So I just booked tickets to Book of Mormon for when I go to New York in just over a week and realised I'd never seen a musicals thread on here! What's everyone's favourites? I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in London a few days ago and was very underwhelmed. The songs were completely forgettable and the lyrics were sung so fast I could barely understand them. Saying that, the sets and production were stunning and Charlie himself was incredible.
I'm off to see Matilda and Memphis on the 8th of next month so very excited for that. Book of Mormon is fantastic, you'll love it I'm sure! It's literally the funniest musical I've ever seen. I saw Miss Saigon in London last month and was truly blown away. Everything was just spine-tinglingly fantastic. The songs, the vocals, the acting, the set. I'm half-tempted to book and see it again next month. Once closed last week, which was sad because it's an absolutely beautiful show but I couldn't bring myself to go during it's final few weeks simply because they cast Ronan Keating as Guy. I'm not willing to pay to listen to that man sing. Gypsy with Imelda Stauton would be my #1 recommendation for the West End though. It opens this week after its run at Chichester and Imelda delivers an exceptional performance. I've loved the music for a long while now but to finally see a production of it was great. There's also a new musical running at the Leicester Curve based on the Adrian Mole books that I REALLY wanna see but I'm just not going to have the time to see it during its run so I'm hoping for a tour or West-End transfer sometime soon. I could talk about musicals for hours, I love them.
I work in theatre so I'm quite familiar with most shows, but I'm not a big musicals fan. I quite enjoyed Wicked for what it was, but I doubt I'd have paid for it. I quite like Chicago, and Joseph, although that really depends on the production. These days it's mainly the Kenwright production that tours and I think that's cheap and awful looking. The best thing I've ever seen was the original cast production of Alan Bennett's The History Boys at the National (Richard Griffiths, James Corden, Dominic Cooper, Russell Tovey, Frances de la Tour). I'm a big Alan Bennett fan and really enjoyed the production of Enjoy! with Alison Steadman as well. I also saw a powerful play called The Cut with Ian McKellen at Donmar Warehouse, and got to sit in on a Q&A with him after the show, just perched on the edge of the stage - that was pretty cool. My other great love is the Matthew Bourne ballet company - their production of Edward Scissorhands is amazing. In the theatres I work on currently, The Play That Goes Wrong is very funny. The Commitments is a good feelgood show, no surprises there. When I say work on, I have a dull admin job - I don't do anything exciting! But I enjoy it.
I enjoy plays but the only recent one I've seen is Curious Incident, which was amazing. It was up there with the best things I've seen on stage (Wicked, The Lion Kind).
I saw this recently. It was amazing. The only Bourne production I wasn't too fussed about was Lord of the Flies.
I'm going to see Imelda Staunton in 'Gypsy' on Tuesday. Can't wait. Saw it with the legendary Patti Lupone on Broadway and few years back and it was a bit ropey. I expect this production to be much better. Best thing I've ever seen in the theatre was 'Sweeney Todd' with Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton (Again). It was astonishingly brilliant.
I saw Avenue Q earlier this month and loved it. Not only were the songs swingin', but I like the idea of a musical that thinks outside the box and challenges its audience in some way. Edward Scissorhands looks like it would pretty epic.
You never know what you're getting with the touring versions of big shows. I've been to see some and been totally wowed, but then the next time the show has hit a local theatre I've gone again and it's been abysmal.
Cats is terrible. Outside of Jesus Christ Superstar and The Phantom of The Opera I have very, very little time for Andrew Lloyd-Webber anyway. Having seen certain shows multiple times over the last 10+ years, I can vouch for this too. The shows themselves are always exceptional from a technical standpoint but the vocals, particularly for large/lead roles, vary from "gorgeous" to "overdoing it". The older I get, the more it seems to be the latter...
I've seen a touring producing of Beauty and the Beast twice, the first time it featured the majority of the West End cast and was brilliant, the second time it was like a pantomime without the charm. Belle had a horrible nasal voice and the Beast was camper than David Walliams.
I had Cats on DVD at my aunt's when I was younger and I loved it. I'd quite like to see it on the West End, but I have far too many other shows above it to bother seeing it anytime soon. That said, I do love love love Nicole Scherzinger's version of Memory. [video=youtube;jhNScByppbU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhNScByppbU[/video] Grizabella has got to be the best job on the West End at the moment. Show up, sing Memory, steal the show, leave. It's such a small role, but makes a massive impact.
Yeah, that's not my favourite either. Northern Ballet Theatre do similar productions - their Dracula is SO good - but they intersperse with more traditional ballet. I've seen Birmingham Royal Ballet lots of times and they're very good at what they do, but traditional ballet just doesn't float my boat. The one thing I've never seen yet is opera - I keep saying I should go to one just to say I've experienced it, but never have. I'm not sure it'll be around for the next generation - it is literally a dying audience.
The "Finding Neverland" musical with music by Gary Barlow premiered and the reviews are scathing. Many more here: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz...nd-struggles-to-take-off-review-round-up.html
The Rocky Horror Show is touring the UK again in 2016, tickets on sale now! I've been twice before and it's SO GOOD. Such a laugh.
I quite like Legally Blonde - the musical. Silly but fun and surprisingly heartwarming. [video=youtube;Op1qiBUvobM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op1qiBUvobM[/video]
It's funny because I'd only been talking about it the other day. My friend wants us all to dress up next time. I went on a date once with a guy who appeared in a previous touring production, he was quite obsessed with it by all accounts!
