Closer To Heaven

[Whileshesleeps]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 8:40am

The Pet Shop Boys/Jonathan Harvey Musical Closer To Heaven Is to be revived for a month from the end of April to May at London's Union Theatre.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 12:09pm

I thought it was an odd choice for the Unicorn!

[TBFL]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 2:01pm

Exactely Devonian! My first thought was how on earth they were going to change it for a kids show.

I like most of the music in Closer to Heaven, but i wish Jonathan Harvey could go back and rewrite the book. It's on record as him saying it wasnt a good writing process, hence the end result being not very good. The song For All Of Us is one of m favourites.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 5:53pm

I never saw the previous production and do not know the show or the score at all. But I'm excited to get a chance to finally get to see it at the Union. I've been trying to decide what to see on the afternoon of Saturday May 9 (will be in London for the weekend and already have shows booked for the rest of the weekend) - now I've decided!

Updated On: 3/16/15 at 05:53 PM

[alece10]

Posted: 3/17/15 at 1:16pm

You should book quickly. I got my tickets last night for 1st May but today it seems that several dates are sold out and many more only have 10 or so tickets left so its going to be popular

[bob8rich]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 1:22pm

CLOSER TO HEAVEN at the Union is now totally sold out for the entire run!

[Eurotrash]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 12:32pm

I can't believe I missed this, earlier in the week, and now it's sold out.

Marvellous, marvellous show.

First ever show seen with the present Mr Eurotrash.

:o(

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 4:23pm

I hope it's been vastly rewritten and restaged.  I found very little to like in the original production.  The score only had one or two songs I enjoyed, the characters were unsympathetic in a cliched story that can be found in countless LGBT independent movies of the last 15 years and the design/choreography looked amateurish.  I was really looking forward to the show and it was hugely disappointing.  Frances Barber was the one redeeming quality.

Posted: 4/22/15 at 4:32pm

Has anyone seen it?!

Posted: 4/23/15 at 12:34pm

any links to reviews?

 

[Whileshesleeps]

Posted: 4/24/15 at 2:35am

I think Press Night is Tuesday. Going to see it tonight. 

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 4/24/15 at 11:42am

Because this is sold out easily and has elevated the profile of this show, I bet you get all the  reviewers out in force for this one, I mean the ones that normally give the Union. And other  small theatre a wide birth. This would irk me as these venues need the oxygen of publicity for their other productions that don't sell out.

[Gary Naylor]

Posted: 4/25/15 at 9:43am

I'll be reviewing it here. I seldom miss a show at the Union, one of the best venues in London for sheer entertainment.

[Whileshesleeps]

Posted: 4/27/15 at 10:33am

Went to see the show on Friday, having loved the original production.

Very talented cast with fantastic choreography and interestingly staged with cast often into the aisles alongside the audience giving the feel of an intimate caberet/nightclub.

Whilst it has a reasonably catchy and at times emotional score and lyrics and some real laugh our loud jokes (some of which need updating they are very specific to the time the show was created) there was the feel that not everything jelled together between score and script. Act 1 seemed to have more songs back to back whilst act two the spacing seemed better. Also several of the "older" characters cast roles seem massively under written.

It was also noticable that the cast seemed more relaxed during act 2 than in the first half of the show. 

Thought the new closing song was better and involved the whole cast more.

Whilst there was nothing wrong with the performance of the lady paying Billie Trix, I did leave the show thinking what star power Frances Barber injected into the original show.

 

[TBFL]

Posted: 4/27/15 at 12:03pm

Has Positive Role Model gone?  Whats the new song?

I still love the Almighty Remix of PRM !

[Whileshesleeps]

Posted: 4/27/15 at 12:12pm

Positive Role Model is featured as before in various small sections but not at the end of the show. I can't remember the song but something about "The Night". Sorry didn't pick up a program.

 

Posted: 5/6/15 at 7:59am

Any video clips or official reviews?

[Whileshesleeps]

Posted: 5/6/15 at 11:39am

There seems to be quite a few internet site reviews some of which seem to lift statements from other reviews (wonder if they have actually seen the performance?) most of which are pretty scathing. Overall the score, direction, choreography and cast comes out well but Harvey's script is universally highlighted in all the reviews as the weak link.

The Telegraph surprisingly has a reasonably positive 3/5 review whereas The Stage is pretty damning. None of the other publications seem to have reviewed the show really.

However heartening to see the run sold out in 48 hours.

 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 7:29pm

"Exactely Devonian! My first thought was how on earth they were going to change it for a kids show.

I like most of the music in Closer to Heaven, but i wish Jonathan Harvey could go back and rewrite the book. It's on record as him saying it wasnt a good writing process, hence the end result being not very good. The song For All Of Us is one of m favourites."

 I love the score, and I like at least some of Harvey's writing so, while I expected it to be cliche, I thought people were exaggeratting about the libretto being the issue.  I finally got a live bootleg of the whole entire production and the libretto is...  well, truly pretty awful.  The story would still be cliched, but I could see it working better now simply with a massive rewrite of the dialogue.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 5/9/15 at 6:33pm

Saw the matinee today. Found it very enjoyable. In brief - very cliched book but had some killer one liners that were genuinely funny; some great songs; excellent high energy production with some superb performances; Jared Thompson looked and sounded like a genuine star-in-the making.