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Post by theoracle on Feb 14, 2023 18:37:40 GMT
I don’t suppose one of the stars that could be rotated back in could be Hannah Waddingham? Also, what about Catherine Zeta-Jones making a West End return? I’m guessing Helena Bonham Carter won’t be back for this but what about Johnny Depp who’s been in 2 Sondheim film adaptations? More realistically though I do hope Damian Humbley will get announced and a return of Jenna Russell and Rosalie Craig who were woefully underused last time around but were brilliant at Alex Parker’s Sondheim gala.
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Post by actorsinger on Feb 14, 2023 21:49:58 GMT
I’ve just seen the poster for this. Not sure how to post it. But I honestly I’m gobsmacked as to how some of the performers agreed to this billing. Huge British theatre stars relegated to “co-starring” billing in small print at the bottom. Janie, Joanna and Bonnie are above the title names surely!?
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Post by mattnyc on Feb 14, 2023 22:07:24 GMT
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Post by theatrefan62 on Feb 14, 2023 22:29:33 GMT
It's not surprising, I'd imagine part of the contract includes billing. But in reality neither of the names above the title will mean much to the British public, including more casual theatregoers. Only really the more hard-core fanbase will know them. Of the smaller names id only say bonnie langford could be classed as a headliner. The others, though obviously talented, wont mean much to wider audiencers.
It'll be interesting to see how this sells
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Feb 15, 2023 0:55:07 GMT
It does make me laugh when people say this. I'm not saying you didn't know and you have known things in the past, but it's an anonymous chat board, unless people are using their real name or they're are the only person in the world to know, why not say it? Someone saying they knew something after it's announced makes me think they didn't have a clue. Has it been announced anywhere? I thought it was just another poster speculating. It's getting pretty damn boring that I can't post anything without being more or less being accused of being a liar. I've been a frequent poster here since all the way back to the days of the old board, I've broke tons of exclusives over the years. I was the first person to break the news about Tammy Faye long before Baz tweeted it as an "exclusive" and I was the first person to post (admittedly via hinting) that the Sondheim concert was coming back for a run. So why do I get ragged on all the time? It's pretty hypocritical that anytime I post news - even if it's about my own bloody shows! - I get snide comments and scepticism, yet other posters are treated like their every word is engraved on stone tablets, when they admit they don't even work on those shows. Hell, I've posted stuff and been called a liar and basically heckled, then seen other posters repeat what I'd already said and suddenly the same information is the gospel truth. Really, I don't know if it's because I'm strident in my political views (which I know aren't popular here) or resentment because I work on some of these shows, but the constant sniping is really starting to feel like bullying. YIKES. You took that very personally. Thats not how it was meant or even written. I shall believe everything you say going forward... |
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Post by danb on Feb 15, 2023 6:25:41 GMT
It's not surprising, I'd imagine part of the contract includes billing. But in reality neither of the names above the title will mean much to the British public, including more casual theatregoers. Only really the more hard-core fanbase will know them. Of the smaller names id only say bonnie langford could be classed as a headliner. The others, though obviously talented, wont mean much to wider audiencers. It'll be interesting to see how this sells Yes, I suspect that those in Big Writing are committed to every show whereas Bonnie can fit it in around Bingo & her jazzercise class. I have it on no authority at all that Janie Dee does her big shop on a Thursday, so would still be putting it away at 7.30 so couldn’t possibly… It seems entirely created for luvvies to gush over and pay over the odds for whilst leaving dissatisfied that they didn’t get Patinkin on their night. If they could pin Houchen down to give us his WSS bits I would probably sell a child to be there. |
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Feb 15, 2023 7:15:45 GMT
Am I missing something with this? The excitement for the one-off concert, I could understand. It was huge, it was unmissable. All those individual performers coming together to celebrate Sondheim and his work for one night. And it absolutely delivered, both on a performance, emotional and celebratory level. But this upcoming run leaves me cold. What is it a run of exactly? "Old Friends" - the revue as we saw it last year - was largely curated for the performers available. So, for example, Imelda Staunton's solo was there because she was Imelda Staunton and that's what she chose to sing. There were a few wonderful new arrangements of group numbers, granted, but outside of that it was a concert of largely unconnected Sondheim songs. There wasn't a through line, there wasn't a real theme, because realistically many of the songs were there because those performers have previously performed them in the past. I'm not complaining or finding fault - that concert did absolutely what it needed to do, and did it brilliantly. But they're selling this run as the same thing. Is it even the same show? Are we expecting Salonga (or Biggins on the nights she's not available...) to wheel out Judi Dench's chair for a sat rendition of Send in the Clowns? Are Jac Yarrow and Janie Dee popping on Ball and Friedman's Sweeney Todd outfits for that elongated segment? Don't get me wrong, I am totally here for a concert featuring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga. But what actually makes this 'Sondheim's Old Friends' and not just a different concert of Sondheim songs? Because surely it's going to be a different show. It may well be a brilliant show. But - arguably - it might therefore have done better sold as such. I might be wrong, but I'm sure i read somewhere that this would be the third show in the style of Side by Side and Putting it Together revues that have done very well previously. It may already have been in.production befor his death. |
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Post by viserys on Feb 15, 2023 7:24:21 GMT
I know it borders on sacrilege to say so, but this whole thing leaves me entirely cold.
I didn't care much for the one-off concert already, but knew it was a great way to honour Sondheim's oeuvre and bring back a few stars out of retirement for one night only, so fair do's to everyone who got super excited about it (and forked out).
But these things are one-off gala concerts for a reason. You can't recreate that magic of "one night only" during a longer run. And as someone else said, there are no real star names involved here that would capture the general public's attention the way Judi Dench, Damian Lewis and the likes did for the concert. Bernadette Peters is mostly a name in insider circles only and, let's be frank, the new generation of theatre lovers who gets excited about shows like Six, Heathers and Hamilton doesn't care at all for the older stars of yesteryear.
The only reason I'd want to see this, is to see Lea Salonga live on stage again, but that's probably not enough to entice me to buy a ticket, unless a) there are some offers and b) I'm in London with nothing else to do.
Obviously I'm not a Sondheim fan. But I'd say, I'd rather see him celebrated with a good revival of one of his best shows or a "Sondheim Season" of sorts in one of Cam Mack's theatres with 3-4 revivals over one year, plus the odd solo concert or concert version of a lesser known show thrown in. Then cast some of the current "hot" stars in these and lure the abovementioned new generation to discover the man and his work.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Feb 15, 2023 7:31:37 GMT
You make a good point viserys especially as those songs are composed for a narrative and not as a stand alone song. A season of sondheim musicals would make me happier |
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Post by theoracle on Feb 15, 2023 9:00:57 GMT
It's not surprising, I'd imagine part of the contract includes billing. But in reality neither of the names above the title will mean much to the British public, including more casual theatregoers. Only really the more hard-core fanbase will know them. Of the smaller names id only say bonnie langford could be classed as a headliner. The others, though obviously talented, wont mean much to wider audiencers. It'll be interesting to see how this sells Yes, I suspect that those in Big Writing are committed to every show whereas Bonnie can fit it in around Bingo & her jazzercise class. I have it on no authority at all that Janie Dee does her big shop on a Thursday, so would still be putting it away at 7.30 so couldn’t possibly… It seems entirely created for luvvies to gush over and pay over the odds for whilst leaving dissatisfied that they didn’t get Patinkin on their night. If they could pin Houchen down to give us his WSS bits I would probably sell a child to be there. Ahh but Janie Dee doesn't do big shops now with her now absorbed in climate action initiatives. Her solo number was a highlight for me last year so glad she's coming back. Would love to hear her sing more slightly obscure Sondheim numbers too |
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Post by danb on Feb 15, 2023 9:06:37 GMT
She owes them rent in Whole Foods in Covent Garden! Always a question about their own brand Facon or yoghurt covered raisins!
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Post by Being Alive on Feb 15, 2023 9:33:32 GMT
The fact that Janie Dee can't remember the words to Send In The Clowns, and yet can do The Boy From never fails to baffle me
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Post by angie on Feb 15, 2023 10:51:15 GMT
"If they could pin Houchen down to give us his WSS bits I would probably sell a child to be there".
Yep.. I would be there too, minus members of family.
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Post by vdcni on Feb 16, 2023 21:18:54 GMT
Hopefully this time they'll give Could I Leave You to Jamie Dee.
I'd love to see Jamie Parker added, he was excellent in the Alex Parker Sondheim concert.
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Post by alece10 on Feb 17, 2023 0:46:30 GMT
Jac Yarrow was live in Instagram just now and he said there are more names to be announced.
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Post by saral on Feb 21, 2023 17:48:58 GMT
Got an email to say priority tickets go on sale tomorrow and you will be sent a link to book tickets, it's on 16.9.23-6.1.24
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Post by showtoones on Feb 21, 2023 18:01:40 GMT
What time do they go on sale tomorrow?
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Post by theatremiss on Feb 21, 2023 18:22:05 GMT
What time do they go on sale tomorrow? I’ve just looked at my email and it doesn’t actually specify a time, just that there will be another email sent with a link tomorrow |
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Post by SuttonPeron on Feb 21, 2023 18:37:30 GMT
9 am for DMT members and 12 pm for priority bookers
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Post by macksennett on Feb 21, 2023 19:15:41 GMT
Any prices yet?
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Post by mkb on Feb 21, 2023 23:44:25 GMT
9 am for DMT members and 12 pm for priority bookers Thanks for that. Can I ask where you found it? I searched but couldn't find it. Was I being dumb? |
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Post by alece10 on Feb 22, 2023 0:44:09 GMT
I just saw itnon a Twitter post.
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Post by mkb on Feb 22, 2023 9:03:11 GMT
9am has passed and no DMT+ email for me.
Update: I was able to find it in the members' area of the website. I am opted in to mailings, so odd that the DMT+ emails have dried up.
Front row on a Friday was £95.
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Post by mattnyc on Feb 22, 2023 9:15:58 GMT
Got my email and was able to purchase with no issues. I tried going back in to look for someone else though and now it’s giving me an error message.
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Post by Dr Tom on Feb 22, 2023 9:18:27 GMT
I got the email at 09:02. But having just seen the prices, I'll risk waiting for the offers.
On the first Monday, Stalls are £55 to £150. Dress Circle is the same. Grand Circle is £30 to £75.
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