Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted February 24 Awards Moderator Share Posted February 24 (edited) 12 minutes ago, Nexus said: Went to see Hadestown this afternoon. My wife bought tickets and I attempted to listen to the soundtrack a month or so ago, but wasn't able to focus on it. I'm glad I didn't - watching it blind was phenomenal. Fun staging, good story and great singing.  Highly recommend it!  Edit: Also the actor who played Hades (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachary_James) reminded me simultaneously of both Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. We’re going in June. My wife saw it in New York and it’s her absolute favourite, so she’s built the expectations high. I’ve listened to it a bit, enough to be familiar with the style, but after your post I might try not to again! We’ll be seeing Kathy & Stella Solve A Murder the same weekend. That’s a brilliant show - by far the best thing I saw at the Fringe last year and I’m thrilled it’s getting a West End run. Seeing it in Edinburgh felt like you were catching something special just before it goes stratospheric. Edited February 24 by HarmonicGenerator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Jesse Posted February 25 Paid Members Share Posted February 25 14 hours ago, Nexus said: Went to see Hadestown this afternoon. My wife bought tickets and I attempted to listen to the soundtrack a month or so ago, but wasn't able to focus on it. I'm glad I didn't - watching it blind was phenomenal. Fun staging, good story and great singing.  Highly recommend it!  Edit: Also the actor who played Hades (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachary_James) reminded me simultaneously of both Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. My wife got me a ticket to see this next month for my birthday last year, been really looking forward to it. I've seen parts of it before because I love Patrick Page, but I'm excited to see the whole thing together with a cast that's pretty much completely new to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted March 8 Paid Members Share Posted March 8 I finally got to see My Neighbour Totoro yesterday. I felt mixed on it. Spoiler The staging is incredible. The first time we saw Totoro we say there in shock, absolutely breathtaking. The puppetry throughout is incredible. However, we felt the pacing was off, a few things which could either of been trimmed or cut entirely out (the second act was especially bad for this). It ends up being an 86 minute film turned into 165 minute performance. In fact when the first half ended we wondered if it was the end (and we were already satisfied at that point with what we'd seen). I still recommend it, one of the most incredible things I have seen in a theatre, despite those issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted March 8 Paid Members Share Posted March 8 On Totoro: Spoiler I'd agree on the pacing, that definitely stuck out more the second time around. They probably don't need to have Mei go missing twice (maybe three times?) in almost identical scenes, and there seems to be other bits of repetition too, but the charm of it all completely overwhelmed all of that for me. I just picked up tickets for The Motive And The Cue, as it's finishing this month and I've been meaning to see it for ages. It'll be a lot of luvvies being luvvies, but I'm a nerd for Richard Burton, so Johnny Flynn as Burton and Mark Gatiss as Gielgud is right up my street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted March 8 Paid Members Share Posted March 8 The staging in Totoro was so beautiful that I found myself actually crying throughout in wonder, child-like joy and awe of it. Though saying that my son was in the middle of 10 months of serious sleep repression so I was half delirious before the play even started so that might've been what done it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted March 8 Paid Members Share Posted March 8 oh yeah, I cried my eyes out from about three minutes in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted March 8 Paid Members Share Posted March 8 19 minutes ago, LaGoosh said: The staging in Totoro was so beautiful that I found myself actually crying throughout in wonder, child-like joy and awe of it. Yes! it's why I hated saying what I did (although on the discussion back we all shared similar opinions on it, I have seen a lot of musicals and this was by far the most beautiful I had seen staged). I absolutely cried at Totoro and later on at the cat bus. The way they bought the film to life was incredible, I just wish they condensed things down a bit because it did drag out a few, I think, unnecessary elements. And will definitely see it again, whether that is at the Barbican, or if it gets a transfer like it deserves to the West End where more people can see it. We're seeing Spirited Away in May and I know nothing about the production at all so excited with how they do that. By the way, whilst it made for a good venue, Barbican itself is a weird place isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted March 8 Paid Members Share Posted March 8 Just now, Hannibal Scorch said: Barbican itself is a weird place isn't it? I absolutely love the Barbican. The sheer range of stuff they put on throughout the year is incredible and the design of the building is beautiful. I love hanging out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted March 8 Paid Members Share Posted March 8 44 minutes ago, LaGoosh said: I absolutely love the Barbican. The sheer range of stuff they put on throughout the year is incredible and the design of the building is beautiful. I love hanging out there. Oh I agree on the Barbican itself, more the location of it being in the centre of what felt like it belonged in Mega City One from Judge Dredd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 1 hour ago, LaGoosh said: I absolutely love the Barbican. The sheer range of stuff they put on throughout the year is incredible and the design of the building is beautiful. I love hanging out there. The whole area is full of beautiful brutalist architecture. For me, it's the most unique part of London. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 I work about a 5-10 min walk from Barbican and yeah, it's a fascinating place. I mean I generally hate going to London these days but on the days where it's nice enough to pop out at lunch, the sheer variety of places and how different they are just in that area alone is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 (edited) We saw Totoro the second time a couple of weeks ago. I completely see where you’re coming from about the pacing, but despite that I could’ve just watched it again straight away (I did watch the film a couple of days after we got back from London). The staging is incredible, the woman who they had singing had such a beautiful voice (I don’t know if it was the same as who sang on the show’s first run), and even the reveal of Totoro got me again. I’d seen the show already, I knew what was coming, but that didn’t stop me just sitting there in absolute awe of him. I love the Barbican as a venue for it though. Does it being produced by the RSC stop it from transferring to the West End? As Cameron Mackentosh owns the majority of those theatres. We’re at Spirited Away in May too and I’ve only seen a couple of photos for that which haven’t spoiled too much of it. There is the show that was streamed on Hulu Japan available for download, but I’ve resisted temptation to watch that ahead of time as there’s lots in SA that I’m interested in seeing how they bring it to life Edited March 8 by WyattSheepMask Spelling, sorry Bacon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted March 8 Paid Members Share Posted March 8 20 minutes ago, WyattSheepMask said: Does it being produced by the RSC stop it from transferring to the West End? As Cameron Mackentosh owns the majority of those theatres. Â I'd assume not because Matilda has been playing for years in the West End. Makentosh only operates 8 theatres in the West End which is quite a few, but no the most of any company (I believe Ambassador own the most of anyone). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 3 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said: I'd assume not because Matilda has been playing for years in the West End. Makentosh only operates 8 theatres in the West End which is quite a few, but no the most of any company (I believe Ambassador own the most of anyone). Ah right, thought he owned more of them and didn’t realise that Matilda was RSC too. I can see it staying at Barbican though. They know what they’re doing with staging it there rather than having to make changes to a different venue, and it’s clearly a big draw for the Barbican as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted March 8 Paid Members Share Posted March 8 2 minutes ago, WyattSheepMask said: Ah right, thought he owned more of them and didn’t realise that Matilda was RSC too. I can see it staying at Barbican though. They know what they’re doing with staging it there rather than having to make changes to a different venue, and it’s clearly a big draw for the Barbican as well It's a tough one. Because the Barbican I would assume would not want a full time production. But it's a small, intimate venue and it's a good stage size for the show. On the other hand, bigger theatre, bigger staging, potentially bigger audience (I know its not THAT far out but you can imagine if people are looking to see a show on the day they are buying from TKTS and going to one of the West End venues). It's had 2 pretty sold out seasons, so you'd like to think the Barbican would be open to it being a regular thing, but wonder what RSC are thinking, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.