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Post by Being Alive on Dec 6, 2024 12:15:43 GMT
I think they'll manage a year, and I expect to see a lot more of Vanessa Williams on TV and radio in the coming months...
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Post by theatrefan2007 on Dec 6, 2024 12:48:49 GMT
Yeah they’ll be lucky enough to make it till the summer. I think the Dominion is too big to host open-ended shows. I know WWRY was there for a long time but I can’t see this being there for more than a year.
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Post by karloscar on Dec 6, 2024 13:09:15 GMT
I incorrectly listed 'We Will Rock You' with screen-to-stage adaptations in a post above; I guess I was equating it due to 'pop power' of Queen and Elton John.  'Fame' could be added to West End screen-to-stage adaptations that got a number of US Tours, but not Broadway. There are probably mre - the West End's had a few! If only there was pop power (when that means truly memorable stand-out well crafted songs). Who would begrudge Elton John reaching into his back catalogue or obscure album tracks to bolster the score for either 'Tammy Faye' or 'The Devil Wears Prada' if it made them great? After all, 'Tiny Dancer' was a 1972 single that failed to make the UK Top 40, but (once sampled) was a number 3 hit in 2009. Scrolling Elton John's discography I noticed 'Healing Hands' - a song I'd forgotten; and a number 1 in the UK, a number 13 hit in the USA. It's a stronger example of his gospel tinged songs than he provided for 'Tammy Faye' - and memorable either in its own right, or due to 'way back' recall of it. Bernie Taupin might not consent to his work being used for one thing, and the lyricist for the show might object too. |
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Post by Jon on Dec 6, 2024 13:14:00 GMT
Elton has been quite vocal about not doing a jukebox musical unlike his contemporaries and TBH he's had hits with The Lion King, Aida and Billy Elliot so he doesn't need to go down the jukebox musical route.
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5,996 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Dec 6, 2024 13:40:40 GMT
That 5 stars from the Evening Standard is wild. Is that paper still owner by Evgeny Lebedev? If it is- that explains it. He was at the Gala and is friends with Elton.
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Post by max on Dec 6, 2024 13:42:06 GMT
I incorrectly listed 'We Will Rock You' with screen-to-stage adaptations in a post above; I guess I was equating it due to 'pop power' of Queen and Elton John. 'Fame' could be added to West End screen-to-stage adaptations that got a number of US Tours, but not Broadway. There are probably mre - the West End's had a few! If only there was pop power (when that means truly memorable stand-out well crafted songs). Who would begrudge Elton John reaching into his back catalogue or obscure album tracks to bolster the score for either 'Tammy Faye' or 'The Devil Wears Prada' if it made them great? After all, 'Tiny Dancer' was a 1972 single that failed to make the UK Top 40, but (once sampled) was a number 3 hit in 2009. Scrolling Elton John's discography I noticed 'Healing Hands' - a song I'd forgotten; and a number 1 in the UK, a number 13 hit in the USA. It's a stronger example of his gospel tinged songs than he provided for 'Tammy Faye' - and memorable either in its own right, or due to 'way back' recall of it. Bernie Taupin might not consent to his work being used for one thing, and the lyricist for the show might object too. Absolutely - responding midway to bolster the score would have brought up all those difficulties. I'm thinking that Elton John's recent output (recorded and theatre) hasn't been so stellar, so conceiving a musical from the outstet with a mix of old and new might have been the way to go. If contributors said 'no' then perhaps it's not worth the candle in the wind. With 'Tammy Faye' it was apparently EJ's project from the start - so he'd have needed to make that judgement on his own hit-making abilities these days; and we all fail to appreciate our own weaknesses. Along those lines - we look forward to 'negotiations' between John Cleese and Eric Idle for use of Idle's song 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life' in Cleese's 'Life Of Brian' stage adaptation....! |
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Post by unseaworthy on Dec 6, 2024 13:42:12 GMT
That 5 stars from the Evening Standard is wild. Is that paper still owner by Evgeny Lebedev? If it is- that explains it. He was at the Gala and is friends with Elton. Yes, he is still the owner. |
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5,996 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Dec 6, 2024 13:43:21 GMT
That 5 stars from the Evening Standard is wild. Is that paper still owner by Evgeny Lebedev? If it is- that explains it. He was at the Gala and is friends with Elton. Yes, he is still the owner. Bingo. |
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Post by max on Dec 6, 2024 13:51:27 GMT
Martin Robinson has written this review for the Evening Standard. Not one of their regular reviewers for Theatre. I wonder how the regulars feel? - not about missing the gig, but it being a potential set-up job that brings down any seriousness in their own work. Robinson is the only reviewer to talk about Elton John's "irresistible songs".
Robinson rounds up:
"a time when fashion and New York were both in their pomp and you could never be too rich, too thin or too demanding. Absolutely fabulous".
Sounds exactly what a Russian oligarch would enjoy. Pass the Prada sick bag. Talking of which....
Elsewhere at ES Robinson can be found culturally commentating:
"I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here 2024: What is vomit fruit? Is it really that bad?"
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Post by c4ndyc4ne on Dec 6, 2024 15:51:28 GMT
maybe the standard's critic chose not to review it knowing the eyes of the owner would be on them...
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Post by theatrefan2007 on Dec 6, 2024 16:35:51 GMT
Funny how most of the reviews they featured on their socials are mostly from celebs who saw it and not from the critics.
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Post by unseaworthy on Dec 6, 2024 16:42:38 GMT
Funny how most of the reviews they featured on their socials are mostly from celebs who saw it and not from the critics. Very interested to see what the marketing team do with all this. Will they have to use a load of quotes from random twitter users? |
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Post by theatrefan2007 on Dec 6, 2024 17:02:51 GMT
Funny how most of the reviews they featured on their socials are mostly from celebs who saw it and not from the critics. Very interested to see what the marketing team do with all this. Will they have to use a load of quotes from random twitter users? I was thinking the same thing. They’ve only use the critics that gave them 4 or 5 stars and the rest are the celebs who saw the show. |
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 6, 2024 18:26:35 GMT
I have no desire to this as i dislike the film and EJ, from the reviews it sounds not as earnest as the film? More fun, more hen night ?
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Post by matthew90 on Dec 6, 2024 18:33:18 GMT
I have no desire to this as i dislike the film and EJ, from the reviews it sounds not as earnest as the film? More fun, more hen night ? It feels like a flashy highlight reel of the movie with some songs shoehorned in. Then in act 2 they realise they went through most plot points in in act 1 so throw in some random filler and songs. The people I know who aren't theatre lovers but wanted a fun night out haven't enjoyed this either when I've spoken to them about it. |
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Post by max on Dec 6, 2024 21:27:43 GMT
Funny how most of the reviews they featured on their socials are mostly from celebs who saw it and not from the critics. Very interested to see what the marketing team do with all this. Will they have to use a load of quotes from random twitter users? They could say they were just being like 'Book Of Mormon' which (despite amazing reviews they could have used from Broadway, and the ones here) chose to publicise almost entirely at launch with tweet reviews from the public. Most of the time though, that rings alarm bells. |
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Post by nash16 on Dec 6, 2024 21:50:13 GMT
That 5 stars from the Evening Standard is wild. Is that paper still owner by Evgeny Lebedev? If it is- that explains it. He was at the Gala and is friends with Elton. Still owned by the nightmare, who is still chums with EJ. The ES tends to "support" any big London musical as it's in their interests to promote the city. As many have said, the reviews won't affect those wanting to see this show (tourists especially: they'll know the film; enjoy the visuals; and not really need to understand everything word wise), but it's a BIG house to fill. Can it drag it's behind down the runway for the full year? Not so sure. But as I said in an earlier post, the hen partioes and out-of-town coach parties have very little new work to see, so it will sell purely on that basis too. |
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Post by Jon on Dec 6, 2024 22:07:53 GMT
That 5 stars from the Evening Standard is wild. Is that paper still owner by Evgeny Lebedev? If it is- that explains it. He was at the Gala and is friends with Elton. Still owned by the nightmare, who is still chums with EJ. The ES tends to "support" any big London musical as it's in their interests to promote the city. As many have said, the reviews won't affect those wanting to see this show (tourists especially: they'll know the film; enjoy the visuals; and not really need to understand everything word wise), but it's a BIG house to fill. Can it drag it's behind down the runway for the full year? Not so sure. But as I said in an earlier post, the hen partioes and out-of-town coach parties have very little new work to see, so it will sell purely on that basis too. I think once Vanessa Williams leaves, the producers will look for a similar name to sell tickets. Beverly Knight as Miranda anyone? |
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Post by A.Ham on Dec 6, 2024 22:37:34 GMT
Still owned by the nightmare, who is still chums with EJ. The ES tends to "support" any big London musical as it's in their interests to promote the city. As many have said, the reviews won't affect those wanting to see this show (tourists especially: they'll know the film; enjoy the visuals; and not really need to understand everything word wise), but it's a BIG house to fill. Can it drag it's behind down the runway for the full year? Not so sure. But as I said in an earlier post, the hen partioes and out-of-town coach parties have very little new work to see, so it will sell purely on that basis too. I think once Vanessa Williams leaves, the producers will look for a similar name to sell tickets. Beverly Knight as Miranda anyone? Given I’d pay good money to watch Bev sing the phone book, she’d definitely extend the show’s run for a good few months, if not longer! |
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569 posts
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Post by shownut on Dec 7, 2024 8:14:54 GMT
I think once Vanessa Williams leaves, the producers will look for a similar name to sell tickets. Beverly Knight as Miranda anyone? Given I’d pay good money to watch Bev sing the phone book, she’d definitely extend the show’s run for a good few months, if not longer! There is nothing here to show off Bev's powerhouse vocals. A top, bankable actress with a passable voice would be more suitable but I hope Vanessa isn't going anywhere soon. I loved her in this role. |
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Post by A.Ham on Dec 7, 2024 8:37:21 GMT
Given I’d pay good money to watch Bev sing the phone book, she’d definitely extend the show’s run for a good few months, if not longer! There is nothing here to show off Bev's powerhouse vocals. A top, bankable actress with a passable voice would be more suitable but I hope Vanessa isn't going anywhere soon. I loved her in this role. Yes, you’re right, Miranda doesn’t have that much singing to do anyway, it was Georgie who got to do all the belting, so perhaps Bev’s talents would be wasted. And I’m sure Vanessa is with it until at least July. Perhaps they’ll promote Debbie when she leaves if they can’t afford/justify/find another big name. |
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 7, 2024 10:34:19 GMT
Stick Gemma Collins in it
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Post by unseaworthy on Dec 7, 2024 10:56:06 GMT
Stick Gemma Collins in it With Martine McCutchen and that man from MJ - what could go wrong? |
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Post by stageyfan23 on Dec 7, 2024 11:42:20 GMT
Still owned by the nightmare, who is still chums with EJ. The ES tends to "support" any big London musical as it's in their interests to promote the city. As many have said, the reviews won't affect those wanting to see this show (tourists especially: they'll know the film; enjoy the visuals; and not really need to understand everything word wise), but it's a BIG house to fill. Can it drag it's behind down the runway for the full year? Not so sure. But as I said in an earlier post, the hen partioes and out-of-town coach parties have very little new work to see, so it will sell purely on that basis too. I think once Vanessa Williams leaves, the producers will look for a similar name to sell tickets. Beverly Knight as Miranda anyone? I’m thinking Michelle Visage… |
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Post by magician on Dec 7, 2024 13:40:42 GMT
I think once Vanessa Williams leaves, the producers will look for a similar name to sell tickets. Beverly Knight as Miranda anyone? I’m thinking Michelle Visage… Is Miranda a non-singing role? |
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