London -June/July 2022- Page 3

[Mark_E]

Posted: 5/5/22 at 4:31pm

https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/yeast-nation-musical-european-premiere_56434.html

European Premier of Yeast Nation coming to Southwark Playhouse!

"It is penned by Tony and Obie award-winning writers Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann, who oversee the runaway hit musical Urinetown, and follows a group of Yeast (yes, you read that right), over three and a half billion years ago as they set themselves on a path towards evolution."

[dshnookie]

Posted: 5/23/22 at 7:21pm

Flying over in two weeks and am interested in 2:22.

Any one seen it? A penny for your spoiler free thoughts? Thanks!

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/23/22 at 9:50pm

dshnookie said: "Flying over in two weeks and am interested in 2:22.

Any one seen it? A penny for your spoiler free thoughts? Thanks!"

Posters on message boards love to completely trash it but it did get the Olivier nomination for best new play. I'm really curious.

[52889j]

Posted: 5/23/22 at 10:29pm

dshnookie said: "Flying over in two weeks and am interested in 2:22.

Any one seen it? A penny for your spoiler free thoughts? Thanks!"

I saw it with the original cast last October and really enjoyed it. There are a couple conventions that are a little hokey and it isn't the most psychological thriller, per say, but I found it plenty exciting. I've heard plenty of folks say they saw the ending from a mile away, but I didn't.

[BIG BALONEY]

Posted: 5/24/22 at 3:43am

I saw the show this past Sunday matinee and paid 30 £ for a rear stall seat. I was told there was a pole that maybe an obstruction but it was fine. Yes. there were a number empty seats in the stalls ( 90 £ ) so at interval there I was in the 6th row. There are no discounts for this ghost story. London. theatre prices are no longer less than NY. things have changed since the pandemic and it's noticable.at thr box office. TodayTix seem to be the go to at the moment. I liked the show since I didn't read any reviews that may have helped. 

[BIG BALONEY]

Posted: 5/24/22 at 4:05am

Andre4 said: "Straight Line Crazy with Ralph Fiennes is also on"

Went Monday night and paid 25£ for a front row seat purchase months ago. Ralph Fiennes gives a powerful performance as New Yorker Robert Moses and the trip to the Bridge Theatre was well worth it. Should be checked out for sure.

A 2:20 running time

[BIG BALONEY]

Posted: 5/24/22 at 4:12am

Went Saturday matinee and it was done better than Broadway. It was compact and served well on the 350 seat Arts theatre. Sitting upstairs was fine as was the price.

Check theatremonkey.com for hints on what to see.

[BIG BALONEY]

Posted: 5/24/22 at 6:22am

Today headed to National Theatre for two shows. The Corn Is Green ( 20£ ) and The Middle ( 20£ ) I keep checking their web site and seats pop up along with a price I like. Tomorrow Cabaret which I purchased at the box office for 70£ dress circle. No discounts around for that show.

[ggersten]

Posted: 5/24/22 at 8:21am

Theatreboard is trashing Legally Blonde. Oh well.

[Johnsylva]

Posted: 5/25/22 at 4:17am

I’d highly advise ignoring the naysayers there — saw LEGALLY BLONDE last night on press night and had an absolute ball. Bright, funny, effervescent, and so rich with talent and joy. A terrific way to experience a gorgeous London venue.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/25/22 at 7:07am

ggersten said: "Theatreboard is trashing Legally Blonde. Oh well."

One of the WORST things I’ve sat through in a long time. Basically every single component of this is total garbage. How it was allowed to actually go on in front of an audience should be examined to make sure it never happens again. 

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 5/30/22 at 11:23am

For those interested in Cabaret Fra Fee and Amy Lennox have extended until October

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/30/22 at 11:35am

So let me say this about Fra and Amy. I know ticket sales have dumped a bit because they’re not the names they had before but they are INCREDIBLE. I think I preferred the two of them to Eddie and Jessie, actually. Fra have a much more menacing feel to the Emcee that in some parts I felt came straight from a Stephen King novel. Amy was also captivating and much less manic than Jessie was. She still has the yelling in parts so I suppose that’s just the direction of the show however it comes across better here, I felt. 
 

If you’re on the fence about seeing it now that there’s a replacement cast - please still go. 

[ggersten]

Posted: 5/30/22 at 12:08pm

Thanks, Jordan. They were set to leave the show before we get to London.

But, prices are still, well, really really high (for London). We may just try for day seats! (especially if we can trade out our Legallly Blonde tickets)

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/30/22 at 12:15pm

Yeah I’d recommend this over that horrendous “Legally Blonde” lol

And Omar Baroud is a great Cliff. SO much better than Omari Douglas, whose casting still baffles me. Cliff is weird because it’s a leading role that people forget is a leading role so I don’t think people really concentrate on getting the casting right, a lot of the time. But Omar really is perfect in it. 

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 5/30/22 at 12:40pm

ggersten said: "Thanks, Jordan. They were set to leave the show before we get to London.

But, prices are still, well, really really high (for London). We may just try for day seats! (especially if we can trade out our Legallly Blonde tickets)"

I think there's a lottery and not day seats, but Cabaret is dynamic prices at their finest and if you buy the tickets online on the same day of the show you'll still save 30 or 40% from what you'd pay even the day before.

[ggersten]

Posted: 5/30/22 at 8:20pm

Jordan Catalano said: "ggersten said: "Theatreboard is trashing Legally Blonde. Oh well."

One of the WORST things I’ve sat through in a long time. Basically every single component of this is total garbage. How it was allowed to actually go on in front of an audience should be examined to make sure it never happens again."

 

my eyes! That is more pink than Pinkalicious!  https://twitter.com/openairtheatre/status/1531302739266965507?s=21&t=STADqQ-lE6xhMadqAe0pFw

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/30/22 at 8:33pm

I will never understand those positive reviews. 

[SisterGeorge]

Posted: 5/31/22 at 2:01pm

Jordan Catalano said: "So let me say this about Fra and Amy. I know ticket sales have dumped a bit because they’re not the names they had before but they are INCREDIBLE. I think I preferred the two of them to Eddie and Jessie, actually. Fra have a much more menacing feel to the Emcee that in some parts I felt came straight from a Stephen King novel. Amy was also captivating and much less manic than Jessie was. She still has the yelling in parts so I suppose that’s just the direction of the show however it comes across better here, I felt.


If you’re on the fence about seeing it now that there’s a replacement cast - please still go."

Can't wait to see this in July. About the so-called Prologue, what is it and is it worth going early enough to try to catch a substantial bit of it? Also, is the "additional music by" credit refer to the Prologue? Thanks.

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/31/22 at 2:13pm

re: The “prologue”. I’ve seen the show five times now and have had different pre-show experiences every time. The first time I saw it, before they opened the doors to the house, everyone sort of gathered in the main hall (the normal main entrance to the theatre) and there was a pretty extravagant dance/music number done for the crowd. Each time I’ve been since, i haven’t seen that happen. Last week I didn’t even see any cast members mingle around with audience either, as they’d done in the past while playing instruments or dancing.

Im guessing the “additional music” refers to the music played in the theatre for the 30 mins or so before the show starts when there is cast on and around the stage walking around/playing instruments. It’s nothing substantial and feels like a “warm up” but it’s fun to watch while you’re waiting for the show to start.

[lopside]

Posted: 5/31/22 at 5:25pm

Jordan Catalano said: "So let me say this about Fra and Amy. I know ticket sales have dumped a bit because they’re not the names they had before but they are INCREDIBLE. I think I preferred the two of them to Eddie and Jessie, actually. Fra have a much more menacing feel to the Emcee that in some parts I felt came straight from a Stephen King novel. Amy was also captivating and much less manic than Jessie was. She still has the yelling in parts so I suppose that’s just the direction of the show however it comes across better here, I felt.


If you’re on the fence about seeing it now that there’s a replacement cast - please still go."

Sorry, but that sounds very amateurish. That is kind of the tightrope balance of playing the Emcee, which is never to do that kind of monstrous. 

Updated On: 5/31/22 at 05:25 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/31/22 at 5:31pm

Huh?

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 5/31/22 at 5:45pm

Jordan, are you seeing ABBA Voyage anytime soon? The YouTube clips have me mesmerized.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/31/22 at 5:48pm

I’m wasn’t going to, but seeing how Abba-Crazed the UK is right now, I might try to in July!

[lopside]

Posted: 5/31/22 at 5:53pm

The Emcee is not a horror movie character, and should not be played that is easily read as horrific.  There's a reason why the character has defied having myriad interpretations.  Walter Kerr's description of Joel Grey from the first Broadway prod review as a "gleeful puppet of pretended joy", or even better, "conspiratorially wicked" is what works best for the show, ( if you're not going for Mendes' ending I suppose. That allows for some different dimensions).

The show is about people constantly trying to hold up illusions. Again, Walter Kerr description really gels with me : " elected to wrap its arms around all that was troubling and all that was intolerable with a demonic grin, an insidious slink, and the painted-on charm that keeps revelers up until midnight making false faces at the hangman".