My Fair Lady Sydney previews- Page 2

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 8:20pm

Perhaps it's because I'm used to Broadway prices, but I looked on the site and prices range from $50-260 Australian ($38-196 USD). Not cheap, but in line with Broadway and West End prices.

Updated On: 9/1/16 at 08:20 PM

[binau]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 8:31pm

The main difference for me is that when I have (and do) buy Broadway tickets I seem to be able to get decent seats without necessarily paying the top-end price. There is so much capacity on Broadway that with a couple of exceptions (e.g., Hamilton) - there is always a way to find great seats at decent prices. 

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 11:02pm

Viewing the clip reel can be misleading, but why do the performances all seem so mechanical in the clips? Feels like going through the motions without the spark of creation.

I've always wanted to see the real Oliver Smith sets recreated in 3 dimensions. Sadly this production does not come through there. Any comparison to photos of the original sets will prove they've left off the deliberate cross-hatching paint technique that turned nearly every stage picture of the original show into an ink engraving. Without that layer, we're left with amateur attempts at false perspective and no overarching panache. Well at least viewers in Sydney should get the magical double-turntable scene changes we can't see from the clip reel. Still, after Bway revivals in the 70's and 80's that claimed to recreate the original Smith/ Beaton designs but left off the turntables altogether, looks like we're still waiting for that perfect recreation.

[Smeds2]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 11:29pm

The show is planning to tour to Melbourne and Brisbane; in Melbourne it will be performed at the Regent Theatre. It holds almost 2200 seats and so the stage is pretty large too; its where Wicked, Lion King, King Kong and generally the "spectacle" shows go. I'm not sure how MFL will look given its intentionally old-style design.

Updated On: 9/2/16 at 11:29 PM

[A Director]

Posted: 9/2/16 at 12:26am

Someone - How nice of you to base your opinion about the set from watching a clip reel!

[scripps]

Posted: 9/2/16 at 1:44am

kadu335 said: "Funnily enough, a new production of My Fair Lady just opened this week here in Brazil.

Paulo Szot is playing Professor Higgins. I'm quite excited to see it! (I'm going tomorrow)"

Do come back to this thread and tell us about Paulo's performance!

 

Updated On: 9/2/16 at 01:44 AM

[Javi]

Posted: 9/2/16 at 3:15am

For people complaining about expensive tickets, just go search for seats on the sides and near the front. These are much cheaper.  There aren't that many seats per aisle and these give you great views of the stage because it's not a wide theatre.  For instance, for the last Thursday of the run, seats C 9 and C 10 are just $99.90 (and cheaper if you're a pensioner or student).  I sat in those seats for Anything Goes and they are great seats.  Usually they make those cheaper because I think it's the theatre for the opera and reading surtitles from there might be more difficult.  But since this isn't an opera, it doesn't matter.  Also look at later dates because those would have more availability and better selection of cheaper tickets.

I'm seeing the show next week.  I went to the talk last Sunday with Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma.  It was a lovely afternoon and nice to hear Julie just chat about her life and career.  

Updated On: 9/2/16 at 03:15 AM

[kadu335]

Posted: 9/2/16 at 2:18pm

scripps said: "kadu335 said: "Funnily enough, a new production of My Fair Lady just opened this week here in Brazil.

Paulo Szot is playing Professor Higgins. I'm quite excited to see it! (I'm going tomorrow)"

Do come back to this thread and tell us about Paulo's performance!"

 

I sure will. It's great to see Paulo taking a break from his opera career and doing musical theater again.

Excited for tonight!

Here's a snipped of him doing The Rain In Spain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuLGq8lD7z8

 

[NZBOY2]

Posted: 9/2/16 at 6:20pm

I just think it looks cheap . Not sure why

[NZBOY2]

Posted: 9/3/16 at 10:55pm

one last thing. This has confirmed John Frost is the worst theater producer ever. And should be banned from producing theater. We really need the roundabout or LCT to produce stuff in Australia. South Pacific shows what you can do to a classic.. 

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 9/3/16 at 11:06pm

NZBOY2 - Did you even see it?   And you left in such a tantrum.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 9/3/16 at 11:51pm

The original sets where recreated for the Victorian State Opera's production back in the late 80's with Anthony Warlow as Higgins, sadly the company no longer exists.

[ukpuppetboy]

Posted: 9/4/16 at 6:07pm

Was that the same production that toured Australia a decade later, again with Anthony Warlow as Higgins? I was backpacking Oz at that time and made a special point to fly back up to Brisbane to see him - despite not being a fan of most "classic" musicals. I remember quite liking that design, and the production for the most part. And coming away thinking that, although a total waste of Anthony's vocal skills it was a great testament to his skills as an actor.

[BwayDownunder]

Posted: 9/7/16 at 2:09am

Reviews are starting to come in: https://dailyreview.com.au/fair-lady-review-joan-sutherland-theatre-sydney-opera-house/48696/

[NZBOY2]

Posted: 9/7/16 at 2:15am

I might just go to NYC to see the 'real' thing

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 9/7/16 at 3:39am

ukpuppetboy said: "Was that the same production that toured Australia a decade later, again with Anthony Warlow as Higgins? I was backpacking Oz at that time and made a special point to fly back up to Brisbane to see him - despite not being a fan of most "classic" musicals. I remember quite liking that design, and the production for the most part. And coming away thinking that, although a total waste of Anthony's vocal skills it was a great testament to his skills as an actor.

 

"

No I think that was another John Frost production.

 

[SweetLips]

Posted: 9/8/16 at 1:49am

Just watched 'snippits' from the Australian production of MFL then across to the Brazilian scenes and my goodness--no comparison---I am off to Brazil !!.

Ms Andrews might have been under instructions to 'do the same as the original' but Brazil seemed to breath new life into this old war horse---and the size of that stage==WOW==!

 

Can't wait now to read when someone above reports on the actual show.

 

SL.......x

[NZBOY2]

Posted: 9/8/16 at 2:25am

I hate the set, costumes etc. I have seen South Pacific where the set was amazing. My disappointment is that they did not do something new withi.

[kadu335]

Posted: 9/8/16 at 11:27am

SweetLips said: "Just watched 'snippits' from the Australian production of MFL then across to the Brazilian scenes and my goodness--no comparison---I am off to Brazil !!.

Ms Andrews might have been under instructions to 'do the same as the original' but Brazil seemed to breath new life into this old war horse---and the size of that stage==WOW==!

Can't wait now to read when someone above reports on the actual show.

SL.......x"

 

I saw the Brazilian production last friday and the the show is absolutely stunning!

The cast is on fire. Paulo Szot is giving an amazing performance and his acting really surprised me... I've only seen him as Emile De Becque before and he's showing so much more range acting-wise in his performance as Professor Higgins. His vocal performance is outstanding as well (but that's not really a surprise at all). Daniele Nastri was also a delightful Eliza! Talented soprano and great acting as well! Sandro Christopher and Eduardo Amir were also standouts as Pickering and Alfred Doolittle.

The direction is on point. The orchestra sounds great (I wish I knew how big is it, but can't find it... it sounds pretty full though). The sets are pretty grand, especially considering the great stage size at the Santander Theatre, and some of them are breathtaking in person (the only one I didn't like was the outside of Higgins house, but it's barely featured, so it's just me nitpicking). Costumes are gorgeous as well... classic but with some "fresh" (more modern, I guess) twists. One thing that I really NEED to give special praise thought, is for the amazing job done to sound design! It's one aspect that has been bothering me a bit on the last couple of productions I've seen on Broadway, and the work done in this production is as perfect as it can be. The Portuguese adaption seem pretty close (if not all the same) as the one done here in the 60s, and it's a quite good and close translation with a few things I would personally have versioned differently (lol).

Overall, it's a top notch production in my opinion. The audience was sold out, but it's still early on the run... I hope they can stay open for a while (at least longer than We Will Rock You - the previous musical that played at the theater earlier this year)

 
For some new footage from the show and backstage, there's a good video uploaded on their YouTube Account. (You probably won't understand anything, but there's some nice shots in there! LOL)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGa6Po8gamY

 

 

Updated On: 9/8/16 at 11:27 AM

[kadu335]

Posted: 9/8/16 at 2:43pm

Some promo shots from the new Brazilian production:

Updated On: 9/8/16 at 02:43 PM

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Posted: 9/8/16 at 3:23pm

Thank you for posting the promo shots and the review. It looks wonderful. Wish I could fly down to see it.

[kadu335]

Posted: 9/8/16 at 9:23pm

Anna_Elizabeth said: "Thank you for posting the promo shots and the review. It looks wonderful. Wish I could fly down to see it."

No problem. I intended to post this earlier, but it was a busy week... I'm glad you liked it!

[SweetLips]

Posted: 9/8/16 at 9:32pm

Thank you thank you Kadu- what a beautiful articulate review--sound is really so important to the overall impact of everything.

That photo 3 from last is my favourite--the contrasts and lighting of the men in black and the colourful gowns and the lines--perfection.

 

That's what I am here for-to live live theatre through others--so thank you again.

 

SL.....x

[kadu335]

Posted: 9/9/16 at 10:16am

SweetLips said: "Thank you thank you Kadu- what a beautiful articulate review--sound is really so important to the overall impact of everything.

That photo 3 from last is my favourite--the contrasts and lighting of the men in black and the colourful gowns and the lines--perfection.

That's what I am here for-to live live theatre through others--so thank you again.

SL.....x"

Oh, thanks! English is not my 1st language, so I'm glad you liked the review and think it was articulate! 

I loved that photo as well... It really captures that whole ball sequence pretty well!