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Post by londonmzfitz on Aug 23, 2023 22:18:07 GMT
I have that poster on my living room wall (signed by Ramin at Stage Door between the last matinee and the last performance). I love it.
12 years on Love Never Dies is still dividing opinion - West End Whingers review comments in 2010 on the 53 pages of the old WOS forum of "largely negative posts" about the show and that was prior to opening night!
The enjoyment of what seems to be the majority on here of the music and (mostly) the performances would suggest it could have a future life - but I think it needs a proper orchestra - having the musicians on the stage on the 3 performances was, I think, such a delight, rather than what seems to be the norm of a reduced pit and soundtracks for current shows in the West End. If it did a tour honestly I think the reviews would be the death of it. The book - and I speak as someone who loathed the first performance, listened to the cast recording and went back possibly every month - 6 weeks to closing - the book is mad/bad. Maybe a couple of months at Manchester or similar -?- over Christmas to get the bums on seats -?-
I said in my post earlier on this thread, I just wasn't feeling Norm's performance Monday evening. I can forgive forgetting words for a short run gig, but his voice wasn't making it. There's 2 main roles and one was outstanding and the other one wasn't. It's an expensive ticket and I feel a bit let down that Norm wasn't great. My opinion (stone cold sober, btw).
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Post by distantcousin on Aug 23, 2023 22:19:51 GMT
I may give a detailed review at some point, but one of my main takeaways is what was with all the OTT Britain's Got Talent/Broadway style audience reaction?!
Is this the cultural norm now? I haven't seen any MT concerts since the likes of Chess in 2008 and Phantom 25 and I don't remember such unbridled cheering, whooping, standing ovations after individual songs, protracted applause, etc etc.
I always thought us Brits were more understated in our appreciation.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 23, 2023 22:34:27 GMT
I may give a detailed review at some point, but one of my main takeaways is what was with all the OTT Britain's Got Talent/Broadway style audience reaction?! Is this the cultural norm now? I haven't seen any MT concerts since the likes of Chess in 2008 and Phantom 25 and I don't remember such unbridled cheering, whooping, standing ovations after individual songs, protracted applause, etc etc. I always thought us Brits were more understated in our appreciation. That’s one of the things that puts me off these concerts. Hysterical show queens screaming at everything. |
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Post by kyvai on Aug 23, 2023 22:41:39 GMT
I was impressed with Norm in the first act on Monday, I did feel his voice was not as rich/full/well controlled in the second act, didn’t notice any line flubs (Beauty Underneath baffled me totally anyway as I am used to the original original version!). Sounds like he has a much rougher time on Tuesday.
The prerecorded bits of Beauty Underneath mirror the same approach in Angel of Music in POTO doesn’t it? No Christine does the ending of that live! I did wonder how they’d do the guitar riffs live, I guess they just didn’t.
I really enjoyed Courtney Stapleton’s Meg too. Once I got over my confusion as I’d mixed her up in my head with Courtney Bowman! A different take from Strallen’s original but I still saw the sarcasm, jealousy, despondency growing. Although they had removed a line she had in the original about the pier being a place people slipped into the sea that gave more foreshadowing to her actions later on. I really liked how she did the ending, and thought it’s a shame that Cabaret are insistent on stunt casting as she’d be a terrific Sally Bowles.
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Post by Steve on Aug 23, 2023 22:41:43 GMT
I may give a detailed review at some point, but one of my main takeaways is what was with all the OTT Britain's Got Talent/Broadway style audience reaction?! Is this the cultural norm now? I haven't seen any MT concerts since the likes of Chess in 2008 and Phantom 25 and I don't remember such unbridled cheering, whooping, standing ovations after individual songs, protracted applause, etc etc. I always thought us Brits were more understated in our appreciation. This is definitely the cultural norm now, for good or for ill lol!
Most of these concerts play to dedicated fans, and mass hysteria is to be expected. I think it's the rush of joy people need after years of pandemic loneliness and endless depressing news stories about decline.
If you think "Love Never Dies" was OTT, try "Death Note the Musical."
That one sold to a lot of new theatregoers, who don't remember the staid old days, who couldn't wait to see their favourite characters from the manga and animes and movies appear on stage, and when the fan faves came out, like Dean John Wilson's "L" and Adam Pascal's Ryuk, it felt like Barbra Streisand and Britney Spears just came on together lol.
If I'm honest, I LOVED it. It warmed my heart to overhear conversations about discovering theatre for the first time.
And the screaming turned to hushed reverent enjoyment, as soon as the drama kicked in, just as it did with "Love Never Dies."
Unlike in so many gigs, where you frequently can't hear the singer over the fans singing along, theatre tends to get the best of both worlds: shared unbridled exhilaration blended with shared hushed reverence.  |
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Post by toomasj on Aug 23, 2023 22:46:59 GMT
I may give a detailed review at some point, but one of my main takeaways is what was with all the OTT Britain's Got Talent/Broadway style audience reaction?! Is this the cultural norm now? I haven't seen any MT concerts since the likes of Chess in 2008 and Phantom 25 and I don't remember such unbridled cheering, whooping, standing ovations after individual songs, protracted applause, etc etc. I always thought us Brits were more understated in our appreciation. I can assure you nothing like this happened at the Evita concert. Probably for very different reasons… |
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Post by frankie on Aug 24, 2023 21:00:47 GMT
Also totally random, but for any Drag Race fans... Was it just me, or was Sally Dexter giving MAJOR Jimbo the Ghost vibes? I don't know if it was her facial expression or what, but this was all I could imagine whenever she was on stage... I have read so many posts and it's so upsetting that so many of the comments are not just negative but some so cruel. Constructive critique should of course always be welcomed but it should always be constructive and subjective. The actors are people putting themselves out there for our entertainment. I find it amusing that several members inform us of their intention to 'provide us' with a more detailed review....we wait with bated breath for their pearls... I absolutely loved the show. Who cares about the dodgy story, the flakey script etc. Spoiler alert - IT'S JUST A MUSICAL! It's just intended to provide a couple of hours of wonderful music and singing and transport us away from life. If you 'hate' it so much and almost want it to be a flop, I find it confusing that you buy a ticket. It is so sad that so many posts focus on every little mistake and fluff rather than just sitting back and enjoying an incredible night out. If the performance was so terrible why then did the audience jump to their feet and, god forbid, give a standing ovation, mid show...? I look forward to 'us Brits' being restricted on time allowed for clapping and the 'whooping' ban |
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Post by steve10086 on Aug 24, 2023 21:15:20 GMT
Who cares about the dodgy story, the flakey script etc. Spoiler alert - IT'S JUST A MUSICAL! 🙄 |
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Post by anthony on Aug 25, 2023 8:26:14 GMT
Also totally random, but for any Drag Race fans... Was it just me, or was Sally Dexter giving MAJOR Jimbo the Ghost vibes? I don't know if it was her facial expression or what, but this was all I could imagine whenever she was on stage... I have read so many posts and it's so upsetting that so many of the comments are not just negative but some so cruel. Constructive critique should of course always be welcomed but it should always be constructive and subjective. The actors are people putting themselves out there for our entertainment. I find it amusing that several members inform us of their intention to 'provide us' with a more detailed review....we wait with bated breath for their pearls... I absolutely loved the show. Who cares about the dodgy story, the flakey script etc. Spoiler alert - IT'S JUST A MUSICAL! It's just intended to provide a couple of hours of wonderful music and singing and transport us away from life. If you 'hate' it so much and almost want it to be a flop, I find it confusing that you buy a ticket. It is so sad that so many posts focus on every little mistake and fluff rather than just sitting back and enjoying an incredible night out. If the performance was so terrible why then did the audience jump to their feet and, god forbid, give a standing ovation, mid show...? I look forward to 'us Brits' being restricted on time allowed for clapping and the 'whooping' ban Hello. I don't think I am being "cruel". Ultimately, it is not my fault that some of the actors on the stage 1) did not bother learning their lines and 2) didn't bother learning anything about the characters. Mme Giry walking around with a grin on her face for most of the Tuesday evening performance just isn't the character. When they're charging the prices they were charging, surely a minimum expectation should be that they learn their lines?! I also never said I hated it - in fact, if you look at my posts you'll see I'm mainly complimentary about LND. But, if people didn't like it, they're entitled not to like it - it seems you just have a problem with people having an opinion that is different to your own. "Who cares about the dodgy story, the flakey script etc. Spoiler alert - IT'S JUST A MUSICAL!". < uhm... yeah... "If the performance was so terrible why then did the audience jump to their feet and, god forbid, give a standing ovation, mid show...?" < Let's be perfectly frank and honest, pretty much everything gets a standing ovation nowadays. Hell, even Bleak Expectations, when I saw it, received a standing ovation! The standing ovation mid-show was in response to Celinde's performance of 'Love Never Dies' < a specific performance of a song. People didn't jump up and give a standing ovation because of Sally Dexter's grin throughout, or Norm Lewis' forgotten lines, lol. |
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Post by interval99 on Aug 25, 2023 8:34:09 GMT
No frankie a musical is not just a couple of hours of music it's the successful match of book and score.
Musicals can have the most off the wall stories but its the book writers craft and skill which makes the whole show work.
Case in point love never dies verses the phantom of the opera. Almost same cast, both have powerful scores, one still engages the crowds worldwide after 37 years the other has yet to open in some countries or fully tour. The book and storyline engaged in one, left people unconnected in the other.
People are aloud to write different opinions on a forum , and overall this show seems to be tracking at 4.5 out of 5 which must be one of the strongest showings this year and its been great reading all the views.
This has one of the more positive active threads, and up to frankies comments very polite no matter what the opinions. Even Anthony comment that Tam Mutu was the superior phantom has been left alone as a interesting alternative opinion.
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Post by anthony on Aug 25, 2023 8:41:19 GMT
Even Anthony comment that Tam Mutu was the superior phantom has been left alone as a interesting alternative opinion. It is a fact, I tell you!!!  I remember when I saw Tam when he was the understudy, before he became the alternate. When Sierra sang "and I loved you, yes I loved you", Tam slammed his hand down on the desk and shouted 'No!' and it was just so wonderful. I can't explain. It was just so great. |
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Post by londonmzfitz on Aug 25, 2023 12:09:08 GMT
No mid-show standing ovation on Monday evening for Celinde although big applause. Guy behind me was giving it the big Wooops! but I (checking Twitter the next day) discovered he's Spanish (back of my head in one of his photos).
Q from above - "It's just intended to provide a couple of hours of wonderful music and singing and transport us away from life".
For £125 of my hard earned moolah. As such I'll say again, for what could be described as a two hander (OK, two and a half for the kid) I'd expected something a bit more from one of them. Orchestra was flaming lovely though.
4.5* from me.
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Post by BVM on Aug 25, 2023 14:10:10 GMT
I am very much in the eye rolling brigade at the "standing ovation" at everything trend. (Am sorry but 5 SOs mid performance at Newsies - get a grip).
BUT - I was there on Tuesday and the SO after Celinde's Love Never Dies - felt to me utterly spontaneous and utterly deserved. It was TRULY one of those moments. Breathtaking. I genuinely felt propelled to my feet!
As for the hoo-har above - kind of agree on both sides
- there is always extra moaning on threads for ALW shows...
However
- this one actually feels unbelievably positive. And far more encouraging comments than I've seen over the last few years with Cinderella, Bad Cinderella and Aspects of Love. In fact I have really felt the ALW love for once. Which has been nice :-)
As for Norm - I do wonder if the mood you're in when you sit down affects your perception. I was SO happy to be in a theatre hearing and seeing LND again and most of the cast were so good, as was the staging - that whilst I noticed Norm's flubs it didn't bother me! I can understand why it may have bothered others though. But whilst noticeable they didn't detract from the evening for me.
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Post by BVM on Aug 25, 2023 14:18:48 GMT
Oh - weird moment on Tuesday. ALW and two friends (don't know who they were) were in row E of Stalls next to two empty house seats.
Mid interval, Twitter ALW hater and leader of the boos at the final Cinderella performance All That Dazzles somehow got himself plus unknown friend upgraded to the two spare house seats. He would have been next to ALW himself had ALW not returned and changed to the aisle seat just before Act 2. Anyway ATD shook hands with the female friend of ALW and then, with a weird expression on his face joined in the ALW applause.
His tireless campaign against ALW on Twitter and his whipping up of hate towards him in his Twitter apostles has been deeply unpleasant to say the least so a) being at LND at all, b) getting the LWT staff to upgrade him and c) intense self introduction to the woman plus joining in of ovation definitely awards him hypocrite of the year I'd say.
Apologies as I wouldn't normally single one of the Twitter blogeratti for criticism. But the way he has spoken about ALW in the last two years has been such that I frankly found it all a bit much!
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 25, 2023 15:37:52 GMT
I love this drama.
And the beef with All That Dazzles and Shenton. Both of them seem completely up their own as##s.
Every time ATD posts a Pollyanna tweet about how much he loves everything and anything, I feel a bit gippy.
But to be fair- ALW should have been booed at the final night of Cinderella.
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Post by BVM on Aug 25, 2023 16:15:41 GMT
But to be fair- ALW should have been booed at the final night of Cinderella. I don't think he should have been. The person that should have been booed is the cast/crew/FOH gossip who found out the (at that point classified) closing date info and deliberately leaked it onto Twitter leading to absolute carnage on a BH weekend. |
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Post by londonmzfitz on Aug 25, 2023 20:51:59 GMT
Um, I met Mr Dazzles on Saturday evening at Groundhog Day (was sat a couple of seats away from me) and he was lovely! All enthusiasm for GHD and spoke with enthusiasm about his upcoming trips inc Love Never Dies - not a bad word out of him. I've followed him on Twitter for a while, he has posted on there he was approached by Staff and moved at LND, he didn't ask to be moved (going from his tweet). BVM stating "getting the LMT staff to upgrade him" would appear to be incorrect.
Further, I haven't felt any ALW hate from him / his tweets. I do think there is a lot of disrespect from ALW towards creatives / casts ... We are on a LND thread - remember how he brought the last performance forward a week back in 2011? Just knocked those last 7 performances on the head, cancelled them! Saying how the Australian version was better than the London version - I absolutely think that ALW - probably unintentionally - doesn't consider the feelings of the people employed in his shows. And I think justifiably Phans don't like it. But I guess it's open to interpretation.
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Post by BVM on Aug 25, 2023 21:08:17 GMT
Um, I met Mr Dazzles on Saturday evening at Groundhog Day (was sat a couple of seats away from me) and he was lovely! All enthusiasm for GHD and spoke with enthusiasm about his upcoming trips inc Love Never Dies - not a bad word out of him. I've followed him on Twitter for a while, he has posted on there he was approached by Staff and moved at LND, he didn't ask to be moved (going from his tweet). BVM stating "getting the LMT staff to upgrade him" would appear to be incorrect. Further, I haven't felt any ALW hate from him / his tweets. I do think there is a lot of disrespect from ALW towards creatives / casts ... We are on a LND thread - remember how he brought the last performance forward a week back in 2011? Just knocked those last 7 performances on the head, cancelled them! Saying how the Australian version was better than the London version - I absolutely think that ALW - probably unintentionally - doesn't consider the feelings of the people employed in his shows. And I think justifiably Phans don't like it. But I guess it's open to interpretation. I mean. Take your point re 1st para. Re 2nd - literally every time he’s mentioned ALW in last 18 months; with Summer 2022 the peak. Very easy to find! |
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Post by 141920grm on Aug 25, 2023 21:32:19 GMT
Don't know about the Tuesday shows but on Monday during the final reprise as Norm held the dying Celinde he literally skipped half his lines masking it with crying, the lines he did sing he made up half the words, which actually did quite detract from the mood/scene/performance... 'Once there was another time I knew that our story would end...' ...?!
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Post by anthony on Aug 25, 2023 21:53:03 GMT
Don't know about the Tuesday shows but on Monday during the final reprise as Norm held the dying Celinde he literally skipped half his lines masking it with crying, the lines he did sing he made up half the words, which actually did quite detract from the mood/scene/performance... 'Once there was another time I knew that our story would end...' ...?! On Tuesday matinee, he was OK. A couple of line flubs, but it was manageable. I know what you mean about the crying thing, "Diamonds never sparkle... *CRY*. Christine!". The evening: Act 1 was great. Slight hiccup in Beneath a Moonless Sky, but genuinely he was brilliant in act 1. Act 2 was then genuinely a car crash. He called Gustav a vixen ("Bring the vixen back safe and sound"). When he realised his mistake, he then just screamed "just get her here!". During the "Christine, don't think I don't care" bit, he forgot his lines and just went "UGH" instead. I actually felt genuinely bad for him in act 2. I felt tense FOR him whenever he was on stage because he flubbed *every time* he was on stage. |
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Post by 141920grm on Aug 25, 2023 22:35:02 GMT
I actually felt genuinely bad for him in act 2. I felt tense FOR him whenever he was on stage because he flubbed *every time* he was on stage. Right? There's missed lines, then there's... this which I'm hearing about. Usually people get better after the first show but... Glad I didn't specifically pick the Tues evening show assuming everyone would be on fire with that last show energy! (I do have to congratulate the orchestra though, it was an absolute dream to hear this scored played live. Can we have an instrumental one night only LND concert?) |
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Post by stagebyte on Aug 25, 2023 22:39:42 GMT
I saw it Monday and didn’t notice any flubs at the end. Was immersed in the story by then. I’m guessing he might’ve got away with it if you’re not word perfect with the show.
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Post by FairyGodmother on Sept 18, 2023 9:44:55 GMT
Such a waste of some gorgeous music on such banal lyrics and such a ridiculous plot. I can never keep a straight face when they are recounting their night of passion (“and I licked you, and I flicked you, and I sucked you, and I f…” etc) that has been conjured out of thin air to enable them to have a son. I'm listening to it today, and remembered this post. It's a lovely melody and then the lyrics do just spoil it when you listen! Particularly "again, and then again" bit. Ok Phantom, no need to brag. |
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Post by FairyGodmother on Sept 18, 2023 14:47:09 GMT
Not that it's my biggest problem with this plot, but I realise I have absolutely no idea what time period this is running over.
The season starts, there's a couple of months (?) before Christine et al. arrive. Then we have Dear Old Friends, and Meg says Christine is pinching her spot. Now we're on the last day of the season. So was Meg not going to have her debut until the very end of summer?
Or was her burlesque spot the headline spot, and Christine just bumped her down the programme?
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I remember when I saw Tam when he was the understudy, before he became the alternate. When Sierra sang "and I loved you, yes I loved you", Tam slammed his hand down on the desk and shouted 'No!' and it was just so wonderful. I can't explain. It was just so great.