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Post by poppy on Aug 17, 2009 19:18:29 GMT 9.5
Friends have just booked me a ticket to see the show in September and really looking foward to see it! Saw Buddy Holly a few weeks ago and it was great. It had me top tapping and hand clapping!  |
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Post by neh on Oct 5, 2009 10:57:35 GMT 9.5
This is most belated but myself and Nik saw Wicked last Saturday matinee (Nik did a hatrick over the weekend, lucky lady!) It was enjoyable, for sure, and to finally see the staging/lighting/costuming live rather than in other formats was most welcome. We had Jenna for Elphie; her voice is lovely and smooth, and i quite liked her interpretation of the character.
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Post by poppy on Oct 24, 2009 18:19:08 GMT 9.5
A bit late but what the hey! I saw Jersey Boys and thought it was a bit ho-hum! ( runs away to hide and avoid knives or anything else Lynne can get her hands on to hurl my way.) To my defense I had been working for 11 hours a day seven days straight, doing a big warehouse move and I was pooped! The only thing I did enjoy were those cocktail slushies...........I had six! ( Loved those $5 refills)  |
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Post by neh on Oct 25, 2009 19:38:28 GMT 9.5
My mum is still determined to see JB; jukebox musicals tend to be the only shows she will see willingly, and i take what i can get with my family and theatre!
Am gearing up to book my tickets straight away when Spring Awakening's box office opens on Dec 1st! As the prices seem like they're going to be reasonable, i've already been assured that one visit will be a Chrissy gift.
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Post by Injeanious on Oct 27, 2009 8:40:51 GMT 9.5
Aw Poppy - I am throwing lots and lots of that slushy red stuff at you!!! Just shows how different people see different shows. I saw it again this weekend (four times) and could see it another 20 times and would still be in raptures. Yet the Mikado would do nothing for me. Different strokes for different folks! Poppy - didn't you even feel a bit sad when Frankie's daughter died of an overdose?
Perhaps also the age difference between us makes a difference. I grew up with all the 4 Seasons songs!
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Post by poppy on Nov 2, 2009 16:36:44 GMT 9.5
Yes, it was sad!
I don't think it's an age thing, I love those songs but I just couldn't get into it maybe there was too much acting, I don't know!
I actually saw Wicked again on Friday night and it was great. I had really great seats, bar the big fat headed jerk in front of me kept leaning over to have a pash with his girlfriend!
(keep throwing those slushies) ;D
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Post by neh on Jan 27, 2010 21:37:47 GMT 9.5
I'm finally seeing 'Spring Awakening' next week, in it's first preview, so expect a long-o chat about that experience when it occurs! (pssst, i did some spying at the STC last weekend and heard the girls rehearsing the number 'My Junk'; they sounded pretty strong. Dam them)
Had my play performed at the Short and Sweet Theatre Festival last week, so i got to see back and watch other actors/writers/directors at work with short plays - it was interesting to see how people interpret that particular medium. Some i felt worked really well, some didnt, but it was a challenging week!
Don't know if that counts as a review really, but it's all i can churn out at present
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Post by Fredus on Jan 28, 2010 16:25:31 GMT 9.5
Yay! You finally get your SA fix! I'm glad, Neh, and am eagerly waiting for your review.
I wish I could have come and seen your play. I'm so proud to have such a clever friend.
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Post by neh on Jan 28, 2010 21:26:36 GMT 9.5
Not clever in the slightest, trust me! I was sent the final tallies on votes ect after the winners of our week were announced, and it was just a harder slap on the face to see that i had no judges votes whatsoever for my play. Thanks guys - now go fall into a hole and dont climb out. I was heartened to see this vid of the girlies from SA singing my fav number (probably just before/after i spied on them, hehe. Shhh!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqHMyx0vzu0But then i saw the choreo for Totally F***ed. Oh noes. Aiming for a Wicked lottery attempt this weekend; crossing fingers and toes! |
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Post by Fredus on Jan 29, 2010 16:30:44 GMT 9.5
Aw, pox on their heads! They just don't know a good thing when they see it.
Cool vid....
And good luck for the lottery!
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Post by neh on Feb 1, 2010 21:34:34 GMT 9.5
No luck on the Wicked lottery, i'm afraid. We were very sad when none of our names were announced, but we vowed nonetheless to hit the stage door that evening, just for the sake of it. We did, and we made this little vid for our friend Andrew, who had fallen asleep at dinner and didnt come down with us to meet and greet. He adores Lucy Durack so we figured we should give him something special to cherish www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hlei94ETEfc |
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Post by neh on Feb 7, 2010 21:34:18 GMT 9.5
Ok, so part one of what will no doubt prove to be an extremely, extremely long review for 'Spring Awakening'. I havent even gotten to the actual show yet and i've already passed 2 pages of drabble!
Spring Awakening Australia – first preview.
Feb 4th, 2010
REVIEW PART 1 – disgustingly detailed, repetitive and poorly worded
Ok, to start off – I have a beef with non-replica SA productions, right off the bat. Budapest has so much to answer for (plastic baby, Ilse?? Seriously?!) and Brazil freaks me out (why the girls have ice blocks is beyond me…. Sexual metaphor no doubt, but ice blocks? In their flippin’ underwear?) So going into this Aussie premiere of a much-beloved show, I was wary. Scrap that, I was insanely nervous and already coursing with pre-empted anger, just in case. I’d seen the promo pics, I’d seen the video footage, and I’d read the admittedly pompus sounding interview statements, that seemed to announce the show’s deviation from the original as some sort of profound artistic measure, to be proud of. I did a lot of eye rolling, secretly crossed my fingers and stilled my heart. And in I went.
The set and staging: Act 1
First off, the kids come on stage and hang out with each other for a good 15 mintues before both the first and second acts. It was fun picking who was who as they entered, and smiling at some.
Ladders, lots of them. Scaffolding of sorts, RENT-esque. All made of wood. The central pillar of which was rotated and manipulated throughout to create the new scenes and locations – also it proved to be a surprising mechanism for adding energy and life. No raised platform for MBN, and subsequently no separate “hayloft”. Sigh.
Lighting was interesting; similar to the technique done in MBN, bulbs were lowered down on rope during certain numbers (and those themselves were unusual selections too – I think I have this right in recalling the effect during All That’s Known, My Junk, and Touch Me – that’s more fitting at least.) The performers also grabbed onto lamp-like/torch-like bulbs and carried them during particular moments, when all other stage lighting was dimmed. Wendla carried hers on her way to the “hayloft” to confront Melchi, Moritz very effectively and poignantly carried his during DDS and his monologue, and the two of them carried them whilst singing to Melchi in Those You’ve Known.
Mic-wise, it was pretty much sung through the head mics except for select numbers were the kids would do the traditional and grab the hand-held mics and go at it – it should be noted however that this device was NOT used in numbers were are accustomed to, such as Bitch and the Mama reprise, which was a dam shame.
Weird choices with blocking abounded like never before, and that was one of the physical elements that most pissed me off. Some small examples: Wendla doesn’t go near her mama when the stalk talk takes place – so subsequently the “I’ll lay my head in your lap” just seems futile. Interesting use of a line of chairs for the Latin class boys – thank God chairs still played a (small) part in Bitch, or else heads truly would have rolled! My Junk involved the girlies stepping over and onto chairs as they walked – cute but very much distracted from the dialogue, which I’ve always really enjoyed during that sequence. Touch Me looked beautiful, can’t deny it. Word of Your Body was pretty standard, thank goodness – no actual touching though, just ghosting hands around one another. More on that later. DIKW and ATTWN worked well, with the hand-held mics really providing the power and gutso and giving the performers something physical to channel their emotions into, as silly as that sounds. Hehe, I say that like it’s some revelation for the show – already I’m talking like the ignorant viewer! MBN was … ok…. The boys still did some choreo off to the side, and Melchi walked through one of the corridors center stage as he sung. But it’s such an iconic moment in the B’way etc. versions and it’s also dam hard to get Jon Groff out of your mind whenever that number arises. I missed the replica production the most during this song. I practically ached for it! Just the lighting alone – where were the blue lights?!?!? Half of the hayloft dialogue was delivered with Wendla talking to Melchi from the above platform – that had me terrified! The entire time my mind was just screaming “Get down, girl!! Get down and sit near him so he can sex you up!” Thankfully she did, and he did and they went at it. With her head very near to a pole, I might add – I feared for her safety a few times.
AND LIGHTS DOWN.
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affirmedhope
Madman
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Post by affirmedhope on Feb 8, 2010 21:05:31 GMT 9.5
I'm not going to read your review yet, Neh, (although it is very tempting) until I see it on the 27th because (and here's my big confession) I don't want to be spoiled. While I have read a synopsis of the show and the cast recording is a bit of a favourite when I want to dance around my room like a looney, I don't know much more than that. I'm not familiar with the original blocking or choreography and I'm excited to see how our views differ on the STC production seeing as we are coming to it from completely different angles.
Thanks for the time you've put into your review, Neh. I can't wait to read it!
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Post by neh on Feb 10, 2010 8:36:19 GMT 9.5
Oh Bek dear, it's got so much more to go! I need to find time to sit down and churn out the rest of it. I also need to find the courage to request the 27th off work - they already hate me so so very much.
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Post by jayko on Jul 25, 2012 13:53:20 GMT 9.5
Just rediscovered this thread and thought I would add a quick review of Twisted Broadway which I went to on Monday night. For those that don't know, Twisted Broadway is a charity concert with the proceeds going to Oz Showbiz Cares and Equity Fights Aids. It involves members of the musical theatre industry performing songs that are usually sung by the opposite gender which makes for some extremely funny performances! This was their third year of doing the concerts and I have been lucky enough to attend each one. Fantastic to see how it has grown from a little event at Red Bennies to a much bigger show at BMW Edge. Also, this year was the first year that they did the show in Sydney too so very exciting for them! This year some of the performers included members from the casts of Annie, the Producers, Rock of Ages and Moonshadow. Some of my favourites were Blake Bowden, Matt Holly (and another guy whose name fails me at the moment) singing "At The Ballet" from A Chorus Line (tutu included), Brent Hill performing "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from The Little Mermaid (with Dean Vince playing the part of a human wishing to become a mermaid, tail included), Luke Joslin and Tony Farrell performing "What Is This Feeling" from Wicked (with Luke playing Elphaba and Tony playing Glinda, swapping the "blonde" line for "grey" - very funny!), Amy Lehpamer not only singing "If I Were A Rich Man", but also playing the violin, and Matthew Robinson singing "Find Your Grail". There were so many good performances though, wish I could write them all down here! All in all it was a fabulously fun night and I highly recommend that people go and see it next year in either Sydney or Melbourne and support a great cause.  |
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Post by poppy on Jul 25, 2012 20:24:48 GMT 9.5
Sounds like a lot of fun! With Warlow out of the country next year, maybe I could afford to go see something else! |
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Post by jemasjottings on Jul 26, 2012 17:24:49 GMT 9.5
Sounds like you had a great time, Jess. Nothing like a good show to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step! Thanks for the description, too. I'll have to try and make it next year around a visit to spend time with my precious little grandson ... (and you of course!) |
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Post by Injeanious on Jul 27, 2012 7:50:41 GMT 9.5
Was just reading a review I did of Jersey Boys and I said this "perhaps it will turn into another Phantom of the Opera for me?  ? Although I somehow can't imagine seeing it 40 times!!" Hmmm - obviously I got it wrong as I have now seen the show 94 times. Never get sick of it - just love it. |
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Post by poppy on Jul 27, 2012 22:28:20 GMT 9.5
Still amazed at how many times you have seen it! I take it you are coming to Melbourne when it comes back early next year? |
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Post by jemasjottings on Jul 28, 2012 20:24:43 GMT 9.5
Wow Inj! That's amazing. You sure are a dedicated fan  It's in Brissie at the moment and they have a fabulous video light show on the side of QPAC every night with flowers and fish and birds and other things all moving to music, and for about a minute there's a huge tribute to Jersey Boys. You'd love it! |
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Post by antlove on Jul 29, 2012 22:18:06 GMT 9.5
Wow Inj, is it that amazing???
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Post by Fredus on Aug 2, 2012 20:03:38 GMT 9.5
Twisted Broadway sounds awesome, Jayko. I remember you talking about it last year and then I promptly forgot about it! I hope I remember this time though, it might be fun to go next year. Way to underestimate your devotion there, Inj! I'm glad you have such a great time with it - it's nice to be addicted to shows! |
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verdon
Scientist
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Post by verdon on Nov 11, 2012 4:28:13 GMT 9.5
Did anybody see SOUTH PACIFIC? What a strong voice TEDDY TAHU RHODES has !!!
Last August I went to see also CHESS in Melbourne, and it was the first time that I had the opportunity to see the show. Simon Gleeson and Silvie Paladino were great
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? Although I somehow can't imagine seeing it 40 times!!" Hmmm - obviously I got it wrong as I have now seen the show 94 times. Never get sick of it - just love it.
Please feel free to introduce yourself in the Introducing thread in the General board, also to contact myself or anyone here if you have any questions. We hope you enjoy your time with US!