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Post by thistimetomorrow on Nov 22, 2022 23:40:57 GMT
This is really a must-see in my opinion. Totally agree. I was very lucky to be able to snag some last minute tickets and see the show a second time. I would love to go back to see Emma Kingston as Dina. Has anyone seen her yet and can comment on what she's like? |
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Post by QueerTheatre on Nov 23, 2022 10:43:49 GMT
Will probably have to give up my evening ticket - which I booked only because that's all I could get at an affordable price -as since I've known the running time I've been trying in vain for a return for a matinee instead. All the theatre staff could suggest was trying for the "Donmar Daily Release" at 10 am but apparently they only have 4 tix per performance under that scheme and most days I can't even get online at 10 am; plus it needs to be on the same day of the week as when you hope to attend. I know they'd give me a credit and re-sell the seat in a flash but I want to see this! when is your evening ticket for? i have a matinee ticket for ne5 tuesday that i could potentially swap? |
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Post by showgirl on Nov 23, 2022 13:11:34 GMT
Mine's for this Saturday evening & a swap is a thoughtful suggestion but I can only do Wed/Thurs/Sat, so no go, alas.
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Post by rpvee on Nov 23, 2022 17:08:11 GMT
Mine's for this Saturday evening & a swap is a thoughtful suggestion but I can only do Wed/Thurs/Sat, so no go, alas. I already have Saturday tickets, but out of curiosity, what is the seat? |
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Post by Rory on Nov 23, 2022 17:29:19 GMT
Any more word on the rumoured West End transfer to the Ambassadors? Wessex Grove have first option for Donmar transfers and they are on a roll at the minute with a whole raft of shows.
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Post by tommy on Nov 28, 2022 20:53:35 GMT
Beautiful small scale production, the singing and very strong performances from the musicians made it remarkable!
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Post by craig on Nov 29, 2022 20:28:57 GMT
Last minute decision to take in the matinee today and feel a bit bad for going against the grain but I thought it was… fine?
I did enjoy it and thought there were some very good performances. I loved the gentle themes of human connection that underpinned everything. I think I just thought it lacked anything to really make a lasting impression on me. It was also very short and just felt like it could have been more ambitious, I guess.
Still, very enjoyable.
Continuing my run of seeing understudies / alternates, I had Emma Kingston on and she was very good.
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Post by cheri78 on Nov 29, 2022 21:00:49 GMT
I knew I'd love it, from listening to the album but I didn't expect to be so moved. The opening chords of Answer Me set me off and what a superb delivery of the song but then the ensemble crescendo was too much for this poor old man. Sublime....this should have had one of the prolific "trigger point" warnings seen everywhere nowadays. Such a gentle, warm and uplifting musical, beautifully staged and lit and Emma Kingston was wonderful, I'm guessing quite different as she seemed younger but a beautiful voice. Such a shame more won't get the chance to see it. 5* from me.
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Post by max on Nov 30, 2022 19:18:01 GMT
Hi everyone! Brand new to the site. This show is the only musical I’ve ever truly become a huge fan of, and I saw the original version 82 times between Broadway and the North American Tour. I’m traveling to London (for the first time!) to see this exciting new version as many times as I can during its final week. I have tickets for many of the dates, but there are a few I’m still keeping an eye out for (via cancellations, weekly release, etc.). If anyone has a ticket to any of these dates that they can’t use anymore, please let me know! 11/30 12/1 (both performances) 12/2 12/3 (evening/final performance) So very excited to see London and a brand new imagining of a show that’s grown so dear to my heart, and I’m looking forward to discussing it with everyone here!  Let us know what you made of it, as an 82-times viewer of the Broadway production! |
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Post by macksennett on Nov 30, 2022 23:00:55 GMT
Any more talk of a transfer?
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Post by intoanewlife on Dec 1, 2022 1:01:05 GMT
Finally got to see this tonight and wow, just WOW!
I loved this on Broadway, but this production just takes the material to a whole new level with its stellar casting and intimate venue.
A few niggles first...
Everything is a little too 'clean' and sterile looking and there were a few times the (absolutely phenomenal) band drowned out the performer. Apart from that though, it was perfection.
I enjoyed the whole cast, they were all fantastic.
Miri was mesmerizing and her voice was pure bliss.
Alon's Tewfiq however completely stole the show for me, he was absolutely magnificent. From the moment the lights come up he owns the production. I literally spent an hour and 40 minutes on the verge of ugly crying waiting for him to finally lose his stoic well worn facade. The fact he so closely resembles the old man from Pixar's Up didn't help either!
A very easy 5/5 from me and while it is probably the only musical I have ever seen where I enjoy every single song, it feels almost criminal to listen to them away from their world and the characters they were created for.
I feel very privileged to have seen this magnificent production and I hope it sees a further life after this run so many more people can get to experience it!
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Post by jacconl on Dec 2, 2022 11:35:11 GMT
Glorious. Breathtaking. Better than on Broadway for me. Just stunning!
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Post by apubleed on Dec 2, 2022 22:48:16 GMT
It was absolutely beautiful. I loved it on Broadway but I adored it here and in this venue. I think it’s the best thing I’ve seen here in ‘the last 5 years’  . I don’t think the show should transfer to a larger theatre or risk losing the intimacy. Absolutely incredible. I am shaking. |
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Post by jamb0r on Dec 3, 2022 11:36:42 GMT
Absolutely adored this! For the first 5 or 10 minutes I thought it would going to be a bit of a slow slog, but then I fell in love with every single character and ended up finding myself sobbing at the sound of the pay phone ringing towards the end!
My 70 something year old musician parents adored it too, commenting continually on the talent of the performers. Being able to pick up a trumpet from complete cold and perfectly play a solo for example
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Post by c4ndyc4ne on Dec 3, 2022 20:53:23 GMT
Likelihood of a transfer?
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Post by 141920grm on Dec 3, 2022 22:32:12 GMT
Emotional last show tonight, Miri teared up at 'we could live this love again' as did some more cast members in 'Answer Me' but she managed to work it into her farewell to the band, aww. Some creatives (I think, there were no speeches) came onstage at bows and there were hugs all round. Beautiful!
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Post by Rory on Dec 6, 2022 21:17:27 GMT
Wouldn't it be lovely to have this at the Ambassadors for a ten week season between Liz Kingsman and Wagatha?
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Post by Being Alive on Dec 6, 2022 22:20:49 GMT
Wouldn't it be lovely to have this at the Ambassadors for a ten week season between Liz Kingsman and Wagatha? wouldn't it indeed 👀 |
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Post by NorthernAlien on Dec 7, 2022 10:29:46 GMT
Wouldn't it be lovely to have this at the Ambassadors for a ten week season between Liz Kingsman and Wagatha? Please tell me this is going to happen, because I so wanted to see this, but the logistics of me getting there from Scotland require more planning than I was capable of this autumn... |
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Post by tonylony on Dec 7, 2022 11:26:04 GMT
Wouldn't it be lovely to have this at the Ambassadors for a ten week season between Liz Kingsman and Wagatha? Please tell me this is going to happen, because I so wanted to see this, but the logistics of me getting there from Scotland require more planning than I was capable of this autumn... I don't really see this happening, at least not with Miri Mesika. She has a ton of concerts scheduled for all of January and February |
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Post by rpvee on Dec 8, 2022 0:15:41 GMT
Hi everyone! Brand new to the site. This show is the only musical I’ve ever truly become a huge fan of, and I saw the original version 82 times between Broadway and the North American Tour. I’m traveling to London (for the first time!) to see this exciting new version as many times as I can during its final week. I have tickets for many of the dates, but there are a few I’m still keeping an eye out for (via cancellations, weekly release, etc.). If anyone has a ticket to any of these dates that they can’t use anymore, please let me know! 11/30 12/1 (both performances) 12/2 12/3 (evening/final performance) So very excited to see London and a brand new imagining of a show that’s grown so dear to my heart, and I’m looking forward to discussing it with everyone here! Let us know what you made of it, as an 82-times viewer of the Broadway production! Sorry for the delayed response! Last week was an amazing but hectic week being in London for the first time, and the past few days I’ve been settling back in at home in NYC. I was miraculously able to attend every performance of The Band’s Visit while I was in town, in total seeing this version 11 times and all versions 93 times. A few of the 11 Donmar ones were even last minute front row openings (including my first one), which were absolutely surreal, given the already intimate nature of the venue in general. This interpretation of the show was perfectly small and intimate for the Donmar. The set was very minimalistic compared to the North American version’s already rather bare one (one lone chair would represent a living room at the Donmar, for example). The performances were spot on - fresh new takes that were still faithful to the characters. Harel was an especially endearing Papi, and in general, the show added a couple extra small scenes/moments as transitions that gave the characters a bit more room to be fleshed out, which was super interesting. Alon’s Tewfiq was fascinating - none of the 11 performances I saw were the same, and he found new ways to perform scenes I’d seen dozens of times before. Fascinating and layered performance. I was able to see Emma’s version of Dina twice, which was gentle and sweet. Miri, though, is a powerhouse, and felt like Dina personified. It felt as if Yazbek’s Eastern-touched melodies were made for her voice, and she added extra flourishes to Omar Sharif during the final performance that sent chills up my spine. Breathtaking, and by far my favorite Dina vocally. As a whole, seeing this production felt like seeing a friend one hasn’t seen in a while who looks and sounds different, but not in a bad way, and still has that same heart. Really touching and gentle version that I hope will have a future for more people to experience. |
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Post by anthony40 on Apr 6, 2023 11:18:40 GMT
So I was thinking the the other day that given how sublime this production was and its recent success at the Olivier Awards it would be great if one production- Broadway or West End were professionally filmed- even just for archival purposes. Looks like my prayer have been answered and there is a free screening at the V&A www.vam.ac.uk/event/oZnwwzBKgM/a-bands-visit-a-nvap-muscial-matinee |
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872 posts
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Apr 6, 2023 11:25:05 GMT
Oh man I'd love to see this again but I'm seeing something else at the same time. Do these screenings ever get second showings?
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Post by yokollama on Apr 6, 2023 15:19:01 GMT
Oh man I'd love to see this again but I'm seeing something else at the same time. Do these screenings ever get second showings? According to the website: "The archive now holds over 450 high-quality archival multi-camera recordings of live performance in Britain and continues to record and preserve productions for the national collection... When V&A East opens in 2024 all the recordings will be available for the public to view in a brand-new facility."------ I'm a bit confused about the free event - do you not have to book in advance or is it first come, first served? Unsure what the capacity is. |
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Post by fossil on Apr 6, 2023 16:23:28 GMT
Oh man I'd love to see this again but I'm seeing something else at the same time. Do these screenings ever get second showings? According to the website: "The archive now holds over 450 high-quality archival multi-camera recordings of live performance in Britain and continues to record and preserve productions for the national collection... When V&A East opens in 2024 all the recordings will be available for the public to view in a brand-new facility."------ I'm a bit confused about the free event - do you not have to book in advance or is it first come, first served? Unsure what the capacity is. I asked. The event is not ticketed and the Hochhauser Auditorium seats 140. |
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. I don’t think the show should transfer to a larger theatre or risk losing the intimacy. Absolutely incredible. I am shaking. 
