My West End trip and looking for In the Heights London programme!

[Just_John]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 7:46am

If anyone has an extra In the Heights programme to spare, I would love to buy it or trade you for it. (I have original Hamilton playbills before they changed the logo.) I saw it twice, once in April and I got a ticket to the closing at the last minute by waiting at the box office for £15. Both times they were sold out of programmes. Lin Manuel also skipped the Golden Globes to be at the closing, which was pretty incredible. 

 

So I had a great week in London last week. I saw Lazarus and highly recommend it. It was absolutely impossible to get a ticket in New York and I won the lottery on todaytix on my first try. (If it's your first purchase you can use promo code DGHVR or £10 off.) 

The second night I won for Dreamgirls and I was bummed Amber was out, but excited to see Marisha from New York as she stole the spotlight in the ensemble from Something Rotten and Aladdin. While she was great, she doesn't have the star power the role requires. Also, Casey Nicholaw is one of my all time favorite directors and he was totally wrong for this style of musical. Other than the two characters who get married, every single person was completely mis cast. The direction and set was like a carbon copy of the original production and I was bored out of my mind the entire night. Deena couldn't sing so it made absolutely no sense that she would have been put in the star spot over Effie. Curtis I saw in April in In the Heigts and he was fantastic as Benny. He could not have been more wrong for Curtis. Much to timid. I still plan to go back to see Amber as I'm a huge Gleek, but if you're not I wouldn't worry about seeing this production.

Nice Fish was a waste of room on a stage. The puppetry impressed me but the message I walked out of it recieving is that there's no point to life, which I just don't agree with and feel is the complete opposite reason I am obsessed with going to theatre. 

The Kite Runner is absolutely astonishingly beautiful and I hope it comes to Broadway. Though much of the story is told through narration, which I would usually be displeased by, the performances and writing were simply perfect and I hope everyone gets a ticket. I showed up for a Thursday matinee day seat at about 10:15 that morning and was put dead center. I'm so small for a man and the seats were so incredibly uncomfortable being squished between two large men. Definitely don't go alone so you and a friend can squeeze towards each other. Also, don't take the farthest sides of the front row as there will be a drummer blocking your view for one of the acts. I went in thinking it was a musical for some reason and was blown away by everyone and everything in it. Bring this to Broadway please!!!!

Harry Potter again was great. It's so easy to get a ticket on the  website. I had so many come up while searching, mostly premium, but settled on non premium third row side stalls. 

Peter Pan goes wrong I got the side right front row first level up (Mezzanine for us Americans but I couldn't tell you what it's called) seat for 27.50. I was told I would miss one third of the stage and literally could see the entire stage. You Brits like to over exaggerate. I liked it better than the Bank Robbery but doesn't compare to Play that Goes Wrong, which I'm stoked to see again in New York. 

Saturday matinee I walked into Half a Sixpence 30 minutes before the show and asked for day seats and was told they always go first thing in the morning but I was sold a 6th row stalls seat for £25. It's incredible. Also should come to Broadway. Emma Williams who who was also in Mrs Henderson Presents is my favorite musical theatre actress from London. Just like Cynthia Erivo, expect Broadway to steal her off your hands very soon. Hope to be back in April to see Amber Riley again and Angels in America. :) 

Updated On: 1/14/17 at 07:46 AM

[ggersten]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 10:25am

Thanks for the report!  I do love the London Box Offices - they generally are so helpful at getting you a ticket at a decent price when you ask nicely.

Although, I did feel a little guilty on our last trip when two Americans in front of us bought full price stalls tix to The Truth at Wyndhams and then I stepped to the window and asked if there were any day seats left - which we were sold at about 1/3 the price.