BTW, if you want to know what opera usually is like, see Tosca. Heavily plot driven, fairly fast moving, and almost never performed "symbolically." Also true of Carmen, and you'll recognize a bunch of its tunes. Plus you'll have a much better chance of catching either show, since both are frequently performed.
I can't speak to the production you saw, since I've only seen the RU-vid video of the Nice mounting, along with clips from the MET's version and a college production. Sounds like yours went hardcore symbolic, and you can be sure few other operas take this approach. Most are narratively driven. Your reaction reminds me of mine to the Akim Freyer mounting of Glass's Satyagraha. Happily, it's on video and, while I found it highly annoying on first watch, after repeated viewings I rather like it. Does take more than one watch to dig through, grasp, and appreciate its symbolism.
IT was terrible and way too overhyped. Basically the Emperor‘s new clothes. There was practically no acting in as most lines were said to the audience. If I’m going to pay that type of price for a ticket I want value for money. The whole thing was filled with a lack of imagination and cheapness disguised as (deluded) cutting edge and modern. No! It was just a way of doing everything on the cheap. Costumes? What costumes! It was like the director said to the cast members “Go home and bring any of your own clothes that are black or dark grey to the dress rehearsal tomorrow because that’s what you will be wearing for the entire run.” You couldn’t pay me to go to see it again. If anything, I came out of the theatre angry that I had wasted so much money on a ticket to watch what looked and felt like a student production from one of the Drama Schools. The only saving grace of the whole thing was the vocals of Nicole Scherzinger. If it wasn’t for her singing, I would’ve left the theatre in the interval like the couple behind me did. Don’t waste your money when it appears on Broadway. The opening scene was embarrassingly laughable. A woman sat behind me said to her husband “If this nonsense continues for another five minutes I’m leaving.” After the interval the two seats behind me remained empty. That’s how bad that couple thought it was.
I saw it at Wyndham and while I had never seen the show before, I thought it was one of the best theatre I'd seen in London over the past year (out of about 20 shows) Maybe cause it was out of preview but I found the dialogue and lyrics super clear to follow ...
So sorry that the lights went off durning Six and that your seat wasn’t good. I hope you see it again with a much better experience. It an amazing experience if everything goes well. 😢 I would be disappointed as well.
Andrew Lloyd Webber shows have a weak second act and suffer from not having enough variety of music. Other musicals have more than 10 unique songs. ALW usually has 5 unique songs with a bunch of reprises and repurposed melodies. Sunset Boulevard could benefit from several new songs in the second half and especially in the concluding song. “With One Look” and “Surrender” are constantly reused like they are the soundtrack itself.
I feel that the story is pretty much completed now.The ending of the tree.I mean I feel like that was the gods being funny. In a way due to Ti Mounes Lyrics that she sing in the song forever. However maybe their depiction of it made lit same as if it was missing something. I actually was in the production But every single thing was covered the story of why they were different The story of how the island was kind of taken From the french The curse that he placed on his family every single thing had its place and was explained in every single song... I mean the gods technically didn't control her fate because death thought that he would win. It is one of the most beautiful story.I've been lucky to be a part of in broadway but also that i've heard in a long time even though I was kind of late discovering it. But I feel that you should watch a different production of it and she is you feel the same if you haven't already by now
I I'm a mega fan of SUNSET I perchest 2 tickets and looked forward to seeing it .BUT when I saw Norma on a short skirt it was so far from the original I didn't bother going. Norma was in her late 50s I loved the original because ALW took the film and put music to it. Its a shame Sarha Brightman not doing the production in London instead of Australia
Um yeah... So internet... "I don't know anything about this, but..." See, when I was a kid/young adult, that is when you stop talking. God, you're saying "i know nothing" for how many minutes? FFS "the sun or the moon..." Jeebus! Really? You say you are familiar with Glass? Yet you haven't got that Glassis on another time scale? YES THAT'S HIS THING! THAT'S HIS POINT! Just stop! Stop talking! Stop!
to my ear Milo Nicole cant sing; i didnt get her as Grizabella and I dont get this; and I am the ny king of weird bare stage productions; I dont get it; it must be a deficit in me; everyone else gets it ; i dont ; to my ear nicole cant sing this at all
Love that one of my fav zombies RU-vidrs is into theater as well. You should watch Dogfight, it’s a musical that takes place during the Vietnam War, and it’s by the same creators as Dear Evan Hansen, it’s one of my favorites.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed this concert version. The only two in concert productions I’ve seen are Les Mis and Dr Zhivago and despite enjoying Dr Zhivago it was a bit of a disappointment with all the technical issues and appearing to be a last second production. I’m not sure I’m willing to risk seeing a watered down version of a show for so much when I could see something else instead. Doesn’t help that these concerts are usually on Monday or Tuesday so more of a pain to go to for me. Seems like the Theatre Royal Drury lane concerts are better than the ones at the Palladium at least.
The thing at the start is that pippin ie Jac gets picked out of the audience to play pippin. so he was in the audience well he was 3 rows behind me on Monday night from row C and 2 rows behind me on tuesday night from row D
I was in row J and coould not see whole song sheet - but I know the words to the song as i have the sheet muscic for No Tima At All and Corner of the Sky
So cool that this got recommended to me, Milo! We were sat next to each other on Monday night (well, with an empty seat between us.) First experience of Pippin for me too, and I think we were so spoiled by this version!
ahah no way!! Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did - think we were truly lucky to experience it with this cast and choir. Now just crossing my fingers in comes back in fully staged form sometime :')
I saw it last night. I knew I was going to enjoy it but last night I was totaly blown away. The people on that stage were most amazingly talented ... the whole thing blew us right out into the cosmos!
Update - went back for night 2 and it was somehow even better. The ending of Morning Glow is one of the most powerful things I've ever seen in theatre; the 45 person choir, combined with the main cast singing their hearts out, was just perfect. I need a fully staged Pippin revival ASAP!!!
Judging from the curtain call video at the beginning, it seems that they’ve also done a huge orchestral arrangement of the score for this concert along with the choir. Would you be willing to list the orchestra here if it’s listed in your program? For anyone else whose seen this concert and it familiar with the material, did the orchestrations sound like the original Ralph Burns orchestrations from the original 70s Broadway/West End Runs? Or did they sound more like an expansion of the Larry Hochman orchestrations from the 2013 Broadway revival?
I saw the original show, opening night with Glenn Close in Century City.. unbelievable 🎉. As time went on, after listening to the cd, I realized that I did not care for the Andrew Lloyd Webber music. Thank you for your review, you are a very good and entertaining reviewer..
I was there last night and I’m still buzzing! The cheers and whoops at the beginning was that Pippin was sat in the stalls and had a spotlight on him and then he made his way to the stage.
I feel like you don't understand Playing Nancy and your assumption of what it's meant to be made it difficult to appreciate it. Keep in mind that, thematically, Playing Nancy isn't that different from Nobody Cares, aside from the crazy chase at the end. Both are songs that look at secondary characters dealing with nihilism in a pretty resigned way. In both songs, the characters aren't asking for things to be different. They're accepting things as they are. This is in direct contrast to Phil's angrily raging against his new reality for most of the show. It isn't meant to be a set-up for Nancy to become a major character. It's an acknowledgement that the minor characters are dealing with shit, too. Despite Phil's angry lamentations, he isn't the only one suffering in this world. He just happens to be the protagonist. Nobody else gets to leave their stasis, because it's not their battle. It's someone else's.
I saw it twice in the west end starring Betty Buckley in the 90's..... It was wonderful and BB was incedible as Norme. Saw it again a few weeks later... But, it was BB'S stand in... Just as wonderful...
The music isn't layered throughout the show? That comment tells me all I need to know about your reviewing acumen. If noise prevented you from being able to listen properly, thats one thing. But to claim structure problems pegs you as a Broadway nube. Study your history before thinking your opinions have merit. Youll find you will be a better critic and you'll enjoy the shows so much better. Are you aware with yhe Dies Irae? You should be if you are reviewing this show. Anyway its cool that you're seeing shows, but get some more research under your belt or us old 40 year olds will want to turn our hearing aids off when you begin to speak.
Sondheim himself often said that even if the audience didn't pick up on specific musical references (i.e. the dies irae in like every song in ST) they would feel them. If a reviewer feels that the show isn't tied together musically as well as it could be that's a valid criticism because the feeling of togetherness was what the author intended, not a wink and a nudge every time they hear a music school easter egg.
Totally agree about Lion King! Seen it twice to be sure but it is quite dull in parts. I enjoyed Beauty and the Beast more than Lion King. Seeing Aladdin soon, looking forward to it! Good review.
6 месяцев назад
You brilliantly convey the fact that theatre is theatre and a novel is a novel. Adaptations rarely work, and I have read the play as I could not afford to see it financially, but you brought your analysis of what you saw to life. I write plays and I write novels. I think I know the difference, and blending the two together simply does not work. Stage adaptations of films fall into the same trap. A practice that makes money because many people like to see what they already know. An original play can be threatening as it has no origins than itself.
