The Devil Wears Prada - TR Plymouth / Dominion

[viserys]

Nov 6, 2024 13:13:34 GMT usbuzzer said:

Great post! I'm sorry if I came across as rude or overly negative, maybe it was a bad day for me to see the Devil. But this is the first time I feel so strongly against something in London theatres and that's why I started this conversation.

We obviously have very different tastes as you bring up Mean Girls, WAISS, DEH and even Hadestown as examples of bad/disappointing theatre and I loved all of those

No worries! I understand how sometimes something just gets us on the wrong day!

To clarify - I personally LOVE Hadestown, too, I flew to New York three times to see it again!

As for the others why I don't like them would lead too far here in a thread about Prada (I'm happy to keep talking by DM if you like), but yes, again, it's mostly down to personal taste which is such a strange thing but also very much based in our very individual experiences. I have MT friends with who I share a deep love for some things but stand diametrically opposite with other things.

And "lacklustre" movie adaptations are without a doubt a problem. I strongly dislike when I feel the movie has only been slapped 1:1 lazily onto the stage, but sometimes writers go deeper and find new angles, for example Groundhog Day gave so much more depth to the people living in Puxsutawny and Beetlejuice found a new way into the story by making it about Lydia and her parents rather than the dead Maitlands. Some rather bland adaptations like Back to the Future (just about) save themselves with their amazing stage gimmickry and "cult" status (although clearly the New York audience has been less impressed) and others are just tedious misfires like Pretty Woman.

To be honest here, I had no interest in seeing Prada initially, but with all the discussions and seeing how incredibly well it's been selling, I suffered a serious case of FOMO and bought a ticket for my next London weekend. So still don't know on what side of the fence I fall here!

[141920grm]

Nov 5, 2024 23:54:16 GMT mkb said:

Act 1: 19:35-20:40
Act 2: 21:03-21:30, technical stop, 21:41-22:11

Long show stop! 👀

[141920grm]

Nov 6, 2024 13:13:34 GMT usbuzzer said:

And then we have Prada. It's a very true-to-material adaptation, it has nothing extra to offer. It's not as funny, it doesn't have interesting staging, the costumes, choreography and sets are very mid, music is meh. There's nothing interesting in neither story, music, entertainment value, emotional value, production value (maybe apart from the MET Gala sequence due to fashion and how it's presented). So that's why I believe it's bad for MT and audiences. It offers nothing and gives people the impression that this is musical theatre nowadays.

And theatre could be either or combined: great fun, moving emotions, exceptional production, awesome choreos, catchy tunes, amazingly talented cast. Devil achieves maybe something in the production value and for sure in the talent area. But that's not too much for such a high-budget and heavily-marketed and well-selling show.

but equally some attendees, who go for the film appeal, will appreciate it is a close adaptation of a well-known work, predictable with no distracting extra narratives or messaging, simply reimagined in a highly digestible, musical, form (must every musical offer something 'extra' for it to be 'valid' musical theatre?)

all the aspects you found meh are highly subjective, and musically it is its own, mostly coherent, entity, which- while nothing groundbreaking- I personally enjoyed.

now IF the score had tried to emulate the movie soundtrack, I would begin to agree with you on the 'offering nothing extra'. 

[ladidah]

30mins of a technical stop is ages!

[kit66]

Nov 8, 2024 10:50:49 GMT ladidah said:

30mins of a technical stop is ages!

Reminds me of when there was a stop during a preview of The Producers but at least Nathan Lane and Lee Evans came on and did a 30min stand up which turned up to be the best thing about the show!

[greatauntedna]

Nov 8, 2024 10:50:49 GMT ladidah said:

30mins of a technical stop is ages!

mkb’s was 11 minutes?

[Phantom of London]

This is the big splashy musical that London has been waiting for.

So saw this in Plymouth where I gave it a paltry 3 stars, but I would say it wasn’t frozen in Plymouth and improvements have been made, the book seems more coherent, which made the show flow better this was my originally gripe. This seemed to work better in a ‘barn’ in fact it was quite wonderful, with solid performances that certainly put a smile on my face. Vanessa Williams gave a commanding performance, I was worried she wouldn’t be a big enough stat to fill the Dominion. I never need to comment about Matt Henry, as he is a singular sensation. Georgie Buckland and Amy Di Bartolommeo are also great.

This will win awards, especially for costume and set, maybe acting, I would also thought Vanessa Williams was a 6” shoe 👠 in for the Olivier. I certainly thought this far superior to MJ (Bad) or Mean Girls (enjoyable) or Why am I So Single (confused), it certainly won’t be Opening Night. Two Strangers & Benjamin Button is up there but this just edges it for me.

5 Stars.

[Dr Tom]

I saw this last night from front row centre. A bargain at £42.50 compared to what others are paying. The stage is a little high, but sitting upright, I didn’t have a problem.

I feared the worst based on the reviews, but this is a full scale impressive musical, performed very well, selling very well, exactly what London needs. A great cast including a lot of seasoned performers. Fabulous costumes. Even better, for a Friday night audience full of women with glasses in their hands, I don’t notice any disruptions.

Now, I can’t say it’s the best plot of all time, but otherwise this is impossible to fault. I just must remember to wear designer gear rather than my work clothes when the ticket prices allow me to make a return visit!

[A.Ham]

Very much my response to the show too Dr Tom - I saw the matinee last Saturday, and very much enjoyed it. Was sat on the centre aisle in row C - also a good view and not horrendously priced (at least when they were released a few weeks back).

Yes, it's not got the angst, plot or beautiful composition of something like Les Mis, but for a 'does what it says on the tin' show I thought it was great. Big, bright, brash, camp and colourful, with no subtleties... for a couple of hours of pure escapism you could do far worse. And it's selling well so there's clearly a demand for this type of show - to completely fill the Dominion for every performance from opening right into early December is pretty good given the size of the place.

I thought the four leads were all great - Georgie was suitably wide-eyed and can belt a tune, Matt was as wonderful as ever, Vanessa captured Miranda's disdain for all around her and I thought Amy did a good job with a fairly one-dimensional character. The songs aren't hugely memorable but are catchy and enjoyable in the moment, and the set, costumes and choreography all eye-catching. I liked how they used the aisles and the extended stage to provide the required catwalk feel.

And I was also pleasantly surprised by the audience - a quick glance round the front of house bars and lobbies pre-show and in the interval would have had any Theatreboard member fearing the worst, but thankfully I didn't hear a thing during the show, other than the enthusiastic applause at the right moments. So no, it's not high-brow or anything we've not seen before, but sometimes you just want a frothy, fun show, and Devil provided that in spades.

[jj9692]

Just saw the show last night.

I have to say this is one of my favourite shows I’ve seen in a long time. But I have to say it is due to the cast. Although there are a couple of catchy songs, most of the songs quite forgettable..

This is the definition of typecasting. Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater as Miranda Priestly is obviously the route they’ve gone for. But it works. She delivered all those famous lines perfectly. One thing I was shocked about was how little singing Miranda does. Although the more I thought about it, it make sense that she would be the character who wouldn’t just burst out into singing.

Georgie as Andy has a brilliant voice. And I loved how they changed her look during the makeover to stay away from Anne Hathaway. It’s no longer the look that is featured in the trailer they released.

Amy as Emily was the absolute standout of the night. She got some of the biggest laughs of the evening. And her voice just soars all around the Dominion.

Matt was great as usual. Corpsed at one point after an audible gasp from the audience but carried it off great.

We did have a show stop. Just as Andy finished the reprise of “How To Survive At Runway” leading into “Dress Your Way Up”. Was up and running again after about 5 minutes.

Overall I do think this is a great production. It’s a fun night out. Yes a lot of the songs are forgettable, but they serve the story, and a couple of songs are standouts. It is possibly one of the best movie to musical shows in recent years. But I think its future really will depend on cast. For the casts performances alone it is currently a 5 star show. It will be interesting to see how it translates in future after a cast change.

[mrbarnaby]

I’m cheered by reading some positive reviews at last. Perhaps I will enjoy it more than I thought.. I really hope so.

[greenandbrownandblue]

Seeking some seat advice: booking ahead for this as it's selling so well. I have a choice of front row stalls at £47.50, or front row of the second section of the circle (Row H) at £32.50. I don't know the Dominion well at all - any thoughts on which I should take?

PS: interesting to see Todaytix posters in Charing Cross station, advertising this as having £30 rush tickets. However they do not seem to have come into fruition yet...

[Dr Tom]

Nov 10, 2024 12:42:18 GMT greenandbrownandblue said:

Seeking some seat advice: booking ahead for this as it's selling so well. I have a choice of front row stalls at £47.50, or front row of the second section of the circle (Row H) at £32.50. I don't know the Dominion well at all - any thoughts on which I should take?

PS: interesting to see Todaytix posters in Charing Cross station, advertising this as having £30 rush tickets. However they do not seem to have come into fruition yet...

The Dominion is big. I really wouldn't want to sit anywhere in the Circle, definitely not towards the back. But some people like that view.

Regarding Rush tickets, typically everything in the Dominion ends up on Rush, so I'm sure they were expecting the same here. But right now, this is selling so well they don't need to do Rush. Perhaps that will change in the future, but I'm somehow not expecting Rush until at least the quiet period in January.

[frankubelik]

I have delayed my comments here for the usual fear of criticism, but...........it really wasn't very good. The reaction to pretty awful entrances (Miranda/Vanessa's for example) generate a response which is unwarranted and baffling; she has done nothing! Why are they screaming? The "lead" (Andi) is wholly unlikeable and has been poorly directed in ending every one of her numbers in an overly expressive flourish to which the audience responds accordingly. Vanessa has little to do in Act 1 apart from spout pithy one liners and although has a better arc in Act 2, is disappointing in her "big" number". The constant hip thrusting, knowing over the shoulder look from the ensemble is a replacement for any real content. Mr Henry's number comes from nowhere and is equally misplaced. The songs are generic and sound similar and some of the "high fashions" questionable. I was disappointed.

[Phantom of London]

Obviously this is selling well, as the movie was very popular, but more so because Elton John is attached, that is the big draw.

So after seeing this Friday night, it prompted me yesterday whilst travelling to listen to ‘Aida’ which is definitely ear-worm and also the musical that got away. Judging by how well Prada has sold a musical by Elton John and Tim Rice would be a huge seller, perfect musical to develop in Leicester then hopefully the West End.

It’s not too late to bring Aida over.

[bobbievanhusen]

Is he though? I would have thought that the film title alone would be the big draw. I imagine some people might not even know all that much about who Elton John is.

[gmoneyoutlaw]

Nov 10, 2024 18:49:25 GMT bobbievanhusen said:

Is he though? I would have thought that the film title alone would be the big draw. I imagine some people might not even know all that much about who Elton John is.

I would hope everyone knows who Elton John is.  Lion King has been running forever on WE and Broadway.

I'm going twice because I loved the film and Vanessa Williams is a a super talent and a sweet heart. 

As I have now seen Tammy Faye, I can say that Elton John is not a large draw on Broadway.  On the chat boards it's perdicted to be all early closer.

When Aida was on Broadway it was a sensation.  Great music, staging and performances.  

[Ade]

I’m still trying to collect my thoughts on this one. Saw it yesterday matinee and I’ve given it a 4 but I’m still not sure it deserves it. I came out having enjoyed myself more than I usually would for something in the 3/5 bracket but thoughts as per the below:

Performances - All were decent. Emily stole the show. Miranda was a different take that showed a touch more heart early on and I didn’t hate it. Nobody really has enough of an arc or actual dialogue to really give anything amazing.

Writing - It is the weakest spot for me. In some respects it felt like a VERY loyal version of the movie dialogue and did a good job of taking most key moments and putting them on stage while making it easy to understand for people not familiar with the movie. But equally everything was very light and there were holes in exposition that just made certain actions seem very random.

Music - Didn’t hate, didn’t love it. Some songs really stuck with me, some I’ve completely forgotten. None packed an emotional punch and Miranda’s big song in the second act fell very flat. I didn’t mind how a lot of the songs were staged and (as no choreography expert) thought it went well with the style. The most obvious thing for me was I found the song at the end of both acts an unusual one. They’re sung well but they don’t feel like they really represent any drama or jubilation.

Staging - What is everyone on about when they say this has money spent on it? If this is what we are classing as expensive these days, expectations really are dropping. A couple of nice moments but 60% of the show is in front of the same four walls. Apartment comes on, slides off, office slides on, slides off, apartment slides on etc. Also did they get a BOGOF on Eiffel Towers with Moulin Rouge. It’s all just fine, not tacky, not showy, very akin to Pretty Woman levels. And I can’t for the life of me work out what is causing the show stops!

[mrbarnaby]

Nov 10, 2024 18:21:45 GMT Phantom of London said:

Obviously this is selling well, as the movie was very popular, but more so because Elton John is attached, that is the big draw.

So after seeing this Friday night, it prompted me yesterday whilst travelling to listen to ‘Aida’ which is definitely ear-worm and also the musical that got away. Judging by how well Prada has sold a musical by Elton John and Tim Rice would be a huge seller, perfect musical to develop in Leicester then hopefully the West End.

It’s not too late to bring Aida over.

How can you possibly know why people are booking this?

Also I would disagree and say it’s way more likely it’s just the film and title drawing people in.. I don’t think Elton John has any appeal here at all. Look at how Tammy Faye is faring in NYC to see his appeal in regards to a musical.

[mrbarnaby]

Nov 10, 2024 19:02:52 GMT gmoneyoutlaw said:

Nov 10, 2024 18:49:25 GMT bobbievanhusen said:

Is he though? I would have thought that the film title alone would be the big draw. I imagine some people might not even know all that much about who Elton John is.

I would hope everyone knows who Elton John is.  Lion King has been running forever on WE and Broadway.

I'm going twice because I loved the film and Vanessa Williams is a a super talent and a sweet heart. 

As I have now seen Tammy Faye, I can say that Elton John is not a large draw on Broadway.  On the chat boards it's perdicted to be all early closer.

When Aida was on Broadway it was a sensation.  Great music, staging and performances.  

You’ve obviously never worked with Vanessa Williams 🤣

[Phantom of London]

Nov 10, 2024 22:42:33 GMT mrbarnaby said:

Nov 10, 2024 18:21:45 GMT Phantom of London said:

Obviously this is selling well, as the movie was very popular, but more so because Elton John is attached, that is the big draw.

So after seeing this Friday night, it prompted me yesterday whilst travelling to listen to ‘Aida’ which is definitely ear-worm and also the musical that got away. Judging by how well Prada has sold a musical by Elton John and Tim Rice would be a huge seller, perfect musical to develop in Leicester then hopefully the West End.

It’s not too late to bring Aida over.

How can you possibly know why people are booking this?

Also I would disagree and say it’s way more likely it’s just the film and title drawing people in.. I don’t think Elton John has any appeal here at all. Look at how Tammy Faye is faring in NYC to see his appeal in regards to a musical.

A beloved fil title doesn’t always sell tickets, look at Groundhog Day despite winning the Olivier.

Tammy Faye hasn’t opened yet, anyway it was a terrible decision to put it in the barn of the Palace.

Elton John and Tim Rice are a big draw.

[normasturban]

On no planet is Elton John the draw for this.

The Devil Wears Prada is a beloved title for that millennial sweet spot of girls in their 20s/30s who want a prosecco fuelled night out with their mates.

[Phantom of London]

Well we have to see, a swallow doesn’t make a summer, a few sold out shows doesn’t mark a hit. Prada is still a massive sell on name alone for the Dominion.

Hell I only said that Aida should make its West End debut as the score by Elton John and Tim Rice, in fact it’s Elton John’s best score, out of his 6 musicals

BTW I hope that Prada does go on and become a massive success.

[mrbarnaby]

Nov 10, 2024 23:36:59 GMT normasturban said:

On no planet is Elton John the draw for this.

The Devil Wears Prada is a beloved title for that millennial sweet spot of girls in their 20s/30s who want a prosecco fuelled night out with their mates.

This is the reason it’s selling so well.

A movie from years ago (Groundhog Day) is not a suitable comparison.

[Ade]

For sure the movie is the draw here. My friend came out on Saturday and only realised it was Elton John while she was looking up at the marquee and spotted his name while moaning about the music. I reckon 80% of the people that see it probably don’t even realise he did the music - and to be fair it’s not really been advertised with heavy emphasis on his name.

Not sure anyone would say this is a guaranteed hit based on a few sell out shows. But I do think if it is a hit then it will be on the love for the film and not on Elton’s involvement.

On a separate note, I’ve just been reminded of the rumour about Hannah Waddingham and now realising just how much more fitting I think she would have been.