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Post by danb on Mar 28, 2018 9:50:13 GMT
Cuba Gooding jr doesn’t excite you? He must be better than Jerry Springer no? He certainly doesn't excite me. He's a name and a face I recognise, but I don't think he's a massively loved character is he? No, me neither. I was, as I mostly am, being wrily tongue in cheek. Short of writing “I’m being wrily tongue in cheek here” I’m not sure what else I could do to indicate that. If only someone would invent a series of little pictures that could indicate your emotions & intent to go alongside ones actual writing. That would be great! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2018 12:37:24 GMT
^ It’s about time you discovered winking, danb .  |
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Post by danb on Mar 28, 2018 13:00:26 GMT
^ It’s about time you discovered winking, danb . I spent most of my teenage years doing that Caiaphas, and married early so that I wouldn’t need to....oh winking...right. Yes, winking picture thing. They should give them a name...maybe make a dreadful film about them! 🙄 |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2018 13:12:22 GMT
^ What??? You stopped once you got married???  Fibber... |
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 28, 2018 15:57:21 GMT
Has anyone actually been?
Sorry, but we seemed to have 2 pages where no one answered the initial question, unless I missed it??
Thanks - interested to hear what people think.
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Post by shady23 on Mar 28, 2018 17:06:50 GMT
Only Mark Shenton's friend it seems...
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Post by Elle on Mar 30, 2018 22:41:36 GMT
Chicago was the second show I ever saw, exactly 10 years ago on Broadway. It was the only time and John Schneider played Billy Flynn. I remember I enjoyed it then, it's a good introduction to musicals and jazz hands. 🤗 It's not a show I would see over and over again though.
Enough time had passed since and tonight I was looking forward to seeing Cuba as I enjoy his work as an actor. That is indeed what he is, a great actor and singing is not his strong suit. But it's OK the crowd loved him anyway. It's the 3 leading ladies though that really stole the show. Every single one of them was excellent. Roxie is a star! All the original cast was on. The show is what you would expect it to be. The orchestra on the stage is the set and the costumes are the classic black ones.
It was sold out tonight and all in all for a show in its first week of previews it's in great shape. I'm happy I saw it again after all this time with this excellent cast. Maybe I'll see it again in another 10 years... 😄
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Post by leddy on Mar 30, 2018 23:29:52 GMT
I saw the second preview. It’s a super-professional ensemble (which is just as well since I understand it was a super-short rehearsal period) and they already have the style and moves down very well - production, so far as I can recall, is a carbon copy of the previous West End run.
I loved Ruthie Henshall’s Reciprocity - voice sounded great and she put it over beautifully, her choices made it seem really fresh. I also really liked Sarah Soetaert, particularly in “Roxie”. She made me (and the rest of the audience) laugh a lot but the singing quality was absolutely there too.
All of which threw the “Hollywood star’s” performance into sharp relief. I am no friend of Mr Shenton but his sources are correct on this one. Cannot sing at all. At all. Not even enthusiastic shower singing. Last line of “All I care about is love” was nearly a whole tone out and the whole thing was a white knuckle ride so far as tuning is concerned. He missed lines, alternated between smirking and looking bored whenever he was not speaking and by the time it got to Razzle Dazzle it felt as though the rest of the cast were literally pushing him around into place. I have truly never seen such a half-arsed effort in the West End. It was a positive relief whenever he left the stage and I could relax. But the audience loved him - biggest applause of the night. Very interested to hear what the critics say.
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Post by callum on Mar 31, 2018 0:11:11 GMT
His performance as O.J. Simpson definitely 'stood out'
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Post by richey on Mar 31, 2018 12:26:50 GMT
If CJG is that bad, I dread to think what his performance of "They Both Reached for the Gun" is like 😕
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Post by indis on Mar 31, 2018 12:31:32 GMT
is Cuba doing SD photos?
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Post by longinthetooth on Apr 4, 2018 20:37:53 GMT
With some trepidation I went to today's matinee. It's true CGJ will never win any awards for singing, but he wasn't as bad as I feared, and didn't miss any cues or forget his lines. He was very popular with the audience.
All the female leads were excellent, but for me, Sarah (Roxie) was definitely the star. I loved the ensemble too.
There was a technical hitch in Act 2. When the "not guilty" Hungarian girl went up the ladder for her "rope trick", nothing happened and they swung the ladder off into the wings, at which point the curtain came down, and an announcement was made that there would be a slight delay but would we all remain in our seats. Just then, the "rope" for the "trick" (sorry if this sounds weird, not sure how to do spoilers!) appeared and someone rushed out of the wings to retrieve it. Curtain back up and Act 2 continued.
After the cast took their bows (to a very enthusiastic audience - but no standing ovation), and the on stage orchestra continued to play, almost everyone stayed in their seats until they'd finished - only a handful put on their coats and left, which I think shows just how good the orchestra are.
Going off piste slightly, I was slightly concerned about the attire of the young lady next to me - a crimson velvet, backless very mini, mini dress, fishnet tights and over the knee black boots, topped with a pink fur jacket (bearing in mind this was at the matinee, the mind boggles at what her evening attire might aspire to). I did wonder if she was at the right show - then took in the apparel of my neighbour on the other side. She was also in a mini skirt (although her top was somewhat more modest), plus fishnets and pink fur jacket. At this point I wondered if it was ME that was at the right show!
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Post by Seriously on Apr 4, 2018 21:47:44 GMT
Going off piste slightly, I was slightly concerned about the attire of the young lady next to me - a crimson velvet, backless very mini, mini dress, fishnet tights and over the knee black boots, topped with a pink fur jacket (bearing in mind this was at the matinee, the mind boggles at what her evening attire might aspire to). Definitely Shenton. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2018 9:31:39 GMT
Going off piste slightly, I was slightly concerned about the attire of the young lady next to me - a crimson velvet, backless very mini, mini dress, fishnet tights and over the knee black boots, topped with a pink fur jacket (bearing in mind this was at the matinee, the mind boggles at what her evening attire might aspire to). I did wonder if she was at the right show - then took in the apparel of my neighbour on the other side. She was also in a mini skirt (although her top was somewhat more modest), plus fishnets and pink fur jacket. At this point I wondered if it was ME that was at the right show! Good for them. Most people just don't dress up for the theatre anymore. |
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Post by frontrowcentre on Apr 6, 2018 17:17:19 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2018 20:25:12 GMT
I’d forgotten how many sheer fabric-covered six packs there were in this show. Mother may I?! |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Apr 7, 2018 20:04:50 GMT
As people have said, when this show has a great Roxie and Velma (proper musical theatre actresses).. this show is pretty sensational. When they start doing stunt casting it kills it.
This really is a waste of a prime west end theatre. I hope it’s not hanging around for long.
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Post by greeny11 on Apr 10, 2018 9:59:52 GMT
I thought Sarah as Roxie was the standout last night. In awe of Josefina's dancing, but her singing was a bit flat, as was Ruthie's - the last note of Class was really bad. Cuba Gooding Jr was fine singing and acting wise, but his voice was starting to go at times - he sounds like he's straining his voice.
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Post by dannyrichards on Apr 11, 2018 18:36:02 GMT
Seeing this tonight, will report back. Particularly excited to see Ruthie complete the trio. Is it too much to crown her with the oft-used label of legend?
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Post by Seriously on Apr 11, 2018 22:25:41 GMT
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Post by dannyrichards on Apr 11, 2018 23:39:24 GMT
Seeing this tonight, will report back. Particularly excited to see Ruthie complete the trio. Is it too much to crown her with the oft-used label of legend? Josefina and Sarah are outstanding as is Ruthie Henshall. CGJ though? Ahem. He’s not even trying. |
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Post by carmella1 on Apr 12, 2018 1:18:46 GMT
My favorite. "Cell Block Tango" w/Jeremy Jordan, Ben Platt, Joshua Henry, Christopher Fitzgerald, Leslie Odom Jr.
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Post by djp on Apr 12, 2018 4:15:13 GMT
As people have said, when this show has a great Roxie and Velma (proper musical theatre actresses).. this show is pretty sensational. When they start doing stunt casting it kills it. This really is a waste of a prime west end theatre. I hope it’s not hanging around for long. How can it be a waste of time if this production has proper musical theatre actresses then? It doesn't really matter where they come from. They just have to be able to act, sing, and dance it. The problem for people like me who saw a lot of it - from Suzanne Shaw and Aoife Mulholland as Roxie, and then the succession of past great performers they ran before it closed - is that I want someone who can play it, and interpret it, interestingly. The great virtue of the show is that Roxie can look very different and is open to multiple interpretations , and Velma's can come in many striking forms - from Anna Jane Casey to Leigh Zimmerman . Ali Bastian and Suzanne Shaw both produced interesting younger Roxies, while AoiFe Mulholland could vary her Roxie's persona from show to show. This outing's problem is that its been around before, the female leads look more similar, and its not got anyone who can match Suzanne Shaw's loveable psycho, Ruthie's version, or a Bonnie Langford's unique additions. |
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Post by shady23 on Apr 12, 2018 8:03:11 GMT
"Cuba Gooding Jr is making his West End debut and: oh dear. It’s not great. At all. The hoarse voice is forgivable – he’ll get over that eventually – but what kills it is the lack of precision."
Review from The Stage
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Post by showoff on Apr 12, 2018 10:12:39 GMT
I was there last night. I actually didn't know I'd booked for the press night until I arrived. I pulled up in a cab and there was photographers and a group of girls behind a barrier. I wondered if someone famous was coming so I asked the usher and she told me. I thought they'd already had it, so I was pretty surprised.
I enjoyed it, but obviously there's nothing new there. The actress as Roxie is the standout though. It was strange seeing Ruthie as Morton, because to me she still looks very much like a Velma, so when they have their scenes together, for me, it seems as though they are the present and future versions of Velma.
Cuba, well where to start?
His voice in All I Care About Is Love was quite shocking, it sounded as though he was losing it in a lot of places and I wondered if the standby would have to be put on in his place, but no, apparently that's how he sings.
I was sitting between rows, in front of me was a group and behind a group, who I presume are producers or somehow involved in the show. In the interval the women in front were lauding Cuba to those behind and exclaiming 'Cuba can dance'. I presume she must mean the country because I saw no evidence of it on that stage last night. His feet seemed oddly flappy and there wasn't anything good to say about it. At times he looks oddly misplaced on stage, as if he suddenly realised he was on the stage and didn't understand how he got there.
He's pretty awful.
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