realise it’s a plant then what’s the point?) and the glass of wine, but also the people placed at the front to dance and clap in the big numbers and drive the encores in Sit Down. The fakery spoiled it for me - it doesn’t need it. But generally, excellent fun.

[Jon]

I'm surprised Jane Krakowski hasn't been mentioned, her Miss Adelaide was great.