Watching musicals at the theatre

[zabadak]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

Going to see the Tina Tuner story, Tina, on Good Friday!

[George 1978]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

I have just written to the Bournemouth Pavilion with regards to see Fame the Musical on Friday 30th August 2019 - I am certain that the tickets could be making their way in the post in the next week.

Then there is the hotel and travelling situation to sort out - I have still got over four months before it happens.

[George 1978]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

With my dad I went to see "Forbidden Broadway", mainly because I was a fan of Michael Fenton Stevens, from Radio Active and KYTV. He was the singer on "The Chicken Song", but he is actually a really good singer, and "Forbidden Broadway" was great.

I didn't know that MFS had sung on The Chicken Song, or could even sing for that matter - you learn something new every day. Did you see him on Mr Bean in Room 426? - I almost feel for any actor who has played the straight man to Bean.

[Richard1978]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

With my dad I went to see "Forbidden Broadway", mainly because I was a fan of Michael Fenton Stevens, from Radio Active and KYTV. He was the singer on "The Chicken Song", but he is actually a really good singer, and "Forbidden Broadway" was great.

I also saw an amateur sixth form production of "Grease".

That's interesting, I had thought Philip Pope had sung on the Chicken Song, as he often contributed to Spitting Image as well as being a good singer, but I stand corrected.

My sister was in a school production of Grease, which had Karl Davis in it a few years before he was in Emmerdale, Kingdom & Game Of Thornes, among other things.

[Clare]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

I saw "My Fair Lady" on a school trip about thirty years ago. Graham Seed (who played Charles Mycroft in "Crossroads") is the only actor I can recall from it, offhand.

On another school trip, I saw "Blood Brothers".

With my dad I went to see "Forbidden Broadway", mainly because I was a fan of Michael Fenton Stevens, from Radio Active and KYTV. He was the singer on "The Chicken Song", but he is actually a really good singer, and "Forbidden Broadway" was great.

I also saw an amateur sixth form production of "Grease".

[George 1978]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

I love the theatre, seen phantom three times in the west end..my wifes fave show. Also seen jersey boys, buddy holly story ,oklahoma, sound of music, oliver,

I spend so much time browsing the What's On pages of the theatre websites around the country during the spring months (sometimes as early as January), and seeing which is the best one for my birthday. When it fell on a Sunday in 2015, there was limited choice as the casts are travelling between theatre locations - I was going to book tickets for Puttin' on the Ritz at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend on that day as there was a Sunday matinee performance, but I didn't book it in the end as I couldn't get a Premier Inn room in the town - went to Glasgow instead and settled for Dance Show Live and a trip to the cinema.

A pity that The Band - the Musical didn't have any "end of August" performances last year, otherwise that would have been on my list as well - I probably would have booked just for curiosity reasons anyway.

[darren]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

the opera house is being refurbished nxt yeAr 1st one since 1980.
THOUGHT UD LIKE THOSE PICS.

YEAH BELFAST PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY FRIENDLY.
DIDNT REALISE ITS ON SO CLOSE TO YOUR BIRTHDAY BUT A SHOW I MIGHT GO TO SEE.

FLASHDANCE ONE ID SEE AGAIN.
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Great pictures, Darren! One could imagine the Royal Variety Performance being attended by Queen or Prince Charles at the Grand Opera House in that picture - did you know that Fame the Musical will be there the week before my birthday this year, and if only it had been a week later, or if only my birthday had been a week earlier! I have never been to Northern Ireland, and so I would have loved to have "hopped" across the Irish Sea via car or National Express and stayed in Belfast for a few days - there is always next year or the year after, I suppose. I believe that Belfast have really friendly people over there that I hope to meet one day.

You mentioned Flashdance - their tour was going last year, and on 30th August they were in Swansea - initially I was thinking of seeing them there, although I was so close to travelling to the Bridlington Spa to see Cannon and Ball (yes, really), but one of the theatres in the south had something exciting on from their What's On page - eventually saw it in King's Lynn - a long story.

If the cast can travel around the country, then I can as well.

[Richard1978]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

I've seen a few musicals in recent years at the West End & Manchester.

My parents have also seen quite a few in the same timeframe.

[tex]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

I love the theatre, seen phantom three times in the west end..my wifes fave show. Also seen jersey boys, buddy holly story ,oklahoma, sound of music, oliver,

[George 1978]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

Great pictures, Darren! One could imagine the Royal Variety Performance being attended by Queen or Prince Charles at the Grand Opera House in that picture - did you know that Fame the Musical will be there the week before my birthday this year, and if only it had been a week later, or if only my birthday had been a week earlier! I have never been to Northern Ireland, and so I would have loved to have "hopped" across the Irish Sea via car or National Express and stayed in Belfast for a few days - there is always next year or the year after, I suppose. I believe that Belfast have really friendly people over there that I hope to meet one day.

You mentioned Flashdance - their tour was going last year, and on 30th August they were in Swansea - initially I was thinking of seeing them there, although I was so close to travelling to the Bridlington Spa to see Cannon and Ball (yes, really), but one of the theatres in the south had something exciting on from their What's On page - eventually saw it in King's Lynn - a long story.

If the cast can travel around the country, then I can as well.

[darren]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

my local theatre grand opera house belfast.

ITS FUNNY U SAY U HAD NOT BEEN TO THE THEATRE TILL RECENTLY AS ITS THE SAME WITH ME.

AUGUST 2017 AT THE AGE OF 42 WAS THE 1ST TIME ID BEEN TO THE THEATRE.
I DIDNT KNOW IF I LIKE MUISICALS BUT IT TURNS OUT I DO.

IVE SEEN SHREK THE FABULOUS FLASHDANCE NEW ID LOVE IT AS I LOVE THE FILMS.

THE TROCKS LA TROKADERO ALL MALE GROUP WHO DRESS AS LADIES VERY GOOD TOO A MIX OF DANCE AND COMEDY.

ALSO GOING TO SEE ROCK OF AGES IN JUNE SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS ONE.

SEEN TONS OF OTHER SHOWS THERE NOT MUSICALS THOUGH.

WILL GO AND SEE BLOOD UPON THE ROSE STORY OF THE EASTER UPRISING IN DUBLIN.







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Until a few years ago, I hardly ever set foot inside a theatre, but now, it is almost a place of sheer excitement seeing people perform on stage and admiring their talent after paying an almost reasonable price for a ticket, and sitting in a row which is closer to the stalls rather than the front, and trying to avoid Mr Six Foot Six is in front of you, blocking your view, (something that doesn't enter the mind when doing the "standing ovation" five minutes before the end), but at least one doesn't get a stiff neck all the time looking up. Oh, and I do purchase a copy of the programme as well, as well get some of the souvenirs near the entrance of the theatre.

Just before my birthday at the end of August I travel around the country each year to a relevant theatre so I can see what I want to see on my birthday, and not have to see it at the Nottingham Theatre Royal when it isn't my birthday, or have to put up with the stalwarts that happen to be Opera North, Shakespeare or Andrew Lloyd-Webber productions that they happen to have on instead. I saw the odd pantomime locally when I was younger, but my tastes haver changed a bit in the 30 years since I did that.

I am often on the mailing list of many of the theatres around the country, and they send me brochures in the post to my address where many of them look fascinating (the Cliffs Pavilion, the Yvonne Arnaud, the Beck Theatre and others) - I visit various theatres around Britain each year, and seeing a performance at a theatre in a town I have never visited before really brings the exciting thrill of doing that - something that wouldn't happen if I stayed in Nottingham. I even get some of the cast's autographs when I can keep track of where they will be performing around the country, writing to them at other times of the year via the incumbent theatre.

I try not to go too local to the East Midlands and also not to go to too many of the London West End theatres (especially at the moment), but I always try and go for areas that I have never visited before, and the combination of what the local theatre for that area has anything interesting on there.

My favourite genre are musicals because one gets the best of everything in a performance - drama, comedy, singing, dancing, and straight acting. The cast are so talented due to their acting, singing, dancing and comedy - it has almost everything - singers who can act, and actors who can sing, a bit similar to pantomimes. And at times, it feels so sexy! I always want the original actor as mentioned on the musical's website and in the programme to perform, and often get concerned when an understudy takes their place as each actor has their own take on playing characters. The character - actor combination is important to keep up for the benefit of having the quality of the performance intact. It is really nice that an actor has agreed to become someone else in character for our own benefit and leave their own identity aside for a couple of hours, which is what acting is all about of course.

The writers and producers are excellent as well - I quite like a lot of Bill Kenwright's stuff - I saw the sequel to Dreamboats and Petticoats - Dreamboats and Miniskirts at the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne of all places for a Saturday afternoon matinee in 2014, and two years later, I saw Save the Last Dance for Me at the Hall for Cornwall in Truro in 2016 starring Antony Costa out of Blue (ironically a week after they were in my home town, but I wouldn't have seen it on my birthday if I saw it locally!) My motto is to travel around and you will get to see what you want on a day that you want rather staying in your hometown, although as a rule I mostly do this once a year for my birthday - seek and ye shall find!

I enjoyed Grease the Musical at the Milton Keynes Theatre in 2017 (cue Danielle Hope singing "You're the One That I want", while wearing enough black Lycra to keep the Tour de France going for several years). Not on my birthday, but I saw Footloose in Weston-super-Mare as well. I am aiming for Fame the Musical this year at the end of August, and that means heading down to the Bournemouth Pavilion to do that - I might just try and watch a few episodes of the original 1980s series to keep me abreast of the characters and so on (I am just about familiar with the character of Carmen from their website). Travelling around the country to different theatres (just like the cast does) is rather a bit of an anorak thing, I know, but I do get such a huge buzz when my birthday comes around and I make plans to do that - one makes comparisons with the woman who saw Les Misérables nearly 1,000 times of the years (something I wouldn't do), and someone who had booked a ticket for every performance to see Cannon and Ball in panto in Wales a few years ago.

Being familiar with the series Glee and the songs performed, I wouldn't mind seeing a touring musical version of that if one had been put together, and got a suitable cast together. I have been looking at the cast performances on YouTube which whets my appetite to be honest.

Do any of you go to the theatre, and if so, do you get to see any of the musicals, or do you go down the Shakespeare or opera route? (Again, something that I wouldn't do).

[zabadak]

Re: Watching musicals at the theatre

My fair lady and I enjoy these, too, although strictly commutable from London. We have seen Jersey Boys, Beautiful and Sunny Afternoon, among others, in the West End but an absolute delight was Tommy at the Theatre Royal, in Stratford, East London. Some of the cast were special needs and this added a frisson of authenticity to the ensemble pieces, where the main character was reaching out to people like him.

[George 1978]

Until a few years ago, I hardly ever set foot inside a theatre, but now, it is almost a place of sheer excitement seeing people perform on stage and admiring their talent after paying an almost reasonable price for a ticket, and sitting in a row which is closer to the stalls rather than the front, and trying to avoid Mr Six Foot Six is in front of you, blocking your view, (something that doesn't enter the mind when doing the "standing ovation" five minutes before the end), but at least one doesn't get a stiff neck all the time looking up. Oh, and I do purchase a copy of the programme as well, as well get some of the souvenirs near the entrance of the theatre.

Just before my birthday at the end of August I travel around the country each year to a relevant theatre so I can see what I want to see on my birthday, and not have to see it at the Nottingham Theatre Royal when it isn't my birthday, or have to put up with the stalwarts that happen to be Opera North, Shakespeare or Andrew Lloyd-Webber productions that they happen to have on instead. I saw the odd pantomime locally when I was younger, but my tastes haver changed a bit in the 30 years since I did that.

I am often on the mailing list of many of the theatres around the country, and they send me brochures in the post to my address where many of them look fascinating (the Cliffs Pavilion, the Yvonne Arnaud, the Beck Theatre and others) - I visit various theatres around Britain each year, and seeing a performance at a theatre in a town I have never visited before really brings the exciting thrill of doing that - something that wouldn't happen if I stayed in Nottingham. I even get some of the cast's autographs when I can keep track of where they will be performing around the country, writing to them at other times of the year via the incumbent theatre.

I try not to go too local to the East Midlands and also not to go to too many of the London West End theatres (especially at the moment), but I always try and go for areas that I have never visited before, and the combination of what the local theatre for that area has anything interesting on there.

My favourite genre are musicals because one gets the best of everything in a performance - drama, comedy, singing, dancing, and straight acting. The cast are so talented due to their acting, singing, dancing and comedy - it has almost everything - singers who can act, and actors who can sing, a bit similar to pantomimes. And at times, it feels so sexy! I always want the original actor as mentioned on the musical's website and in the programme to perform, and often get concerned when an understudy takes their place as each actor has their own take on playing characters. The character - actor combination is important to keep up for the benefit of having the quality of the performance intact. It is really nice that an actor has agreed to become someone else in character for our own benefit and leave their own identity aside for a couple of hours, which is what acting is all about of course.

The writers and producers are excellent as well - I quite like a lot of Bill Kenwright's stuff - I saw the sequel to Dreamboats and Petticoats - Dreamboats and Miniskirts at the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne of all places for a Saturday afternoon matinee in 2014, and two years later, I saw Save the Last Dance for Me at the Hall for Cornwall in Truro in 2016 starring Antony Costa out of Blue (ironically a week after they were in my home town, but I wouldn't have seen it on my birthday if I saw it locally!) My motto is to travel around and you will get to see what you want on a day that you want rather staying in your hometown, although as a rule I mostly do this once a year for my birthday - seek and ye shall find!

I enjoyed Grease the Musical at the Milton Keynes Theatre in 2017 (cue Danielle Hope singing "You're the One That I want", while wearing enough black Lycra to keep the Tour de France going for several years). Not on my birthday, but I saw Footloose in Weston-super-Mare as well. I am aiming for Fame the Musical this year at the end of August, and that means heading down to the Bournemouth Pavilion to do that - I might just try and watch a few episodes of the original 1980s series to keep me abreast of the characters and so on (I am just about familiar with the character of Carmen from their website). Travelling around the country to different theatres (just like the cast does) is rather a bit of an anorak thing, I know, but I do get such a huge buzz when my birthday comes around and I make plans to do that - one makes comparisons with the woman who saw Les Misérables nearly 1,000 times of the years (something I wouldn't do), and someone who had booked a ticket for every performance to see Cannon and Ball in panto in Wales a few years ago.

Being familiar with the series Glee and the songs performed, I wouldn't mind seeing a touring musical version of that if one had been put together, and got a suitable cast together. I have been looking at the cast performances on YouTube which whets my appetite to be honest.

Do any of you go to the theatre, and if so, do you get to see any of the musicals, or do you go down the Shakespeare or opera route? (Again, something that I wouldn't do).