West End Gossip #2

[LaBlonde]

OMG, me too. I have never been able to listen to her and the one time I said I didn't like her voice and found it screechy, I was ripped to shreds. The one time I enjoyed her performance was at this event:



It's the only time I've seen/heard her give a softer edge to her role and I really liked it. It's not enough to move me to forgive her for totally ruining Fantine's bits on the original London cast recordings of Les Mis though!

i know she and ALW loathe each other now but that role was made for her. i too have never forgiven her for fantine (tell cosette i love her and i’ll see her when i WWWWAAaaaaKKKkkkkKKEEEeee).

i love bernadette’s voice though. her carnegie hall albums (and the version of unexpected song on them) - wonderful
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Does anybody know when the remaining cast announcements will be made for the Les Mis arena tour? Any predictions?
Also cast change for the Sondheim production.
I love Les Mis, but must admit I’m feeling a bit Meh at the prospect of Ball/ Boe & Co again!

same on all counts. i’m hoping to get killian d rather than alfie if i go tbh. michael is going to blow his voice if he keeps on doing javert too rob houchen seems to make himself the go-to marius so i wouldn’t be surprised if there’s there (i have tragically, in all my many many times seeing les mis, never seen a good marius and it pains me).

 

[dorydaryl]

I saw Patti LuPone in the original Sunset (twice), back in the early nineties) and she was awesome in it. I wrote to her saying how bad I felt for her when her promised US (LA) debut as Norma was given to Glenn Close and unexpectedly received a lovely, personal note back from her. Also saw her more recently in the gender-reverse version of 'Company', with Rosalie Craig and her Joanne was spot-on. Briefly met her and said 'Hello.'

As for Bernadette Peters, I've always loved her and finally got to see her live in 'Old Friends', which was a treat, all round (am an ardent Sondheim fan). Not bad at all for someone in her mid-seventies. However, I don't know if she'd had work done on her face or something, or had a slight stroke because she seemed to have a more pronounced lisp...something a bit odd. She headed the bill with Lea Salonga, who I saw for the first time live and it seemed so strange from remembering her as the little dot from Miss Saigon. She was amazing, too.

 

[Monkeybum]

She headed the bill with Lea Salonga, who I saw for the first time live and it seemed so strange from remembering her as the little dot from Miss Saigon. She was amazing, too.

V pleased to read this, I'm going to see Lea on Friday. Miss Saigon is my all time favourite so very excited

 

[lilyannrose]

Lea is an absolute legend. I've longed to see her but have never had the chance for various reasons. She's one of my favourite MT performers of all time.

 

[Mark81]

I wish lea would come back and do a role here. I don't like concerts really, I want to see people I like give a fully rounded performance in the context of the story and full production

 

[Mark81]

All the west end live performances are being uploaded pretty quickly to the official London theatre youtube account

 

[kev1974]

All the west end live performances are being uploaded pretty quickly to the official London theatre youtube account

there's the odd one that they appear to be missing out, maybe they'll appear later, maybe not
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Yeah I'm not going to be rushing out to get a "Why Am I So Single?" ticket any time soon.

She's fully killed the Trafalgar Square audience stone dead with the solo song I think.

 

[nohopefletcher]

there's the odd one that they appear to be missing out, maybe they'll appear later, maybe not
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Yeah I'm not going to be rushing out to get a "Why Am I So Single?" ticket any time soon.

She's fully killed the Trafalgar Square audience stone dead with the solo song I think.

It just screams fringe show

 

[kev1974]

It just screams fringe show

Which is where their SiX started of course, but was then polished up before it became what it is today

Maybe the same team have to have a go at Why Am I So Single.

 

[Mark81]

Oh dear why am I so single looks naff as hell, and the characters look pretty bad/annoying too.

 

[kev1974]

I didn't enjoy Layton Williams' "Cabaret" Emcee in the WEL clip of that which I've just watched. I mean he's an incredible dancer, in "dancier" things. Just doesn't work for me in Cabaret. Mason Alexander Park was my favourite, better than Eddie Redmayne for me.

 

[filthycop]

I didn't enjoy Layton Williams' "Cabaret" Emcee in the WEL clip of that which I've just watched. I mean he's an incredible dancer, in "dancier" things. Just doesn't work for me in Cabaret. Mason Alexander Park was my favourite, better than Eddie Redmayne for me.

I loved Mason - my favourite too! (saw Eddie twice, first week and then near end of the run and he improved)! Mason's West End Live didn't impress me much and was worried when I got lottery tickets - but I ended up seeing Mason twice in theatre and they completely blew me away...

Thought Layton looked OK - may be better in actual theatre - son is going to see it in a couple of weeks and I'll get him to report back and see if it's worth going. Son also loved Mason and Matthew Gent who was the alternate - he saw Jake Shears and Luke Tradaway with me - both good in their own way but Mason still the best. (have seen Travis Ross as a cover too who had fun with it)

 

[Mark81]

I didn't like the cabaret clip either.

I've yet to see this production as there's never been a pairing that makes me want to book. I should have seen it with fra fee in hindsight. The production itself just doesn't look that good to me which puts me off too.

Mean Girls just doesn't scream musical to me and the performance didn't change that thought

 

[filthycop]

I didn't like the cabaret clip either.

I've yet to see this production as there's never been a pairing that makes me want to book. I should have seen it with fra fee in hindsight. The production itself just doesn't look that good to me which puts me off too.

Mean Girls just doesn't scream musical to me and the performance didn't change that thought

It's amazing - worth it (but I have seen it 10 times)... it never comes across well on West End Live or even when they have performed on Graham Norton etc - which is a shame, I tried to see Callum Scott Howells twice but both time had the cover. The Broadway run isn't popular either which is disappointing - I still love it though and will keep going.

I'd have liked to see Fra Fee too but despite going in to the lottery most every day, I never got the chance to buy tickets.

 

[ReginaFalangeee]

I feel like Why Am I So Single is already outdated somehow, seems like a rush job and attempting to tick too many boxes for a modern audience to be authentic. Tik tok fodder but without the skill

 

[Mark81]

I feel like Why Am I So Single is already outdated somehow, seems like a rush job and attempting to tick too many boxes for a modern audience to be authentic. Tik tok fodder but without the skill

The title alone seems so outdated.

 

[ReginaFalangeee]

It’s very try hard… wonder if they are one hit wonders

 

[kev1974]

I didn't like the cabaret clip either.

I've yet to see this production as there's never been a pairing that makes me want to book. I should have seen it with fra fee in hindsight. The production itself just doesn't look that good to me which puts me off too.

Mean Girls just doesn't scream musical to me and the performance didn't change that thought

I booked months ahead for the first time I saw it with Eddie Redmayne, when it was "fresh" and highly anticipated and discussed everywhere. Since then I just enter the todaytix lottery every day I'm heading to London for work or whatever and occasionally it comes up, and that's how I've seen it the later times, i.e. I've not got excited about wanting to see particular persons, just taken what I've been given. Didn't know anything about MAP before I saw their performance but was blown away. Just seemed so effortless and beautifully understated compared to Eddie and others.

It's a nice lottery because it's "same day", not "week after next" like the Hamilton and other ones, when I never know where I am one week ahead let alone two!

 

[shakeygal]

I wonder what has become of Luke Bayer. Every “Jamie”/swing/understudy has gone on to things like Cabaret (John, Layton etc) but aside from Roles We’ll Never Play, it’s like he comes and goes.

Also, has Olly Dobson disappeared again?

 

[ReginaFalangeee]

Never been a fan of Luke Bayer, he comes across as very full of himself