Friday Night on BWW

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Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 4:33pm

I thought seeing as its friday night, and im home and not out, id start a thread, just to give us something to do, if anything. So think of this as a chance to chuck anything about, theatre related obviously, and have a nice old chat about showbiz

shall i start?
so what was the first west end show you saw, and was it responsible for the obsession you have today?

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 4:53pm

Les Mis for me - I had to be almost physically dragged to it as I didn't want to see "some stoopid French opera!", particularly as I wasn't allowed to take my walkman with me!
My mum has never let me forget that!
I think it was the first non-panto I'd ever seen at the theatre and it was definitely responsible for my musical obsession, if not my love of theatre in general.

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 4:57pm

My very first West End show was 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'. I've seen it with Jason Donovan, Philip Schofield, and Stephen Gately. I don't think of it as being responsible for my current theatre obsession, but I've certainly been a fan of musicals for a very long time and it didn't exactly discourage me.

No, what I blame for my theatre fan-ness in general is 'Rent'. I used to hang out on an AOL message board, and all the "cool kids" were into 'Rent', so when the tour came through my hometown, I went to see it. I loved it, bought the OBCR, then just... started spreading out. I moved onto 'Aida', 'Wicked', 'Avenue Q', 'The Last Five Years', in all directions really, as long as it was contemporary Broadway. 'Rent' was the very first show I actually saw on Broadway and even though I don't consider myself a massive fan anymore, that still pleases me. :3

Then somewhere along the line I went wrong, and went to see 'Sunday in the Park with George' at the Wyndham's. Upon realising that London theatre-going was fun, I booked myself onto my friends' sofa for a week and went to see 'The Woman in Black', 'The Last Five Years', 'Les Miserables', 'Evita', 'Billy Elliot', the first 'Wicked' preview, 'Guys & Dolls', the third 'Wicked' preview, and 'Avenue Q'. And I just never looked back!

So I suppose you could say there's a timeline of the important shows that have had most impact on me and led me up to where I am today; it needs punctuating with many many trips to 'Blood Brothers', and it'll get more detailed as we get more recent.

1991 - 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'
Between these points, I was in an array of musicals, at school, the local theatre, and local am-dram.
2001 - 'Rent'
I started buying cast recordings at a fairly steady rate shortly after this.
2004 - 'Rent' (again; this time on Broadway!

)
2006 (July) - 'Sunday in the Park with George'
2006 (September) - 'Wicked', 'Les Miserables', 'The Woman in Black' (my first real play experience; shocking!)
I went to New York for a week in March 2007. It was fantastic.

2007 (May) - 'Office Suite' (this was the first time I got a standby for a fiver at the Theatre Royal, Bath, and lordy it was FAR from the last time!)
2007 (July) - 'Angels in America' (it gave me a taste for marathon theatre days)
2007 (October) - 'Henry V' (turned me onto Shakespeare finally; since 'Henry V', I've seen 17 different Shakespeare plays)

I'm sorry, what was the question? I appear to have skewed myself. It happens. XP

Ah, obsession today! Well, actually, I have serial obsessions. The obsession I have today is Shakespeare and 'War Horse', so while my first West End show certainly prodded me in the right direction, it's pretty far removed from my current fixations. So no, not responsible. Just... helpful. I totally blame a combination of 'Rent' and 'Wicked'. But look at me now! I've blossomed! It *is* possible!

Notes from the Earlham Street Gutter

Updated On: 8/29/08 at 04:57 PM

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:01pm

Acalia, good on you for starting this thread!

When I was 14 I saw Aspects of Love, the music went a bit of over me, obviously I knew Love Changes Everything.
I was mesmerised by all the moving scenery, lighting all with music sang passionately........the rest is history!!!!!!!!!

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:05pm

For once, I'm going to have to pass the credit on (a very strange thing for a director I know...) Twas legallysam rather than myself! :)

I like Weez's timeline, I think I'll try and come up with something similar!

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:06pm

Well, the first West End Show for me was Batb at the Dominion, that had a huge impact on me..
But when..... CATS!.... came out on video and I saw it in London my obsession began to grow..
Also, dont mean to hijack your thread legallysam but what was the first Cast Recording you bought everyone.??
Mine was 'Fame the musical OLC' :P
x

Updated On: 8/29/08 at 05:06 PM

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:09pm

Awh thats a nice detailed post there Weez! :)
its incredibly shameful but ive never seen Shakespeare performed live...! its quite a shocker

the first show i ever saw in the west end was We Will Rock You, in its first year, and after watching Radio Ga Ga thats when i knew i loved dance, and wanted to do what the people on stage were doing!!! I know its not exactly a huge memorable dance moment like Swan Lake or something but just something about that experience...the way every single person was so in time and precise. And so i can say my first west end show is responsible for my obsession with dance (which in turn is responsible for my recent obsession of A Chorus Line)

lol

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:11pm

Hell, Friday night is chatty night!

The first cast recording I owned was 'Blood Brothers' with Barbara Dickson, but the first one I bought myself with my own money was 'Rent' OBCR. My mother also collected the entirety of the Musicals Collection (anyone remember that?) and I still use it to this day to get me into shows. There was a period around 1993/1994 where I could NOT stop listening to 'Me & My Girl'!

How about directors? If someone jumped on you right now and asked what theatre directors you rate, who would you name? Right now, my soul belongs to Michael Boyd, but I'm also keen on Rupert Goold and Michael Grandage. Yourselves?

Notes from the Earlham Street Gutter

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:12pm

haha dont worry Benny, as i said its just a thread where anyone can chuck ideas about!!
erm my first Cast Recording...that would be We Will Rock You, but the first one i had was Beauty and the Beast my mum and dad got it for me when they saw it in London :)

#10

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:19pm

got freebies to see Joseph at the new london - didn't really wanna go as i've sat through it about 845 times (literally) and in the middle of the loincloth scene just as he started close every door- stephen gately got slightly aroused (don't ask me why?) you just saw his loincloth start to stick out slighty - where to look!!!!

then scrooge tour - a stagehand got his leg wrapped round the mirror cover and ended up being flown to the grid...

Evita has been evacuated 5 times this week due to a building site next door and we've had one ensemble & U/S break her wrist....

the storys i coudl tell (mainly all kenwright!)

**You Can't Beat A Matcham!**

#11

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:24pm

ooh Anon sounds like youve had a fun filled week!
"you just saw his loincloth start to stick out slighty - where to look!!!!"
erm straight at it and make sure you notify everyone else in the theatre??

i mean at his face, i heard hes a wonderful actor, with wonderful, powerful facial expressions...

#12

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:27pm

Gately singing 'Close Every Door' was probably one of the scariest moments in theatre for me. He started straining all his muscles so much I wouldn't have been at all surprised if he'd exploded. Now I know he was probably just concentrating really hard on something else - "don't get an erection! Don't get an erection! Don't get an erection!".

Ay me, my innocence lays stain'd on the floor...

Notes from the Earlham Street Gutter

#13

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:35pm

Awh bless his lil cotton loin cloth..!

right back on topic..*cough*!
the best set piece in a play or musical..? whats been that one set that youve just literally been speechless at!?

#14

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:35pm

First album, I bought was a double cassette of Aspects of Love, I used to listen to this going to school, everyone else was listening to Kylie Minogue, Bros and Rick Ashleigh; I don't know where I went wrong though.

This Friday night chat is good, Wickedboy does not know what he is missing.

#15

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:36pm

"stephen gately got slightly aroused (don't ask me why?)"

Because he saw you ofcourse.

#16

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:39pm

Scripps you lil charmer you!
ohmigod i remember cassettes! i used to have Now 38 on cassette :) and the erm..er...spice girls...!
i havent bought any cast albums in so long, iTunes is just so tempting with its £7.99!

#17

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:43pm

#18

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:43pm

Best set piece? Easy peasy! 'War Horse'!

When we first see Joey, he is but a foal. The puppet is made up of a basic horse body, and four stiff, detached legs. We go through the drama, young Albert brings Joey home, they run around the Olivier stage together, and every time Albert calls out to him, little Joey rears up. Until finally, the little puppet foal rears up at the back of the stage, and the lighting changes as an absolutely astoundingly detailed and wonderful bigger-than-lifesize full-grown horse puppet rears up and the little foal puppet breaks apart and flies off; little Joey's all grown up! He canters to the front of the stage, Albert climbs on his back, and they trot off into the wings to thunderous applause.

And I still weep like a little girl to remember it. It was absolutely the most wonderful single scene in anything I've ever seen. If there were truly a God, 'War Horse' would be setting up camp in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, not 'Oliver!' for the bazillionth time.

Notes from the Earlham Street Gutter

#19

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:46pm

"Then somewhere along the line I went wrong, and went to see 'Sunday in the Park with George' at the Wyndham's."

Explanation needed here Weez. Is this revenge for my earlier comment saying Shakespeare is passe compared to Sondheim?

Haha, of course not! I love them both dearly. But my bank manager, watching my money flying out of my account and straight into TicketMaster's pocket, would surely define it as a "going wrong". It's the traditional British characteristic of deprecation and understatement coming into play. 'Sunday...' was wonderful, and set me off on a whole long expensive path of constant theatre-going. :3

Notes from the Earlham Street Gutter

#20

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:49pm

Best set was in the London production of On The Twentieth Century where you had close-up front, side and rear views of a moving train on-stage all in a very short space of time.

Much better than Starlight Express.

#21

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:49pm

Awh sounds amazing, im really gutted about missing War Horse!
ooh and i do not care what the stupid Tony Award panel says the Sunday projections were perfection, and deserved that award! I was really upset about that one, because i loved that whole concept so much!

just out of curiousity, where is Wicked tonight??

#22

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:53pm

There were too many amazing revivals at the Tonys this year. At least the Oliviers gave 'Sunday' its full due. And the Drama Desk created a category especially for it!

There's time yet to see 'War Horse', btw. They've brought it back until January, and tickets are still available for much of December. :)

Notes from the Earlham Street Gutter

#23

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:53pm

The projections in Sunday were brilliant and brought Acts I and II together in a way I hadn't experienced before.

Wicked was around earlier but seems to have disappeared.

#24

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:55pm

First cast recording, not including ones that were really pinched from my parents, I think was the Scandinavian tour of Chess - possibly my most precious one as well as it's such a brilliant version and you can't get the same one anymore (I think there was some copyright problem as they'd included more than they were supposed to).
I got a random version of Joseph about the same time I think - picked the cheapest one when I saw it on tour.

Best set piece.....hmm I think I'm still in awe from seeing Lord of the Rings in the summer! (and I feel most similar to Weez in that if there were a God, LOTR would still be at the Theatre Royal rather than flippin' Oliver!)

#25

re: Friday Night on BWW

Posted: 8/29/08 at 5:56pm

Oooh what venue is it playing at?
Yeh some slightly overrated revivals..pfft! i suppose im just being bitter!

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