|
Post by trubble on May 3, 2009 15:40:01 GMT
I went to a production of 'The Producers' recently, I wouldn't have gone but the tickets were bought for me and I said yes so long ago that I forgot to cancel -lol- but it was brilliant, possibly one of the best musicals I've ever seen.
I've seen both films, so no surprises were expected, but there was something jaw-achingly funny about watching a camp Hitler singing to goosestepping chorus girls LIVE. Very surreal.
If ever I get the chance to see it on Broadway I'll go.
What plays/shows do you remember as being outstanding?
|
|
|
Post by trubble on May 3, 2009 15:41:51 GMT
And here will be a perfect place for Everso's review of her West End outing.
|
|
|
Post by Patrick on May 3, 2009 16:11:15 GMT
"My Blanket! My Blanket! Don't touch my Blue Blanket!!! Best Beloved's Father was a fan of Les Mis - he'd always wanted to see it - Though it was only after he died that BB, I and her Mother went, when it was at it's first London Theatre. It was a special occasion, sort of because it was "in his memory". We bought the sound track album and the odd times that we've put it on of an evening we are both usually in tears by the end! When I was very little (and you've heard this before) I saw Tommy Steele in Hans Christian Anderson at the London Palladium. Pity all I can remember of it now is him sitting on a tall singing one of the songs - but I can't remember which one either!
|
|
|
Post by Alpha Hooligan on May 3, 2009 16:19:57 GMT
Me and my mate openly mocked some street theatre idiots in Liverpool city center once...that's the sum total of my theatre experience, I'm not very cultured in that respect. AH
|
|
|
Post by trubble on May 3, 2009 16:55:19 GMT
We will educate you, young man.
|
|
|
Post by trubble on May 3, 2009 17:16:55 GMT
"My Blanket! My Blanket! Don't touch my Blue Blanket!!! Best Beloved's Father was a fan of Les Mis - he'd always wanted to see it - Though it was only after he died that BB, I and her Mother went, when it was at it's first London Theatre. It was a special occasion, sort of because it was "in his memory". We bought the sound track album and the odd times that we've put it on of an evening we are both usually in tears by the end! When I was very little (and you've heard this before) I saw Tommy Steele in Hans Christian Anderson at the London Palladium. Pity all I can remember of it now is him sitting on a tall singing one of the songs - but I can't remember which one either! I skipped Les Mis. I had been to see Cats not long before and I am not as keen on the big productions since that, er, weird night. Childhood memories: When I was 8 I saw the Mikado performed and loved it, it's very clear in my mind, the three little maids, the part where the dagger comes out and turns into a fan, all the costumes, but it was always very special in my mind because my dad took me, usually he stays away from culchaa and sticks to partying. A few years ago we all went to see another production of it and I was quite emotional, a tear in my eye, to see it while sitting beside my dad again. At the interval I could see he was also welling up, he said to me, 'do you know the last time I saw this?' The story should be happy from now on, right? But I let him carry on talking so it's not. 'The last time I saw this was when I was little and my mum took me' he whispered full of emotion. I just shouted at him that it wasn't and ran off to the bar. Honest to God! That man!
|
|
|
Post by Alpha Hooligan on May 3, 2009 18:06:43 GMT
We will educate you, young man. I'd prefer it if you just fed me Jaffa Cakes & chololate milk shakes to be honest... AH
|
|
|
Post by Patrick on May 3, 2009 23:53:08 GMT
I skipped Les Mis. I had been to see Cats not long before and I am not as keen on the big productions since that, er, weird night. I didn't really want to see Les M either. Just dismissing it as another overrated (by the literati) number. Possibly because another friend of mine once used to go on and on about it - tends to put you off. Did you ever get your Dad to realise his mistake?
|
|
|
Post by everso on May 4, 2009 15:03:01 GMT
"My Blanket! My Blanket! Don't touch my Blue Blanket!!! Best Beloved's Father was a fan of Les Mis - he'd always wanted to see it - Though it was only after he died that BB, I and her Mother went, when it was at it's first London Theatre. It was a special occasion, sort of because it was "in his memory". We bought the sound track album and the odd times that we've put it on of an evening we are both usually in tears by the end! When I was very little (and you've heard this before) I saw Tommy Steele in Hans Christian Anderson at the London Palladium. Pity all I can remember of it now is him sitting on a tall singing one of the songs - but I can't remember which one either! I skipped Les Mis. I had been to see Cats not long before and I am not as keen on the big productions since that, er, weird night. Childhood memories: When I was 8 I saw the Mikado performed and loved it, it's very clear in my mind, the three little maids, the part where the dagger comes out and turns into a fan, all the costumes, but it was always very special in my mind because my dad took me, usually he stays away from culchaa and sticks to partying. A few years ago we all went to see another production of it and I was quite emotional, a tear in my eye, to see it while sitting beside my dad again. At the interval I could see he was also welling up, he said to me, 'do you know the last time I saw this?' The story should be happy from now on, right? But I let him carry on talking so it's not. 'The last time I saw this was when I was little and my mum took me' he whispered full of emotion. I just shouted at him that it wasn't and ran off to the bar. Honest to God! That man! Awwww. That gave me a tear in my eye! You should tell him that when you come to choose his nursing home, you'll pick the one that smells of cabbage and where they take away his false teeth. That's what my daughter tells me anyway!
|
|
|
Post by everso on May 4, 2009 15:31:33 GMT
And here will be a perfect place for Everso's review of her West End outing. I did submit a report on another thread. A Trip to the SmokeThe theatre trip that I remember best from long ago wasn't actually a theatre trip but a cinema trip. It was a birthday treat (I was 9) and my parents (together with auntie and uncle) took me to see "South Pacific" at the Dominion in Tottenham Court Road in London's West End. (Oddly enough, the Dominion is now a theatre - showing "We Will Rock You"). Fifty years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday. Other memorable stuff: taking our kids to see "Cinderella" at the Palladium in the 80s. The costumes had been designed by the Emanuels (sp?) who designed Princess Diana's wedding dress, and they were fabulous.
|
|
|
Post by Patrick on May 4, 2009 15:52:38 GMT
Other memorable stuff: taking our kids to see "Cinderella" at the Palladium in the 80s. The costumes had been designed by the Emanuels (sp?) who designed Princess Diana's wedding dress, and they were fabulous. I went to another Panto at the Palladium. We also went to one or two at The Mermaid theatre in London. I certainly remember one being Cinderella! With George and Mildred as the ugly sisters and Richard o'Sullivan as "Buttons". I also remember another panto (again in the seventies) with Roger de Courcey (sp?) and Nookie the bear - but I try to avoid mentioning that in public!
|
|
|
Post by everso on May 4, 2009 16:14:21 GMT
Other memorable stuff: taking our kids to see "Cinderella" at the Palladium in the 80s. The costumes had been designed by the Emanuels (sp?) who designed Princess Diana's wedding dress, and they were fabulous. I went to another Panto at the Palladium. We also went to one or two at The Mermaid theatre in London. I certainly remember one being Cinderella! With George and Mildred as the ugly sisters and Richard o'Sullivan as "Buttons". I also remember another panto (again in the seventies) with Roger de Courcey (sp?) and Nookie the bear - but I try to avoid mentioning that in public! That's nothing. We went to see Babes in the Wood at the Palladium a year or so after Cinderella, and Cannon and Ball, together with Rod Hull and Emu were starring.
|
|
|
Post by Flatypus on May 4, 2009 17:13:29 GMT
I regret to say that the only things I have seen live are Cats, Hair when I was a student and a weird interpretation of Rite of Spring as a sort of criticised wedding a few years ago. I did consider "Jesus Christ, the Guantanmo years" that was playing at an experimental theatre a few months ago. I can't really see the point when cinema can do it so much better with special effects, except for political agitprop and street clowning. I think I'm be happier with a caberet style performance where there is a physical distinction between cast and audience but not the excessive one of lights down and keep stumm.
|
|
|
Post by trubble on May 4, 2009 17:48:10 GMT
When theatre is good you participate in it, it's much more like experiencing something than watching it, that's the point of theatre.
Compare the record to the gig, I suppose, in music terms.
|
|
|
Post by trubble on May 4, 2009 17:49:25 GMT
We will educate you, young man. I'd prefer it if you just fed me Jaffa Cakes & chololate milk shakes to be honest... AH That's good too.
|
|
|
Post by trubble on May 4, 2009 17:51:13 GMT
And here will be a perfect place for Everso's review of her West End outing. I did submit a report on another thread. A Trip to the Smoke oooops.
|
|
|
Post by trubble on May 4, 2009 17:53:34 GMT
I went to another Panto at the Palladium. We also went to one or two at The Mermaid theatre in London. I certainly remember one being Cinderella! With George and Mildred as the ugly sisters and Richard o'Sullivan as "Buttons". I also remember another panto (again in the seventies) with Roger de Courcey (sp?) and Nookie the bear - but I try to avoid mentioning that in public! That's nothing. We went to see Babes in the Wood at the Palladium a year or so after Cinderella, and Cannon and Ball, together with Rod Hull and Emu were starring. I saw Rod Hull and Emu! with Larry Grayson. The one I remember best is John Inman - Mother Goose - and a comedy ballet act he did as the prima ballerina putting the male dancers' hands in rude places, and a lady sitting beside us who was a dwarf and my mum had to keep telling us not to stare.
|
|
|
Post by Flatypus on May 4, 2009 17:57:12 GMT
When theatre is good you participate in it, it's much more like experiencing something than watching it, that's the point of theatre. Compare the record to the gig, I suppose, in music terms. That's one thing that puts me off. Fine when it's voluntary but there's always the dread of these types that drag people up on public view or start interacting and I'd never know what I'm supposed to do.
|
|
|
Post by trubble on May 4, 2009 18:06:10 GMT
When theatre is good you participate in it, it's much more like experiencing something than watching it, that's the point of theatre. Compare the record to the gig, I suppose, in music terms. That's one thing that puts me off. Fine when it's voluntary but there's always the dread of these types that drag people up on public view or start interacting and I'd never know what I'm supposed to do. I am always trying to get in on the act but they never choose me. Edit: I lie! I just remembered a street act the summer before last that picked me to be the victim of a lap dance. I just put my head in my lap and prayed for it to be over. I would have enjoyed it more but I had a daughter and niece with me that were vomiting at the thought of anyone doing that to me. Kids ruin your life! If you ever get picked on, all you have to do is stand there and smile and don't try to outwit them, Piffle. But that's not the participation I was thinking of so much as being brought into a world and being immersed in something for a couple of hours that's not interupted by popcorn and isn't repeatable and you're there right beside the person talking to you from stage. When you leave the theatre (if it was good, I stress again) you have been somewhere else and you are enriched by it. Films don't quite get you to the same place, you leave the cinema and say ''now what will we do?''. I suppose every now and then a film manages it but theatre touches me more. John Hurt in Krapp's Last Tape for example. I saw the film and the live performance. Both exactly the same but the it was the theatre that left me with food for thought and a buzz and feeling that I'd done something, not just seen something. I suppose that might have been because he threw his banana skin right at me.
|
|
|
Post by Flatypus on May 4, 2009 18:55:42 GMT
Yes, the immersion thing is different altogether. Sunny days, I could find myself missing my second bus because I had to walk down through Grafton Street and it's always full of buskers. For a long time they degenerated into statue people who'd just stand there all covered in whatever (though there was gold Fairy Queen I always had a smile for). Some of them can be very good, there's at least two classical string quartets but I prefer Andean music. There was a for a while a beautiful Chinese woman playing classical pipa (a sort of zither that sounds like it reads). I get much more enthralled by music than visual. (Though I can draw a line at the Uilleann pipes, however much I liike the Highland variety)
|
|