The Woman in White West End Revival

[chernjam]

Posted: 7/17/17 at 10:36pm

So that was quick... a brief mention in an ALW interview last week and now it's been announced... Website is up: thewomaninwhite.co.uk 

and a promo video is on the facebook page...

I enjoyed the original production.... Not one of my all time favorites (and I'd much rather see a revival of Aspects of Love) - but for ALW fans, it's exciting to see what changes he's made to what was a beautiful score

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/17/17 at 11:32pm

I hope this gives the show more life. I LOVE the first like 10mins or so. So creepy and beautiful and I'd love to see the full show.

[chernjam]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 12:20am

curious to see what 14 years since the premiere will do for the creative team in revisiting this - in terms of score/story.  There was a lot of beautiful music in there - and a victorian thriller should be a good idea for a musical.  Always find it interesting when composers revisit things that weren't too successful the first time around

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 1:15am

Actually it's off west end

[chernjam]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 1:23am

imeldasturn - thanks for that... I didn't think I had heard of that theatre before, but when I saw "London revival" I thought it was West End.

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 1:34am

I'm not sure how people define a West End show, but I believe Charing Cross is eligible for Olivier Awards just as productions in Prince Edward are.

[hork]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 2:00am

I couldn't get through the cast recording. I felt like I was listening to a book on tape that was sung for some reason.

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 7:56am

RippedMan said: "I hope this gives the show more life. I LOVE the first like 10mins or so. So creepy and beautiful and I'd love to see the full show."

I hate that I missed the original production. The first time I listened to the cast recording, I had the same reaction - the opening is so moody and eerie, just the sort of thing I love. This is my second favorite ALW score, after Phantom.

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 7:57am

I posted this to the West End board yesterday but there's been no response:

http://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/the-woman-in-white

I love the score to this show and very much regret missing the original production, so news of this revival is exciting to me. While I've been to London several times to see shows (I live in the U.S.), I'm not familiar with the Charing Cross Theatre. A look at the venue's website indicates that the theatre is quite small and I'm concerned that this revival will be a rather small affair that might not warrant a trip across the pond. 

Does anyone know what typical productions at the Charing Cross Theatre are like?

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 8:24am

Scaled down excellent productions of previously monumental musicals such as Ragtime and Titanic

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 8:33am

It's the same off west end venue where Betty Buckley played Dear World btw 

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 9:24am

imeldasturn said: "Scaled down excellent productions of previously monumental musicals such as Ragtime and Titanic"

Thanks for your reply; would you say that you'd expect this to be a credible production?

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 12:29pm

I don't know the show and even if I did I wouldn't feel comfortable to say that this would or wouldn't justify a trip from the States. However, Thom Southerland is a brilliant young director, who has very succesfully reimagined shows known for their grand sets for smaller stages and budgets. Here you can give a look at his productions of Grey Gardens, Titanic and his amazing revival of Ragtime. Laura Pitt Pulford has one of my favourite voices in the West End and she's in talk to play Marian. The more expensive tickets should be around 40£, so if there are other shows you'd like to see in town it would be a nice occasion to explore London.

Updated On: 7/18/17 at 12:29 PM

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 12:45pm

imeldasturn, the vocal performance in the Titanic video is top-notch! The staging has a slightly claustrophobic look (although I suppose that's to be expected with a small house), but the overall appearance does not suggest cheap. 

[chernjam]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 12:26pm

This talk of the revival made me take a listen to the cast recording (and even better, the Woman in White orchestral suite on "Phantasma" which reminded me how many really beautiful tunes there are in this score.  

Perhaps this will get me to make my first trip to the UK after all

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 12:44pm

It's def. a credible theater company. And I'm pretty sure they're still up for Oliver's so therefore West End?

[BIG BALONEY]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 12:51pm

The theatre is like the Westside theater on 43rd and 9th, maybe slightly bigger. It is under the railroad arches.

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 1:29pm

BIG BALONEY said: "The theatre is like the Westside theater on 43rd and 9th, maybe slightly bigger. It is under the railroad arches."

Thank you!

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 1:30pm

chernjam said: "This talk of the revival made me take a listen to the cast recording (and even better, the Woman in White orchestral suite on "Phantasma" which reminded me how many really beautiful tunes there are in this score.  

Perhaps this will get me to make my first trip to the UK after all"

I love the Woman in White Suite; I think it's better than the Phantom Suite.

[jo]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 10:08pm

I like THE WOMAN IN WHITE,  I was lucky to have seen the original production both in London and on Broadway. Too bad the Broadway production was plagued by illness and by dislike for the use of technology for  background scenes. I thought that was a good move...and I still can remember that scene with the oncoming train that had me practically ducking out of the way.

But I agree that the book may be too dark or too long for a live staging -- maybe they should rework the book ( I tried reading the original Victorian age novel -- but again, it was too long and somewhat boring )?  But the score is lovely and has some outstanding songs.

Hope the new production attracts more fans!

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/20/17 at 8:13am

jo said: "still can remember that scene with the oncoming train that had me practically ducking out of the way."

That's the scene that's got me wondering how a small-scale production is going to pull it off.

[chernjam]

Posted: 11/8/17 at 9:38pm

Love this- from the new cast:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=AIR84jX7DS8 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/8/17 at 9:41pm

Ugh.  I actually really like the score EXCEPT for THAT SONG.

[chernjam]

Posted: 11/8/17 at 9:59pm

its funny Mister Matt - was going to say that was the one song I got tired of from TWIW - but for some reason, I actually enjoyed that performance

[jo]

Posted: 11/9/17 at 12:45am

I believe that song  

Thanks for the link -- very good singing voices!