Photo Flash: SWEET CHARITY At Theatre Royal Haymarket.. ummm.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 9:56am

Ok. I usually love these small London productions. But I will be the first to say....this looks just plain UGLY. Doesn't look any more appealing than it did at the Chocolate Factory.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Flash_SWEET_CHARITY_At_Theatre_Royal_Haymarket_20100504

Video clips here: https://www.sweetcharitywestend.com/photos_videos/videos.php

It'll probably transfer.
Updated On: 5/4/10 at 09:56 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 9:59am

The Springfield Community Players Presents:
SWEET CHARITY!

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 9:59am

LOL

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 10:00am

All right, now you know.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 10:01am

Next season they're doing RED WHITE & BLAINE

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 10:02am

:-p

PJ, I'm learning!!

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 10:24am

Based on those tidbits, the only thing I se that might be better than the Broadway revival is the choreography. It looks closer to "Fosse" than the B'way revival did (from what I remember!). But I absolutely loved the revival. (I am talking about the last revival)

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 10:41am

Man, did they get the hair and makeup wrong.

Let me guess ... they moved it to 1975, just because.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:04pm

"Brass Band"......OUCH

[wickedfan]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:32pm

To be fair, that video looks like it was filmed at Menier. There are more photos of the show at Theatre Royal Haymarket, and they definitely spruced up the set a bit more than what's seen in that video. "Rich Man's Frug" especially has more of a set now. That said, yeah, it looks pretty bad.

[Brick]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:38pm

That FRUG! Ew.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 1:18pm

Uh OH, Oscar doesn't like his image being used in shows or on TV not associated with the Award show!

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 1:21pm

Its actually a brilliant production. Tamzin is fantastic (all the cast are) and the choreography is superb. Yes its small scale (i dont get Broadway obsession with big sets) but it works really well.

[mallardo]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 1:47pm

Really. I was a big fan of the last Broawdway revival and loved Christina Applegate but the current London production just blew me away. A truly original conception for the show, well cast and beautifully choreographed. The Rhythm of Life has never worked so well and the Rich Man's Frug was terrific.

When will some of you people learn that a couple of hastily produced video clips do not give you a basis for pronouncing judgment on a show you have not seen.

[phantom39]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 1:51pm

While I loved every minute of the new La Cage, keep this cheap looking show off of Broadway!

[Mark_E]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 2:26pm

Right, please don't judge from the video. At the Haymarket it is SO much better. It is a very solid production that needs to be seen to be appreciated.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 3:41pm

I'm definitely more a fan of the stylized costumes from the last Broadway revival, which I understand were maybe not the most authentic to the time, but it was definitely better than the ugly truth presented here.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 4:49pm

Shouldn't these clips belong in the bad community theater thread?? Nothing about that looked good.

[tellybox]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 5:49pm

Frug looks pretty good to me, especially compared to what Cilento did.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 6:03pm

Is Charity played by a drag queen?

[CONAries]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 6:04pm

Menier Chocolate factory have done yet again what they did with La Cage, Little Night Music and to an extent, Little Shop, stripped it right back to the bare emotions and context, and then built a heart-felt show up around that, it isn't lavish and OTT like most Broadway shows, however, doesnt that make it more realistic and focus more on the acting happening??

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 6:07pm

Menier Chocolate factory have done yet again what they did with La Cage, Little Night Music and to an extent, Little Shop, stripped it right back to the bare emotions and context, and then built a heart-felt show up around that, it isn't lavish and OTT like most Broadway shows, however, doesnt that make it more realistic and focus more on the acting happening??

I'm sick of the "It's more realistic" crap. I don't care if a show is realistic, people are spontaneously SINGING!

[CONAries]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 6:12pm

I'm glad you have that opinion Theatrefan, personally im sick of people (mainly Americans to be honest) who think that musicals should be all about a big, lavish, glits and glam production, which is why Broadway is constantly churning out shows which is all style and no context, infact, I could name 6 that have opened in the last year alone!

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 7:00pm

I have to say I disagree with those who think that "small scale" is better or more realistic. It's a musical, so you automatically check realism at the door, never mind the size.

My big gripe is that Broadway did used to conjure images of spectacle and large-scale magic. It wasn't just one or two box office stars surrounded by a four-person chorus and summer stock sets. And "cheap" didn't pass for "concept." "Scaled down" didn't pass for "realistic."

Six people in the pit doesn't equal Broadway to me, with rare exception. A chorus of eight doesn't either. That's summer stock. That's community theatre.

I can see excellent theatre all over the country where they have scaled-down productions with quality actors and singers. They're everywhere. Not just in NY.

What made NY theatre special wasn't the quality, it was the spectacle. Thirty chorus kids who could tap their asses off. All dressed in expensive costumes, with a pit orchestra of 20-30 as well.

Broadway is fast becoming a community theatre with headliner stars and fat ticket prices, but nothing else above and beyond what any of us could see in a small city in Iowa or Arizona. Actually, with the costs lower regionally, at least I can still see 30 in the chorus or 30 the pit there. Something that is a thing of the past on the Great White Way, unless I want to check out those old warhorses that have been playing for over a decade. And even THOSE have been scaled down over the years to keep the shows running.

And for those of you who think that "good actors" or "good singers and dancers" only live in NY, you need to get out more. You have no idea.

This "smoke and mirror act" saying smaller is better is played out. It's "the emperor's new clothes."

Except I can already see that the emperor is naked, and the ruse is over. Bring me a Broadway-scale show, not just a "Broadway quality" show.

But I'm sure as long as people are willing to shell out $130 to see an "Equity waiver"-sized production, this game will continue.

Updated On: 5/4/10 at 07:00 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 7:05pm

(i dont get Broadway obsession with big sets)

Because after a while it becomes hard to justify paying Broadway prices when you can you go see a regional production (which is usually inherently scaled down) at about 1/4 the price.