Theatre 2022

Sounds like my night at the horrible "Memphis" :D

Is Beverley "Bev" Knight still in it at the moment?
I LOVED Memphis!

Yes, still original cast. Loved all of the guys - I knew Matt Henry and Tarrin Callendar from other stuff and the other two were also brilliant.

Is it still an open-ended run? Since Bev is going to Sister Act soon.
 
I LOVED Memphis!

Yes, still original cast. Loved all of the guys - I knew Matt Henry and Tarrin Callendar from other stuff and the other two were also brilliant.

Is it still an open-ended run? Since Bev is going to Sister Act soon.

Just me not the fan of Memphis then? OK :D

I think it's open ended and seems to have done quite well. It will definitely tour well when it's finished in the West End.
 
Always wondered why Our Bev hasn’t wanted to do Broadway. She’d be received pretty well over there I reckon.

During the interval I was wondering if this would be good for the US since The Drifters were American after allZ The second half of the show focuses on the group coming to the UK - lots of in-jokes about accents across the country and even a Bruce Forsyth cameo for their time at the Palladium. Might not translate well across the Atlantic.
 
Bev (God love her) is truly a local star.

Thandiwe on the other hand.
 
What an absolute revelation. The new production of Grease at The Dominion is excellent! I was NOT expecting that :o
 
COCK now quite expensive.

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I'm seeing it next week at last.
 
Was it Peter Andre who swung it for you? :D
He was RATHER FUN. Clearly having a great time as the dual role. I don’t mind side character stunt casting if it has to be done. Will be booking again when Jason Donovan joins the cast as Teen Angel (only) but can’t imagine him being quite as energetic and funny.

Whole cast was brilliant though and the guy they have as a Danny has a Tom Hardy look about him. They’re all much hornier than in the film :D Can’t believe Arlene Phillips is still choreographing too. It was so much more energetic than what I remember the 90s production being. Have still shoe-horned the 3 “new” songs written for the film in, but otherwise gone back to the original production with the Burger Palace Boys instead of T-Birds. Refreshing to see the boys playing the proper parts instead of trying to imitate the film actors.

There were also two songs I didn’t even recognise at all. Will check the programme tonight because I briefly looked them up last night and no sign of them being in any other production.
 
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Bonnie & Clyde also EXCELLENT. Such great songs - would be nice to have a West End cast recording. Jordan Luke Cage and the always brilliant Natalie McQueen really stood out.
 
Buzz on Legally Blonde at the Open Air AIN’T GREAT :D

Not sure if it’s a fully fledged disaster but some reports are LEANING THAT WAY :disco:
 
Buzz on Legally Blonde at the Open Air AIN’T GREAT :D

Not sure if it’s a fully fledged disaster but some reports are LEANING THAT WAY :disco:
OMG (you guys), this can’t be selling well either because it just came up on a seat-filling list I’m on. I think my subscription lapsed with them because they rarely had anything good, but they still send me emails.
 
Bonnie & Clyde also EXCELLENT. Such great songs - would be nice to have a West End cast recording. Jordan Luke Cage and the always brilliant Natalie McQueen really stood out.

Oh good. Frank Wildhorn shows are pretty naff subject wise but always have gorgeous melodies galore.
 
So the two Grease songs I didn’t recognise are Tattoo Song and How Big I’m Gonna Be. Apparently the former in the original Chicago production but cut before it made the Broadway debut, and the latter written for a 2010/2011 Chicago revival.
 
And now, ladies and gentlemen
The Keeper of the Keys, the Countess of the Clink
The Mistress of Murderers Row
Matron Mama Morton…

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NON-SHOCK @Christian

I don’t see how Mama Morton needs to be a particularly physical role. You just need to know your lines and be able to sing, and turn up for 8 shows a week.

Oh NO :D

Did she manage any shows at all? I assume not, as I didn't see a barrage of sensational reviews.

And Mama Morton is literally 20 minute break - WALK ON - DELIVER SONG - WALK OFF - 20 minute break repeated 5 times :disco:

Maybe she'll be dropped into the Broadway production once this terrible injury has healed.
 
Wasn’t Dancing on Ice YEARS AGO? :D

And she’s managed to do a full regional tour of THE GC’S BIG NIGHT OUT (not seated may I add) since then.

I smell a TANTRUM :disco:
 
I just feel sorry for all those poor people seduced by her star power into buying a ticket
 
Theatre adjacent, I watched the Spring Awakening reunion documentary last week ("Those You've Known"). It's really the Groff & Michele show (fine by me), with the others getting an occasional look-in. No footage of Lea beating people up in the toilets or chucking their sandwiches in the bin, but it didn't seem quite as cozy as they were trying to make out.

Now if ever there was a show which you probably shouldn't revisit 15 years later, it's this one, but they give it a decent crack but inevitably look like old people trying to be young - the antithesis of the show really. The score is still 50% incredible but also 50% embarrassing, especially when you're pumping it out in your late 30s. Ooh, those naughty swear words :D :D

Some juicy gossip is spilled though and the woozy weekend they have at the Groff's country farm is a lovely fuzzy moment.

@Ellie @dUb have you given it a try?
 
No, not really. Is it available to stream anywhere? I remember liking some of the songs but the show itself wasn’t my bag.

———

I’ve gone a bit cuckoo over this production of Grease now. I saw it again last week and have two more bookings for the future, no doubt with some last minute Rush Ticket ones at some point. I looked up one of the cast members who I fancy only to find he was 21, then I looked down and realised I was wearing my Madonna Drowned World T-Shirt with my pyjamas from 2001.
 
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BTW, one of my friends went to Cabaret a couple of weeks ago with the super expensive table seats with a meal. They’d booked it really early for a very special night out, especially for Jessie Buckley (bit optimistic to expect her to stay that long). Anyway, they all got food poisoning from the chicken they served! I probably would have asked for a full refund.
 
I went to the matinee of Grease on Saturday and Peter Andre was "indisposed" :angry: Not that he was the selling point for me, it's one of my favourite musicals, but I did check his planned absences before settling on a date.

Think that was my third theatre trip of the year so far. Went to Moulin Rouge a couple of months back which was great fun, really impressive set and enjoyed the use of chart hits, hadn't seen the movie beforehand so didn't know what to expect beside Lady Marmalade.
 
I went to the matinee of Grease on Saturday and Peter Andre was "indisposed" :angry: Not that he was the selling point for me, it's one of my favourite musicals, but I did check his planned absences before settling on a date.
Yeah, the one I saw last week had the alternate, and he was the one that played the police officer, so he was really playing a triple role when taking over. He was really great!
 
BTW, one of my friends went to Cabaret a couple of weeks ago with the super expensive table seats with a meal. They’d booked it really early for a very special night out, especially for Jessie Buckley (bit optimistic to expect her to stay that long). Anyway, they all got food poisoning from the chicken they served! I probably would have asked for a full refund.
Bit strange this as Jessie Buckley's leaving date was announced right at the start of the run. She missed loads of shows even before she left, unlike Redmayne who did the lot. She also wasn't VERY GOOD.

The food when I went was some sausage in a box thing which was cold (intentionally). It didn't look very appetising.
 
I’ve gone a bit cuckoo over this production of Grease now. I saw it again last week and have two more bookings for the future, no doubt with some last minute Rush Ticket ones at some point. I looked up one of the cast members who I fancy only to find he was 21, then I looked down and realised I was wearing my Madonna Drowned World T-Shirt with my pyjamas from 2001.

:D

It happens :D

The reviews haven't been stellar which is a shame, as a I quite fancied the "roughed up" version you described. The headline on the Telegraph's review did make me laugh. Poor Chipolata Pete.

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Even when the dark comes crashing through (from the disaster of a film) you will be found (closing) xxxxxx
 
I’m not sure it it was ever that huge or acclaimed here compared to the US. I’ve never been all that interested.
 
I’m not sure it it was ever that huge or acclaimed here compared to the US. I’ve never been all that interested.
It's worth seeing for the physical production alone, plus the 3 absolutely brilliant songs (+ 1 quite good one).
 
Aww, shame about Dear Evan Hansen. I loved it on stage and screen :shy:
 

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