Quick Lennon review - and nasty doormen- Page 2

[DreamFlyer22]

Posted: 7/11/05 at 6:07pm

I personally don't have a problem with a water bottle if you're sensible about it- aka, don't go slurping loudly during the show! (yeah... there's a story there) I had a small water bottle at Spamalot and the ushers were okay with it.

As for start time... Actually, kinda funny story attached to that. Before I went to England this past January, I figured it was just a rule of thumb- theater starts late. All the productions I've been in have tended to start about 5 or so past 8... and if you're talking Broadway, it's about 8:07 or so before the curtain goes up. Things happen. That's why it's live theater.

Yet for every West End show I saw, (8 of 'em over the course of three weeks) not a single one started late. There was a bell at 7:28pm (those who don't know- evening shows over there start at 7:30) and it felt like, come hell or high water, they were GOING to get the show started at 7:30 and not a moment later.

Is it bad if a show starting on time surprises me??

[overthemoon419]

Posted: 7/12/05 at 1:35am

I was at the same show, and while the show did start a little late, it's not uncommon for shows to delay curtain time when there is bad weather. delaying curtain time by ten or fifteen minutes has definite perks when compared to seating a hundred people (give or take) during the opening number because they were held up by Mother Nature.

..random, but i was under the impression from Lennon that Yoko Ono was aware that John was a Beatle when she met him, she simply wasn't influenced by his public status. not gospel, though, just an opinon.

leefowler, i think it's a little harsh to say that the show "sucked" without justification, but that might just be my opinion.

and, as per my comments in another thread, Lennon is *NOT* a "jukebox musical" like Good Vibrations, All Shook Up, Mamma Mia, or Movin' Out. Lennon is similar to Tick, Tick...BOOM! in the sense that it takes music/lyrics written by a performer (John Lennon and Jonathan Larson, respectively), not all specifically written for the given show (e.g., bits of TTB were pieced together from some of Larson's previous works), but they are not used to construct a story. Rather, both are biographical (please don't attack me, i know they were not done in the same manner or the same vein, i'm just drawing a slight comparison) and use the works of the performer to accentuate his story. In the case of Mamma Mia, for example, a set of songs by ABBA were gathered and then rearranged so that a story could be constructed around them. In the case of Lennon, the story was already complete: the story of John Lennon's life (give or take a few expected artistic licenses). His music was merely used to accentuate different emotions and occurances in his life while telling his story.

I also went for Terry. He's an absolute sweetheart, and while i would LOVE to see him do even more onstage, I was perfectly content and excited to see him do all that he did. His narration, characters, and singing were right on target (as per usual, it's impossible for him to do any less than fabulous), and I am very much looking forward to see him again.