2018 Olivier Awards- Page 5

[Loopin’theloop]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 1:49pm

Gizmo I said ‘Musical Theatre as we know it is an American invention’ I did not say it was purekt an American invention as my knowekedge of theatre history is strong enough that I wouldn’t. The key words are ‘as we know it’. Broadway Concierge is also entirely correct.

As for rude ‘That made me giggle’ I’m so glad that my trying to engage you conversation made you laugh. Especially since you are misinformed and it is I and every other poster within this discussion that is trying to engage you in discussion, despite your rhetoric.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 1:52pm

gypsy101 said: "just saw the Hamilton performance, it wasn’t great. the hard Gs and Rs were really throwing me considering it’s supposed to be rap and you don’t hear those sounds a lot in american rap, it all felt very forced and strange which may have to do with British actors doing American accents (though usually British actors do very convincing American accents and it’s usually the reverse that sounds odd)"

In my experience seeing shows in London, the accents tend to not be as great as you think. In Good People, which takes place in Boston they seemed to be doing southern or Brooklyn. In A Chorus Line Shelia (from Colorado) had a hard New York accent.

Most West End actors playing American tend to do an over ennunciation thing. My Brit friend says Broadway actors always do English like they're rich Oscar Wilde characters, so I guess we're equally as bad.

[froote]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 3:26pm

dramamama611 said: "Actually, there was a lot of brouhaha over Billy v N2N -- but not because Billy had been mounted in London previously.

But yes, Gizmo's claims are a bit farfetched here."

Oh of course, I would know as I think it was a huge travesty myself. I only meant in regards to the issue of location.

[froote]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 3:29pm

Anyone thinking the UK is doing better/more relevant work in musical theatre than America is just outright delusional at this point. The idea of something like Hamilton coming out of the UK is basically laughable.

[Gizmo6]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 4:32pm

I never said UK would create a Hip-pop pastiche musical.

I would remind you that out of the top ten longest running musicals 50% of Broadway’s musicals are British imports and 70% of West End Musicals are homegrown.

[froote]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 6:12pm

Gizmo6 said: "I never said UK would create a Hip-pop pastiche musical.

I would remind you that out of the top ten longest running musicals 50% of Broadway’s musicals are British imports and 70% of West End Musicals are homegrown. "

And no one is saying we didn't have our time. Yes in the 80s and early 90s a lot of influential musicals were coming out of the UK. But we're talking about now and those days are over.

Currently on Broadway there are 25 musicals that originated in the US and 1 musical that originated in the UK.

Currently in the West End there are 11 musicals that originated in the UK and 12 musicals that originated in the US. 

The one British musical playing in the US is The Phantom of the Opera that opened in 1986.

On the other hand, the West End has American musicals like Kinky Boots, Wicked, Aladdin, The Book of Mormon and Hamilton. All successful shows that premiered this century. 

[froote]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 6:15pm

And when I say the West End wouldn't produce a Hamilton, I mean they wouldn't produce something that simultaneously influential and original.

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 6:28pm

What I love about West End Theater= and I go to London at least once a year to see shows- is that tickets are so much easier to get- and they are a lot cheaper than NY. We went up to the box office for The Ferryman- about 20 minutes before showtime- and scored fifth row- on the side, but still great- in the stalls- or orchestra as we call it. And on and on....I rarely cannot get tickets to a show- though maybe the ones I am not really interested in are tight- not interested in Harry Potter or Hamilton, because I have seen it- let time, got tickets when we got to London for Jamie, Long Days's Journey, Girl From The North Country, Witness For The Prosecution, Mary Stuart and Julius Caesar- and great seats, too. You could never do this in NY- and the prices were right- all tickets less than 100- and some a lot less- Julius Caesar 30 dollars for a great seat-that is USD not GBP.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 9:53am

If one more stupid newscaster calls the the OLIVER Awards, I may smash the tv. Are all these pretty people really that dumb?

 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 10:21am

I'm sorry, the actor playing Burr made me laugh out loud. What is that accent? 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 10:25am

Have to say I am loving the EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE cast recording. Hope it finds its way across the pond in some capacity. 

[Gizmo6]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 10:56am

BWAY Baby2 said: "What I love about West End Theater= and I go to London at least once a year to see shows- is that tickets are so much easier to get- and they are a lot cheaper than NY. We went up to the box office for The Ferryman- about 20 minutes before showtime- and scored fifth row- on the side, but still great- in the stalls- or orchestra as we call it. And on and on....I rarely cannot get tickets to a show- though maybe the ones I am not really interested in are tight- not interested in Harry Potter or Hamilton, because I have seen it- let time, got tickets when we got to London for Jamie, LongDays's Journey, Girl From The North Country, Witness For The Prosecution, Mary Stuart and Julius Caesar- and great seats, too. You could never do this in NY- and the prices were right- all tickets less than 100- and some a lot less- Julius Caesar 30 dollars for a great seat-that is USD not GBP."

The West End is great for Day Seats (Rush Tickets) and West End prices are way better on the whole.

And mostly for all shows bar limited engagements you will get tickets on the day. 

 

[Gizmo6]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 10:59am

I wondered about a transfer. The themes are obviously universal. The source material was set in Manchester and the musical moved to Sheffield.

I think it will have a real life for youth groups and was wondering would the licensing be flexible with the setting?

[binau]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 1:46pm

I agree a transfer is warranted. I think the show would have a real chance of succeeding in New York City. 

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 1:50pm

Anyone else find Bennett's "I'm Still Here" a bit overblown? I didn't see the production, so I cant speak to the performance in context.

[binau]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 1:52pm

Basically none of the National Theatre cast came close to the 2011 Follies revival. Some interesting and very aesthetically pleasing staging (except Loveland) but highly, highly overrated. We struck gold with the most recent revival of Follies and it won't be topped for decades.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 2:02pm

^ Strenuously disagree here. I thought the 2011 revival was dry, foursquare, and woefully unimaginative for a show that is all about imagination. Seeing the National Theater production in a movie theater gave me all the thrills and chills that I've pictured FOLLIES ought to have but never managed to get till then. I agree with you that the NT Loveland sequences were a big disappointment (and also agree that the Phyllis and Sally we had in New York far outshone their British counterparts), but the continuous thrust of the show and the potency of the ghosts' presence in the NT revival is the high bar that all future productions should be measured against.