Theatre 2022

The Bedknobs and Broomsticks tour finished in May. Is it unusual that it hasn't got a West End home or dates yet?
If there was going to be an announcement it should be soon, or not at all :(

Anyway, seems I’m the only one pleased with Come From Away closing. I know there are too many jukebox musicals on, which has been a major criticism recently. There was no real reason for Jersey Boys to come back, and I’d gladly see the back of Tina! and Mamma Mia for a few years, but have no qualms about new ones being produced.
 
If there was going to be an announcement it should be soon, or not at all :(

Anyway, seems I’m the only one pleased with Come From Away closing. I know there are too many jukebox musicals on, which has been a major criticism recently. There was no real reason for Jersey Boys to come back, and I’d gladly see the back of Tina! and Mamma Mia for a few years, but have no qualms about new ones being produced.
I didn't care for Come From Away either. The cloying sentiment was overwhelming and I couldn't wait for it to end!

Bedknobs hasn't had the best reception out of town. It's done fine, but there's not much excitement for the property or the musical. I'd have thought it could do well enough in the West End though if Disney push it enough. I don't see it being a blockbuster though.
 
I'd be interested in seeing Bedknobs and Broomsticks, if they can retool it for better reviews and make it clear we'd be getting Disney West End SPECTACLE and not a touring version where all the sets can be folded up to be moved 70 miles up the road each week.

I was going to add that if a Disney property much less known like Newsies can be getting a West End run then surely Bedknobs can and is a safer prospect, but I now see that Newsies is going to something called the 'Troubadour Theatre' in somewhere called 'Wembley' for only a 2.5 month run around Christmas, so I guess that's very much a 'no expectations, but maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised' type run.
 
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If there was going to be an announcement it should be soon, or not at all :(

Anyway, seems I’m the only one pleased with Come From Away closing. I know there are too many jukebox musicals on, which has been a major criticism recently. There was no real reason for Jersey Boys to come back, and I’d gladly see the back of Tina! and Mamma Mia for a few years, but have no qualms about new ones being produced.
I'm interested to know how much more Mamma Mia has in the tank, given that in some ways Voyage is new competition for it.

The touring version is on here now. It's had a shorter run this time (I think the third time it's been here), and although I haven't seen it this time out, I did get tickets for my mum and have looked at availability. I don't think it's performing poorly by any means, but it's certainly not the hot ticket it was on tour, here at least.
 
Actually it's the last day today here, and I just looked at availability. Both shows sold out except a pair of very good seats in the stalls on the centre aisle for the matinee, which I can only assume have been released very recently for some reason.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't momentarily consider it, until I realised that at £74 each, they are more expensive than our next Abba Voyage tickets, and thought better of it.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if they let Mamma Mia run out of steam theatrically fairly soon, and then do a stage version of the sequel. Shove a few of the missing hits in the encore and you've got another 10 year runner.
 
Actually it's the last day today here, and I just looked at availability. Both shows sold out except a pair of very good seats in the stalls on the centre aisle for the matinee, which I can only assume have been released very recently for some reason.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't momentarily consider it, until I realised that at £74 each, they are more expensive than our next Abba Voyage tickets, and thought better of it.
If they're centre stalls, they'll be production seats, which always get released at the last minute if they're not wanted.

Mamma Mia The Party seems to be going gangbusters still too - the tube back from ABBA Voyage filled up with people who had just left it when we got to North Greenwich :D
 
Mamma Mia The Party seems to be going gangbusters still too - the tube back from ABBA Voyage filled up with people who had just left it when we got to North Greenwich :D
From looking at places like Abbatalk and other fb groups, I think there are a lot of international visitors over for Voyage still. Amd as much as The Party is very much not my bag, if you're spending hundreds (if not thousands ) to come over to see Voyage and make a holiday of it, I can see why you'd go. If it was us going to Stockholm or further afield I think I'd be tempted.
 
If they're centre stalls, they'll be production seats, which always get released at the last minute if they're not wanted.

Mamma Mia The Party seems to be going gangbusters still too - the tube back from ABBA Voyage filled up with people who had just left it when we got to North Greenwich :D
Is it? I keep getting offered discounted tickets for that (£19 service fee to cover the food). Maybe just undesirable days of the week though.
 
The Party could easily scale back to fewer nights when it struggles - I'm sure the O2 are happy just to have anything there.

How long it survives with Voyage here is a good question though. It's a similar proposition and Voyage just does it so much better.
 
:eyes:

Beanie Feldstein has announced that she will depart the Broadway revival of 'Funny Girl'' on 31 July, nearly two months earlier than expected.

Feldstein cited the production taking "the show in a different direction," which led her to make the "extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated." She was originally scheduled to leave on September 25.

Meanwhile, the production has teased a new casting announcement for Monday, July 11 at 1pm ET.

"Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been a lifelong dream of mine, and doing so for the last few months has been a great joy and true honor. Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated.

"I will never forget this experience and from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every single person who came to the August Wilson for the love and support you have shown me and our amazing cast and crew. The people I have had the great joy of bringing Funny Girl to life with every night, both on and off the stage, are all remarkably talented and exceptional humans and I hope you continue to join them on Henry Street after I depart on July 31st."

www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/beanie-feldstein-to-exit-funny-girl_56892.html
 
  • Wow
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What a FABULOUS DISASTER!

Her statement is basically saying “once I heard about Lea I was like fuck this” :D
 
Or is it more likely that it wasn’t her decision and they just wanted to get the new person in asap?
 
Well that was a rather BRISK artwork change!

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Or is it more likely that it wasn’t her decision and they just wanted to get the new person in asap?
Basically this.

"Taking the show in a different direction (by having this incredibly difficult score sung by someone who can actually sing)"
 
Do we think Lea Michelle has made the approach to Richard Linklater yet? There'd still be chance for her to take over from Beanie on the 20-years-in-the-making Merrily We Roll Along film. They're only two years in
 
I know she's talented and everything but I find it hard to imagine Lea having the charm you need for the role. I feel like she was born to play unlikeable leads, or at a push, Disney villains.
 
To those of you who, like me, haven't got a clue who Tony Award-nominee TOVAH FELDSHUH is... based on that headshot, how old would you say she is? Because I googled and was not expecting her to be SEVENTY THREE YEARS OLD.
 
To those of you who, like me, haven't got a clue who Tony Award-nominee TOVAH FELDSHUH is... based on that headshot, how old would you say she is? Because I googled and was not expecting her to be SEVENTY THREE YEARS OLD.
She's great in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend!
 
To those of you who, like me, haven't got a clue who Tony Award-nominee TOVAH FELDSHUH is... based on that headshot, how old would you say she is? Because I googled and was not expecting her to be SEVENTY THREE YEARS OLD.

I know her from Crazy Ex Girlfriend where she had the best songs



 
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Also in non EVIL LEA related news I booked my ticket to see & Juliet at the end of the month.
 
… and I’m seeing Grease again (!) tomorrow as Jason Donovan tainted it and I fancied seeing it on one of his non-scheduled days.
 
… and I’m seeing Grease again (!) tomorrow as Jason Donovan tainted it and I fancied seeing it on one of his non-scheduled days.

I think I’ve asked this before but how can you afford to see so many shows? Here the tickets for big productions are $150 for a decent-ish seat and I know Broadway is comparable. Are the UK tickets so cheap that you’d see a show 3 times.
 
I think I’ve asked this before but how can you afford to see so many shows? Here the tickets for big productions are $150 for a decent-ish seat and I know Broadway is comparable. Are the UK tickets so cheap that you’d see a show 3 times.
TodayTix do Rush seats and general discounts all the time. Got Life of Pi next week for £20.

That’s of course on top of a couple of the (semi-secret) seat-filling services where you get last minute offers for a £2-£4 service fee. I’ve seen quite a few West End and Off-West End shows using them. You just can’t be fussy over when you go or where you sit, and go with what you’re offered. I’m lucky to have one friend who is as non fussy and free to do this with me.

With brand new shows I tend to do front row stalls in their opening preview weeks and they’re often just £20-£30, maybe £50 maximum if it’s a big show.

People at work keep asking me about theatre ticket discount advice, but then they say they want 4 tickets to The Lion King on a weekend matinee during the school holidays, I can’t give any advice as that’s not really possible.

A lot of my Hamilton visits In the past were pretty cheap too. In the first year, they’d do last minute front stalls returns for £37.50. They don’t do that any more but I did get the £10 lottery win once on the app last year.
 
Oh yeah, there’s also https://theatreclub.co.uk which is pretty decent too. Book one show a year and you get your moneys worth for the membership fee.

Tourist trap shows like Phantom, The Lion King and Les Mis etc. almost never get discounted though. A service charge fee waiver is about the best you’ll ever get, and even then you can get that just by going straight to the box office.

Also, seat reviews via https://seatplan.com/ earns you points to get Theatre Tokens in return.
 
That article is so full of back-handed sympathy for poor Beanie. Stop! Stop! She's already dead resigned.

 
They should have worked out in rehearsal that Beanie wasn't up to it. Sonia Friedman was mad to go ahead with her.
 
So I saw Frozen on Sunday and Beauty and the Beast (again) on Monday.

Whilst both were great and have standout moments, B&TB edges it for me (may also be slightly biased) because it’s just the better story. Really, not a lot happens in the Frozen story but the budget is there and the puppetry is wonderful… and Anna is played to perfection. Sam Banks is absolutely wonderful but Elsa is a bit of a shit character tbf.

B&TB has less money thrown at it but the ensemble numbers are bigger, the laughs are more frequent and the songs are better.
 
Big feature on Wicked in Metro today. I was interested in seeing Lucie Jones as Elphaba in it, and now I think I'm getting excited by the thought of seeing it again.
 
Big feature on Wicked in Metro today. I was interested in seeing Lucie Jones as Elphaba in it, and now I think I'm getting excited by the thought of seeing it again.
I saw her back in April and she was excellent. The whole show actually felt incredibly fresh.

Having said that, I wouldn't go back again soon as it all felt very familiar, despite the eight year gap since I last saw it :D
 

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