Week forward/back 14/08/2012

[ClapYo'Hands]

So what have we seen in the last week/are off to see this week?

In the last week I saw The Wizard of Oz which, whilst still a great production, does not have a cast to match the original and Singin' In The Rain which is, in a word, perfection. Tonight I'm off to see the UK Tour of Legally Blonde and then tomorrow I'm going to see Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and GHOST: The Musical, both for the third and final time.

[zyx987]

Made an unscheduled trip to London at the weekend as I won some Olympic tickets, this also allowed me to squeeze in some theatre. Saturday evening I watched Ragtime at the Open Air, which I really liked. Rosalie Craig is just fabulous (can't wait for Finding Neverland).

Sunday Matinee I finally got around to seeing Shrek (mainly because I knew Blackwood was on Holiday). It was much better than I expected. Childish, yes, but great fun. My mood may have been helped that I bought a cheap restricted stalls seat but got bumped to a premium, upper levels were shut and most people around me had been bumped as well.

A week today I will be on my summer holiday trip to London starting with London Road at the National. Hope to see 12 shows in 6 days.

[jaqs]

Last week I was at Aftershow and The Songwriter's Union.
This week Rock of Ages to see what Alice Cooper will do and Westend fest on sunday. Might try to get to spamalot or chariots of fire on sat but will see how rich I feel.

[ClapYo'Hands]

"This week Rock of Ages to see what Alice Cooper will do"

Do let us know! :) Enjoy!

[rockyhorrorfan]

On Saturday evening I'm going to see Mack & Mabel then Soho Cinders on Sunday afternoon followed by West End Fest.

Not back in London again until December. Already booked for 7 shows with one in the pipeline.

[jaqs]

Alice cooper came on at the end and did schools out and the cast just rocked out too. Was fun. And fabulous the upper circle was open on a Tuesday when it's usually shut on a weekend.

[MusicalBoy]

I've got Mack and Mabel and London Road next week to console me after exam results come out :)

[Phantom of London]

ClapYo'Hands 'In the last week I saw The Wizard of Oz which, whilst still a great production,'

WRONG - A production can only be described as a great or a poor production, if there has been another production to compare it to.

I saw Ragtime for the third and final time Saturday afternoon and then went to see Spamalot in the evening, which is fun and surprisingly Jon Culshaw, although not over convincing in the role is fun too. They have updated the script too with recent gags, so makes the show more relevant, than if the kept true to what was done at the Palace.

Thinking what to see this weekend, if I do, have to catch Curtains sometime. Monday night got my cousins coming up from Cornwall, they have never been to a theatre before, let alone West End Theatre, so going to see Wicked using the kids week promotion.

Make sure you see Soho Cinders before it closes.

[ClapYo'Hands]

"WRONG - A production can only be described as a great or a poor production, if there has been another production to compare it to."

What the **** are you on about?

[DeNada]

"WRONG - A production can only be described as a great or a poor production, if there has been another production to compare it to."

I disagree wholeheartedly. Even when judging the premiere of a work (which WOZ only just about qualifies for), it's perfectly possible to judge the quality of the actual production of that work .

Take, for instance, Phantom. The first time that show was staged in a production different to the original Prince/Bjornson was the production at the Madach in Hungary in 2003. So for just under 20 years should we have suspended judgement as to whether or not the original staging was a "great production", regardless of your feelings about the quality of the text of the show?

Can we not say that Carrie's baffling original staging was a "poor production" simply because the show wasn't (officially) restaged for over twenty years afterwards? (SADM2 incoming in 3...2...1... I'm only kidding!)

Even first time out, it's perfectly possible to judge a production separately from the work being staged IMO.

[Phantom of London]

When I saw Ragtime at the Landor last year I could love/like/neutral/dislike/hate the show I couldn't say it is a good or a bad production as I haven't seen it before, now I have seen the show in Regents Park I can now judge the production.

[ClapYo'Hands]

"When I saw Ragtime at the Landor last year I could love/like/neutral/dislike/hate the show I couldn't say it is a good or a bad production as I haven't seen it before, now I have seen the show in Regents Park I can now judge the production."

Have you completely lost your mind?

[Princeton Returns]

Phantom, by that logic you would need a master/definitive production to compare all other productions against and no such thing will ever exist. Also, there have been plenty of other productions of woz, all this one adds is a few extra songs that don't really add or change anything in respect to the core show

[bob8rich]

Last weekend I was at the Edinburgh Fringe & saw 4 brand new musicals - TOWARDS THE MOON, STREETS, 1000 SUNS and ACTIVE VIRGIN - all of which were really enjoyable (though they're all shows "in development" so still need more work - would love to see them all again as they continue to "grow" into what could be great pieces of musical theatre). I also saw an excellent RSAMD production of Sondheim's COMPANY.

I stopped off in London on Sunday to see THE SONGWRITERS' UNION (at the Union Theatre), which was really fantastic. I had 3 songs of mine included in the show so obviously they were fantastic lol - but, all the other stuff by Anderson & Petty and Laura Tisdall was great too. And the performances were beyond amazing. Hard to single anyone out but I was particularly blown away by Ceili O'Connor (who is First Cover Dorothy in Wizard of Oz), Emily Tierney (Glinda in Wizard Of Oz - who is always amazing), Matt Barrow (Wizard Of Oz, Sweet Charity) and Keiran Brown (Wicked, Love Never Dies). I honestly don't think you could hear a better male vocal performance anywhere in the West End. And, of course, the "stars" from the My Land's Shore studio cast album - the incredible Jonathan Williams and Kelly-Anne Gower - were pretty sensational. There were also some fantastic choral performances by students from the award-winning MTA (Musical Theatre Academy) - so it all added up to a really wonderful night (MUCH better than the closing ceremony of the Olympics lol).

Monday night I went to see MACK AND MABEL, which in one word was Fan-f**king-tastic! A brilliant production with a great cast - Norman Bowman was superb as Mack and Laura Pitt-Pulford was mindblowing as Mabel. (just as she was mind-blowing last year in Parade).

At home now resting up lol. Then next Sunday I will be heading to London for the day to see the SimGProductions' cabaret showcase of the American composers Georgia Stitt, Scott Evan Davis and Michael Patrick Walker. I've heard all of their albums and the songwriting is about as good as it gets. And the cast is pretty amazing - Lauren Samuels, Caroline Sheen, Kelly-Anne Gower, Damian Humbley, Simon Thomas and Stuart Matthew Price. VERY excited about this one!

[Phantom of London]

No, you would just need to of seen a past production of the show you're referring to, to make a point of reference.

[MusicalBoy]

Two applications of the word 'production'

1. As a show itself, i.e any show, whether new or revival is 'a production', hence Clap is rating The Wizard of oz as 'a production.

2. As a specific incarnation of a show, i.e a new production of an existing material, hence POL is interpreting the word 'production'.

[AddisonMizner]

Not strictly theatre per se, but on Sunday I'm going to see Alfie Boe at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire. I'm very much looking forward to it!

[ClapYo'Hands]

MusicalBoy, I applaud you for trying to make sense of this idiocy.

And if you are going to look at it that way, then I can say objectively and comparatively that The Wizard of Oz is a great production.